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Dear BuzzFlash:
Please give my regards to Mr. Richard J. Smolnicky on his "Bush's Waterloo Week" commentary. I have never seen this situation so succinctly stated, and congratulate him on his awareness of the TRUTH! I have forwarded his comments to everyone I know. Please thank him for me. The truth shall set us free!
Terry Bowen
Syracuse
NY
Re: BuzzFlash Recommendation for Secrets
Dear BuzzFlash,
"In the age of a shadow government created by an unelected president, BuzzFlash laments that we have no one of the stature of Daniel Ellsberg to expose the dark underside of the Bush cartel secrecy."
It is the responsibility of the opposition to create a "shadow government," and the Democrats have done a poor job of doing that. Although of late, with the Trent Lott embarrassment and the war drums pounding away, there have been some moments of a little shadow government activity (Kennedy comes to mind). But we are in dire need of a coherent shadow government.
Ernie Oakleaf
Little
Rock
Subj: Clinton on C-SPAN
Dear BuzzFlash,
I just watched Clinton's January 14 speech on C-SPAN. Sometimes after you have been in pain for a long time you forget that you are in pain until it stops. That's what happened to me. I heard a speech with linearity, substance, and vision; and all delivered without reading. I had forgotten what it was like to hear something real and something that made me feel hopeful. The pain stopped for a bit.
Clinton made a point that fits with something I read on BuzzFlash by Barney Frank. He spoke about the human tendency to define oneself by contrasting oneself with "other people". Barney Frank talked about how some of the people in our present administration were looking for something to replace the cold war mentality where we had a clear "us versus them" paradigm. So Bush and his friends appeal to that tendency, drawing lines in the sand with those who disagree with them. He seems to be having a little trouble deciding where the lines are between Iraq and North Korea. And there is a very faint wavy line over affirmative action. Oh for a president who could define how we are all in the same boat, how AIDS in Africa is our problem, how Israel and Palestine really can't just totally kill or imprison each other, how the UN, international law and weapons inspections are the best hope to save innocent lives. As I watch the Democratic candidates for 2004, I want the candidate who can frame issues in terms of our common humanity, not in terms of "the old west" or "evil".
ja in la
Subj: A Civil Authority? A test alert?
Dear BuzzFlash,
A minute ago, at 12:46 the following scrolled on the TV screen:
"A Civil Authority has issued a test alert for all of Florida from 12:33 to 2:33 on January 22, 2003."
No explanation. What "Civil Authority"? A "test alert" for what?
Should I be hiding under my desk in a test of "protecting ones self from an unidentified danger?"
This administration has become so secretive that they even don't id the authority or what the test is about. How much nuttier can things get?
bob reynolds, orange park fl
Subj: add another small-town newspaper to the growing list...
Dear Buzz,
You can add another newspaper to the list receiving the RNC spam letters they talk about in the link below:
"The Bush Cartel Spams Letters to the Editor Praising Little Caesar"
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=7308
The Moscow, Idaho "Daily News" printed the same letter on January 21, 2003 signed by an individual in Pullman, Washington. I have notified the editor of the paper, who claimed to be un-aware of this campaign.
You certainly can't accuse the republicans of being "original"!
Sincerely,
David Williams
Moscow,
Idaho
Subj: "NPR" - what does it mean?
Dear BuzzFlash,
What, exactly, does "NPR" aspire to?
Nonsense Public Radio? Neoconservative Platform Radio?
In recent days, we've observed NPR's deliberate deception in disguising the conservative credentials of an economist (Russ Roberts) given unopposed airtime to praise Mr. Bush's stimulus plan.
Today, NPR treats us to the spectacle of a repentant 70's-era "feminist" (Frederica Mathews-Green) of childbearing age, now unrepentantly selfish baby-boomer beyond childbearing age, "earnestly" airing her conversion from proponent to opponent of Roe v. Wade - again, without rebuttal.
We can hardly object to NPR's prerogative to tailor its programming in response to the wishes of its (majority) donors -- if that's what we are witnessing.
However, if this is, in fact, the case, NPR should likewise, in the interest of honesty & clarity, publicly disclose its "revised" mission statement ("highest bidder" news & opinion) and remove the deceptive designation of "National Public" from "NPR" posthaste.
