In short: Tom Cotton is one of the best candidates running for Congress this election cycle–and possibly ever.

If he wins the Republican primary on May 22, 2012, he will likely go on to win the seat–and he will likely serve for a very long time. Given the fact that Cotton is only in his mid-30s, and with his impressive record, he is likely to be a force in Republican politics for many decades, shaping the future of the party and the country.

I first met Tom in college when I was a rampaging lefty on a liberal campus and he was one of the sole conservative voices on the op-ed page of the Harvard Crimson. When I interviewed him recently, I reminded Tom that he and Eric Nelson (now a professor of government at Harvard) had represented the conservative wing of a panel discussion I convened as part of something called the “Democracy Teach-In” in the spring of 1998.

Subsequently, I discovered an argument Tom and I once had, an exchange over Jürgen Habermas in which I offered this pretentious critique (but also this, perhaps redemptive, parody). Tom puzzled me, not just because he was conservative but because he had a rare, humble confidence in his views. What Jed Purdy (now a law professor at Duke) was to liberals on campus, Tom was to conservatives: a leader, present and future.

My own views have changed markedly since then, while Tom’s have been strengthened by his unique experiences. On September 11, 2001, Tom recalls, he stood around a television with his law school classmates and watched the World Trade Center fall. “At that time,” he says, “I was not driven to be a lawyer anymore, but a soldier.” He worked for a couple years to pay off his student loans, then walked into an Army recruiting office.

Rather than seek direct commission as a JAG officer, handling legal affairs, Tom joined the infantry. “I wanted to do the activity at the very core of combat and warfare: closing with and destroying the enemy with fire and maneuver,” he recalls. “I had the desire to fight, find, and kill the bad guys.” After training for several months, Tom deployed to pre-surge Iraq in 2006, where he commanded a platoon patrolling southern Baghdad.

“I was there for a little over six months, when everything seemed to be spiraling out of control–if you believed the media,” he recalls. “We were holding the line but not advancing–and therefore losing. We didn’t have enough troops. We weren’t focused on separating the militia from the civilians, because we didn’t have enough faith and confidence from the people. They liked us, but they were too scared to side with us.

“We were out on patrol six hours every day. My vehicle hit three different bombs in the first two weeks, so the other guys called me ‘Magneto.’ Most of the firefights we had were shorter than what you see in the movies, because by that time the bad guys understood our capability. All of our guns could penetrate their buildings. When they attacked, it was mostly snipers or long-range rifles that could break contact right away.”

Tom stayed in touch with debates back home, and while on a distant patrol, he sent a letter to the editor of the New York Times that became a political sensation. “We were out on patrol for ninety-six hours at a time, with eighteen hours of relative down time in between. I had just returned to base, and during the previous ninety-six hours the company lost a soldier.” It was then that Tom read a Times article on terrorist financing.

The article, which disclosed a secret Treasury Department program to monitor and stop the money flows to terror organizations, touched a nerve with Tom. An earlier article by the same authors had exposed the government’s warrantless wiretapping program, and though it earned the authors a Pulitzer Prize, the article also drew criticism from those who worried that it would alert terrorists and make stopping future attacks more difficult.

Tom believed the Times scoop on terrorist finance posed similar risks, wrote a quick  letter to the editor, and sent a copy to the editors of the conservative Powerline blog:

Dear Messrs. Keller, Lichtblau & Risen:

Congratulations on disclosing our government’s highly classified anti-terrorist-financing program (June 23). I apologize for not writing sooner. But I am a lieutenant in the United States Army and I spent the last four days patrolling one of the more dangerous areas in Iraq. (Alas, operational security and common sense prevent me from even revealing this unclassified location in a private medium like email.)

Unfortunately, as I supervised my soldiers late one night, I heard a booming explosion several miles away. I learned a few hours later that a powerful roadside bomb killed one soldier and severely injured another from my 130-man company. I deeply hope that we can find and kill or capture the terrorists responsible for that bomb. But, of course, these terrorists do not spring from the soil like Plato’s guardians. No, they require financing to obtain mortars and artillery shells, priming explosives, wiring and circuitry, not to mention for training and payments to locals willing to emplace bombs in exchange for a few months’ salary. As your story states, the program was legal, briefed to Congress, supported in the government and financial industry, and very successful.

