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March 22, 2004 |
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THIS IS PART 2 OF THE MARCH 22, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1. Subj: Kerry Campaign Idea - very positive Today I heard an old song on the radio and it immediately gave me an idea for the counter campaign to the Republican digs calling Kerry a Massachusetts Liberal. Using the song "Abraham, Martin and John". Use the section - "Didn't you love the things that they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?" This would be a great positive way to make the word Liberal NOT a dirty word. Yes I do love what they stood for and that they had great plans to make things better for us all. And so does Kerry. Kerry stands for things that we can love and have plans to make things better for us all. Here are the words:
A BuzzFlash Reader Today is Saturday, and the papers are filled with news of Bush's first "official" campaign rally. In each of the papers I just read, the same exact wording appears: "Kerry has proposed a health care plan that has been estimated to cost about $900 billion over 10 years. His campaign has not laid out how that plan would be paid for." I don't recall at the moment which right-wing columnist stated it first, but it has become a mantra adopted by all of them. It's stuck tight. It's overpowering by Kerry simply by its constant repetition. We have an opportunity to make a huge difference and perhaps mitigate some of the damage the conservatives are trying to do to John Kerry. Poll results make big headlines, and the higher we can drive the numbers for Kerry the better. It's a subliminal message, in effect, that's used to great advantage in the advertising field, and we should take advantage of it. Please seek out every poll you can find (not the ones offering gifts or cash) --such one currently running on MSNBC's webpage -- and cast your votes. Zogby.com is another place you can volunteer to answer polls. In this very simple way we can build real momentum. Sharon Andrews Subj: Follow up on Operation Mountain Freedom Dear Buzz, In a brief follow-up of my letter to you about the clumsy operation along the Pakistan/Afghanistan bordering the volatile Waziristan tribal area, it appears that my worst fears have been realized. It seems that the attempt to corner and capture Ayman al Zawahiri has failed miserably, and we are no closer to capturing Osama, Omar, or al Zawahiri than we were before this gambit began. Worse, the US media is trying to cover it up. At present, only The Australian, Agencies Presse France, and Dawn have picked up early about al Zawahiri quite literally getting into his truck, and driving away, and getting to Afghanistan, away from the Pakis, and through the Americans it seems. Buzz, regrettably, Bush almost guaranteed that this adventure in Waziristan would fail. The early trumpeting by the media of this latest offensive and its objectives was done for political reasons on the home front. I cannot comment about the incredible arrogance that has to permeate the Bush crew to think that the rest of the world wasn't listening and it didn't matter if it was. Next, the extent of US involvement in the amazingly ham-handed blunder that by deceit took the Waziristani chieftains into custody is now shown to be one of ordering the Pakistanis to do it. The Pakis thought they could get cooperation without such a measure, but it seems Bush has a need for "Bull-of-the-Woods" behavior, I guess foolish bravado is better than some psychology and brain-power. Though I pity our sons and daughters left in the fastness of the Afghanistan eastern mountains and Waziristan country. Our troops are in a fiasco, not of their own making! The price: 1, no Osama, no al Zawahiri, and no Omar; 2, a serious loss of credibility in the US media by not following up on international stories, and then inflating their stories for political consumption; 3, Waziristan is in open revolt and WE, the US appear to be primarily responsible for this, through our insistence that the Pakis arrest the Waziri chieftains, which is well documented, and was the height of folly in such a volatile place; 4, General Musharraf has a rebellion on his hands, that he didn't start, and worse this rebellion is happening in the most important and strategic location in the Paki/Afghan border at this time; 5, lastly, but not least, our troops now have still more people shooting at them for all the wrong reasons, they marched into the mountains with the highest expectations and were well prepared, but the mission was bungled before it ever got off the ground, and the targets are gone. All that is left are angry shepherds, and landsmen who wanted only some peace and quiet, and our sons and daughters who only wanted a quick, decisive operation. No one got what they wanted, except al Qaeda and the Taliban. Can we afford anymore of Bush's blundering around? Steve in Syracuse Subj: Mailbag Sue in Florida....I agree with you about the torment of waiting for the mailbags to come out, after a weekend of much news. The first time it was late on a Monday, I think it was the first time....and it was of course, after Bush was president. Well, I think I wrote a letter to Buzz...and told them that I hoped the delay in the mailbag meant that they were getting so many hits, that it was becoming a job! And I think they responded to me...actually, that I was right! I miss it, too...so much! But, it is so worth it when it does come out. This site, has some of the most interesting, and "in the know" people in this country....and I come to that conclusion with the knowledge....of listening to C-span every morning and hearing some of the most, if you will pardon the expression, Ignorant people and some of the most brilliant. You know, it takes all kinds....and God Bless them, BuzzFlash