Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Why Daschle and Leahy?
It's the question no one in Washington or the media wants to publicly examine: Why were two high-profile Democrats targeted by the anthrax mail terrorist?

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Anthony York

Nov. 21, 2001 | The anthrax story returned to the front pages last week, when it was revealed that another leading Democratic senator was mailed a letter containing the deadly bacteria. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was the second prominent Democrat to be targeted, following Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. But so far, no Washington officials or media commentators seem willing to publicly ask the question that is quietly nagging many people on Capitol Hill: Were Democrats specifically targeted for anthrax attacks? And given growing evidence that they were, why is no one talking about it?

On Tuesday traces of anthrax were also found in the Senate offices of Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn. But the Associated Press reported that officials suspect the anthrax got into Dodd and Kennedy's offices through contact with either the Leahy or Daschle letters. To date, there's no evidence that either Dodd or Kennedy was directly targeted.

So far anthrax traces have been found in 13 senators' offices -- both Democrats and Republicans -- besides Daschle's suite, the only place on Capitol Hill where an anthrax letter was actually opened. But the only two senators who have actually been sent letters containing anthrax are prominent Democrats; to date, no Republican politicians have been directly targeted. (Traces of anthrax were discovered at an off-site White House mail screening facility in October. The bacteria were found on a mechanical mail-opening device, but no anthrax was found on any of the mail itself.) And there's been a remarkable silence about that fact -- from the media, from investigators, and even from the Democratic senators themselves.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Want to read more? This article is Salon Premium content and only available to subscribers. Find out more or if you're already a member log in here.

Why should you join Salon Premium?

•  Exclusive content, including nearly all of our award-winning news and politics coverage, as well as other special features, like an expanded Friday edition of "Nothing Personal," weekly serials like "Nancy Chan: Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl" and more.

•  Exclusive services, like the option to view Salon without banners and pop-up ads and the ability to download a day's worth of Salon content as a simple text or PDF file.

•  Exclusive audio downloads like the audio book of "F. Scott Fitzgerald's Short Stories" (retail value: $35).

Find out more or subscribe now.