BuzzFlash Mailbag for October 02, 2008

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG

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Subject: Praise for Buzzflash

I just wanted to say thank you for your good work. I've donated some money, bought things through your website......but now I'm glad for this new comment feature so I can send you praise and thanks.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Are you "In The Tank" for Obama? I AM!

http://cafepress.com/InTheTank4Obama

I'm a disabled veteran here in So.Cal. just trying to make ends meet during the same calendar month (crazy landlord wants to be paid EVERY month!) - I've also promised to donate a portion of my proceeds from these t-shirts, hats, mugs, and accessories to local disabled veteran groups.

I know you get a lot of advertising email, but I just need a brief mention. Graphics are on the site - you'll like them. I think it's a neat way to counter FAUX News Channel's dismissive catchphrase by turning it against them.

Let me know what you think, if you have time.

Thanks,

Tom
Huntington Beach, CA

Subject: bailout

The bailout is a bailout. The financial powers that be have done everything possible to remove the wealth from the middle class and put it in their pockets. First they keep the minimum wage as low as possible and profits and ceo pay as high as possible. Then came the housing boom where modest houses went for half a million dollars in many places. Then the powers that be encouraged everyone to refinance their homes taking the equity and spending it on something that would not last as long as homes and land. Leaving the middle class mortgaged to the hilt and land rich but cash poor.

For those people who could not afford houses they had check cashing schemes to bleed them dry. For good measure there was a war that took many people away from their jobs and put them in debt, as well as eating up every dollar the country had and then some. When the people had had enough and abandoned their homes or had them ripped out from under them, the big guys came up with a new way to put the country even deeper in debt by demanding a bailout. The story was "I have a billion dollars in the bank, but my business is going bankrupt and I don't know where to get a few million to save it. You have to help me." Sorry I don't think the taxpayers have to fork over the money, I think that the big guys have enough assets to help out but they do not want to touch them.

Maybe I am naive, but I think a little pain and responsibility would prevent this from happening again.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Tell McCain and Obama to give their contributions back to Wall Street.

The people who voted for Nader in 2000 and 2004 weren't going to vote for anyone else anyway. For those who think a vote for McKinney is a vote for McCain, think back to all of her hard work on asking Rumsfeld where the money went. We are talking about the mission $9 billion we have suddenly forotten about. When McKinney suggested that Bush was made aware of terrorism risks, pre 911, we have forgotten how she was treated. Even her father was thugged out of office in the Georgia legislature, in order to further punish Cynthia for opening her mouth. Most of all, the important thing is that if ANY Senator (including Biden) had stood with Cynthia McKinney and 13 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus and some others in the House on January 6, 2001, we would never have had Bush in the first place, If there were only McCain and Obama running, I would not be voting at all, so no, my McKinney support is not just automatically McCain support. The Senate didn't listen to Americans who asked, in an overwhelming way, that we stop giving welfare to Wall street, and the eventual president will not listen to us later, be it Obama or McCain. I won't even bother to tell you which one received more campaign cash from Goldman Sachs alone. They both owe Wall Street and should give back their contributions they got from them OR they should give them to helping homeless and people without health care. I am insulted that they think I am foolish enough to vote for a person who expects me to fund a bailout from the companies that gave them contributions. There is no argument on lesser of two evils.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Sarah Palin..Dedicated to all Intelligent voters

Hey! My fellow Christ warriors and citizens of America This is the Governor from the mighty state of Alaska Here we proudly guard our critical border against Putin And bravely we train by murdering wolves by aerial hunting

I am the darn good mayor of Wassila turned State Governor By golly only I can be an awesome trophy vice with glamour For I'm the charmer who can disarm the heads of states Just for my hug, they will sign away their sovereign stakes..

I reward one fifty Dollars for a butchered bloody wolf paw And save your tax dollars by 'Slap the rape victims fee' Law I enforce firing Chiefs that defy my command to rid pesky relatives Sweet grudge to hold with folks who dare not to be supportive.

I blather same talking points to the giddy faithful Tina and Amy agree when goofy, I am just adorable My shrill voice and pitch thrill our conservative throng To my base the redundant rhetoric rivet like a mighty Gong.

Beware I am Sarah Barracuda the beauty queen Will unleash my traits as patron of religious right reign Be prepared to be Saved by my rule and ready for rapture.. Trust me, all the riches, oil and wealth we shall capture

Aah Don't say Thanks No thanks, join me on that Bridge to nowhere.. Believers and joe 6 packs, there is so much spoils and loot to share. If Jo Biden in debate plays the games of Political Gotcha I will slither unscathed with my favorite " I'll get back to-Yah!!

Lakshmi Mahadevan
SUgarland Texas

Subject: BAILOUT AGAIN?????????

How many more times are we going to give them a chance at our money? I am getting to the point where I don't think I will even vote this year.

Little note question here....who is the CIA agent who wrote the book about our agents attacking this country so we could get an excuse to go into oil producing countries for money?