Not anymore. You may think you have done a public service, but you have gravely endangered the lives of my soldiers and all other soldiers and innocent Iraqis here. Next time I hear that familiar explosion — or next time I feel it — I will wonder whether we could have stopped that bomb had you not instructed terrorists how to evade our financial surveillance.

And, by the way, having graduated from Harvard Law and practiced with a federal appellate judge and two Washington law firms before becoming an infantry officer, I am well-versed in the espionage laws relevant to this story and others — laws you have plainly violated. I hope that my colleagues at the Department of Justice match the courage of my soldiers here and prosecute you and your newspaper to the fullest extent of the law. By the time we return home, maybe you will be in your rightful place: not at the Pulitzer announcements, but behind bars.

Very truly yours,

Tom Cotton

Baghdad, Iraq

Tom’s letter was hailed by conservatives and denounced by liberals who wondered openly whether a “Lt. Cotton” actually existed. The military was flooded with emails, many of them angry. Meanwhile, Tom was on patrol again, unaware of the reaction. He was due for a dressing-down by his commanders when he returned–until the letter was praised in an email from the Army Chief of Staff, earning Tom a pat on the back instead.

While the controversy put Tom on conservatives’ radar, it has also remained a red flag for the left. A recent Mother Jones attack piece called him “The GOP Candidate Who Wants Journos Jailed.” In any event, there would be more to Tom’s military career, including service at the Arlington National Cemetery, and a tour in Afghanistan, which he describes as “helping the good guys,” as opposed to “getting the bad guys” in Iraq.

His vast and variegated military experience has given him clear insights on President Obama’s policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he calls “misguided” and “driven by political considerations and the 2012 calendar.” He adds the U.S. may be “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory” in Afghanistan, with Afghans less likely to cooperate with American troops on their way out. “It feeds an impression of us as an unreliable ally.”

Whatever evidence of “isolationism” may have appeared in the Republican presidential debates has yet to surface on his home turf in rural Arkansas. “The vast majority of all the audiences with whom I’ve spoken do strongly support the traditional Reaganite view,” Tom relates. “That’s true whether they’re Republican Party or Tea Party. There’s not any desire to withdraw precipitously. Americans are against defeat–not against war.”

Tom also opposes Texas governor Rick Perry’s suggestion that the U.S. start all foreign aid at zero–particularly in the case of Israel, with which the U.S. has a close alliance and long-standing agreements. His pro-Israel stance, he says, draws applause at local gatherings–though the main issues in his campaign are jobs and economic growth in a district whose economy is dominated by timber; oil and gas; agriculture; and an ailing small business sector.

“Ninety percent of the questions are bread-and-butter, kitchen-table issues, especially on spending and debt,” Tom says. “There’s a sense that money is being wasted, being paid out to the president’s friends and cronies. The new regulations he’s imposed have a huge impact on small businesses, which is pretty much all we have here in south and west Arkansas. Big business can comply with it, but small businesses just can’t.”

Arkansas congressional districts, 2011

Tom is traveling throughout the vast fourth district–“burning tire rubber rather than shoe leather,” he says–as he prepares for a primary contest that will begin in earnest with the first debate in mid-January. His opponents are Beth-Anne Rankin, who ran in 2010 but lost to the incumbent Democrat, Mike Ross, who is now retiring; and Marcus Richmond, a retired Marine officer. As of last quarter, Cotton is out-raising both rivals combined.

The fourth district includes Tom’s home in Dardanelle, Yell County (of True Grit fame), where he grew up on the family cattle farm. His parents “were not a political family by any means,” and he jokes that they are putting up political signs for the first time. It can’t hurt that the Arkansas Razorbacks are heading to the Cotton Bowl or that Cook recently moved his district from “likely Democratic” in June to “leans Republican” today.

GOP leaders had asked him to run in 2010, but Tom had just returned from Afghanistan and the timing felt rushed. “Now, I feel prepared, mentally and professionally,” he says. “It’s a critical moment for the country. I’m running for the same reasons that I joined the Army.” Tom reports that President Obama’s approval ratings in the district are at 31%, well below his national ratings–a good portent of Republican victory next fall.

