August 25, 2004
The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag.
What's this nonsense about Kerry's need to define himself or be defined? Did you see the Democratic Convention? No one could do better than this. If he has not been defined after that it is because the media refused to show as much of the convention as it had an obligation to do.
Stop this baloney and get to work helping him get the word out that he is extremely well qualified, is right on the issues and a hero to boot!
George Magit
Northridge, CA
Subject: Bush Denounces Ads by Outside Groups
Hi Buzz,
Is it just me, or is this an odd demand coming from Bob Dole. Dole, who has a disabled right arm from war wounds, said Kerry received an early exit from combat for "superficial wounds." He called on the nominee to release all of his Vietnam service records. That seems to be a very dangerous demand considering the idiot boy king has his own hidden military records.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Cluck, cluck
BuzzFlash:
There's a company in Franklin, TN, that's making what they call the John Kerry Flip-Flops. Today a local neo-con talk show host gave them a free plug and told his listeners how to get a pair. Well this set my mind to wondering what the protesters could do next week in NYC and what the rest of us could do as Bush travels around the country that would be the equivalent of the flip-flop and...
I think the best thing would be the Bush Limp Chicken.
We could just buy up those limp skinned rubber chickens, paint Bush's name on them and toss them at Madison Square Garden on the night that Bush accepts his party's nomination. For those of us who can't be in NY that night we can wait until Bush or Cheney appears in the nearest city and toss our chickens at the venue that is hosting their event or at their motorcade.
So, what do you think BuzzFlash? Is there enough time left to organize a Bush = Limp Chicken protest in NY?
Carolyn in Tennessee
Subject: San Diego is now on Air America
I am so glad I get to listen on the internet. A woman just called in from San Diego and she said she couldn't believe the call letters they gave San Diego.
They are on K-LSD.
She said it makes them sound like old hippies. If we get it here in Oklahoma it will probably be K-HIC or K-HAY or K-OIL.
Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.
Subject: The factual information needed to refute Bush's smear of Kerry's 1971 testimony
This is the statement by John Kerry that scared President Richard Nixon so much that he ordered the smear and destruction of John Kerry's reputation. The anti-Kerry Swift Boat smearers resulted from Nixon's order. They have charged Kerry with lies about his service when, in fact, they hate him for his anti-war activities after he was discharged. They have twisted his testimony to insinuate incorrectly as what Kerry said he saw in Vietnam when, in fact, he was merely reporting the experiences, testimony of others as told to him. The anti-Kerry Swiftboaters are trying to kill the messenger and destroy his presidential aspirations because he reported what other Vietnam veterans had reported.
I urge everyone to read the complete Congressional Committee hearing transcript, because it covers more broadly all of the Veteran's opinions as presented by John Kerry in response to questions from the committee members - very enlightening - and to help you understand and analyze the expected attacks by Bush's Swiftboater smearers. The second step in the smear campaign has already begun.
http://www.c-span.org/2004vote/jkerrytestimony.asp
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Confront Swift Boat Liar John E. O'Neill Online
Confront Swift Boat Liar John E. O'Neill Online Thursday, Aug. 26 at Noon ET.
Submit Questions Now Here: http://tinyurl.com/5x775
The Washington Post reports: "John E. O'Neill, co-author of "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry" will take questions and comments on Thursday, Aug. 26 at Noon ET."
Be sure to submit tough questions and well-informed comments ahead of time to slap down this lunatic -- hand-picked by Nixon's dirty tricks chief Chuck Colson to slam John Kerry decades ago -- who's wasted his life ever since on obsessive hatred of John Kerry.
Mike H.
Subject: CALL DOLE AND LET HIM HAVE IT!
A friend of mine has shared her outrage over what Sen. Dole said about Senator Kerry's service. (My friend's husband was a VietNam Vet and she knows what kind of scars you can have from being in war.) He minimized the wounds he experienced and basically politicized Kerry's service in Viet Nam by implying that Kerry's service was not anything to brag about..... Since it sounds like this could become something that backfires on Dole, let's do our part in driving the outrage home... Call Dole and tell them that his comments are a disgrace towards another veteran, and that people thought more of Dole prior to this statement!!! Remember Kerry volunteered, and bozo bush was a deserter!!!!!!
