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Dear BuzzFlash:

Members of the Alaska Legislature are not the only state politicians who have voiced concerns about USA Patriot. The state's lone congressman recently said that he would likely co-sponsor an amendment to the federal law that would exempt bookstore and library records from scrutiny under the act.

Young told a group of reporters that he would like to revoke some of the powers given to federal law enforcement by the act, which he voted for in October 2001.

"I think the Patriot Act was not really thought out," Young said. "I'm very concerned that, in our desire for security and our enthusiasm for pursuing supposedly terrorists, that sometimes we might be on the verge of giving up the freedoms which we're trying to protect."

He said he was considering co-sponsoring a bill introduced by Rep. Bernie Sanders, Ind.-Vt., called the Freedom to Read Protection Act.

"It goes to show you I'm willing to look at the right side of an issue," Young said. "I think he's right in this issue. I don't think it's anybody's business what I'm reading in the library."

Maverick Republicans

Sanders' bill would exempt libraries and booksellers from the provisions of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which allows FBI agents to demand patron records without the individual's knowledge. It also would make it a crime for a librarian or bookstore to tell anyone that the records had been demanded.

Subj: a great idea

I've downloaded your graphic, Bush Lied and Our Soldiers Died, and display it inside the rear view window of my car. Here in the South, I've noticed that this really catches people's eye...but without making them shake their heads or give dirty looks. As a psychologist I commend you on the wording, for unfortunately Americans have a hard time caring about non-Americans who are killed by our foreign policy...but they at least do care about the kids being blown away by the Grumpy Old White Men now in charge of our nation.

Could you, please, simply use that same graphic on a bumper sticker and offer it to readers? I think that, for most people, it gets right to the heart of two key issues (the WMD lies and the human life costs of this adventure) while being more easily understood by average Americans than "Save California, Recall Bush" (which most people around here don't understand, because California and George W. seem completely unconnected to them).

AND this would be a fantastic way to publicize your site. My little graphic doesn't have your logo, but if you made a bumper sticker, you'd have plenty of space for a highly visible: www.BuzzFlash.com, or even "Learn More at www.BuzzFlash.com".

Another selling point is that this slogan can't be construed as unpatriotic, which is what frightens most people, even the multitudes in the peace movement, from putting anything on their cars. Trust me, I've tried lots of bumper stickers, but this one is the absolute best...please sell them to your readers, and gain tons of publicity at the same time!

Your fan,

Teresa

[BuzzFlash Note: We're working on a couple of new bumper stickers, "Bush Lied . . " among them.]

Subj: Mel Gibson, anti-Semite extraordinaire

Hi BuzzFlash!

Check out this lovely story about Mel Gibson from the gossip pages of the NY Daily News.

You will appreciate the irony of a self-described Christian, who has just made a piece of propaganda about the death of Jesus, saying of NYT columnist Frank Rich: "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. . . . I want to kill his dog."

What would Jesus do? Probably not put someone's intestines on a stick.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/115475p-104184c.html

* * *

Mel's 'Passion'-ate defense gives offense

The holy war over "The Passion," Mel Gibson's movie on Jesus Christ, is raging on all fronts. The Anti-Defamation League is condemning Gibson's latest defense of his movie, made in an article by Peter Boyer in the new New Yorker.

Part of the brouhaha stems from Gibson's interest in Anne Catherine Emmerich, a 19th-century Augustinian nun in Germany who recounted visions of Christ's Crucifixion that some regard as anti-Semitic. Gibson, who carries a piece of her habit as a relic, asks:

"Why are they calling her a Nazi? Because modern secular Judaism wants to blame the Holocaust on the Catholic Church. And it's revisionism. And they've been working on that one for a while."

"To me, this [comment] is classic anti-Semitism," ADL National Director Abraham Foxman told us.

Foxman, who survived the Holocaust because Catholic clergy baptized him to shield him from the Nazis, added, "I think [Gibson] is on the fringes of anti-Semitism."

Gibson also lays his lash on New York Times columnist Frank Rich. Responding to remarks about the Holocaust made in The Times by Gibson's father, Hutton Gibson, Rich accused the actor's camp of using "PR spin to defend a Holocaust denier."

Mel Gibson says of Rich, "I want to kill him. I want his intestines on a stick. ... I want to kill his dog." (Rich told us, through a Times spokeswoman, "I don't have a dog.")

