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April 23, 2004 |
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Subject: What's with Bush's secrecy Kerry has his military records posted on-line. Wes Clark had his military records posted on-line. Why can't Bush post his military records on-line? What is he hiding? Is it the "principle of the thing" again? mv
Subject: Randi Rhodes In case you haven't heard this yet: Randi Rhodes [on talk radio] had a caller today who made a great suggestion regarding the pending disaster of electronic voting in November: vote via absentee ballot, being sure to make a copy of it before mailing. It is the only way to guarantee a paper trail. Liz Taylor
Subject: The Madness of "king george" Dear BuzzFlash, I sit here on a glorious summer afternoon in Northern Calif. Random thoughts bring me close to tears. I live in one of most beautiful countries in the world enjoying my retirement, and I look back on the past three years and what have we achieved. We have a leader who assumed power through a coup d'etat. A leader to whom God speaks. A leader who is as crazy as George 3 whose views of empire have captivated our crazy George who believes the Almighty has chosen him to bring freedom to the world! And what has the self-appointed leader of the free world achieved? The deaths of thousands, the destruction of a country where we should not be. The social destruction of our magnificent country. Giving obscene war profits and tax breaks to his rich friends. I could continue in this vein but to what purpose?. I am an old soldier from an allied country, now a citizen, and saw WW2. My father saw WW1 in France.. 60,000 soldiers were lost in one day in July in the Battle of the Somme. We are working our way towards endless war with a draft in the offing. There is a solution. FINISH THIS ILLEGAL WAR NOW. It will be a blow to our pride but we will then get the support of nations throughout the world and be able to rebuild Iraq the way the Iraqis wish. We will be able to hold our head up as a true democracy and not a one party neo-fascist nation bent on world supremacy. Thank you. A. Leslie
Palmer
BuzzFlash! Has anyone ever wondered if GW Bush has been hypnotized into believing that he has been sent from God to save all the people of the world? I was taught that God helps people not destroy them. mcwilli
Subject: Kerry Speech Coverage I was just watching John Kerry give an Earth Day speech in Houston, Texas. CNN had advertised earlier today that they were going to "cover it live." CNN covered it for l4 minutes (Fox for 7 minutes, MSNBC for 8 minutes), and when they cut away they had a guest all lined up to refute Kerry and praise Bush and tell us all how much the environment has improved during Bush's tenure. It was Myron Ebell from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. A brief review of their website shows links to such places as The Heritage Foundation, AEI and the Brookings Institute, etc. I think we should all write ( cnn@cnn.com ) or call CNN (l-404-827-l500) and insist that the next time Bush gives a speech they have someone from "our side" lined up to rebut him! If this is how it's gonna be every time Kerry gets any air time, it's gonna be a very, very, VERY long campaign. Melanie
Subject: The Draft While the idea of universal public service of some type is attractive, I am taking a hard-over position (with whomever will listen) that this Administration absolutely should NOT have the power to conscript. This Administration behaved totally irresponsibly with the permissions given them under the Iraq resolution and has since paid no mind to the accountability, as we have seen demonstrated in recent days. The Administration took a flying leap forward into this war in Iraq, figuring that well, we'll have Congress and the American people between a rock and a hard place and they'll have to give us what we want. That game is as 'old as the hills' in Washington and in corporate life. Moreover, the requests for money have been outside the regular budget process (how stupid do they think we are?), and it is total nonsense when Wolfowitz and others say we don't know how much we'll need. Why should we give them a blank check with human lives? Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable - John Kenneth Galbraith Ann H W Subject: "We'll all be dead."
Dear Mr. unelected (but, nonetheless, anointed by God) President, Since everything you do really doesn't matter because you'll be dead in the end anyway, then why are you making sure that you and your friends will die very, very rich and at the expense of the lives and well-being of the rest of us in the world? Hasn't God clued you in that you can't take it with you? Ever heard of the camel passing through the eye of the needle? What does God tell you about that? If freedom is the Almighty's gift to humanity, why do WE need to spread it around? Can't God do it? I'm curious about these endless conversations you have with God. Please tell us what God's big Plan is after you've murdered innocent people all over the planet in his name. Surely, being God's favorite, he lets you in on some of the Grand Plan. Or is this one of those 'don't ask because He assuredly won't tell' relationships? Judith
Foster,
Subject: Senator Paul Wellstone I thought that you would like to read this quote from Senator Paul Wellstone and the accompanying links. Politics is not about power. Politics is not about money. Politics is not about winning for the sake of winning. Politics is about the improvement of people's lives. It's about advancing the cause of peace and justice in our country and in our world. Politics is about doing well for people. http://www.winterboy.com/dejavu.html Forwarded by a BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Rumor of longer extensions for troops?? BuzzFlash, I read your site daily. Today I was hearing rumors of rumors that the US troops already extended in Iraq may now have to stay 6-9 months longer (equals 2 year deployment in Iraq)?? In our family we have 2 deployed, my son-in-law and my nephew, both with 1st Armored. They have already been there for 1 year and were extended. This morning my daughter (wife to soldier extended) was telling me she was hearing rumblings of rumors the soldiers are to be extended now another 6-9 months. The supposed reason is because many other countries are withdrawing their troops. Our family was just getting our legs under us with the devastating news of the extension as both our soldiers were to be home May 1, and this new rumor is sending my daughter over the edge. There is so little reliable information to access and yours is among our preferred choices for the rumblings and rumors. Help please, what can you find out about this or what do you know about this extended extension? Thank you, Lietta Ruger
Subject: The Bush Flyers This bush government reminds me of the philadelphia flyers hockey team which won the stanley cup in the 70s. their philosophy was to commit so many fouls that the referees could not keep up with them all, and to intimidate the other teams with their aggression. eventually the montreal canadians decided to stand up to their attacks and beat them at their own game. it was great to see the broad street bullies taken down but they did manage to win 2 stanley cups before they got their comeuppance, and of course they were always complaining that the referees were picking on them! this government is like a steamroller,waging war, destroying the economy for everybody but the wealthy, and viciously attacking anybody who dares call them on it.come to think of it, the press handles the whole thing like a sporting event, and the people we hear from in the interviews are just like rabid fans. of course the tv stations love it because it's great viewing-exciting, infuriating with fascinating plots and sub-plots surfacing every day. the tragedy is that it's not sport. it's life and death and destruction for thousands of people. i do hope somebody will get down there in the trenches soon and fight fire with fire. this last couple of weeks should have slowed them down but they continue to be as aggressive as ever. to think that they are still ahead in the polls is alarming when all the evidence against them has been brought to light. what are the 49% who still support him thinking? it's mind boggling! and worrying. chuck
