July 19, 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: Abu Ghraib
I have sent the following letter to my Senators and Representative in Congress:
Dear .............,
You know, after all that has been done and said in the last twelve years, I'd thought I'd seen or heard it all. Things that I, in my 62 years, NEVER thought would or COULD happen have come...and gone...and nothing more than a reflexive 'oooh, bad,' has been heard from Congress or the so-called Liberal Media, while everyone continues business as usual. I am not one of those warm and cozy Americans, puttering about minding my own little business while very carefully not looking too hard at anything that might become unpleasant, who can just excuse all of these excesses because we're 'at war' or that's the way things are or I'm sure they'll fix it, now that they know.
Since I lost my downsized job two and one-half years ago (thanks so much for that), I've had plenty of time to find out what's REALLY been going on. I'm politically active and I have a computer, an internet account, and a nimble and inquiring mind. I read newspapers from around the world and maintain e-mail correspondence with people all over the planet so, as you can see, I'm not a safely uninformed, garden-variety American who relies on Fox and Murdoch for my news. Up to this point, I thought I had been as appalled and upset as I could get. Whoa -- how so NOT true that is now!
I am writing to you today because you are one of my congressional representatives and I have a horrific question to ask you. Have you seen/heard the Abu Ghraib tapes of the children being sodomized by G.I.s within the hearing of their mothers that Sy Hersh has been talking about? If you have not, why not? And if you have, what is being done? What are YOU doing? Why isn't this story the lead on the news? Why isn't it on the front page of every paper in the nation? Why aren't speeches being made on the floor? In front of TV cameras? On the steps of Congress? Why aren't people in JAIL, FOR GOD'S SAKE!You know which tapes I'm talking about. The ones that record the brave actions of our military in the service of our country and our political leaders who call for these things, these horrors, to be done in our name. OUR NAME!!! The tapes made of the torture so horrifying that the mothers, also imprisoned, smuggled out letters to their kin asking them to come and kill them to stop this torture. I couldn't figure out why the Iraqis would repeatedly fire mortars at their people in the prison -- now, I understand why. These were acts of love and compassion for their families. Compassion that we, as a nation, seem no longer capable of.
I know, I know, everybody important or influential gets a pass these days. A Presidential election is stolen, a coup d'etat is broadcast on TV, we all avert our eyes and life goes on. People steal billions in broad daylight and so long as they pay off the appropriate people in Washington -- also in broad daylight, life goes on. Our Bill of Rights is gutted (no one apparently is supposed to notice this -- so unpatriotic, don't you know), and life goes on. We invade a country that had done nothing to us but be a good arms customer while sitting on a sea of oil before pissing off our oilman El Presidente and we promptly wave our flags, send our children off to death, burn our Constitution, alienate the entire world, and life goes on -- at least for most of us.Enough. I can swallow no more.
I am so ashamed to be an American. Ashamed. I'm ashamed of us. I'm ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of the whole apparatus and I'm ashamed of the rest of the world that has not yet pointed their guns at us and said STOP! (Oh, I forgot -- that's the latest 'reason' that we invaded Iraq in the first place, isn't it?) If we won't do anything to stop this, don't you imagine that somewhere else in the world, there are talks going on right now by people who ARE willing to stop us?THIS letter, sent to you in Washington and as many other places as I can get to publish it, is the first thing that I'm doing about this. Again I ask, what are YOU doing?
Barbara A.
Rittiman
Santa Clara, CA
Subject: Your tax dollars at work for the GOP
Hi Buzz,
Here is a link to a good article that describes how churches can lose (and have lost) their tax exempt status for electioneering. However, the most interesting part of the article is at the very end and has nothing to do with churches. The author quotes the following bit of blatant GOP propaganda that appeared in an official [April 9, 2004] IRS press release intended to remind people to file their taxes by April 15. It reads like a script for a Bush/Cheney commercial:
"America has a choice: It can continue to grow the economy and create new jobs as the President's policies are doing; or it can raise taxes on American families and small businesses, hurting economic recovery and future job creation."
It seems that the agency responsible for enforcing laws against improper electioneering by tax-exempt organizations, is engaging in some improper electioneering of its own.