has the best!! I would help, too, if possible. But, they are doing a wonderful job of it...and I would not ask for more knowing how many readers they have now. When they first started, I am sure it was much easier...but, with the growing resentment of this administration....it has surely grown out of sight! Anyway, we all agree with you, Sue...we miss the darn thing too, but it is so worth it when it does get here!!! I come from a host of relatives...family and just acquaintances who are for the most part, stubborn republicans, who know they are wrong, but just will not admit it, and think that Saddam bombed the trade center and the Pentagon (many of these people used to be democrats). They are from small towns, republican towns...and the only one I know of that has changed since all of this has come out about the war.....is a couple who lives in a larger Missouri town (Ashcrofts) and have made the comment that they have decided that they will never vote republican again! That is the best I can do, at this point! Some of them never vote, have never voted and I do not prod them, because they, many times, do not even know what the policies of any candidate is! As for the buzz reader who mentioned that the Libya WMD story, might be a set-up- I say to you, thanks! I have had a feeling about that since the first....and it would be very much a sweetheart deal for the Bushits! Only thing is, there is a worldwide "yawn" taking place with anything that comes up now....it does not seem to resonate. I just heard on the Chris Matthews show..and had heard this before, that according to a Pew Research poll....Germany, France, Poland and Russia....all basically think this country is nuts! The numbers are in the high 60's to 80's...for disapproval!! These are western Europeans....not third world nations...and that is why they did not go along with Bush to begin with....The United Nations are not going to send in their military, unless they are given some muscle in the rebuilding and the brains of the rebuilding. Bush, wants this all for He and Cheney..you see!! On a lighter side, there are two cartoons in our paper, "The Post Dispatch," on the Anniversary of the beginning of the war thing! And, the big stink about Kerry's "Friends" in Foreign high places! The one with the anniversary tag...has Bush sitting at a table set for about 15...a cake in front of him...no one else at the table...and this person draws the most hilarious depiction of Bush, anyway...you know, the eyebrows that come together, the little skinny lips, and the ears like Dumbo??...He is singing "Happy Anniversary to Me"...tee hee!!!! The other one is a six parter...with Bush and Kerry. Bush is berating Kerry for his remarks about the foreign leaders he has talked to, who are not happy with this administration (which he never said anyway). Bush is ranting in the first block,sneering at Kerry, "He claims World Leaders support him," with his little thumb pointing to Kerry, and Kerry has this smug "mile long faced grin"...next section, bush says, "He refuses to say which ones"..same smug grin....next one "If you're gonna make a claim you'd better be able to back it up"..same smug grin from Kerry. 4th "Because someone who can't is liable to....."...then Kerry says, with a slight sneer, "Invade a country for illegitimate reasons?"...The next block, is totally black, with Bush's confused mug, eyes wandering, ears out to here...Then Bush gets a nasty look, with the words, "I'll make honesty an issue in this election!"....and Kerry, with that goofy smile, though confident, says, "Promise?" You just gotta see it! Gave me my laugh for the day! But, in spite of the political humor....I am never free of the concern for all of the citizens of this country...and the military personnel in Iraq...I do not think that Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld, OR mysterious Colin Powell, gives any of them a thought! How in Gods name, do they sleep at night? And there is so much hogwash about them being a Christian administration...well, when you think about it, Jerry Falwell thinks he is a Christian, too,..mystery of mysterious!!! Shirley..............St.Louis Subj: Enforcing morality--New Rules for Conservative Republican Men Dear Buzz, I have an idea. If these Conservative Republican men feel that the State is entitled to interfere with a woman's decision to go through with a pregnancy, then I think they should be fair about it. These Republican men should have to report when they had sex and the type of birth control measures they used. If they are unwilling to use birth control (because they are opposed to it on religious grounds, for example), then they should not be allowed to have sex. If a Conservative Republican man is going to have sex, then he must sign a statement saying he will be responsible for any offspring that come from that encounter, regardless of whether he is married to that person or not. That statement will be legally binding and result in jail time, docked wages, and a ruined reputation if they fail to comply. In fact, we will have Karl Rove think up how he can trash each man's character since Karl enjoys that so much. All Conservative Republican men will have their names posted on the Internet and their sexual behavior will be monitored publicly. This is very important so that women can avoid hypocritical and irresponsible partners. Remember, these are the men that care about babies and children so much! A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: neil bush is making money off NCLB This was last week's so forgive me if you had it up and I missed it. I think it's a significant connection, especially the Carlyle people connection... Link to source: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/12/1534244 my piece: http://anoldsoul.blogspot.com/archives/... shari McCain as Vice President Just