Anyone hear this one? I had heard it just in a flash...then I was in the office last night of a girl who reminded me of it and she could not think of the name of the author.

Please...anyone , if you know this person. She said, that he had been offered millions to not print it...or had been threatened to not publish it....

Shirley........St.Louis

Subject: How does she say it with a straight face?

At about minute 4 into this CNN tape Sarah Palin’s campaign spokesperson, Meghan Stapleton defends Palin’s explanation of her experience in foreign affairs as governor.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/cnn-sarah-palin-has-never_n_130752.html

I have no idea how she does it with a straight face, but Stapleton says;

“Her experience as CEO of this state is unlike many others and her experience as CEO of this state in international affairs is like any other governor, including Gov. Ronald Reagan, Gov. Bill Clinton and Gov. Carter before they took office.”

First point: She has 19 months as governor of Alaska. I am not a fan of Reagan, but was governor of California for 8 years and before that he was active in politics for at the very least 26 years and on top of that he could discuss any kind of policy better than Palin, before he was president and even after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Clinton was a college law professor, Attorney General of his state for 2 years, and governor for 10. Clinton before being elected could discuss any kind of policy in his sleep better than Palin.

Carter was a state Senator in his state for 8 years before becoming governor for 4 years. Everyone agrees that had he been about to have another term he would have won. He is also much better on policy than Palin ever thought about being.

I find it a bit weird that Meghan left out the most recent president who was governor of a state and that would be George W. Bush and he is the one Palin compares most favorably with. Neither is even slightly curious about anything and they are both from large oil-producing states that have a border with an oil-producing foreign country. Dubya does have an advantage because he had been to Mexico and the President of Mexico had not only discussed policy with Dubya, but he had stayed at Dubya’s house. Dubya also speaks fairly good Spanish and Palin doesn’t speak Russian.

I guarantee the Palin campaign doesn’t want to go further back with regards to education. She and Reagan have just college degrees, but spent his entire 4 years at the same college. For who knows what reason she was at Hawaii Pacific for one semester, then at Northern Idaho for 2, Matanuska-Susitna Community college for 1 and finished with 3 back at Northern Idaho. There degrees may both be in communications and journalism and they were both sports commentators.

She was Miss Wasilla, 2nd runner up for Miss Alaska and Miss Congeniality. She paid for part of her college with beauty contestant scholarships. Reagan spent 21 years actively involved in politics and union organizing. She was a city council woman for 4 years and a mayor for 6 of a town with fewer citizens than the union Reagan was president of. He was very curious and an avid reader.

Carter was an honor student and avid reader from grade school on. He attended Georgia Tech and Southwestern Georgia before getting appointed to Annapolis where he graduated 59th out of 820. That is just lightly better than Palin’s running mate graduating 4 from the bottom of over 700. After that he was in the Navy until his father died and then he took over the family business.

Clinton was an avid reader from the time he started reading. He graduated from the Edmond Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with a BS in Foreign Service which kind of trumps that Putin having to fly through Alaskan airspace to get to DC. Clinton was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society which accepts fewer than 10% of all college graduates. He got a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford where he studied Government and then he got a Juris Doctorate degree from Yale Law School and then he taught Law at the University of Arkansas.

I think we all know the comparisons between McCain/Palin’s college careers and political service as compared to Barack Obama’s.

I have no idea who they can make comparisons without laughing.

Sarah Palin is not comparable with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Joe Biden or even George W. Bush.

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok

Subject: Sarah Palin defends America ( flash game )

Just put this up. thought you'd enjoy...

http://www.politico.com/wuerker/animation.html

best wishes,

Matt Wuerker

Subject: Calling her Clueless is Actually being Kind

Katie Couric asked her if she could name one Supreme Court decision other than Roe vs Wade that she had disagreed with.

"Well, let's see. There's –of course –in the great history of American rulings there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American," Palin said. "And there are–those issues, again, like Roe v Wade, where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know–going through the history of America , there would be others but–"

"Can you think of any?" Couric interjected.

"Well, I could think of–of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level, maybe I would take issue with," Palin responded. "But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a vice president, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today."

You know I think that uh, she really thinks that none of this is worth talking about because McCain is immortal and it gets worse. Yes, Sarah we are aware that we don’t all agree with every court decision. Ask her if allowing states to decide would apply to Brown v the Board of Education? It gives me a headache just listening to her. It’s like some teen movie.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=0rXmuhWrlj4

“Couric: When establishing your world view what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were taped for this to stay informed and to understand.

Palin: I’ve read most of them, again with a great appreciation for the press and the media.

Couric: Like what specifically, I am curious

Palin: All of them, any of them that have uh been in front of me all these years, I

Couric: Can you think of any

Palin: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news to. Alaska isn’t a foreign country where it is kind of suggested, Wow how can you keep in touch with what the rest of what Washington DC may be thinking when you live up there in Alaska .

Believe me Alaska is like a microcosm or America .”