Where NPR can only lean to the "right," William Safire & others (right or left) increasingly alarmed at the "auctioneering" of "public airwaves" have it EXACTLY "right."
M. Tavin
Subj: Bellicose Bush the Basher
Dear BuzzFlash,
What makes this guy think we support him? In this article he says he thinks that if he goes into war, we will "rally" around "the president". What President?
http://www.msnbc.com/news/862412.asp
What makes him listen to constantly slanted polls lying to him to get money?
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: more Bush deception
Dear BuzzFlash,
I just saw a report on CNBC (believe it or not) that the boxes behind Bush at his St. Louis speech today were all phonies. They had printed all over them "Made in USA". One of the camera men looked behind the prop boxes and photographed hundreds of boxes used by the company and they all said "Made in China".
Somehow I don't think this manipulation will get much play in the mainstream media.
Lawrence Mauskapf
Hi, Buzz:
There is a definite dearth of reliable media sources in the United States. And, what is not lacking is twisted to the point that it is no longer "news" but "stories" that are being reported. Today was a prime example of network news' reworking a story to put a "softer" light on a poll. CNN, instead of reporting "70% of Americans" polled by the Washington Post/ABC were against going to war without the U.N. behind us, instead said "7 out of 10 Americans". Subtle difference, yes, but it certainly softens the message.
I would like to suggest that those who are interested in hearing the truth try to find the following channels. (BTW: This is NOT intended to be an endorsement of Dish Network--that is the system that I have and, therefore, the one with which I am familiar. Hopefully, cable providers may also carry these networks.)
"FSTV"--Free Speech TV. In addition to its extensive Progressive programming, be sure to catch "Democracy Now!", which airs at 11 p.m. (Central). It is a half hour news broadcast that does a great job of reporting what the mainstream glosses over, fudges, or just plain leaves out. FSTV is available on Dish Network at Channel 9415.
"UCTV", from The University of California. Two weeks ago, they broadcast the entire speech Bill Clinton made at UC. Interspersed with their educationally-based shows, there are many that cover current events in an unvarnished way not available on network television. UCTV is also on Dish Network at Channel 9412.
Finally, BBC News. It has been providing excellent coverage of the views and opinions in Europe. Yesterday, they reported that the numbers of British citizens opposed to war against Iraq have been climbing steadily and now stands at 50% against. Oddly (not!), that particular poll was not on any American news broadcast. "BBC America", Channel 135 on Dish, carries BBC News' reports a couple of times a day--live. Our local PBS channel also offers BBC News, as I believe many PBS stations do.
It is unfortunate that we have to seek out "alternative" sources for complete news reports--and a shame that the media seems to take pains not to exercise its Constitutional rights. They have so long allowed the bushites and ultra-right wingnuts to control the message, they seem to have forgotten their job is to seek out and report the news and not to wait for press releases.
Liz Taylor
Houston,
TX
Subj: Persecuted?
"Should any Iraqi officer or soldier receive an order from Saddam Hussein or his sons or any of the killers who occupy the high levels of their government, my advice is don't follow that order," Bush said. "If you choose to do so, when Iraq is liberated, you will be treated, tried and persecuted as a war criminal."
Persecuted? Does he perhaps mean prosecuted?
Is it now a war crime to follow military orders? Or does that just apply to those that W deems to be "Evil Ones"
This is nothing but sheer hypocrisy coming from a man who refuses to recognize the rule of International Law....
BuzzFlash reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
In the Jan 22 Mailbag is the post:
--
Subj: Important News Story
On Jan. 7, 2003, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced HR-2, " Expressing the sense of Congress that the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 should be repealed."
A BuzzFlash Reader
--
This is a pointer to help readers locate the bill. The bill is referred to as H.CON.RES.2 in the Thomas Legislative database as of today, 1/22/2003.
- Joe
Subj: Integrity?
Dear BuzzFlash,
Headline: RNC condones and encourages plagiarism while deceiving the public, circumventing the rules about paid political advertising and defrauding American newspapers of advertisement revenue.