read your headline about Biden suggesting McCain as Kerry's running mate. Isn't Biden the idiot who helped the Republicans install Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court? Wow, I think I'll rush right out and send McCain a letter of support--NOT! Doesn't anybody remember that during the last presidential primary, Bush trashed McCain's family, and McCain eventually endorsed Bush for president. If somebody leveled a nasty, personal attack on my family, it would be a cold day in hell before I would support that person. I don't want somebody like that on the Democratic ticket; Kerry needs someone who won't turn the other cheek every time Bush and his thugs attack. He also needs to pick the guy soon so there will be someone else helping him counter Bush and Cheney's continuous lies (do these guys know how to tell the truth?). My favorites are Edwards and Clark; both are articulate, intelligent, and southern. I like Dean, but I want him to be named Chairman of the FCC after Kerry is elected, so he can kick some corporate media ass. Donna Lightfoot Subj: Another Scandal in Plain Sight? Is Bush giving Pakistan a free pass on the Khan-gate nuclear secrets scandal in exchange for their delivering Osama? The unintended consequences (blowback) from that kind of election-year plea bargaining could be catastrophic. Rosamond Subj: Is he drinking or just nuts? I heard George Bush bragging on tv today about how good the economy is. What the hell planet is he on?!!!!!!! Maybe in his world, but not out here in the real world! Is he drinking again or just nuts?!!! Karen in South Carolina Subj: "Genius of the Week" Dear BuzzFlash, I believe you may have already created something like this: "Genius of the Week". And I believe the first time I noticed this category on your site was for the exact same statement from the exact same person, Paul Bremer ... that is "Broken Record" Paul Bremer -
Thanks, David Subj: It's not appeasement The neocons who keep babbling on that the Spanish people are appeasing terrorists by voting for an anti-war leader are missing an important point. The majority of Spanish were always deeply and profoundly against the war. Its not like these people were all for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, then the Madrid bombings happened and everyone simultaneously panicked and wanted out. The bombings just consolidated the feelings they had all along. The Spanish people had a chance (a lucky one, I might add) to get off the highway to nowhere they were currently on and they wisely took it. They showed what true democracy really is. I can only wonder, as I'm sure you all do... will we be so lucky in this country? Laurie Subj: Critical 60 Minutes Update Here's an update on tonight's 60 Minutes. I've pasted several excerpts from the article below that I think are critical and have put them in bold. Under several of the excerpts I have written some comments that I think should be looked into closer and should be asked during the upcoming 9-11 Commission hearings. When the terrorists stuck, it was thought the White House would be the next target, so it was evacuated. Clarke was one of only a handful of people who stayed behind. He ran the government's response to the attacks from the Situation Room in the West Wing. The Director of the White House Situation Room, Deborah Loewer, was with Bush in Florida when the attacks took place. From two articles I have archived, Ms. Loewer claims that she was the person who actually told Bush about the first attack after their motorcade reached the Booker Elementary School. What was the White House Situation Room Director doing with Bush in Florida? I contacted Barbara Honegger who worked in the Reagan/Bush White House and asked her if it was normal for the Director to travel with the President and she told me it was highly unusual and couldn't understand what Deborah Loewer was doing with Bush in Florida when her job was at the White House. So when the planes struck, the Situation Room wasn't commanded by the Director, and Clarke claims he had to take over. Wouldn't you think that after all of the warnings about impending attacks and Clarke stating that they were put on "Battle Stations" (see below) that the Director of the White House Situation Room should have been at her station instead of traveling with the President to an elementary school? I've pasted the two Loewer articles below the 60 Minutes article. AD
So if Bush put them on "Battle Stations" because he didn't want to rule out the possibility of a threat to the homeland, why wasn't airport security ramped up and the American public warned? If the FAA did indeed send out alerts to the FBI, which is charged with policing the United States and not nations abroad, why didn't the FAA and the FBI act on these alerts and likewise strengthen airport security and warn the public? Just a few points I thought were interesting. Allan Duncan "Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link?" Dear BuzzFlash, I am a huge Dolly Parton fan. The first album I ever bought was one of Dolly’s. She not only is a fantastic entertainer and singer, in my opinion she is one of the best songwriters to ever grace the earth. Whenever I hear George W. Bush or any of his corrupt corporate cronies talk about our “vibrant”and “strong”economy, No Child Left Behind, the Clear Skies Initiative, Healthy Forests, or how America is safer because of Bush’s “leadership,”a Dolly Parton song always starts playing in my head. While this Dolly Parton song is about a heartbroken lover figuring out how to survive a breakup, so many of the words remind me of the Bush Administration. With my apologies to Dolly, I have taken the liberty to change just a few of the words in Dolly’s song, so it fits the current situation with Bush in the White House (and is something like what I sing in my head).