Here's his office number!! Have fun!!!! 202-654-4848
Thank you!! Do this for my friend, her veteran husband and all veterans who fought, whether or not they were wounded or not!!!
A BuzzFlash Reader
Just had to share a paper that my 14 year old nephew wrote on the "Effectiveness of the current president"...hope his teacher is a Democrat. By the way, he lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas.
George Bush's Effectiveness as a President
George W. Bush has been effective at getting his personal agenda passed through Congress to help the wealthy. However, if you're an ordinary American, his agenda has been ineffective at helping you. While no politician can be expected to deliver on every promise they make while running, this president has been extremely ineffective at delivering what he promised.
First of all, when he campaigned, George Bush promised tax relief to help average Americans. He planned to pay for this tax relief with the budget surplus he inherited from the Clinton Administration. Instead, his tax plan has cost trillions of dollars, and half of which lines the pockets of the wealthiest 1% of Americans. The average middle-class payer that got a tax cut, received roughly $11.50 a week in tax relief, while the wealthiest Americans receive roughly $1,020 a week, and the poorest Americans receive about $1.27 a week. In addition, more than 12 million low to moderate-income families received nothing at all from the Bush tax cut. The true cost of the Bush tax cut, however, is three years of near-record deficits. And corporations that provided millions of dollars to elect George Bush have been major beneficiaries of his generosity. The first year that the AMT tax was repealed, it cost $25 billion, a quarter billion of which went to Enron. Another corporation that has been rewarded most graciously by this administration is Halliburton. Halliburton has received billions of dollars in no-bid contracts even though they have done a poor job filling these contracts.
When he was running for president George W. Bush declared himself a "compassionate conservative," but unfortunately he has been very ineffective at achieving the compassionate part. During his time as President, Americans have lost 1.6 million jobs, which makes him the only president since Herbert Hoover to lose jobs instead of creating them. Also he has done nothing to resolve the health care crisis, which has caused average Americans to go to extraordinary lengths to get affordable medicine. Because of his deficit spending, state governments can't afford to fund health care for the poor, and the number of people without health insurance is up above 27 million. Compassion, it seems, never made it to the White House or the Republican-controlled Congress.
George Bush's other major failing has been national security. In spite of campaign promises not to start a war without an exit strategy, or put our troops in harms way needlessly, the President's reckless foreign policy has left us isolated from our friends and more vulnerable to our enemies. Instead of finishing the war on terrorism in Afghanistan, he chose to settle old scores by using a policy of preemption to attack a sovereign nation, which posed no threat to us. Now more than a year and a half after we attacked Iraq, the nation has become a breeding ground for terrorism and ill will towards America. In attacking Iraq, we have lost nearly 1000 soldiers, spent billions of dollars, and not one WMD has been found, nor any tangible link to terrorism. Our military has become over stretched, and because of that we have been forced to take troops away from protecting the South Koreans, who are bordered by a nation that really has WMDs. At home, George Bush has also done nothing to make our ports more secure by increasing inspections, and he hasn't done anything to improve security at our nuclear power plants.
Regardless of whether national security or a strong economy is your first priority, George W. Bush's performance as President has been a complete failure. His only real success has been to reward his friends and divide our nation. If Americans look at the results of this man's radical agenda, we will have a new President to put the country back on the road to prosperity, security and hope for a better future.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: What if Kerry challenged Bush more often?
In Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards called on Bush to end the Swift Boat Veterans ads.
"This is a moment of truth for George W. Bush," Edwards said at a Democratic rally. "We're going to see what kind of man he is and what kind of leader he is. ...We want to hear three words: Stop these ads." -- 'Kerry Urges Bush to Demand Attacks Stop' (ABC News/AP)
Under pressure from Democrats and Republican Sen. John McCain, President Bush on Monday called for ads attacking John Kerry's record in Vietnam to be stopped along with others run by independent groups, and said Kerry should be proud of his war service.