The article says Gibson reluctantly took out a scene in which Caiaphas, a Jewish high priest, says of Christ, "His blood be on us, and on our children." The passage, from the Gospel of Matthew, has been interpreted by some as implicating the Jewish people in Jesus' Crucifixion.

"I wanted it in," Gibson tells Boyer. "But, man, if I included that in there, they'd be coming after me at my house, they'd come kill me."

The film, played entirely in ancient languages, has yet to find a distributor. But Gibson sees a halo around the controversy.

"Inadvertently," he says, "all the problems and the conflicts and stuff - this is some of the best marketing and publicity I have ever seen."

Subj: Flags, Flags, Flags

BuzzFlash,

I just saw a picture of Bush on MSNBC giving a speech with a dozen huge flags behind him, so close together that all other background was obscured. I am not sure why I immediately started to laugh. I think because it is so "over the top." Can you post it on your site to see if other people have the same reaction ?

Larry,
Maryland

Subj: Economy improving for the wealthy

That's right. The economy is improving IF YOU ARE V E R Y WEALTHY to begin with. The middle class and poor are suffering worse than ever!

mev

I BELIEVE THE VOTERS ARE SAYING REGARDLESS OF HOW BAD BUSH'S REELECTION NUMBERS MAY BE, HE IS GOING TO WIN BECAUSE THEY WILL STEAL IT.

Subj: Dump Lieberman

What a trashy ploy Lieberman used to try to discredit Howard Dean. Lieberman is secretly trying to get Bush reinstalled in office. That is why he said what he did about Dean. Call Lieberman's office. Tell him we know he is a mole for the GOP and tell him to step down and save the shame he will get later.

mev

Subj: Gillespie Whining

Right now Matt Drudge is linking to comments RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie made this morning on Meet The Press. Ed was whining that the Democrats have hit a new low in their attacks on the president. BUT Drudge does NOT include the immediate response made on the show by DNC Chair McAuliffe. McAuliffe was rightly incredulous that a Republican could be blaming anyone else for lowering the tone of rhetoric after Willie Horton and what the Republicans said and did to the reputations of true American heroes like John McCain and Max Cleland. Looks like conservatives can dish it out....but go blubbering to Tim Russert when they are on the receiving end.

Keith

Subj: New al-Qaida attacks threatened

BuzzFlash sure called this one! Bush popularity in the tank, he wants more money so of course, it's time to scare the American people again and again and again!

http://www.msnbc.com/news/963020.asp?vts=090720031250

Cynthia

Subj: Demand Hearings on March to War

Snip

"Indeed, part of the White House strategy to curtail Congressional and public pressure for investigations of the administration’s drive to war lies in the hope that the August recess would deflate the intensity of the recent debate. And it has been reported by Congressional aides that Vice President Cheney has at least told Senate Republicans to stop any serious hearings on the issue."

http://ydr.com/story/op-ed/13011/

Subj: Timothy Bottoms Plays G.W.B. ... Again!!!

Does anybody remember the little short-lived comedy "That's My Bush"? Did anybody besides me watch it? I think it would be really funny to compare the comedy to the so-called "docudrama". Somehow I think that Timothy Bottoms portrayal of Bush in "That's My Bush" is much closer to the truth than in the "docuwhopperfest".

Please suggest this idea to one of your many commentators. I really need to laugh now.

Sharon

[BuzzFlash Note: One funny note about the show was that the original title was "That's My Dick".]

Subj: Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance: psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.

It occurred to me this week that the reason Americans seem to be so unaware is not just media manipulation, laziness and a failure to pay attention to world events. There is some major cognitive dissonance going on here. The idea that America is the greatest, most righteous nation in the world and that any President of such a land must be a good person is being faced with mounting evidence and facts to the contrary - yet only a handful of citizens are speaking up. Could it be that the mere idea that Bush knew about Sept 11, or that America aggressively attacked another country to get control of it's oil, is too traumatic for most people's brains to accept?

If the preconceived notion of America's righteousness is as strong as I think it is, Bush's lies tonight, and the propaganda movie will be gobbled up in order to relieve the dissonance. The American Psyche is not ready to accept the idea that it's government is in the hands of a fanatical regime. This goes against the basic belief system that we were all brought up with despite the mounting proof of atrocities committed in our name (False accusations misleading us to attack a country; PNAC policy, published and in public domain; Timing, facts, and cover-ups around 9/11). People's brains will go to extraordinary extents to ignore, deny, and/or rationalize.