For a hoot, I think I’ll send a complaint to the state Attorney General.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Senate Majority Leader
Dear BuzzFlash,
Just watched Gwen Ifeld interview the new Senate Majority Leader on the PBS News Hour. When did Rich Little go into politics?
I have a lot of trouble trusting a man whose hands have more expression than his face.
Richard Peterson
Subj: Another Bushism
Dear BuzzFlash,
Please note that in the president's threatening remarks today he is quoted as warning Iraqi soldiers that would be prosecuted if they used chemical or biological weapons against American troops. What he actually said, and listen to the statement, is that they would be 'persecuted' if they did so. I guess the GOP knows all about that.
Dave
Subj: U.S. Promises to Hold Iraqi Oilfields 'In Trust'
Dear BuzzFlash,
Can anyone say, "we told you so?" For a long time those of us who oppose this war screamed bloody murder (pardon that pun) that this war is about oil, and our detractors said we were misinforming people. This is proof in the pudding of what we have been saying all along. Weapons of mass destruction, my ass. We have seen over time this allegation just blowing smoke. Several EMPTY war heads is NOT PROOF!
Mary!
NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
U.S. Promises to Hold Iraqi Oilfields 'In Trust'
(Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell promised that a U.S. military occupation would hold Iraq's oilfields "in trust" for the Iraqi people. In an interview with U.S. newspapers on Tuesday, released by the State Department on Wednesday, Powell said the Bush administration was studying different models for managing the Iraqi oil industry if the United States invades. "If we are the occupying power, it will be held for the benefit of the Iraqi people and it will be operated for the benefit of the Iraqi people," he said.
More...
http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=iraq
Subj: Those Falling Approval Ratings
Dear BuzzFlash,
Shouldn't the Bush approval ratings be somehow handicapped? I mean, Bush has fallen to 58% in spite of being completely propped up by an adoring (think Bob Woodward) and completely non-critical media that has done all it could to suppress dissension and give him a free ride on everything -- DUIs and air guard absences, his Rangers land grab and equity "gift", bin Laden business partners, Harkin, Enron, pre-9/11 intelligence (non)management, Taliban payments, Iran-contra felons on staff, broken treaties, inattention to world hotspots (Israel and North Korea to name only two), the fabrication that Iraq is our most serious enemy, the significant decline in America's global prestige, extreme judicial nominees, massive deficits, unemployment, etc., etc., etc. He's 15 points lower than Clinton was right around impeachment time, and that was with Clinton being skewered daily by these same media outlets. I'm thinking we should shave about 20 points off to even things out.
BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: mailbag 01/22/02
Dear BuzzFlash,
Good mailbag...so many things I have seen this week cropped up. To Joe, who drove his elderly mom to the grocers, I heard the very same Rush show...although I would rather Flush Rush, once in a while, I listen, too....just because I am a glutton for punishment! I do not know if there is a person on earth more revolting. He lies, he acts stupid to evade the question, the man is completely without any moral compass. I heard exactly what Joe did, the older gravelly voiced gentleman...and of course, Rush did the same thing! One time, someone got through on that show, that Rush was not expecting (I think they have to lie to the screeners to get someone though who disagrees), anyway, this person made mincemeat of the fat one and the fat one started to laugh (his defense) so hard that the person on the other end finally hung up thinking that the fat one was dying! What a way to get rid of someone you are literally afraid to talk to....lets all CRUSH RUSH!!!!!
Now, to the president of this United States....he was in our town today, and as usual, had many protesters. They were moved to a fenced in place so as to not irritate the anointed one! Perhaps that is the scariest thing about this regime, the way they are able to buy his cover....no one can be around this man and have any freedoms! That is what is scary....
In that speech, State of the Union, he lies when he says that it would be bad for National Security...It would be bad for his daddy, his uncle Dick and himself!! Those are the people who would be harmed by these papers! Just think, folks, this is the first time in history, a president has been able to pull this off!!!!
Love BuzzFlash....Shirley...St. Louis
Subj: Devastated Lives
Buzz,
On Tuesday, the Arizona Republic headlined the present, and forecasted the future, devastation to our private lives and the health of our communities caused by Dubya’s avarice: "Evictions Outpace County’s Growth."
