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Quote of the Day:
"To convince countries like France and Germany and the broader public that military action is needed, [U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell] needed to demonstrate conclusively that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons. And on that I think he failed. He makes a circumstantial case, but if he were in an American court of law, I don’t think he could get an indictment, let alone a conviction."
—Carnegie Endowment for International Peace analyst Jon Wolfsthal, reviewing Powell’s presentation to the U.N. Security Council
http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/d_index.asp
Chewgababy
Dear BuzzFlash,
Great editorial on Tom Daschle! If Daschle isn't capable of herding the cats then he needs to step down and let someone who can herd the cats lead the Democrats! I think We the People tried to tell the Democrats and Daschle this after they lost miserably in the mid-term elections!
It's been obvious to me for a while now that the Democrats just don't get it!
Yesterday I received a letter written by Terry McAuliffe from the DNC. His letter began with, "Now is not the time to be sitting on the sidelines...". You can imagine my outrage!
I have been working hard for well over two years now, I have donated my hard earned money to the Democrats on several occasions, while I have watched wishy-washy, timid, pussy Democrats sit on their thumbs and cow-tow to the Bushistas and the Right Wing in this country!
Don't believe the Right Wing spin when they say that the Democrats are for the Unions, environmentalists, Blacks and other Minorities, Poor, Civil Rights, Affirmative Action, and a Women's right to choose, because NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
The Democrats I see are for the un-constitutionally selected GW Bush, his extreme Right Wing agenda, tax cuts for the wealthy and for W-ar in Iraq!! Especially Tom Daschle--leader of the "pussy-cats"!
Nancy Lynn
Nagy (TN)
Another reason why we need to:
http://www.votetoimpeach.org
Re: There Tom Daschle Goes Again -- A BuzzFlash Editorial
Dear BuzzFlash,
This was on the op-ed page of the Northwest Herald today. John Gelasi of Crystal Lake, Il. submitted this writing of Mark Twain from "The Mysterious Stranger":
"There has never been an honorable one---on the part of the instigator of the war. The loud little handful---as usual---will shout for the war. The pulpit will---warily and cautiously---object---at first; the great, big, dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, 'It is unjust and dishonorable, and there is no necessity for it.'
"Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on the other side will argue and reason against the war with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded; but it will not last long; those others will outshout them, and presently the antiwar audiences will thin out and lose popularity...
"And now the whole nation--pulpit and all--will take up the war-cry, and shout itself hoarse, and mob any honest man who ventures to open his mouth; and presently such mouths will cease to open.
"Next, the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception."
Vicki Dow,
Crystal Lake, Il.
A BuzzFlash
Reader
Subj: Estrada Nomination
Dear BuzzFlash,
Here is a msg I sent to all democratic senators for whom I could find an address (your list of addresses proves to be outdated):
It has come to my attention that Tom Daschle says he may not have the votes to sustain a filibuster re the Estrada nomination. IT IS TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE!
Thank you,
Jean Charlton
Morehead
City, NC
Subj: Happy Consequence
Dear BuzzFlash,
I have recently changed my view of the Clinton impeachment; there is one happy consequence of that outrageous fiasco. Where once impeachment seemed unthinkable, a procedure used only in the direst of circumstances, we now see how it can be done and it feels more like "an available option or tool" in the ongoing politics of the U.S. When a new administration comes in, the machinery to dig up scandal is already in place now. So too can we just set up a Dept. of Impeachment, that can prepare the case in advance -- a sort of pre-emptive impeachment procedure. Part of me wants to return to a time when both parties seemed to play by the same rules but I realize that it may be time to move on. Those who want most to return to 1954 seem most willing to abandon our most cherished governmental infrastructure.
ja in la
Re: "There Tom Daschle Goes Again: An Editorial"
Dear BuzzFlash,
Yes, yes, you're right: Tom Daschle fails to lead the Democrats, sucks up to the Bush cartel so badly he seems to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and blocks the rise to leadership of better-qualified men like Harry Reid and Chris Dodd, but look at the bright side: It must be great for Linda Daschle's lobbying business to be able to say that her hubby is Senate minority leader.
Sardonically yours,
Jon Krampner
Click Here: Check out "Ashcroft Pushes Executions in More Cases in New York"
And these people call themselves Christians! Ashcroft and Bush seem to take great pleasure in killing.