How many of us have broken out of this hysteria? How many bloggers, left wing journalists, and activists are there? I feel like we are screaming about the Emperor's new cloths, yet a huge majority of people are still not hearing/ realizing that he's naked. Cognitive dissonance rather explains it, doesn't it? They don't want to know. Any Psychologists or Sociologists out there who can offer suggestions on how we overcome this?

Bob Hollander

Subj: senator hagel calls bush plan "miserable"

"I do think that this administration did a miserable job of planning in a post-Saddam Iraq," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.

omaha w h 9/6/03

he agrees with gephardt- someone should tell gillespie:

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN ED GILLESPIE ON SUNDAY ACCUSED DEMOCRATS OF HITTING NEW LOWS IN THE BUILDUP TO WHITE HOUSE RACE '04.

MORE

GILLESPIE EXPLAINED ON NBC'S MEET THE PRESS: "IF YOU SAW THE DEBATE THE OTHER NIGHT WITH THE NINE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, I THINK HISTORY WILL SHOW THIS FIELD HAS TAKEN PRESIDENTIAL DISCOURSE TO A NEW LOW. THE RHETORIC YOU HEAR, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, RONALD REAGAN NEVER SAID JIMMY CARTER COULDN'T FIND COUNTRIES IN HIS OWN HEMISPHERE.

"MONDALE NEVER SAID REAGAN WAS A MISERABLE FAILURE. WHEN BILL CLINTON RAN AGAINST GEORGE BUSH, HE DIDN'T COMPARE HIM TO SADDAM HUSSEIN OR THE TALIBAN. WHEN BOB DOLE RAN AGAINST CLINTON, HE DIDN'T SAY HE WAS A PHONY OR LIAR. THE WORDS WE'RE HEARING FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES IS SO BEYOND POLITICAL DEBATE. THIS IS POLITICAL HATE SPEECH.

"I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL REJECT THAT APPROACH. THEY APPRECIATE THE PRESIDENT'S STRONG AND PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP, THAT HE HAS A POSITIVE AGENDA AND THEY HAVE NOTHING BUT NEGATIVITY AND PESSIMISM TO OFFER."

Subj: Miserable Failure

Never been much of a fan of Gephardts, but I LOVE Miserable Failure. A name that might be used more frequently - until it sticks.

Veritas

Subj: Ex-president Bush

the repubs have let bush's daddy out of the closet (tomorrow morning on cnn with paula.) therefore, bush's boy of whom he is so proud is in big trouble. helen weber it is about time!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Dear Friends:

Did you read (I forgot where!) that the Republicans contracted with a firm to telephone people and solicit funds for the party? That firm has invested millions in India, from where these telephone solicitations are coming. What hypocrites! Bush says he wants to create jobs ---yes, in India!

Gus Pohlig, Waterloo NY

[BuzzFlash Note: You can read about it in this Reader Commentary.]

Buzz,

Let's try not to make too big a deal of this but I think this is noteworthy...

http://www.13abc.com/index.cfm?SecName=83

Channel 13, a Disney-owned ABC affiliate in Toledo, OH has posted links to Common Dreams News Center, U.N. Wire, and the official Iraq Casualty Count, on their news page.

A bit unusual for Disney/ABC, wouldn't you say? Perhaps the work of a progressive thinking webmaster. Either way, a wonderful thing to see.

Rick Boyd
Toledo, OH

BuzzFlash,

After more than a year of CSPAN press conferences, letters to President Bush, and marches at the White House, the Washington Post suddenly "discovers" war veterans have serious doubts about the reasons behind Bush's unilateral attack against Iraq.

Paul

* * *

For Veterans, an Evocative Repeat: Rising Casualties in Iraq Prompt Memories That Generate Doubts
by Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post

September 7, 2003

Homestead, Florida - It's all starting to look like a rerun -- a sad, troubling rerun -- from the bar stools in the smoky haze of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4127, "Your Friendly Post," as the sign out front says.

The television images from Iraq tell of a conflict that is not officially a war anymore, but sure feels like one to the men and women who come here for Bar Games Night or to tear through $7 steak dinners. The almost daily reports of another soldier, or two, or three, being killed in Iraq bring back bad memories of the war these veterans fought, the one in Vietnam that eventually was not an official war, either, but felt like one just the same.

