Via CNN and television reports:
An envelope that tested positive for the deadly poison ricin was intercepted Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Capitol’s off-site mail facility in Washington, congressional and law enforcement sources tell CNN.
After the envelope tested positive in a first routine test, it was retested two more times, each time coming up positive, the law enforcement source said. The package was then sent to a Maryland lab for further testing.
The envelope was addressed to a U.S. senator, though the sources would not say which one.
Ricin is a highly toxic substance derived from castor beans. As little as 500 micrograms — an amount the size of the head of a pin — can kill an adult. There is no specific test for exposure and no antidote once exposed.
The Senator has since been identified as Wicker.
Although he was one of 16 Republicans to vote to start debate on the gun control bill, he announced yesterday he would vote against it.
Just yesterday Wicker sent out this tweet:
I am saddened to learn the tragic news in Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with the runners, families, and first responders.
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) April 15, 2013
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Comments
Wow. A republican from the same state as the bombing who is anti-gun legislation. I don’t hear Wolf Blitzer, Tingles or any of the other bobbling heads speculating that this might be LEFT-wing home-grown terrorism. Funny that.
Wicker is from Mississippi.
Exclusive pics. Is this the bomber’s bag?
http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/04/breaking-is-this-bombers-bag.html
Paul (the other Paul),
MA is Mass, MS is Mississippi. They use Postal code abbreviations 🙂
As for conspiracy theories, we have the following:
#1) A pro-gun nut sent it to him because he voted to introduce the debate and foil the filibuster. #1 is a favorite of the MS-LSD crowd.
#2) An anti-gun nut sent it to him because he will vote against the bill. Not a favorite of the MS-LSD folks.
#3) An anti-gun nut POSING as a pro-gun nut sent it to him because he will vote against the bill, even though he voted to introduce the debate and foil the filibuster. #3 is not a crowd favorite at MS-LSD.
#4) A pro-gun nut POSING as an anti-gun nut sent it to him because he introduced the bill to debate and foiled the filibuster, even though he will vote against the bill. #4 is a Van Jones truther special!
#5) None of the above. The men in black did it to silence the illuminati tin foil hat defense media zombies and enable world domination by eliminating a lone senator from the Gnomes of Zurich controlled state of Mississippi. #5 is a Huffpo special, or is it? *wink wink*
@ The Other Paul – you forgot the Space Nazis! And you know they did it, because they left absolutely no evidence… 🙂
My understanding was that, politically, the Dems *wanted* the filibuster, so that they wouldn’t be on record on voting on this bill, in either direction. that it was a lose/lose for them. So maybe Reid did it did it in the Senate Cloakroom with the help of the DNC?
Chrissssy Matthews says: It was RICE, not as said by right wing nuts ricin. Martha Stewart sent it to Wicker, as his wife requested a recipe for rice pilaf.
He should have forwarded it to Boehner.