All Hail, Martyr James HATFIELD, Truth-Teller First

[UTUSN]

*******QUOTE*******

http://www.lovearth.net/fortunateson.htm

Press Release

Soft Skull Press Publishers of
Fortunate Son by James Howard Hatfield

Monday July 23, 2001

Dear Friends and Members of the Press,We have been reeling from the news since Friday. Jim Hatfield is gone. In a country where not enough reporters and talking heads have the courage to speak truth to power, Hatfield, the President's most controversial biographer, ended his own life in solitude in an Arkansas motel last week.

I knew Jim. He could be tempestuous, moody and unpredictable. He was also intensely driven, articulate and full of Southern charm. When I spoke with his widow Nancy on Friday, we agreed, "He was a good writer." He was a hell of a fighter and you wanted him on your side. Just last month we spent a weekend together in Chicago on the trade show floor of Book Expo America. He signed books, shook hands, worked the crowd, spoke out, strategized with me and revealed sources. We went non-stop together to promote his Bush biography Fortunate Son. He was fond of quoting Langston Hughes, "I've been insulted, eliminated, locked in, locked out, and left holding the bag. But I am still here."

Like Hughes, Hatfield will live on through his books. Jim's life will not be soon forgotten. The story of Fortunate Son is gravely important. Jim was on the verge of collapse due to financial difficulties, and part of this was due to the failure of this book. The American media followed the trail laid for them: the piercing inquiries into Bush's drug history were diverted into ironic stories about Jim Hatfield's own checkered past. After Hatfield was fed information and then discredited, he faced financial ruin and obscurity. He lost two other book contracts. His death was by his own hand but the causes go deeper. October of 1999 was glorious for him: he celebrated the initial publication of Fortunate Son and the birth of his daughter. But October was shattered by a book burning, a
two-year long media carnival, and the character assassination of Jim Hatfield, an ex convict turned author who had paid his debt to society.

Jim Hatfield's death is in part on the hands of an imperious American media establishment that reserves the softest touch money can buy for George W. Bush and all sons of privilege. Jim Hatfield, a working class journalist unannointed by the media elite, was viciously made into an example.

He had a fearlessness that will be missed.

Sander Hicks
CEO
Soft Skull Press, Inc.

********UNQUOTE*******

[liveoaktx]

1. Also a DVD out now -Horns and Halos

http://www.corporatemofo.com/stories/030303hornsandhalos.htm

[UTUSN]

2. Never Could Get That in My Area n/t

[liveoaktx]

3. You can buy a copy

http://www.gokartfilms.com/

Release date October 5th

[frylock]

8. i have a canadian copy of horns & halos from microfilms..

been out for almost a year now. Really a tragic story.

[mitchum]

4. Rest In Peace, James Hatfield

you will be vindicated

[UTUSN]

5. Amen n/t

[Triana]

6. I bought this book - signed...a week later..

..Hatfield was dead.

At least I have th signed copy of his book...

[Octafish]

7. Hatfield also documented Monkeyboy's fear of Osama flying jetliners.

Even when the Italians peppered the town with SAMs to keep away air attack in JULY 2001, the coward Bush had to sleep aboard a U.S. Cruiser, anchored safely offshore from the G8 summit in Italy. The article was the last Hatfield wrote. Its content makes me believe Hatfield knew too much about the approaching attackes. — Octafish

Why would Osama bin Laden want to kill Dubya, his former business partner?

By James Hatfield

Editor's note: In light of last week's horrific events and the Bush administration's reaction to them, we are reprising the following from the last column Jim Hatfield wrote for Online Journal prior to his tragic death on July 18:

July 3, 2001—There may be fireworks in Genoa, Italy, this month, too.

A plot by Saudi master terrorist, Osama bin Laden, to assassinate Dubya during the July 20 economic summit of world leaders, was uncovered after dozens of suspected Islamic militants linked to bin Laden's international terror network were arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, and Milan, Italy, in April.

German intelligence services have stated that bin Laden is covertly financing neo-Nazi skinhead groups throughout Europe to launch another terrorist attack at a high-profile American target—his first since the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen last October.