"That means that ad and every other ad," Bush said when asked if he wanted to bring a stop to commercials by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which accuse Sen. Kerry of lying about his war record in Vietnam. -- 'Bush Says 'That Ad' Attacking Kerry Should Stop' (Reuters)
I think that if John Kerry can get a response from President Bush after a direct challenge, he should use this power to get some answers to more important questions than about Vietnam. John Kerry should start challenging Bush to come up with answers on things such as, why didn't a single administration official lose their job over 9-11? How come not a single administration official lost their job over the inaccurate and incompetent planning for Post-War Iraq? How come no one in the administration has lost their job over the revelation of the identity of a CIA operative?
The list goes on and on about questions that REALLY need an answer so people can vote effectively in the next presidential election. I hope John Kerry challenges Bush on every one of them.
Signed,
A BuzzFlash Reader and Big Time Patriot
I appreciate the furor by Democrats (myself included) over the smear campaign of the Swift Boat Liars for Bush to discredit Kerry. And I do appreciate the attempt to keep to the forefront Bush's AWOL record. But goodness me, that's all I hear lately. I fear that, except for the smearing danger, this is a totally non-issue. We should have more focus as to who has the better plans on the issues of human rights, the economy, foreign policy and all the rest of what a President of the United States used to do! Everything is war oriented: whether who did what in the past war to how to better run the current war to where and with whom will be the next war. I guess I'm a naive 48-year-old that thinks there are other dire issues on the table.
I'm not blaming Kerry/Edwards. I think they ARE trying to address the real issues. And Bush, well, he just parrots the same old happy happy lies about the American state of the union. I guess I'm aiming at the supporters around the candidates (Swift Boat Liars and even MoveOn) for keeping the war issue alive. Although to be fair, MoveOn is only responding to the Bush Liars.
But it really keeps coming back to the media doesn't it? They have failed us catastrophically in the last several years. They are no longer news but propaganda and entertainment. This constant drumbeat of war issues truly drowns out the real needs of our country.
Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or 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. This 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 danger. It works the same in every country. -- Hermann Goering after the Nuremberg Trials
Michael Mitchell
Subject: "Violent" protests
Buzz,
Rethuglicans and their puppet press attach the adjective "violent" to the noun "protest" when speaking of the upcoming RNC protests in New York. [Like attaching "Saddam Hussein" to "9/11."] Why? History gives no support for this. On February 15, 2003, anti-war protests around the country saw millions march in peace. By contrast, in November/December 2000, the rethuglicans fomented a vicious, intimidating raid on election offices in Florida. So which group is the more "violent"?
The theory is that "violent" protests at the RNC would help DimSon by turning off middle America. Knowing how sneaky and underhanded the rethuglicans are, and how they let no low-down, sneaky act go un-executed, if "violence" erupts in the streets of New York next week, will they be fomented by rethuglican infiltrators? The puppet press hasn't asked this question.
T Quigly
P.S. At campaign stops, the first thing tie-less Kerry does is remove his jacket. By contrast, Duhhbya has always appeared at photo-ops in suit-n-tie. But now Duhhbya often appears tie- and jacket-less. Imitation is the best form of flattery.
Subject: what is that about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just heard bob dole say on wolf blitzer that the white house has a phone number for people to call and get briefed before they go on these talk shows. That's the first I ever heard of that. can someone record what it is so we can hear it? What is the number? we would love to know what they say to people! That may explain why so often you hear republicans saying, using almost the exact same words on these shows. :):):)
DA
Subject: Bob Dole and that ilk
How dare Bob Dole? As a wounded vet himself, how dare he question the extent of injury and the other talking heads question the time factor for receiving a purple heart? This from a man that admitted (according to his biographer) his first purple heart came from his own grenade that hit a tree. Bob Dole should do the honorable thing and give that purple heart back as undeserved. Let me ask all these gop patriots to please define their criteria for receiving a purple heart. How deep or how long must the wound be? Is a scratch ok, or must it be longer than two inches? How much blood need be spilled? Does a drop count or must it be a pint? Do you have to be hospitalized, or be put on disability? ]
How about the time factor? We know four months in country is too short a time, according to the gop, to qualify for three purple hearts. So what should it be? Six months? A year? Would it be ok if you were only wounded once in those four months? One purple heart is ok in that time frame, but three?? Would you be eligible if you were wounded the very first day you were there, or should we at least put a 30 day minimum on purple hearts?