"To have more troops killed since the war was over, it's redundant, it's unnecessary," said Steve Farrell, a former Navy man who fought in Danang during the Vietnam War. "Let them start running their own country."

[LINK]

Subj: Tell Bush "No"

Dear friends,

I heard my senator say we need more money for Iraq. So I asked him in a letter, "Why don't you and your wealthy friends and Bush and his wealthy friends go ahead and pay for the war? Stop asking the strapped working person and the strapped unemployed Americans to foot this bill for you." It's typical of the wealthy and the CEO types to mess up and ask the worker or the poor to pay for it. Well, we are sick and tired of paying for your screw ups. I told my senator not to ask for any more sacrifice from the average American. Maybe Bush should ask his rich corporate friends who have gotten obscenely wealthy since he came in office to use their tax cuts to pay for the rest of his war. You can find your senator or congress person at www.senate.gov or www.house.gov.

It think they ignore emails but read snail mail and they listen to phone calls. They want $100,000,000,000 of our money while they sit nice and rich and fat and strip the money from education and other important areas. This is why college kids are paying such stunning increases in tuition and why so much has been cut from financial aid. When do these vultures stop? Tell them the game is over.

mev

Subj: The President's Address

After hearing the president's address tonight, one would swear that the attacks of 9/11 were the job of the Iraqis. In fact, not one of the 19 hijackers was an Iraqi. Yet the president made it sound as if this war was to address the causes for that attack. I guess he forgot to mention the oil, the oil, the oil, and Halliburton, Incorporated.

David F. Monteleone
Rockford, Illinois

Subj: Rush Limbo

Just read Eric Harrington's letter ref: Rush limbro talking about WMD's being found in Sept., I can't stand russ but actually tuned him in a few days ago while driving and darn Eric I heard the same speech. (limbo)

So, I am waiting to see what happens in the next few weeks. Interesting!

Carolina

Subj: So, Let me get this straight . . .

Junior insists that we must pay to rebuild Iraq and he will be asking for a mere 87 billion. Hey when your debt is 500 billion and climbing what's a few billion here and there. "Put in on that tab!" he says, no problemo. Except it is a problem because whenever someone overspends on their credit card like a drunken sailor the bills come due and the creditor demands payment and, yes, even the good ol US of A has to pay its debts just like an overdrawn Visa holder. Trouble is though when you can't pay your debts and are plunging deep into the financial hole, as the US Government is since the lunatics are running the financial asylum, you will reach a point inevitably where no one wants to lend you money anymore because you are not a good credit risk. Looks like we have arrived at that situation in a shockingly short time! Yet another depressing milestone reached for the flight suit cowboy whose MBA training has apparently been for nothing since his fiscal policy has been a shining textbook example of how to royally screw things up BIG TIME! As the noted economist Paul Krugman has observed: "When the adults do one day get back in charge they are going to have one heck of a mess to clean up."

[LINK]

Dan DeLisio

Subj: Bush's Predicament

Dear BuzzFlash,

What else is new with Dubya? He and his cohorts hatched a grandiose scheme for the Middle East which he thought would make him a world-renowned hero, and would further enrich him and his friends. Like all of his previous ventures, this one too has failed. So what does he want now?

He wants us to bail him out to the tune of $87 billion. Moreover, he wants the UN to help. Parallels his deal with the Texas Rangers. He invested $600,000 of his rich friends' money, had the taxpayers pay for a new stadium, and then walked away with a cool $14 million. Only in this case it is going to be Halliburton and its related companies who are going to walk away with taxpayer money.

Bush says this money is needed to rebuild the roads, the schools, and the infrastructure in Iraq. What about these same needs in the U.S.?

Instead of asking the ordinary taxpayers to sacrifice, why doesn't he ask his rich friends to bail him out of this failed venture, too.

After all, they are so willing to donate to his election campaign.

What is most disheartening is that the Democrats in Congress will probably go along with his requests and allocate any money he asks for.

Disgusted Bert From Pittsburgh

Subj: Fox News coverage of Presidential Lies

I'm disseminating this wherever I can.

Watching the President's speech at a local sports bar with the sound turned off, I noticed something remarkable: Fox News--as opposed to ABC News and some other channel unknown--was showing the President's address through a 6-second delay. What does this mean? Were they afraid he was going to cuss? Were they afraid he might be too much himself? Why would Fox be showing the President with a delay?

