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February 19, 2004 |
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Re: Halliburton Calls in Bush Lawyer I found this on your site which I frequent (article in subject line). One thing to note that was not mentioned in this article is that Baker Bots was the same firm that represented the Saudis against the families of 911. This law firm should not be allowed to operate in the US. Thank You, Patrick Subj: Voting Security Please urge all Democratic voters in precincts where electronic voting machines are used to request absentee ballots for next November's presidential election. This will be the only way to ensure that those with more money than patriotism (like Republicans) will not "fix" the election. Thank you, Rob Johnson Subj: Matt Drudge Dear BuzzFlash: I think the real sleazeballs have decided to stand up and be noticed this election year. Leading the pack of howling dogs are Matt Drudge, Sean Hannity and Russ Limbaugh. These guys are reaching deep in their Sleazebag and using every dirty trick they know to stop Kerry. Smell fear anyone? Jay RE: BuzzFlash Editorial on Bush's Post-Election Draft BuzzFlash: Please, please keep doing these sort of editorials. The Democrats have to understand this election must be, to a large extent, about the future: What the administration will do, if re-elected, is what will capture the votes of the majority of Americans (hopefully that will be enough to elect a president this time). Also, please point out that focusing entirely on what has happened to this point will leave the Democratic candidate vulnerable to any good news before the election: Osama being captured, Iraq stabilizing, jobs increasing, etc. Thank you for the good work you do. Andy Rosenberg Subj: Contacting Chris Cralle Thank you for printing Christopher Cralle's article on how Max Cleland was injured in Vietnam. I am trying to spread the word about Ann Coulter's lies. Coulter is scheduled to appear soon (I think it's today) on Hannity and Colmes. My hope is that Christopher can ask his father Maury to get in touch with Alan Colmes with his story on Max Cleland's injuries. Hopefully Colmes will call Coulter on her lies, and Mr. Cralle's account would be just the ammunition Colmes needs. Alan Colmes can be reached at: colmes@foxnews.com Thank you. Scott C. Smith Subj: Ann Coulter I want to hear someone, anyone, from the Bush Administration, The Republican National Committee, Bush-Cheney ’04, or any other entity of the Republican arm of politics disavow Ann Coulter. Period. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Fake Foto Freaks Feepers Attached is a copy of one Freeper's anxious warning about creating fake photos (in reference to the fake Kerry photo alleging he appeared at a rally with Jane Fonda, see http://media.guardian.co.uk/presspublishing/story/0,7495,1150031,00.html and http://www.newsday.com/ny-kerry0215,0,4733861.story?coll=ny-top-headlines for more info). What's interesting about the message (which can be located at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076946/posts) is the way the writer's language conveys a sense that this sort of photo-doctoring is expected (and potentially commonplace) amongst right-wing whack-jobs. Read it and laugh... Rob in the PacNW
Subj: Nader's a Red Herring Buzz, I’m just another Canadian watching from the sidelines, hoping that enough Americans feel the urge to vote W out of office this November. And therefore I agree with much of the sentiment to be found on BuzzFlash. However, I have never quite understood the point of view that elicits headlines like
Nader didn’t split the vote sufficiently enough for Bush to win the election. We all know Gore won, right? But for some reason, the American people rolled over and played dead while the boy king was crowned by an elite few. Sort of a bloodless coup. Frankly I was shocked that you all just let it happen, that no one seemed interested in putting up a fight. That’s hardly Nader’s fault. And you know, even if Nader did split the vote, giving the election to W, shouldn’t the hundred million or so who decided not to vote in 2000 bear some responsibility for such an outcome? Look at it two ways: 1) They should be criticized for not performing their civic duty, or 2) consider that they, the majority, voted by staying away from the polls. And so, the majority of Americans got what they wanted, which was “whatever”. Again, not Nader’s fault. Don’t get me wrong. I’d prefer he didn’t run, too. But the point is that a democracy is what the citizens make it. You don’t want Nader to split the vote? Help people make informed decisions and really encourage everyone to recall the lesson of 2000—THAT EVERY SINGLE VOTE COUNTS. Better yet, if you could convince everyone not to vote for Bush, there’s no legal way he could get in. Keep up the good work! Warren Subj: Nascar There is nothing transparent about Bush. It was just announced a few months back, that the soccer moms (who all voted for Clinton) had changed to Nascar Dads for Bush...and that is not surprising...just think about it. But, if it is in your paper today....the person at the Nascar Daytona yesterday, who got bumped.....Ben Affleck! How about that...? (For George Bush!!!!) And, I would suppose that Ben stayed until the end of the race, too! Shirley.....St. Louis Subj: Bush at Daytona Can't John Kerry, Howard Dean, and John Edwards demand equal time under the law to campaign on the air ways? Shame on NBC for allowing this to happen. Shame of Mr. Bush, for not even watching the race, after talking about it. Leaving after the photo-op, to catch a plane back to Washington. Loyal Democrat and proud of it. Clair Mizner Subj: only one way to stop it! we believe the only way we can possibly ever know all the crimes the bush administration has committed is to elect a democrat president next november and stop the unprecedented secrecy, stone walling and cover ups! sixty of us in fl Subj: Gentlemen http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=3&u=/nm/20040216/pl_nm/bush_jobs_dc
Yeah, those Daytona Dads can really relate to buying $60 steaks, Iranian "axis of evil" caviar and $10k "freedom" wine bottles. Gentlemen, start your fundraising! Marc L.
