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February 6, 2004 |
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Subj: Questions the Media Won't Ask Here are some the questions I would like answered:Mr. Bush, you lost your wings, so to speak, for failure to complete a mandatory physical. Did you ever try to resolve this issue so that you could get back in the cockpit? Did you take the physical and fail it, or did you just not show up for it. If you failed it, why did you fail it? If you just didn’t show up for it, were you not aware this would end your flying career in the Guard? The American taxpayer spent tons of dough training you to fly an obsolete plane; don’t you think you owe them an explanation why you didn’t fly for the last two years of your commitment? What kind of duties does a grounded pilot perform in order to get the “credit hours”necessary to complete service? You received an Honorable Discharge and you cite that as proof that you fulfilled your commitment. How would you answer your critics who say it’s just one more example of the special treatment you received from the beginning till the end of your military lark? Specifically, being jumped ahead of other candidates for coveted spots in this Champagne Unit, acceptance to flight school with a barely passing aptitude score, a promotion without merit or training, impunity for disobeying orders and being allowed to “make up”for time missed (admitting you didn’t show up) instead of being thrown in the stockade or put on active duty. Why don’t you just release your records and end all the speculation? Note: Sometimes, these people come up with statements that seemingly support their position if you just buy their perverse logic. For example, an Honorable Discharge must mean I completed my service. Well, it could mean that! OJ’s acquittal doesn’t make him innocent; just means the jury didn’t think the state met their burden of proof. Like the military spokesman who said during the early days of the Iraq invasion that the troops would not have been issued protective gear if they hadn’t believed in the threat posed by chemical & biological weapons. Sounds reasonable, I suppose. As a contrary proposition, if protective gear had not been issued, it would be an admission that they did not believe there were chemical & biological weapons. Might just accept a shoplifter’s statement that he intended to pay and proved it because he brought along his checkbook. If you listen to these people, they’re not very good liars no matter how prolific they are. BTW, I am a lot more worried what has been done to our country the last three years than what GWB did 30+ years ago. Of course, if bringing this up gets him out of office, all the better. Turk Meister Subj: Sue in Florida First of all, I would like to hear from "Sue In Florida" because I too am a retired grandmother in Port St. Lucie, Fl. who plans to work really hard to defeat Bush. Write to me Sue at Piscestwo@arczip.com My second point is the amazing ricin scare on the very eve. of the planned discussion of senate hearings on the "Bush Budget." Yes, we democrats and independents notice the timing of the terror alerts and scares but does the opposition? I don't know because I can not talk to them without being yelled at. Who is out there who can talk to any Republican? Sandy in Florida Subj: Just wondering about something Hi I am Canadian reader of your web site. Thanks for all the great info and editorials! Just curious about the great drug war in the states. If security is so good, why aren't all the heroin, cocaine and other addicts in the major cities doing the funky chicken for lack of drugs! Seems to me that countless tons of drugs are making it through the laughable US security and no one seems to care. Makes homeland security look like a big joke, doesn't it? But then again, who knows who is being paid off! Regards, Bob Hornett Subj: Ricin Is RICIN the latest Republican weapon of mass DISTRACTION?.....just asking Let's see there were polls stating that Kerry, Clark and Edwards could beat Bush in November. There were also some questioning of his National Guard Record? The Democratic primaries and caucuses. Would any of the above would have been necessary to silence?...again...just asking Jocelyn - Miami Subj: Hear hear! Hear hear to Bri Held (It Comes Down to the American People) who hit the nail squarely on the head. She rightly called Americans "sheeple" and it gives me goose bumps because we are in the midst of living through the silence of the lambs. Ted Markow Subj: Re: Article about slain Vietnam soldiers from Midland, Tx. and Caspar, Wy. Dear BuzzFlash: It was almost a karma thing that just as I was raging to myself about Big Time Dick's reasons given about not going to Vietnam, you published the names of the dead from both of their hometowns. He cited to reporters as his reason "I had other priorities". I can't help but wonder what the priorities of the ones who had no choice other than to serve were? Did they want to go to Nam