Bob Dole, the republicans and any american that agrees with them should be ashamed, ASHAMED, for putting into question the thousands of purple hearts awarded our Vietnam Vets because the wounds weren't sufficient in their minds to qualify. Every person that has ever put on a uniform for this country should be outraged.
Bob Lambert
Northridge, CA
Subject: CNN International and SBVSBL
Dear BuzzFlash,
CNN wants me to vote for W. I know they do, they keep telling me in not so subtle ways. Last week on teletext, they had a story about Kerry being blasted on terrorism. Who was doing the blasting? Big Dick, and he got a lot of laughs from his handpicked crowd when he attacked Kerry. Why are they just being mouthpieces for the RNC? And then they covered the Swift Boat Veteran Liars for Un-truth. They are getting lots of coverage even in Europe, my god! And what does CNN say about Kerry's statement condemning the slime tactics? That it might backfire on him!!! How could it, unless CNN lets it be so. And then what was the whole ending caveat thrown up (vomited would be a better word) at the end of the report? That the Democrat's were spending too much time living in the past.
On a positive note, I just found out that I had the funniest reply for the "How many Tom DeLays does it take to screw in a light bulb? Tom doesn't screw in light bulbs, he screws in hot tubs!
Larry in Switzerland
Subject: Conservative Oregonian Editorial board finally changing!
Dear BuzzFlash:
The Oregonian newspaper editorial board had two excellent editorials Sunday. One of them condemned the swift boat liars and specifically the Clackamas county "prosecutor" who accused Kerry of lying, yet he was relying on hearsay. Their other editorial was asking why the hell the Army is not investigating the prison abuse that our Oregon National Guard soldiers tried to stop on June 29th.
This is great news! Finally the big O, who supported bush in 2000, is calling them on their shit.
On the other hand, perhaps the only reason they are doing this is because the Oregonian had original reporting on both stories and they are being ignored by the national news. I'll bet their egos are a bit bent. But for whatever reason, it is a wonderful positive change to their coverage. You might want to search out the stories and link to them...
The Swift Boat War, Look Into Prisoner Abuse (The Oregonian)
Keep up the great work,
Erin Haag
Subject: To Swift Boat Revisionists and Their Fans
Dear Admiral Denton, Swift Boaters and Bunker-ite others,
Your beliefs clearly revolve around that highly contentious time called the Vietnam War. You, like many veterans of that scarred era, feel that Kerry, despite his bravery and leadership skills, was a traitor for blowing the whistle on abuses and excesses by the men in service there.
You have conveniently clumped his ilk into the pinko, traitorous McGovernite-types who only smoke grass and disparage Old Glory. What irks you is that your perverse illogic leads you to believe that those who were serving in forbidding lands (Vietnam and Cambodia) were dying in greater numbers because "scum" like Kerry and "Hanoi Jane" were exposing the weak underbelly of the American military and weakening resolve at home. No sirs, the damage had already been done.
If you want to debate the issue of that war's legitimacy, then let's go. But to disparage a man who ably served his country (Kerry) because his moral compass could not turn a blind eye to ungodly, bestial behavior of American soldiers under fire...then the facts are against you. They are against you in the same way as the prison abuse scandal in Iraq is against the abusers there.
Being an American soldier or citizen abroad carries a lot of responsibility. We must be the beacon of light in order not to be taken as an ugly beast of prey. In Vietnam we were the latter, through no direct fault of the soldiers who served. War IS insanity and, if we are to win, rules of engagement should be chaotic and treacherous.