Brent Wilcox Subj: After a Year in Iraq Dear BuzzFlash: After a year of spin and re-spinning, packaging and re-packaging, speeches, and tv interviews, (not to mention the countless fundraisers), surrounding the Iraq Invasion -- doesn't it seem to be a miserable failure that the bush* administration still hasn't been able to convince people that the invasion was the right thing to do? Perhaps the American People are not as stupid as bush* and his cohorts think. D. Hippauf
Subj: If this isn't Treason, then what is? Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link? "The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door, and said, 'I want you to find whether Iraq did this.' Now he never said, 'Make it up.' But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this. "I said, 'Mr. President. We've done this before. We have been looking at this. We looked at it with an open mind. There's no connection.' "He came back at me and said, "Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection.' And in a very intimidating way. I mean that we should come back with that answer. We wrote a report." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml If this isn't HIGH CRIMES AND TREASON against the American people, then somebody please redefine this phrase for me (and don't argue that it doesn't rise to the level of lying about sex). L. Lemire Subj: You have the power, so use it! Economists, Bush cronies and chief executive officers of multinational corporations tell us that consumers and workers are the beneficiaries of foreign trade. Actually, U.S. consumers are not benefiting from the unfairness of our trade negotiations. This is a no-brainer. Common sense tells us that we are losing our jobs so that we can buy cheaper goods. In addition, no one knows how long the goods will remain cheap. And throw in another plus... we can all buy a house now due to low interest rates. [Try inserting "unemployed" on your home loan application. Try inserting $5 - $7 an hour income on your home loan application.] [Not to worry] is what the Bush cronies tell us... this is good for our country and economy. Whose country and whose economy, Bush? Then they tell us that we can retrain for another job or go back to college. Americans can go back to college and pay for it with their generous unemployment checks, right? Maybe they can pay the tremendous education costs with their $5 - $7 an hour part time jobs, right? And haven't a lot of degreed jobs already left the country? What jobs will the unemployed transition to? The US has gone this route so many times and our backs are up against the wall. After manufacturing, service industry and government service jobs, high-skilled and high-tech jobs are all outsourced and traded away, what will be left for the United States? We have record trade deficits now... how much higher can they go? If Americans have any democracy left at all, they must take control of their government. When corporate profits are not being used to better American workers and their communities, it is vital that Americans demand that government officials represent people over profits. That demand is accomplished by threatening to vote them out of office. ~ Cathy The Fort Lauderdale, Florida's daily newspaper, the Sun-Sentinel, conducted an online poll on Sunday, March 21st. The question:
Dubya has some severe credibility problems in the Land of the Chad. Just thought y'all like to know. Sharon Andrews Subj: If Kerry had his way ... Dear BuzzFlash, I used to love it when my Republican friends would tell me, "If Kerry had his way, Saddam would still be in power!" I would just say, "Well, if Bush had his way, Osama, the guy who murdered 3,000 Americans, would still be running free terrorizing the world instead of locked up behind bars like he is now. Oh no, wait a minute, what's wrong with me? Bush did have his way and Osama is still running free terrorizing the world! By the way, tell me again how many Americans Saddam killed with his Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Related Activities." They don't try that tired, old line on me any more. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: The two faces of Tim Russert Tim Russert: How delighted I would be to see you grill Bush administration career liars Rice, Cheney, Perle and Bush as heatedly as you grilled Ted Kennedy this morning. Perhaps your testicles only descend when you're interviewing Democrats. Or are you on the RNC payroll? They should at least pay you for reading their talking-point faxes word-for-word on your increasingly odoriferous air... Pathetic. Chuck Van
Wey Subj: George Will's on This Week.... Boy oh boy, are they grasping at straws now. I was watching THIS WEEK (Sun. AM) and George Will just pretty much said that changing administrations at this point would leave us weaker and more vulnerable to attacks. Trying to scare everyone into keeping old Bushy boy. Par for the course, tho. I love the Buzz. Suzan Subj: Iraq and Terrorism Hello, Perhaps you ought to get hold of Professor Rogers from Bradford University in the U.K. He will lay out for all of us just how "secure" George W(arcriminal) et cie has made us, and how he is playing into the hands of Islamic fundamentalist militants to destroy us in the long run. Shrub's "strategy" is framed by domestic elections, those of the terrorists by decades. Shrub and boys' objective is oil and plundering our treasury, theirs the destruction of the USA. It appears, Osama is winning, we are losing BECAUSE of the shruB! Frank A.
