"After years of malfeasance, our fishermen deserve to know the recommendations of an independent, third party review in order to finally achieve some semblance of order," Kerry, Brown, Tierney and Frank wrote to Locke last Thursday.

"New England fishermen have waited long enough to know whether or not they are entitled to restitution for the outrageous and unfair treatment by NOAA officials."

Timing is everything!
Meanwhile, longtime former CBS-TV news anchor and reporter Dan Rather, now heading an independent investigative news team on cable television, HDNet, is expected to publish a lengthy report tonight on the federal fisheries law enforcement scandal. The Times will cover the Rather report as soon as the text is released.

HDNet is available on Direct TV (Ch 306) or Dish Network (Ch 362