Subject: editorials on the draft I love your website...it's my daily feeding ground.I was very grateful to read your editorials and links on the probability of the draft returning if Bush is reelected. I would like to hear something as well as to what is likely to happen if Kerry is elected. Can you have someone do an analysis? From Kerry's website http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/iraq/...part of his strategy for Iraq... Supply Our Military Commanders with the Additional Troops Requested. We have to succeed in Iraq. We simply can't allow it to become a failed state. That would mean a victory for extremism, new dangers in the Middle East and a breeding ground for anti-American terrorism. To succeed, we are going to need more forces on a temporary basis. Our commanders on the ground have requested it. We should provide it. Please comment...I would LOVE to hear that Kerry really presents an alternative on this one, but my fears say otherwise. Rebecca Tarver
Subject: VERY IMPORTANT - HR 2239 WE NEED TO HAVE PAPER VERIFIABLE VOTING MACHINES Dear BuzzFlash, I just want to remind your readers to please write/call/e-mail your Senators and Representatives to support HR 2239. This is the bill that Rep. Rush Holt (D), NJ, has introduced, which will make all voting machines have paper receipts to ensure that there are no malfunctions or rigging in the voting machines. It is IMPERATIVE that we have no possibilities of the Florida fiasco repeating itself in 2004, and we KNOW that the Bush regime wants to win, by hook or by crook, and we do not want any Republican-leaning companies who install the software for these machines rigging the election in any way. http://holt.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=8010 So please take a few minutes and put some pressure on those reluctant congress people! Thank you. BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Doonesbury I just had to write about this week's Doonesbury. I was totally blown away. I was a medic in the Army in the post-Vietnam 70's and later a military physician in the National Guard. The strip caught the duty and sacrifice of our nation's finest serving in the medical corps and the horrible feelings we experienced when we realize that one of our brothers was wounded or killed. My wife said, "It's just a cartoon strip," but Garry Trudeau's depiction of BD becoming an amputee was a wake-up call to what thousands of our troops and their families have suffered through and dreaded. What stronger message could he have sent about the horror of this war than by sacrificing one of his cartoon characters? Matt Goodwin,
MD [BuzzFlash Note: The series of cartoons mentioned above begins with this cartoon, we think. We also found this interesting article on why Trudeau made BD an amputee instead of him dying: "Why Doonesbury's B.D. Didn't Die."]
Subject: Do we have the government we have earned? Will Woodward's new book be "the final nail in Bush's political coffin"? I doubt it. As travesty has been heaped on travesty, outrage on outrage, the only consistent thread has been the deep, imperturbable indifference of the American voter. Any one of these, or a dozen other, derelictions and outright crimes that readily come to mind, should have resulted in Bush's removal from office:
Yet he polls as "a strong leader." The sad fact may be that a complacently ignorant electorate simply doesn't care to understand what he has done, and failed to do. This ignorance is actively encouraged by the media, which no longer bother with objective reporting, but give us almost exclusively "he asserts/he denies" "balanced coverage" instead. Where the truth lies is no longer their concern -- or, consequently, a concern of most voters. We are not a very politically active people, but meaningful action now is that much more difficult, as it must be based largely on distorted information, editorializing masquerading as reporting, and out and out propaganda instead of facts. Democracy can't work, and clearly hasn't, in that environment. And I think it is right to place the blame primarily on the media, TV in particular. Politicians may naturally descend to the lowest levels of behavior, but they will only persist in that behavior as long as it is successful. Lazy "balanced" news coverage encourages it. Imagine how different a campaign for President we might see if the lies, distortions, and misstatements of politicians (of any party) were objectively and disinterestedly dissected and set against the facts. Having such behavior routinely and widely exposed would discourage it. We might even have campaigns based on issues and not caricatures. But lazy, sloppy reporters ('repeaters,' more accurately) don't deserve all the blame. We've settled for the reality-based infotainment they peddle in place of real news. And the prospect for the future isn't cheering. The trajectory in this country has been steadily towards just the sort of belligerent, even boastful, ignorance the President exemplifies so well: "If I don't know it, how important can it be?" And if you know it and I don't, then you must be a snooty elitist (or French). It is our cherished national myth that we prize education and informed, skeptical intelligence, when in fact we are deeply suspicious of them. Contrast Bush and Gore in the "debates" of the last election: Appalling ignorance of world affairs and even of his own proposals were perceived as folksy approachability in Bush, while wide-ranging knowledge and understanding of issues was indicative of Gore's aloofness and lack of "warmth." I'm afraid that if the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, then, as an electorate, we are no longer sending in the minimum monthly payment. That vigilance, that informed attention, was (of course) meant to extend to our own government's activities, as well as to potential threats from without. And so we now have the government our lack of vigilance has earned us. I hope that, even if the trend is ultimately toward greater and more placidly intractable ignorance, we can still collectively earn the right, by working to be informed, to choose who governs us. That work gets harder and harder, but because I know readers of this site and others like it are doing that work, I still do hope for the best. Albert Clark, NY
Subject: Bush and "likely attacks before November"..... Dear BuzzFlash: I would appreciate it if someone could help me. I could have sworn I just saw a clip of Bush walking past a reporter and actually saying, "...there is likely to be another terrorist attack in the United States before November..." Or, was the reporter asking Bush if he had heard the poll about 67% of the public believing that there will be another attack? I do know I watched Bush wave the reporter off. Mary in Indiana
Subject: contact page for employer that fired the photographer Here is a contact page for Maytag Aircraft, the company that fired the lady for photographing the coffins. They are part of Mercury Air Group, Inc. I typed in Maytag Aircraft in Google and got the Mercury Air Group. Then I clicked on their "contact us" button which took me to the site below. I thought you might want to post the "contact us" page below and encourage the outraged to write to them. We should let them know what we think, shouldn't we? http://www.mercuryairgroup.com/newwebtrial/ContactForm.asppissed off patricia (for more reasons everyday!)