Lippincott Dear L.A. Times National Editor, Are you aware that Ted Sampley, who is credited with publishing the "authentic" photo of John Kerry sitting behind Jane Fonda at a Vietnam-era anti-war rally, was also given the faked photograph of Kerry to publish on his anti-Kerry website? And then the faked Fonda photo mysteriously reappeared on Republican Web sites in an obvious attempt to smear Sen. Kerry's character and was also published by the mainstream news media? Your ethical standards ought to require you to mention this in your story. Sampley's receipt of the faked photo casts serious doubt on whether his "authentic" photo is real. He started a Vietnam Vets Against John Kerry Web site and is a Kerry detractor. His hatred for Kerry ought to make any journalist or publication suspect his ulterior motives. Your readers ought to know his involvement with the faked photo, so they can decide for themselves whether Sampley's "authentic" photo is indeed what he claims it to be. Sincerely, Jeff
Subj: Abstinence and the Moonies Dear BuzzFlash, The public still hasn't caught on to this story, but last year I revealed what kind of seedy charlatans are receiving money to teach Abstinence-Only education. That's right, it's the Moonies -- the power-hungry sex cult, and federal tax dollars are paying for your kids to hang out with them in bowling alleys learning that sex is like drinking other people's spit out of a Dixie cup. Read the Salon story here... http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/unif210.html or here... www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/09/24/moon/ sincerely, John Subj: Bremer's Hypocrisy Hi Gang! I noted the other day that Paul Bremer says he will bar any attempt to use Islamic Law as the basis for legislation (laws) in Iraq. "U.S. Issues Iraq Insurgents Wanted List" I'm a little confused here. Wasn't our country founded on and haven't many of our laws been created under the influence of "Christian Law?" (i.e., Christian moral values as in moral values form the basis of law.) Weren't these Christian Laws the same ones that made slavery legal, and kept women from voting in this country for nearly a century and a half? These things considered, does this mean that Bremer - more specifically, the Neo-Cons - want to now force western moral (i.e. religious) values on a predominantly Islamic region of the world as well as western-style government? A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Guardian "Obscenity" article - and Ambush Squad This is an interesting article, which may have already appeared on a BuzzFlash link, but if not, I’d recommend it: “Ignorance is no excuse - The premise for this war was not security but politics - and it is our politicians who should be in the dock”by Gary Younge, 2/9/2004, in the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1143894,00.html He discusses how interesting it is that the day after Janet Jackson bared her boob, we had Michael Powell leading a throng of politicians screaming to investigate the indecency. But his father, after a year, can’t be bothered to shout about investigating the obscenity of a bare-faced lie used as a pretext for war. Another suggestion: since this is a political year, I’d like to see BuzzFlash start a forum –suggestions from readers for pithy questions you’d most like to see our politicians answer. So that if anyone goes to a town meeting, and gets the chance to put someone on the spot, they can go prepared with enough documentation to ask a really good question, one that helps us get on the record the issues that our media can’t be bothered to investigate. I’m sick and tired of watching Bushies get a pass on every topic with platitudes that the “journalists”take at face value. Let’s form our own ambush squad –I know it’s unlikely that I personally will ever get the chance to ask anything, but if we join forces, as a group, maybe some of us can. (But maybe we should call it the Ain’t Bush Squad? Wouldn’t want anyone to think we identified with the moron…) Linda Ireland, Seattle I just sent your article on Max Cleland to Ann Coulter. The lady should learn the truth. Perhaps many others could do the same to show she is way out of touch. Janice Subj: We need to get tough over and over We need to get out in the papers over and over again that LIBERAL means 'open minded and caring' and CONSERVATIVE means 'closed minded'. Democrats need to question the Republicans calling themselves Christians. Christians care about the poor and those on the lower scale who fall upon hard times with illness. The Repugs don't give a darn - in fact, they want the poor in this country to die out and replace them with low wage foreign worker, or those middle class whose white collar jobs are going overseas. We fought so long for decent wages, etc. and this country was on the upswing. The World admired and envied us in a good sense). How much longer will we be #1. Kerry or whoever, must get out there along with the rest of us about how most of the working (upper, middle and lower wage earners) prospered (moving up the ladder constantly) during the Democratic terms and how the Billionaires flourish under Repugs. From where I sit, the Nazi handbooks have become the Bible of the right, and we had better start hitting fire with fire. Rita, Columbia, Md Subj: George W. Bush If Chicken George and his Chickenhawks get booted out in November, can they still be brought to trial for the illegal things they have done? A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Bush AWOL Hello! Thanks for your articles and commentary on AWOL Bush. I would like to mention something I have not seen at your site in any article. It seems that Bill Calhoun who has claimed he saw Bush in the Alabama Guard works for NASCAR. Now remember Bush's big photo-op Sunday at the Daytona 500. Connection there? Gut feeling here, yes. Please keep up your great work! With kind regards, Lois :) Subj: Whites only scholarship: hypocrisy? Case closed:
Now let's see if in light of this scholarship he help found if he will renounce his affirmative action funds... Liz Sent to: weismanj@washpost.com: Re: The Economy Helps Bush? Yes, Mr. Weisman, I read the story. You left the impression in the story (after interviewing several people and one pro-Bush prognosticator who has already said Bush would win in "a romp") that 1) voters with homes they can borrow against to stay afloat and 2) who don't feel a president has an effect on the economy may swing the election to Bush. Yet the Gallup Poll out the day before clearly indicated that by a large margin those polled in fact do think the president's policies have an effect on the economy and their personal futures. The poll shows that the economy in general and jobs in particular will be a major issue in the campaign. And the Gallup Poll wasn't the only poll over the last several weeks to make this point. Also, in the graph you and the paper used to paint a generally positive account of Bush's tenure, the deficit isn't mentioned at all, nor are the aggregate number of jobs lost since 2001. The Post gets around that by using a percentage rather than citing the actual number of lost jobs. Frankly, the Post seems to be falling quite well for whatever spin campaign the White House wants to put out on Bush's success with the economy. By contrast, both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times do not, and continue to cite polls that show Bush has an uphill climb on the economy, as well as the fact that his recent campaign appearances to tout his "achievements" are scripted events in front of selected audiences, something your paper and Mike Allen's piece in particular neglected to mention today. If you want to say with a straight face based on several interviews with homeowners who have borrowed to stay afloat and a pro-Bush forecaster that the economy may help Bush, in spite of a number of polls that indicate to the contrary, that is up to you and the Post. But given the paper's sorry support for the Bush foreign policy and the results so far, it is sad to see that the domestic reporting seems to be drinking from the same batch of Kool-Aid. Regardless, thanks for your response. Steve Soto Subj: USA Today In today's USA Today, one Houston right wing radio station owner, Dan Patrick has a full page ad taking to task MTV, the NFL, and CBS for the degrading half-time show at the recent Super Bowl . One of Patrick's statements in the ad is that the likes of CBS, etc. should be held responsible for what our kids see. Excuse, me! But this is the same owner of a radio station here in Houston who recently had one of his wing-nut radio host arrested for.......exposing his Johnson to a neighborhood kids. For this his has been indicted. Does Mr. Patrick throw stones, when he runs a house(radio station) of glass. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Ben Chandler won BIG in Kentucky I think this is the first time since 1991 a Dem has won a House seat in KY in a special election. Wes Clark was asking us to help him (he is going to be doing LOTS of this type of stuff behind the scenes.) Heard this from my KY friend. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Rep Tammy Baldwin D Wis Calls for special counsel to investigate Dick Cheney and Halliburton deal in Iran in 98 in violation of anti terrorism laws It is extremely disturbing to hear media reports of possible violations of our anti-terrorism laws by prominent American companies through straw corporations established to evade U.S. law. On Sunday, January 25, 2004, the CBS News program 60 Minutes reported that they had found evidence that at least three American companies are involved in this sort of illegal activity. The CBS report focused on Halliburton, and mentioned Conoco-Phillips and General Electric. If true, these violations should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Because these allegations involve a company that the Vice President of the United States ran during the time of the alleged violations, we formally request that you appoint an outside counsel to investigate these potential violations of Section 505 of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985, 31 C.F.R. Part 560, and Executive Orders 12613, 12957, 12959, and 10359. http://www.iraqrevenuewatch.org/reading/baldwin012704.shtml A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: FWD: Where Do Bush Voters Come From, Uncle Einstein? I had to