In the Sniper Case It's Moose Against the Herd

WSJ ^ | October 18, 2002 | Tunku Varadarajan

[AZLiberty]

Like many in America, I've developed a spirited--and not unhealthy--fascination with Charles Moose, the local police chief in charge of the hunt for the murdering sniper in the Washington area.

The source of this fascination is not the manner in which he is conducting the investigation, or even the degree of its difficulty, but the interaction between this man--honest, simple, unpretentious--and the televisual medium, to which one might apply any of a range of antonyms for the adjectives I've just used for Chief Moose.

[AZLiberty]

Man or Moose?

[trebb]

Good article - I totally agree; Moose is doing a great job of trying to do his job without being herded by the press. He comes across as honest, sincere, and with no desire to become a TV Cowboy, like so many of the "other" law enforcement folks. Keep up the great work.

MOOOOOSE !!!

[TigersEye]

nnnnnnnnnnnnnMOOO!

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnMOOOOOO!!

snort snort snortle

[South Dakota]

General Sherman said if he killed all the press there would be news from hell by noon

[blau993]

Now you've done it! Dangling MOOSE in front of this crowd is an invitation to mayhem.

[spycatcher]

"Come on people, Think about it!"

[Free State Four]

News-gathering has, effectively, become gathering at news conferences.

It constantly baffles me that 3 major networks and a dozen cable stations pay reporters/ettes to stand at these conferences and "take notes". Then they all regurgitate that same garbage on different channels. Can anybody investigate anymore?

In the case of Clinton, I understand they wanted to studiously avoid investigation. But has it been permanently dropped from the job description? fsf

[Tuco-bad]

Chief Moose is a BAD joke who fumbles his way through his 3 or 4 news conferences a day.

Since the sniper attacks occured in two different states and DC, I don't understand why the FBI hasn't taken charge of the investigation.

[spycatcher]

Click to hear the latest from Moose

[Blood of Tyrants]

a ripe red pustule on the tip of an anchorette's nose. Peter Jennings?

[gridlock]

The FBI will leave local authorities as the public front, and work behind-the-scenes. I don't think Moose give a hoot either way, but a lot of local authorities will refuse to cooperate if the Fibbies start stealing the limelight.

I agree that Moose would just as soon do without the limelight. He should just stop doing news conferences altogether, unless there is something important to say.

When and if an arrest comes, it will be attributed to the local authorities, just as it was in the Kenyan bombing cases and for everyone run down in association with the bombing of the USS Cole. But, rest assured, the Fibbies played their part.

[3AngelaD]

I agree. MOOSE ROCKS. He is a regular person. He has had an unenviable job thrust on him, and is giving it his all. It is the media that is annoying me no end.

[opticoax]

From The Delusional Mind of Sandy Hufnaker

you can email her at cari@cagle.com

[opticoax]

This one from Joe Heller

you can email him at heller@netnet.net

[js1138]

I don't understand why the FBI hasn't taken charge of the investigation.

What makes you think they haven't? Isn't 400 agents enough?

[Tuco-bad]

I don't think Moose give a hoot either way, but a lot of local authorities will refuse to cooperate if the Fibbies start stealing the limelight.

Oh Moose LOVES the spotlight.

As for the local authorities not cooperating, what you are saying is that their publicity and face time before the media is more important than catching the sniper.

Seems similar to the FBI and CIA protecting their turf by not cooperating with each other before 9/11.

[AZLiberty]

Surely the FBI -- perhaps even the Pentagon -- is in charge of the Maryland sniper case by now. Yesterday's withdrawal of all the facts in the case is an indication of that. Moose and his MD colleagues are now just puppets.

I like Moose, however. With a few more years of experience under his belt, he could be another Rummy.

[Tuco-bad]

What makes you think they haven't? Isn't 400 agents enough?

"Like many in America, I've developed a spirited--and not unhealthy--fascination with Charles Moose, the local police chief in charge of the hunt for the murdering sniper in the Washington area."

From all reports, Chief Moose is in charge.

[opticoax]

This one from J.D. Crow

You can email him at jdcrowe@mobileregister.com