to be shot at, bombed, etc. suffering death, physical maiming, mental anguish, and Agent Orange illnesses, among other problems. Were these things one of their priorities? To go to die in that Godforsaken country! While our Pres was flying in Air National Guard in Texas when he chose to, and otherwise, spending his time drinking, partying, etc. When you think of the unmitigated gall of these people to stand up and admit these things to reporters, it makes you shudder. What arrogance, hubris, cowardice, and a hundred other bad qualities this shows. AND WE ELECTED OR THE SUPREME COURT CHOSE THESE FINE SPECIMENS TO RUN OUR GREAT NATION! It just does not compute! It is obvious that something needs to be done about the Supreme Court, not just our administration. It makes me very afraid for our country, children, grandchildren, and the families of this former republic. Our founders must be spinning in their graves! I do not believe this is what they meant when they wrote the Constitution, the Preamble, or the Bill of Rights. I am sure that the so-called Patriot Act would make them shudder in horror at what has been wrought. When you stop to think that these real Patriots took a chance of being sentenced to death for signing such an article, you realize how far down we have dropped from the original meaning of America and Freedom. We have made a mockery of the very idea of America! With profound sadness, Sue McFadden Subj: What we have here.... The Bush Intelligence Investigation would be an Oxymoron controlled by a Moron........ A BuzzFlash Reader [BuzzFlash Note: To add a little more alliteration: It's an "Oxymoron controlled by a Toxic Moron."] Subj: The Media so i'm in a bar tonight, and the person next to me starts feeding their neighbor a line about how it's so much more romantic to get your news from a single paper -- the Washington Post, the NY Times in particular -- and how the point is its tangibility. the romance of 85 line screen soy ink on crappy stock...it makes it all seem so much more 'human' and 'real'; this whole web nonsense is crap. never mind that the outlet's news -- most often -- is the same, whether it's digital or analog. never mind that you -- as an individual, as a citizen -- have access to countless perspectives from around the globe. never mind that with the web you have the opportunity to gauge for yourself what stories are of genuine interest to you and what stories are just PR garbage. what really matters is the ink on your hands after a good browse at the headlines. what really matters is settling in with a "paper of record" and accepting the 'truth'. listen up: this is the window. if you support the status quo you'll hear more of this kind of nonsense. people with power want to marginalize the web and anyone who gets their news from a medium where the marketplace of ideas is still up for grabs. if you care about alternate perspectives -- even if you don't always agree with them -- push back on this kind of nonsense. paper doesn't make a story any more factual or unbiased. the web doesn't make a reporter a quack. the web gives a reader -- often for the first time -- an opportunity to seek out alternate reports of the same event. it gives a reader a chance to read opposing opinions that weren't always crafted inside a think tank. a paper that will readily publish sally quinn or sue schmidt doesn't necessarily have editorial standards that are any more respectable than those of tompaine.com or BuzzFlash.com or any other number of websites that are out there. if you hear someone tell you the web is full of cranks, point them in the direction of your favorite sites. remind them of the "weapons of mass destruction". remind them of the "imminent threat". ask them about bev harris. ask them about greg palast. ask them about free republic, for cryin' out loud. if you don't vote tomorrow because you think the momentum isn't there yet; if you don't vote your conscience because you think you're candidate isn't 'electable'; if you don't vote for change because you're just not convinced that someone else can fix all our problems; if you smile and nod when someone tells you the web is for crazies; please keep in mind that this might be the last push. the means of the 'momentum' you might see today may be gone in nine months. this might be your last chance to fight for yourself, and to fight for an america -- and a media -- that you can be proud of. the minute you let others limit your choices you've limited your own future. when someone takes a swing at the things that are important to you, take a swing back and see what happens. you might be surprised. the web might not be as romantic as smeared sunday morning-fingerprints on a coffee mug, but it's a hell of a lot more informative. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Howard Dean I wish you would do something or someone would about how the media deliberately worked to destroy Howard Dean's campaign. He was our best candidate because he espoused fundamental institutional change. And that is what we need now. Larry Subj: Oh yea, it's OBVIOUS all right! Dear BuzzFlash, http://www.hillnews.com/under_dome/020404.aspx In Senator Grassley's own words, "Obviously, he'll be caught between now and the election" Well, Senator Grassley, tell me then, why is it so damned obvious? It isn't "obvious" at all to me. Are you afraid that the people who're predicting that the administration already has OBL and is going to produce him at the most politically opportune moment are stealing the republican's anticipated thunder and ruining their planned political manipulation? A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: How about research? I wonder about the media. Don't they want to mention the voting records of candidates who are Senators anymore? Does anyone know about the positions of the current candidates? They all have web sites? Does anyone know that Clark wants to take back the tax cut from the top 2% of the wealthiest Americans so that a family of four making less than $50,000 will not have to pay ANY federal tax and they won't even have to file? Why are media outlets afraid to post this. Thanks to BuzzFlash, the candidates' positions are known better than they would be. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Dean's contribution to the whole democratic presidential campaign It's sad to see Dean's campaign take a nosedive, but this man is responsible for the democratic platform which the other candidates are now touting. He is a true inspirer and got out the vote. He gave people a reason to become active in politics by giving them a sense of empowerment. I know the GOP is scared of him because he sent a clear message to Washington that the power ultimately belongs to the people.Keep going Howard! Leona Subj: WMDs on the Way The Bush administration is prepared to extend the deadline for the 9/11 investigation and to have an independent commission analyze already overanalyzed pre-war intel; Colin Powell says he might not have supported the war if there was no certain intelligence about WMDs; Tony Blair and John Howard both say that while the WMDs haven't been found and may never be found, the work is not yet done; Halliburton contracts a MARKETING firm with no experience in large heavy moving experience to deliver goods to Iraq over much more qualified competition with the aid of kickbacks; I predict: WMDs will mysteriously appear sometime between now and November in Iraq. Anyone wanna place a bet? Joshua Koch Subj: Bush on Meet the Press Good morning, It seems that George Bush is going to appear on the Meet the Press this Sunday. I urge you to create a link to that program for your readers, suggesting that Tim Russert ask him directly, "Did you attend National Guard meetings in Alabama in 1992 and 1993?" If we can send this question often enough and Russert does not ask it that directly, it certainly would seem that a deal was made that it not be asked. Thank you, David Fisher Subj: OUTRAGEOUS: IT'S TIME FOR A BIG BuzzFlash EDITORIAL. REVIEW THE FOLLOWING AND STIR IT UP.
A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Here's something I wrote to a talk show host Hugh, This year, you guys are going to catch our fist with your teeth. Your leadership, character, your very integrity, is going to be challenged. Anyone can dish-out smashmouth morality. Anyone can ridicule his opponents--call them "liars" or whatever-- but this year, at long last, you're going to taste your own medicine. Finally...finally...the Democrats have figured out that all we have to do is neutralize you on the morality issues. We win on the politics. We win on the fiscal issues. You guys are only in the game because you have succeeded in turning our leaders into objects of moral ridicule. Today's Republicans are nothing more--exagerated self-importance aside--than shit-slingers. Now we know that even if the public thinks the Democracy (the Democratic party) is ridiculous or immoral or dishonest or whatever, it is a tie game as long as they also think that Republicans are ridiculous or immoral or dishonest or whatever. Tie games are settled in OT, and OT is settled on the issues--where we win. No wonder you are baring your fangs over the AWOL issue. At a certain level, however unconscious, you understand that once the electorate realizes that the President is nothing more than a weasely operator, his support implodes. Once the idiotic myth of a straight-talkin' Texan with horse sense and moral clarity is replaced by the tall-talking hustler blinded by hubris, you're cooked. Self-deception is the modus operandi for the social Darwinists and religious fundamentalists who comprise the Republican base, but as He said, "you can't fool all the people all the time." People are beginning, at long last, to see through the smoke and mirrors--and not just of President Bush, but the unprincipled credit-card conservatism that he represents. A great country does not deserve to to be led by second-rate men. And John Kerry has more character in his pinky than the