Gigi
[BuzzFlash Note: Compassionate Conservative is perhaps the biggest oxymoron since Jumbo Shrimp. While both are available for purchase, the big difference is that the latter is a play on words and the former is a lie.]
Click Here: Check out "CNN.com - Bush urges prayer during 'testing time' for U.S. - Feb. 6, 2003"
Ashcroft Pushes Executions in M
How do these religious zealots equate their eagerness to kill with religion?
Gigi
Subj: Republican Lite
Hi BuzzFlash,
I just called Tom Daschle's office, told them it was o.k. for Mr. Daschle to call himself a republican. It's disturbing to us real Democrats, as he does not speak for us, but sides with the republicans, to call himself a Democrat. We would rather he speak the truth as to which party he REALLY belongs too, than live a lie!
Also, thought it right to relieve Mr. Biden of the lie that he's a Democrat, and to believe in himself, and admit to being a Republican, and call himself one.
Us democrats are smart enough to know that Mr. Lieberman is not the only Republican lite!
A Daily BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Colin Powell
"JUST A HACK"
"In Colin Powell's vague and ambiguous address to the United Nations Wednesday, I witnessed a man I once admired as a fellow soldier transform himself into just another hack politician doing the bidding of his boss."
This was a "letter to the editor" in my local paper this morning. I, too, have watched Powell's transformation and wondered why. Has he been pressured that his son Michael Powell, appointed head of the FCC by Bush, will be fired? Has he been promised great riches when the Bushes greedily split up Iraq's oil fields? Has he been promised a job with Poppy Bush's company, The Carlyle Corp., when his gig as Sec. of Defense is up?
What would cause a man like Powell to sell his soul to the devils in the Bush administration?
Gigi
[BuzzFlash Note: Despite his public persona, Colin has many questionable things in his past, most notably his connection to the cover-up of the Mai Lai Massacre.]
Click Here: Check out "wnbc.com - Money - Exclusive: DOJ Has Enough Evidence To Arrest Stewart"
Bush, in his insider trading deal with Harken, did exactly what Martha Stewart did, but Bush's insider trading deal involved a lot more money. Why is he not being investigated? Why does the justice dept. have this double standard? I say, fine! If they want to prosecute Martha Stewart, they should do the same to George Bush. The pResident of the U.S. should be held to a much higher standard than Martha Stewart.
Gigi
Subj: 101 things you can do to stop this war
Dear BuzzFlash,
Can you help compile this list (like you did about if you don't like to pay taxes)?
I conceived of & organized 2 town hall meetings in which the community was invited to speak out. It received coverage from 3 local newspapers and was televised live on the government channel.
After bombarding our local representative, David Price, with email and phone calls, his office said that he is "completely opposed" to this war. We are pressuring Senator Edwards, who has yet to make a public statement. Needless to say, there are vigils, letters to the editor, and the demonstration February 15.
Chapel Hill will vote on whether to be a city of peace February 10.
Vivian Phillips
Chapel
Hill, NC
[BuzzFlash Note: We built this page to start the effort. Instructions are available on the page.]
Subj: he wants us to pray? hey, that's what we've been doing since he arrived in office!
Bush, who calls himself a born-again Christian, said that in his own moments of religious contemplation he prays "for strength. I pray for guidance. I pray for forgiveness. And I pray to offer my thanks for a kind and generous Almighty God."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35236-2003Feb6.html
why does he pray for strength? because he is weak.
why does he pray for guidance? because he is lost.
and why pray for forgiveness? because he cannot stop sinning.
hey gw! what about praying for peace? who would jesus bomb?
when he says that word it sounds more like prey. "and i prey to offer my thanks for a kind and generous almighty [oil] god." mister slippery slimy.
zvex
Subj: BuzzFlash Mailbag -- Estrada
Dear BuzzFlash,
Estrada is being touted as an "Hispanic" nominee, which leads many of us to think of him as perhaps a Mexican immigrant who through dint of hard work and his family's hard work was able to get a college and legal education at the two of the best schools in the united States. However, the story is a little different.
Estrada is from a well-off Honduran family that was a ranking family during the days of the military dictatorships in Honduras. He is from a very privileged class. Also, his family's success, while the military government was in power, leads me to ask a couple of questions?
Is he Hispanic the way Augusto Pinochet would be considered Hispanic?
Is he Hispanic the way Manuel Noriega would be considered Hispanic?