According to counter-terrorism experts quoted in Germany's largest newspaper, the attack on Dubya might be a James Bond-like aerial strike in the form of remote-controlled airplanes packed with plastic explosives.

Why would Osama bi Laden want to kill, Dubya, his former business partner?

CONTINUED EVIDENCE OF BUSH 9-11 PRE-KNOWLEDGE ...

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/Hatfield-R-091901/hatfield-r-091901.html

[seemslikeadream]

9. Full Interview with Bush Biographer J.H. Hatfield Democracy Now

Democracy Now! Premieres the Full Interview with Bush Biographer J.H. Hatfield Who Died 2 Years Ago of an Alleged Suicide Amidst Controversy Over his Book Fortunate Son

TRANSCRIPT
AMY GOODMAN : Today we're going to play an interview that I did more than two and half years ago. But until today have never run. It involves President Bush, allegations of drugs, obstruction of justice, corporate scandal. The person I interviewed committed suicide two years ago.

This is how the story goes. Four years ago, St. Martin's press published a book by author James H. Hatfield called " Fortunate Son" it's about the life of George W. Bush. The book examines Bush's past, how he made his millions including from the Texas Rangers baseball team, building of the stadium, millions he made in dubious insider stock swaps to his connections to the BCCI scandal.

Hatfield also makes another charge, he says Bush was arrested in 1972 for cocaine possession. Why wasn't the future president charged, he asked. Hatfield writes that Bush's father, also the President, Bush, senior, used his political connection to have his son's record expunged. Soon after publication of “Fortunate Son”, Hatfield's credibility came under fierce attack. The "Dallas morning news" happened to suddenly receive information about Hatfield's criminal past. He had been convicted in 1988 of hiring a hitman and failed attempt to kill his boss and served five years in prison. The media jumped all over the story, Hatfield's reputation and credibility were ruined. St. Martin's press promised to turn "Fortunate Son" into quote, furnace fodder. It withdrew 70,000 copies of the book from bookshelves and destroyed them. The editor in chief of the St. Martin's Press resigned.

But a small publisher Soft Skull Press reprinted the book with the banner "the book they burned is back.” J. H. Hatfield had previously refused to release the information about Bush's alleged cocaine defense. It was none other he said than Karl Rove, Bush's closest political advisor. The media kept following the trail laid out for them, they diverted inquiries about Bush's drug history to stories about Hatfield's checkered past. He lost two other book contracts and faced financial ruin. The character assassination finally took its toll on July 20, 2001, J.H. Hatfield was found dead of an apparent suicide in Springdale, Arkansas. He was 43 years old. Police said he left notes for his family and friends that listed alcohol, financial problems, and the book "Fortunate Son" as the reasons for killing himself.

Well, today we're going to play the interview with James Hatfield. I started off by asking him why St. Martin's press pulled "Fortunate Son" from the shelves.

more
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/08/11/1447218#transcript

:hi:

[UTUSN]

10. Thank You n;/t

[Octafish]

15. Thanks, seemslikeadream!

Most interesting how Jim Hatfield was able to put so many sources together -- by himself. The result was a most accurate portrayal of the BFEE. Would the rest of America had the critical faculties needed to see the Truth.

[underseasurveyor]

17. Hatfield interview with Buzzflash from May 2001

A BuzzFlash Article on Jim's June News Conference

FROM THE EXCLUSIVE BUZZFLASH MAY, 2001, INTERVIEW WITH JIM HATFIELD
PLEASE NOTE JIM'S LAST COMMENTS IN THE INTERVIEW

A few days ago we posted an interview with Sander Hicks, from SoftSkull Press, publisher of “Fortunate Son,” the expose that the Bush propaganda machine got banned for a while. Next month, “Fortunate Son” will be republished in a Second Edition. BuzzFlash.com obtained an exclusive interview with Jim Hatfield, author of “Fortunate Son,” which we are posting below.

“Fortunate Son” covers the seedy and hypocritical past of America’s Anointed President-Select. You get a full accounting of the dark underside of the front man for Bush Incorporated.