Andy

Subj: Sacrifice?

Dear BuzzFlash,

Bush dares to ask the American people for more sacrifices...is it not enough for him all the body bags and maiming of our brave military for his personal vendetta against Saddam? What about the lack of investigations of 9/11? What about the jobs and pensions lost? What about watching how the corrupted corporate CEOs are still laughing in their way to their off-shore accounts? How about watching his lack of humanity towards our military while they are dying in foreign soil when he is either vacationing or campaigning shamelessly obtaining outrageous sums for his election?

I think that it is time that some others do the sacrifices instead of the American taxpayer. Everyone in the White House and Capitol Hill is a millionaire, therefore, they do not need their salaries and benefits to make ends meet like we, the people, need, not to mention the insulting and offensive raise they are giving themselves. The salaries and benefits should be spent in Iraq, especially of those that signed the blank check that has caused this situation. The Carlyle Group, Halliburton, Bechtel and the rest of the corporations that are making huge profits from the innocent blood shed in Iraq by our military and by the Iraqis, should DONATE their services instead of fleecing America. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz, Rice, Rove, Perle and all the other warmongers should DONATE their own PERSONAL FORTUNES to the people of Iraq for the reconstruction of their country. The media that pushed so much the illegal invasion in their quest for ratings should also contribute DEARLY for the reconstruction. All the corporate contributions for the 2004 election should be given to Iraq, and those that really want to "serve" their country and obtain incredible benefits should finance their campaigns OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS. All the Republicans, specially those in the White House and Capitol Hill, and those blind party sheep that still support the carnage of Iraq should VOLUNTEER to replace our military and bring them home NOW.

The only sacrifice the American people should do is DEMAND from our politicians that our tax dollars be spend HERE and not in a foreign land for the greed and profit of a few.

A very concerned citizen

Subj: Bush Poll

President Bush

Time/CNN Poll conducted by Harris Interactive. Sept. 3-4, 2003. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.1.

"In your view, is George W. Bush one of our greatest presidents, a good but not great president, an average president, or a poor president?"

One of Our Greatest 9%

http://www.pollingreport.com/bush.htm

Rosamond

Subj: Weapons of Mass Destruction

Maybe the weapons of mass destruction that were such an IMMINENT threat to our country that we had to illegally invade a country without the support of the international community might be found either in GWB's mouth or Cheney's pockets.

It is too EASY to give away the money that is not ours....I will gladly give away the fortunes of all of of those in the White House, Capitol Hill, the media, and all those corporations that have off-shore bank accounts but manage to obtain government contracts and are continually fleecing America.

By the way, we might find Osama "dead or alive" or Saddam when we are closer to the 2004 election, unless impeachment proceedings are demanded by the taxpayers and families of those killed for the greed and profit of a few.

A Fed-Up Taxpayer

Sent to: letters@nytimes.com <letters@nytimes.com>

Subj: Re: A Rare View of 9/11, Overlooked

Dear Editors:

"A Rare View of 9/11, Overlooked" (9/7/03) reminded me of two transcripts (12/4/01*, 1/5/02**) on the official White House website. In each, George W. Bush confesses to seeing the first WTC plane crash and chalking it up to poor piloting. "A Rare View..." notes that the recently released video is only the second known to record this collision. Footage, presumably only possible from the other known recording, did not make it on to television until much later on 9/11/01. So what was Mr. Bush watching? Why does the Times refuse to investigate and report on this and other 9/11 related questions left unanswered by their contradictory nature?

Dave Berman
Oakland, CA

* http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/12/20011204-17.html

** http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020105-3.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/07/nyregion/07TAPE.html

Subj: American Wounded

The Pentagon won't make info about the wounded in action easily available, and the hurt soldiers typically appear only in local news. In this ongoing project, we gather stories of the maimed, amputated, blinded, and others injured in the "war on terrorism"

Military Personnel Wounded in Iraq & Afghanistan: A Running Log

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/

Military Personnel Wounded in Iraq & Afghanistan: A Photo Gallery

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/gallery.htm

-Russ-

Subj: dubya: a simple lesson for a simpleton

Iraq: a simple $87 billion lesson

You break it, you pay for it.

Liz
Houston

Re: I love my country. I hate my president.