If so, then we can easily understand why he is such an ardent "conservative". He doesn't really believe in democracy, he believes in rule by the privileged and the powerful.
Do we want someone like that in our Federal judiciary?
Regards,
Sharon
Addison
Loudon,
TN
subj :Taliban Offers Osama to Bush on 02/05/01
Dear BuzzFlash,
According to the Ottawa Citizen, the foreign minister of the Taliban sent a letter to George W. Bush, saying "his administration is prepared to resolve the Bin Laden issue through negotiations." This was in a dispatch from Kandahar, where Osama had recently attended his son's wedding.
"'We hope the new American administration will be more flexible and engage with us,' said Abdul Wakil Muttawakil, the Taliban foreign minister, as new UN sanctions begin to squeeze that hardline group."
Why did they wait till Clinton was gone? This letter was sent out less than two weeks after the Cheney-Bush junta invaded the White House.
This all sounded familiar, so I dug out my copy of BuzzFlash premium, Forbidden Truth. Footnote 10 in the Foreward sources this article, which is provided below as my $4.60 treat to BuzzFlash fans. Brisard also points to the London Times in footnote 7. The guy wanted to make sure his statements reached the Anglo rather than Arab press, for "maximum impact." Others can dig out that article. I'm not an investigative reporter. I guess that makes me just like the sorry, lazy folks who claim to be reporters in the US.
Also, check out the following in the Indian publication, the Week. Ahmed Masood, the charismatic and beloved leader of the Northern Alliance, was quoted by the interviewer as saying: "I am fighting not just the Taliban, but also Arab mercenaries of bin Laden and the Pakistani Army." See: (http://www.the-week.com/21oct21/enter.htm)
He was assassinated the day before the 9/11/01 attack, by Osama's gang according to the mainstream media. I saw a TV documentary put together by Robert Young Pelton, and he related how difficult it was to get in to interview the man--even though he was known to travel to places like France in his international appeal for assistance. Pelton is the guy who interviewed John Walker Lindh for CNN. It's hard to believe that 2 Arabs with explosives in a video camera could get past Masood's security so easily. Abdul Haq was also assassinated when he went into Kandahar, believing he had CIA backing. Hamid Kharzi--the former Unocal consultant on the now ignored pipeline deal--was the kind of guy who fit the mold as "our kind of leader."
Ironically, contracts recently put out for bid were ignored by Unocal because the security was too poor after the Taliban left town. It's time to reread that book. It's loaded with footnotes for documentation and spells out the voluminous amount of warnings given to the US by very many countries. All ignored and about to be buried deeper by a Bush controlled investigation. Brisard is now working for the law firm that is suing Saudi Arabia on behalf of the families of 9/11 victims. I learned this from a Fox News interview last year that ended abruptly for a commercial break. The lawyer is the guy who sued Big Tobacco for all those billions.
None of this means anything in a country where the people in a position to do something just do not care, while most of the "patriotic" citizens are still in the grip of a nervous breakdown.
infomart.ca - A Nation On File.
Taliban offers to send bin Laden away in return for recognition
The Ottawa Citizen
Monday, February 5, 2001
Page: A7
Section: News
Dateline: KANDAHAR
Source: The Ottawa CitizenKANDAHAR -- The Taliban authorities will consider sending Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born terrorist behind the World Trade Center bombing, to a third country if the West will recognize them as Afghanistan's legitimate government.
``We hope the new American administration will be more flexible and engage with us,'' said Abdul Wakil Muttawakil, the Taliban foreign minister, as new UN sanctions begin to squeeze the hardline group.
Mr. Muttawakil has written to President George W. Bush saying his administration is prepared to resolve the Bin Laden issue through negotiations.
General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's military ruler, said the suggestion of sending Bin Laden abroad appeared workable. He added it was not clear which country might provide sanctuary to the world's most wanted terrorist but Yemen had been mentioned. Pakistan is the closest ally of the conservative administration.
But most Afghans believe the action would worsen their misery. ``We don't care about Osama, but worry more about what happens to us,'' said Zarif Khan, a local driver. Prices of food and other commodities have gone up significantly as the value of Afghan currency, the afghani, has collapsed - from 67,000 to 85,000 to a dollar - since the sanctions were enforced on January 19.
Unlike in November 1999, when the first UN sanctions were put on the Taleban administration, public reaction against the latest measure has been muted. On a previous occasion an Italian UN aid official was killed by an angry mob in Kabul.