Lojewski Subj: Does anyone else see the irony in this? "The Passion of the Christ" was knocked from its number one slot this weekend by --- "Dawn of the Dead". Guess it has the higher gross-out factor working in its favor. "The abuse of the Empire has a limit and that is the patience of the people." Scott Subj: cost to US taxpayers, and to the British A BBC Report this evening gave a comparison of the cost of the Iraq war to US in troops and taxpayer dollars in comparison to its closest ally Britain. While the US now has 125,000 troops in Iraq, England has 8,000 - so the US has 15 times as many troops there, or in percentages US troops are over 70% more than the Brits... but get THIS: While the US is spending more than $133 billion in the new budget, the UK has spent 2 )that's TWO) billion pounds, which is about 2% of what the US taxpayers are spending!!!! some PARTNERS!!! A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Bush 41 Covert CIA Operative when VP With all the great books out documenting the Bush deceit for history, pray "House of Bush, House of Saud" doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Is it old news that Bush 41 while VP acted as a covert CIA operative. That he personally delivered to Saddam strategic intel for his war with Iran, with gassing afterward likely? Unger said he was in DC with M. Moore while he was working on his movie about the Bin Laden's being whisked out of the country after 911, so he must be one of Moore's main sources, he knows the story as well as anyone who is talking.
A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Rumsfeld on ABC "Primetime Special" March 25 Hi there BuzzFlash ! Did you know that this Thursday, March 25 at 8 pm, ABC is giving an hour of primetime TV air on a "Primetime Special" edition entitled "Rumsfeld's Rules of War"? The show description in the TV listing says: "Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discusses the invasion of Iraq." Can this be true? Now, that can't be right. He gets one hour to present his case on Iraq, just as their election campaign takes off? Nice coincidence, huh ? Isn't this an abuse of some kind against election laws and political airtime during an election campaign? Will ABC give John Kerry the same air time? I know this is small potatoes compared to the long list of despicable things he and his accomplices have done to your country, your country's media and also abroad, but I just had to mention this to you. By the way, I have to tell all of you great BuzzFlash people how much I enjoy, appreciate and respect the work that you do (yes, even if I'm not an American - besides harming the United States' democracy and people, Bush's gang is also a threat to the rest of the world as you well know, and we're just next door...) Most people in other countries, though, are able to see the difference between the "People" of the United States and the US "government", and it is the US government that is despised, not the people, even if large numbers of American citizens seem to have been politically asleep at the wheel (we have a lot of those too up here...) if those polls are right, but it's now or never that they must wake up to their tragic political situation). Thank God this has started to change in the recent months. Thank you for all that you do, relentlessly and courageously fighting for the truth, freedom, integrity, justice and democracy. I also read other worthy websites but yours is special to me and I really enjoy your blunt and so accurate commentaries, humour and irony in some of your titles on the main page. They are very "soothing" to me since like so many others, I've been so constantly appalled at the U.S. government since Bush and his creeps are there, and at the lack of mainstream reaction to it all over the world. It's been really mind-boggling and I can only imagine how it's been for all lucid U.S. citizens... But ultimately, all major countries also have a responsibility in this. World democracy, if such a thing exists yet, should do something about Bush. Well I guess I could have just said in a nutshell, I think you guys are great ! My fingers are crossed for the next election - may Anyone but Bush get in ! For your good and for the rest of the planet too... Micheline, Subj: Troops Ordered to Smile at Bush Visit
Jackie Subj: Kennedy on Meet the Press Although I'm always happy to see democrats like Senator Kennedy and Howard Dean on Meet the Press, something is starting to bug me. After they start talking a while, I realize they're missing the point. They're always defining the Iraq invasion within the context of the "War on Terror". They debate whether it was effective, what they would've done, etc. Why don't they step back even more and tell what this war really is -- a clumsy, bloody land grab in the plans for several years? Why is the Project for a New American Century never brought up? Its the very bible of this administration, spelling out every move they have, and intend to make. Why is it never mentioned that plans for invading Iraq were being bandied around five or six years ago by the people of this administration? They wanted Iraq's oil fields. They wanted to build military bases in order to get a foothold in the Middle East, to help bolster Israel. The war in Iraq has nothing to do with the war on terror. It is only a convenient marketing tool. And yet, on every talk show, all these liberal politicians do is argue about issues like whether capturing