Weasel-in-Chief has in his entire span on earth. Oh, you will claim that he betrayed his fellow soldiers, that his wife is loony, that his daughters are sluts, that he is a liberal elitist, that he is an opportunist, that he philanders, that he uses botox. You will say he has no core--as if there were some foundation to this generation of Republicans besides triumphal self-aggrandizement--that he simply lusts for power. But you know what? Your moral capital and the moral capital of people like you has eroded. Your charges will fall on deaf ears. The public has heard all of your tedious admonishments. What the public has not heard, however, is that the Republicans are morally unfit for office, that the Republicans have no respect for the truth, and that, in this generation, the grown-ups are with the Democracy. In 2004, the public will hear all this. You cannot intimidate us. You cannot wheedle and cajole us with your briar patch advice. You cannot pre-empt us with your loud assaults, nor will you shout down our attacks upon you. This year, the Democracy is the party of the citizen and the patriot, and the Republicans are the party of the crony and the nutcase. This year, America will choose a flawed man with real character over a dressed-up "hero" who turns out to be the vapid scion of a long line of oligarchs and influence merchants. This year, you and others like you are going to lose what you never really earned in the first place--but America will regain leadership worthy of Her people.. A BuzzFlash Reader Dear Buzz, I was listening to w live standing in front of a coast guard boat. Every statement I have decided.., I will..., I , I, I,......MY administration, MY decision, My government MY, MY, MY, I, I, I.... He really thinks he is a ruler, the king, THE sovereign dictator. Our democracy is at stake! God help America A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: President Bush Dear Mr. Russert, I hope you will not be giving the Larry King softball treatment to the President, when he is on your show. Since he hardly has any press conferences, you will be our only hope at getting to the bottom of this whole Iraq situation. Will you please ask him about his faulty claims regarding Iraq, and his National Guard duty. Will you also ask him about his budget numbers which don't add up. In the true spirit of nonpartisanship, maybe you could dig up some opposition Economic research on his faulty numbers like you did to Dean a few months back. I am an optimist and have high hopes, but I suspect that the Bills will win the super bowl before you actually grill a Republican. I guess money talks and you love your tax cuts. thank you, stevie gardiner Subj: "Liberal" is a race charged word in the south. The Klan used it all the time. Dear BuzzFlash, In the Book "Klanwatch" by Bill Stanton it describes a scene where an investigator went undercover to a Klan Rally in the 1980s. He heard Bill Wilkinson the Imperial Wizard of the IEKKKK (Invisible Empire of the Knights if the Ku Klux Klan) speak first of the Klan's hatred of blacks, then of their hatred of Jews. Then next he described how they reserved their deepest hatred for the group worse than Blacks or Jews, the "Liberals". The Liberals were the "white niggers", the judges, lawyers, social workers, ministers, reporters and anyone who supported the civil rights agenda. So people in the south know exactly what the Bush regime means when they use the word "liberal." We in response should always use the word racist whenever we say "conservative". Such as in the racist conservative Trent Lott, the racist conservative Tom Delay or the racist conservative George W. Bush. Jef Hinds Subj: Bush to be interviewed on Sunday Saw this at www.debka.com Bush will answer questions for entire hour of NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday. Expected to rebut charges on prewar judgments of Iraqi WMD and launch campaign against Democratic lead challenger Kerry. Geez, think about this -- Bush being interviewed by Tim. And the world got upset about Janet Jackson. Wonder how obscene this will be? Roma Subj: Gloria Steinem and Suggestions for Future Topics Great interview with Gloria today! I’ve been telling everyone for months that if Bush gets re-elected, his then-lame-duck administration, coupled with a Republican majority in Congress, will go full tilt on all their ultra-conservative policy issues. Abortion is only one of them. Suggestion for a continuing series of articles - I strongly suggest that you apply this point of view to all areas that would be threatened –a draft, the economy, environment, etc., and push really hard on projecting what the world would look like under four more years. It wouldn’t be scare talk. It would be a very real possibility. The only way to check this Republican rampage would be to have a Democratic president, at a minimum, as well as increasing Dems in both houses. Ann H W Subj: This is scripted Hi BuzzFlash, I seem to remember sometime last March (8th or 9th) 2003, President Bush had some type of news conference about the upcoming Iraq war. At that meeting, he would only answer certain questions and only certain reporters were allowed in. At one point he slipped up on a question and said "this is scripted" the whole room erupted into laughter. I think your web- site had a sound bite of this. I was thinking maybe this should be brought out in the media again. I think this might make a good commercial . anyway Just an idea! TONY Subj: Ignore the man behind the curtain! Yo Buzz, I think Bush and Tenet should go all the way with this vaudeville act. Why not just swear that we didn't go to war with Iraq at all. Obviously the American people don't care they are too busy watching sitcom re-runs. Go Nascar Dads! Thanks BuzzFlash Reader Hi, Sunday's MEET THE PRES interview with little George will not be a live broadcast, it will be recorded tomorrow, Saturday and will be edited overnight to ' acceptable ' moderation for broadcast Sunday. John Subj: Sent to CBS
Subj: Unbelievable power grab buried in 2005 budget Hey Buzz, I was reading the budget (ok, skimming) when I stumbled across, on page 218-9, what looks like an incredible power grab by Bush. Here's the text:
Wouldn't this basically give Bush control of all spending regardless of Congress' wishes under the cover of "deficit reduction"? I'm really scared by the "whenever the President determines".... Jeff Spakowski Interested folks can grab it from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2005/. It's the link: Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2005 (2.1 MB PDF) Subj: A plan to beat Bush! Hey BuzzFlash! I have an idea, and thought I would bounce it off of you guys. (I know that this is too crazy to happen but I think it might be almost foolproof!) Lemme know what you think. My Idea is for Kerry, Clark, Dean, and Edwards to call a joint press conference and announce that, in the interests of the American people and the need for "regime change" here in the USA, they are joining forces. Kerry (Mr. "Electability") will run as President with Edwards as VP. General Clark will be Secretary of Defense, and that they are already working on fleshing out the rest of the cabinet. Give Kucinich the first ever "Secretary of Peace" spot for example, Mosely-Braun the Secretary of State position, and (Doctor) Dean the Surgeon General position. Hell, give Ralph Nader a spot, running the EPA maybe. I am obviously a very naive guy, to even entertain the thought that these guys would put aside their egos and ambitions in such a selfless way, but I think that the American voters would think "WOW! These guys really want to do something about the problems we are facing!" Beating Bush is merely the first step, and doing such a bold move would allow the Democrats, as a TEAM, to focus on what they are going to do differently. All year, all we would hear about is "When we get in there, here is what we're gonna do!" Eight months of R&D, so-to-speak, on what the real problems are and what to do about them. None of this "On-the-job training" that Bush went through. No more squabbling among fellow Democrats, but instead a united front. I know, I know, it is a ridiculous idea. Or is it? Christopher Volkstorf Subj: FEC Vote Delayed Due to Protest Dear Friends, Due to an avalanche of complaints and negative responses to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) General Counsel draft advisory opinion from an unprecedented collection of 324 national, state, and local environmental, civil rights, civil liberties, women's rights, public health, social welfare, senior, religious, social justice organizations, and individuals, the FEC has decided to delay its vote until February 17, 2004. Please take time out of your busy schedules to write or call:
Subj: WMD Bushes selection of the members of the investigation of wmd sounds very familiar to the elections held in Iraq before the war where Saddam ran unopposed and called it a victory when he was elected. Monte Preabt Subj: Need to do more research Dear President Bush, When will Americans, our country and world peace mean more to you than your party and your pride? Woe to the man who is too blind to see past his greed. Since your memory seems to be as bad as former President Reagan's, I thought the attached links might help you in your probe into the faulty U.S. Intelligence theory you're relying on. There are archives out there, you know - the truth can be found out, even though you're trying your darndest to try and force your reality onto the American people. We choose to see things as they really are, while you sit up there and dictate to the rest of us how we must live our lives in a world that works best for you and your party, but not for the rest of us. We don't want to live in your world!! Many men before you actually took pride in this country and laid down their lives to make this country a great place to live in for everyone. Now, you're taking this country down the toilet, and you want us to enjoy living in this crap.
Signed: When Will Democracy Mean More than Your Pocketbook? Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean can beat George W. Bush. Dr. Dean's stock fell dramatically in the week prior to the Iowa caucus, as the news media and other candidates pushed the issue of electability. Suddenly, voters were confronted with a dilemma; Dean speaks our minds, but will he beat George Bush? John Kerry became the surprising establishment candidate, and Dr. Dean was painted as a leftist over-the-top liberal. Did we forget something? Howard Dean has a strong record of leadership and can probably be characterized more as a centrist than an extreme liberal. He is a fiscal conservative and has managed to keep Vermont's budget balanced during his eleven years in office. His campaign is based on sensible solutions and very practical ideas about healthcare, the economy, and yes, even foreign policy. So what did Governor Dean do wrong? He showed his passion and conviction, he spoke bluntly, and he was angry. And the American media and democratic voters responded not with the kinship of shared passion, conviction, and anger, but with doubt and fear. It's the Bush Administration and right-wing extremists that forge a foundation out of doubt and fear; to allow that to infiltrate into the democratic party is tragic. Howard Dean represents the truth that we all feel. We should be angry. We should be passionate. We should have great conviction, not only in the truth, but in our ability to fight for it. Governor Howard Dean offers us the opportunity to regain our nation, our pride, our identity. Being able to speak directly and honestly, being passionate about who we are and what we want; we want and need these things to be part of our identity. Let's follow Dean's lead and find inspiration and unity. Let's own our passion and conviction. We decide who is electable. We can stand up without fear and take back our country. Jillian Perkins RE: Caps on Punitive Damage Awards in Medical Malpractice Cases My fear is that the nationwide push to limit awards in medical mal cases will escalate due to the attacks the GOP has launched against Senator John Edwards, a former medical mal lawyer, whom I have had the pleasure to work with in the past. Capping awards for pain and suffering and limiting punitive damage awards is an ill-conceived plan, one that is not necessary. Only about 10,000 such cases are filed each year. Of that number only about 1 percent go to trial. State after state has stepped forward to admit that the system has NOT been abused. There are many bad doctors still practicing -- many of whom should not be -- because state medical boards have a bad tendency to protect their own. Today CNN, believe it or not, ran an interview which stated, in part: "Every year, the government estimates tens of thousands of Americans die from mistakes by doctors or nurses -- operating on wrong patients, prescribing incorrect drugs or even leaving surgical instruments inside patients. " http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/05/cnna.med.mistakes/index.html Certainly, patients and their families who have suffered at the hands of the medical community need and deserve compensation. The GOP and their insurance-industry campaign donors will push ever harder to slide new regulation by an electorate sidelined by the November election. Stay especially vigilant this year. Sharon Andrews Subj: The Sorrows of Empire . . . This is one of the most fascinating and well-documented books I've read in a while. It's detail is so engrossing that it's somewhat difficult to speed-read on this book. If everyone who is fed up with the Bush administration and tactics read this book and voted Democratic (no matter what their party affiliation), the Democratic candidate will be a shoe-in in the November election. A BuzzFlash Reader |
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