The sanctions and threat of a retaliatory attack by the United States has not stopped bin Laden from moving freely and running his international terrorist network from Afghanistan. Earlier this month the Saudi millionaire who has a dollars 5m reward on his head made his first public appearance for two years at his son's wedding in Kandahar.
The wedding ceremony took place in a modest two-storey white brick house in Shar-i-Nau , a relatively affluent neighbourhood of the city. The area has a large concentration of Arab Islamic militants believed to be the supporters of bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organisation. While he is occasionally seen in Kandahar, the Saudi fugitive has a network of training centres in Farmada, outside Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan.
So far, the sanctions appear to have little impact on the Taleban administration other than strengthening the hardline faction within the movement, led by reclusive Mulla Omar.
Idnumber: 200102050108
Edition: Final
Story Type: News
Length: 390 words
Bob Gaiek, Atlanta
Subj: Colin Powell on Nightline
Once again this administration opens its mouth and undermines the very case it is trying to make for war. On Nightline last night (2/5/03) Colin Powell, fresh from "making the case" to the Security Council, sat down for an interview with a correspondent (forgive me, I don't remember which one; all those lily-livered talking heads are starting to run together in my mind) and was asked the oft-asked question about the likelihood of Saddam Hussein using his weapons of mass destruction if he were attacked and felt he had nothing to lose. Mr.Powell responded that it is unlikely that Saddam would use these weapons because he had not used them 12 years ago during the Gulf War when he had the chance and so Powell thought the chances of Saddam using them during this conflict were small. Excuse me?! Isn't the Bush administration's reason for wanting to go into Iraq ostensibly that Saddam has these weapons and that he will use them if we don't get to him first; that we "Don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud"? Thanks Condi. Powell is practically admitting that there is no real immediate threat from Saddam. If I understand correctly, Saddam didn't use his weapons 12 years ago, obviously hasn't used them in the ensuing 12 years, and won't use them in the upcoming conflict. I mean if Saddam won't use his weapons while we are attacking him then when would he use them? By Powell's goofy logic the likelihood of Saddam attacking us is in inverse proportion to the likelihood our attacking him. That mushroom cloud could come at any minute but if we go raining "shock and awe" down on the heads of the Iraqi people then Saddam won't even bother trying to use these weapons that we're so convinced he has and that we're so eager to risk of servicemen's lives for. Go figure.
Scott Andrews
Philadelphia
Subj: Write your own letters -- please
Have you seen today's Daily Feed?
http://www.junction-city.com/dailyfeed/
The Forest Service is introducing a new rule to discount any pre-written public input--such as email from ActforChange, or Corpwatch, or NOW.
I think this will be the beginning of a large-scale movement to try to undercut online activism.
At the same time, I think there is a solution. Instead of providing blocks of text, online activist groups can provide talking points along side a fill-in-the-blank form.
So, for example, a form could look like this:
Re: Filibuster of Miquel Estrada Nomination
Please (take this action.)
I feel strongly about this issue because ( ).
The most pertinent facts in my mind here are ( ).
etc., etc. Along with information about the Estrada nomination on the same page for reference.
In this way, I think we can help people less comfortable with writing letters, but the letters will still be written by individuals--and should get pass the no-mass-mail rules.
Please keep your eyes out--it will only get more challenging from here.
Shaula
Subj: Uh-oh
Dear BuzzFlash,
Uh-oh, months back, a retired and well respected Army General (didn't catch his name) said the US was not real close to war at that time. He said the tip-off that we are very close to the attack beginning will be when the 101st. Airborne is deployed out of KY.
At 3:40 pm est, MSNBC reported that the 101st Airborne has been deployed and will arrive in the mid-east inside of a week.
May our Creator have mercy on all of His people.
~ Cathy
Subj: Powell's Case
Dear Buzz,
If Colin Powell were telling the truth about Iraq's possession of deadly weapons, why should he be in such a rush to expose our sons and daughters in the military to them? Surely, an attack on Iraq is the one way to ensure that Saddam will use everything he's got against them, against our allies, and against the United States however he can.
Instead, he and his cohorts act as though a war on Iraq will be easy and virtually without American casualties. Which suggests that they know perfectly well that Saddam has nothing to throw at us. And after we have slain thousands of innocent people will we apologize nicely for the mistake?