Saddam Hussein was effective or not. I guess that's worth debating to an extent, but what about what lies under his capture? Why not discuss the strategy for taking over Iraq that was in place long before Bush ever came to power? Why not educate the public on the big picture? Would it blow their minds too much? Our only hope for ousting these people are the folks who pop up out of the woodwork every once in a while like Paul O'Neill and this recent Clark guy. In their own way, they keep pushing out the envelope. They're former insiders who tell things that may seem shocking to some folks, but at least might get them thinking. Its not the same old reheated, rehashed debate coming out of the democratic party week after week. Somebody needs to shake things up much, much more. Don't get me wrong, I'll vote for Kerry. There's no choice. But please, someone, sometime, please really educate this public. Laurie Subj: Anti-War Marches Dear Buzz, As a progressive, I was pleased to swell the throng of the anti-war march in Hollywood yesterday (Saturday, March 20, 2004). But as a Jew, I was unhappy with the extent to which it was a pro-Palestinian-Arab rally devoted to bashing Israel. If the progressive movement wants to align itself with a group of people who deny the right of Israel to exist and gleefully celebrate the mass murder of innocent civilians, that's its right, I suppose. But it will only serve to fracture the progressive coalition and demonstrate an appalling moral obtuseness that is unworthy of progressives. Jon Krampner Subj: This Ridiculous Administration Dear BuzzFlash, After watching 60 Minutes, it is more evident that W and his minions should be impeached. Listening to Richard Clarke talk had quite an effect. For one thing, Leslie Stahl let him talk. For another, Mr. Clarke had very good answers. What has gone on, with this administration is a travesty. Earlier,when reading your link to CBS News,' Did Bush Press for Iraq-9/11 Link... all I could think was you better believe that he did.The number 2 man on W's National Security Council, Stephen Hadley, began a game of he said-he said. He may stand on what he said, that the conversation between W and Mr. Clarke never took place, but he certainly looked uncomfortable saying that. Even when presented with a witness to that conversation, he would not back down. Perhaps that is because he knows what will happen to his job if he tells the truth. Mr. Clarke has had a long tenure in the position he held. Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and finally....Dimbulb. I cannot imagine the frustration that man had in trying to get Dimbulb to listen to the fact that Iraq was not tied to Al Queda. Perhaps the most telling comment Mr. Clarke had on this particular point was that it was necessary to come up with something that W wanted to hear. If that wasn't the case, the report would be bounced back. Also earlier, while reading a link, I came across a sidebar which contained this information. There was a picture of a wounded human being. The caption under it said,' We expect to be the best friends to Iraqis who are trying to put their country back together.' This was said by Marine Commander James Mattis. The picture caption said,' below, a picture of Iraqi medics tending to Azam Issam, 37, severely wounded.....who died later.' Thoughts on this were....well, we were the ones who tore Iraq to pieces...and why? Many of us felt that Saddam was a wretch. But look at the suffering with the families here in the US and the Iraqis! Mr. Clarke knew the truth. Iraq was not in cahoots with Al Queda. So many soldiers lost. A travesty. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Democracy, freedom and scones - shortages everywhere Hi BuzzFlash, Keep up the good work, Buzz. It is appreciated more than you can know. ==================================================
Subj: Cathy Suggests a Set-up Yes, Cathy there is a set-up in the making - - see Cathy’s letter published on March 21 referring to the bargain obtained from Libya to dismantle WMD programs. Just follow these dates: On March 6, U.S. and British intelligence teams finished emptying Libya's previously secret nuclear-weapons plants and loaded 1,000 tons of equipment onto a cargo ship that promptly left the country. Also on the ship were five complete Scud-C missiles and their launchers, purchased from North Korea. As reported by Insight Magazine. In a column in Common Dreams on March 18, Ira Chermus quoted the Iranian News Agency Mehr story of March 13 that "U.S. forces have unloaded a large cargo of parts for constructing long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the southern ports of Iraq. A reliable source from the Iraqi Governing Council, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Mehr News Agency that U.S. forces, with the help of British forces stationed in southern Iraq, had made extensive efforts to conceal their actions." According to Mehr's source, the parts are old ones, just the kind the U.S. gave to Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. Once they are "discovered," they would be the smoking gun that George W. needs to get re-elected. No, Cathy, you are not paranoid. I agree that anyone who has followed this "lying, plotting, administration" needs to be alert to all of their election machinations. And, Cathy, win their track record, it is more likely to be a screw-up than a set-up. Mcwald Subj: More job loss thanks to Bush and the G.O.P.