She has read all of them that have been put in front of her? Where, at the beauty shop or when they were overhauling the snowmobile? Maybe she read American Hunter in the deer blind? Thousands of dark Alaskan days and nights stove up in her cabin and she didn’t read anything worth remembering?

Has she ever had a subscription to a periodical of any kind? Ask her if she has ever read a non-fiction book or a book at all?

I don’t think being ignorant or stupid is her problem. Her problem is she thinks none of this is worth her time or relevant. If she did she would read something.

Katie isn’t insulting Alaska or its citizens? Katie isn’t suggesting that it isn’t possible to be informed in Alaska , she making us painfully aware that Sarah Palin isn’t aware and doesn’t think being aware is part of the job as Vice President or President.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=xRkWebP2Q0Y

I found the beginning of the interview and wish I hadn’t. She has her 15 year old daughter with her; you know the one named after the State bird. The entire experience is “so fun” according to Willow and then Mom continues the interview using that same Valley-girl speak.

Does she have any down time? Katie gets hard hitting from the beginning.

She gets to run everyday and “sweat is her sanity”.

Goose bumps are my sanity.

She grew up with equality, where she was expected to do what the boys did. Nanooketta of the north. Were the boys expected to do everything she did?

Do you think people understand that it will take 10 years for offshore drilling to lower prices?

“That is why we should have started 10 years ago. America is so rich and Alaska has billions of barrels or oil and hundreds of trillions of clean green natural gas on shore and off shore. Should have started 10 years ago, but better late than never. It has to be an all of the above approach to energy independence.”

Hundreds of trillions? Is that more or less than a thousand bazillion katrillion or dozens of gazillion pantillions?

Asked about the fact that she thinks there should be drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge and McCain thinks there shouldn’t be?

McCain: “Did you expect two mavericks to agree on everything?” She giggles and taps his elbow, but resists saying oh you silly.

At a rally she says she has been hearing about Biden’s Senate speeches since she was in 2nd grade. Yes and McCain was in about the 4th grade when Sarah’s mother was born.

Can she tell us anything Biden said in any of those speeches that she agrees or disagrees with? She says that she wasn’t insulting Biden she was just stating the fact that he has a lot of experience and she accepts that, but she is the new face, new energy and new ideas.

Here’s one of those new ideas. She says that a 15 year old being raped by her father is being pregnant under “situations that are less than ideal”. Sarah do you think you can possibly come up with more of an understatement; maybe being forced to continue the Miss America pageant after being mauled by a grizzly? She thinks it will be easier if they make putting your child/sibling up for adoption less difficult.

It is “horrific, horrific” to find yourself in a situation like being pregnant as a result of being raped by your father. She doesn’t think you should be jailed because you had an abortion. She would never support that. When asked about the morning after pill, she says she is for all kinds of contraception and any preventative measures, but she believes life begins at conception.

Katie: “ergo you do believe in the morning after pill.” Katie should have asked her if she was in favor of teaching all of that in schools. Ask her if she thinks “Stranger Danger” is a sex ed course for kindergarten. They are going after Obama on that.

Palin: “I would like to see fewer and fewer abortions in this world and again I haven’t spoken of anyone who disagrees with my position on that.”

I agree, but does she think we should teach birth control and the use of contraceptives to prevent them.

Katie: “I’m sorry, I just want to ask you again, do you condone or condemn the moring after pill?”

Will the third time be a charm?

Palin: “Personally and this isn’t a McCain Palin policy, but personally I would not choose to participate in that kind of contraception.

Okay, nitwit, would you support having it available for people who would choose it?

Then Katie asked about the church that she gave the speech in last June and their teaching that you can be cured of homosexuality with prayer.

“When the media gets it wrong it frustrates Americans who are just trying to get the facts and be able to make up their mind about a persons values. You know I don’t know what prayers are worthy of being prayed and I don’t know what prayers are going to be answered or not, but as for homosexuality I am not going to judge Americans and the decisions that they make in their adult personal relationships. I have…one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years who happens to be gay and I love her dearly. She is not my gay friend and she is one of my best friends who happens to have made a choice that isn’t a choice that I have made, but I’m not going to judge people.”

The facts, just the facts, Sarah? What in the Sam Hill is she talking about making up their minds about a person’s values? Is she talking about assessing her values by researching her religious views or assessing the values of gay people? I was always taught that all prayers are worthy of being prayed, just put your cares on the Lord is what they used to say. I was also taught that all prayers are answered, but sometimes the answer is “no”.

She isn’t going to judge, except to say you can’t have any of the thousands of benefits of marriage unless you choose the adult she approves of you marrying. I have a brother, several other family members and dozens of friends who are gay and not one of them chose to be gay. Does she think her friend should be cured or could be cured? Why doesn’t her friend choose to be cured?

She says she is an open book and her life is out there, except all those things she doesn’t want us to know, like what is in her tax returns that prevented them from being released immediately. I guess she doesn’t think anyone should question any of it.

My guess is that at the debate she should just take the fifth and refuse to answer on the grounds that John McCain is immortal and everything is irrelevant.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=UHiUcZqGRMs&feature=related

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok. 