If Tom wins, he’ll represent Bill Clinton’s hometown of Hope, Arkansas. It’s particularly ironic, since Clinton’s victory in 1992 was the reason Tom took an interest in politics. He recalls how the curiosity over “my governor” being elected soon faded into disappointment after Clinton’s first year in office.

Tom’s not opposed to “hope”; he simply believes in facing up to tough choices–in his words: “The hard right over the easy wrong.” In 2012, the choice is easy.

This is not tying Mike Espy into any fraud. This is just showing that what Big Government has been reporting is common knowledge amongst many Pigford insiders.

This video preview concludes the pre-Christmas roll-out of the Big Government Pigford report and ongoing documentary production. There are many more blockbuster interviews to come. More Pigileaks, as well. Even though the media continues conspicuously to ignore our revelations, we know that behind the scenes, Pigford principals are scrambling for cover and investigative bodies have been jump-started into action.

Much, much more to come in the New Year.

RELATED: Testimony: FBI Investigated ‘Broker’ Who Allegedly Recruited Pigford Claimants for Commission Cash

We were brought in because there were numerous reports that fraudulent claims were being filed under Pigford.  Our investigation focused in part on the actions of a federal government employee who was reportedly helping to “broker” Pigford claims. This individual allegedly recruited people to file claims and then actually filled out the paperwork for them.  In exchange this individual apparently received a cut of the settlement.

In my mind there was ample evidence to proceed with legal action once our investigation was completed.  But the decision was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office not to pursue them. Why?  I really don’t know.

By my estimation, perhaps 50% of all Pigford claimants in this instance were fraudulent.

You’re about to watch a video clip where Othello Cross, an attorney for Pigford claimants with about fifteen years of experience on the case, admits that he is personally aware of hundreds of cases of fraud in the state of Arkansas alone. Furthermore, he explains how easy it was to commit that fraud and receive a $50,000 check from the government; it’s appropriate to deduce from Cross’s revealing statement that the actual number of fraudulent claims is likely much higher than the hundreds he knows about.

You’re about to watch this clip for the first time, but the USDA watched it over a week ago — I sent it to them for comment about 10 days ago.

After a number of phone calls to the USDA, I was given the response that Secretary Vilsack now acknowledges around ten cases of fraud, up from his original statement that there are only three known cases. If I were inclined to spin the government’s response, I’d praise the USDA for finding 300% more instances of fraud in just a few days, but the reality is that the USDA can watch a video where a pro-Pigford claimant lawyer says in no uncertain terms that he knows about hundreds of cases of fraud — over ten million dollars worth at bare minimum — and still will only acknowledge ten cases.

As Andrew Breitbart points out, the media simply doesn’t want to cover Pigford. I also sent this video to a few major media outlets that stated they wanted to “research” this. I haven’t heard back from any of them.

You’ve watched the clip. Do you think Mr. Cross could have been any clearer that there are hundreds of cases of fraud he is personally aware of in just one state? Did the press research the charges of racism against Congressman Steve King? Did they research the government’s claim of three cases of fraud?

This is where citizen pressure can hopefully have some impact on them. If you have a blog, please embed and share this video and give your own opinion.  If you have a Twitter or Facebook account, please post the video to your account.

The press and government seem to feel confident that they can ignore this story.  Let’s prove them wrong. It’s time for formal hearings that will allow whistleblowers to come forward. It’s time for transparency — transparency for the black farmers who deserve justice and for the taxpayers whose government has wasted billions of their dollars. It’s time to investigate Pigford.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack came out last week to say there have only been three cases of fraud out of the 20,000 claims.

Well Mr. Vilsack, why don’t you try this on for size?  And by the way, we will be bringing more crime rings your way very soon.

All excerpts from the Mississippi Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi:

Suspect admits she OK’d slaying

Date:  Jan 13, 2006

By Jimmie Gates

Two days after she denied knowing that federal witness Clovis Reed would be killed, Levon Edmond admitted Thursday that she agreed to the slaying and alleged one of her accomplices had killed another woman earlier.

The second woman’s body is buried in the same area where Reed’s headless and handless corpse was found in Simpson County in 2003, Edmond told U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate.