Dear BuzzFlash;

That is a powerful reader commentary. I have to respect the writer's opinion, since he knows, more than most of us about the inner workings of the Bush administration. When an author is that upset about what is happening, after doing much research about his subject, then I think the rest of us better wake up and soon.

Now I am more upset than ever about this crazy bunch of lunatics running our country. We all have to work to dethrone the emperor and his henchmen like we have never worked before. We cannot fail to win the next election! We must unite behind the candidate who can win.

In my opinion Howard Dean is the only one who has the passion and really understands how dangerous this administration is. I watched him explain why he is encouraging Californians to vote against the recall for governor. He was so sincere in explaining his reason to vote no on the recall was about the right wing ideologues wanting to dismantle our govenment. He is driving the dialogue in this presidential election and is energizing true Americans to take their country back!

We must be relentless in following his lead and save democracy in the United States of America. I hope Mr. Moore will join the fight.

Grace Love
Matron Heights, PA

Subj: White House Caught in Attempt to Hide Causality Reports

-snip-

"Shortly after the speech, NBC's Norah O'Donnell reported that a growing number of lawmakers, including Republicans, have lately expressed dismay at administration efforts to keep classified the number of U.S. casualties in Iraq. O'Donnell, speaking on MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews," said those casualties included more than 1,100 wounded in the conflict to date.

Vice President Dick Cheney, in remarks on Friday, acknowledged that the wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan have come with sacrifice.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/951994.asp?vts=090820030410

Bradley

Subj: President Bush's Job Program

To all,

The other day, President Bush announced that his goal was for every American who wanted a job to find one. while I have been looking for over a year and haven't had much success. So today, I sent Mr. Bush a copy of my resume.

I invite all other readers who are looking for work or know someone who is to do the same. Maybe then he will understand what is going on in this country with the economy.

In peace,

Tony Mitchell, Ph. D.
Beacon, NY

bush will get his $87 billion, because Congress knows that the DoD has already spent the 2003 and 2004 funding for training and up-grading the military, and they don't have the funding to rotate the troops back home.

a buzzflash reader

Subj: It need to be said!

http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contributors/03/09/08_moore.html

"I love my country..." is the most necessary editorial I've seen yet on BuzzFlash. I thank the author for writing it and you for publishing it!

Mike
Spokane, WA

Re: I Love My Country. I Hate My President.

Dear BuzzFlash,

Moore's article was inspirational--a call to arms. [Link] I also lived through the Nixon era and despised him and what he was doing to the country. I was much younger then, and the "Saturday night massacre" was almost frightening. in terms of what the leader of the country was doing, while honorable men were resigning or being fired.

The Senate hearings were somber and chilling as the cover-up unfolded. It was about the time that I started working on my MBA, after serving in Vietnam, and the rich, privileged, drunken coke user named GWB was AWOL from the national guard in pursuit of his own MBA. Somehow, that little bastard became the leader of the free world. What a sad state of affairs has descended upon us.

But we need to channel the rage and disgust the whole world feels about this idiotic interloper, and do everything in our power to insure that he and his greedy, crooked cronies are shown the door in '04

Several months ago a woman from Texas, with no accent, called into C-Span and announced: "I despise George Bush and I will do everything in my power to destroy his presidency." She said thank you and hung up. I have the feeling that she is being joined by millions of people all over the world--and it's not a focus group.

"I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical." Thomas Jefferson

Bob Gaiek
Lawrenceville, GA

Re: Think Tank

We have too many dumb Democrats or we would have had a good program long ago. Will someone agree or give me an argument?

I agree but disagree. We have to many DLC backed conservative democrats in office that rubber stamp the corporate owned republicONS.

Richard

Subj: "Has Bush Misplaced his Bible?"

BuzzFlash,

Contrary to his usual practice, Bush and Gerson included no biblical references or allusions in last night's speech. I think it's strange and offer some analysis and some suggestions for what would have been appropriate under the circumstances.

Excerpt:

"Last night would have presented an excellent opportunity to have quoted and alluded to scripture that held us and especially our leadership accountable for violence justified by lies and callousness camouflaged by pious pretense. The "day of reckoning" that Bush talked about in his State of the Union has arrived. The day of Bush's "crisis of faith" may have come."

The permanent link is at http://www.therightchristians.org/BlogWeek17.htm#sep8.