Subject: The Tragedy of Sarah Palin

In one of the most startling videos I have ever seen, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in an interview with Katie Couric, was unable to name any landmark Supreme Court decision other then Roe vs. Wade. If that isn’t enough to make you wonder what John McCain was thinking of when he entrusted her with being his running mate, consider Mrs. Palin’s incoherent response when gently pressed by Katie Couric. In this case no spin or reasonable defense can defend the indefensible. Ignorance by any other name is still ignorance. And as Albert Einstein once said,” If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough”.

If one hundred Americans were randomly selected and asked the same question I am certain many of them also could not name more then one landmark case. But the Vice President of the United States has to be held to at least some minimal standards beyond the often sited statement, she is so “fresh”. Our founding fathers did not endure the solemn and rigorous task of writing the Constitution and then having it trivialized by subsequent generations of partisan politicians. The United States Constitution is unambiguous. It describes the Vice President’s chief role as being the inheritor of the Presidency should the President be incapacitated or die in office. Over the past few weeks Sarah Palin has shown the American Public that she is not capable, curious or knowledgeable enough to be Vice President or to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency. In previous elections many voters have chosen to ignore or underestimate the importance of the Vice President.

However, in the difficult times we face today, we have an obligation to fulfill the dreams and promises of our founding fathers. We are in the midst of the war to nowhere which has gone on longer then World War II. We are in the midst of what economists believe is the most critical financial failure since the great depression. We have 45 million uninsured Americans who cannot afford to get health insurance for themselves and their children. College students are burdened by student loans so great they dilute the very salaries they earn after graduation and soon fall victim to death by debt. America faces a loss of respect from its allies around the world and Americans face a loss of respect for their own government. This is not the time or country to reward mediocrity without consideration for our history. We will need the best of the best if we are to survive as the world’s greatest hope for freedom. Substitutions cannot be allowed.

George Gerber

Subject: McCain Palin Website has NO information on Obama's sex ed

http://www.johnmccain.com/Search/Default.aspx?keyword=sex+education

On The View and yesterday's Iowa interview, McCain has said his sex ed ad was 100% truthful and if we didn't believe him to go to his site - he had the text of the legislation. But yesterday he told the Iowa paper that they may not agree with his sources, which I found suspicious - so I went looking on his site for the info that supports his position and I can't find anything at all here. BUT HE HAS MADE A MINIMUM OF 2 REFERENCES ON TV that its here. Maybe you can find it.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Reid gave away the store

Compare the speech of Senator Reid with that of Senator Sanders in last night's session. Reid was pathetic. He was proud that the bill included several items completely unrelated to the financial crisis such as insurance coverage of mental illness. He was proud that he sprinkled a little sugar on this cow dung of a bill. Like Jack and the Bean Stalk, he gave away the store for a couple of beans.

If you add up cost of all the progressive legislation the Democrats have proposed over the last decade it would still be less than the cost of this giveaway. And every progressive proposal to help the average citizen was labeled a "budget buster" by the Republicans, no matter how little money was involved. Now Reid is endorsing that that money is better spent on helping the rich.

The soft-on-torture liberal

Subject: McCain

I wish you could get the clip on McCain and Oliver North talking about how the war in Bosnia was being fought wrong. They said we never won a war without having boots on the ground. They wanted our troops running aroung getting shot at. I was pissed as I watched saying what the hell do they know. As it turned out Clinton continued the bombing and we did not lose one soldier. What would have happend if McCain was in charge? I wish you could play it.

Stanley Myslenski

Subject: Republican Thinking?

I was just thinking this morning about Republican Thinking and what appears to be their rational thought process (equating Sarah Palin's qualifications on foreign affairs because Russia is right next to Alaska except for that silly narrow maritime boundary).

So, translating that logic to my own life:

1. I can see the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier. If I drive in a southeasterly direction for a few miles on good (not cloudy) days I can also see Mount St. Helens. Besides that, I also know a Nepalese convenience store clerk, so this makes me an expert on the Himalayas and Mount Everest. Oh, I also sent a condolence e-mail to Peter Hillary (son of Sir Edmund) after his father died -- so that should also qualify me on climbing Mount Everest and British Empire nobility.

2. At school I come into contact with Diesel instructors and students, Automotive Mechanics instructors and students, Autobody instructors and students, Power Sports instructors and students, Welding instructors and students and Fire Services instructors and students -- so that should qualify me to head the Department of Transportation.

3. I receive my medical care through the Veterans Administration and run into a lot of medical professionals and veterans of at least three different American foreign wars/occupations. That should thus qualify me for either the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense, Homeland Security, TSA, or Department of Health and Human Services or NIH.

Golly! I'm better off than I realized. Perhaps, for the first time in my life, I will become a registered Republican. Using their rationale, I, too, should be an expert on nearly anything and therefore qualified to be President. Sarah can have the VP -- I want the BIG PRIZE. Oh yes, life will be so much easier if I (big swallow) were to become a Republican.