Edmond, 43, also revealed an unnamed co-conspirator in Reed’s death, and within hours, the FBI announced the arrest of Joe Lewis Collins, 59, of Magee on a murder charge. His arrest brings to four the number of people charged in Reed’s slaying. A fifth person, Edmond’s daughter, Shunterria Wiggins, 25, of Canton, has pleaded guilty to perjury.

Wingate delayed Edmond’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit murder Tuesday after she said she knew of plans to beat Reed, 51, of Canton only to scare her out of testifying. Hours later, federal prosecutors said their deal with her was off and they were going to try Edmond with her sister, Kathleen Nelson of Canton, and Nelson’s boyfriend, Roosevelt Walker, on Tuesday before Wingate.

But in an about-face Thursday, Edmond detailed to Wingate how and why Reed was killed.

“Yes, I agreed to it,” Edmond said of having Reed killed. “I know it’s wrong for wanting her dead, but I was p—– off with her because she put the police on me.”

She said Collins and Walker killed Reed to prevent Reed from testifying against Edmond and her sister. The women were accused of embezzling Reed’s $50,000 black farmers’ settlement check in 2001.

But Edmond said both she and her sister and Reed were part of a scam to defraud the federal government of the money from a settlement between black farmers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Edmond said for every person she brought into the scam, she was scheduled to receive $2,000. The person getting the check would get $16,000, and the rest of the money would be split among others. She brought Reed into the scam, she said.

“She got greedy,” Edmond said. “She wanted it all.”

Reed’s torso was discovered April 4, 2003, in Harrisville, a week before she was to testify in federal court. She was identified through DNA testing.

Edmond accused Collins and another woman named Ebony Scott of setting up the scam. “She is dead now,” Edmond said of Scott.

Edmond said Collins told her he killed Scott before Reed’s death.

Federal prosecutors said Thursday they hadn’t been able to locate Scott, but no one had reported her missing.

But Edmond said the plan was for Collins, a friend of Reed, to pick up Reed, drive to a wooded area and stop the car under the pretext that he had to urinate. Walker would then appear and break the window and beat Reed.

When Wingate asked about the mutilation of Reed’s body, Edmond said Walker held Reed’s head while Collins cut it off.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain said there is no plan to seek an indictment in the scam of the federal settlement because likely the statute of limitation has run out.

“Levon Edmond made it clear that Kathleen Nelson was a minor participant in the agriculture check scam and wasn’t involved in the killing,” Craig said.

The plea agreement calls for Edmond to receive a 25-year sentence on the conspiracy to kill Reed charge. She also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Her sentence on that charge is March 22, the same day her daughter will be sentenced. Wiggins faces up to five years in prison for lying to a federal grand jury.

Walker and Nelson face life in prison without parole if convicted in their trial. Collins also faces a life sentence.

***

#2

“Search for alleged”

Jan 14, 2006

More information sought on woman defendant says was killed first

By Jimmie E. Gates

A day after Levon Edmond revealed that a second body was buried in a wooded area in Simpson County, authorities on Friday delayed searching for the remains until they could gather more information.

Edmond told a federal judge Thursday that Ebony Scott and Clovis Reed were killed by the same person. Reed’s headless and handless body was found on April 4, 2003, in the same general location where Scott’s body allegedly is buried.

***

#3) Accused man avoids death penalty; trial set March 31

The Clarion Ledger – Jackson, Miss.

Author: Jimmie E Gates

Date: Jan 30, 2008

Joe Lewis Collins of Magee is accused of chopping off the head and hands of a federal government witness, but he won’t face the death penalty when he goes to trial March 31 in federal court in Jackson.

The U.S. Department of Justice didn’t certify it as a death-penalty case, Collins’ attorney, Rob McDuff, said Tuesday.

Clovis Reed’s mutilated corpse was found in a wooded area of Simpson County in 2003.

Kathleen Nelson and her boyfriend, Roosevelt Walker, of Canton were convicted in February 2006 for conspiracy to commit murder in Reed’s death. U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate sentenced them to life in prison. Both have appealed.

In a plea agreement, Nelson’s sister, Levon Edmond, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 25 years.

Prosecutors said Reed, of Canton, was killed to prevent her from testifying against Nelson and Edmond in a federal embezzlement trial. The women were accused of embezzling Reed’s $50,000 black farmers’ settlement check in 2001.