Mr. Kerry will never put soldiers in this insane environ again without exhausting every avenue. That is not his or his party's weakness; it is their strength.
Bush, a draft dodger of privilege, is not serving our troops well. He is taking away benefits, ill-equipping them when they go into combat, and leaving them to rot (in silence) in Vet hospitals beginning to overflow with these senseless injuries. Iraq was not a war of the last resort, no matter what the Bush spinmasters may have told you and your gullible cadres.
Groups like the politically-motivated Swift Boaters are coldblooded rednecks in a permanent state of denial. They tolerate no dissension and feel that God is America's ally. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are bigots of the highest degree and murderers many. Their Commanders-in Chief in the 60s and 70s (both parties) made serious mistakes by getting involved in a region which we had no need to conquer. Each leader tried to win but couldn't, because on a metaphysical, moral level we were wrong and out of tune with our Maker.
Get over it. Condemnation to every Swift Boat revisionist who wants to bring back those wrong-thinking, stained moments in our history. Being kind and forgiving is a democratic ideal, not one of the Democratic Party.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Posner
American citizen
Tokyo, Japan
Subject: Kerry's Antiwar Stance
Dear BuzzFlash,
Having lived through the Viet Nam war, Richard Nixon, and Watergate, I believe that if there is any one who had a right to protest the war in Viet Nam, it was someone who had served time there. Senator Kerry was not the only person to protest the war. It seems people have forgotten about "Born on the Fourth of July." Perhaps it's another movie BuzzFlash should start making available. I wish a network would be brave and run it one of these nights against all the reruns. Wouldn't it be nice if Ron Kovics or Tom Cruise or both would come out and add to the discussion about this horrid war that split families and the country in a way never before.
Additionally, I believe there are historical, official records that do prove that what Senator Kerry testified to did happen, despite what the Swift Boat fools are saying. I have read recent articles that the torture in Iraq is related to the terrible things that went on in Viet Nam. And, of course, we know that the liars are editing Kerry's words to make them say what the liars think he said and are quoting out of context. Who is going to get the media to correct the record?
I don't know about other BuzzFlash readers or BuzzFlash staff; but, I am getting so stressed out by hearing the lies over and over. These guys do not deserve any more than their 15 minutes of fame and that was spent a long time ago. I am going out of town next week and my time between now and then will be spent getting ready for the trip. But, when I return, I am going to do some serious letter writing. I am a 58 year old American Indian woman, who is saddened at what has happened to this country under this phony. He really makes me wish my ancestors had had much more stringent immigration laws.
You all at BuzzFlash do a great job. Keep up the good work.
Peace,
Bonnie M.
Matheson
Wheaton, MD
[BuzzFlash Notes: 1. BuzzFlash wanted to offer this DVD to our readers, but Universal Pictures is no longer producing the DVDs and they are difficult to get in quantity. We do recommend you rent or buy it. Here's our review of Born on the Fourth of July. 2. Have you seen this? A t-shirt currently selling in Flagstaff, AZ, pictures Geronimo and other armed American Indian leaders, with the caption: "Fighting Terrorism Since 1492."]
Subject: Interview with Thomas Frank
Damn Buzz, that was a great interview you had with Thomas Frank.
I have had several jumbled thoughts about how the Neo-con oligarchy had been conning the middle and working classes, but Mr. Frank really helped me connect the dots.
With what I have seen, heard or read in the past ten years, I have come to some conclusions (by the way, I am by no means a professor). I have categorized the Neo-cons into three basic groups: the oligarchy, the drones, and the pilots. These categories could be broken down further, but that would take a lot more research and time, and like I said, I'm no professor.
The oligarchy consists of some members of current Bush admin, the 1980's Reagan and Poppy Bush admins, war profiteers, oil companies, some members of the Republican Congress, etc. The drones are the middle and working class suckers, who think the way they are told to think. And then the oligarchy uses the pilots (Clear Channel, FoxNews, Limbaugh, Hanity, the Republican Congress, etc.) to control the drones. They take propaganda and absurd speculations from the oligarchy (Rove mostly) and feed or sell it to the drones.
Mr. Frank has explained how the Neo-con oligarchy uses "cultural wedge issues" to fire up, what I call, the drones. Then the oligarchy throws in an economic issue and the drones trust the oligarchy so much that they don't even care if it will benefit them or not. I have also given some thought into this trust that Mr Frank refers to as a mystery. Besides the passive Democrats, I believe this trust is created from what I have been calling the "Home Team" theory.
In the past, I have gone to sports bars to watch the 49'ers, and I had noticed that my friends and the other patrons would get upset when the refs blew a call, or when they thought the refs had blown a call which had hurt the 9'ers. But they were willing to look the other way when the refs missed a call in our favor. To me, this is same mindset that both Republican and Democrats are using in today's politics. We don't care if our team is right or wrong, we just want to win. Maybe this is why the drones are so willing to look the other way when the oligarchy cuts the taxes of the wealthy. Even if you use a slo-mo instant replay to show them how the oligarchy had lied to them, they still won't accept it because their trust is with the home team. I wonder if any psychologists have written about this.
Also, Mr. Frank's comments about free-market were interesting. I'm going to learn more about this.
You cut off the first part of the interview with the perfect cliffhanger. I can't wait to hear the rest.
DF
SoCal
[BuzzFlash Note: Here's Part 2: http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews...]
Subject: Kerry doesn't really want the ads removed?
According to Channel 4 Kerry doesn't really want them removed because they could aid him during the Repub convention. So, he has been trying for 3 weeks to get Bush to pull it and now they are saying it is Kerry who doesn't really want it pulled and not Bush.
Had Bush said anything 3 weeks ago, it wouldn't even be an issue. They also said today he came out against the ad, which he didn't do. He came out against all 527s. He didn't answer the questions as usual.
Bush is worried
because people are coming out defending Kerry and so far no one has
come out to say they served with Bush in the Guard, where according
to Bush's bio he was a combat pilot. I know from being there that there
were no dog fights over the Houston area in 1969-1974.
Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.
Subject: Random thoughts
Buzzers,
For the past few months I feel like I've been on a virtual roller coaster. After reading Buzzers' letters in the mailbag, I'm buoyed by a victory party certain to come in November. Other times the whole idea of those crooks stealing the election again via paperless voting machines starts to set in. Is there a fair and balanced procedure set in place to contest election results?
Bill from Dallas's thoughts on Bey Buchanan were right on. I also used to think that Mrs. James Carville was attractive, but trying to keep up with the spin those liars spew all these years has taken a toll. I think the face that really looks hate filled 24/7 is that of Karen Hughes. The first time I saw her, even before I knew anything about her, I thought she just looked downright mean. Those ugly thoughts really do make a difference in one's facial features. I don't know who scares me most though, the people whose hate reveals itself in their faces, or the ones that can hide their hate behind a smile (think Cheney). gwb's face just looks blank to me.
I was floored (and I don't know why) to hear Bob Dole say that Kerry received 3 Purple Hearts without losing a drop of blood. Since when was that a requirement? And how much blood do you have to lose--5 cc's? A quart? What is the minimum amount?
Regarding the 527's, the big difference between those ads for Bush and those for Kerry, is that a few rich Texas donors paid for Bush's ads, no doubt in exchange for something in return. Kerry's ads are paid for by a lot of us "little people." Our small sums of money cannot possibly influence anyone, but together hopefully they will be a catalyst for regime change. That's what democracy is all about. We do want something in return as well...not much...just to be able to find a job to feed our family and afford housing, as well as affordable health insurance. Maybe this nightmare will wake up the American voters to pay more attention in the future.
A. Travis,
Collinsville, Il.
Subject: Why I'm Putting Signs on the Freeways and Why You Should, Too
Over the past two years I've painted and posted over 2,000 signs on California freeways protesting the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq. I intend to keep doing it until our troops come home. The reason I do this is simple: When you put a sign on the freeway, people will read it until somebody takes it down. Depending on how cleverly you place it, a sign that costs less than a nickel and takes five minutes to make can be seen by hundreds of thousands of people.
I started putting up signs in December of 2000, when operatives of the Republican Party hijacked our election and flew it into the Supreme Court. I put signs on the freeway because I was Pissed Off, and tired of seeing people do nothing but ask each other, "Where's the outrage?" I put my outrage on 4x8 sheets of wood chained to overpasses that said "Supreme Coup." "It's hard to respect a president who's afraid to count the votes," and finally, when it was obvious the whole sad deal was done, "We had a chance to show the world what democracy meant and we blew it."
I thought that by using heavy materials and elaborate locking mechanisms that the signs would stay up longer. This was a mistake. If somebody's taken the time to physically reach your sign, they are going to take it down. The trick is to make lots of signs and put them up all over the place, and the way to do it is with cardboard.
Get some cardboard out of a dumpster, whitewash one side with cheap latex and then paint your message on it. I use transparencies printed off my computer and an overhead projector for lettering, but the overall look of the sign isn't nearly as important as the fact that someone cared enough to make it and post it on the freeway.
Here's an example: When the lies that constituted our reasons for going to war began to unravel I thought to myself, "Nobody Died when Clinton Lied." Five simple words that summed-up, as well as five words could, the way I felt. When I googled the phrase I found it occurred precisely once on the internet, on a message board in New Mexico. Feeling it needed more attention, I did what any of us would do: I wrote a letter to the editor of my local newspaper, the Los Angeles Times:
"Editor - Nobody died when Clinton lied"
They didn't publish it. So I thought to myself, "Alright then...I'll publish it myself," and spent the next couple of days painting and posting signs saying "Nobody Died When Clinton Lied" on the freeways of Southern California. Literally millions of people saw my signs while driving. Some of them took pictures and little by little the phrase began to spread across the Internet and into the mainstream... all for a material cost of about twenty bucks. I couldn't help thinking I'd stumbled on to something.
Since then I've put up thousands of other signs. You can see many of them at http://www.freewayblogger.com Hopefully it will inspire you to put up a few signs of your own. Again, all you need is cardboard, paint, duct tape, and something to say. If everyone who thought this war is a lie posted a sign saying "The War is a Lie," we'd be out of Iraq by sometime next week.
Peace,
Scarlet P.
Subject: W's real plans for the military
Maybe enough people are not aware of these plans hatched in 99 by the current key players in this administration. I am trying to get the media to get the info out there. Read the document referred to in this article...it is scary and is the smoking gun for this entire war!
George Bush's Real Plans for the Military (Washington Dispatch)
(excerpt - please read all at link above)
But this general strategy was not conjured up just by some military folks looking for a better way to attack terrorists. It comes from the civilian political group who call themselves Neoconservatives whose basic doctrine was detailed in a document called "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century," published by a think tank known as the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) back in the 1990's.
Organization's website: http://www.newamericancentury.org/
document referred to: http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf
Barbara Bowen
Subject: McEnroe show
Don't know if anyone has noticed but the McEnroe show is quite good and is pretty much one of the only "liberal" shows on that end of the dial. Good tunes and great guests. I think he probably knows everyone and most don't seem to mind appearing on his show.
Good stuff!!
Lp
Subject: Great Bumper Sticker!!
Hey Buzz,
At a Democratic fund raiser this past weekend, I saw a great bumper sticker. It was on the keyboard player's piano, who was part of the entertainment.
It Ain't Over -
Till' Your Brother Counts The Votes
Phil Rowland
South Pasadena, CA
Subject: Behind the obvious hatred, power lust looms large
Everyone with a television knows by now of the utter contempt which John O'Neill has for John Kerry. John O'Neill is the mastermind behind the attack ads against Senator Kerry run by the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." But is the true reason behind these vicious and dishonorable ads of lies really just O'Neill's anger against Kerry for Kerry's remarks during the Vietnam War, or is there another, deeper and more debased reason?