My parents never told me life could be THIS EASY!

/snark off

Lisa Johnson
Tacoma, WA

Subject: In case you missed the debate - Here is the debate simplified

Moderator - How would you handle problem A

Obama - Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer this question. John has some good ideas on this subject that I agree with, especially the need to negotiate first. However, we need a more comprehensive approach taking into consideration the fact that the world is a complicated place - specifically, I have a three point plan - we will implement ___________, make sure to ____________ and emphasize ________________

McCain - My opponent (whom I detest and will not look in the eyes) has no f***ing idea - he just fails to understand. Of course negotiation is a necessary first step, but it wont work because I've seen these bozos over the past 30 years, and my opponent fails to understand that these are dangerous people with no souls - you just cant trust them. I would look the f***ers in the eye, and if they f*** with me, I will blow their f****** heads off

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Senator Sander's Bailout Commentary

WOW! What a great commentary by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-V). It was a refreshing read at 0430 in the morning as I peruse my various morning web stops before getting started for the day.

Sen. Sanders positions on the various aspects of the bailout and who should be paying for the damage wrought by the excesses of Wall Street and the corporate shills who are responsible for this mess was right on target. I have wondered about many of the points he makes -- for example, why aren't the people who profited most by way of excessive compensation and lucrative golden parachutes the ones paying?

Why are they receiving such outrageous compensation for doing a rotten job? If an "everyday" person failed to the extent these supposed mavens of finance have failed, they would have been sent to prison for years. In fact, the every-day person would have been canned for much less malfeasance than these negligent business people. It may be so in their world -- but, in my world, an Ivy League education, $500.00 Ferragamo shoes, $5,000.00 make-up jobs (for men no less) and Armani suits do not make you off-limits nor do they confer special privilege.

Senator Sanders is a senator I have been following for several years now and I am continually amazed at how rational, logical and down-to-earth he appears to be. Senator Sanders has elevated himself from the business of a politician to being that of a statesman -- which is a totally different level of ethics, morality, rational analysis, and thought.

Bernie Sanders may consider himself a "socialist" but if the truly is, he has my admiration and respect. He truly seems to be an every-day person.

Thanks to Senator Sanders for his rational approach to this problem and thanks to BF for publishing this commentary.

Lisa Johnson
Tacoma, WA

Subject: Da bail out

Is it too much to ask how the gals and guys in the Senate managed to read (and understand) all of the 451 pages of Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 before it came to the vote? I'm a speed reader and I have only just finished it (48 hours after it became available on the web)There are so many loo-loos in this "Act" that it would take a week to point them all out and to analyse their potential impact. I'm just a simple stock market analyst who retired before the greed got out of hand but who still keeps a (geriatric) eye on what is going on. When the bru ha has died down people will realise that this so-called plan is worth the square root of nothing, zilch. Kiddies it just like a big flood, you can't do anything about it so sit back, wring out the wet drapes and carpets and wait for the waters to recede. One thing is certain, we are all gonna have to re-learn how to rebuild our personal finances. And the first lesson is: don't believe anything a financial/mortgage/broker's rep says. If you have any money buy lots of socks and stick what bucks you have in them and stick them under the bed - no-worse a return than T-bills at the moment. Here endeth the first sermon!

Adam Murza
resident outside the USA

Subject: The Wall St. Bail-out

A friend has just called me regarding Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson having 4.2 million shares of Goldman Sachs, which he stands to profit handsomely from, if he succeeds in ramming the bail-out down the American people's throat. Any stories on this? If so - let's get the word out!

Tony Tengs
Juneau, Alaska

[BuzzFlash Note: "Paulson sold his 3.23 million shares in Goldman, worth about $500 million at the time, when he took the Treasury job, according to regulatory filings."]

Subject: McCain campaign complaining about Ifill?

I received this communication from DemandtheDebate.com. I haven't seen a corroboration anywhere else. Is there a chance they will squirm out of this VP debate? B. Miller Moscow, ID We've been watching the news in disbelief and are appalled that McCain is driving another wedge into tomorrow's debates. We're reaching out to you again to help us send a message to the McCain-Palin campaign that we demand these debates to move forward as scheduled.

http://www.DemandTheDebate2008.com

After last week's "suspension" of the McCain campaign just prior to the presidential debate, they're at it again -- complaining about Thursday's debate moderator Gwen Ifill, a respected moderator of "Washington Week" and noted political reporter. The McCain-Palin camp suggests that Ifill may not be nonpartisan enough to moderate the debate, since she authored a book on politics and race, even though the McCain camp approved of her selection. Isn't that outrageous and insulting? We are sending a big message to the McCain-Palin camp that enough is enough.

Click on the link below to sign the petition and tell McCain that the American public has the right to hear our candidates running for the highest office in the United States discuss their views and policy positions on the economic crisis, Iraq and foreign policy, education, health care, etc.

http://www.DemandTheDebate2008.com

Now, let's be clear. The McCain campaign agreed to the format, length, and moderators for this year's slate of debates. They even agreed to silly details such as the height of the debate podiums.