Allen

Subj: Congressional Pay Raise

Dear BuzzFlash,

How did Ted "Let them work overtime" Stephens of Alaska vote on the recent Congressional pay raise? Just asking . . .

Bryan Sorohan

Subj: California Polls

Arnold must be suckin' wind big time in the polls. I haven't seen a poll out of CA in 2 weeks, ever since da groper lost his lead.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subj: A Point to Ponder

Love the site! Wish I could afford to support it.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in serious trouble. As Parliament holds ever-more-revealing inquiries into the run-up to the Iraq debacle, Blair's position becomes ever more tenuous. In all likelihood, whoever succeeds Blair as Prime Minister will repudiate the Iraq invasion. Worse, a significant chunk of the fallout could well be that the Brits will be EXTREMELY reluctant to follow the U.S. into future conflicts or support America in times of "need."

If we lose Britain as allies, the United States will be without any substantial allies anywhere in the world for the first time since World War I.

<sarcasm>Now that's what I call progress!</sarcasm>

JL

Subj: Jodi Wilgoren - Excellent Job Deconstructing!

BuzzFlash,

I was very happy to see this article. I was so outraged by Ms. Wilgoren's rhetoric that I wrote a letter to the Times and emailed BuzzFlash to alert the editors to this travesty of journalism. I couldn't have asked for a more thorough analysis of Ms. Wilgoren's obvious pro-Bush language. Kudos!!!

I thought it also would have been interesting to point out that Ms. Wilgoren constantly refers to Howard Dean as "Dr. Dean", as if he had never held public office. Perhaps she did not want to call attention to his stellar record as Vermont's governor, where he served two terms distinguished by putting into effect universal health care coverage (90% of adults, 99% of children), a balanced budget and growing economy (from a deficit he inherited), and equal civil rights for gay couples.

Thanks again for your wonderful site. You give us "Birkenstock liberals" another reason to hope.

Sincerely,

Laura Nathanson

Subj: Keeping up with the monkey man.

Dear Buzz,

George “Whistleass”Bush has made me a more spiritual person. Every time the Con-man-in-Chief of the United States of Enron appears on TV, I religiously reach for the remote control to change channels or hit the off button. The mere visage of the smirking chimp causes my blood pressure to rise and brings on feelings of nausea. Since I don’t particularly enjoy either of those symptoms, I am devoted to avoiding their cause.

That is not to say that I am unaware of the latest batch of arrogance, bombast and deception put forth last night by President Bonzo. Just wait a few hours and you’ll inevitably hear the marketing tag lines on any newscast. All you have to do is invert them 180 degrees and you’ll arrive at an approximation of the truth. Unfortunately for us, deception is the only thing this administration is marginally competent at.

So now we know that Iraq is the frontline of the war on terror because it’s so much more convenient than having it be in Afghanistan or Pakistan where the terrorists are actually hiding. Also, it is the responsibility of the chocolate makers to clean up our messes while we are busy eating our freedom fries and toast. And by the way, Dick Cheney’s Halliburton pension plan is under-funded to the tune of 87 billion dollars and none of us want to end up in the same bread line with him. So, all of the middle and lower classes need to pony up more dough. Don’t worry; we’ll double bill the Iraqi people as soon as we can figure out how to siphon off all that oil.

While everyone is fixated by Cheetah’s attempt to fill the role of King Kong, the two most significant stories of the weekend went un-remarked. Under Secretary of State, Paul Bolton made it plain that Saddam’s WMD “isn’t really the issue”. It turns out that the threat was not from the non-existent weapons, but from the scientists who might have made them someday. Any country that harbors anyone with a PHD in physics or biochemistry is now a legitimate target for US invasion.

And, finally, Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged what us left wing conspiracy nuts have been talking about for a year and a half. If you were an ordinary American citizen trying to fly somewhere right after 9-11, you were a suspected terrorist and liable to be shot down. If, however, your last name was bin Laden or you were related to the Saudi royal family, you had no trouble using your frequent flyer miles without a paper trail. This occurred with out regard to the fact that at least two of the bin Laden boys were being investigated by FBI counter-terrorism agents for ties to terrorist funding (before they were ordered to back off by higher-ups).

It’s reassuring to know that despite the fact that Osama and 15 of the highjackers came from Saudi Arabia, we’re focusing on Baghdad, the real front line on the war on terror. I’d hate to think that, just because someone was closely connected to the Bush family, they might be above the law and given special treatment. Wouldn’t you?