BLAME BUSH A BuzzFlash Reader You guys should not make THIS the issue, because the truth is, that everyone who COULD tried to stay out of that war. From my high school class of 500+ in New England (1961!!!) , maybe a dozen boys ended up in the army, and I think one died (we have a website, so one can see that only a few of the classmates have died in the past 40 years). People went to grad school, into the reserves sometimes, but they also got married, and did whatever they could not to go.... In fact, it was no different then than it is now, the kids who were able to go to college and on, went, often just to get out of the army, some others got married, because marriage got you exempted, and only the poorer ones, the ones who couldn't afford college, were really drafted..... I also think that making these non issues into issues turns a lot of voters off, which is why Nader is picking up support... people like me, baby boomers (more or less), we care a lot more about the REAL differences between the candidates, and those differences lay in their attitude toward education, jobs, medicare and social security (and many like me, toward war and poverty in the world - the demonstrations, if you noticed, are packed with people my age, and we VOTE!) and other social and financial issues. If you think that if there's a draft the rich (or most Republicans) will have to go into the army, you're dreaming and don't really understand how the American system works. With or without the draft. I will probably vote for Kerry, but without enthusiasm.... he is, for me, what Michael Moore wrote, just a Republican with a different name. He voted for the war, for the medicare fiasco, for the welfare reform fiasco, and a lot of other stuff that are Republican issues..... as did many of the Democrats. One big problem is money: the system stinks as long as politicians have to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in order to run for this office; the other big problem is, with all due respect to the Founding Fathers, that a nation of 300 million people cannot only have two political parties. That is why all the polls are split more or less right down the middle, give or take a couple of percent. There is no way to balance our politics, no way to compromise.... a coalition government, or a Congress composed of several parties would benefit this situation and the US enormously. Susan Subj: No More Totals? I recently became aware that both AP WIRE & YAHOO have eliminated the totals in regards to soldiers killed in IRAQ. Could the BU$H Cartel have put the word out"no more totals", so the Americans do not realize just how bad it is. They hear or read about the one or two, it doesn't sound so bad, verses total now up to 570. People become bothered by large amounts. So by keeping the numbers small, "only a couple" today, people let it slide by, without much thought. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Kerry's testimony in April of 1971 First, I watched Bush's speech in Orlando...as much as I could take. I do not think I have ever seen anyone who can spew pure lies as much as this man! My second mistake was trying to watch Sean Hannity, speaking to whomever on the 12 of Mar. (I think)...if anyone else saw that, I would love to know if you heard more applause than I. It was not the most receptive crowd I have ever seen....or had they muted the crowd. By this time, I am pretty sick, so I turned on the testimony of John Kerry, to the senate, back in April 1971. I was moved as was a lot of people who disagreed very much with that war. There is a pod of hard right, who would vote for Adolph Hitler if he were the republican candidate...believe me when I tell you that. I know some!! They would find some thing about the man that was good, just good! I can remember, and thought after the war was ended, that we had all been looking elsewhere at the time....but, my brother was writing letters to distant family members, and saying pretty much the same things that Kerry is telling us about! He only lasted two months...101st airborne...he was what a lot of people call a grunt soldier...carried a 60 lb.load of ammo, every day, he was a machine gunner, and we do not know how he died, except that they called it small arms fire. That can be anything except a bomb falling on them.. It most likely was a land mine! I truly admire Kerry for the guts to go before the senate...at that time, I wish I had had more interest in watching it. I do hope, with all my heart, that it helps get the witless wonder out of the white house now! One incident I can remember, and it might not be good to bring it up now, because of the strides the african americans have made.....but, the month after my brother died, we read that a man in Alabama or Mississippi (I cannot pin it down now), had donated an acre of land of his own for burial of Vietnam dead. So, a black man from that town died in the war, shortly after my brother, who was given the royal military, taps, 21 gun salute...military pallbearers...the works.......and there broke out in this town, a furor because the man who had donated the land balked at a black soldier being buried there!!! It was in all the papers, and by this time, I think clear thinking folks of all colors were getting damned fed up with the fact that blacks are ordered into the war, but so horribly discriminated in death! It sure taught me a thing or two about rightwingers!! I, by that time, hated the war and at last believed everything that was being said about it. Now, folks, at least we thought we were fighting a civil war for the south vietnamese, and it sort of seemed like the war we fought in Korea.....but, how in God's name do we sell this war in Iraq for Oil to young folks!? I have been to Camp Jackson for my granddaughter's graduation...I've seen the way these kids are talked to...the new recruits come every day, and the DI'S start yelling at them the minute they get off the bus...and they are taught to Kill, Kill, Kill..>>..from the mouth of my granddaughter!! And, they are taught that President Bush can have them killed if they go Awol...at least that is what she says.....but, oh, the syrupy, sweet things they do and say in front of the parents and grandparents. Her mother is Worried,...I am worried, my husband does not discuss it...Her father, is caught up in the patriotic glory of it...so is her uncle...And she is quiet as a clam about the entire thing....I really wonder if she will ever be the same when she gets out. I have a feeling that Kara will be older than her years....she is in the Nation Building, you know the thing Bush was never going to do??? She seems to have about two more months there...so far ...safe! But, I really do not know what to look forward to when she gets out. The parents hear less and less from her! I believe in John Kerry...I think it took a lot of guts to do what he did, in the military and to be able to see how wrong it was....I feel sorry for Lt. Calley, who was court martialed and tried for war crimes...I sort of lost track of the entire thing after that...I do not know what happened to the man...but, he (Kerry) will likely never send the country into any war without an attack on our soil...and not one that was devised by a party itching to get their hands on the oil of any country! Bush is out there, having a ball, lying his ass off about everything Kerry is going to do, and if they keep the protestors away....we will never know any different..until election....then, who knows??? Shirley............St.Louis Subj: Richard Clarke Bush cronies say Richard Clarke is lying. Is that so? Then why did Wes Clark say this? Is Bush going to say he lies too?
