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February 16, 2004 |
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THIS IS PART 2 OF THE FEBRUARY 16, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1. Subj: Lying Sack of Shit = Drudge Didn't we know this? He picked and chisled away at Clinton until he got the thing out about Monica....he is now trying to "Monica" John Kerry! My head is screaming "Get them out of here." I have been in my car all day...and as I seem to do, my own kind of self abuse, I left it on KMOX...where it always is in the morning....and went right into idiot, dittohead!! He was having a field day...and I laughed my behind off! He is such an idiot...Limpbag, that I don't even take it seriously anymore...after his drug habit...all his problems and lies, I don't really think anyone does! But, a newscaster here in St. Louis, whom I always thought might possibly have a brain...went right into the same story about Kerry and his "affair?" I had only heard bits and pieces.....but, this man said to someone who called and took umbrage at the topic, "Well, now it was true with Clinton...if we did not report it and you found out, you would ask why?" Seriously, I think this particular newscaster is Larry Conners....and he is a right wing nut....he also mentioned about how it had been found out during the Clinton administration that many were guilty of the same behavior....and he went on to name five or six other democrats....and not one mention of Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, Grandfatherly old Henry Hyde....Etc.etc..etc. I was so p*****..after I threw my phone through the window...I couldn't even call the pond scum! I will get him, though, you can bet!!!! Shirley....St.Louis PS: Drudge has always been a real good source of news....right?...okay, Not?? Subj: The cost of war In the past few issues of Vanity Fair, the editor Graydon Carter, has written many gutsy editorials that are highly critical of the Bush Administration--I can't think of another popular mainstream publication that's consistently done so (and that includes major newspapers--are you listening New York Times?). His editorial for the current month is simply this--three stark black pages that list every serviceman and servicewoman who has died in the war along with their age and birthplace. Nothing could be more stark, nothing could be more tragic. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Imus Hi BuzzFlash, Who the hell is Don Imus, that everyone running for president, ( the repugs try and smear) have to be on his stinking show??? I watched the jerk several times, and realized the only thing he does that is any good, is bring children to his ranch. That much I'll give him credit for. After all, he get's enough money by bad mouthing Democrats. Just another Limbaugh, smearing all the way to the bank. A long time BuzzFlash reader, and supporter. Subj: Letter to Common Dreams about running item on alleged Kerry affair Common Dreams To the Editor: I appreciate your Web site and think you do a good job overall of informing the progressive community about important stories and issues. But your link to the Editor & Publisher piece about an alleged affair involving John Kerry was questionable, to say the least. Have you linked to or done anything on the death of a Texas woman named Margie Schoedinger, who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against George W. Bush in December 2002? She wound up dead last September. I didn't find anything on her when searching your site. Have you linked to other rumors of infidelity against Bush, such as one that was publicized somewhat during the 2000 campaign in which another Texas woman named Tammy Phillips said she and Bush had an affair in the late 1990s when he was Texas governor? Again, I did not find her name on your site. If the mainstream and alternative media covers and pursues these rumors against Kerry, I should hope the press will play fair and give equal time to those against Bush. That should particularly be the case when you publish something that doesn't even feature the woman's name in the Kerry case, whereas in the Bush instances, we have the names and even links to public documents The lawsuit filed by Schoedinger is admittedly wild, but it says among other things that Texas authorities found out that Schoedinger dated Bush when she was a minor. If Kerry has to answer questions from the media about an unnamed woman, then shouldn't Bush have to answer press inquiries about if he knew Schoedinger and dated her when she was a minor? And shouldn't Bush have to answer questions related to if he ever met and had an affair with Phillips? It's just puzzling to me why the media pursues such rumors involving Democrats and downplays or ignores similar ones involving Republicans. And as you show, even the alternative, progressive media falls into that trap. Kevin J.