Russ Rigtrup

Subj: Al-Qaeda Tape Timing

Hi Buzz,

I had thought it was just my suspicious nature, inherent cynicism ya'know, but I've wondered about the timing of terror threats at seemingly opportune moments from the Bush/Rove standpoint. How closely do they correlate?

Peace

CV

Dear Buzz,

This nugget is buried in the middle:

"Interestingly, a majority of Dean's support comes from those who backed Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2000. Fifty-four percent of McCain backers said they intend to vote for Dean, while only 15 percent are behind Kerry. "

Washington Wrap [LINK]

meb

Subj: Attack on Universities

BuzzFlash,

[LINK] Just when I thought things couldn't get more frightening, you posted this sinister attack on academic freedom. The party that believes in less government wants more government to meddle in the selection of faculty. The pretext that if a student is taught by members of the KKK, Neonazis, Skinheads, Right-wing Talking Heads, Creationists, Michael Savage, and, ...Republicans they will have a "better" education."

Do people remember that Universities were the first targets of the Nazi party in Germany ?

Larry,
Maryland

Subj: Sacrifice

In his Sunday 7 September 15 minute "speech to the nation", Bush described Iraq as the central front in the war against terror, saying the "enemies of freedom are making a desperate stand there, and there they must be defeated." "This will take time and require sacrifice," he said.

He's still equating Iraq with terrorism, in an effort to keep us believing that Saddam was part of the 9/11 attack against us.

And, I wonder who will be asked to do the sacrificing. Certainly not his chosen people, the ones he gave the huge tax cuts to. That leaves us, the long-suffering US taxpayers, our children, and our grandchildren. That is, if our grandchildren will have survived this onslaught against democracy that he and his cronies are waging; it's very possible that they will not be paying taxes at all, since indentured servants don't have the income to contribute to taxation.

Joan

Subj: Voter Registration

Dear BuzzFlash,

The voter registration link is a wonderful idea. Good for you!

I'm wondering if it wouldn't be good idea to encourage people to sign up to vote using an absentee ballot.

I am deeply concerned about our present system of voting. It is very possible that like Florida's purged voting lists, this matter will not be resolved in time for the next election.

I am even more concerned by the weaknesses exposed in the new voting machines, the lack of openness in the process. The fact that the and the political activities and associations of those who design and sell these machines all lean hard right is one more reason to avoid this technology.

Using an absentee ballot is a low tech way to create a paper trail.

Sincerely,

Carol Davidek-Waller
Kirkland WA

Subj: Reply to Dietrich Woltmann's letter, "Why do Americans hate the Clintons?"

Dear Buzz-

Like Dietrich from Germany, I hear many Europeans in San Francisco ask the question "why do Americans hate Clinton." The answer is they don't. In a recent poll -- Clinton, JFK, and Lincoln were the Presidents chosen as the top three in all time popularity. This totally frosts the GOP. They work so hard on dirty tricks, spinning the media they own, whipping up the wacked-out religious right into a frenzy. They harp on Clinton at every manufactured opportunity. And still he is one of the top three most popular Presidents ever.

The Clintons are mobbed by zealous crowds everywhere they go. Hillary's book shot to instant bestseller (without the aid of a rich supporter buying them by the cargohold as was done for Ann Slanders to boost sales).

The reason it appears they are hated is that the GOP spends $100 million a year on "think tanks" which are nothing but PR machines that pay off talking heads, authors, commentators to sell, sell, sell their message. They have to relentlessly attack Clinton. He was simply was too good, and too popular--it would be impossible for the GOP to match that. They are the total whores of the corporations--and their entire ideology is protecting & boosting corporations and screwing people. So everything in front of that fact needs to be obscuring smoke and mirrors. It drives them wild that Clinton could just be himself and the whole world responded.

As Ann Slanders said--and she's the GOP's favorite whore--"The only question is do we assassinate Clinton or impeach him." Imagine anyone saying that about Bush--they'd be arrested on the spot. Better to character assassinate him, they thought, than shoot him. It they shot him that would give the Demos another martyr and possibly a presidential commemorative holiday. Can't have that.

In essence, Dietrich, the GOP is one small, petty, mean-spirited, sicko, lying bunch. But we love Prime Minister Schroeder for telling Dubya to take a hike! I even wrote him and President Chirac thank you notes!

Suzanne, San Francisco