A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Clarke Book Let's see-- Bush's rebuttal to the Clarke book on "Sixty Minutes" pertaining to his concern about terrorism in the Unites States at the time around 9/11 does not hold water for two reasons: One, why the President went back to reading to the Florida children after the first plane struck Tower One on 9/11..... And Two, why the only person around to go on television and reassure the American People that all was okay in the middle of the absolute chaos--was his political guru--Karen Hughes. Gee, guess there was no backup plan. Or maybe she was the only brave person in the Bush administration not running and hiding out like a scared skunk that day. Yeah, they were really prepared! I believe the book. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Judith Miller Lies Again I just sent the following letter to the New York Times. I urge others to read the article cited below and to complain as well. Judith Miller should no longer be called a journalist. She has crossed over too many lines, too many times. * * * I was absolutely appalled by Judith Miller's hack job, Former Terrorism Official Criticizes White House on 9/11, published on March 22, 2004. For anyone who had seen the 60 minutes interview with Clarke, there is no doubt that this man is a patriot. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan and served under four presidents, three of whom were Republican. He is a career civil servant and as a counterterrorism expert for these administrations, he is in a position to know what he is talking about. He proves beyond a doubt that Bush has run an inept administration blinded by its own preconceived notions, and was prevented from going after the true enemies of this country because of outmoded notions and grandiose plans. Miller's details Bush administration objections to Clarke before she even presents Clarke's case. Her first paragraph says that Clarke lays blame equally on the Clinton and Bush administrations for a failure to fight terrorism when, based on the 60 minutes interview, this is patently not the case--in fact, Clarke speaks of how the Clinton Administration was successful in preventing the planned 1999/2000 terrorist attack on the Los Angeles airport. Miller has, in the past, relied too heavily on those in favor of going to war with Iraq for her stories. She has asserted that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; she has insisted on a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda when no connection ever existed. Clarke has come forward and insisted that U.S. intelligence knew categorically from the start that there was no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. This means that Judith Miller's stories over the past few years on this subject have been seriously flawed. Her "high-level" sources obviously did not include those in the best position to know and to be objective about Iraq and its (lack of) connection to Al Qaeda. In short, Miller has a dog in this fight. Clarke totally undermines her credibility by showing the flaws inherent in her reporting on Iraq and terrorism. And yet she writes an article under the guise of objectivity about a person whose information undercuts her former reporting. You should have known that she was not the person to write this article. Shame on you and on her. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Memo to Sen Kerry: Brevity is the soul of sound-bites Dear BuzzFlash, You had a Kerry story with his quote "John Kerry: "George Bush is proving to the American people that he is incapable of solving our economic problems for the simple reason that he doesn't see them" 3/22". Brevity, man, brevity. "George Bush can't fix our economy because he doesn't even know it's in trouble. He thinks things are just fine." You want lines that "flow" but sting, John. The American people are not impressed with intelligent speech. Don't use 4 syllables when one will do. Jim P Subj: Maybe This Should Be Called Treason-gate Dear Buzz This is going to be some week, what with the public 9/11 hearings, but with Richard Clarke's comments, things are about to fly. Already even your Newsweek pr link is spewing the Bush-ite line. "[Clarke] did not have much luck, in part because in both the Clinton and early Bush administrations, the top leadership did not back up Clarke and demand results." This directly contradicts Clarke's "60-minutes" interview where he said Clinton had the cabinet "at battle stations"--meaning Clarke reported personally to Clinton every day or two. But forget that lie. When you hear Bush-iters say "Well Clinton did nothing," we just need to say "apart from that being an easily provable lie, is your point that President Clinton didn't do enough, so since Bush did less than President Clinton we should vote for Bush and thing him a great leader?" Here's the link http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040321/nysu007a_1.html [...Justice Department Curtailed Highly Classified Program to Monitor Al Qaeda Suspects in the U.S.] As to the 9/11 Investigation hearings, according to C-Span's schedule http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp C-Span will broadcast it Monday starting at 1 pm EST, though they have a note that beginning and end times might change. They usually re-run such things later in the day, so you might want to check the schedule to see when. Jim P Subj: Open Letter to the World Even though Bush is president of the United States he affects every person on the planet - and not for the better. Bush has become a global menace and I call on the people of the world to do everything in their power to stop him. I would remind you that Bush has no problem with the idea of using your country and way he sees fit. I am concerned that if Bush isn't removed from office that we are going to end up in World War 3 but the end of this decade. We are the most powerful nation on the planet and we are controlled by madmen who were never elected in the first place. A year ago today Bush was talking about using nuclear weapons against Iraq in a war we now know he faked. I would ask you - what will the world look like 4 years from now if Bush isn't removed? For years America has been the beacon for freedom and democracy and has come to the aid of countries who's liberties were threatened. Today it is us who are coming to you because our liberty is threatened. And - we are a very dangerous nation - to dangerous to be in the wrong hands. Please help us. Marc Perkel |
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