Subject: Pugs are the baby killers...not me. Dear Republicans, I am the mother of two boys. One of my babies is nineteen years old and very likely to be drafted into your bogus war in Iraq. I "chose life" twice. And the mothers of the 700 brave soldiers who have already died in Iraq CHOSE LIFE! You killed them and you're planning on killing more...maybe my baby! Remember that when you try to shove your Bible thumping, "PRO-LIFE" bullshit down my throat this election season! And remember the thousands of innocent Iraqi women and children you killed in your Chicken Hawk president's war he LIED us into! I frequently hear, coming from the mouths of so-called Christians, that they are tired of their tax dollars paying for state-funded abortions which they brazenly refer to as murder and baby killing. Well??? How many babies have you killed?? Add 'em up!! It's a thousand times more abortions than I ever had. (PS. Have your president and his daddy killed more Iraqi people than their ruthless dictator Saddam killed??? Just asking. I'd like to see those numbers.) Don't blame me. I voted for Al Gore! Nancy Lynn Nagy (TN) I am sure one of BuzzFlash's first 32 ...and been a reader everyday since. Great editorial today, BuzzFlash!
Subject: Mercury Air Group Mercury Air Group owns Maytag Aircraft, the cretinous president of which fired Ms. Silicio. If you Google these turds, you will find an article which reports that the contract to do the work in Kuwait was granted to Mercury for $18mil. You will also find some names and addresses to write to. I don't know, though, that the names and addresses are the ones that should be written to. Maybe you could find that out. A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Poison Fruit Dear BuzzFlash, When you have a bush that produces only poison fruit, by the bush's nature, you would be foolish to expect the bush to produce anything but poison fruit. Expecting it to produce anything good is just wishful thinking. A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Attacks on Kerry in the US HOUSE I am enraged! I just saw the most vicious and well-coordinated attack ad on John Kerry that I have ever seen. It was obviously well-scripted and everyone was on point. As much as the distortion of Kerry's voting record on military and defense issues galls me, especially when the issue of his speaking out against the Viet Nam War is thrown in for effect, what really disgusts me is that it was done on the House floor by Republican congressmen. It is one thing for such campaign smears and rhetoric to be said from the political stump, it is quite another when the floor of the US House of Representatives is used for this overt political purpose. These people are shameless. These are the same people who complained that Bill Clinton did dastardly things in the "people's house." The House of Representatives is truly the people's house-- it does not belong to the Republicans alone. By turning its chambers into a partisan place of party loyalty and shilling that intends to intimidate and dissuade dissent, it is they who have dishonored the people's house. It is time to take our government back and stop this kind of political assassination and the politics of personal destruction that is the modus operandus of this administration. It is once again time for this to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. In addition, John Kerry needs to hurry up and select a VP so he does not have to fight these partisan attacks alone. I personally think that John Edwards is the man--that big broad grin gives good cover to the articulate mind and mouth of the accomplished speaker he is. It is easier to defend someone else other than yourself. Kerry will once again regain some momentum if he has someone else to defend him as well as to carry his message. As someone who has lived in Texas for over 30 years, the George W. Bush campaign is a slash and burn operation. Bush would have made General Sherman proud. In Georgia, Sherman ordered everything destroyed in his March to the Sea. Bush operates the same as he attempts to win his "re-election." I look for sound bytes of the congressmen's attacks on Kerry to be all over the news tonight.........especially Fox. Peggy in TX
Subject: Are TROOPS the same as SOLDIERS???(Forwarded to BuzzFlash by sender) To whom it may concern, What's wrong with this article in today's newspaper? [ref to The Boston Globe and The Associated Press, April 22, 2004, "Upsurge in violence rapidly draining war budget] What's wrong with the news agencies covering news on Iraq? Is the misuse of the word "troop" coming out of the reporters mouths or from the Pentagon? By inserting this incorrect word: Troop, for soldier, the Pentagon can dehumanize the impact.Okay, it's subtle, and according to Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, "even a ground squirrel in this country" knows that a troop is a group of people (most often used to the military context). Is the White House dumbing-down or purposefully using the less emotional, and wrong, word? When soldiers risk and lose their lives for their country, shouldn't they get the RESPECT due to them by being referred to as: people, individuals, soldiers??? I find this word use not only in bad taste grammatically, but appalling. I likewise find that media appalling at continuing to use this word and not raising this question themselves. Men and women are dying...throw them a bone of respect. Sign me, Disgusted in Julian, California
Subject: Bush refuses mtg with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bush has repeatedly refused to bring Congress into the loop with regard to planning for Iraq. This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings Tuesday and Wednesday. They were also supposed to hold hearings Thursday. However, the White House refused to send any high level representatives from the White House or the Pentagon. It was announced, however, that Bush was inviting Republicans (only) to meet with him about Iraq. Republicans on the Committee, and needless to say the Democrats, are furious. Jackie N. Subject: Mass Graves in Iraq Dear Friends: Can anyone tell me: what is the difference between the mass graves filled before the invasion and after the invasion? They are full of dead people, and it probably does not make much difference to their families who killed them. We are told, that we invaded Iraq to "liberate" the people and get rid of Saddam who killed so many people. Now thousands are