look at this site for a long time to decide if it was real or a hoax. I'm afraid it's real. Check out the individual projects. These kids are going to be slammed when they hit the real world. I guess this is were all the people who vote for Bush come from. -- P. OBJECTIVE: Creation Education: Creation Science Fair 2001 http://www.objective.jesussave.us/creationsciencefair.html A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: No News is Good News Hi Guys, I hate to keep harping on this but... "Reuters....According to the U.S. army, a U.S. soldier was killed on Monday(Feb 16) in an attack on his convoy near the city of Tall Afar. He was the third American killed in Iraq in less than 24 hours." Nothing on CNN, Fox or MSNBC, although ABC and CBS mentioned it on page two(amidst feel-good stories). Canadian and British news sources carried it. The poor bastards aren't even named anymore. How is this different from outright Government censorship? Are Americans so stupid that they won't notice? Andy Subj: Ann Coulter I know how you like to editorialize in the links to stories on your homepage. My suggestion for the next link for Ann Coulter's sliming of max Cleland is "Ann Coulter spits on Vietnam vet." John Subj: Al Gore's Speech on the Politics of Fear Dear Folks, I want to point to you an amazing speech by Al Gore who took my breath away in giving this well thought out speech. We have been feared into giving up what should be America. Through his words, he reached into me with passion and a belief that America must set aside the politics of fear. It is why I shall forever be a Gore Democrat. Should he never become president of the United States it is my hope that his continuing lessons live on into the future, where we can replace fear with hope and trust. Personally, I would love to see him as the chair of our party because he spoke up when others dared not to. You will need Real Player to view this speech and when you come to the screen, his speech begins at the 13 minute mark. http://www.dialnsa.edu/special_events/gore_1.ram Enjoy a great speech! Regards, Mary! Subj: BCCI monster is exactly why Bush needed Kerry muted The BCCI bank fraud monster is exactly why BFEE needed Kerry muted and defeated in the primary BEFORE he gained national attention as Bush's opponent. Look what's happening in England today - the BCCI/Bank of England trial started last month. Kerry's success in the primary is making the trial MORE newsworthy. BushInc. CANNOT be happy. This is why internet activists have been pounding on this story, folks. Every covert activity of the Bush family cabal has its roots in BCCI. Bush - Bath - BCCI - Bin Laden A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Questions for Secretary Powell...maybe we should go there. Dear Secretary Powell: The media was quick to pick up on your “denigration”of a Member of Congress and his staffer last week. In fact they obliged your request as it seems they “did not go there”to ask you any follow up questions on your position. However, I would be curious to know your response to a few related questions that I would have thought the investigative journalists of the DC press corps might have asked. Mr. Powell, you stated very distinctly the following opinion, "I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well placed ... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units. Of the many tragedies of Vietnam, this raw class discrimination strikes me as the most damaging to the ideal that all Americans are created equal and owe equal allegiance to their country.”Sir, those are your words. I have 3 questions for you: 1.) Is that still your position today, and one that you feel strongly about? 2.) How does that apply to your opinion of Mr. Bush, his service during Vietnam, and more importantly his record of service, as it appears that Mr. Bush missed duty, was derelict in maintaining his flight status, and managed to wangle out of his allegiance to the country? Please frame your response around Mr. Bush’s proud claim in 1999 that “he volunteered for duty in Vietnam”during his run for presidency. And, the comments made in A Charge to Keep, his autobiography ghostwritten by his press secretary Karen Hughes. For on page 34, Mr. Bush claims that, after learning to fly the F-102 fighter jet, he was turned down for Vietnam duty because "had not logged enough flight hours" to qualify for a combat assignment. Before going on to recall the "challenging moments" that involved close formation drills at night during poor weather, he adds: "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years." Curious, but this seems to be something the media was not so quick to pick up on 3.) If by some remote chance Mr. Bush is reelected this November, do you plan on serving another term by his side? And sir, please feel free to solicit a response on behalf of the press corps to question #3 from Ms. Rice, Mr. Rumsfeld, Mr. Ashcroft, and any members of the Bush cabinet who are as of yet undecided about their allegiance to the country. Barry Baker CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE FEBRUARY 19, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. |
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