T Quigly
Re: Comment Linda Ward Article
Shalom BuzzFlash Readers,
Good article Linda!
Why limit the age of the relatives of Bush, Cheney, government officials, war corporation executives etc. to be the first in the front lines of any declared war by the President and government of the USA to 18 to 25 year olds???
It should be part of every so called "patriotic" gung ho war person in the U.S. government or the war corporations to voluntarily send ALL their relatives, men and women, between the ages of 18 to 40 to be the FIRST on the front lines of fighting any war that they feel so "justified" in fighting!
Currently there are very few, if any, relatives of Bush, Cheney, members of the US Congress, Senate, other government officials and war corporation executives, who will actually be fighting in any war the US declares.
Instead the "fighters" are poor Whites, Blacks,Hispanics and other ethnic "U.S. slave mercenaries", who signed up for their military jobs that paid them more than working in Mcdonalds or some other minimum wage job. Most of these 18 to 25 year old people never really thought they'd actually be killed in a war when they signed up. Ask any military leader and he'd tell you the reason they target 18 to 25 year olds for the military is because 18 to 25 year olds cannot see themselves really dying, so they can easily be brainwashed to risk their lives and fight in a war.Now these 18 to 25 year olds in the U.S. can't get out of their military contracts, even if they wanted to, without being penalized or even sent to jail.
Killers Bush, Cheney and all you other armchair war killers should take a good look at yourselves and see what your preaching and doing when you kill your fellow human beings, including innocent children and babies, in primitive, barbaric wars. The American people are starting to wake up that wars are about money,money,money and control of people and resources like oil etc.Wake up America.Wake up all you other asleep people in other Nations of the world who are brainwashed to fight wars that kill human beings.
We need new leaders in every Nation in the world,who are not killers and have compassion for every human life. Amen.
Shalom, Peace
Michael
Shore
Jerusalem,
israel
Subj: Actually, Rumsfeld did not apologize for his remarks
Dear BuzzFlash,
If the Washington Post article accurately reports what Rumsfeld said in his letter, then he didn't apologize for his remarks.
In his letter, Rumsfeld said, "I always have had the highest respect for [draftees'] service and I offer my full apology to any veteran who misinterpreted my remarks when I said them."
His apology was empty of personal meaning since he apologizes to veterans not for his mistake but for their misinterpretation of his remarks. That is certainly another disrespectful swipe at the veterans who have served this country.
Perhaps the link to the article should be
"Rumsfeld Pretends to Apologize for Remarks on Draftees, Insults Veterans Instead"
Sincerely,
Wils Corrigan
Subj: Worrying About Gonzalez
Dear BuzzFlash,
Remember, Gonzalez is the one who advised georgie to leave the line blank for the question "have you ever been convicted..." on the jury form. It would be an interesting hearing, indeed, if some Dem brought that up.
Jan. 22, 2003, 6:51PM
A strike against Alberto Gonzales?
By ROBERT D. NOVAK
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/1746942White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales succeeded in weakening the government's intervention in the University of Michigan racial preference dispute, but at a potentially heavy personal cost. He increased the difficulty for his friend and patron, George W. Bush, to make him a Supreme Court justice.
The petition in the Michigan case, as it arrived at the White House from Solicitor General Theodore Olson, finally would have placed a president unequivocally against forcing racial diversity on university admissions. Gonzales, who has publicly supported racial preferences, revised the petition. Accepted by the president, it advocates the desirability of government-sponsored diversity if achieved short of quotas.
Liz Taylor
Does anyone else notice a similarity in the logic here?
Q. Why do
elephants paint their toe nails different colors?
A.
So they can hide in bags of M&M peanut candy.
Q.
Have you ever seen an elephant in a bag of M&M peanut candy?
A.
No...
See
how good they hide!!
-- Bad “Elephant Joke”- c. 1968
...But as Rumsfeld and President Bush himself have made clear, the inability of the inspectors thus far to find a “smoking gun”in Iraq is further proof of perfidious deception of the Baghdad regime.
