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Subject: "Shaw's actions are the latest to raise concerns that senior Republican officials working in Washington and Iraq have used the rebuilding effort in Iraq to reward associates and political allies."

Yeah, but did you read this line of the article?  "The inspector general's office -- which investigates waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon -- has turned over its inquiry into Shaw's actions to the FBI...."

Another great opportunity for an Ashcroft cover-up. (Am I getting too pessimistic, or is this becoming SOP for the GOP?)

Pentagon Deputy's Probes in Iraq Weren't Authorized, Officials Say (Los Angeles Times)

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Karl Rove strategy -- steal media attention away from Kerry/Edwards?

Dear BuzzFlash,

Let's see..... Senator John Kerry just selected his running mate, Senator John Edwards, and the two seem to be a big hit together, and before they could continue with their momentum, here comes a big news conference by Tom Ridge, alerting the nation to terrorist attacks (no specific information to speak of), then there is Kenny boy Lay being indicted, and guess what? Cpl. Wassef Hassoun is found at the US Embassy in Lebanon, and even Martha Stewart was refused another hearing.  Now you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the timing really stinks, and it stinks of Karl Rove and and the Bush/Cheney republicans, desperately trying to steal the limelight off from John Kerry and John Edwards. What a pathetic bunch of losers. They are fully aware that they cannot run on their accomplishments or the lack of any,  so therefore they try to either attack Kerry/Edwards personally, or try to take the media attention away from them. Disgusting!

I am sick of these dirty Republican tactics. Can't wait to vote for Kerry/Edwards in November!

Roseanne

Subject: CBS News Article

Subject: every vote is going to be counted

Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards, on their first trip together to the state that narrowly put President George Bush in the White House after a fierce recount and court fight in 2000, promised today that "every vote is going to be counted" this year.

Every Florida Vote Will Be Counted This Time - Kerry (news.scotsman.com)

Bee

Subject: It Keeps Getting More Interesting Every Day!

Hi Gang!

First, HSO Chief Ridge warns of "large-scale" attacks  in "an effort to disrupt the democratic process."  Stunning.  First, we had no clue they'd fly planes into buildings, and, now, we can read their minds?  Wow. 

Officials: Bin Laden guiding plots against U.S. (CNN)

Second, Bush declines to speak at the NAACP annual convention.  My..my..he must really want the African-American vote badly.

White House spokesman Jim Morrell said Wednesday that the president has spoken about "equal opportunity and equal rights for all Americans" in many public places.

Bush declines NAACP invitation (CNN)

Florida to Let Former Felons Vote (Yahoo -- AP)

Hehe...you have to love the news nowadays!  

Jerry Peurala
Westfield, IN

They're out there warning about an Al Qaeda attack this summer. The repeated warning reminds Americans that terrorists are out to influence the election, as they did in Spain! TvNewsLies.org predicted this last May! If you missed it first time around...it's a MUST read to put things back into perspective!

Flashback:

A VOTE FOR OSAMA: A GOP ELECTION SCAM

...the Republicans have absolutely NO OTHER ISSUE on which to run. None."

"Not one ad can possibly show any achievement by George Bush."

THE PROBLEM This is not the way it was supposed to be, not by a long shot. By now, George W. Bush was supposed to be a shoo-in for a second term in the White House. It really looked as if they had it all: Karl Rove was the master political strategist, the Neocons were the master war planners, and Dick Cheney was the master puppeteer of all time. Together, they would clear a path to victory for George Bush, the strong war candidate, for George Bush the highly popular candidate, and for George Bush, the absolutely unbeatable candidate. Theirs were the best laid plans, for sure. But they went badly astray....

THE SCAM What to do? What to do? You know that these people will not go quietly into the night. You know they will come up with a strategy to counter their failures. You just know it. And they did. The plan is simple and clever, and was inspired by the tragic train bombings in Madrid that brought down a pro war government. It relies heavily on the fear factor that has been the calling card of this administration for three years. It also relies solidly on another given: the cooperation and complicity of the corporate media.

Full article: http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/a_vote_for_osama.html

Reg

Subject: Update on sleazy GOP tactics 

President Bush has declined yet another invitation to speak at the NAACP's annual convention.... Meanwhile, some Florida Republicans have found a new pool of voters: newly naturalized citizens. News Channel 4 in Jacksonville reported that that a group of Republicans positioned themselves outside of a naturalization ceremony to register voters. The only catch is that the place on the form where citizens were asked to choose Democrat, Republican or independent was already filled out.

Local Democrats were alerted of the practice and reported the incident to federal officials. An investigation is underway.

For the record, any registered voter can vote for a candidate of any party in a general election, but in most state primaries, people can only vote for candidates of their own party.

Republicans and the Minority Vote: (CBSNews.com - Washington Wrap, 7-8-2004)

Subject: WHY ISN'T THIS IN THE NEWS?

Bush spoke at the 2000 NAACP convention in Baltimore when he was running for president.

NAACP spokesman John White said Wednesday that Bush has declined invitations in each year of his presidency -- becoming the first president since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.

WHY ISN'T THIS IN THE NEWS? TRYING TO HIDE IT?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories...

A BuzzFlash Reader

Hey Buzz: 

Not to beat a dead horse, but these Tom Ridge terror alerts are really getting old!  How can anyone believe these warnings when the alert status remains unchanged?  Logically, it makes absolutely no sense.  Oh, that's right;  we're dealing with Bush and company.  Unfortunately, logic doesn't come into play very often.  Aesop's "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" makes for a cute little fable, but when we dealing with national security, issuing phony terror alerts could be a very dangerous game to play.

F.S.

Subject: Terrorist Alert!!!!!

OK, we all know that after a wonderful day of euphoria with the Kerry/Edwards ticket, and the drop in polls about Dubya, that karl rove had to do SOMETHING!!!!, which was to "play" to Bush's best asset, according to the polls, and drag out Ridge to make a "fake," non-specific, with no details, terror alert. And CNN and MSNBC just bought it up!!! Totally dominated the cable news all day and there was absolutely NOTHING today about Kerry/Edwards all day so far. (Except Miles O'Brien said CNN has been flooded with emails which are skeptical about today's "terror" alert and its blackout of the Kerry/Edwards enthusiasm.)

Email CNN and MSNBC, daily and constantly and complain!! Email everybody else you know in the world...HELP! It is going to be a rocky ride from now on!!!

Betsy
Texas

Subject: Giuliani skipped a photo-op with school children to deal with Queens crash on Nov. 12

Subject: Kerry....Edwards...idiot republicans....and McCain

I think if geedubya dumps Cheney and tries to pick up McCain, everyone will see through that!  McCain, in the first place, would have to be a lot dumber than even I thought...he of the "black baby" incident!

If anyone but me watched the Democratic Unity Dinner...with all the candidates...and Bill Clinton...(my favorite thing on TV this year), he talked about that campaign....and McCain's "Black Baby."  Clinton said, "And God bless him, he did have a black baby, they adopted a little black child from Haiti (I want to say, not sure of the country?)...but at the time, McCain was livid...and rightly so...but he got over it????

This is the biggest mystery of this year... He had to hate Bush for that!  Is he losing it, is he doing it for money....what is it???

The other thing that stood out today...is this order (I heard it on Washington Journal today) that the republicans have put out that Bin Laden has to be caught during the Democratic convention!!!  Is that gonna be a little transparent?? I heard that they are telling the Pakistanis this....the order goes to them....why????? Does anyone know??

The Bush administration gets weirder and weirder...and more and more blatant!! And of course, Tom Ridge has told us that we will be attacked by terrorists likely during the convention in either Boston or New York....Yawn!!!  Don' t misunderstand, this bunch scares the hell out of me....but, it gets a little old after a while!!

We can only concentrate on our candidates....and try to unseat the idiots!!

Shirley............St.Louis

PS: If anyone knows of  Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers or t-shirts...please inform me. Apparently, my internet co. is not letting my mail to the dnc go through....go figure!!!

Subject: Get a Load of This!!!

Subject: a link and D'Amato-Giuliani Speculation

Check out doyenne helen thomas on the lying bush admin...

Helen Thomas Points to Government 'Lies' (Editor & Publisher)

I speculate that D'Amato is setting up McCain and Colin Powell as stalking horse veep substitutes for his old buddy Giuliani, who has the same sneer as Cheney. Recall how Al and Rudy dressed in flak jackets to do a fake staged drug bust? Rudy's coronation using the WTC as backdrop would bring Bush and Rudy to their favorite moment together, 'taking charge.'

Jared G.

Subject: James Moore and "Bush's War for Re-Election"

Just finished reading the New York Times article on GW Bush's missing service records from 1972 that were, OOPS, accidentally destroyed.  B.S.

Which led me to your excellent web site.  So, bear with me as I email a letter sent to numerous newspapers this past Spring.  Only the campus paper in my former home town ran the letter.

Regarding the stories surrounding President Bush and his missing year of Guard duty, there is another angle that needs investigation.

I served in the military in 1971-72 with the Army.  My last assignment was at Ft. Bragg, NC, with the 82nd Airborne.  Back then, Bragg was one of the bases that Vietnam vets returned to, spending 30 days filling out paperwork so they could muster out and go home.

Trouble was, more than a few of the returning 'Nam vets had picked up a nasty heroin habit in SE Asia and brought the habit back stateside. At Bragg, the law of supply and demand kicked in and soon, heroin was readily available at Ft. Bragg and the surrounding area.

The Army brass realized it had a serious problem on its hands; namely, discharging heroin-addicted soldiers back into civilian life. So, to help combat this plague, around 1971, they instituted random, urinalysis drug testing for ALL personnel.                                       

If a common grunt could be pulled in for a drug screen, wouldn't a jet pilot be required to submit urine for drug testing during his flight physical?

By our Warrior King's own admission, in his younger days he drank heavily and there are stories that he indulged in cocaine and marijuana.

Perhaps that is why Bush failed to show up for his last year of Guard duty and missed his flight physical.  His handlers knew it would be easier to obfuscate the records for an AWOL soldier rather than try to explain why his urine showed illegal drug use.

Greg Bacon
Ava, MO

Subject: just a thought

If socialism is when the government owns all the companies, what is it when the companies own all of the government??

Winston

Subject: Depressing

Hi BuzzFlash, 

Reading some of the mail yesterday.

Usually I come away feeling good, but......

We have a perfect ticket, like a breath of fresh air, Kerry/Edwards! 

Everyone, listen up, turn that frown upside down. Believe, we have a WINNER! Don't doubt it for a minute. (Now let's work hard to get them elected!) 

The repugs are running scared, because they know it too. All their ads are to laugh at.

(I'd like to be a fly on the White House wall, just to hear all the F.....ing going on.)  

Thanks BuzzFlash for being here.  

Angela....Phila. (voting straight Democrat, and gonna love it)

Subject: Terror Alert

I see it as politically motivated, yes, that is a given.  However, I think it is actually laying the groundwork/background for the Secret Service to make sure no protestors are seen during the RNC.  

Mike
Tampa

Subject: Edwards and Experience

Subject: Freedom of Information and a Mouse That Roars

Thought you might be interested in an article that's off the beaten path...a tiny bi-weekly newsletter, Mine Safety & Health News, has just published a trumpet blast in defense of the Freedom of Information Act, which as you know is regularly being flouted by the current administration. Excerpt:

Last week...the U.S. Labor Department's Associate Solicitor for Mine Safety and Health disclosed that, without public comment or input, MSHA [the Mine Safety and Health Administration] secretly changed its long-standing policy of routinely releasing inspector notes under the Freedom of Information Act... I keep asking myself, "Is this America?" How can MSHA secretly adopt polices that go against 27 years of openness? And how can this administration openly violate a law whose intent and purpose is to make records available to the public?

MS&HNews does not post stories on its own website but the full story is on:

http://freespeechfreepress.blogspot.com

Thanks for what you do, Buzz. You help keep some of us sane.

Regards,

Kathy Snyder (a grateful reader)

Subject: F9/11

Dear BF,

Today, with my wife, I ventured out to see Mr. Moore's wonderful movie. Magnificent. It should be required viewing on every college and high school campus. As an immigrant and now a citizen of 50 years, I barely recognized my adopted country! The destruction of the social fabric by the current crop of neo-fascists is there in full color. The military in some clips resembles the waffen SS, a disturbing sight. The poverty so apparent in the richest country calls for some of the largesse now expended in Iraq. The propaganda haltingly offered by the Pretender to the Presidency is overwhelming in its stuttering delivery of lies and distortions. I am left with the distinct feeling that we can look forward to a landslide in the election to send this wretched yahoo back to Crawdad, TX. May the Gods bless America and save it from the Repuglicans

A. Leslie Palmer
Mill Valley, Ca.

Subject: dear mr. mathews

Dear Mr. Matthews:

I'm no member of mensa but if i were a terrorist and i wanted to be sure i had plenty of willing bodies to recruit, i think i would like to have a man like bush in the white house who the world clearly dislikes, a poll showed people thought he was more of a threat to world peace than Saddam ever was. bush is the perfect poster boy for recruiting terrorists.

on the other hand Kerry wants to bring the world together and get rid of this it's my way or the highway attitude by the bush people. bottom line if you are a terrorist you would want bush for the president.

DA

Subject: Northern Mn Theatres

Hi Buzz,

Duluth, Minnesota, has one theatre showing Fahrenheit 911 and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has one theatre showing that flick. If anyone up here in my hometown of Hibbing wants to see Fahrenheit 911, the trip to Duluth is 135 miles roundtrip. To Grand Rapids it's 55 miles roundtrip.

Another theatre in Brainerd, Mn, is showing it and the drive is 220 roundtrip. Now if people went during the day they would more than likely not see deer on the side of the road. But if they went during the evening matinees it's a whole different story as far as the critters go. One more thing, people that have jobs up here aren't going to miss work to see it cuz it's the only job they have any chance of keeping in this land of high unemployment, mine closings and corporate greed layoffs. Leave McDonalds for a day at the movies and they will axe ya for the next in line of hundreds for their job.

Subject: DoD to Assist [at] U.S. Political Events

Here's the reason for the terrorist alert at the conventions- get people ready for the presence of armed troops.  Perfect way to stage a coup, the military will already be in place in two of the cities that would raise the biggest hell over it.

DoD to Assist Security Efforts for U.S. Political Events (American Forces Information Service)

By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2004 -- The Defense Department is ready to provide support to safeguard this fall's Democratic and Republican national conventions and the presidential election, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.

"We support (Homeland Security) Secretary (Tom) Ridge in his operations," Army Brig. Gen. David Rodriquez, deputy operations director for the Joint Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.

Ridge warned Americans at a Washington news conference earlier in the day that al Qaeda is planning to attack somewhere in the United States between now and the national presidential election. He said al Qaeda "is moving ahead with its plans to carry out a large-scale attack in the United States in an effort to disrupt our democratic process."

Matt

Subject: Your Terror-Alert Forecast

As a service to the traveling public, here is a list of likely terror-alert congestion spots over the coming weeks.

July 26-29: Expect a high number of non-specific threats, especially in and around the Massachusetts area. There is an 80% chance of breathless announcements that authorities somewhere are rapidly closing-in on "high-value terrorist targets." These announcements are expected to be heavy through the 29th, but should be completely gone by the 1st of August. Dept. of Homeland Security Recommendation: Stay home, duct-tape the windows and watch the 72 hour "The Movies of Ronald Reagan" retrospective on Fox.

Aug 30-Sept. 2: No alerts expected, should be the most "terror-free" period of the summer. Slight chance of Osama Bin Laden being produced in chains in or around this time. DHS Recommendation: Stay home and watch the Fox News wall-to-wall coverage of the Republican Convention.

Sept -Nov.2: Expect an increasing number of vague, non-specific threats requiring 'steady leadership in changing times' and possibly culminating in an election-stopping "highly credible threat" in late Oct. should Bush poll numbers dip. DHS Recommendation: Thank the lord that we have a leader willing to suspend free elections to protect democracy.

Albert Clark
NY

Subject: Attack alert!

Re the NYT headline today (Bin Laden Is Said to Be Organizing for a U.S. Attack):

The announcer on the French National Radio, France-Info, giving this bit of "news" this morning, added, "Info ou intoxe, la question peut etre pose" -- "information or intoxication, the question may be asked."

Doreen Broneer
St. Quentin les Troo, France

Subject: Bush dump Cheney? - HAH!

What is everybody worried about, with all of the talk about Bush replacing Cheney with McCain? IT WON'T HAPPEN! Don't you all realize that there simply IS NO GeeDubya WITHOUT Cheney!

nerdeaux in Idyho

Subject: "TODAY'S GOP SPIN"

To: Today Show, NBC

Today's broadcast of the TODAY show was despicable in its intent to openly discredit John Edwards as an "ambulance chasing" trial lawyer!  

And trying to build up "Ahnuld" The Gropernator, without telling the other side of his "performance" -- Despicable, and blatantly partisan!!!!

Why don't you report on important issues, such as all the outright lies put forth by "King Georgie & His Band Of Thugs," instead of trying (in vain, I might add) to smear John Kerry's choice for a VP running mate?  

Or about Big Bad Dick telling Senator Leahy to "Go F**K himself, right on the Senate floor? -- Despicable!!!  

Or about the "July Surprise" (or August, September, October, November) that this mis-administration is pushing hard, and hoping for?

Now that's news!!! 

Apparently the heat is getting a little hot in the executive kitchen!   GeeDubYuh WALKED OUT of a media briefing today, refusing to answer questions about "Kenny Boy" Lay!!!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news...  

HHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHA AAAAAAHHAHHAHHA HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

Poor thing! Cat must've gotten his tongue!! Is he getting a bit miffed?? Report on this!!! 

You'd think after trying to be a pResident for 3 1/2 years that he would've learned how, by now -- Hah!

Why don't you report the "real" news??

Or, just change the name of the show to "Today's GOP Spin," and hire Bill O'Reilly!!!!!

DESPICABLE!!!

nerdeaux in Idyho

Subject: Ken Lay and how this administration lies about how they let Enron try and ruin this country

Subject: Kenny Boy will never be a jailbird

For all those people out there who are thinking or hoping that Ken Lay will finally face justice, you haven't been paying attention. His indictment has the repug odor of nothing more than a political tactic, a distraction aimed at a gullible public, a headline usurper sent before the cameras to steal the thunder from the Kerry-Edwards blast wave of rising popularity. Didn't the timing tip you off?

You have a front row seat to the rollout of a tactic that the administration intends to use with OBL as the next, bigger headline stealer -- what they hope will be the crowning jewel of their manipulations that will land them back in the throne room for another four-year 'Plunderfest of the Repugs.'

INTERNAL MEMO: Steal the Democrats' thunder at all costs!

That's the name of the game. I'd laugh my ass off if the Pakistanis pulled the same thing on Bush that the Iranians did to Carter. Wait until Kerry-Edwards take office and then announce the capture of OBL! Hint, hint! Yo, Mr. Pakistani man, are you listening? Since the next President of the United States will be John Kerry, it would be in their best interests to get in his good graces early on.

The secret's out, although it wasn't much of a secret since this bunch in the People's White House is as predictable as ants at a picnic. The Pakistanis have allegedly leaked the plan. The Bush administration has been demanding that its subservient allies trot out any new terrorism detainees - especially the big fish -- only at the most politically opportune (for the Bush re-election campaign) moments, particularly at times when the Democrats are getting the most and best press such as the Democratic National Convention.

Sorry folks, but Kenny Boy will face no justice, and he knows it. He could blow this regime out of the water with a statement about the Cheney energy task force if he wanted. Does anyone really believe that this administration would take that chance and let the federal police dogs loose on him...FOR REAL? The FBI and Justice aren't doing anything that the White House hasn't approved and that isn't part of the repugnantCON re-election ploy.

If anything were to really come out about Kenny Boy that put the feds backs against the wall through the force of public opinion and forced them to feed him into the jaws of REAL justice, Bush would reach into his coat pocket and drag out his pardon pen so fast you'd think he was bionic. In fact, unless I'm way off base here, I foresee a whole slew of pardons gifted to greedy rich CEO's and robber barons as Bush's last official act of Office. Predictable, yup.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Set-up and pay-off

Dear Buzz:

Any successful movie script has to be jammed with set-ups and pay-offs. Well, here's a bit of the old razzle-dazzle I see coming from the Bushies. According to a New York Times article by David Johnston and David Stout, "Bin Laden is said to be Organizing for a U.S. Attack," the ubiquitous "senior administration officials" (accountability, please, people, please...) suggest Bin Laden and his "lieutenants" (yeah, I'm sure they use our military designations) are preparing for a big strike inside the U.S. Uh-huh. There's your set-up. But as we know from other reports, Bin Laden's people are going to be scooped up in the nick of time during the Democratic National Convention later this month. What a pay-off! Saved!

Is this not sickening? I'm tired of this movie.

A BuzzFlash reader

Subject: J. Leon Holmes Got Life . . .

BuzzFlash,

Reading the votes that confirmed Anti-Choice Nominee J. Leon Holmes to the Federal District Court in Arkansas . . . a lifetime appointment for him is also a lifetime sentence for women's role in society.

Why do we need Democrats who vote against the freedom over one's whole existence? Why? And for those who think that John McCain is bipartisan, think again.

Not knowing enough about the "political jargon," the press release on "People For the American Way's web site stated that the "Key Republicans supporting Holmes were listed as Senator Elizabeth Dole and Senator Arlen Specter.

I don't know what "key" might mean, but any one who voted "Yea" sounds pretty key to me. And, John McCain was one of those along with Democrats, Mark Pryor, Blanche Lincoln, Zell Miller (gaffe), John Breaux, Mary Landrieu, and Ben Nelson.

I hope the women who vote as Democrats in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, and Nebraska will remember those Democrats who put a man on a Federal bench for life who has compared pro-choice advocates to Nazis and abortion to slavery.

A man who feels that women should not be in charge of their own bodies.... Here is a man who (quoted from People for the American Way)...

callously dismissed the rights of women seeking abortion. Indeed, in disregard of the facts, Holmes even minimized the situation of women who become pregnant as a result of rape, stating, "concern for rape victims is a red herring because conceptions from rape occur with approximately the same frequency as snowfall in Miami." In fact, studies estimate that between 25,000 and 32,000 women each year become pregnant as a result of rape in the U.S. and about 50 percent of these pregnancies end in abortion.

And, I am only quoting the "tip" of this iceberg.

Anyone wanna bet that McCain has already been asked to bask with Bush on the Republican ticket?

I am against lifetime appointments on any of our Courts, especially for judges who use their own biased opinions to rule others. (Supreme Court) I am for getting the Neanderthals out of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. We are trying to progress and people should be able to make choices about their own bodies. Maybe we need to castrate the power of all of our Federal Courts. eh?

Just a thought,

Thanks BuzzFlash,

Shirley Smith

You must admit it was fun to see lay in handcuffs. now if we can see cheney and bush in them...

So Homeland Security sends this press transcript out yesterday after ridge's speech of two unidentified staff people answering follow-up questions, and the reporters keep trying to get them to say whether they have any specific info tying this "threat" to the upcoming elections, and they don't, and then a reporter says "so what's the possibility the elections will have to be postponed", and rather than saying "none" the guy (i'm assuming it's a guy) says "i don't want to deal with hypotheticals."

Robert E.

Subject: This guy with the "private prison" (Idema) seems to personify the mercenary problem

"Tora Bora vet at war with Geraldo" (NY Daily News)

Idema, who figures prominently in Robin Moore's best seller "The Hunt for Bin Laden," was retired when he flew to Afghanistan in December 2001 to help Gen. Hazrat Ali.

"We had two- and three-man sniper teams hiding out in the mountains" of Tora Bora, recalls Idema

Dave

Subject: Polls -- Consider the Source

Hello BuzzFlash,

I have noticed a disturbing issue lately with the constant harping by the corporate media of the "Latest Polls." Every time something pops up on the radar that should favor the Kerry people, within 24 hours the corporate media rolls out some obscure poll that shows Bush moving ahead of Kerry slightly, if the Kerry boost is small, and Bush now neck and neck with Kerry if the issue is a huge boost. However, if you take the time to check out independent and well respected polls, they generally have been showing Kerry with slight to gapping leads over Bush.

It now seems to fit a pattern of propaganda set to discourage the voting of the 154,000,000 voting age citizens who did not vote in the 2000 election, or for that matter, most all elections. The Republicans and their corporate donor controlled media buddies are Hell bent to keep the non-vote just that. Unfortunately, and due largely to the Internet and the small independent media, along with the plethora of "tell All'" books by many of the Bushies own ex-operatives exposing them, the sleeping giant is waking up. The Progressive vote will be somewhat larger than usual, but it is the, "My vote doesn't count, so why bother," majority that will really make the difference. The best thing the Dems and the Progressive camp can do is to spend some TV air time burning that number 587 into the public's mind.

587 VOTES DECIDED THE 2000 ELECTION - DON'T TELL ME YOUR VOTE DOESN"T COUNT. THIS COULD BE YOUR LAST TIME TO DO IT!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Churches aren't repug lapdogs

Will somebody please remind the republican party that Democrats go to church, too? In this Palm Beach Post article, the laundry list of things the repugs want (sounds more like demand) churches to do to further bush's reelection is astounding, from turning over directories to holding parties for bush, recruiting church members as campaign volunteers, and identifying other churches as sources of votes. Reading this, it's clear the repugs are assuming everyone in the church congregations will be A-okay peachy keen with all this, and hey, surprise! They aren't! Or, the repugs simply want to overwhelm anyone who disagrees. It's also clear that the repugs either don't understand election laws, or are simply disregarding them. They've gotten away with so much for so long, they figure laws are for everyone else but them.

That's not to mention the observation by the Episcopal bishop in the article that these tactics are exactly what Fidel Castro did in Cuba. The bishop knows, because he's Cuban and was there when it happened.

"Bush campaign wants to cross dangerous line" (Palm Beach Post)

Sue

Subject: Cheney gets really extreme make-over!!!!

I know I said he needed one, but this morning on the Today Show, he is a dead-ringer for Senator Olympia Snowe (R, Maine). She kept saying that there was no proof that the meeting in Prague ever took place, but she is absolutely sure Saddam was in cahoots with bin Laden.

I think she has read, "Project for a New American Century and it is her new Bible." Levin said that the Senate leadership is keeping them from investigating the Bush administration's complexity and exaggerations. Levin says they are going to do their best to get it out before the election because the citizens have a right to know.

Olympia/Dick can dream on. O-lymp-pia/Dick, that's funny. Sounds like they could use viagra. However there is no one as steadfast in his stubbornness as Dick.

They just had Osama's half-brother explaining that Prince Bandar apparently lied on Larry King, days after 9/11. He says the family left after the travel ban was lifted and that it was the Saudis who arranged it with the Bushes. No one said the bin Ladens are stupid they know when to deny they cooperated with this corrupt administration.

Norah O'Donnell is now saying that Bush today will begin needling Kerry over whether he knows what average American values are. Like Bush would know? What a hypocrite? The idea that Dubya has ever needed anything or cared whether average American needed anything, but GOD, is laughable.

He is going to say he suffered during his life? Kerry should just answer that he has lead men in actual war, while Dubya was leading men at beer busts. I'll put Kerry's record of compassion for the masses next to Dubya's any day.

All Dubya says is what is on TBN. Give your life to the Lord and all your problems disappear.

NO:
C heney
A shcroft
R umsfeld
B ush

Speak up or they assume you agree!!! ABB

Karen Webb, Moore, Ok.

Subject: "Terrorists wanting to disrupt the electoral process" -- That means it's everyone's patriotic duty to vote!

Dear Buzz,

I do not believe Tom Ridge has any more information than he ever did. This is what I think they are doing: Karl Rove decided that they would use the "terrorists changed the outcome of the Spanish elections" theme in the Bush campaign. About six weeks ago, Ashcroft came out with a specious warning that even the so-called Press, which both sucks and blows at the same time, didn't believe. Ashcroft implied in a kind of throwaway line that intelligence indicated that it was Al Qaeda's intention to disrupt our elections as they had done in Spain. (Notice the deft juxtaposition of ideas so that the poor hapless public will start thinking that if we change presidents, the terrorists win.) Believe me, I would bet my house that he has no such empirically verifiable knowledge.

Time passes. Some information is leaked that the head of the FEC is looking into under what circumstances they could postpone or cancel an election.

Time passes. Staged terror warning for conventions. Ridge comes out with another official terror warning. The only specific information he has is that it is Al Qaeda's intention to attack us in order to "disrupt the electoral process." We can't get any information about when, where, who, and what, but we can find out "why"???!!!

In the words of Alanis Morrisette, isn't it ironic? On this analysis, Al Qaeda's goals are pretty much equivalent to those of Karl Rove. Ask yourself who is really going to try their best to disrupt the electoral process. Would it be Diebold maybe? Jeb Bush? John Ashcroft? The FEC guy? The same folks that disrupted the 2000 election, brought to you by Halliburton.

Leslie Smith
Winchester, MA

The unjustified, illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq is costing this country dearly. Was it worth it for many thousands of casualties; to spend hundreds of billions of taxpayers money to go after one of many despots in the world without the support of the UN which had weapons inspectors in Iran who would have verified the nonexistence of WMDs? I think not.

This administration had inflamed Arabs over Bush's refusal to continue peace talks in the Middle East claiming Israelis and Palestinians should work out things themselves. Just as he refused to continue talks on nuclear weapons with North Korea.

Now, with the US military bogged down in defensive positions in Iraq where they are attacked at will by both Iraqis and terrorists, we hear the administration is offering to forget the trafficking of nuclear weapons science by Pakistan and offering them the moon, Mars and the stars to come up with bin Laden or Omar before the election.

In Bob Woodward's book, Plan of Attack, he discusses VP Cheney's trip to the Middle East before the war to solicit and pressure Egypt, Oman, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordon, Israel and Turkey to assist in the war against Iraq. The leaders pounded Cheney, not about Iraq, or the threat of Saddam Hussein, or terrorism, but about the Middle East peace process. He kept hearing that the president had better get involved and throw his weight around to set the region on some process to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This was the message that Powell had been sending to the White House nonstop. General Franks was of like mind. Cheney's other conclusion was that the Middle East was not going in the right direction. Bush: "This is an administration that when we say we're going to do something we mean it; that we understand history has called us into action; and we're not going to miss this opportunity to make the world more peaceful and more free. We don't take a bunch of polls and focus groups to tell us what--how to--to what we ought to do in the world."

The US was going to war.

RB

* * *

"Iraq Insurgent Force May Number 20,000; Guerrillas Led by Sunnis, Not Foreigners Hoping to Build an Islamist State" (Associated Press, 2nd Story on Page)

Subject: Bush Let bin Laden Escape

Somebody pleeeeeease tell me why the Rabid right wing and the 'Liberal Media' aren't screaming this from the rooftops? BUSH LET OSAMA BIN LADEN ESCAPE!!!!!! Surely they can find a way to tie it to Clinton. This should have been the headlines of every newspaper and the lead story of every news show when it happened ... and as usual only those that read the foreign news know it happened. Now someone finally says it and let's see if our Liberal Media even picks up on it!

From last night's Larry King's interview with John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry.

CNN.com - Transcripts

KING: We're back with Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Do you think that they should have stayed in Afghanistan first, they should have found Osama bin Laden?

KERRY: Absolutely, positively. They had Osama bin Laden, Larry, and they actually...

KING: Clinton had him, too, almost.

KERRY: But then they -- yes, but in very different circumstances. America, number one, had not been attacked in that way, on our territory, here in America. Number two, the Congress and the country had not licensed the president to go to the lengths that we licensed George Bush.

George Bush licensed -- stood up before America and said we're going to do anything, we're going to go the distance, smoke them out of their caves, wanted dead or alive. Well, they had him in the mountains of Tora Bora. We had the 10th Mountain Division, we had the Marines, we had the 101st Airborne. They had all our military capacity there.

What did we do when he was in the mountains of Tora Bora?

We turn to the Afghans, who one week earlier were fighting against us, and we said, you go up in the mountains after the world's number one terrorist and criminal. And what happened, he got out the back door, dispersed, and they've become more dangerous.

I believe they made a disastrous decision at a civilian military level, in command of the troops, that restrained our people, and the result was that we are now living with a more dangerous situation than we have to be.

Susan

Subject: Destruction of military records enrages White House

The White House responded furiously when it was found that some of Bush's long-sought military service records had been destroyed. These records would have verified beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bush had completed his military service satisfactorily.

"We will get to the bottom of this if we have to put the whole FBI on the case. Just who destroyed those records? This cannot be an accident -- it had to have been someone who was trying to harm our President during this election year", said Scott McClellan, in an unaccustomed burst of frankness. "While we all know that there never was a real problem, we were counting on those records to lay the issue to rest for good."

In other news, O.J. reports that he's still looking for the real killer.

* * *

Pentagon reports that microfilm records of Bush's service were destroyed (July 7, 2004):

"Associated Press Assistant General Counsel Dave Tomlin told me yesterday that AP reporters began trying to get the documents back in February, but hit roadblock after roadblock. Tomlin said the AP has been informed that the microfilm in question does indeed exist. Tomlin said that because paper records can vanish and be tampered with, the microfilm "would erase any questions". (June 25, 2004):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5127-2004Jun25.html

John Emerson
http://www.seetheforest.blogspot.com
http://www.johnjemerson.com/zizka.zizka.htm

Subject: Likely reason for suspicious "terror alert"

Dear BuzzFlash:

Tom Ridge's "terror alert" isn't the usual obfuscation we've come to expect from this administration. This one is a 3-fer: not only does it serve to shift media focus away from Kerry/Edwards, it also was meant to fan the flames of terror away from the White House and onto the CIA, on this the day that the Senate report comes out blasting the CIA. But because Ridge has stressed the "disruption of the election," get ready for what must be the real reason: to prohibit a democratic protest at the Republican convention in New York next month. They're laying the groundwork now. They must be stopped.

Thanks for all you do.

Shari
University Park, PA