We don't know what will happen overnight, but we want to make sure the McCain-Palin campaign knows that we care about the debates happening...but also about the debates being substantive and inquisitive. We hope that Ifill will ask hard questions of both vice presidential candidates, and we hope that they will give detailed answers. We believe that both candidates deserve a chance to outline their views and that we deserve to hear their thoughts.

Click on the link below to sign the petition to the McCain-Palin campaign headquarters, asking that the debates move forward without exception or delay.

http://www.DemandTheDebate2008.com

Many thanks from your "Demand the Debate" allies and please pass this on to your friends, family and colleagues. -Allyson, Heather, Jason, Michael, and Tanya

B. Miller
Moscow, ID

Subject: The CEO Bonuses Could Bailout Banking & Finance

"Based on?"

"The thirty-nine billion dollars in bonuses that the CEOs of the five leading investmnent firms received last year."

"And that's where our tax money's going to go?"

"Not if the House comes through on Friday & for the second time this week defeats the Wall Street bailout."

"Will they?"

"Only if we keep the heat on them."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Bailout again in six months.

They will ask for another bailout in about six months.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Ownership Society

Alas, it was inevitable for someone who turns everything he touches to s**t: Bush's "Ownership" society has become the "Loanership" society, with Bush the loan broker and the taxpayer the unwilling lender.

William Betz
Port Washington, NY

Subject: McCain/Palin/Romney

Can anyone help me - can John McCain run Sarah Palin until the last week of the campaign and then insert Mitt Romney onto the ticket. This might explain why they aren't vetting Sarah Palin, i.e. her tax returns etc. because they plan on pulling her, but they need her to distract from the true issues at the moment - everyone of the news media seems to be following her around to the detriment of the other candidates. The reason I say Mitt Romney, is because he is supposedly the "Economic Guru" and if Mr. Obama's increase in the polls is because of economics - then I would say that the people that didn't want to vote for Mr. Obama will have a "legitimate option" to vote for Mr. Romney. If you leave it until the last week, the Democrats won't be able to get any ads out about Mr. Romney in that short period of time to hurt McCain's campaign.

Audrey

Subject: Globalization Killing U.S. Economy

It gets more and more depressing each day to see how in the corporate run Press there has been no major reporting about the tanking of the U.S. economy and the high price of gas being the direct result of the one sided import tax free trade the U.S. is engaged in with China to the detriment of the American Economy. You wouldn't think it would take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and come up with the numbers on what happens when American workers aren't working and don't have money to put into the economy of America in the form of consumer spending and what happens to gas prices in the U.S. when the U.S. engages in trade with China, a country that is probably the farthest away in distance from the U.S. of any country on the planet that has increased it demand for oil to ship their goods to the U.S.and how that increased demand has so dramatically driven up the cost of gas in the U.S.

The Press has become quite adept at directing the attention of Americans away from the causes of the present state of unemployment, closed factories and Recession in the U.S. and instead directs the attention of media addicted Americans to the symptoms but not the actual cause of the economic problems and high price of gas in America, the U.S. government sanctioned addiction to cheaply priced foreign made goods Americans can't go cold turkey on because Americans are surrounded by a cheap and readily available supply of consumer goods created and supplied by the communist government of China in collusion with the government of the U.S. and U.S. retailers that leaves Americans with little choice but wallow in that addiction or go without basic consumer products such as clothing, housewares, small appliances and just about everything else available on U.S. retail store shelves.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: From Bad to Worse?

I am opposed to the overall idea of the American taxpayers having to bail out corporate bigwigs because they have been greedy bastards.

On the other hand, something must be done because no matter what happens, it is the taxpayers who will be paying the ultimate price in some way, shape or form.

The House of Representatives: They stood fast and addressed the primary issues of concern that the Bush Plan consisted of -- namely no Congressional oversight, the failed CEOS still getting their multi-billion golden parachutes, and some type of control over the Treasury Secretary who wanted carte blanche. Even with those safeguards, the bill failed to pass in the House.

The Senate: They have just passed their version of the bill that provides tax breaks -- and I assume these tax breaks aren't in the favor of the American taxpayer.

Have we just gone from bad to worse in a week? Instead of bailing out the fatcats why doesn't the government underwrite the loans of the taxpayers who are in jeopardy of losing their homes? Why doesn't the government issue immediate cease and desist orders to these investment banks to stop their predatory lending? Why doesn't the government tell Wall Street and the corporations that effective immediately no golden parachutes will be honored at the taxpayer's expense? Why doesn't the government regulate/reregulate the corporations?

Have I read the Senate version of this bill? No, but I don't feel guilty for that. The fact is that our Congress has repeatedly passed bills that they don't bother to even read. I have tried to read some of these bills in the past and they are so filled with "legal" gibberish that I, for one, get a headache trying to figure out just what in the hell they are really saying.