Jo Ann McNamara
Subj: Our Patriotic Poetic Duty Demands
Buzz,
Mrs. Dubya is probably quite sad daddy won't let her hold her little poetry salon next week.
So in her honor, and as our patriotic poetic duty demands, it behooves BuzzFlash and all BuzzFlashers to declare February 12th "National Poetry and the American Voice Day." Peace/anti-war poetry readings should be planned or spontaneously pop up in coffee houses, pubs, schools, and all sorts of places.
This is both a fitting tribute to our brave-but-heartbroken Mrs. Dubya, and a cool way to lead into the international peace-celebrations three days later.
T Quigly
Subj: Waging Psychological Warfare: The Say NO to Dubya Campaign
Dear BuzzFlash,
It is clear from Dubya's behavior that he has never been adequately consequenced. He gives the appearance of a spoiled, petulant child who has been raised without clear limits. Setting limits with our children is a loving act. It teaches them where they end and the next person begins. It provides the template for healthy human interaction. Declaring boundaries is necessary to all relationships. It's time to say NO to Dubya.
What correction does Dubya ever receive? He drinks, drugs, and acts out and is protected from repercussions. He does poorly in school and is accepted to Yale and Harvard. When other men of his generation are fighting and dying in the jungles of Vietnam, his Congressman father arranges a safe, stateside Air National Guard job. He deserts his Air National Guard post and magically receives an honorable discharge instead of a court martial. He tanks business after business and family connections bail him out, making him millions. He loses an election and is appointed to the presidency. No matter how reckless, irresponsible, and incompetent he is, he avoids all negative consequences.
When a person's negative actions bring only positive results, that person develops badly skewed perceptions. The results in Bush's case are staggering: a fiscal plan that will plunge the country into deficits for years to come, a "bull in a china shop" foreign policy that is making the US a pariah, a plan for war that could easily escalate into WWIII. But, Mr. Bush can see none of these consequences. He sees only what he wants. He's all id and no impulse control. He is a stunted individual who can no more be reasoned with than a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum. It's time to say NO to Dubya.
The funny thing about people who always act "entitled" is that those around them tend to believe they are. Dubya is surrounded by codependent enablers: a spineless congress that allows itself to be steamrolled, a compliant press that corrects his clumsy wording and buries his misdeeds, advisors who practically prechew his food for him. Even those who oppose war on Iraq assume that Bush will get he wants in the end, and say that war is inevitable. This, too, gives the bully all the power and reinforces the destructive pattern. The time comes when you have to put your foot down. Responsible parents don't let their kids stick their fingers in light sockets, and responsible citizens of a democracy don't throw up their hands while the president tries to engineer Armageddon, because, "He's just going to do it anyway."
It's time to say NO to Dubya. His parents obviously failed at the task and set lose a horrifying menace on the world. It's time to stop buying into the belief that he can and will do whatever he wants. It's time to tell the child to put the candy back on the display rack, and leave the grocery store.
What I'm proposing is both a symbolic action, and a kind of psychological warfare. Deluge the White House with "No's." Letters, faxes, emails, phone calls all saying "NO." "NO war in Iraq." "NO tax cuts for the rich." "NO insulting our allies." "NO running up national debt." "NO lying to the American people." How about faxes that just say "NO" in giant letters. It's a word Dubya has simply not heard enough in his life. I think it's up to "We the People" to set limits and remind him that he works for taxpayers, not the other way 'round.
Contact the White House and say NO to Dubya:
PHONE: 202/456-1111
FAX: 202/456-2461
EMAIL: president@whitehouse.gov
ADDRESS:
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
Sincerely,
LaVaughn
Subj: Lest We Forget
Dear BuzzFlash,
As the pResident of the United States and his cohorts try to marginalize the French and the Germans, and anyone who disagrees with their world war view, perhaps we should take a moment and think about who our friends were down through history.
We hear conservatives repeat the mantra “The French only know how to surrender”and “why don’t the ‘French’remember”how wonderful the American troops looked in WW2?
Do these big mouths remember the only country that recognized the brand new baby democracy, the United States of America, when that dream was only 2 years old?
1778
The United States gained official recognition from France as the two nations signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris.