David C.
Re: List of Bush Team's Lies Keeps Growing
The folks who lie for bush have bought and paid for the opportunity to do so. Thomas Scully, the former Medicare chief who advocated lying to Congress about the cost of the Medicare Rx bill, was a donor ($2,000) to the Bush-Cheney Florida Recount Fund in 2000. At the time, he was a bigwig at the Federation of American Health Systems, a hospital organization. It's fun to search the list for other donors who were given great administration positions in return for their largesse. Sec. of Labor Elaine Chao is there for five grand.Incidentally, I got into the donors lists last week and found lots of people and companies giving big bucks to bush that surprised me. I saw Home Depot on the "Top Fundraisers" list, and came to the realization that I didn't want to give my money to companies that support what I oppose. I didn't find Lowe's on the lists, so my home improvement dollars will now be spent at Lowe's. Others here might consider putting their money where their beliefs are as well.
Visit opensecrets.org, your guide to the money in US elections.
Sue
Subject: This Is Huge Good News!
This link is the ad that appeared today in THE NEW YORK TIMES from VoteToImpeach / ImpeachBush.org. http://www.votetoimpeach.org/pdf/advti04.pdf HOORAY!!! Please "Vote To Impeach," (also buy shirts and signs, and donate, so we can get this ad in EVERY newspaper) and pass this on! http://www.votetoimpeach.org BUSH > OUT THE DOOR IN 2004!nerdeaux in Idyho
Subject: Martha Stewart
If Martha Stewart has to go to jail for several months for telling a lie to one federal judge, how many thousands of years must GW Bush, Dicky C & Company have to do to pay for all the lies that they have told, killing how many people in how many places just because "God told Georgie Boy to smite O.B.L., AND HE DID, then God told POTUS to smite Saddam, AND HE DID, and who knows what more this bunch has done ON TOP OF STEALING THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE... Give us a break!Sidney S. Keith
Eagle, Idaho
Subject: Bushies are the real ID thieves
Hey guys,Here's an op-ed piece I just sent to my local newspaper (Houston Chronicle.) Thought other Buzzheads might find it interesting:
Bush signs bill cracking down on ID thieves In the July 15th Chronicle article, "Bush signs bill cracking down on ID thieves," President Bush said that identity thieves have not been punished harshly enough and he thinks Rep. John Carter's bill (the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act) will correct that. Let's hope so...An article in the July 6, 2001 Chronicle supports Bush's assertions that ID thieves have had it too easy for too long: "Jenna Bush gets fine, license suspension." In May 2001, Jenna Bush (President Bush's daughter) was charged with using another person's ID in an Austin restaurant in an attempt to purchase alcohol illegally (she was 19). She was convicted of ID theft in July 2001 and fined $600, had her driver license suspended for 30 days and had to perform 36 hours of community service. No jail time, no lengthy probation and not nearly as "inconvenienced" as the manager of the Austin restaurant where the incident occurred. The manager had her personal information broadcast over the Internet by the guys at Free Republic for being a "snitch." When White House spokesman Ari Fleischer was asked about Jenna's criminal activity, he said it was a "family matter, not a government one."
In Bush's own words, "this new law establishes in the federal criminal court the offense of aggravated identity theft. And someone convicted of that crime can expect to go to jail for stealing a person's good name. These punishments will come on top of any punishment for crimes that proceed from identity theft... Those convicted of aggravated identity theft must serve an additional mandatory two-year prison term." So if my teenager uses a fake ID and they are facing jail time, can I inform the judge that this is a "family matter, not a government one?"
James Green
Subject: Tax Cuts for Bush's Rich Buddies, But No Signs of Those Promised Jobs
Dear BuzzFlash,
When will this nation wake up to the fact that George Bush is nothing but an incompetent moron? He assured the nation that his tax cuts for the wealthy would result in millions of jobs, so where the heck are they?
We had one friend who just went back to work after 6 months of hardship, one friend who has been out of work for the past few months, (and still looking so that he can send his daughter back to college) and one just lost his job last week. The democrats should hold Dumbya accountable for all the false promises and highlight the fact that his policies stink. I hope John Kerry will ask Dumbya where these jobs are when he debates him this fall.
