June 17, 2004
The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag.
Subject: Hunter S. Thompson
I hope HST continues to speak out against the Bush family and the current
WH policies. As far as attacking Dr. Thompson, it is no surprise that Bush
(re)pubbies are doing so. They also attack Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., albeit not
as vociferously. And KVj is very much against war and Bushco's policy. Thank
you, BuzzFlash, for reminding us that free speech is to be cherished, especially
when it exposes one of the most corrupt and secretive governments in the World.
Marguerite B. Subject: Maureen Farrell and Hunter Thompson For Maureen Farrell, Thank you for your latest contribution. Your pieces range from wonderful
to fabulous. Keep it up for us. Colleen Clark Subject: Why does it seem the thing "conservative" Republicans are scared
of is the truth? Why does it seem the thing "conservative" Republicans are scared of is
the truth? It is openly acknowledged that this is the most secretive US
administration probably in history. You don't hide everything unless there
is something to hide. When they try to keep people from seeing Fahrenheit
9-11, that merely proves they are so frightened of the truth that character
assassination and secrecy is vital to furthering their agenda. ANYONE who
does not acknowledge these simple facts is ignorant, stupid or dishonest.
Larry Parker Subject: Cheney Cheney's harsh philosophy and contempt for democracy aside, the reasons
for his erratic behavior and loose relationship with the truth could be
medical. His heart condition could be compromising the supply of oxygen
to his brain. This could be easily verified and should be. Sincerely, Carol Davidek-Waller Subject: Jay Leno According to the "New York Times," last year white house
R. Brown Subject: Otto Reich Watch, Otto Reich will join Bush's "re"-election team to try to solidify
the Florida Cuban vote -- apparently some of that bloc is peeling off
a bit because Bush hasn't offered Fidel an exploding cigar yet (they
probably would literally like an Iraqi-like pre-emptive strike on Cuba). Dave Dorsett Subject: Bush & Hitler Two headline stories on BuzzFlash, a common theme: it drives people
into frothing mania when one mentions Bush and Hitler within paragraphs
of each other (see: Hunter S. Thompson, Margaret Cho). Sometimes it
even drives "liberals" into frothing mania while furiously working to
distance themselves from the "lunatic fringe" at lightspeed. What I want to know is exactly what imaginary line is there left to
be crossed to make the comparison factually valid? Does Dubya actually
have to wear a swastika? Grow a little moustache? If anyone out there
has an idea as to what the line is, I'd be grateful for the clue. I'm
sick of being forced to wear the metaphorical tin-foil hat. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: W.'s free travel W. did this a few months ago with a fundraiser for his own campaign
at Craig McCaw's house. He then made the 10-minute flight to McChord
AFB to "rally the troops" and write off virtually the
entire trip. Campaign
2004: Bush visit is a bargain for Nethercutt camp WASHINGTON -- When President Bush swoops majestically into Spokane
tomorrow aboard Air Force One to campaign for George Nethercutt,
it will mark both a golden opportunity to raise money and an incredible
bargain for the Republican who hopes to unseat incumbent Sen.
Patty Murray this fall. Bush will be the featured speaker at a fund-raiser that could
bring Nethercutt more than $1 million. He also will fly with Bush
from Washington, D.C., meaning he will be at Bush's side as they
step off Air Force One, a priceless image that is likely to be
reproduced in newspapers and television broadcasts across the
region. It's a disgraceful practice, and W. and Cheney have been using
it shamelessly. Craig Howard Subject: Mail of 6/16 To RB....I also saw the Lou Dobbs show...and was amazed. Most of
the time when Solia....what an awesome thing...that address....I would imagine
for a republican president....the fear of the number 666, would
be daunting....I think it likely fits the Iowamike....that show with Bush and the two women who had no actual
voice, just puppets...which Bush has had much experience with...was
so obvious it was hideous. I watched in horror and disgust...as
they seemed to say their lines as if coached....for a long time!! And to Karen G....I heard the same Rush show. Yeah, you know, I
am the one who listens to Rush in my car...just to see what greater
lies he can come up with today? Well, since she likely got the divorce.....he
came up with a dandy, right? I thought at the time, he is going
down for the count. Can you imagine what a bummer it is to him,
after thirteen years, to be beat out by the likes of Al Franken...Yeeeeee
Hawwwwww! I knew he could do it...and no matter what BS....Rush
says, everyone is at last seeing what he is! But, still, maybe except
for Cheney, Rush is without doubt the best liar....course, there
is always Dick Cheney!!! And lastly but not leastly...to Bruce in Orange Tx....sad to hear
and at least wise to hear...that someone else sees the republican
rant as I do. I know, because in Jan.2004, I lost my job...I know
only three rabid democrats (family) and never see them. I keep in
touch by e-mail with a cousin who is a good democrat, is back in
the running for Representative in Missouri....I hope he makes it,
but Missouri in the outstate...away from St. Louis and Kansas City....all
so right wing. Greene County...Springfield, home of Ashcroft.....is
so republican no one gets to first base there without being a right
winger!!! But, the last month has been especially hard for me...four weekends
in a row, I have been away from home...first trip to my husband's
family reunion....thousands of rabid republicans, and I was baited
(that is my word for it, for anyone who tries to change my mind),
by talking about a relative who thinks Dubya is getting a raw deal!
Yeah, well, now they know what I went through in the late nineties...up
theirs!! Also, in talking to my son, who was having everyone over for a
graduation party for his son...we discussed the Reagan funeral....and
I kept my mouth shut and was nice...(even though Reagan is responsible
for my nephew's death) yeah, I know, that is a little much...but
Marty was in training to be an Air Traffic Controller...and, of
course, lost his job...went looking and died in a car accident at
22....but, I was still nice. Then he dropped the bomb...and I even handled that well... He said,
in the usual republican way, "I heard that Clinton and Carter
were mad because they didn't get to speak at Reagan's funeral."
...And I said, I had not heard that....and he said,"yeah!"
like it mattered to me...he was also sporting a Bush/Cheney sticker
on his fridge...ain't that cute??? Well, I have mine ordered, and
when they come to my house, Kerry will be loud on my fridge....lol...to
all those who absolutely and without any knowledge of what they
are doing.....love Bushie to death. There is now a cartoon (we have
a wonderful artist/cartoonist in the Post Dispatch) this one is
a little tiny Bush and Rice with their funny faces...pointing at
each other. And prominently...to the side, is the huge oil painting
of Clinton with a mustache and crazy eyes....sort of like Saddam,
I would suppose...it is great. These two tiny little people, tiny
minds...pointing to each other (the way this administration has
always been) no one ever knows who did it, but Hey, I didn't! It
is on my fridge until Kerry lands there... Good to be reading the mail, Buzz, and however you have to do it,
we will Shirley.............St.Louis Subject: Toxix Tom DeLay said of Bell: "I have never liked the politics of personal
destruction." Michael H. Subject: Letter to the Editor - Bishops and Morality I find the idea of Catholic Bishops endorsing the idea that those
who approve of abortion aren't fit to receive communion to be somewhat
amusing. There's an old saying - those without sin should cast the
first stone. And - even though no one really holds to those standards
- I really think that the Bishops should focus on the issue of priests
having sex with children before they represent themselves as being
moral enough to give communion - let alone decide who should receive
it. Marc Perkel Subject: 137 days
We only have 137 days left before the election. Please post our
link on your home page and in your "other news sources"
section. You have helped by posting our link before.
BuzzFlash, you are doing an excellent job of keeping the news
we need to know posted. Kudos. The Republican machine is effective, dangerous, and ruthless.
We cannot slack even for a day if we hope to win this election
in November. Please post us NOW.... I cannot even imagine losing this election. The election as it
stands is too close to call. Today, now, please. Michael Archuleta ADDRULEHERE These aloof giants openly assert that meeting their own profit
needs is the media's reason for existence - as opposed to meeting
the larger public's need for a vigorous, democratic discourse.
Lowry Mays, honcho of Clear Channel, Inc. (which owns more than
1,200 radio stations - a third of all the stations in America),
opines that: "We're not in the business of providing news
and information. We're simply in the business of selling our customers'
products." "We paid $3 billion for these television stations,"
said an executive with a Fox affiliate in Tampa; "We decide
what the news is. The news is what we tell you it is." The People's
Media Reaches More than FOX Does, by Jim Hightower (truthout.org) I really want to thank Maureen for writing the HST, Bush article.
Finally, someone has said it. ESPN censored one of the greatest
political analysts of our time because he gave -- you got it --
an opinion. Did it ever occur to the editors that maybe, just maybe,
HST was just as shocked to find out our boys fighting in Iraq for
Freedom, Justice and the American way, were actually piling up stacks
of naked humans, going after them with dogs, hanging them from the
ceiling in hoods, and God knows what else. Maybe he was just as shocked as when he saw the gas chambers photos
of Hitler because he couldn’t imagine our men and women doing
something like this in his wildest dreams. Hunter, I think, deep
down still believes in the American Dream. HST wasn’t comparing it to Hitler -- he was simply shocked.
Hunter, you should know that in these times, John Ashcroft,
George Bush and Clear Channel are not going to let you get away
with practicing your Constitutional Right to Free Speech…. Pat Lawlor Subject: tax cut last night A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Where's the real news? Buzz: Everyone knows that Faux/Fox News is an arm of the Republican Party.
But what's going on at CNN ? I tuned in this AM to get the news
of the 9-11 Commission. Instead there was Soledad O'Brien and I
guess CNN's representation of Rush Limbaugh/Bill O'Reilly giving
their spin on Michael Jackson and Scott Petersen! This is the type
of news (?) that used to be provided on Entertainment news shows.
When did it become worthy of a national news show???? The 9-11 Commission report should be number one on all news shows
right now ( aside from what's happening in Iraq). I suppose that
what has happened to CNN is also a part of Ronald Reagan's legacy.......let's
let the public eat news ketchup (as opposed to cake). Dee Turner Subject: Reagan's Legacy With Republicans falling all over themselves trying to come up
with things to name in honor of Reagan, allow us to help by suggesting
the National Debt. Since he accumulated so much of it during his
administration, let's honor the former president by calling it the
Reagan Debt. That would certainly be better than the Reagan 10 dollar
bill. Bob Subject: 9-11 Commission Okay, so according to testimony today before the 9-11 Commission,
we are now supposed to believe that we have been lied to for almost
60 years about the ability of the U.S. military and NORAD to protect
U.S. skies from attack by air, and that on that fateful day they
had no plan and no equipment in place to intercept those jets. This
despite the fact that the U.S. taxpayers Which lie are we supposed to believe now? The foregoing, or the
one that we've been told for 60 years, that out skies ARE protected
and we HAVE the equipment to patrol the skies and foil attacks on
our citizens, but they just goofed up on 9-11? Just had a series
of stupid miscommunications and glitches? Both scenarios are so stunningly unbelieveable that I cannot imagine
that any U.S. citizen with an IQ above 50 or pulse rate (God help
us all if they do) could swallow the outrageousness of these fantasies. When in the name of justice is someone, somewhere going to expose
these lies? S.B. Subject: Red phones and cell phones It's incomprehensible that the uttermost key government leaders
don't have a red cellphone in their pocket to quickly respond
to their duties. Maria Subject: 911 Just a little heads up. Shirley...St.Louis Subject: Orders to Shoot Down Hijacked Aircraft -- Oh sure, but
wait til Johnnie finishes reading Cheney, in a secure, below-ground White House facility, received
Bush's approval for pilots to shoot down aircraft deemed hostile.
The vice president conveyed the order. Since the big brouhaha is over the military's slow response to
the threat on that morning, and everyone agrees it was a matter
of minutes that prevented them from shooting down the third plane,
thus saving the lives of all the Pentagon casualties, who (other
than Michael Moore) is Disturbing??!! Regards, Subject: honoring reagan Dear Buzz, I find it ironic that the repugs carry on for over a week about
the death of ronnie reagan and Bush showed up for that made-for-tv
event, along with daddy's birthday sky jump, flags at half mast
everywhere, etc. NO concern for the 800+ dead grunts and not one time has he
been in attendance for one of their funerals. Bush/Cheney have used the U.S. military to steal Iraq's oil
for Halliburton, Exxon etc. and then they will sell it to us
at $2.50 per gallon. Sounds a lot like what they did to California
with Enron. You remember the Enron slogan? ENDLESS
POSSIBILITIES... Thanks for the good info, J.V.
Cambridge, MA
Dear BuzzFlash,
If this be the case or not, all of us should be asking (the Congress, the
press, the president and citizens), given Cheney's behavior, why we are
allowing this man to remain in office and make decisions for the rest of
us?
Kirkland WA
lawyers concluded that President Bush could legally order
interrogators to torture and even kill people in the
interest of national security -- so if that's legal, what
the hell are we charging Saddam Hussein with?
--Jay Leno
Taxpayers foot much of bill for trip that may raise $1 million
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Seattle
Thanks to Sharon Carlton...Nebraska....it is so good to know that
we are all like a family, and think alike politically. It makes
the hard times with most of my family a little easier...I know I
am not all wrong....I am happy to be back!!
I catch that show he riles me, but this was so caustic to the rightwingnuts,
I was
sincerely amazed. It seems to me that all of a sudden, even the
republican pundits
are beginning to fear this regime!
party, though!!!!
appreciate it that much.......
Yeah, and I don't like Hooter girls, pick ups and beer. Now if
you believe that one I have some nice land for sale.
San Francisco, CA
Administrator for www.NotBush.com
At least that's a straight answer. As is:
Maria
NYC
Why has the news coverage dropped on the multi-billion-dollar tax
cut to corporations which passed last night 6/15/04? This is bush's
way of insuring campaign donations and is ridiculous during war
time.
Atlanta
have been funding our "defense" department with trillions
and trillions of dollars all this time. For what? Where did the
monies go?
Dallas, TX
Not only was Rumsfeld bypassed in the normal chain of command
for such a shoot-down order, but the command from Vice President
Dick Cheney that the airliners be "taken out" did not reach the
fighter planes until after the last ill-fated airliner had crashed
in Pennsylvania, the special commission said.
Rumsfeld
Was Bypassed in 9/11 'Shoot-Down' Order (Reuters)
NYC
I have just read that the movie "Fahrenheit 911" will
start showing on 6/22 at the
Chase Park Plaza Cinema. For those of you in and around the St.Louis
area --
Travis, Collinsville -- are you reading that it will show anywhere
in the Collinsville,
Caseyville, or Belleville area? I worked with a man from Belleville
area many years
ago, and seem to remember that it is something of a republican
stronghold....but
if you hear of it showing anywhere in that area, please advise.
I knew it would be either the Chase or Frontenad (which is inhabited
by rich white folks who usually have billion dollar fund raisers
for Bush)...not likely. Or perhaps, a small
theater in Clayton...a suburb!
P.S...I think it will start at around 1:45 pm...and show four
times.
In today's AP release about the 9-11 Commission's report, the
following
quote:
recalling that GWB sat in a classroom listening to little children
read aloud from their books for more than 10 minutes AFTER being
informed that the second plane had hit, thus confirming the "attack
on America"?
We know he could not have possibly given Cheney the "shoot
down" order until after he left the room, because he is on
videotape the entire time. Chief of Staff Andy Card comes in at
one point, presumably to tell him about the second plane, but
that was a one-way exchange and lasted only 2.5 seconds!
BC