HERE IS THE BUZZFLASH.COM INTERVIEW WITH JIM HATFIELD:


1. Why was the Bush Campaign so scared of "Fortunate Son" being published?

For the obvious reason--everything contained between its covers is the truth. Pure and simple. Here it is a year-and-a-half later and no one has ever disproved anything in "Fortunate Son." The biography has withstood the test of time and, trust me, there has been an army of conservatives who would have given up their first born to destroy this book. But they had to settle with trying to destroy me instead. But to their absolute utter dismay, I'm still standing. My e-mail signature is from writer Langston Hughes and it fits me like a glove: "I've been insulted, eliminated, locked in, locked out, and left holding the bag. But I am still here."


2.What are the five most important reasons that someone should read your book?

1. You'll get an intimate, detailed biography of George W. Bush, the person.

2. A reader will discover what a truly "fortunate son" he has been. If his name had been George Smith he would never have gone to Yale or Harvard with such abysmal grades, avoided Vietnam at the height of the war in 1968, he would have never made money in oil businesses that continually drilled dry holes or been able to buy into a major league baseball franchise (and become its Managing General Partner) and eventually become a multimillionaire, or campaign for Texas governor and defeat a charismatic incumbent, and, of course, raise more money than anyone in the history of this country to run for--and eventually win--the U.S. presidency.

3. You'll get an in-depth look at his record in governor in the Lone Star State and come to the disheartening realization that he didn't lie about one thing: He made a campaign promise "to do for America what I have done for Texas." And he sure as hell is trying his best to honor that pledge with tax breaks for the rich that will eventually consume the surplus, turn the country into a toxic waste dump, push a conservative agenda through the legislature, and screw the poor and middle class.

4. A reader of "Fortunate Son" will get a very detailed account--a blueprint--of how he planned to run and win the White House long before he even announced his intentions to be reelected as governor.

5. Finally, you'll realize that he is nothing but a high-paid gigolo, beholden to his corporate sugar daddies who gave him enormous amounts of money to look after their best interests while he was governor. I name names and provide the dollar amounts in the book. Now you see these same executives and lobbyists greasing his palm at party fund-raisers. The man is shameless. Those are the five most important reasons why someone should read "Fortunate Son."


3. Do you consider the Karl Rove propaganda machine to be effective? As a victim of his hatchet jobs, do you give the devil his due?
<snip>


http://www.buzzflashcom.bigstep.com/generic.html?pid=28

[UTUSN]

11. Good Night, Sweet Baby James n/t

[slojim240]

12. Is Fortunate Son available anywhere?

Where can I get a copy? I'll even pay for it on loan.

[underseasurveyor]

13. You might find a copy in a book store somewhere

or, I ordered mine right from Soft Skull Press back in 2001. I still have the card I recieved from them telling me the book was on back order and would be a few weeks late, the same day it was reported Hatfield was found dead :-( Gave me chills:scared:
BFEE Bastards!:grr:

It's a good read and gave me a much better idea of how these sick, slimy, sneaky, sons`a`bitches operate:mad:

James Hatfield and then Steve Kangas before him :-( Thanks for what ya did guys. R.I.P

O8)

[Octafish]

16. May still be available, new, too.

If memory serves, it's been re-issued. Check Amazon and Booksamillion.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1887128840/103-9829618-9108603?v=glance

http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?id=2945628881319&type=keyword&find=fortunate-son&x=3&y=10

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. The tactics taken to discredit Hatfield

are the exact same type of character assasination repeated over and over and over ad infinitum. The people working under GWB know these things. I said it a couple of nights ago and I'll say it again. Bush is like a mob boss. He keeps his hands clean while things get 'taken care of'. The only way to catch him is to follow the money and the FBI will never start an investigation to do it. :mad:

[ArkDem]

18. I'd be willing to bet the McCoy's had something to do with it.

[Keirsey]

19. great quote in the interview

Confederate General Robert E. Lee once said, "When you're too weak to defend, you must attack."

Dubya's campaign all the way.