killed again. Is that "liberation"? Gus Pohlig Subject: Impeach Mr. Bush An important link: http://capwiz.com/votetoimpeach/dbq/media/ Let's all write to as many newspapers, radio stations and other forms of media to let our grievances be known!! Regards, Roark * * * Here's my recent letter: Dear [newspaper / publication], Quite simply, Mr. Bush should be impeached. He stole the election in 2000. Period. He deliberately misled us into this war our men and women in the armed services (and contractors) are currently fighting in Iraq. Why? For profit for him and his rich friends. He has committed treason! He rigged the election in 2000. He's likely to remain in office after this year's election because the voting system has not and will not be properly addressed until at least 2006!! Enough already. Bush is a liar and a thief. He's caused 700 soldiers to die needlessly. He's made our country more susceptible to terror, both domestic and abroad. This is the truth! While he should have been addressing the terrorists that were in Afghanistan after 9/11, he took at least $200 million of the $700 that was supposed to go to the war in Afghanistan (clearly where al Qaeda was being harbored) and spent the $ instead on this horrible waste of $ in this new war on Iraq. Iraq is now likely to result in civil war. Mr. Bush was told the documents from Niger tying Saddam Hussein to interest in uranium from Nigeria had been forged. He was told this by Mr. Wilson. What did he do? He made sure information about Wilson's wife, namely that she was CIA was leaked. Some leak. It was more of a downpour! His cronies 'leaked' this information to several prominent newspapers in an attempt to punish Mr. Wilson by putting his wife in harm's way. This is also an act of treason as it not only compromises the safety and security of the Wilson's but also the safety and security of this very nation! Impeach. Impeach. Impeach! Thank you. p.s. It is worth remembering historical precedent. In July 1974 the House Judiciary Committee voted for articles of impeachment for President Nixon for lying to the people and to Congress. Within a month Nixon resigned from office. Nixon's political demise came less than two years after he won one of the largest landslide electoral victories in U.S. history. Also: The Bush Administration and Attorney General John Ashcroft have treated the Bill of Rights with contempt and have sought to roll-back decades of hard won civil rights and rights for working people. This President has claimed for himself the authority to jail citizens and residents of the United States indefinitely, without any charge against them, without trial and without access to a lawyer. Sincerely, Roark Subject: Bush Chatter One lesson we all should have learned by now is that the Bush crew telegraph's their future plans for us by planting seeds early. One of the seeds is that we are going to get hit by terrorists domestically before the upcoming elections. Another is the low key talk of martial law. Can we connect the dots? I realize this is probably paranoia, but these people have fostered this kind of thinking by their own bent for keeping the public in the dark and outright lying to us. The Diebold voting machines, the smearing of a war hero, the traitorous outing of a CIA agent, the diversion of funds, the no-bid Halliburton contracts, the upward price swing of oil, the arrogant unaccountability all smell of anti-democracy despotism. I want you all to think back to the 2000 election when Bush was told he had lost Florida on live television. He was totally nonplussed and emphatic in asserting that the information was a mistake. Why so sure? It struck me as odd at the time and I have never forgotten it. We should watch and listen very carefully to these people. Freedom is more than a buzzword. Jack P. Subject: A New Strategy Greetings, BuzzFlash I would like to propose a different strategy to break through the force field surrounding the press - surround the media. Seriously. Organize people to surround ABC, CBS NBC CNN LA Times, NY Times, WPost - Chicago Trib.... all of them. Biiiiiig signs "CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?" "DUE DILIGENCE?" "BUSH AND THE SAUDI PRINCE?" Whatever - just let's take it directly to them! Martha
Sterling-Golden Subject: We need an investigation When the buildings were still burning and bodies were yet to be found, the bush administration gathered up the bin laddin family from all around the us and flew them out of the country. The administration moved too slow on enron and 9/11, but they moved pretty fast to take care of their business partners. How connected to the saudi's is this administration financially? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Naples a republican base? Having spent the winter as a painting contractor in Naples ,Fla..our customer base being primarily upper middle class retirees,I did not find one single customer who supported Bush and his henchmen. I was amazed at the utter disdain most of these people held for them!!Not one was fooled by Rove and co's spin. Makes me wonder about the so-called polls the media quotes. Phil (now in Vermont) Subject: Re: Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward All these people in their books are telling the truth about the Bush administration. Front the start G.Bush intention was to go to war against Saddam Hussein. All the lives being lost and billions of dollars being spent because of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld is shameful. Now they should be the ones to be drafted to fight this war. I don't think they would be as quick to send troops to death camps if they had to face a gun every waking moment themselves.They should be impeached. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Thank "God" for Morons . . . So G. "Stumbler" UI believes "God" talks to him? He's wrong. Absolutely wrong. I know, because "God" talks to me -- and "He" told me just this morning that "He" _doesn't_ talk to G. "Stumbler" UI. "God," was "He" ever furious: "I _do not_ talk to Bushit!" "He" said. Direct quote! "He" then said that, had "He" chosen Bushit to be "President," "He" would have fixed the election in such a way that Bushit would not have had to violate "His" commandment, "Thou shall not steal." And reminded of another relevant commandment: "Thou shall not lie" does _not_ include the phrase, "-- unless one is Bushit". "He" was detectably sad when reminding that being gleeful about killing is not an exemption from "His" commandment, "Thou shall not kill." "He" then fell silent for a long moment, seemed even sadder, almost as if a fatalist, while searching for the correct words, then advised: "Thank 'God' for the moron Bushit; he is a gift: he gives you all someone to whom to feel superior!" Humbled, I did not respond, but did note "His" excellent grammar. Joe
Nagarya Diebold machines should get the boot in a lot of states. If those machines are used in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and some of these other large states G.Bush will steal the election again. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Draft People the draft IS coming if Bush get elected/appointed. A few months ago I ran across an article on BuzzFlash suggesting that the draft was coming and that if it is coming, a few progressive thinkers should be trying to be on the local boards. A link was given where one could go to initiate the process of volunteering. I sent in the required information and in due time received a packet with a booklet and more paperwork to fill out and send in, which I did. Soon I was contacted by a Repuglican Michigan State Senator who asked to set up a time to interview me. The interview went well as I tried to maintain and even keel and not throw the slime monger out of my house. About a week ago I received a letter from Governor Granholm informing me that she had forwarded my name to the pResident of the United States for appointment as a remembered of a Selective Service Board. approximately one week later, on April 20, 2004, I received a letter from the office of the pResident informing me that I have been appointed a member of the Selective Service System . Now I await instructions as to when and where I will be sent to receive training. It's a done deal folks. Cliff In Michigan Subject: Counter-Attack All right already -- it's time for Kerry to counter-attack. If I see one more Bush commercial on TV making fun of Kerry's voting record I'm going to scream. In my view, Kerry should blow the whole 50 million he just raised on a spate of TV commercials against Bush. It's time to drop the scholarly, gentlemanly erudite approach and start lashing out. Kerry is out there getting whacked, day after day, and I'm just not seeing much of a response. He should put together a rapid response team; e.g., Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, a few articulate movie stars, etc., and start fanning out everywhere. I mean every TV talk show, radio show, op-ed page, call press conferences, and in short, just launch a full court press. I have the utmost respect for Kerry's campaign people, but where oh where is the aggression? Rove and his boys aren't going to fight under the rules of the Marcus of Queensbury. Donald P. Russo, Bethlehem, Pa
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: On Earth Day 2004, Scientific Integrity is Another Casualty of the Bush Administration The Union of Concerned Scientists issued a report in March 2004 entitled Scientific Integrity in Policymaking: An Investigation into the Bush Administration's Misuse of Science. The report documents the Bush administration's consistent efforts to censor and distort the scientific research that informs policymaking on a broad range of issues including climate change, air quality, endangered species, workplace safety, forest health, military intelligence, and reproductive health issues such as breast cancer and HIV/AIDS. The findings of the investigation are as follows: "1. There is a well-established pattern of suppression and distortion of scientific findings by high-ranking Bush administration political appointees across numerous federal agencies. These actions have consequences for human health, public safety, and community well-being." "2. There is strong documentation of a wide-ranging effort to manipulate the government's scientific advisory system to prevent the appearance of advice that might run counter to the administration's political agenda." "3. There is evidence that the administration often imposes restrictions on what government scientists can say or write about 'sensitive' topics." "4. There is significant evidence that the scope and scale of the manipulation, suppression, and misrepresentation of science by the Bush administration are unprecedented." The report calls on Bush, Congress and the public to take immediate steps to reverse this dangerous trend and to restore the integrity of science in the federal policymaking process by demanding: investigative hearings into the allegations raised in the report, assurance that scientific advisory appointees meet high professional standards, protection against the domination of advisory panels by individuals with vested interests, guaranteed public access to government scientific studies, and re-establishment of an independent organization (similar to the former Office of Technology Assessment) to provide Congress with guidance on technical questions effecting public policy. Both the 49-page Full Report and the 3-page Executive Summary are available at the following link: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1322 A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Another Empty Promise Alert Hi Buzz! Happy Earth Day! Don't you just love Georgie Porgie's promise in Maine today? I especially love all the rhetoric about how "vital" the wetlands are and how he is so "committed to their preservation". Oh, really? Since when? Certainly not when our new governor here in Louisiana -- mere days after her inauguration -- sat in the back of a limo and begged, BEGGED, Bush to help save our wetlands, which we are losing to the tune of something like ONE ACRE per day (I'm not sure of the figure, that might actually be low). It is so important to us that it is the ONLY issue Gov. Blanco brought up to him during her very limited audience with him. And his response? No comment save for a tepid token offer which was almost a waste of Gov. Blanco's time. What a sleaze. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, A
Patriot Opposed to War Subject: Bush's visit to Wells Maine 4/22/04 Hi Buzzers, My son and I just returned from a peaceful protest in Wells, Maine to celebrate Earth Day and protest bush's visit to Laudholm Farm, a nature preserve located on the beautiful coast of Maine. Our day started at 8 a.m. and It was estimated that there were more than 300 of us in attendance lining route 1. Campaign contributors and the Press were bussed in and had to stop in front of us so they could be o.k.'d by state troopers to continue on to the farm. Although I did see "The Press" taking photo's of us through the bus windows (they were in the bus marked " Press"), we were only covered by local stations and New England Cable News (NECN). My son and I handed out various bumper stickers (BuzzFlash included) and Kerry pins helping to spread Democracy. Around 11 a.m. the "riot police" arrived (which is a riot in itself if you've ever been to Maine !) and they lined the road in front of us just to be sure that we weren't going to throw lobsters or seaweed at bush. Finally around 11:30 a.m. the Coast Guard helicopter appeared overhead (it travels just above the motorcade probably searching the woods for Osama). First police cars, sirens blaring, then came the black suburbans with dual American flags on the hood. They were traveling rather fast, God forbid georgie junior should see any Democracy in action, but the fact is WE WERE SEEN ! Our local and state police respected our right to peaceful assembly on the motorcade route (for which I thanked them.) To be fair, we did see three elderly ladies holding bush/cheney signs. This visit was in stark contrast to bush's visit to Kennebunkport in july 2002. In those days we just pulled over, got out of the car and stood with a dozen or so people to watch the motorcade drive by. No "riot" police, I recall just the local police. The world still felt sorry for America's tragedy and bush didn't have to run and hide in those days. FYI: I believe it cost's the good people of Maine about $1 million dollars a day every time bush comes to visit. That's a hefty price tag when you consider there are just over 1 million year round residents. Bush's speech/lies on all of the wonderful things that he and his administration have done for our environment just ended and was covered on our local stations here. Of course he had the same stupid joke he uses everywhere he goes. To paraphrase: Thank you mayor, you're doin' a great job....just keep pickin' up the garbage and fillin' in the pot holes. Unfortunately we had to watch his speech on t.v. because apparently we weren't invited to Laudholm Farm. A
BuzzFlash Reader (P.S. Thanks BuzzFlash for the great "chicken-hawk-in-chief" tee-shirt. I wore it today and everybody loved it !) Subject: Bush, according to Woodward, put our troops in harm's way by revealing plan to Saudi's BuzzFlash, It is treasonous to reveal top secret war plans to an enemy. If 15 out of 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, then any person from Saudi Arabia has potential links to these terrorists and / or those groups that sponsored the 9/11 attacks. Prince Bandar is from Saudi Arabia and has many links to Bin Laden, especially through the Bush's. Blood is thicker than water. And the Bin Laden family is very close to the Bush's and Osama is a son of that family and who really knows if he has contact with his family and just how much his family contacts or supports him. We don't know and I am sure there are many family members who still support Osama Bin Laden, both in spirit and financial ways. My guess is that Bin Laden is probably hiding out back in Saudi Arabia. Where else could he blend in and be out of the probing eyes of the United States? And there is not much chance that the USA would go in and bomb Saudi Arabia like it did Iraq. Giving our war plans to Prince Bandar has endangered this country. Perhaps the Iraqi's decided to lay low after seeing the massive assault contemplated and pretend to be scattered through out Iraq and not put up an initial resistance. Who really knows? But we do know that showing TOP SECRET WAR PLANS to Prince Bandar or anyone who does not have clearance, is illegal, treasonous, and STUPID! It makes me think that Bush is the axis of evil and stupidity. Our Armed Forces should be outraged. Imagine if FDR had shown the Crown Prince of Japan our war plans after Pearl Harbor. This country should be outraged. I am. I guess the bottom line is that this Bush administration is above the law and beneath contempt. Alice Bentley Subject: Pictures of Coffins . . . Dear BuzzFlash: The coffins of our honored dead cannot be shown to the public lest the public lose the perception that this war is just a high-definition video game..... Mary in Indiana Subject: As a Republican . . . I can't understand how you Democrats can say that George Bush and his honorable cabinet members haven't learned anything after a year in Iraq. Just this week our top man in Iraq announced that we need Saddam's old generals to get things back under control. We are also considering reinstate Saddam in some capacity to help with the June 30th deadline. So I don't want to hear you liberals say that we Republicans haven't learned anything. After all, we've spent less than 90 billion dollars on the war to date, and most of that money came out of the Medicare and Social Security slush funds, money that would have just been wasted on the sick, lame and old anyway. You Democrats are just jealous because we've got Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld on our side. Bob Miller Subject: A Culture of Denial Dear BuzzFlash, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island) at the Senate hearings on the Iraq " handover" characterized the Bush administration with "There's a cultural of denial in this Administration." Then he went on to detail some of their more obvious ones regarding Iraq. I think that's the best tag I've seen on Bush and his mistakes--a culture of denial. Jim P Subject: The Draft I read your editorial on the draft with a mixture of wry amusement and trepidation. Wry amusement because it brought back memories of the day I took my draft physical not long after the Viet Nam war was really stoking up. In typical military fashion, all of us unfortunates had to travel en masse on a train to the central induction center in Chicago (I recall it was on Van Buren St. for trivia buffs) and while riding I met a former college acquaintance who'd been caught in the net with me. He informed me that he was going to escape; he was going to tell the authorities that he was a "homo." (In those days I don't recall hearing the word "gay.") When I told him that would be a mistake, that the reason for rejection would prevent him from finding a decent job (as most readers who lived through these times know, the discrimination again gays was fierce then), he replied that his father owned a business and that he would be working for him. I lost track of this guy after we arrived at our destination, so I never did find out what happened to him. I didn't want to lie so I took my chances, but that's another story. (I was listening to Limbaugh this morning ridiculing John Kerry for saying something about the Mekong Delta to a crowd in Louisiana---comparing the climates I think. I usually can't listen to the chosen one's disgusting bombasts for more than a half hour, but today I had to slam my finger into the car radio button after about ten minutes. I don't begrudge people for avoiding Viet Nam, but for a chicken hawk like Limbaugh to ridicule Kerry on his Viet Nam service! I still can't comprehend the brazen shamelessness this man exhibits. But when I pressed the button again, I discovered Al Franken on another station . Welcome relief!). But now to trepidation. I have two sons. The oldest has three things going for him. One, he'll turn 26 in December. Two, he's color blind. And best of all, he's gay. The other, though, is 20 now, straight, and physically and mentally fit. A prime candidate for the Iraq meat grinder. I wouldn't stop him from enlisting if he believed in the war or if he wanted a military career. But he doesn't on either count. I'm feeling bad about the troops over there now, believe me. It's really bothering me, because I can relate to them. They're being wasted, just like in the Nam. But with a draft, thousands more men and now women too maybe, will be wasted, on Iraq and other adventures that Bush might enter. And for what? Writers to this column have sufficiently documented and explained well these points so I need not continue in this vein. I enjoyed the final paragraphs of your editorial. But don't you think that perhaps the Pentagon will suddenly see the "value" of "giving gays a chance to serve their country" if the draft is reinstated? I know it's tiresome, but the Viet Nam analogy returns again here: I recall that the army, at least, lowered mental standards for acceptance as the Viet Nam war progressed. They stated that the lower IQ groups should have the "opportunity" to serve their country just like their more "intelligent" peers. And you know these guys didn't get staff assignments in the states! Now, as you aptly pointed out, how many straight guys will suddenly discover that they're gay?? But about a woman draft. I don't think we'll suddenly find more lesbians in our society. Instead, I think the population will make a sudden upward surge unless the administration decides that pregnant women will fight all the harder to protect the unborn. And yeh, I don't think we'll be seeing those Bush twins carrying their load. You're right on the mark about them. As you are right on the mark about so many things. I've been reading you for two or three years now, since I accidentally discovered your site. I have some other thoughts about our current horrific political situation, but will withhold them for a later mailing. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Senator Lindsey Graham and flag-drapped caskets. He just said on the Today Show, "Don't show flag-drapped coffins because these are people". Why are our war dead people and the Iraqi civilians we have maimed and killed collateral damage? Aren't they people? Why can't we know who our money is killing? By the way, why isn't Graham over there since he is in the active reserves and volunteered to serve. My guess is he volunteered either to get out of Vietnam if he is old enough or to have military service on his campaign resume. Remind all of us where and when he fought for his country? After all, showing the caskets may cause more to volunteer and it might point out that all of those ads saying, "Most in the guard serve one weekend a month" is a lie. Kids who have no money for college join to serve one weekend a month. Not one child of the Bush family or one child of any person on the Bush administration has a child in the military or in Iraq and only one child of a congressman is in Iraq. Name all the children of all the board members and major stock holders of all the corporations who are serving in Iraq, that will make a killing on this war. The Bush family along with the members of the Carlyle Group have been making millions off of the profits from wars. They are also the ones who got the surplus that we need to give armor to our troops. Most of our troops make less than $1400 a month and contract employees of Halliburton and others make $100,000 a year and some are mercenaries. Report that to the family members of all those kids in the flag-drapped caskets, who don't get to chose the wars they fight in. Report how much Cheney made from Halliburton last year. When they have to bring back the draft, how many kids of privilege will opt out as usual. They just inherit the spoils, they don't serve. Karen Webb
Hi BuzzFlash, The American-trained Iraqi Civilian Defence Corps (ICDC) have become such a joke that their members would rather join the resistance than fight them...it's safer. Most stay at home or simply hand their weapons to the first fighter they see. Their ranks are full of insurgents, some of whom led the American mercenaries to their deaths a few weeks ago while on a mission in Falluja (Hey, I thought they were 'guarding food convoys'. Next story will be 'delivering kittens to the orphanage'!). There is an excellent interview by Paul McGeough of the Sydney Morning Herald with some real Iraqis at 'Occupation Watch'. Things are falling apart. Meanwhile, the MediaWhores and talking heads on Disney/AOL/CNN/FoxNews keep telling us things are looking up every day. In every way. Getting Better and Better. http://www.occupationwatch.org/article.php?id=4283 Andy
Grainger Subject: Pictures of Coffins Banning pictures of the coffins of the dead returning from Iraq has nothing to do with protecting the privacy of grieving families and everything to do with disguising the human cost of the war. Pictures of the flag draped coffins of unidentified soldiers only let us share some small part of the grief of families who have lost a loved one. Does Bush want to rob us of our right to empathize too? Albert Clark, NY
So why is it ok for bush and his people to be liars but it's not ok to call them liars? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: ARE BUSH SUPPORTERS WILLING TO DRAFT THEIR KIDS? I THINK NOT! Dear BuzzFlash, I bet that if you tell the morons who supported this war that their kids will be the first to be drafted (after all they are so patriotic) and that they will have to pay higher taxes to pay for this meaningless war, you will find the polls showing support for this war getting less and less! I wish these people had the smarts to realize that having a leader in the white house, who thinks that God has chosen him to bring liberty to other nations, is the most dangerous leader for our nation. If this disaster is elected (for the first time?) we should anticipate more nations being "liberated", more deaths, more deficits, and we can be having "crusades" around the world, at the expense of our young kids. There is absolutely no hope for these misguided, blind, ignorant Bush supporters. By the way, don't you think that Sen Kerry releasing his military records, has backfired on the GOP smear machine? What an incredible record! Bush's pathetic service records pales into insignificance! They are trying to make Sen. Kerry out to be weak on security matters, and they are playing their filthy games once again, just like they did with Sen McCain and Sen Cleland. John Kerry has a low down, devious, vicious lot to run against, and who is determined to win using any dishonest means. It is so predictable to see them now attacking Teresa H. Kerry, it disgusts me to see these republicans attacking spouses of our democratic leaders. IT WILL GIVE ME GREAT JOY TO SEE THEM LOSE IN NOVEMBER! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Rice, lecturing the world on quagmires in January 2000 Quotes
Subject: Food for Thought Dear BuzzFlash: Above my computer I have posted the following quotation: "MEN NEVER DO EVIL SO COMPLETELY AND CHEERFULLY AS WHEN THEY DO IT FROM RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS." Philosopher
Blaise Pascal Subject: Just a thought Why is it that George Bush can use a flag draped casket in a commercial to bolster his political career, but the media and the public are not allowed to see any flag draped caskets of soldiers killed in Iraq that are returning home? Scott
Fields Subject: Unwarranted and undignified? Hey Buzz: In a piece about the Pentagon's anger over photos of flag-draped coffins being released (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Mortuary-Photos.html), there's this quote: ``Quite frankly, we don't want the remains of our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice to be the subject of any kind of attention that is unwarranted or undignified,'' said John Molino, a deputy undersecretary of defense. Well, I think allowing Americans to see the coffins of U.S. service members who died unnecessarily because our president lied us into a war where they lost their lives is ENTIRELY warranted. And what exactly about a flag-draped coffin is undignified? Further down in the article, another Pentagon lackey suggests family members should be the first to see the dead, but I don't see how these photos violate their right to privacy. The coffins are anonymous, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They simply illustrate in a quiet, moving way the tragic consequences of war. And that's what the Pentagon is really afraid of. Sincerely, A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Why Do SOME Vets Love Chickenhawks? After it was commented on that the VFW had honored chickenhawk Bill O'REILLY, somebody questioned it. Oh, yes, there was a pic in the VFW magazine of O'REILLY being handed a certificate at a VFW powwow, smiles and handshakes all around. Something for being "a good American" or "an OUTSTANDING AMERICAN" or "being the FLOWER of Americanism" or "the epitome of EVOLUTIONARY American, uh, 'Creationist'". You know the tune: Among our broad-brush comrades, it's the external trappings of "patriotism" that count, not the inner meaning. So, the VFW, many of whose members revile a fellow vet like KERRY, bend right over to kiss chickenhawk ass. I wouldn't doubt that they have similarly "honored" HANNITY. For sure, Shrub, despite that what the VFW members fought for was supposedly democracy and for "brothers". They prefer an AWOL "brother" than a real one. They would LOVE to kiss LIMBOsevic's pinodial cyst if they haven't already, on the grounds that he SOUNDS kick-ass "for 'Murica". And I understand. You know, if we want somebody to go put their lives on the primordial line, they can't be Hamlet stewing, they need to be more, uh, physical. John Garza Subject: mailbag 2/22/04 Scarlet..Suzanne and LP Scarlet....I love the word...if you do not mind, I will actually plagiarize it......great word, Chimpeach!! Suzanne, thank you and thanks to everyone who has been so great upon my granddaughters return. She has not taken the time for the separation therapy, because she had just arrived home, when her friend, the British security worker, was killed in an ambush...all that is going to have to be done, before she can heal. I will call again this weekend to see what the plans are....it is taking a long time to get his body home to Pretoria. And, to LP...Charlie Rangel has always been one of my favorites...he has the greatest one liners to stop them dead in their tracks than any other person in any branch of government. To those who worry about a Draft....let me tell you what I think....It likely will not happen with a Bush administration. There are just too many damned kids that are in republican households...and now, after all the draft talk and dodging in VietNam....people would just watch too closely. Jeb Bush has a son who really should be there...both the Chimps daughters should be there...it might make them grow up. Every senator or congressman who is republican.. almost everyone..has draft age kids....and they will not do it. So, Rummy is saying he does not see the need...all republicans are making the same noise...so I don't think there is any fear. When we will have to watch out, is if Kerry wins in Nov. and they start with t he draft talk then. If the congress and senate is a little more evenly divided, it may not go anywhere, but if not....they try...you can bet! You see, they want our kids to go and die...not theirs!! Shirley.............St.Louis Subject: The Spoils of War "This week the public radio program "Marketplace" is running a series titled "The Spoils of War," which documents a level of corruption in Iraq worse than even harsh critics had suspected," Paul Krugman. Listen for yourself: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/features/iraq/index.html BuzzFlash Reader |
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