AJ Franklin
Houston,
Texas
OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! JESUS CHRIST! DID YOU SEE CONNIE CHUNG? OH MY GOD! THAT POOR MAN ED ROSENTHAL IN CALIFORNIA GOING TO PRISON FOR DOING SOMETHING THAT IS LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA!!! JESUS CHRIST! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
KAREN MASSEY
SOUTH
CAROLINA
Subj: President Clinton
Hey, Buzz,
I watched Larry King interview former president Bill Clinton on TV this evening and . . . Clinton was and is head and soles above the fraud who resides in the White House today. Would Americans be in the mess they are in today if Bill Clinton was in the White House?
H. Boruck
Bend,
OR
Subj: Powell UN "proof" - the chem. plant - is in a region US controls/ Bush prevented its closure to keep viable political tool
I am sorry I have no link or article this as yet but its significance cannot be overlooked.
I a snippet on KTLA, Channel 5 in Los Angeles today, on the ten o'clock news.
I think the segment was reporting on Powell debriefing Congress. The anchor displayed the same satellite photos that Powell did at the UN and said the "Times" (LA Times?) reported that this 'potentially lethal chemical manufacturing plant' is in territory the USG can wield control over already.
The anchor went on to report that "Senator Biden asked some pointed questions" about why, if the plant was such a terrible threat, our people hadn't already shut it down - the CIA had planned to close the plant but "the Administration" ordered them to leave it open. Powell was asked about that and he replied that he couldn't discuss it in open session.
Pretty interesting.
Rosamond
Subj: Is Ari Serious??
BuzzFlash -- in the White House briefing today, Ari Fleischer responded to a question regarding antiwar protests stating "...protesting was a democratic and patriotic act. We settle our differences in this country through elections and through peaceful protest. And the majority will prevail..." Apparently no one in the media bothered to remind him that in the 2000 elections the "Majority" voted for Al Gore and that his President was appointed by Bush 41's Supreme Court...not elected. The new bumper sticker for the '04 elections should be..."Don't Re-appoint Bush in '04..."
Tony Mac
Subj: ...and this...
Liz Taylor"... We'll bet this story comes soon to a network newscast near you: " Pharmaceutical companies shelled out more than $50 million to help Republicans win control of Congress last November. Days after the election, when international trade talks threatened their profitable drug patents, the companies sought help from Republicans," the Journal's Hamburger reports.
"And they got it. More than two dozen Republican lawmakers signed letters opposing efforts to dilute the industry's international patent rights in order to make less costly drugs available to patients in poor countries. Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, a top election strategist who since has become Senate majority leader, phoned U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick with the same message. Top White House aides phoned Mr. Zoellick's office to express concern as well."
"On Dec. 20, the industry celebrated a victory when the U.S., alone among the 144-member World Trade Organization, blocked a proposal for distributing patented medicines to less-developed nations. Foreign diplomats and international relief workers say lobbyists' pressure led Mr. Zoellick to backtrack on an earlier U.S. commitment. U.S. trade officials deny that, insisting the administration merely prevented the WTO from expanding the scope of that commitment."..."
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/TheNote.html
Subj: ...But, if it were Clinton...
"...Some day, if anyone ever writes a truly revealing memoir of this Bush term, we would bet you dollars to Krispy Kremes that they will write that the administration knew the economy was MUCH worse than they let on at the time, and that they were consistently amazed that it didn't do the president, and his party, more political harm..."
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/TheNote.html
Liz Taylor
Subj: Repub=racist again
Dear BuzzFlash,
Another outrageous statement by a Republican senator: http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/politics/story/751093p-5438735c.html
We at Sierra College in California know about the internment camps. http://www.sierracollege.edu/events/standguard/
Michael Price
Subj: PEACE VIGIL DENIED IN DESERT COMMUNITY
Hello,
An application permit to hold a peace vigil organized by community religious leaders was rejected yesterday by the city manager of 29 Palms, California because it would offend the many veterans who reside in the community. What can we do to overcome this problem?
Thank you,
Rae Noel
Subj: Oprah Attack
Dear BuzzFlash,
Maybe I'm just becoming paranoid, but I was just watching the Oprah show on the Iraq war, when it was interrupted for a speech by GW Bush, stating nothing that hasn't been said before, a speech that was barely newsworthy. I checked the other two networks and--at that point--Bush was on neither (although ABC did seem to pick it up later). I don't think it was an accident. Bush is worried about her influence, and fearful about having a sane, balanced view of the war. (During the Trent Lott scandal, when it was said that Bush's administration was worried not about its impact minorities, but on white, suburban women, I told my husband it was thanks to Oprah. She has educated the women of this country about humanity and equality.)