Good grief, when I have been involved in legal actions where I was a plaintiff and KNEW first hand what was going on, I still had to ask my lawyer to translate the documents into plain English for me.

Does BF or any of the BFers out there know of any website where these incredibly long and verbose bills are presented in a format/version that is easily comprehensible to the layperson? I sure would like to know if something like that exists anywhere on the "tubes" that make up the "internets" without having to use "the Google."

Lisa Johnson
Tacoma, WA

Subject: National Debt Legacy of GWBush

The national debt ceiling today is $10.6 trillion. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wants Congress to raise that to $11.3 trillion to clear the decks for massive borrowing to deal with the nation’s financial crisis.

A national debt of $11.3 trillion would come to more than $37,000 each for every man, woman and child in the United States.

And all this comes during an era of allegedly conservative, fiscally responsible Republican domination in Washington

Robert Bostick
Arlington, VA

Subject: Economic Justice

The primary effect of the 700 billion bailout will be to lower the value of the dollar. This will affect everyone equally. The rich will have to give up one of their sports cars and the poor will have to give up eating.

The soft-on-torture liberal

Subject: Ironic beyond belief.

Irony is too tame a word for what's been happening in congress today. The democrats, our democrats, are are being exposed for who they really are. They are and have been unflappably allied to the Bush agenda. This bailout, rescue, giveaway exposes them for what they truly are and that is nothing but water carriers for Bush and corporate America. THE REPUBLICANS SET THEM UP, PUSHED THEM INTO A CORNER OF THEIR OWN MAKING AND MADE THEM CHOOSE SIDES. They couldn't sit on the fence any longer. The democrats had to choose between Bush's Wall Street buddies and the American people. They chose greed and corporate America which is as close to fascism as they can get without actually claiming the label. I've said it here and on other sites consistently and frequently and that is the fact that "GEORGE BUSH COULD NOT HAVE RUN ROUGHSHOD OVER OUR NATION WITHOUT THE CONSENT AND ENABLING OF OUR DEMOCRATS". Ironically they've fallen into a Rovian trap and exposed themselves with just a little shove from the righteous right! Their complicity this time will cost us and our children an estimated one and one half trillion dollars when all is said and done. Combine that figure with the trillion dollars the democrats have already given to Bush for his invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation it places a huge, maybe insurmountable burden on the working middle class and poor people of America. Our children will pay off this massive debt for decades to come.

Lawton
springdale

Subject: The MARKET

Its not a FREE MARKET system ... it is a FREE FOR ALL MARKET system

makesenseofit
pittsburgh pa

Subject: How to Get Out of the Recession

Dear Buzz and Friends, The answer to this question couldn't be clearer: Elect Barack Obama. Nothing else will do and I mean that literally - nothing (McCain/Palin). The word that Barack is emphasizing is philosophy and the total failure of right-wing policies - in every area.

It's easy to understand the view of Europeans and much of the rest of the world and how an indulgent understanding of how a good system and a good people can occasionally elect a bad president, has after, this will make three, elections become a direct and critical test of the American people themselves, the strength of their character and the nature of their intent towards the rest of the world.

There is clearly an element of "blame anything or anyone else" that is far too widely held in America, so much so that it has become a pronounced and repellant trait in republican leaders. Blaming Clinton was funny at first, but now it's more akin to heresy and deserving of some form of corporal punishment.

How can we with such a bright future ahead of us yet again refuse to cross the bridge into the 21st century? How can a man still fixated on bush's "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq and continued belligerence towards the world at large do anything other than issue the coup-de-grace to a country already severely injured by policies that both he and bush have supported for eight long years. If we come out of the bushes only to go headlong into a ditch - then it's not the system that can't drive - it's the people.

Tim Mooring
San Francisco, CA

Subject: spin of Palin's performance at debate

The Republicans have a perfect spin for Palin's poor showing. She faced hostile questions from a prejudiced Gwen Ifill (because of Ifill's Obama book). Please help "cut them off at the pass" by warning of this very very real possibility. Thanks.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: wired Palin

Just want everyone to watch the debate and see if you can catch Sarah picking up answers from her earpiece. It worked for George, why wouldn't they try it again?

wetpowder
Fruitland, ID

Subject: My Vacation With John McCain

Dear BuzzFlashers,

A friend of mine sent this story to me today. It just confirms what is obvious: John McCain is not fit to be President.

MY HOLIDAY WITH JOHN McCAIN by Mary-Kay Gamel

It was just before John McCain's last run at the presidential nomination in 2000 that my husband and I vacationed in Turtle Isl and in Fiji with John McCain, Cindy, and their children, including Bridget (their adopted Bangladeshi child).

It was not our intention, but it was our misfortune to be in close quarters with John McCain for almost a week, since Turtle Isl and has a small number of bungalows and their focus on communal meals force all vacationers who are there at the same time to get to know each other intimately.