But testimony during Nelson and Walker’s trial said the $50,000 settlement check was a scam and that Reed was part of the effort to defraud the government.

Last year, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials scoured the area not far from where Reed’s corpse was found. They found human bones, which may have a link to the Reed case. Authorities identified the remains as Ebony Scott of Jonesboro, Ga.

During her guilty plea, Edmond implicated Collins in Reed’s death and also said he told her he had killed Scott and buried her in the same general area where Reed’s corpse was located. No charges have been filed as of yet in Scott’s death.

***

#4) Beheading of federal witness case tried

Author:  Jimmie E Gates

Date: Sep 8, 2008

A man accused of decapitating and hacking the hands off a federal witness five years ago is scheduled for trial today in U.S. District Court in Jackson.

Joe Lewis Collins, 61, of Magee is charged with murder in the 2003 slaying of Clovis Reed of Canton.

Reed’s body was found April 4, 2003, in a wooded area in Simpson County a week before she was scheduled to testify in an embezzlement case.

“It was just terrible,” Viola Travis of Jackson said of her sister’s killing. Travis said her family will attend the trial.

Kathleen Nelson and her boyfriend, Roosevelt Walker, both of Canton, were convicted in February 2006 of conspiracy to commit murder in Reed’s death and sentenced to life in prison.

Levon Edmond, also of Canton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 25 years in 2006. Nelson and Edmond are sisters.

Prosecutors say the crime was conceived to prevent Reed from testifying that Nelson and Edmond embezzled Reed’s $50,000 settlement check from the black farmers lawsuit in 2001. Checks were distributed to black farmers nationwide as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Collins was implicated during Edmond’s plea hearing. She said Walker held Reed’s head as Collins cut it off.

During Edmond’s plea hearing, she said Collins admitted killing another woman, Ebony Scott of Jonesboro, Ga., and leaving her remains in the area where Reed was discovered.

***

#5) Jurors in decapitation trial view gruesome photos

Author: Jimmie E Gates

Date: Sept. 11, 2008

Gruesome pictures of the decapitated corpse of a federal witness was displayed Wednesday in the federal trial of the man accused of killing her.

Joe Lewis Collins, 61, of Magee is charged with murder in the 2003 slaying of Clovis Reed, 51, of Canton. Her body was found April 4, 2003, in a wooded area of Simpson County a week before she was scheduled to testify in an embezzlement trial.

Luther Crownober said he was inspecting his bee hives off Old River Road when he saw what he thought was some kind of animal carcass.

“I jumped back and started backing away when I realized it was a human body,” Crownober said.

Crownober said he tried to call authorities but couldn’t get his cell phone to work in the wooded area. He then drove to a house down the road and used the telephone to call the Sheriff’s Department.

During Crownober’s testimony, Assistant U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain asked that pictures of Reed’s headless and handless corpse be shown to the jury.

Collins’ court appointed attorney, Rob McDuff, objected to the pictures being shown.

But Chief U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate allowed the display. Two people left the courtroom to avoid viewing the photos after Wingate cautioned spectators

McDuff had argued the pictures could inflame the jury and be prejudicial to his client.

Prosecutors have said they may try to link Collins to the death of another woman.

During Edmond’s plea hearing, she said Collins admitted killing Ebony Scott of Jonesboro, Ga., and leaving her remains in the area near where Reed’s were discovered.

***

6) ‘Little butcher’ gets life for murder

Author: Jimmie E Gates

Date: Dec 6, 2008

The man referred to in court testimony as “little butcher” will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a federal witness and decapitating her and hacking off her hands.

With his eyeglasses perched on the top of his head, Joe Lewis Collins was emotionless Friday when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate to life in prison without parole.

After the sentencing, Clovis Reed’s sister, Viola Travis of Jackson, said she was overjoyed.

Collins, 61, of Magee was convicted in September of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the 2003 slaying of Clovis Reed, 51, of Canton.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain asked King if he knew about other prior criminal charges against Collins, including his conviction for simple assault for hitting a person across the neck with a machete.

King said he didn’t know about the other charges.

