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

Subject: Well . . . A Few Fleeting Thoughts in Fistacuffs . . . :)

BuzzFlash,

Truthout - Breaking: Edwards Calls Cheney Remark 'Un-American.'

Clarksburg W.Va. - Sen. John Edwards accused Vice President Dick Cheney of "un-American" campaign rhetoric on Wednesday, answering the Republican's day-old charge that a vote for the Democratic ticket this fall could open the United States to another terrorist attack.

Well, my first thought regarding Cheney's outburst was . . . rather than "un-American,' it's a goddamn f------g lie! But, rethinking the remarks of Cheney again and as I feel that Cheney and the Bush administration knew more about 911 because of their secrecy and their willingness to clog the investigations and they haven't done anything regarding protecting Americans from terrorist attacks . . . they talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. They have put this whole nation at risk through their policies and attacks on other nations . . . that maybe Cheney's remark was more of a "threat" from the Bush administration towards the American people.

I'm going to say it . . . what really pisses me off is that our Democrats in charge . . . never deal with facts. Why don't they point out "why" this remark by Cheney is untrue? No . . . unAmerican and Daschle says "unfortunate and inaccurate." I'm sure those remarks will make Cheney --the Grim Reaper himself -- quiver in his boots and drop his scythe. And, I am quite positive those remarks will wake up Americans everywhere . . . or maybe the Democrats should just take Cheney out to lunch and discuss it! Grim Reapers don't eat much!

Why aren't they accusing this administration and throwing back actual "facts." Would it hurt the American people to read some of this just once? Dividing this Country? I don't get it. Maybe this Country wouldn't be divided if they knew some of the facts about the war and all of the dead people around the world and why people hate us.

Yes, we are a nation divided. We don't want war caused by lies . . . lies that are killing our people and thousands of innocent people around the world. But, some Americans don't give a good goddamn whether we are killing people or not. We are divided whether the Democrats like it or not. Our government is being fleeced by these Republicans. No matter how outrageous their demands . . . they always get what they ask for. Now, they are asking for jail time in my mind and I want to give it to them.

I mean, if you can't get people to vote for you because of your past four year record . . . just threaten them. That's the Bush administration's MO . . . death, destruction and fear. In fact, with the information that is in the public realm right now regarding the Bush administration and 911, . . . Cheney knows what he is talking about. It doesn't matter who wins this election because of the Bush policies around the world, the US will be in danger for many years to come. It will take a lot of "fixing" by a Democratic administration before Americans will be safe. The Democrats know this, but do they say it? No.

I wonder how many colors we will witness from the Security Dept. before the elections. I read somewhere that there were no threats of color run up the pole during the Republican's siege of New York . . . except those aimed at the protesters.

People listened to the lies about Kerry and his medals. Why wouldn't they listen about Bush and his whole administration's lack of military service and Bush's AWOL record . . . we don't hear this from our Democrats in the news.

The difference, in my opinion, is the way that the Republicans attack . . . they lie, sure, but they attack directly at their target and they don't use subterfuge or innuendoes (they only do that when they are passing laws).

Democrats shoot from the hip or over their shoulder or from around a corner . . . they never go for the throat and it is my belief that when you are dealing with attack dogs . . . simple word commands will not make them go away. Who will get the people's attention . . . an attacking dog, the person bounding over the wall . . . or the tiger calmly eyeing the dog and licking his chops.

Just another view . . . :)

Thanks BuzzFlash,

Shirley Smith

Subject: Kerry's likability

Last night was still another night when I caught myself screaming at the television set while watching Chris Matthews' "Hardball."

Matthews had that editor from the Washington Times and Lois Romano, a columnist from the Washington Post, lamenting that the campaign was being bogged down with extraneous issues and that Kerry was not addressing the important issues. Excuse me, but isn't this election really a referendum on Bush's record?. And am I in the twilight zone, or don't I see Kerry talk everyday about Bush's war, health and economic policies, to name only a few issues that Bush has botched in his failed presidency.