This to Shirley of St. Louis.... I really do feel sorry that you have to deal with republicans in your family. That must be hard, and especially when you try to convince them that their information is incorrect. Please remember that you have a large circle of friends here at BuzzFlash who agree with you on most issues, and we enjoy reading your letters too. LET'S KICK THE SQUATTERS OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!Roseanne
Re: Your Afternoon Buzz
I am happy that Senator Kerry spoke to the NAACP Organization. I thought he was eloquent. However, speaking as a black educator and a faithful Democrat, I feel the Congressional Black Caucus are taking things too far criticizing Senator Kerry's ads targeting minorities. I, for one, thought the ads were good. The ads addressed an issue, then asked a question relating to not only concerns of minorities, but all people.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: mailbag 7/16
To Elaine...what a beautiful reminder of Enya's lovely song....Only Time....I heard it so much during the 911 incident, and it is so lovely, I am glad to hear it in another context!Is there a Bush who has not been involved in some kind of money-monkey business? The Riggs bank, I thought, was just another bank in DC, but heard some time back that it was being investigated (money laundering before; now for Pinochet?).
And to the reader who wrote about Rush....if I am in the car, I listen to Rush. Don't ask me why....he is the worst of the lying son of a guns who is on radio...but, something tells me, he is on his way down.....way down!! (And sadly, he makes me laugh.) I think his drugs have done him in already.....and if you listen to that show, something is happening lately, that I have never before known or seen or heard. He is getting a lot of negative calls...a lot! I can remember when I wondered why someone did not call in and pretend to the screener they were nuts about Rush...then let him have it! Well, possibly, it is happening. The other day, he got two calls in a row from that kind of person...and even though he laughed at them, cut them short, and was insulting, they remained respectful, but at the same time, told him he was wrong...just wrong!
Well, you know, Rush....he just cannot be wrong! But, this is one troubled man...who I would imagine we will find dead one day...and not by anyone else's hand...even though, one would think he is that hated!! He is more of a character now, at least to me. I hate his lies, I hate his hypocrisy, I hate his hatred of the Clintons, and I hate the way he mocks Kerry and Clinton, both. But, there is something very pitiful about him. He is losing it fast.
I read at the time of his drug problem that he was a very lonely man who had been married 3 times...no marriage worked, his last was a woman he had met on a Compuserve chat room?? Even she could not manage it....and even though he lied and said that Marta had agreed to his divorce.....she was the one who got it!! He cannot open his mouth without lying...and he is digging that hole deeper and deeper all the time... What was it Clinton said, "When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging!"I don't think I ever enjoyed Clinton's sense of humor, until lately, since he has become the darling of the democratic party again...he was always the darling of us real democrats...avid democrats!
Likely, this last four years, if nothing else, has taught the democrats to value our own!! Never, ever be ashamed of anyone that DeLay, Hyde, Gingrich, or any of a thousand other rightwingnuts...crucify!!The old saying, "Just get over it!" will never make any sense to me.... You do not ever get over being cheated out of a sensible administration...seen this much blood, and lied to every day about it!
Shirley.............St.Louis
Subject: Terrorism and the Election: California is the Target!
Dear BuzzFlash,
Love love love your site! Please post this story from "Citizens for Legitimate Government." The article makes the case that BushCo may be planning to steal the November 2 election by issuing a "Terror Alert" for California on election day in order to steal California and by that, of course, the presidency.
Please post this article. It is another "Chilling Beyond Belief" scenario. Link is attached.Thank you very much.
Terrorism and the Election: California is the Target!
No postponement, just bedlam at the polls and a low turnout on the west coast is Bush's plan for 'victory'
by Wayne Madsen
Sharon L. Nichols
Subject: Dick Cheney
With all of the right-wing talk about Kerry flip- flopping on the issues I feel that it is important for the American public to know that the neocons do it, too. Here is a link to an article discussing Cheney's approach to gay marriage during the 2000 campaign and how he has now totally done an about-face on the issue. His daughter, a lesbian, was very involved and in the public eye during his 2000 campaign, but now with the issue of gay marriage on the table she is "mysteriously" absent from the public? Coincidence? Hardly. Enjoy.Lynne, Dick Cheney Differ on Gay Marriage
Thank you all for such a wonderful website.