Shay Subj: Gitmo "I recognize that in our society the idea of detaining people without lawyers seems unusual, detaining people without trials seems unusual. After all, our country stands for freedom and it stands for the protection of rights," Rumsfeld said. Good lord, can you imagine how the U.S. would react if another country did this to our soldiers? Seems "unusual"? No, Donald, it seems very wrong. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Veteran Gratitude Hey Buzz: I want to say thank you to all the veterans who have written in to provide insight into what forms and documents are issued when and for what in the military. That kind of information is something I would never understand without their help. Thank you, thank you. Incidentally, it makes me livid that the GOP is now ragging on Kerry for his anti-war activism. Hey, the man served his tour of duty in Vietnam. He was a war HERO! He saved American lives. And he came back and spoke truth to power about the wrongness of the war. Look, if anyone was qualified to speak out against the U.S. presence in Vietnam, it was Kerry. And, geez, to read about that photo, I thought he was sitting practically arm-in-arm with Jane Fonda. In fact, he's sitting in the middle of a crowd over her shoulder. By the way, a few words to Shirley, whose letters I love. Kerry has not been my candidate of choice, either, but I still find plenty to admire about him. Check out his record on environmentalism. He has been nothing short of fantastic. I know that's only one issue, but it's one that matters to me. According to the League of Conservation Voters (www.lcv.org), Kerry has scored below 90% only once on their annual scorecard weighing how legislators voted on environmental issues (and even then, he scored 88%). Pretty impressive when you consider the Senatorial average is only 47%. Also the LCV gives Kerry a lifetime average of 96%, higher even than Kucinich's 90%. A BuzzFlash Reader RE: GOP's ad on Kerry's special interest connections I don't know how many people saw the ad during Friday night's newscast, but I did. Peter Jennings ran the entire ad and even made a number of comments on it. This morning I wrote the following letter to ABC. Sharon Andrews To the ABC Board of Directors: RE: Negative campaign ad depicting Democratic candidate Kerry in the pocket of special interests On Friday, February 13, 2004, during a broadcast of World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, a segment of the newscast focused on a "commercial" placed on the internet advocating Bush's re-election. I expect negative ads to prevail in this election process, and when they are endorsed by the candidate, in this case President Bush, in accordance with FEC laws and regulations, I have no problem with it. Unfortunately, In this case the incumbent did not appear in or vouch for the ad, and therefore ABC abetted the ad's creators by exposing it to millions of viewers in violation of federal law. Without the benefit of ad revenue, I might ad. Thus, whether implicitly or otherwise, ABC has publicly advocated for the re-election of the incumbent President. The news story , whether factual or not, showed the ad in its entirety, and even went on to critique it, when mere reference to it would have been sufficient for the viewers who wanted to seek it out on the internet. Clearly, the incumbent and his party certainly received more than they bargained for! They spent nothing from their campaign war chest and got the spot aired during prime time. Whether or not the position taken in the ad was truthful is not my point. I will point out, again, that campaign laws REQUIRE the candidate to appear in any ad aired on his/her behalf on television and to vouch for its accuracy. That is the law! It did not happen in this case. You cannot hide behind the argument that it appeared only as part of a news story. It was the news story, and it appeared in its entirety. Although the sound volume was slightly lowered during portions of it, the voice-over was easily heard. You are not unaware that there is a great controversy over at CBS because it refused to air an ad produced by MoveOn.org that that organization wanted to place during the Super Bowl. CBS instead chose to run with a promotional spot produced by HHS promoting the "new" Medicare law, which CBS opined was not an advocacy ad. That raised quite an uproar, as you well know. Since that time CBS has decided to drop the Medicare ad, after further review of its corporate policy on advocacy ads, since the Medicare ad also takes an advocacy position and it is, indeed, not factual but a bit of propaganda which distorts the facts. Whether your staff was duped or whether it choose to air the incumbent's ad with purpose and forethought is the question. From the manner in which the ad was aired on World News Tonight, I have no doubt of the answer. As I said, this campaign season will be a bitter one, and I say let's all play by the rules and let the candidates slug it out. I am incensed that your organization would take unfair advantage of the rules and advocate for a particular candidate. For that reason, I will now tune my TV to another channel for the evenings news. Yours truly, Sharon Andrews Subj: John B. "Bill" Calhoun & George W. Bush: Band of Brothers! I find the White House's response interesting about John B. "Bill" Calhoun's claim that he remembers Bush was with the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in Alabama in 1972. They didn't acknowledge whether Bush remembered Calhoun or not & said that Bush didn't need anyone to remember him being there. They seemed very ungrateful that this Bush-buddy-to-the-Rescue came forward. Could it be that they are distancing themselves from the fact that they already know that Calhoun is a liar because he couldn't possibly remember something that is false? They must be worried that a little investigation from a lazy press would find that Calhoun is probably a right-wing extremist coming to the aid of his "hero" with his claims. Won't someone please ask Scott McClellan in the next press briefing if Bush remembers John B. "Bill" Calhoun?!? Maybe they could arrange a get together for the old "band of brothers"...or is "band" an incorrect term since there are only two of them that remember this period? Why don't we see the same attention that John B. "Bill" Calhoun is getting given to Bob Mintz and Paul Bishop: http://www.memphisflyer.com/content.asp?ID=5480&ArticleID=2 or to Retired National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett: http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df02122004.html Just asking, Sheree Smiley Subj: Where was Bush in Alabama? Buzz -- All this hoopla about Bush and his alleged duty in Alabama is very easy to determine by some enterprising reporter -- if such a person exists. I was in the Air Force ('63-'67) and during that time had several TDY's (Temporary Duty) as well as a few PCS's (Permanent Change of Station). Here's the thing -- I can remember where I was billeted for each of those moves. Officers usually stay in the VOQ (Visiting Officer's Quarters) or the BOQ (Bachelor Officer's Quarters). If Bush was in Alabama when he said he was -- somebody just ask him -- Where did you stay? Where did you eat -- in the chow hall or the O' Club? How was the food? If he lived on the economy -- as we say -- who was the landlord? Where was the apartment? BTW, any personnel arriving at a new duty station have to sign in -- and have to sign out and return all military gear issued to them. Those records exist somewhere...GO FIND THEM... Tony Mac Subj: Exposing Bush's Military Record While gratified that the press has (at long last!) decided to seriously examine Bush's military record, I am disappointed at how little attention has been paid to the circumstances under which Bush entered the TANG (Texas Air National Guard). When Bush decided that he should fulfill his military obligation, he chose the TANG, a prestigious group that almost guaranteed that you wouldn't be sent to Viet Nam. At that time the waiting list to get into the TANG was over a year, with hundreds of candidates on the list. Candidate Bush scored a whopping 25% on his entrance exam, just passing. Then a strange thing happens. Evidently impressed by his test score, the TANG jumped Bush ahead of everyone else on the list and accepted him for immediate induction into the TANG. Now it may be crass of me ( and is probably class warfare to boot), but it seems that there MAY be a little favoritism involved here. But then, Bush was no ordinary TANG member. He was evidently exempt from following orders (take a mandatory annual physical) and didn't think it necessary to show up for service (they used to call it AWOL and there were serious penalties attached). So I guess our mistake is in thinking that Bush was some ordinary TANG member when in reality he was one of the privileged few. We are lucky to have such an outstanding example of serving one's country to offer our young men and women. Jim Palmer (Viet Nam Vet 1968 - 1972) Subj: No president should have to go through that? Scott Reed, a Republican strategist and the campaign manager for Bob Dole in the 1996 presidential contest, said it was good idea that Mr. Bush meet with the 9/11 commission in private. "They were wise to shut that door quickly because no president should have to go through that," Mr. Reed said. Well isn't that special. Let's all look and see if Mr. Reed or any other big name republican insisted that Clinton be questioned, under oath, in front of the cameras on a subject that didn't result in the deaths of over 500 Americans and who knows how many Iraqis, that has made us the scourge of the planet? I know they all did because lying about sex is much worse than getting scores of our boys and girls killed for Halliburton? Wasn't Bush's hero, Reagan, questioned under oath and on camera? Give the guy truth serum, hook him up to a lie-detector. Make him swear to his God. Why would he be afraid if he is telling the truth? Someone on Washington Week mentioned that it is unusual for these attacks to come out this early in a campaign and everyone will forget by November. We need to make sure that doesn't happen and we will have help because Bush is not going to be able to explain why he got to decide to blow off his training and not take his physical. A lot of this came out in Oct, 2000, but no one cared and there wasn't time for the media to investigate even if they weren't lap dogs and contributors for the GOP. I wonder how many days went by that there wasn't a mention of Clinton lying on the news. Karen Webb, Moore, Ok. Subj: KoKo I would think it's only a matter of time before Scalia, Cheney, Thomas, Baker, Harris, Novak, Fleischer, Powell and others step forward with recently jogged memories of KoKo serving in The National Guard in Alabama. Michael
Barry Subj: WASHINGTON POST REVELATIONS IN BUSH AWOL RELEASE But the tone of Bush's military file changed abruptly, and with no documented explanation, in May 1972, when Bush sought to transfer to Alabama. That began a period of months in which, the documents suggest, Bush did not actively pursue Guard service and the Guard did not actively pursue him. For Bush's fifth year of Guard service, May 1972 to May 1973, he earned 41 "points" for his Guard service and was granted another 15 "gratuitous" points by his superiors, bringing him above the 50-point minimum requirement for the year. There are no records confirming that he participated in any Guard activities from May 1972 through the end of October 1972. On May 24, 1972, Bush had sought to transfer from his Houston Guard unit to the 9921st Air Reserve Squadron for an unpaid assignment. Two days later, the commander of the Reserve unit accepted him but wrote: "The continuation of this type unit is uncertain at this time and we may last 3 months, 6 months, a year or who knows! With this in mind, if you are willing to accept assignment under these circumstances, welcome! We're glad to have you." But there is no evidence Bush reported to the Reserve unit. On July 31, the Air Force Reserve Personnel Center overruled the commander and returned Bush's application, calling him "ineligible for assignment to an Air Reserve Squadron." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40964-2004Feb13.html A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Comment on Victims Definition of “Victim”