But what got me screaming was when Matthews and Romano got into Kerry's likability. Matthews called Kerry an "automaton," and Romano spoke of Bush "with his sleeves rolled up," and being so likeable compared to Kerry, whereas I would begin to describe Bush as a phony with a phony platform to delude the voters. Whatever happened to integrity, leadership and wisdom as being among the criteria for being president? Would Lincoln have been considered likeable? I like what Bill Maher replied when someone said "I just can't get comfortable with Kerry." Maher quipped: "Just vote for him; you don't have to marry him."

In these perilous days when much is at stake in the world, I believe that most people would rather choose a thoughtful, diplomatic candidate with gravitas, than a candidate better suited to be a cruise director.

Charles F. Siford
York, PA

Subject: TV stations refuse to air 60 minutes

Hi,

Thanks for all your work.

Just wanted to let you know that Democracy Now is reporting that several television outlets--one in Lubbock, one in VA and one in PA--did not show the 60 minutes last night with Ben Barnes. The Lubbock station showed a church charity something-or-other, the one in VA conveniently had a 15 minute weather report during just the Bush part, and the PA station had "transmitter problems."

I couldn't find a link to the story, and you've probably already heard it but I just thought I'd pass it along.

Thanks,

Matt Morris

Get today`s Palm Beach Post and find out which people down here are suffering the most...like the poor, elderly, &. the blacks. FPL and FEMA are taking care of the Republican voters by turning on their power. Who cares about the boats that are sinking in the rich areas. It`s a disgrace...and the unelected president came down to put bags of ice in a few cars.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Biden *amazing* on Wolf Blitzer, transcript MIA

I had been waiting for the transcript to go up from yesterday afternoon's WBR show, but amazingly, CNN failed to post it. Guess that's cuz our guy slammed their guy so effectively.

Joe Biden was on and he slammed Cheney so decisively and with so many facts, I was amazed. Biden went through about 10 different items on "judgment" re the Iraq war when Wolf tried to defend Cheney's outrageous comment by saying Cheney was just talking about judgment. Biden even pointed out on live TV that the attack on NYC happened on Bush's watch and how good was their judgment about ignoring the warnings of a pending attach. He pointed out that Cheney insisted we'd be greeted with flowers in Iraq and the whole thing would be paid for by Iraq's oil reserves. I didn't know Biden had it in him. Please keep your head up for this transcript as it is worth the read.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Memos Show Bush Suspended From Flying

George W. Bush has a list of inappropriate actions and failures that would fill many books. There have been several written already, and more to come, plus hundreds of articles on the subject. With the worst record of any previous president, Repubs would have us believe that he has taken a ten point lead in the polls against John Kerry. Their propaganda machine is working overtime. Bush's claim of so-called 'honorable' TANG service is coming apart at the seams.

RB

* * *

Updated: 10:35 AM EDT
Memos Show Bush Suspended From Flying
By PETE YOST, AP

Subject: Cheney's Logic

To The Editor:

Doesn't it follow, were one to accept the logic of Cheney's premise that more terrorist attacks will occur if voters elect the 'wrong' person in November that the major attack we suffered on 9/11, 2001, was due to the fact that Bush had become president in 2000?

Ann Davidow
Old Greenwich, CT

Subject: Cheney on Terrorists

With regard to Cheney's recent statement that if John Kerry is elected President the terrorists will strike us again, I keep waiting for someone to point out the fact that the most devastating terrorist strike in the history of this country happened with Bush/Cheney in office, and on vacation to boot. Therefore, it seems unlikely that a second Bush term will inoculate us from terrorist attacks. Where is the press on this?

Love your website.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Best One-Liner of the Day

Dear BuzzFlash,

Remember, you can't spell "coward" without dubbya!

Jim P

Subject: Seeing Completely Through the Smokescreen.

Hi Gang!

The assault weapons ban will expire this Monday and the Repuglican leaders are doing absolutely nothing about it.

Even worse so, they were never intending to do a single thing about it in the first place. Lets connect some dots, shall we?

• Tom DeLay (Majority Leader, Congress - R) says the ban is a "feel-good piece of legislation (that does nothing to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals)," and "we don't have the votes to pass an assault weapons ban and it will expire Monday and that's that,"
• Bill Frist (Majority Leader, Senate - R) says "I think the will of the American people (i.e., the NRA and der Fuhrer DeLay) is consistent with letting it expire, so it will expire."
• J. Dennis Hastert (House Speaker, Congress - R) said he would let the House vote on it if the Senate acts first.
• George W. Bush (president-appointee - R) said he would sign the bill if Congress passed it. Thusfar in the debate, the White House is silent and is a testament to where Shrubya stands on the issue. \
• Wayne LaPierre (NRA President) says the NRA isn't going to be spending any more ad money opposing the renewal.

Police chiefs from D.C., Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Seattle went to Washington to plead for a renewal of the ban. James Brady even presented himself.

Gun makers are already starting to gear up assembly lines to begin mass-manufacturing formerly banned assault weapons that can be easily modified to be made fully automatic.

And all this is happening because Congress Won't Vote on Weapons Ban.

I don't begrudge anyone the right to bear arms, as guaranteed by the Constitution, but if you absolutely must have an assault rifle...there is the perfect place for you - the Army.

Jerry Peurala
Westfield, IN

Subject: AIPAC

What more proof does anyone need that the political process in the United States is broken beyond repair. than the statement of Rep. Roy Blunt, the House Majority Whip, that the subject of an investigation into charges of espionage against the country would begin with, what is basically, a good conduct pass from the teacher.

The charges of an Israeli spy ring within the Pentagon were raised last month shortly after another incident involving an Israeli national, the outing of Jim McGreevey. These two incidents on the heels of various arrests around the United States of Israeli nationals in Ryder trucks in the vicinity of nuclear power plants and certain United States Government facilities.

No coincidences there, right?

The bipartisan show of support for this front group of lobbyists and possibly worse representing a foreign government should prove to everyone that there isn't a whit of difference between these two parties here in the U.S.

Matt Carmody

Subject: bush rally-protester pulled out by her hair-don't we have freedom of speech?

I am outraged at what happened at a bush rally today. A protester got in and the secret service or whoever removed her by pulling on her hair. Is there no free speech or dissent allowed in this country? Kerry has protesters all the time and he doesn't drag them out by their hair. I hope that you get that tape played over and over and over-I saw it in Dana Bash's report on Cnn. You should have seen the hate on the audiences face.

KARIN DICKER

Subject: Bush's honorable discharge

Dear Buzz,

I grew up in the military and was a young military wife in the vietnam era. One thing we all knew was that a young man with a congressman father could get away with any kind of behavior in the military. The officers in charge of him would not dare give him anything but an honorable discharge, they would not want to risk a vote for the defense department budget. Even lowly congressmen can make a military man's life a misery. Congressmen's sons in the military were tolerated and put someplace where they did not have to do anything and then discharged as quickly as possible. Similar to the treatment Elvis got in the military. This was not unusual and was considered worth it for the public relations value.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: What the F**k happened to CNN

What the F**k happened to CNN. They used to be a network that tried to play fair and do an honest job of reporting the news. But during this election cycle, they are some bizarre Fox wanna-be spouting nothing but GOP talking points.

Right at the top of the list of people I used to respect are Wolf Blitzer, Judy Woodruff and Bill Schneider. These people constantly take the slant in their stories directly from the mass GOP talking points e-mail. They rarely ask serious questions of conservatives on their show, but when a liberal gets on the show, they get this incredulous smirk on their face like they can't believe what they are hearing.

Judy Woodruff is by far the most disappointing. I used to have 100% respect in her. She is terrible now.

I urge everyone to write e-mail to CNN and complain. Just like Fox, they are turning into the de facto propaganda arm of the republican party.

Mike in Seattle

Subject: People-Magazine yellow journalism

Buzz,

The day after a half-million people protested in New York against Duhhbya&Dick, did USA Today headline with a photo of the miles-long march? No, it had a photo of DepravedDick stepping off a plane.

The day the 1,000th American soldier died in Iraq, did USA Today headline with this sad milemarker? No, it headlined that Duhhbya was supposedly ahead in some poll. The next day it featured a photo of the 1,000th soldier. But the following day it was back to headlining Duhhbya supposedly ahead in some poll [not mentioning other polls that put Kerry in a dead-even tie].

USA Today is the People Magazine of journalism - it traffics not in issues, but in rethuglican personality. It is beyond belief that it calls itself "America's newspaper" - in fact, it's "Rethuglicans' tabloid". Where does it discuss the devastation of our Iraqi invasion, occupation and slaughter? Nowhere; it does not report news, only celebrity of the radical right-wing ilk.

T Quigly

Subject: newslink: one day after....

One day after embarrassing revelations of Bush's military service, "new" al-Qaeda videotape appears on Al Jazeera. Doesn't a new tape appear every time Bush is the defensive?

"Qaeda's Zawahri Appears in New Tape on Al Jazeera"

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Election Bumper Stickers

Dear Buzz,

What about a new bumper sticker that reads; "Save Democracy, Vote Democratic!"

Really, this is what the election is really about.

Also, I see where the administration is delaying a decision on whether to open forests and other natural lands to logging, etc. until after the election. And they say the decision has nothing to do with the election and is not a political decision. I may not be ancient, but I wasn't born yesterday!

An avid NC fan

Subject: It's because he lied about it

I remember when the Republicans were trying to get President Clinton kicked out of office saying, "it's not that he had sex with that woman - it's that he lied about it." Now we get to say the same thing. It's not that Bush has strings pulled to get him out of Vietnam - it's that he lied about it. It's not that he didn't show up for his national guard duty - it's that he lied about it. It's not that they didn't find weapons of mass destruction - it's that he lied about it. And - it's not that he got us into and unprovoked war against the wrong enemy that has crippled the economy and got 1000 soldiers killed - it's that he lied to get us in there.

Well - actually - it is about getting 1000 soldiers killed - not just that he lied about it.

Marc Perkel
San Francisco, CA.

Subject: Democratic "Terror Alerts"

Hi Buzzers,

I came up with a novel idea that I'd like to throw out for consideration.

Since the Republicans are using the threat of terror strikes to scare the American voters to vote for them, why don't the Democrats start our own "terror alerts". Since outsourcing is so rampant and many Americans are afraid of losing their jobs to India or China, why not produce an ad that warns people that if the Republicans are given another four years, they (the viewers) will be in DANGER of LOSING THEIR JOBS! We all know how important jobs are to everyone so it might work. What do you think?

Michael Prah North Hollywood, CA

Subject: The President's Daughters

I find it ironic that our President's 22 year old daughters are running around NYC - bar hopping, going to clubs, attending fashion shows, having the times of their lives while their father is sending young men and women - their age and younger - to fight and quite possibly die or be badly wounded in Iraq.

I wonder why our President doesn't insist they enlist in his war to save the Iraqis.

Oh, I remember now, he only knows how to declare war - not actually fight in it.

Nate Roth
San Mateo, California

Subject: Bush AWOL

To the Editor:

I'm really getting sick and tired of Bush’s spokesman saying “He’s got an Honorable Discharge that proves he fulfilled his military obligations”. That’s pure bullshit. They know it and I know it. I went AWOL six times, accumulated 372 days of bad time and I got an honorable discharge too! I can just imagine how easy it was for Bush to get one.

I enlisted in the Army and volunteered to go to Vietnam. I was a Crew Chief with Co. A 229th AHB 1st Cav. I started having problems as soon as I got back to the states. After many years I found out that I have PTSD and finally turned my life around. I hope more veterans like me come forward so the public is aware that it is possible to get an honorable discharge under less than honorable conditions. I’m not proud of my behavior back then even though I did my duty in Nam. I have six Air Medals to prove it.

By the way there were many of us. They put us in Special Processing Detachments. The Army sent a full bird Colonel from the Pentagon. He asked us what happened to us. He said they were very concerned as it was “costing them lots of money to track us down”. That’s why a lot of us got Honorable or General discharges. I think the only guys who got Undesirable or Dishonorable discharges were the ones who committed crimes here or in Vietnam. The Colonel said “We’re spending too much money on you guys that we could be spending on the war”and like Bush I have the DD 214 to prove it.

I'll be happy to talk with anyone about this in greater detail. My email address is: tadams128@comcast.net .

Now back to the net for further adventures of the Loathsome George & Despicable Cheney.

Sincerely,

Tim Adams

Subject: Update on letter to the Globe etc

BuzzFlashers -

I promised an update on my letter to the Boston Globe about Andrew Card's remark about the president thinking of us all as 10 year olds (yes, Peg, Lakoff told us!)

No letters have been published and I've had no response from the ombudsman. Silence the public's voice!

Re bumper stickers - How do we get the ones from Eureka CA? That's too rich! Are they serious?

That's scary.

I saw one propped up in a gallery in Cambridge - JESUS TO BUSH "STOP USING ME AS A REFERENCE"

Register new voters! Provoke the apathetic and disconnected.

Colleen Clark
Cambridge, MA

Subject: Why does this seem like the debate tape de ja vu?

Isn't it interesting that we have documents arise that could be used to say Democrats made up / stole evidence? Doesn't this seem awfully convenient again? In 2000, there were all the implications that Gore's team stole a debate tape and then it turned out to have come from the publicity company for the Republicans. Now we have documents that appear to have been forgeries, and the Bushies initially did not publicly contest their authenticity (odd reaction for the Bushies), but they *privately* thought they were. Then, low and behold, they do appear to be forgeries. Another convenient Republican plant to make Democrats look dishonest? I wonder. Isn't it amazing how this always happens in a Bush campaign?

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Typewriter Technology

As an old timer who worked as a technical writer throughout the 70's I can assure you that the machines of the day had the capability of typing subscripts and superscripts. That's how you did formulas and footnotes.

In the 70's there was a progression of typewriter technology from the self-correcting electric to a variety of word processing systems. It is likely that one of these systems was used for the Bush documents, since the text was saved on magnetic cards and could be easily filed and updated without retyping.

If you want an authoritative word on this, ask IBM.

Cheers,

Charles Watkins
La Grange TX

Subject: Fake bush records...

The powers that be are saying the latest memos about the bush military record (released from the white house) are now being called "fake"

Maybe they are "fake"

Maybe they were released to cover up something else.....

Maybe bush did take the physical.....

And he flunked the drug test!!!!

Kevin

Re: Attacks on Kerry

With all due respect to the writer in the previous mailbag, subject"Attacks on Kerry", if what we've been saying is so wrong, its interesting that Senator Kerry has just recently, as in the last week or so, taken the advice that so many of us "sunshine patriots" have been saying and has finally started fighting like he means it. Sure, those who would like everyone to just sit down and shut up can say he's always been fighting like he means it, but no one can honestly deny that he has just toughened up his response considerably. If Kerry hadn't realized he's been getting some bad advice, he wouldn't have changed his campaign advisers like he just did.

And no, I don't expect Kerry to be reading BuzzFlash, but I'm pretty sure his staff does. They'd be missing an opportunity if they weren't. There's no finer or higher quality vitriol to be found anywhere that what spews forth from the mouths of all the articulate BuzzFlash readers. He took the advice from where ever he got it, so someone got through to him.

One last rant on my part, and then I'm going silent on this subject and grant your wish to "just shut up", as I have no wish to get into a heated debate with a fellow Kerry supporter. I never called Kerry timid. I said he was running a timid campaign, which many democrats agreed with. Timid is a character trait. Of course Senator Kerry isn't timid. Running a timid campaign is a choice. He was making that choice. Thank goodness he took a some good advice.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Tom Delay wants you armed and dangerous

ARTICLE ON ASSAULT RIFLE ban expiration

Excerpt:

Isn't it ironic that the "you're safer damnit!" pro-violence Bush / Delay Administration squelches peaceful 1st Amendment tenders every chance they get, but darned if they don't want their own highly ill-informed constituents to be armed and dangerous? Dumb with a gun should be their motto. Tom Delay wants to enable U.S. gun manufacturers to make, and you, yes YOU oh everyday citizen to easily procure your very own military-style rapid-fire weapon equipped with such devices as high-capacity ammunition magazines and flash suppressors that camouflage weapons fired in the dark.

Theresa