David K.
Subject: Keep the faith Shirley!
This message is for Shirley in St. Louis: I will be praying for you tonight!! You wrote that it is hard for you on the "home front." At least most of my friends and relatives believe as I do. Of course they poke fun at me because I put my money where my mouth is. I vote, write letters to the papers, write to my congresspersons, put up political signs in my yard, purchase items ( Bush lied...soldiers died) and pass them out at social gatherings, call in to radio talk shows, send money to various political groups, etc. Even the teens in the family know where I am coming from, and I think that I have them believing what I preach!! You also said ....."this son, nor his wife or the daughter who went to Iraq has ever voted."
Believe it or not, this made me extremely happy!! We don't want people like this to vote!! I know that you love them, but at least they are just mouthing off....they aren't voting for the Bushies. I, too, have 2 cans of "Slim-fast " in my fridge. I'm throwing them in the garbage and will try something else. To hell with Slim-fast and long live Shirley in St. Louis!!!
Keep the faith Shirley.....you are one in a million!
Dee
Turner
Atlanta
Subject: Don't give up on the south
The Democratic Party has written off Georgia, even though Clinton won the state his first time around. Because of a conversation that I had with an old friend this evening, I don't think that Dubya has the state as locked up as his handlers believe. I am black and my old friend and former co-worker is white. She is as conservative as they come. We speak on the phone every couple of months. Tonight she revealed that she has lost her part time job ( she's retired, but needed the extra money). She also mentioned that her son is working 3 jobs and her daughter is not making enough to adequately help her husband.....they have 2 youngsters and the cost of day care is taking a big toll.After I mentioned that my niece had been out of work for a year and a half, had sold her home in New Jersey and moved to Georgia, my friend admitted that she doesn't believe it when forecasters say that the economy is getting better. She agreed with me that the newer jobs are at Wendy's and Mickey D's!! I was shocked to hear her admit this.
Will someone tell John Kerry that it's still THE ECONOMY STUPID!! My friend is a college educated, middle-aged woman who I saw crying when George Wallace got shot!! The economy is still so horrid that people are hurting. Focus on the white women of the south......hell, their husbands won't know how they vote in the voting booth!
D. Turner
Atlanta
Subject: found another item
Buzz --
It's interesting to view Massachusetts from a distance, having moved here to Florida within the last year. People asked us why we were moving to a state headed by shrubbie's brother -- well, many reasons, but one being that if we're here (my partner and I) then we can be part of the solution and turn Florida around in 2004 by making * sure * that our votes and everyone else's count.
Besides, we left a state that keeps voting in Repuglican governors... as attested to with the last selection, Romney. Here's the latest take on this slimeball...
What is Romney focused on? (boston.com/news)
Bring back * real * Republicans like Weld!!! At least he had some decency! But now I don't trust * any * of them ...
Keep up the good work,
Deb
Subject: McCain Kissing ass, Big time!!!
McCain WILL BE OFFERED THE VICE PRESCIDENCY!!
McCain ain't kissing ass for nothing. The republicans have promised him something.
Considering his popularity, what else could it be?
Take care.
Dan Shaw
Subject: Spoiled Baby Boomers
I saw Michael Moore's 9 / 11 film the other day and it got me to thinking. At the end he says the rich and powerful had to come up with a way to get the poor and scared to go fight to save the rich's way of life. I also remember hearing Sean Hannity talk about our soldiers as the "mightiest army ever on the face of the earth." A guest on his show asked him if he had ever served in the military. Hannity became angry and said HIS FATHER had certainly served (as if that were enough) in World War II. Hannity is an example of aging baby boomers whose parents fought in World War II to preserve the "American way of life." The baby boomers (I'm in this category, too) grew up with the rewards and spoils of parents who didn't have much and knew how to sacrifice. It helped make us, unfortunately, very selfish, spoiled, and lazy. I think a lot of people who supported the Iraq war were just such people: selfish baby boomers who expect other people to sacrifice their lives in order to preserve the boomer's way of life.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Just an FYI
I no longer put 'Right" and "Wing" together. Because of framing, the 'Right" wing isn't 'right' about anything. I now use "wrong wing" of the republican party. Cease to buy into their framing and use ours! Thanks for what you do!