I was so incensed with NBC for facilitating this fiasco, I sent the following e-mail to them:
I was just watching a show on Oprah, where she was giving people who were against the war in Iraq a voice that few other main-stream media has allowed. Suddenly it was interrupted by a speech by GW Bush, providing absolutely no new information that was newsworthy. I immediately checked with the other two networks, and found--at that point--that Bush was on neither. I've read on the internet that your network was no longer trustworthy as a news source and tried not to believe it. I see now that it is true. I think your broadcasting of Bush's speech was nothing less than an attack on Oprah's attempt to facilitate free speech and provide a balanced view of the war. I will never trust your newscasts again and will make an effort to avoid buying any products advertised on any shows other than Oprah's.
Sincerely,
Lorene Parshall, Gaylord, MI
Subj: Bill Clinton on Larry King
Buzz...
How refreshing it was to see and hear the articulate, highly intelligent, and knowledgeable ex-president Clinton on Larry King...Like all humans, Bill Clinton has his share of imperfections...But regardless, what a difference compared to the fraudulent and incurious buffoon now sitting in the Oval Office...Kinda like a lyric from Joni Mitchell's Yellow Bus: "You don't know what you got till it's gone."...And that goes for not only the ex-president, but also the economy, unemployment, the deficit, our standing vis-a-vis the rest of the world, the environment, equality and fairness, wealth redistribution upwards, defense spending, deregulation, health care, race relations, etc...I really do believe that a lot of republican faithful and assorted cultural conservatives put party and ideology ahead of country for the sake of winning...I also suspect that these same people will not have second doubts about what has happened in these two short years because they will most likely vote for Bush again in 2004 on the premise that Bush inherited the mess (i.e. blame Clinton instead of taking responsibility)...Ditto the Moron Americans (I like that term from MWO for the clueless amongst us) who will be suckered into voting for Bush by clever RNC marketing of his faux compassion for the common people and minorities...The photo ops with the ubiquitous little black children are subliminally and cynically directed not to minorities, but to the larger block of undecided middle class surburban white women...The republican strategists are good at speaking out of both sides of their mouths and at exploiting wedge issues (i.e. abortion, race, class, religion, patriotism, etc.)...
Rick (a BuzzFlash reader)
Subj: Our Great Former President, Bill Clinton
Dear BuzzFlash:
Did everybody see Bill Clinton on "Larry King Live" last night (2/6/03)? Does everybody else miss him as much as I do?
I found myself, once again, mesmerized by the man's depth of intelligence. He was so interesting to listen to. I feel calm when I hear him speak about important matters ... versus the way I feel when I listen to the man who is currently attempting to act like our President.
King and Clinton covered a myriad of subjects, and Clinton's insight was exceptional and comforting to me. The man knows of what he speaks!
How about we re-elect him next time?
Terry
Subj: Copy of letter to editor sent to cnn, msnbc, NYT, Wash Post & Congressman
To the Newspapers and Press of the United State of America,
For several months now the Bush people have been giving us "facts" that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. I have been amazed and I have watched over and over again the headlines screaming these proofs, and then days later the truths start coming out from other sources then our great press. So far, nothing the Bush people have said has been the truth. Yet this week when Colin Powell addressed the UN, the press again jumped on the bandwagon saying "yes, we finally have the real truth". No one bothered to verify anything. Except for a Channel 4 in Britain. Again we see lies. The illustrious Intelligence paper Powell quoted from is from public papers up to 12 years old. The Al Quada links are half-truths. Yes Iraq helped Al Quada - the Iraqis that are supposedly our friends and will replace The Evil One - Saddam. Why are we replacing someone with no Al Quada links with people that are involved with Al Quada? The photos are probably lies of some kind too.
You should be ashamed of yourselves. You are letting a lying president who is dismantling the Constitution ring this country to a preemptive war on lies. You are just as guilty as he is. The president has been involved in some shady deals. His family is expected to make a fortune off all these wars. Star Wars doesn't work. The American taxpayer money is going right into the Bush coffers, and yet the only time the "free" press in America wants to inform the public of wrong doing is when there is sex involved. You are helping to destroy this country and bring war to the entire planet. You are basically on the same level as the scandal sheets. You might try reading The Guardian of Britain to see what a real newspaper looks like.
Patty