Kerry's remarks during congressional testimony of that period, by the way, have been totally misrepresented and taken out of context by O'Neill in order to portray John Kerry as the man who was the source of the charges of war crimes and soldier brutality instead of the truth, which is that Kerry was only repeating allegations he had heard from others, not making the charges himself.
There is a rumor going around among some Texas republicans that John O'Neill may run for the U.S. Senate when Kay Bailey Hutchinson retires.
So, the obvious question becomes, is John O'Neill generating and using this controversy as a way to springboard himself to the U.S. Senate? If so, he has proven, with his lies and unfounded attacks against war hero John Kerry's honor, that he has sold out his own honor for promises of political power. If so, he neither deserves to hold an elected office of the United States nor deserves another second of free promotion or attention from the media.
The claims that this group has been making against John Kerry have been completely exposed for the lies they are.
Direct and numerous links have been made between this front group for the Bush/Cheney campaign and the campaign itself. A Bush/Cheney campaign field office was caught red-handed handing out SBVFT promotional propaganda. A member of the SBVFT has been exposed as a member of the Bush/Cheney campaign, at which point he was "let go."
The above two described incidents are undoubtedly the reason behind the recent position that the President has taken (been forced), denouncing the libelous attack ads. Prior to these legally actionable revelations, the President refused to denounce either the group or the ads.
Because John Kerry finally stepped forward and fired back, the President was forced to eat crow. If Kerry is smart, he won't let them off the hook that easily. These people respect nothing but power, and if Kerry just lets the matter drop, he'll have to deal with the same kind of dishonorable shilling again.
Kerry has the goods on the Bush/Cheney campaign for violating election laws, and he should use the laws to the maximum extent to ensure that he doesn't have to worry about this kind of libelous shilling from this bunch ever again. Make an example out of them, and don't give O'Neill the chance to gain a republican Senate seat by attacking the honor of a true American war hero. Make sure you're right, then go ahead.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subject: Where's the coverage of the real stories?
Let's get past "Swift Boat Gate" and the distractions the Bush Administration is throwing into this race and get to the real stories of the campaign.
Where is the outrage over the duplicitous nature of Bush's campaigning on programs he fully intends to cut once re-elected? In May, the Washington Post reported on a planning document leaked from OMB that calls for massive cuts in education, homeland security, and many other areas the Bush campaign is now touting as hallmarks of the current administration.
2006 Cuts In Domestic Spending On Table (washingtonpost.com)
This morning, in a commentary on the Marketplace Morning Report, Miriam Peppertine quoted a Heritage Foundation analyst who stated the American people understand there is waste in government and are ready to make sacrifices to support the war effort as well. So, if the American people are so ready to make sacrifices, where are the plans to roll-back the Bush tax cuts to the most wealthy Americans? Why are the cuts in the 2006 planning document targeted at women, children, education, and homeland security?
Let's stop giving in to the distractions thrown out there by a desperate Bush campaign that knows it can't run on its own record and its own vision for America and must resort to misrepresenting the Kerry/Edwards ticket. Let's start bringing the debate back to what people care about and make the Bush campaign run on their record and their plan.
Stephen Martin
Subject: In 1978, Bush LIED About Serving 'In the US Air Force'
David Corn writes:
In 1978, Bush, while running for Congress in West Texas, produced campaign literature that claimed he had served in the US Air Force. According to a 1999 AP report, Bush's congressional campaign ran a pullout ad in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that declared he had served "in the US Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft."
Bush lost that congressional race, but twenty-one years later, the AP questioned him about the ad. The news outlet had a good reason to do so. Bush had never served in the Air Force. He had only been in the Air National Guard. But when AP asked Bush if he had been justified in claiming service in the Air Force, Bush, then the governor of Texas and a presidential candidate, said, "I think so, yes. I was in the Air Force for over 600 days."
...Yet no firestorm ensued. Will Republican funders now underwrite a group called Air Force Veterans for Truth...?
W. Overstated His Military Record (thenation.com)
Bob F.
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE AUGUST 25, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG.