BuzzFlash Mailbag - July 12, 2004


July 12, 2004		MAILBAG ARCHIVES
The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag. Subject: Jay Rockefeller Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jay Rockefeller's Friday morning press conference about the Senate Intelligence Committee's report (read: Pat Robertson's whitewash) was fascinating. I hope Kerry and Edwards were listening. The basic conundrum arising from the two Johns' October 2002 Senate vote in favor of the war has now been resolved. Rockefeller said (and he repeated it for emphasis) that he would not have voted to authorize Bush's war on Iraq had he known then what his committee knows now. It's time for Kerry and Edwards to do an about face on this issue, using the Committee Report as political cover. They absolutely need to do this now, because as public support for this war continues to crash, Kerry and Edwards are going to find themselves sandbagged on this issue if they aren't careful. P. Russo Bethlehem, Pa. Subject: $19 billion Dear Buzz, We haven't heard a word more about the 19+billion that disappeared when we turned over "sovereignty" to Iraq. Was the GAO looking into it? Lots of news stories about one Jordanian/American soldier, but nothing about 19 billion smackers. Yours, U.S. Taxpayer Subject: "Destroying Democracy" Thank you for "Destroying Democracy," by Joel Barkin (July 9, 2004). What happened in the House of Representatives on July 8, 2004, was outrageous, but what happened outside the House was equally so. Nothing (that I saw) about the anti-democratic, unconstitutional behavior of the Republicans was covered in the press, most notably the television press (the place where most people get their news). The blinds are slowly being drawn on the very essence of this nation, and the press isn't touching it. We should be mad as hell and resolving not to take it anymore. It's an emergency. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: darn good :):) we see jenna accompanied her dad on a campaign trip. is she not allowed to talk? kerry and edwards girls actually talk and campaign for their fathers. by the way, didn't we see gw bush say and i quote from a news conference "i believe i get darn good intelligence." and instead of using all those commercials to trash kerry and edwards, should bush use that air time to brag about what he has done for this country in the past three and a half years? oh thaaaat's right, they want to win not lose matt, pete and bernie Sent to Howard Kurtz, of CNN's "Breaking News" Subject: RE: OSAMA YOU WROTE: Can you imagine? "BREAKING NEWS" from Pakistan just as Kerry is making his way to the podium? Overshadowed by Osama? Would anyone care that the timing seemed crassly political? Well I for one would care. It would mean that the Bush team had chosen to let Osama roam free to perhaps plan another attack until now, all in the name of getting elected. This would not only be despicable, but it would also be treasonous. Please get a clue. Howie the problem in our country today is guys like you and your buddies in the media, who would seem to brush off any unseemly behavior by Bush as long as it leads to a week of saturation coverage in the media, which you could dissect on your show and in your column. thank you, stevie gardiner somerdale, nj PS -- I caught your wife on Fox last week, shouldn't you disclose that you are married to a GOP spinmeister. How can an alleged unbiased media watcher not reveal that his wife gets paid by the GOP-- isn't it a conflict of interest? I'm sure she must have some influence on your views and perhaps on who you book as guests. Subject: About McCain's endorsement of Smirk Dear Buzz, After seeing the Bush commercial that shows off Senator John McCain's disgusting endorsement, I had to write to Johnny boy. Here is my (necessarily respectful) letter to the Arizona senator: Dear Senator McCain, Even though I am a life-long Democrat, I have a great deal of respect for you and for your service and sacrifice on behalf of our country. While our political opinions might differ, I have always seen you as an example of an honest Republican politician who uses his authority as a powerful U.S. Senator to work for the positive good of the American people. It is with this personal respect for you that I write to express my dismay over your unfortunately hearty endorsement of George W. Bush's reelection campaign. I will spend the rest of my life wondering how it is that an unaccomplished, unqualified, AWOL liar such as Mr. Bush could ever have ascended to the highest office in the land, and after having entered that office, could be allowed to so drastically steer our country in a direction toward devastation. Surely you remember how his political advisors smeared your reputation during the 2000 primaries? The list of craven, destructive policies proffered by the Bush administration is far too long to recite here. All I want to say to you is that I am saddened that a man of your courage and influence did not use that strength to stand up against the hijacking of your Grand Old Party by a pack of sinister, power-mad, corrupt extremists. I can only pray that, in the event Mr. Bush returns to the presidency in 2005, we will all survive the increasing abuse his administration will surely heap upon our aggrieved republican democracy. Sincerely, Patrick Monteleone Holicong, PA Subject: McCain as Hypocrite of the Week Dear Buzz, Sadly, I agree with your choice of John McCain as GOP hypocrite of the week. Perhaps because of space reasons, you left out one of the Karl Rove-orchestrated smears against him in South Carolina in 2000: implying that his wife Cyndy was a dope fiend because she went through a brief period of addiction to pain-killers. This public attack upon her reduced her to tears. Is that a good example of moral clarity, Senator McCain? During the Republican primaries in 2000, I actually donated $25 to Senator McCain, as I thought he would be a better Republican nominee (and a better president, if he won) than you-know-who. I now realize that if you scratch any Republican, you get a corporate hack, and that's the last $25 I'll ever throw away in that direction. Jon Krampner Subject: John McCain is the 39th BuzzFlash GOP Hypocrite of the Week Thanks for the heads up. Amazing, isn't it? I will never forget the election of 2000, how could anyone? I always thought John McCain was such a great Republican, and there are few. But this, this is something that has me completely confused. How does anyone say that a person or persons have moral clarity, knowing that these are the people that bashed him, so personally, in 2000? Well, will wonders never cease? This is a mystery, though, you are right! Shirley........St.Louis Subject: Fahrenheit 9/11 BuzzFlash and Buzzers, I just came back from seeing F-9/11 in Paducah, Kentucky. It took me an hour to drive from Murray, Kentucky, where I am getting my Masters in Biology. That was one of the greatest movies of ever seen!!!!! Michael Moore is a very talented filmmaker and knows how to put great clips together. It was wonderful to see the movie played in a city that greatly supported Bush and his War for Oil. I remember driving back from the airport on March 21st (I'm originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan) and seeing people wave flags and banner, in support of the war. Maybe now people there can learn the truth and vote against Bush, as I will in November. George W. Bush reminds me of a girl from my high school class, who I believe was made salutatorian because her mother worked for the high school. She wasn't particularly smart or creative. She was also given credit for a year she was not attending the school. Erin M in Murray, Kentucky, from Grand Rapids, Michigan p.s. I am proud that Michael Moore is from Michigan. I also loved "Canadian Bacon" and "Bowling for Columbine." Subject: McCain I think it's time for people to stop thinking that John McCain has any moral or political ideals whatsoever, since it's been clear since 2000 that he is being controlled by the Busheviks. I don't know what the story is, but I suspect they've actually got something on him and are using it to blackmail him. Either that, or he is the most reprehensible worm in the country today. As Garrison Keillor wrote in discussing the opportunism of Norm Coleman in taking the Senate seat of Keillor's late friend Paul Wellstone, these guys are Republicans first and Americans second. It's disgusting. William Betz Subject: Kerry/Edwards Bumper Stickers Dear Buzz, For anyone who wants a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker, and that includes you, Shirley from St. Louis : ).....go to the John Kerry website, and you can get one (1) for free! Any more, there is a slight charge. Go to www.johnkerry.com! GO KERRY/EDWARDS 04!!!!!! A Loyal Buzz Fan Forever! Sharon Carlton Bellevue, Nebraska Subject: Bush lied and troops died Bush lied and troops died, we all knew there were no WMD and if any were ever found they would have been planted. Now Bush is blaming it on the CIA, Bull! Even if Iraq had WMD, he had no navy or air force, so what would he have done with them? From the get go Bush planned on invading Iraq! Now he has made a total mess of things, for every terrorist we have killed we have created 10 more. Wendell Riley Maryville, TN Subject: Get Peggy Noonan to Channel Ronald Reagan, again. Over at http://www.thismodernworld.com/ there's a post linking to foreign news sources relating to the story about children being held and tortured at Abu Ghraib. Notice the sounds of chirping crickets in our own media world regarding this subject. Notice the lack of outrage at the outrage? With the revelation of service records being destroyed and this, someone needs to get Peggy Noonan to channel Ronald Reagan and tell him he failed, the Soviet Union is alive and well! David K. Subject: A ''Secret'' Government Press Conference??? "When and if there are habeas petitions filed challenging their detention, the government will be in a position to say that we fully satisfied our legal obligations," a senior Justice Department (news - web sites) official told reporters yesterday at a hastily convened news conference held on the condition that the speakers not be identified by name. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news... I noticed this as part of an article about the army detainees getting hearings:"a hastily convened news conference held on the condition that the speakers not be identified by name." Wow, next thing Cheney won't ever be quoted, things he says will just be attributed to an "unidentified Vice-President of the US"... http://www.bigtimepatriot.com/default.asp?itemID=105 A BuzzFlash Reader and Big Time Patriot Subject: Give us a break Dear Buzz, On NPR this week, I heard some 'writer from Brooklyn' gifting us with his heartfelt verbal blog about Teresa Kerry pulling Jack Edward's thumb from Jack Edward's 4-year-old mouth, and all that this womanly aggression might say about Mrs. Kerry, her upbringing, and what she might inflict upon our Nation's children (!!!). I think if my son were on a stage being filmed from all sides by a fair and balanced media, that I'd spare him looking back at an image that might make him blush and feel less of a real-boy (real-boy-ism so all important in our culture). If anything, it was protective, her quick intervention, and methinks that only someone being very petty would interpret it as a personal assault in defense of the vaunted photo op. Jeez. Meanwhile, Dean was magnificent debating Nader last night. He quoted Voltaire:"The perfect is the enemy of the good." Never more true, my progressive friends. We are fighting for the very future. Nader is being a shit. Megalomania never knows when to quit. Imagine him in power, or as a father. Rolling Stone's take on him in 2000 was perfect. If anyone has a copy, please run it. x's Deborah Conner Subject: CIA informer code-named "Curveball" The report also criticizes both the CIA and the Defense Human Intelligence Service's handling of an informer code-named "Curveball," noting that the DHIS "demonstrated serious lapses in handling such an important source." Bush defends stance on WMDs Report slams CIA for Iraq intelligence failures Saturday, July 10, 2004 (CNN.com) Is "Curveball" the same source that fed New York Times ace Judith Miller a diet of WMD "evidence" for her breathless stories? If so, then "Curveball"/Chalabi is the Bush administration's man -- or was until a few months ago. But without doubt Wolfowitz is still pulling strings for him. As a side note, one must find it interesting that a curveball -- a baseball term -- is a pitch that requires a lot of spin, and is designed to trick or unbalance an opposing player. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: 881 died in iraq [USA] BF, Now, somehow, the death toll went from 860 to 881 in just a few days, Where are our brave, imbedded journalists reporting these tragic war dead?? "Lest we forget." Could this be the propaganda ministers Cheney and Rove pressuring the Major Media?? Naw, that can't happen in a military mission called "Iraqi Freedom" could it?? Where is the freedom of the press? "Bring it On," George W. "Mission Accomplished?" Don H. Subject: What's it Called When the Companies Own the Government? Hi: I just read Gregg's letter of 9 July. When the Government owns all the companies it's called socialism, but what's it called when companies own the government? Benito Mussolini had a nice name for it -- it's called fascism. Hitler enjoyed it, too, he called it National Socialism, Nazism for short. Of course, they both liked their systems so much that they surrounded themselves with flags and loudspeakers and they spoke in little thirty-second sound bites that praised their way of life and condemned the enemies of the, what was that word that Hitler like so much? Oh yeah, the Homeland. You know, what America has been transformed into, the Homeland, with Hummers in the streets, and flags flying from every mother's car and decorating the houses and everything. Even pasted right there on the bottom of your screen and, if you're lucky, your TV station even has a handy, "What's the color of the day" alert graphic to make it easy to know exactly how scared and obedient you should be. And obedient you better be, because it isn't nice to fool Babs Bush's Boob of a son. He's got a real mean streak and, like the rest of the GOP lockstep army, he's got a long memory. Fascism. Doesn't it make you feel all warm inside? I know it makes me feel that way. Oh, wait, I wet myself at the thought of it. Matt Carmody Washingtonville, NY Subject: Re: McCain -- Bush, et al I have a stinking suspicion that Senator McCain has sold out --- Cheney will resign because of health and Bush will put McCain on the ticket.....Possible? And yes, I am sorry that John McCain has joined hands with the same administration that behaved so disgustingly toward him and his family. And if what I suspect is the scenario, it is going to make it difficult to beat a Bush/McCain ticket. BUT...we have to take the gloves off and fight as hard as we can to show this administration for what it has been, and to take back our country...... Kerry plus Edwards is a good ticket; I just hope they take off the gloves and go at 'em NOW. grace Subject: Our Next Vice President Here is one reason why Senator Edwards is good for the ticket: Being a Democrat is difficult. Our morality is based upon principles like justice, fair-play, and the humane treatment of others. Republicans always invoke God, or patriotism, or some cheap sense of moral entitlement, when discussing right and wrong. "They hate our freedom" is an all-too-typical Republican rejoinder. It is an assertion that creates a barrier to a genuine discussion of why terrorists hate us--indeed, it implies that such a discussion is out-of-bounds. Democrats, preferring truth, will analyze why terrorists hate us, not with an eye towards validating that hatred, but out of an instinct that recognizes the core value of living without illusion. We Democrats have the more circuitous task. It is harder to articulate enlightened self-interest than immediate self-interest. The former involves seeing oneself from within the big picture. The latter only demands that we feed our fears and lusts. To the extent we devote ourselves to rational thinking, as opposed to our appetites, we understand that the benefits conferred by civilization entail costs and sacrifices that may not be in our immediate interest, but which advance our true interests even so. John Edwards is very good at distilling our complex moral universe to simple truths. He uses everyday language to communicate important ethical distinctions--distinctions that may not be in the book of Leviticus or in the jargon of right-wing nationalism, but which nonetheless are deeply embedded in this country's cultural and moral heritage. We may have been Christian colonies, but it took the Enlightenment to make us a country, and speaking the language of moral enlightenment is a tricky task when confronting an adversary quite adroit at pandering to the lesser angels of our nature. Senator Edwards is up to the task in a manner that has not been seen since the Fair Dealers ran the Democratic party. We should be delighted that Senator Kerry chose John Edwards. It showed real character; that he (Kerry) is able to put the interests of our nation, and what is increasingly the same thing, given the flat and shabby fundamentalism that infests today's Republicans, the interests of the Democratic party, ahead of his own personal preferences. It is comforting to know that, granted the moral shortcomings which afflict all human beings, our candidate is a man of deep character and patriotism, while their candidate is, notwithstanding all their ignorant blusterings, a second-rate moral creature. Paul Ryan Subject: Can America Handle the Difference? Thanks so much for linking to our rants. Let's win this thing. Here's our latest... You Want the Difference? Let's review. In the last week, the Democrats... - selected John Edwards as the VP. - showed solidarity between Kerry and Edwards. - began an optimistic TV campaign. - held a fundraiser in NYC where the performers used a little off-color humor to poke fun at Bush. - had a nice spike in perception and in polls. - delivered a message of hope in the Saturday radio address. - HAD FUN. The Republicans and the Bush Cartel... - issued a terror warning for unspecified and unknown threats to the election. - launched a smear campaign against the John Edwards. - dedicated an entire section of their site to bashing Kerry-Edwards. - scolded and finger-wagged the "obscenity-laced" Kerry NYC fundraiser. - devoted more than 50% of their webspaces ( Bush AND the RNC )to bashing Kerry. - and Bush himself has gone on a name-calling rampage today against Kerry AND Edwards. - essentially acted like a hard-handed principal instead of our public servants. See the difference? Instead of running on their record -- because they have none -- the GOP is running scared. Bashing, bashing and more bashing. How horribly unbecoming is it that our incumbent leadership is playing garbage can politics when they should be pushing whatever strengths they have? I know. It's a rhetorical question. But their attitude thus far in this campaign 100% reflects their attitude toward the rest of the world: You're not with us, so go f--- yourselves. Meanwhile, the Democrats are so far in front on the high road, the GOP can't even see them. Yeah, the concert Thursday night poked fun at President Thinskin. Yeah, we go after Bush. We have to. This election is a referendum on his performance, not of Kerry's. What Kerry has to do is offer a better vision, a better meme ("Stronger at home, Respected in the world"), and a clear difference. That glaring difference right now is in how each camp is conducting themselves... (more...http://hoffmania.blogspot.com...) Subject: John McCain Hypocrite of the week! My sentiments exactly. I call him a turncoat -- whatever the way the wind blows, so goes McCain. How on earth can he validate turning around and begin sucking up to G. W. Bush, whom he knows is a liar and who cheated his way into the White House? Ugh! I have to wonder if talk show host Jon Stewart (on the Daily Show -- Comedy Central Channel) still feels the same about John McCain as being 'the' man, 'his man' for president like he commented to McCain when McCain was a guest on his talk show? At the time, I agreed with Jon -- McCain sounded pretty good -- He sure had me fooled -- I'm glad he finally showed his true colors. I hope this hypocritical action of McCain's will burn all of his bridges, politically. DJL Simi Valley, CA Subject: Moral Clarity John McCain was right about Bush's moral clarity. According to the dictionary, clarity means "clearness of appearance, thought or style." Bush's morality is clear....clearly corrupted! Valerie C. Subject: Charmed by a Two Headed Snake . . . BuzzFlash, What I am going to say will not be very popular, but dammit, today more than any other time in my lifetime, we need the Democratic Party defined and we need to bring back the life of that Party that has been slowly squeezed out of it in the past twenty or thirty years. The following quote was taken off the site of MakeThemAccountable.com from the New York Times article "In Their Own Words: President George Bush: Remarks Friday night at a campaign rally in York, Pa. "I'm running against an experienced senator from Massachusetts. He's been there a long, long time. He's been there long enough to take both sides on just about every issue. He voted for the Patriot Act, for Nafta, for the No Child Left Behind Act and for the use of force in Iraq. Now he opposes the Patriot Act, Nafta, the No Child Left Behind Act and the liberation of Iraq. If you disagree with the senator from Massachusetts on most any issue, you may just have caught him on the wrong day. The DLC members of Congress can't have it both ways. They supported Bush and it is on record. We all saw how they advertised for the elections in 2002, and those candidates who said they "did not agree with Bush" won their elections. How many? Two? This isn't the first time that I have seen how Republicans appreciate the Democrats when they get support from them. They turn it around and use it against them. Hence, no matter what the DLC members of Congress do, they will always get bitten in the ass by Republicans, who have always been condescending to our Democratic members in today's Congress. People around the world think the US is a renegade nation. No. We have a renegade administration and they need to take "full" responsibility for what has been done to the world and to this nation during these past years. Yes, Senator Kerry answers Bush's remarks as reported in this article, but if our Democratic Party would come out to the people instead of the Republicans or the Republican Lites, Kerry's numbers in the polls would go through the roof. We are the party for the people. Bush can offer nothing except lies, and people know this. They just need a reason to get involved. They need Hope. Hope for a better future. Bush can't deliver that . . . just ask all of those families of dead military and dead Iraqis. Ask the military who just want to come home. Bush has said it himself, "I am the war president." Is this what we want? Hell no!! Is this a future for our young people . . . Hell No! Democratic members in Congress . . . you can't reason, train, or have a bipartisan relationship with a two-headed snake. Regardless of how one can try, you will always get bitten in the end. Think Democracy . . . Think Democratic Party . . . Thanks BuzzFlash, Shirley Smith Subject: Bush Guard docs destroyed not sure if you've picked this up yet, but a sidebar ("In Brief") in the 7/10/04 LATimes, p. A9 ..."paper back-up copies" ????? ---I thought that's what microfilm was supposed to be. Nobody destroys microfilm unintentionally!! Bush's Military Payroll Records Destroyed (LA Times) Military records stored on microfilm that could more fully document President Bush's whereabouts during his service in the Texas Air National Guard were inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon. The material included records for the first quarter of 1969 & third quarter of 1972. ... "President Bush's payroll records for those two periods were among the records destroyed," wrote C.Y. Talbott, of the Pentagon's Freedom of Information and Security Review section in response to a request by the Associated Press and others. "Searches for back-up paper copies...were unsuccessful." Russell H. Subject: Slam Dunk Intelligence The 9-11 Commission cites a massive intelligence failure which allowed 9-11 to happen. The Senate Intelligence Committee cites a massive intelligence failure which allowed the U.S. to go to war against Iraq mistakenly. Both of these massive intelligence failures occurred on Bush's watch. Would you hire this man?? Getting him out of office should be a "slam dunk." Unless, of course, we no longer live in a democracy....(ominous pause).... Everyone, everyone reading BuzzFlash must commit themselves to working in November to get out the vote. Even if you live in a state that will undoubtedly go to Kerry/Edwards, every vote will count! Even if the Bushies manage to steal the election, we will look incredibly embarrassing to the rest of the world if once again he becomes President through the Electoral College / Supreme Court, while losing the popular vote. Regards, BC Subject: Funny .... The backstory is as follows: earlier this month, the web site for the Bush-Cheney campaign -- the real one, paid for by MBNA America and Richard Scaife -- featured a "create your own banner" tool, where you could enter your own slogan and print out your own poster, with the Bush-Cheney logo, and a note at the bottom, "paid for by Bush-Cheney '04, Inc." The original sloganator accepted everything, then it started censoring profanity and words like "Hitler," "dictator," and "evil." Nevertheless, many people enjoyed the sloganator before its demise, only a couple of weeks after its birth, and its mourners assembled some of the best for the slide show. http://homepages.nyu.edu/~meo232/sloganator nate Subject: blame Dear BuzzFlash: I suspect most Americans will find it hard to believe the blame for the big intelligence boo-boo belongs only to the CIA, especially since the Bush administration has been pushing for an attack on Iraq from the get-go. Check out this excerpt from an old CBS story interviewing Richard Clarke. Clarke says that as early as the day after the attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was pushing for retaliatory strikes on Iraq, even though al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan. Clarke's Take On Terror Clearly they were putting the heat on Clarke, so how are we supposed to believe they weren't pressuring others? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: So if al-qaeda wants to "disrupt" or elections...? Dear BuzzFlash, We have it from Tom Ridge himself that al-qaeda aims to strike before the election "in an effort to disrupt our democratic process." http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul... Just think that through for a minute. Al-qaeda will consider it a good thing if they can disrupt America's chance to select an alternative to the current President [sic], George W. Bush. They hope to create such an extreme crisis that we cannot afford to replace Bush! Is there any other conclusion possible than that Bush is the terrorists' personal pick? Certainly Tom Ridge understands the threats to our security, and we should thank him for being as forthright as he can be, given the circumstances. Jim P. Subject: Warning of a Terrorist Attack Hi, BF, I don't worry my head too much about this here Razzel Dazzel home Security Program, the real thing to watch is the Folks from the Pentagon, the VP, and the AG's office. When they start flying in private airplanes instead of commercial airplanes, something bad is going to happen. They were right as rain the last time. They ain't no better than me, so I decided to do, not as they say, but do as they do. The Sophisticated Feller ( I sure like to read them articles in BuzzFlash.) Subject: Two Americas Since Senator Edwards has been chosen as Kerry's running mate, North Carolina will now enjoy a more prominent roll in the 2004 Presidential Election. Edwards' candidacy was announced last Tuesday and we have since seen candidates from both sides visit North Carolina. I had the privilege of attending the first North Carolina Kerry-Edwards rally at the NC State Campus. Over 15,000 people endured the July heat to hear the Democratic candidates speak in the campus courtyard this Saturday. The event was free to the public with tickets available on the internet. Free bottled water and $2.00 hot dogs were available at the event. Last Wednesday, about 520 guests paid $2000 each to hear President Bush speak at the private residence of Cliff Benson Jr in Raleigh. Afterwards, about 100 Republican campaign contributors then paid $25,000 each to eat lunch with the president. I've read that the menu included cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto, and heirloom tomato salad. Comparing the two campaign events from the two political parties, I believe Senator Edwards has a point about there being "Two Americas." Bill Kazda Winterville, North Carolina CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE JULY 12, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG.
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