Vicki WalkerRepresentative Missouri State House
Subject: Talent?
A distinct phrase, which is consistent with the White House spin of the day, is repeated over and over again by on-air "talent." What talent? This bunch of crooks couldn't make it on real TV news because it required talent. So fox bought them up and told them not to think, just learn the republican lies and never worry about facts.
John,
North Carolina
Subject: Why Martha gets 5 months, Bush gets presidency
Buzz,
I love the letter you posted from George W. Bush to Ken Lay, where he described how valuable Ken Lay's friendship was with him. I am posting copies everywhere. Interesting how Kenron Lay is out of jail so fast. I guess on Bush's way out of office, as he breaks a few White House windows, and has a tantrum, he will pardon Lay. Also Bush did exactly what Martha did with that deal with Harken energy. But, he never goes to jail for anything he does. I just think they sent Martha up for two reasons:
1) she gave money to Democrats
2) she is female
Wes Clark supporter for Kerry
Subject: Reader Contribution: Bush Is bin Laden's Man
Sticker:
'Kerry is bin Laden's Man'
GOP offers item; origin unknown By Bruce Schreiner
Associated Press (Louisville [KY] Courier-Journal)
Jack Richardson, IV, chairman of the Jefferson County [KY] GOP, is quoted as saying: "If bin Laden could vote based on Kerry's voting record in the Senate -- where he has decimated our national security and defense -- is there anybody that can honestly say bin Laden wouldn't prefer Kerry over Bush? Of course he would," in response to a query as to whether he agrees with a bumper sticker being circulated in Louisville that reads "Kerry is bin Laden's Man/Bush is Mine." And in a phone conversation with Josh Marshall (www.talkingpointsmemo.com, July 16, 2004) he asks Josh, "Why wouldn't Kerry be bin Laden's man? Bush certainly isn't bin Laden's man."
The answer, Richardson, is, in case you haven't been paying attention, many people in this country have actually been debating this: would al-Qaeda prefer a Bush win or a Bush defeat? As far as I'm concerned, the answer is far from settled, at least on political/strategic grounds. Nonetheless, consider this, Richardson: American opinion from the top down, regarding whether Bush is waging an effective fight against bin Laden's terrorists or whether he is doing just the opposite, is slipping steadily into the "he's strengthening al-Qaeda and playing into bin Laden's hands" column of the list of Bush's Dubya's Accomplishments.
So can we really say who bin Laden would vote for if he could? Well, as long as the GOP hatemongers have brought this up, I have to say, yes, we can, and I counter with a point that is absolutely solid compared to Richardson's own lame excuse for an argument; a point that relies not on what we think bin Laden's political or strategic thought is, but what we know he and the terrorists believe "religiously."
So, let us consider this issue from a religious standpoint, clearly an overarching influence for both radical Islamic thought and Bush's own motivations. Every one of those rad-Islam terrorists, I can assure you, is fervently, fervently, fervently opposed to gay marriage. And in our own political arena, who is showing the same fervid intolerance towards an idea he finds religiously repugnant, to the extent that he is demanding an amendment to our constitution? Why, George W. Bush (as well as Dick Cheney, in a betrayal of his own daughter's well-being and freedom to choose -- but then again, in the thinking of Bush, Cheney, and radical Islam, women are relegated to a subservient role, so they agree religiously on that too!).
So who would bin Laden and all his terrorists vote for, if they could vote? Their devotion to Islam permits them only one choice, or face an eternity in Hell: they must vote for George Bush. He's "their" man, Richardson, and you haven't even figured that out. The good news: now you know. So it's time, Richardson, to change that bumper sticker to "Bush is bin Laden's Man/Kerry is Mine," and switch your vote to the Demo ticket. Or else support totalitarian theocracy.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Fox News and the Birth of Brown Shirts
The Brown Shirts ARE Here ... Just like the Florida vote count coup of 2000, the Fox News is playing up the birth of these gangs of "Bush Brown Shirt Bullies" to intimidate dissent in our Nation ...Protesting the Protestors Saturday, July 17, 2004 LOS ANGELES (Fox News)
At anti-war rallies, thousands exercise their freedom of association and expression, but, if you're anti-left or pro-Bush, speech is not so free."You should be ashamed, you fascist," protestors jeered at demonstrators who opposed their anti-war message. A handful of young conservatives founded Protest Warrior (search) last year. With an in-your-face style the group tries to provide a balance at demonstrations promoting a liberal, anti-war agenda.