He arrived at our first group meal and started reading quotes from a pile of William Faulkner books with a forest of Post-Its sticking out of them. As an English Literature major myself, my first thought was "if he likes this so much, why hasn't he memorized any of it yet?" I soon realized that McCain actually thought we had come on vacation to be a volunteer audience for his "readings" which then became a regular part of each meal. Out of politeness, none of the vacationers initially protested at this intrusion into their blissful holiday, but people's buttons definitely got pushed as the readings continued day after day.

Unfortunately this was not his only contribution to our mealtime entertainment. He waxed on during one meal about how Indo-Chine women had the best figures and that our American corn-fed women just couldn't meet up to this standard. He also made it a point that all of us should stop Cindy from having dessert as her weight was too high and made a few comments to Amy, the 25 year old wife of the honeymooning couple from Nebraska , that she should eat less as she needed to lose weight.

McCain's appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David, the American economist, had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her.

Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day, and his response was shocking: "Oh, that was Cindy's idea – I didn't have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can't imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona. No, it wasn't my idea at all.

I actively avoided McCain after that, but unfortunately one day he engaged me in a political discussion which soon got us on the topic of the active US bombing of Iraq at that time [i.e., Clinton era policing of no-fly zone]. I was shocked when he said, "If I was in charge, I would nuke Iraq to teach them a lesson". Given McCain's personal experience with the horrors of war, I had e xpected a more balanced point of view. I commented on the tragic consequences of the nuclear attacks on Ja pan during WWII –- but no, he was not to be dissuaded. He went on to say that, if it were up to him, he would have dropped many more nuclear bombs on Japan. I rapidly extricated myself from this conversation as I could tell that his experience being tortured as a POW didn't seem to have mellowed out his perspective, but rather had made him more aggressive and vengeful towards the world.

My final encounter with McCain was on the morning that he was leaving Turtle Isl and Amy and I were happily eating pancakes when McCain arrived and told Amy that she shouldn't be having pancakes because she needed to lose weight. Amy burst into tears at this abusive comment. I felt fiercely protective of Amy and immediately turned to McCain and told him to leave her alone. He became very angry and abusive towards me, and said, "Don't you know who I am." I looked him in the face! and said, "Yes, you are the biggest asshole I have ever met" and headed back to my cabin. I am happy to say that later that day - when I arrived at lunch - I was given a standing ovation by all the guests for having stood up to McCain's bullying.

Although I have shared my McCain story informally with friends, this is the first time I am making it public. I almost did so in 2000, when McCain first announced his bid for the Republican nomination, but it soon became apparent that George Bush was the shoo-in candidate and so I did not act then. However, now that there is a very real possibility that McCain could be elected as our next president, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to share this story. I can't imagine a more scary outcome for America than that this abusive, aggressive man should lead our nation. I have observed him in intimate surroundings as he really is, not how the media portrays him to be. If his attitudes toward women and his treatment of his own family are even a small indicator of his real personality, then I shudder to think what will happen to America were he to be elected as our President.

Mary-Kay Gamel
Professor of Classics, Comparative Literature, and Theater Arts
Cowell College
University of California , Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz , California

Elaine
Petaluma, CA

Subject: Republicans Preach Country First But They Practice Ideology First

"Based on?"

"Their response to this economic crisis as well as to 9/ll."

"Their response being?"

"Never mind the root causes, full speed ahead."

"The root causes being?"

"For the economy it's deregulated banking and finance whereas for 9/ll it's Empire-USA."

"Full speed ahead being?"

"For the economy it's this seven hundred billion dollar Wall Street bailout."

"And for 9/ll?"

"The Afghanistan and Iraq Wars."

"What's keeping the Democrats from demanding that something be done about these root causes?"

"They're afraid."

"Of what?"

"Being called unpatriotic if they speak out against unfettered capitalism and being accused of aiding and abetting the terrorists if they dare mention that 'They hate us because of what we're doing to them in their own lands.'"

"But how can the truth be unpatriotic?"

"When ideology matters most."

"And when country's put first?"

"There'll be government of, for and by the people."

"And then what sort of world?"

"It'll be up to us."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Supreme Court -- analysis?

To help me argue against those cynics who think there's no difference between the two parties, I have been searching for a plain language analysis of key Supreme Court decisions that have been made by the conservative Court and perhaps some issues that are likely to come before the Court in the next several years. Can anyone point me to such an analysis? Or, this could be a useful article for one of your writers to prepare.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Trickle-Down is the problem not the solution

Now that 30 years of trickle-down economics has brought our economy to its knees, what do we hear as the solution? The mother-of-all trickle down packages, 700 billion's worth. To help main-street how about doing it directly. A freeze on mortgage foreclosures, federal jobs to fix our infrastructure, federal loans directly to small business, elimination of federal handouts to huge corporations, taxing for corporations that outsource jobs or use off-shore tax havens, a breakup of failed financial institutions so that no one company is "too big to fail," and an increase in taxes for the top 1%. Isn't it strange that the right-wing suppy-siders always want to things in the most round-about way possible?

The soft-on-torture liberal

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