The legislation “closes a long and unfortunate chapter in our history,” Obama said. “It’s finally time to make things right.”

At a signing ceremony at the White House the president declared that approval of the long-delayed legislation “isn’t simply a matter of making amends, it’s about reaffirming our values on which this nation was founded: the principles of fairness and equality and opportunity.”

Obama promised during his campaign to work toward resolving disputes over the government’s past discrimination against minorities. The measure he signed settles a pair of long-standing class-action lawsuits. The measure also settles four long-standing disputes over Native American water rights in Arizona, New Mexico and Montana.

Elouise Cobell, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe from Browning, Mont., and the lead plaintiff in the Indian case, called the signing ceremony “breathtaking,” adding that she did not expect it to happen in her lifetime. Cobell filed the suit 14 years ago and led efforts to reach the $3.4 billion settlement a year ago and then push it through the House and Senate.

Cobell said she was driving her car in Montana when she learned the Senate had approved the measure last month. “I pulled over and I cried,” she said.

Even with Obama’s signature, the settlement must still go through a gauntlet of court hearings, a media campaign to notify beneficiaries, waiting periods for comments and appeals. The first check is not expected to reach tribal plaintiffs until August.

Even so, Cobell said the day was historic.

“This day means a lot to the elders, because it basically means they receive justice,” she said. “The money is secondary. They got justice. The United States government gave them justice.”

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., used similar language to describe the black farmers case, which marks the second round of funding from a class-action lawsuit originally settled in 1999. The case, which involves allegations of widespread discrimination by local Agriculture Department offices in awarding loans and other aid, is named after Timothy Pigford, a black farmer from North Carolina who was an original plaintiff.

The new settlement, totaling nearly $1.2 billion, is intended for people who were denied payments in the earlier settlement because they missed deadlines for filing. Individual amounts depend on how many claims are successfully filed.

“The time is long overdue to fund the discrimination settlement for farmers who have experienced decades of injustice,” Lincoln said.

The settlement will not erase the anxiety and frustrations many black farmers experienced, Lincoln added, but “it will help compensate their financial losses and begin laying the foundation in restoring their faith in the United States government.”

Some Republicans have warned that black farmers might make up stories of discrimination that are hard to prove. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, likened the program to “modern-day reparations” for African-Americans and argued that the claims process is rife with fraud.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder said the bill includes new safeguards to prevent fraud, including an extended court approval process and government audits.

Holder called fraud concerns “legitimate,” but he said the settlement rights a historical wrong.

One key to understanding the Pigford travesty is realizing how Barack Obama came to the point where today he is giving away billions in taxpayer dollars for potentially fraudulent Pigford-related claims. What may have begun as a legitimate 100 million dollar effort to repair genuine damages caused by alleged USDA discrimination evolved into what amounted to a pay-for-play scam with two linked goals – to defeat Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primary, then get Barack Obama elected president. The Hill, not Big Government, let that cat out of the bag back in April of 2009:

Supporters of Obama’s presidential campaign argued the then-Illinois senator’s move to resolve late Pigford claims would endear him to Southern black voters during the tough Democratic primary race against former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). At the time of the bill’s introduction in 2007, Obama was finding his footing as a candidate and polls suggested he was struggling to attract black voters. He later won almost unanimously among this group against Clinton and then in the general election against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Now Obama may have to face off with several of his own campaign supporters over how best to compensate discrimination claims by black farmers. Clay, Davis and Thompson endorsed Obama during the presidential primaries.

Just as Obama is today caving to Republicans on a a tax deal, instead of standing up for American taxpayers regarding potential Pigford-related fraud, Obama is also opting to write a check for billions American taxpayers can ill afford – all to satisfy what can rightfully be called a campaign debt.

National Black Farmers Association President, John Boyd, ratcheted up the pressure on Obama in a letter dated April 8, 2010.

In our report, we document two organizations, the Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association and the National Black Farmers Association. These two groups round up tens of thousands of Pigford litigants and then lobby politicians with promises of votes and campaign cash in exchange for championing and funding their causes such as Pigford.

These two groups, and the Pigfored issue, hold huge sway over the rural black vote, and as you can see from this letter from the President of the BFAA John Boyd, Boyd is eager to get rewarded for helping to put President Obama into office.