The way Rumsfeld explained it, it is the very absence of such evidence that proves Iraqi guilt.
“The fact that the inspectors have not yet come up with new evidence of Iraq’s WMD program could be evidence...”
Mary P
Re: Welcome to the Muscle Beach Party, A BuzzFlash Editorial
Dear BuzzFlash:
Nice editorial, but for your information, this country was never "supposed to be a country with a thriving two party system" -- where did you get this notion?
Part of your (collective) problem is that you're waiting for some damned Democrat to ride up on a white horse and save us all. Ain't gonna happen. But if I had a nickel for every time I stood on a street corner attempting to collect signatures to put the name of a third-party candidate on the ballot, only to be told by some misinformed citizen of these United States that the Constitution provided that there would only be two parties, well, I would be a rich woman today, and probably voting Republican. But I could probably just as safely vote Democrat.
You guys need to make the next step, instead of wringing your hands month after month, year after year, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Democrats to wake up. They're awake. But their agenda is different from yours.
In solidarity,
Susan Byers Paxson
Click Here: Check out "The Village Voice: Nation: Dick Cheney's Pipe Dream by Geoffrey Gray"
Buzz,
I saved this article from 10/19/01. I thought it was important. In it Cheney says, "You've got to go where the oil is". He also condemns U.S. sanctions against Iraq. So far, that's what the Bush administration is using the might of the U.S. military for --- "to go where the oil is". The Taliban did not attack us on 9/11, nor did Saddam Hussein. The Taliban were blocking the way to the Caspian Sea oil and now Saddam Hussein is in the way of them controlling Iraq's oilfields.
Gigi
Dear BuzzFlash,
If you have any influence at all. Can you tell the Democrats to talk about the Made in China-Made in the USA boxes and keep calling Bush a liar. While people are losing their jobs he is mocking them.
--- John Geiger
Subj: Bush's Popularity
http://www.msnbc.com/news/862957.asp
Just a couple observations regarding Junior's 'popularity'.
First, this indicates a full 28% of the population has changed their minds in a year. What is so different in their thinking now? Was their support so naively short-sighted a year ago? Or did they first have to personally suffer from result of the policies of 43 and his band of thieves before they could see any light? I'd love to talk to someone who has changed their mind and try to understand why it needed changing in the first place.
Secondly, God help the pour souls who are destined to die in order that these cold-blooded opportunists may get these numbers back up. When they drop low enough, you can bet the mortgage on another 'terrorist' attack. Nothing is beyond these people.
Jim Cloud
An email from Radio Shack to a BuzzFlash Reader
RE: Rush Limbaugh
Hello Tom:
Thanks for the email.
In response to the matter of our advertising on the Rush Limbaugh program, we have issued the following statement to the webmaster at http://www.takebackthemedia.com:
First, let me emphatically state that RadioShack has not purchased ANY radio time during the "The Rush Limbaugh Show." Evidently, we are the unfortunate victim of a network or local affiliate programming error.
RadioShack strictly adheres to a policy of not intentionally buying advertising space on programs that might be political or socially controversial or that promote any one individual's agenda or point of view.
If a listener has heard a RadioShack commercial airing during "The Rush Limbaugh Show," it is simply an error made by the radio network or local affiliate. While these strict instructions about our policy are provided to all stations and networks we purchase time from, unfortunately programming mistakes are made.
We are working diligently to get to the root cause of this and appreciate being made aware of it through your Web site's supporters.
PLEASE, remove our name from your list.
Simply put, our advertising isn't intended to offend or to exclude anyone from shopping at RadioShack. The friendly, helpful sales staff in our stores work hard to earn your trust: I assure you that the last thing we want is for our advertising to impede their efforts.
Kay Jackson
Director
of Public Relations Planning
RadioShack
Corporation
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday,
January 22, 2003 10:08 AM
To:
RadioShack Customer Relations
Subject:
Rush Limbaugh
Contact
Information:
Customer
Name: Tom Baumann
Purchase
Date:
Purchase
Location:
Product:
______________________________
Customer's Message:
Since Your company advertises on Limbaugh"s show,I will no longer patronize Radio Shack.
Thomas C. Baumann, Esq.