" We were met with some violence," said Kafir Alfia (search) of Protest Warrior. "A lot of yelling and name calling. 'Nazi' and 'fascist' are very popular."Leftist event organizers have tried to kick Protest Warrior out of their marches, but police refused, saying protestors can't censor what signs show up at their protest.
After starting out with a handful of people, Protest Warrior is now growing at rate of five to six new members a day, with chapters in 13 cities.
Paul S.
Subject: about Bush and the NAACP
Regarding Bush's snub of the NAACP. It's my opinion that this was simply done to fire up his base....the pro-Klan crew that make up a huge percentage of Bush's core base loved it.Keep up the good work guys.
Keith Miller
Wellsville, Ohio
Subject: American Traitors
Any effort to harm our people or our environment to satisfy some political agenda is treason. If anyone practices treason, they are traitors. Almost fifty percent of the people of the Republican Party are traitors. George W. Bush and Cheney are traitors. Most of the Bush administration are traitors, Rush and Sean Hannity are traitors. The CEOs of General Electric, NBC, CNN, and Fox news are traitors, Ed Gillespie is a traitor. Anyone who would deny the rights of the Bill Of Rights or Constitutional protection to any American citizen is a traitor. Bill O'Reilly is a traitor, and a draft dodger, and a coward, and a piss-willy, and a disgrace to the Irish, same goes to Peggy Noonan, she's a traitor and a media whore and also even looks like the real article -- the American media is chuck full of suck-up, on their knees, political fellatio experts giving political blow-jobs to every room-temperature IQ Republican they can find, and this has been going on since 1830. Any ignorant dipshit who ever mentions the phrase "Liberal Media" should have his head stuffed down into a toilet. We've never had a "Liberal Media" and we never will. Nearly fifty percent of the American voters in 2000 actually voted for George Bush, even when he couldn't speak English. They actually wanted someone as ignorant as they are to be president. Look at the result, he's turned our beautiful country into a goddamn garbage dump. He's a goddamn traitor.
Apache
Wind
WCDR
Subject: state-sponsored terror
Newsweek's Michael Isikoff reports the 911 panel fingers Iran as "facilitating" the Saudi hijackers because Iran didn't stamp their passports.What about Pakistan? Pervez Musharraf has a relationship with our CIA that goes back to the eighties when he helped put together the Afghan Islamist jihad to oust the USSR in Afghanistan. His relationship with bin Laden and Richard Armitage goes back that far. He purportedly received Green Beret training at that time.
The Bush administration was really putting the pressure on Pakistan to force the Taliban to hand over bin Laden prior to 911. Musharraf's ISI chief was in the U.S. visiting our CIA the week of 9/11. Then ISI chief Lt. Gen. Mahmood got caught out even more incredibly -- for having ordered money sent to chief hijacker, Mohamed Atta. But, amazingly, Mahmood got off scott free and is now CEO of a (and I kid you not) fertilizer company in Pakistan. Why hasn't he been extradited to the United States as an accessory to the crime? WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl was on the track of the ISI - 911 connection when he was captured and murdered in Pakistan by a Pakistani terrorist. Earlier this year when a Pakistani scientist admitted to sharing nuclear weapon secrets with North Korea and other rogue nations, he too got off scott free with a pardon from Musharraf. What motivates the Bush administration to prop up Pakistan, letting them get away with murder while we exact revenge on the wrong countries? It's not like Pakistan is a beacon of Democracy. Does anyone seriously think that Pakistan would try to nuke the U.S.? Does anyone seriously think that Osama bin Laden could have survived this long without Pakistan? The Bush administration cut off all questions about Pakistan's culpability immediately after 911 by cutting a deal, like a plea bargain; Pakistan helps with the "War on Terror" and we don't hold them or the Saudis responsible for aiding and abetting the murder of 3,000 of our civilians, but meanwhile we make war on two other countries, one of which had absolutely nothing to do with 911.Doesn't that strike anyone else as really, really odd?