What color is your fear? Shading the truth and highlighting the victims is a tactic of the Bush administration. We are repeatedly told to be afraid and how red, orange or yellow afraid we are to be. Let Bush administer the amount of fear we feel each day, and many Americans are too distracted too think clearly. We are the pawn in a winner take all game that depends upon our compliance. The Master Game Plan always involves schemes to dominate and maintain control. Stay on message is their mantra. Our position is that of the tamped-down, powerless victim dependant upon the omnipotence of good government. They position us for their advantage not the other way around. There were real victims of 9/11. Bush has made the whole world victims of that day and capitalized ($$$) on that victimization. Fundamentalist fanatics that sacrificed themselves in fiery explosions on 9/11 meant to announce their holy war. Our leader responded to their fanatic war cries with cries of war. At its core, war is a deity of death. The meek and the innocent die first to make way for the grander powers, who divide the spoils of war. Our leader could have responded another way. We had choice. We could have called it a terrible crime. We could have treated al-Qaida like the criminals of the underworld; enforce the law, and cut off their supplies of money and munitions that make them operational. The whole world would have helped us. But the Bush people had their own plans and the War on Terror was the perfect screen. The Bush team’s “Pearl Harbor event”paved the way to propel the world into a new configuration to which most Americans have not yet awoken. In this new world, those that have the most power operate behind the scenes. They are embedded, enmeshed, entrenched, implanted …in our corporate government. For instance: who and what is Halliburton? Is Halliburton more than a private company that panders to war? Is there blurring of the lines between the private sector business of war and covert operations that can work without Congressional over site? Who are these businessmen willing to risks lives in foreign countries for the big bucks? If they chose Cheney as their CEO for his connections, did they also choose Bush for president? Is it a stretch to say that these men believe that what is good for business is good for the country and war is exceptionally good for their business? This is not a conspiracy theory. This is red plus yellow equals orange. This is the blended color of fear that we perch upon waiting for the next attack while billionaires rob us. Under the radar screen of the towering government powers a kind of “grassroots”warrior has emerged on both sides of the rift. The Bushites are having trouble controlling these independent thinkers. The grassroots mantra is, “I will be victim no more.”More and more Americans are saying it, the Iraqi people are saying it, the people of the Middle East are saying it. The East and the West share these traits in common: attacked, subjected to oppression of freedoms and duped by governments. A crime was committed. It began a crime wave. Are we the people of the United States complicit? Victim or perpetrator? Your vote will be your answer. Mary McKay Subj: Keep Up The Good Work, BuzzFlash First of all, I go to your website everyday. Couldn't make it without you guys. Second, I am seeing more and more news people and pundits picking up on subjects that BuzzFlash is talking about. Example: Andrea Mitchell on Imus the other morning quoting the excerpt from Colin Powell's book that you have been running. I had not seen this in any newspaper, so she almost had to have found it on the net! Also, the Scalia-Cheney duck hunt was kept alive on the net and not in the newspapers until recently. I feel that Bush's military record would not have grown so big if it were not on the web and the news people and pundits finally realized that it was not going away. The internet will play a far larger part in this election than ever before, I believe. Carolyn Subj: Eyewitness to Bush's Service "I saw him each drill period,'' retired Lt. Col. John ``Bill'' Calhoun said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press...." Great! this proves that there must be records (namely, the kind of records reporters used to quickly verify that Calhoun served where and when Bush claims to) that show that Bush served too. But while these records are apparently readily at hand in Calhoun's case, they are missing from the 2 in thick "complete" service records of Lt. Bush released by the White House on Friday afternoon. I wonder why? Perhaps reporters should see if they can find anyone else who served at the same base at the same time whose service record has similar omissions and gaps. Perhaps this bad-record keeping is a common thing. But if it turns out that only Lt. Bush's record of "service" in Alabama cannot be documented, then let's stop pretending that his protestations to the contrary have any weight and give him whatever label his military record earned him. Albert Clark, NY Subj: Bush's Military Records Recently, Mother Jones published a chart comparing the military records of Dumbya and John Kerry. One of Bush's dates, in 1971, shows that he used his F-102 to ferry some "tropical plants" from Florida to Texas for an "importer." What in the heck is that about!? The Mother Jones item can be found at http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/02/02_400.html John Lovejoy Subj: More NYTimes Spewing BuzzFlash, I just read this column in the New York Times, complete with the religious right buzzword "covet." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/14/politics/campaign/14VEEP.html?hp I'm really tired of their knee-jerk reactions to anything this fine patriot does. I was a reporter for most of my adult life and left in 1999 to first stay home with my son for a couple of years and then to move into another field of communications. However, having worked in the biz for 10 years, I enjoy your site for its tenacity in outing the media whores' hate-filled spewing. Here's my response (which will never be published) to their latest indulgence:
Here's hoping your great site reports on this continued atrocity by the Times and other mainstream "tabloids" (which they've all become). Sincerely, Lara Turner Doesn't it also seem odd, that Bush couldn't have a physical by anyone but his private physician, and yet he sure didn't mind using the guard's dentist for what I assume was free dental work. Kathleen Harris Subj: KoKo The democrats are going to have to figure out how to connect with blue collar red state Moron Americans who vote against their best interests. Technically the republicans should only have an approval rating of 1%. Michael
Barry Subj: And the killing goes on . . . In response to Howard from Phoenix, check out www.iraqbodycount.net for a conservative, verifiable tally of Iraqis killed during this war. The reason the killing goes on despite Saddam Hussein being captured is that Osama Bin Laden and Al Queda are the real enemies. Now they've flooded into Iraq and are killing American soldiers and Iraqis alike. This will continue even after OSB is trotted out in October. By the way, I like idea of the Dem "Dream Team" posted by some other Buzzers. I often wondered who I would vote for if I could. Kucinich comes closest to my ideology but the other candidates all have great qualities too (except Lieberman and Sharpton). I hope this idea continues to gain momentum. BuzzFlash Rocks! A Canadian BuzzFlash reader Subj: Ann Coulter You haven't commented on Ann Coulter's latest outrage, denigrating the sacrifice of Max Cleland in one of her revolting articles: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20040212.shtml How can we boycott organizations that publish her lies and filth? Lewis Subj: Is Coulter Insulting our Troops? http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20040212.shtml Of the more than 500 American soldiers who have died in Iraq, I know I have read stories where some of them have died in car accidents. I suppose Ann would say they weren't brave either. I think her last paragraph is an insult to all our soldiers:
A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Bush hikes infant mortality Under Bush, US infant mortality has increased for the first time in 45 years. Even worse than his effect on US currency is his effect on the health of Americans. The Bush administration tried to pin this fact on the issue of women postponing motherhood and using fertility drugs. The real issues are lack of access to health care, increased poverty and homelessness, greater incidence of malnutrition and increased use of cigarettes by young women. Since Bush is a beneficiary to Philip Morris Tobacco and tobacco use is the leading factor correlated with premature births, low birth weight and increased risk of death in the first year of life, Bush is helping those who murder for profit. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Regardless of what aircraft they were transitioning to, Bush made HIMSELF worthless to defend our country. In your story/link: Bush moved to Alabama unit without Air Force permission http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/7932511.htm The quote below really hit me and could perhaps be used to rebut red herrings of aircraft model, etc: "We spent $1 million to train him to fly," Korb said. "You're supposed to be ready to fly if we need you. If you didn't show up for your flight physical, good heavens!" * * * Regardless of what state the Guard was in r.e. aircraft model (mid-transition, whatever, though your additional info r.e. the 1975 cutoff date is very good and germane), Bush (it would seem against standing orders to stay current with flight physicals) rendered HIMSELF ineligible to fly and consequently 100% useless to our national security if there was a domestic emergency where he was immediately needed to defend the Continental U.S as a pilot, which I believe was his trained job as a Guard member. He unilaterally (in trademark fashion) made a choice that rendered him unable to respond to orders to defend us if called by a superior to do so in a national crisis ("Bush, we need fliers reporting to patrol the East Coast TONIGHT - what do you mean you SKIPPED YOUR PHYSICAL???!!!"). It would make a good MoveOn commercial to see this call staged. This concept should be verified by a member of the military for validity before using it, but if true, would be almost as bad as being AWOL (what's he going to say - that he was still ready to spring to attention at the POSTAL facility to immediately lick stamps if we suffered a catastrophe or crisis that called on trained pilots?). It could be worth exploring....and we need every tactic/strategy we can think of to deflect the right wing's bunk. Dave Dorsett Subj: NBC censors Bush interview transcript Here's the NBC version of the transcript: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4179618 Now, here's a Washington Post transcript: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23218-2004Feb8.html The past does not exist. The past has never existed....... 1) Russert asked Bush if he would testify before the commission. He quickly and definitively answered, "I don't testify". The "I don't testify" Bush quote -- Censored from the "official" NBC transcript; now reads: "You know, testify?" Preserved in The Washington Post transcript. Check Page 1 on the WP version. Unaltered transcript here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23218-2004Feb8.html NOTE: Big Brother may alter the transcripts again, so you better move fast and 'screen save' before the Orwellian Bush Regime gets the two news sites to 'agree'. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: My recipe for Chickenhawk Casserole Inspired by Gene Wheeler, I offer my latest recipe. Chicken Hawk Casserole(also known as Stuffed Foul Of Bush) Split one chickenhawk just enough to see what is really in the heart. Combine spice of Powell and essence of Rumsfeld(these spices are so closely related to real chickenhawks that no one can tell the difference.) Mix with conservative amounts of Venom and Mitch Daniels. Our old recipe used Paul O'Neill's liqueur but it leaked and so we replaced it with John Snow sherry. Pour over the foul and marinate until the public forgets. Sit back and relax while it marinates. Mission accomplished! THE STUFFING: Combine crumbs of Cheney(can sometimes be found where there are no-bid contracts being awarded) with 1/2 tsp. of Spencer of Abraham and chopped Mineta. Fill chicken hawk breasts with the stuffing and all the arrogance you can add. Use toothpicks to hold stuffing in place and shape into a Ridge. This will keep it SECURE against civil rights. SAUCE OF McCELLAN: The Principe purpose of this sauce of propaganda is to make it palatable to the majority of Americans. Apply liberally with an Evans pastry brush. Disregard the smell! Bake in an $87 billion pan of Iraq(follow Tommy Thompson's exact instructions which come with the enclosed CARD.) Bake at whatever temperature the latest polls suggest. Then serve on a bed of Condoleezza Rice. The Rice may be flavored with conservative nuts. If you can't find them at your local market,try Fox News. This recipe was suggested by Karl Rove but use with caution as his ideas have not been well received of late. Remember to keep this recipe secret and be on guard against spying Ashcrofts who tend to fear new recipes. Ciao baby! Sandy Boynton in Florida Subj: Nevada Caucus Report A quick summary of the Nevada caucus held in Clark County, Nevada. The turnout was larger than ever before by a factor of five, I estimated 4,000 at least, when previous caucuses drew 750 if lucky.The crowd was so great, we were turned out of the gym at Chaparral High and actually held the caucuses on the football field! Enthusiasm was great and all candidates were represented, even those no longer in the race (I saw several Clark T-shirts). No matter who they supported, all agreed that we will support the eventual candidate, because of the need to send G. W. Bush back to Crawford. In my precinct the tally was 7 for Kerry (who did a quick meet & greet before the event) and 5 for Dean. David As an Italian, I do resent the the innuendo that because Antonin "the Fixer" is Italian that you associate him with the the Mafia. But as a Liberal, call him what you want he is -- a disgrace to his heritage, so @#$%^ him. A BuzzFlash Reader [BuzzFlash Note: Actually, we associated him with the mafia because his actions are like those of organized crime. That he's Italian was unrelated. Note that we made a Godfather reference in the Cheney GOPHOTW.] To the editors: Inevitably, one of your readers has complained of the " hypocrisy" of Democrats who seek a full accounting of George W. Bush's military record, yet "gave Bill Clinton a pass on his total avoidance of military service." This hardy lie should have been buried long ago. Despite his opposition to the war in Vietnam, Bill Clinton did not dodge the draft, although he did consider it. His first step was to join his home state's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). While that move would have allowed him to defer the moment of his formal military service, it also would have meant his ultimately serving as an officer in southeast Asia. But that step gnawed at him, because he did not want some less advantaged Arkansan to take his place in Vietnam; and so he asked to be removed from ROTC, so as to take his chances just like everybody else. A few months later he pulled a high number in the new draft lottery-a break that bought him time (although it did not mean he never could be drafted). All of this is amply documented. On the other hand, the tale of Mr. Clinton's sly draft-dodging was based wholly on a dubious, belated affidavit, suddenly produced in 1992, and said to have been written by Col. Eugene Holmes, the ROTC officer with whom the future president had dealt back in the Sixties. That statement raised more questions than it answered. (The aged Holmes himself was inaccessible to journalists.) While Mr. Clinton agonized about the war, Mr. Bush and his friends gave it little thought ("I don't think we spent a lot of time debating it," he said in 1999). While Mr. Clinton did not want his place filled by somebody else, Mr. Bush had no such qualms. With the help of powerful friends, he gained quick admittance to the Texas Air National Guard, despite the lengthy wait-list for positions there. And while Mr. Clinton was resigned to going eventually to Vietnam, Mr. Bush checked "DO NOT VOLUNTEER" when asked if he would go to fight that war (which he supported). From the start, this president has postured as the patriotic and upstanding opposite of bad Bill Clinton. It is now time for us to rise above the fog of rightist propaganda, and try to see both men for who they really are. Mark Crispin
Miller Dear BuzzFlash, I love your site. I just doggone LOVE IT! However, I think that your recent Hypocrite of the Week piece on Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia went just a bit too far in saying he was an "ultimate master criminal". I think that the comparison was a slap in the face to every real hard working, card carrying, red blooded master criminal in American. In my heart, I just know that they have more honor by far than His "Honor" Scalia. Maybe a new criminal classification is needed specifically for Scalia and some of the other Supreme Court "Justices". How about a, I´m-Appointed-for-Life-so-I-don´t-Gotta-Answer-to-Nobody-Except-the-Republicans- Who-Appointed-Me, master criminal classification? Quack. Richard Ceseña ps: Your site gives me hope. Thanks. Subj: CBS Continues Its Pro-Bush Escapades Well, this morning, CBS who refuses to run the MoveOn.Org ads has Harry Smith showing and laughing at a Bush Internet ad that accuses Kerry of being the major benefactor of big money contributors. I am not supporting what Kerry has done in this area, but really, is there no limit to what those sleazebags at CBS will do? I hope this one does not get unnoticed by BuzzFlash. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Which lie is true - the conflicting Bush Records sourcing In a letter published on www.democrats.com sent to Bob Fertik, the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver maintained that pay records were not, repeat, not kept in Colorado, but were housed in Texas. Now we have the administration providing some paystubs sent to them from Colorado? What is going on here? This sudden influx of previously missing data and the appearance of John Calhoun who apparently has been living in the Afghani mountains, is not fooling anyone. Even my conservative brethren are wrinkling their collective noses at this latest load of BS. By the way, does anyone else see the Chancey Gardner-George Bush similarities either? Each one's claim to fame is Being There. Just asking. J. Pryor Subj: Don't Forget Those Points Hi, Buzz: As we are reading more and more about bush's record in the Guard and how it was ordered 'scrubbed' in 1998, we should remember that these were not the only that were altered. Stemming from the DUI reports during the 2000 campaign, these documented stories surfaced: 1. when bush was elected governor, his driver's license number was changed. This deep-sixed any records that would have detailed arrests, etc. associated with his original number. Changing one's number is not simply a matter of course and it has been said he was the only governor to have done this. 2. when bush answered a jury summons, he did not fill in the part of the questionnaire regarding criminal offenses. This was on the advice of his good buddy (Al Gonzales) whose name is now mentioned as a possible Supreme Court nominee. Excerpts of relevant articles: 1. http://www.bushwatch.com/dwi2.html: " ...PROSECUTOR SAYS BUSH USED HIS OFFICE FOR PERSONAL COVERUP Defense Attorney Terms Governor Bush's Reason Not to Serve on Jury "Laughable," Because "Everybody Understood [Bush] Just Didn't Want to Answer Questions About Drinking and Drugs" While His Lawyer Worked to Get the Governor Out of Jury Duty Inside the Courthouse, Outside, Bush Was Telling the Media That He Was "Glad to Serve" AUSTIN, Tex. -- Travis County's lead prosecutor on the 1996 drunk driving case in which Gov. George W. Bush was called as a potential juror now believes he was purposely misled by Bush and his attorney in an effort to avoid service. Ken Oden, a Democrat who has been the Travis County Attorney for 16 years, charged Saturday that Bush's failure to answer some of the questions on his jury questionnaire, coupled with his lawyer's efforts to get Bush excused because he might someday be called on to pardon the offender, were part of an effort to deceive prosecutors and others. [Bush's lawyer, Al Gonzales, was later appointed by him to the Texas Supreme Court.] Bush 'used his position as governor' to avoid having to answer potentially embarrassing questions about his past, Oden told Salon. 'I feel I was directly deceived....' (http://dir.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/05/jury_duty/index.html) " At the time Bush was bounced from the jury pool, it was widely believed that he was looking to avoid questions about his hard-drinking past that would surely have come up during jury selection. The Houston Chronicle reported at the time that Bush's dismissal by the court was 'a development that allowed him to avoid potentially embarrassing questions about whether he had ever climbed behind the wheel after drinking....' During the 1996 jury selection process, Oden says, Lastovica, Gonzales, defense lawyer Wahlberg and Judge Crain met in Crain's chambers at the request of Gonzales. In chambers, Gonzales presented his pardon argument. A few minutes later, Lastovica presented the information to Oden for approval. Gonzales' pitch was a 'legal argument relating to his [Bush's] position as governor that none of us had ever heard,' recalled Oden. 'My response was, 'That's an unusual argument.' In 20 years of prosecuting in a town full of government officials, I'd never heard that position before.' 'Our position was that as a matter of courtesy to the governor we would not oppose his request for release from service. At that point, not knowing that he hadn't answered the questionnaire, or having other motives, he was released,' he said.... " The aggressive stance Bush took to avoid service stands in stark contrast to the just-folks story that he was feeding the media. When he first reported for jury duty at the Travis County Courthouse on Sept. 30, Bush told Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News, 'I'm glad to serve.' Bush added, 'I think it's important. It's one of the duties of citizenship.' He also told KVUE-TV in Austin, 'I'm just an average guy showing up for jury duty.' And in video footage shown by KVUE in 1996 and again on Friday night, Bush had some additional comments on his feelings regarding the case. The KVUE reporter asked Bush if he didn't 'really just want to give the guy a pardon and go home?' Bush, who has presided over a staggering 145 executions as governor, answered, 'No, I probably want to hang him and go home.' For the record, Maine abolished the death penalty in 1887, 89 years before an inebriated Bush was apprehended while driving near Kennebunkport." --Robert Bryce, 11/5/00..." 2. http://dir.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/05/jury_duty/index.html " ...Al Gonzales, asked the court to excuse his client from jury duty because of the possibility that Bush might be called on to pardon the accused. The defense attorney in the case, P. David Wahlberg, confirmed Oden's version of the events. He told Salon that Gonzales' argument that Bush couldn't serve because he might be called upon to pardon the drunken-driving defendant was "laughable." But Wahlberg says he made the motion to excuse Bush because "it was a foregone conclusion" the governor would be excused, and it was also in the best interest of his client. Wahlberg's client was later convicted and sentenced to probation. The attorney added that "everybody understood [Bush] just didn't want to answer questions about drinking and drugs and things like that. That was certainly my impression." Oden also criticized Bush for failing to fully answer a questionnaire given to prospective jurors. It asks: "Have you ever been an accused, or a complainant, or a witness in a criminal case?" Given Bush's arrest in Maine, he should have checked the space next to "accused." Instead, it was left blank. A couple of other questions were also ignored, though most of the queries were answered..." 4. http://victorian.fortunecity.com/brambles/499/Bush/Hiding/hiding.html: '...Now why would George Dubya require a Texas driver's license with an entirely new number? It was obtained on March 31, 1995, as was his wife's Laura Welch Bush's. His wife and daughters didn't need new numbers, nor did his famous parents - former president and first lady, George H. and Barbara Pierce Bush - who all would seem to be at as much risk security-wise. And by the way, doesn't Texas require renewal of a driver's license every four years on one's birthday? Did George Dubya have something in his past to hide to cause him to purge the old record and number? This seems especially confusing since his birthday is July 6, 1946, but he obtained his new number on March 31, 1995 as a renewal. Due to this little anomaly, we thought perhaps we should check to see if this was a common practice for former governors of Texas, but no, they were not listed among the first four numbers previous to Dubya's. Now, in all fairness to Dubya we must ask why he would get a new number and not just assume it was to hide something in his past life. And why would he be given the nine-digit DL number 000000005? His wife's DL number is 005295107. Is it at all possible it is innocent? Of course, but if Bill Clinton had done this we would all be hearing about some misdeed he was covering up. Which brings us to another subject on Dubya. During our search for the truth about Dubya's past, we came across something very interesting indeed! Another George W. Bush, white male, blue eyes, brown hair, but born on Oct. 17, 1964! What called our attention to this person, since there are so many Bushes living in Texas, this person's record was deleted on Dec. 24, 1998. Could there possibly be a connection between this person and Dubya that we as voters as yet are not aware of and why was his record deleted? For that matter, is it possible to have a living skeleton in one's closet from a wildly misspent youth? We shudder to think of the implications considering the havoc wreaked on the president based on lies about paternity of a child, and not even a name or physical description in common? We wonder what Dubya will say about these questions?..." The "Bush Watch" url is especially interesting because it includes allegations of bush's Guard records' being altered. This page dates back to 2000 and covers every issue that is presently being covered in the mainstream media. Better late than never? We'll see... Liz Taylor Subj: Wha?
20 minutes? Huh? What's with the time limit? Oh, it all just gets curiouser and curiouser. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Dubya's not so pretty Scott blows a gasket. February 14, 2004 Dubya's not so pretty Scott blows a gasket. What in the world would cause a 35 year old, with next to no journalism experience that I can find, accuse a reporter, who was covering presidents nearly 20 years before he was born, of "gutter politics". Then he said, "Helen was asking about trashy rumors. There's a difference between trashy rumors and journalism. I will not dignify them from the podium." Scotty Boy that's, Ms. Thomas, she has forgotten more about history and journalism than you will ever know. Oh, but Scotty has journalism in his blood. His dad, Barr McClellan, just came out with a book accusing LBJ of ordering the hit on JFK. Bill Moyers and others want an inquiry about a film based on his daddy's book. Daddy went to work for a law firm in 1966 that handled LBJ's business and some guy there told him all about it. A reviewer says McClellan, one of LBJ's personal lawyers, is making the accusation. Daddy left the firm in a cloud of dispute over ethics and I'd bet my last dollar he never handled any business involving LBJ. But the family are good Texas Republicans and the street the U of T Law School is on is named after his mommy's daddy. I think Helen needs to ask why, if Dubya was such a stellar kid, Scotty's grandpa, Dean Page Keeton, turned him down at the UT School of Law in 1973? As I recall they said something like, "somewhere there may be a place for Mr. Bush, but it isn't going to be at the University of Texas Law School." I don't know if Scotty's grandpa wrote or signed the letter himself, or not, but obviously his grandpa couldn't be bought by Dubya's dad. I have looked for a number of hours and can't find Scotty's journalism credentials before he started work with Governor Dubya. Scotty's mom is the Comptroller of Texas and has been on the Texas Railroad Commission, which is the most powerful organization in Texas, and she was mayor of Austin. Scotty's brother is with the US Food and Drug Administration and his twin brothers are both lawyers, one in the office of the Texas Attorney General and the other in private practice. Another Texas dynasty. Well, Helen just let it roll off her back. She said that sometimes when you release records it brings up more questions. I don't think Scotty is going to make it. First his boss finds a cuter Scott and now award winning journalists aren't paying attention to his journalism lessons. I hope the press corps thought to tell Scotty Happy Birthday today. He was his mommy and daddy's Valentine gift in 1968. I hope the press was easier on him today and only asked questions he likes, like is Dubya going to write another poem or sonnet to his bed lump for Valentine's Day? She said they were having a nice dinner in the red room. By the way, there are people who met Dubya at that Pull Center. It was Dubya's daddy's center. I just read today that they began random drug testing on Air Force flight physicals in April, 1972 and Dubya's physical was scheduled in May, 1972. Why would they go from page after page of glowing reports to absolutely nothing in 1972? They say Dubya decided not to take the physical because he wasn't going to fly anymore. Why did he get to decide? If you think people Dubya's age, my age, are going to forget that there are 58,000, or so, guys who's names are on that wall, who didn't have daddy's who could buy them the Texas National Guard, a seat in the Harvard School of Business when straight "A" students were turned away, 3 oil companies, a baseball team, the Texas Governor's mansion and the White House, you can think again Scotty Boy. Let's let each soldier, we have in Iraq, decide if they would like to stop what they are doing and campaign for the candidate of their choice? From what I hear, not many will be campaigning for Bush. Karen Webb, Moore, Ok. |
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