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THIS IS PART 2 OF THE AUGUST 10, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1.

Sent to Wolf Blitzer, wolf@cnn.com:

Subject: Bush Misleading speech

Wolf,

After CNN cut to Bush's speech he said that Kerry said yesterday that knowing what he knows today he would have went to war to remove Saddam from power.

This is a blatant misrepresentation of what Kerry actually said. Kerry said that he would still have voted for the authority to go to war, but would have had a better plan for the peace and built a better coalition. This is very different from what Bush said. Kerry in no way endorsed Bush's actions, as Bush implied in his speech.

Why didn't you point out that Bush was misleading his audience when CNN cut back to you. You are an example of why today's news is such a joke. You had an opportunity to point out this stretching of the truth by Bush, yet remained silent.

What's the matter can't a talking head such as yourself think on his feet and react to what's happening at the moment? Are you just a parrot reading lines off of a teleprompter? Are you and the rest of your media pals empty airheads, biased or just plain lazy?

thank you,

stevie gardiner
somerdale,nj

Subject: Laura Bush

I see where Laura Bush said,

"We don't even know that stem cell research will provide cures for anything -- much less that it's very close" to yielding major advances."

Well, Pickles hon, that's because your hubby cut research off at the knees. Any one with half a non alcoholic hazed brain knows that research always yields some results. Serendipity (or casting your bread on the waters) will always happen. And ask your self this Laura (in between those lovely little pills that help you make it through the day) would foreign governments be putting so much money and allowing all the stem cells possible if they didn't think there was something to be gained.

Michael H.

Subject: Smells Fishy

The Las Vegas story makes no sense. We just had info on terrorist threats to New York that the white house milked dry. if Bloomberg had told Tom Ridge not to announce the threat, do you think he would have said OK, and gone back to doing whatever ever he does all day? Were the bush people willing to sacrifice people in Las Vegas because the mayor didn't want tourism to be hurt? The whole story smells fishy to me!

Kate Johnson
Tampa FL

Subject: Heads up: soft money

Dear Buzz,

Ah yes, the Swift Boat Veterans. Crafty stuff, indeed. As Clinton said on the same Daily Show, as long as a play is effective, it will be played. We know from experience that lies, even when proven false, will still stand as long as we keep empowering Rupert Murdoch (FOX News, DirecTV, etc.) and ken.

And don't be fooled. The craftiness goes, a much more dangerous vessel than it seems. McCain has had the opportunity to stand tall in deploring the Swift Boat Veterans, even as he, knowing better, supports Bush. The usual crew of media strumpets have also been given a golden opportunity to rise to the occasion, though much of it will be as disingenuous as the administration's "We have never and will never question John Kerry's service.'' Course not.

But listen very carefully to White House press secretary, Scott McClellan: "The President deplores all the unregulated soft money activity.'' Is this where the Swift Boat has really been headed all along? The ease of exposing them and the broad media coverage given the exposure should make us look twice, look ahead. Is this the cue for a push to ban all soft money activity? A ban that could hurt Kerry far more than Bush, while also allowing Bush to pose as a reformer. The Right fears groups like MoveOn, and well they should.

Heads up, folks. Put nothing past them.

With heart,

Deborah Conner

Subject: Story about drummer nabbed by FBI

Here's a link to a story about the drummer for the indie band The Polyphonic Spree who was harassed by the FBI after a microphone was mistaken for a bomb at an airport. Pretty silly and scary at the same time....

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/04-08/10.shtml#story2

A BuzzFlash Reader

Dear Mr. John Stewart:

Maybe you can get to the bottom of something for us. On 9-11 it was highly publicized that Bush would be there. After the attacks the White House claimed Bush was a target. Why wasn't that school evacuated? Second if they thought Bush may be a target, why sit there for seven minutes since the whole world knew where he was. If he really had been a target, that seven minutes could have been enough time to get those kids out and save their lives.

None of bushes actions or rather inaction makes any sense.

Shorty

Subject: Porcine "Reporters" Subpoenaed

Query: Is the First Amendment designed to protect "journalist" collaborators with a fascist administration, or is it designed to protect the populace from the kind of governmental secrecy this investigation is supposed to expose?

Reporter Held In Contempt in CIA Leak Case (washingtonpost.com)

A BuzzFlash Reader

Sent to Joe Scarborough, joe@msnbc.com:

Subject: Joe's Big Day

HEY JOE,

Do you think its proper for a MSNBC host to be attending a Bush campaign event and actually standing and applauding during the applause lines? It seems to me that this would not be a proper way for the host to act.

I only bring this up because while watching the Bush speech from Florida today, I happened to notice a certain MSNBC host sitting directly behind the president and applauding. Perhaps, Joe you should take a leave of absence like Peggy Noonan did from her job, if you plan to keep showing up at Bush Campaign events.

Your presence and applause are an implicit endorsement of Bush and I feel that you have shown your bias. I mean your show is barely a step above a Wayne's World cable access conservative wingnut lovefest, but to actually be at a Bush Rally is just too far over the line.

I understand that hardly anyone watches MSNBC and that the network exists for a tax write-off for Bill Gates and NBC, but still I think your actions today are unethical for a pundit.

thank you,

stevie gardiner
somerdale,nj