9/11: The Iran Factor The final report of the 9-11 Commission reveals troubling new evidence that Tehran was closer to Al Qaeda than Iraq was The 9/11 report says Iranian government officials may have facilitated terror attacks by helping Al Qaeda members to travel with 'clean' passportsA BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: See what some talking heads focus on? Cripes
This is what some talking head said and I don't know why they are focusing on this.They say, "What did these candidates' wives have? What role did image play and did it matter?
Heinz Kerry - sultriest eyes
Beth Edwards - most wholesome looking
Judith Steinberg Dean - most scholarly
Gert Clark - most Barbie doll like figure
Hadassa Lieberman - most model thin"
Why would they put this kind of focus in the race? Anything to divert attention from real issues. This should be an insult to all these women.
A BuzzFlash Reader
[BuzzFlash Note: Republicans must focus their campaign rhetoric on personal issues because if the Stepford voters truly understood the disastrous effect Republican policies have on democracy and what's left of real and true compassion (unlike that BS shoveled from Bush's mouth), Republican candidates would have no one to vote for them.]
Subject: "Perp Walk" from American Leftist site
Dear Buzz,First, the Nuremberg quote which graces the Perp Walk graphic. It is ... a prescient quote, indeed:
To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime, it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole. ... If certain acts in violation of treaties are crimes, they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us. -- Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, U.S. Prosecutor at Nuremberg
Link to the graphic: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-10/446384/perpwalk.gif
If there be any justice in this world, at any time in history, let it show
itself now.
? 9/11 ?
Elaine
Subject: Want a dead kid?
Want your kid to spend his life in diapers drooling spit down his chin watching cartoons? Vote Bush/Cheney. Want your kid to come home in a body bag? Vote Bush/Cheney and their perpetual war mongering. Want a draft to force your kids to kill others and risk their own lives? Vote Bush/Cheney.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: I couldn't help but pass this on
Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger. -- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials
I guess Karl Rove learned something from grandpa after all.
Siege Heil: The Bush-Rove-Schwarzenegger Nazi Nexus and the Destabilization of California
by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman (commondreams.org)
A BuzzFlash Reader
Hey BuzzFlash,
Long-time reader; first-time caller... check out this AP spin... "Iraq Uranium Claim Gets Some Support" (news.yahoo.com., from AP)... by the usual suspects, of course -- us and britain, and that's it. and by the end of the overly-long, overly-thin article...
An internal CIA memo from June 17, 2003, said, "We no longer believe there is sufficient other reporting to conclude that Iraq pursued uranium from abroad."
But beyond internal correspondence, "to date, the intelligence community has not published an assessment to clarify or correct its position on whether or not Iraq was trying to purchase uranium from Africa," the Senate committee said.
Meaning, around this time last year, after the war's already started...they still had never tried to verify that we actually had a reason to go to war...because, if i read correctly, there just wasn't even enough suspicion to bother doing so, even if to fake it. poof -- like those muncho's potato chips -- salted air.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Rush Limbaugh
Hi Buzz:
A magazine insert, USA Weekend, in the July 18, 2004, Sunday Cincinnati Enquirer's morning newspaper, and on the second page is Who's News, By Lorrie Lynch. There are questions and answers about various people.
There is one question/answer I would like you to read: This is quoted, verbatim:
Q: Rush Limbaugh is quick to question a political candidate's military service, so I'd like to know in which branch of the military he served. Any reserve duty? John O'Connell, Easley, S.C.
A: None. He had medical and student deferments from service in Vietnam. A 1993 bio on the radio host, 53, said the medical deferment was for a treatable cyst at the base of his spine. His camp wouldn't comment.
Isn't this just the way these toxic-fume spewing, drug using, criminals live?
What a way to make a living. Lies, lies, and more lies.
Dolores
Dryden
Harrison, Ohio
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE JULY 19, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG.