October 6, 2004

The BuzzFlash Mailbag

The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag.

THIS IS PART 2 OF THE OCTOBER 6, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1.

Subject: Gordon Liddy Crossfire host

In the interest of full disclosure, shouldn't CNN tell viewers that Gordon Liddy was going to KILL Jack Anderson of the Washington Post? Liddy misunderstood one of Nixon's rants against the columnist and thought he wanted him dead. Luckily, someone found out what Liddy was going to do and stopped him. Anderson's "crime" had been writing the truth about the highly criminal Nixon administration.

Liddy was given a "freedom of speech award." The media is insane.

Keith Gordon
Arroyo Grande, CA

Subject: Bush Video Jukebox

http://www.anarchytv.com/bush/Bush_Jukebox.htm

Includes some of George W. Bush's most insightful observations...

A BuzzFlash Reader

[BuzzFlash Note: The domain expired on 9/30. If anyone knows of another link, let us know.]

Subject: This Could Explain "Let me finish."

This could explain "Let me finish!"

Jim

[BuzzFlash Note: Some readers and bloggers have noted that Bush said, "Let me finish!" when no one was stopping him from finishing. The theory is that he's wired and has an earplug. Check out IsBushWired.com]

Subject: Are Agents Actually Moonlighting at Rallies?

Dear BuzzFlash,

I haven't seen this point made anywhere else. I keep reading reports about protesters being arrested or moved on by Secret Service agents at Bush rallies. It is my understanding that their duty is to protect the president, vice-president, and their families. The Bush campaign calls these rallies "private events." I really cannot see how the removal of peaceful protesters, who present no threat, can be justified as a protection duty, so I can only conclude that the agents are performing security services for the Bush campaign at these "private events."

If the only thing the protesters can be charged with is trespassing, is that not a direct admission that they presented no threat? Otherwise, surely they would be arrested and charged under federal law for that? Most of the reports that I see say the agents supervise the arrests or escort the protesters out of the rallies. If they are having to turn the protesters over to the local authorities for arrest, then my point is proven even further; they're performing security duties, not protection duties.

In effect, they are moonlighting. However, they're still on the government payroll during these events.

I submit that the Bush campaign be required to either refrain from using Secret Service agents in the silencing and/or removal of protesters who present no threat, or else be required to reimburse the government in full for the hourly rate of the agents' salaries for their time spent during the rallies, as well as travel to and from the events and any transportation costs. (Obviously, should a real threat present itself, the agent would be considered "on-duty" while he or she deals with it.)

I include a quote by Sue Niederer, the soldier's mother who was arrested during the Laura Bush speech:

"...At that point, it became chaotic and I was pushed and shoved," said Niederer, of Hopewell. "They engulfed me. It wasn't plain, ordinary folks, but people in suits with earphones."

The crowd chanted "Four more years" as Secret Service agents surrounded Niederer and escorted her outside. Once outside, Niederer said she was handcuffed and placed in a police van after trying to speak to reporters.

She was charged with trespassing.

Mother of GI killed in Iraq arrested in 'chaotic' scene (Asbury Park Press)

Yours,

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Thanks to Maureen Farrell

Dear BuzzFlash,

I just wanted to send a quite note thanking Maureen Farrell and BuzzFlash for putting together and posting "The New Right and Old Wrongs:The Quagmire A to Z." It is very helpful to me as just an average citizen, who doesn't have much free time to search for all this information, to have so many aspects of the Bush administration's campaign of deceptive propaganda organized in this way. Thank you for your efforts.

Brooks Davis
Cincinnati, OH

Subject: Letter to Media: Blatant Abuse of the Bully Pulpit

The president debated John Kerry last week and, according to most Americans, lost the debate. Giving George Bush free air time for a do-over of the debate without giving John Kerry free air time to rebut is a blatant abuse of the the so-called bully pulpit. If you air George Bush's rebuttal speech, and I don't believe that you should, you should give John Kerry the same opportunity.

Alix Perry

Subject: Re: Bush's Attempts At A Mulligan

Apparently President Bush is preparing to give a speech where he will try to "do over" his attempts to refute John Kerry's well thought out arguments during the debate which Bush failed to do during the debate. As pointed out by others, in golf this is called a "mulligan." I also would point out that mulligans are what amateur golfers are more prone to do than pros. We need a President who gets it right the first time. Why should Mulligans be given press coverage?

Tom Zarske

Subject: Bush's "Major Address"

To The Media,

Having had two years to explain the Iraq War to the American people and ninety minutes to debate the issue last week with John Kerry, the President now plans a "major address" on the subject. We know what this is: a failed politician asking for yet another chance to spin an unspinnable foreign policy disaster. George W. Bush had a chance to make his case to the voters, and if the broadcast media decides to provide him with another opportunity, it should be countered with equal time from John Kerry. The American people deserve to hear a dialogue on this important issue, not one-sided propaganda from a desperate president.

Jeffrey R.

Subject: Leni Riefenstahl

Dear BuzzFlash,

Just a note to advise that your copy in today's Triumph of the Will BuzzFlash Recommendation needs a correction. Leni did make other films following Triumph of the Will, most notably Olympiad, a documentary of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.

Thanks for all you do! Your devoted fan,

Anne Holliday, MFA
Carmel, CA

Subject: october surprise

You people still don't get it do you? There is no way Kerry will win the election after the October surprise is rolled out. Phase I will be the discovery of nukes in Iraq -- you know, the ones that were planted by Bush operatives either last year or back in 1991. The propaganda arm of the Bush administration (known as national and local media) will make him out to be some kind of messiah and Americans will react as intended.

On the off chance that isn't enough, Phase II involves finding the same kind of nuke in an American city in an attempt to scare Americans into voting for Bush.

It's possible that if most Americans are made aware of the above scenario, it won't work -- but I doubt it.

Bill P.

Subject: Rove at work?

Why are 2 trusted members of the administration coming out with statements like this right now? Yesterday, why all of a sudden, is Rummy coming out and saying that there was no link between Saddam and al-Qaeda? Is he going to fall on the sword and take the blame??? Today Bremmer says not enough troops on the ground.... Something about this stinks and I smell Rove. Rumsfeld is going to take the blame and step down.

McClellan said: "They met on a regular basis, I don't remember that Ambassador Bremer ever talked about that, but we never got into the habit of reading out any of those discussions." Then McClellan said that Bremer "reported to the secretary of defense and the determinations the president makes are based on the secretary of defense and the military commanders."

White House indicates Bremer did not raise troop level worries (AFP/Yahoo)

BSC

Subject: Yes, it is scary!

voting machines without a paper trail? yes it is scary!

we made a horse sale about six months ago and they paid in cash. i made a 1,300 atm deposit to a savings account. a few weeks later it was not on my statement. i went to the bank with my receipt. my money was put in my account and the bank had no idea what happened. if i had not had the receipt, too bad, i would not have had the money!

katie johnson
tampa fl

P.S. my brother wants to know, why is it the republicans who are fighting so hard to not have paper receipts? kinda makes ya wonder.

Subject: Bill Schneider

Letters to Clinton and Bush on PNAC website:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm (Project for the New American Century)

http://www.newamericancentury.org/Bushletter.htm (Project for the New American Century)

I think Mr. Schneider is not your ordinary conservative.

Paula T.

Subject: yikes!

The New York Times didn't let this one sneak by: It Page One-ed the news that public libraries and schools around the country are no longer receiving high-speed Internet access and telephone service. The Bush administration, without public notice, put a moratorium on $1 billion in new grants the states expected to receive by the end of the year.

- Molly Ivins, 10/6/04

yikes! why isn't this on the news?

Internet Grants Cut, and F.C.C. Scolded (NY Times)

More than 30 Montana schools, libraries lose Internet funding (AP/Billings Gazette)

A BuzzFlash Reader

jon stewart played a tape of dick cheney insisting vehemently to some woman on cnn that he didn't say something, she finally gave up. jon stewart showed the tape of him saying what he denied saying. i can't believe anything cheney says tonight. all those people at the white house will lie over and over knowing full well you know they are lying.

shorty in memphis

I am writing today to express my disgust at the decision that the President made today to cancel his speech on Medicare and give a stump speech on the war and the economy. This was a blatant attempt by the president to address the issues on the war that he so terribly failed to address in the presidential debate, and it's also an attempt to undermine the debate on Friday with a cheap shot before hand. He's so obviously trying to undo the damage that was inflicted on him by Kerry on last Thursday night.

I personally think it's a bit late. He didn't have the answers then, but he's had time to spin a new web of lies and now he has the audience to view it. Obviously he has an advantage over Kerry because when he says he's giving an important speech, the media will be there to cover said speech. He's the president, and when the president speaks there's always an audience and there's always coverage. Therefore he has his audience and doesn't even have to pay for air time.

His actions are very telling. You didn't see Kerry scrambling to put together a special speech after the debate, did you? The president is obviously worried because he knows that Kerry made some great points and he just didn't have the answers. Now he's had time to let his handlers write one for him.

The president is nothing more than a puppet as far as I'm concerned, and he was pissed because he fell flat on his face in that debate, probably because he didn't have Dick Cheney's arm up his rump controlling his every move and word. I for one don't want the pathetic person I witnessed on Thursday night running my country and being responsible for my security. Kerry is so obviously the better man, and it's about time people realize that Bush is the worst president this nation has ever seen and Mickey Mouse could do a better job in office. I'm not going to go as far as saying Anybody but Bush, but I truly can't think of someone who could have screwed things up any worse.

Sincerely,

Valerie F.
West Virginia

Subject: thank you

I just read the A to Z list....thanks for doing all you can with your time and effort to help keep retarded monkeys from being reelected. No matter who wins, at least you'll know you tried your best to educate the masses. Thanks and may God bless all the fine folks at BuzzFlash !!!!

Greg "ashamed to be a Texan" Ming
Dallas, TX
Dallas, Texas....where we shoot at presidents, and at people who shoot at presidents

Subject: Who Is The REAL Lawsuit Happy Guy??

Hi BuzzFlash,

Cheney is THE Master Suing Litigator. During Cheney's tenure as Halliburton's CEO, from 1995 to 2000, he had Halliburton do 151 LAWSUITS against other companies.

Dick Cheney: Master Litigator (halliburtonwatch.org)

Hmmm. So WHO is the REAL LAWSUIT HAPPY person? Surprised Bush still has Cheney on the team. Oh, that's right, Bush needs Cheney and Rove for his "brain." We report (yeah, right). You decide (Chuckle, Chuckle).

Tom Wieliczka

Subject: contribution to helping get Cindy Sheehan's story before people

Instead of donating to the candidates or the party, I'm making all my donations to MoveOn. Here is a particular ad they are trying to get aired in the battleground states. Cindy Sheehan lost her son in Iraq and is in a moving video - I just made a small donation... Hopefully some of you can add to this worthy intent.

https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/sheehan.html

To paraphrase FDR, it's time to change horses. The one we're on is about to drown.

Lisa

Subject: wow!!!!!!

wow! i love that edwards guy! i could kiss him all over!!! :):):) i see cheney keeps writing stuff down.....do you think he is writing go fuck yourself over and over? :):):):):):)

diane

Subject: Debate Question for Cheney

I am not going to be able to view and review the vice presidential debate until late tomorrow, but I sure hope Gwen Ifill asks this question:

Vice President Cheney: When you look in the mirror, do you see a reflection?

Dennis Boyle
Posted at Boilingmad.Blogspot.com

Subject: Dead Men and Grieving Parents

Dear Editors:

We have seen the awful spectacle of a grieving, angry mother arrested and led away in handcuffs for protesting what she believes is President Bush's responsibility for the killing of her soldier son in Iraq. Then came the arrest for protesting at the White House of the father of another young man beheaded in Iraq.

Now we have a grieving mother dead of a heart attack within days of receiving the news that her soldier son was killed in Iraq. Will the Bush Administration and/or their supporters arrange to have this American mother's corpse arrested at her funeral for creating a public nuisance? After all, her death seems to be the ultimate protest against this immoral and very likely illegal war. And the Bushies can't have that. No sir.

John Lucas
Victoria B.C.
Canada

Subject: Reaction to VP Debate

Hello,

My name is Fatema Gunja, and I from East Brunswick, NJ. As a Muslim-American in my mid-20s, I have been closely watching the 2004 election. After watching tonight's VP debate, I was especially surprised with how strongly John Edwards came across -- he really came across as honest and trustworthy. Mr. Cheney seemed defensive and at times, peevish. I was hoping that both candidates would have talked more about issues important to Muslim-Americans -- there has been a huge absence on these issues for both parties.

Thanks,

Fatema Gunja

Subject: Vice Presidential Debate: Edwards wins

John Edwards clearly won this debate. He was extremely knowledgeable, poised, and decisive. His answers were clear and succinct and he spoke from the heart. Vice president Cheney did better than the President, but Edwards won this debate with his more responsive and coherent answers.

Sincerely,

Nancy Cayton Myers
Kansas voter

Subject: Cheney Edwards Debate

Vice President Cheney offered nothing but the same old message and excuses that have been proven to be a lie by everyone that has looked at the facts. The man is out of touch with reality.

Senator Edwards was great and I enjoyed hearing his new ideas and plans for the future of the United States. I believe that he and John Kerry can restore confidence in the United States Presidency.

Rick Drury
Jacksonville, Florida

Subject: Same old thing from THE VP

I never heard the VP accept any responsibility for the mess in Iraq. The VP only could say that Geo Bush will make the tax cuts permanent.

Over and over he tried to say John Kerry voted to go to war and then voted against this. This is old crap and John Kerry has made his stand very clear and he has not flip flopped.

As a republican for the last 30 years, I will vote for John Kerry. The direction that Geo Bush and the VP are taking this country is wrong. We need a change.

I found John Edwards very positive and informative. They have a plan. In my opinion , John Edwards did an excellent job tonight. He had a vision. The VP had no vision. His vision is same old thing.

D C Levy
Dunwoody, Ga

Subject: Bush's strategy in Iraq

Dear BuzzFlash,

It's time we start looking at the facts and coming to some objective conclusions about the Bush administration and the things they do. The president and his supporters consistently make the claim that things in Iraq are going according to plan. Rather than immediately assume that they are ignoring the truth, we should consider the possibility that the way things are going in Iraq is exactly how the administration planned for them to go. John Kerry says he would never have gone to war in Iraq without having an exit strategy. The fact appears to me to be that the reason Bush has no exit strategy is that he doesn't plan on leaving.

Bo Stencil
Washington State

Subject: VP John Edwards

By appearing more then his equal, Senator Edwards clearly won tonight's encounter with VP Cheney. However, what was remarkable was how better a candidate Cheney appears to be than the president. None the less, the VP continues to distort the Iraqi past and present and perpetuate the outright lies that led us into war. Amazingly, he lies with a straight face and seemingly without remorse. Just like his boss.

Steve Rozov
Drexel Hill, PA

Subject: Edwards Scores Points

John Kerry has to be pleased with the performance of his running mate, John Edwards, in a tough Vice Presidential debate against a seasoned opponent. Edwards was poised, articulate, and direct in fending off attacks on Kerry's record and making several key points:

1. 9/11 attackers had NO connection with Saddam Hussein. Under Edwards' criticism Cheney defiantly stated he never tried to say the two were connected. The facts don't support that.

2. Edwards linked Cheney to Halliburton, Enron, and corporate interests over the American worker.

3. A Kerry/Edwards ticket will work for middle class families and a balanced federal deficit.

Jim Witkins
Madison, WI

Subject: Tonight's Debate

I am a Texan unaffiliated with any party and watched tonight's debate. I have to say I was really disturbed to find out Vice President Cheney voted AGAINST MLK Day, against funding Meals on Wheels and against funding Head Start. Am I to assume this means Cheney doesn't like African-Americans, low-income children or low-income older Americans????

Seriously, THAT was disturbing.

Kathy Harrison
Grand Prairie, TX

Subject: Sent to the Seattle Post Intelligencer

Dear Editor,

So it has come to this: Citizen Bush's hopes for re-election hinge on a plurality of the American people being unaware of the fact that the dictionary contains more than one meaning for the word 'global.' If it were not so pathetic, so dangerous, a person might be inclined to laugh. Unfortunately, thousands of innocent lives have been lost; our young troops have been put in danger to further the interests of thieves and religious fanatics; our national treasure flows relentlessly upward in defiance of all the laws of decency and social comity. Letters home from the troops bear tales of indiscriminate killing, hopelessness, fear and disgust. Their fates have been put on the line by a band of mean-spirited chisellers and family-values flim-flammers. The time is almost at hand when we, the citizens of a once proud republic, can put things right. It is time for Bush and his gang of incompetents to go. The sentiment is very nearly global, Mr. President, by your definition and mine.

Charles Van Wey
Seattle, WA
www.bushwatch.com

Subject: RE: Cheney not having met Edwards

Hello,

He is the first Vice President to EVER do this and it flies in the face of his feigned surprise when asked why the Congress is currently unable to work in a bipartisan fashion.

He has also since acknowledged that he, in fact, HAS met Edwards before this evening.

Brian
Seattle, WA

Subject: Strategy Suggestion For Kerry Team

I am constantly hearing Republicans saying that they are voting for Bush because they feel safer that he will protect us against terrorist attacks. I have a simple question to ask the leaders of our movement to elect John Kerry:

Why have we not made a repeated effort to make certain to remind all the people of this country that the BIGGEST TERRORIST ATTACK ON AMERICAN SOIL IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY CAME UNDER THE WATCH OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION? If they failed to protect on that fateful day, why should we believe that they will protect us in more successfully in the future???

Marvin Reich

Subject: Tonight's debate

Dear Friend,

Since I told you what I thought of the first debate let me tell my opinion of the second. Edwards was most like Casius Clay, young, exuberant, agile and an instinct to jab and parry, but with the real advantage of lightening fast feet to move in and out of Cheney's range. I thought he scored big hits too. He was also like Muhammad Ali in that there was a supreme self-confidence, an ease and relaxation about him that belied a couchant attacker.

Cheney gave some good punches, but Edwards seemed unfazed and came back with good counter blows. I noticed that on big points Edwards always came back a second time, to underscore his first jab and drive home the point in a different context as if to prove his first accusation. It was very deft.

I thought Cheney showed a very human quality, rarely seen or perceived by most of us. He was intelligent, forceful and always respectful, with a mastery of the facts. Edwards gave as good as he got. I thought the highlight of the evening was the exchange over gay children and respect of others' lifestyle. You glimpsed a rare and sincere affection from both men for the kindness and regard shown.

I believe Edwards demonstrated he was a man of quality that could stand toe to toe with a very experienced, practiced politician. I think he made a good showing to people like me who had not seen him before. Cheney showed an enormous loyalty to Bush and his professionalism was always evident, but he remained the same person we have always known with no surprises.

Thanks,

Michael O'Neill
Wainscott, NY

Subject: Cheney's Big Blow

Like Mt. St. Helen, Cheney was blowing a lot of smoke Tuesday. One piece of hypocrisy was particularly gawk-worthy. He professed his major "disappointment" by the lack of "cooperation" from the other side of the aisle and just couldn't understand why.

One reason could be Tom DeLay, Karl Rove and the Heritage Foundation distributing to every GOP member of Congress and over 2,300 ultra right-wing activists around the country a pamphlet called The Art of Political War that exhorts use of Leninist tactics to eliminate any opposition and "wipe liberals off the face of the Earth." It states:

Politics is a war...you do not fight just to prevail...but to destroy the enemy's fighting ability...In political wars, the aggressor usually prevails...in war there are two sides, friends and enemies. Your task is to identify yourself as the friend of as large a constituency as possible...while defining your opponent as the enemy...You cannot cripple an opponent by outwitting him in a political debate. You can do it only by following Lenin's injunction: "In political conflicts, the goal is not to refute your opponent's argument, but to wipe him off the face of the earth.

Despite Bush Inc.'s enterprising efforts to dismantle American democracy, it's still hanging on by a thread. Declaring war on half of all Americans with the intention of "wiping them off the face of the earth" is no way to win friends and influence people.

As GOP Senator Chuck Hagel said, "We are on the edge of something dangerous." And it's due to the orchestrated bullying by Dick, Dubya and DeLay and their legions of sicko backers and surrogates like the predatory corporations, the Rapture Ready fundamentalists, the NeoCon nutjobs, the Murdock-Scaife-Rush-Coulter-Savage-Coors cartel and their self-professed use of Leninist tactics with the objective of universal fascism and "Full Spectrum Global Domination."

Some of us still believe in the United States of America of our Founding Fathers. Bush Inc. has all but nailed its Halliburton-Carlyle-Bechtel sign over the White House portico and installed its Theocratic-Leninist-Neocon lifetime party.

Suzanne St. Jeanne
San Francisco

Subject: There You Go Again Uncle Satan

Cheney's virtuoso lie-fest begs a few essential points: As CEO of Halliburton he set-up foreign entities to evade sanctions and taxes and build-up Saddam Hussein with over $73 million in goods and services. As Bush Sr.'s defense secretary Cheney privatized the military so that Halliburton is now its #1 shopping center for everything from body armor, bottled water and soda, food, uniforms, warehouse space, to oil field construction and services, military barracks and prison construction and operations. Cheney remains Halliburton's largest individual stockholder with over 433,000 shares. Cheney planned the 2003 Iraq war in writing in 1997 down to the 14 military bases built by Halliburton/KBR, along with others including Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Libby Lewis, Richard Perle, pardoned felon Elliot Abrams, and Jeb Bush. (PNAC)

In the first quarter after invading Iraq, Halliburton's stock increased 80% or $5 billion. Cheney's profit was over $10 million. On June 16, 2004, the GOP emptied the Iraq supplemental bill of anti-war profiteering constraints and penalties.

Halliburton-Cheney are under criminal investigation by Iran, Kuwait, Nigeria, the SEC, the Pentagon, U.S. Treasury, the GAO, and the U.S. Justice Department. France's chief magistrate Renaud Van Ruymbeke is focused on Cheney-Halliburton for a $180 million bribe slush fund related to its construction of a $6 billion gas refinery in Nigeria. Halliburton's London attorney confessed under oath to crimes that point to Cheney. The billions in Halliburton sweetheart deals followed multi-millions paid in fines for repeated gouging of American taxpayers, and accepting kickbacks including $6.3 million from a Kuwaiti subcontractor.

Cheney is a war profiteer. He has outlined plans to increase military bases overseas (which Halliburton-KBR constructs from Vietnam, to Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, Afghanistan, to Guantanamo) to facilitate war for generations. The dark paradigm that Bush-Cheney personify has ended every great civilization in history.

Suzanne St. Jeanne
San Francisco

Subject: Cheney lies about not meeting Edwards -- for a second time!

I found video of a *SECOND* time that Edwards and Cheney met, from Jan. 7. 2003. Please see my post at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/insomnia/487526.html

... or if you want to link directly to the video there, just give credit to http://insomnia.livejournal.com

It should be pointed out that if the raw video from C-SPAN2 for that day could be obtained, it would probably show Dick Cheney shaking the hands of Elizabeth Dole, Bob Dole, and John Edwards. I'm looking into it...

Best,

Mark Kraft

Subject: cheney sent voters to factcheck.com

did you notice that instead of attempting to answer any of the stuff that Edwards was saying about Halliburton, Cheney said that you could go to www.factcheck.com and see that they've proven all of those claims false.

The hilarious part: factcheck.com links to george soros' super-liberal anti-bush website...he meant to say factcheck.org HA!!!!!! so all the undecideds who think halliburton is an issue will be reading the soros site tonight and might enjoy a nice enlightening read. thanks Dick! plus, the only things on factcheck.org about halliburton are stories dealing with whether or not DICK receives a huge profit from the no-bid contracts and whether or not DICK has made the White House corporate headquarters. Nothing to refute Edwards' claims that Halliburton has had to pay millions in fines for giving false information, that they're under investigation for bribery and overcharging the US for iraq, or that they dealt with Iran and Libya during unilateral US sanctions on those nations. Idiot!

Matthew H.

Subject: What a debate!

Last night's vice presidential debate between the hopeful hunk, and the antiquated cyborg was very entertaining. After listening to it closely I realized that Cheney had absolutely nothing to say, and probably skipped his nap yesterday because he was sooo cranky. I am sure they insisted on this sitting debate to make Cheney appear less likely to fall out from a heart attack, though he looked peaked at times anyway. I hoped he was near an electrical outlet in case he needed a quick recharge. Edwards showed the same fierce determination and stalwart resolve Kerry showed when he spanked the chimp in their last debate. In Philadelphia there is real excitement that Dubya's days are numbered. Cheney took the cake though. It is no wonder they keep him stashed in an underground bunker, with his charming disposition he could become the national spokesman for the benefit of fiber in one's diet, as long as he steers clear of recommending leafy green vegetables, after all he didn't do very well working for one. All that was missing was Cheney getting up, clutching his chest, and saying ALA Fred Sanford, "I'm coming Elizabeth!"

David R. Anselm, Jr.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Subject: Front Row Seat

I got this off the CNN webpage, post-debate coverage:

Kerry-Edwards supporters gave a prime seat in the audience to Sen. Patrick Leahy, at whom Cheney publicly directed an obscenity during an altercation in the Capitol in June, The Associated Press reported.

Leahy had criticized the vice president, reportedly about his links to Halliburton Co., the largest operator of government-funded contracts in Iraq. Leahy's prominent seat in the debate audience allowed Cheney a good look at the Democratic senator from Vermont, a dig at the vice president by the Kerry campaign.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Spin Game

John Edwards creamed Dick Cheney in the debate tonight. The Republicans are desperate to spin it the other way, however. They can spin all they want, but Brian Williams reported on NBC tonight that Dick Cheney is on tape previously saying that there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, yet during the debate he flatly denied it. Juxtaposing these two statements should make for a great campaign commercial for the Democrats. Also, Mike McCurry mentioned on Nightline that even though Cheney claimed that he had never met Edwards before, he actually acknowledged Edwards' presence at a National Prayer breakfast in 2001, and they may even have sat together. McCurry also said that when Elizabeth Dole was sworn in as a Senator, Senate courtesies required her to be escorted to the Chair by the senior Senator, John Edwards. The Chair would have been occupied at the time by the President of the Senate, Dick Cheney. Surely, someone has photographs or videotape out there from either one or both of these events. And, the statement that Iraqi police casualties should be included as "coalition casualties" is simply wrong, period. Democrats can emphasize that Bush and Cheney, out of desperation, are now re-defining their so-called "coalition." Finally, Dick Cheney denied Edwards' allegations about the investigations into wrongdoing by Halliburton, but William Schneider on CNN said the Halliburton accusations were based on fact. Let the spin begin; Cheney has given us tons of good material to use.

Donald P. Russo

Subject: More Cheney Lies

Until today, we have never met ???

Addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, Cheney said: "Thank you. Thank you very much. Congressman Watts, Senator Edwards, friends from across America and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world, Lynne and I honored to be with you all this morning." [FDCH Political Transcripts, Cheney Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, 2/1/01]

And then there is this, which should offer up photos at some point soon (and we all know how people need pictures for reality to sink in):

Senator Edwards Escorted Elizabeth Dole When She Was Sworn In As North Carolina's Other Senator. Elizabeth Dole was sworn in as North Carolina's other senator on January 8, 2003. Gannet News Service wrote: "As per Senate tradition, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., escorted her."

Dole Took The Senate Oath Administered By Vice President Dick Cheney. According to Gannet News Service: "[Dole] raised her right hand and took the oath administered by Vice President Dick Cheney, the Senate president." [Gannet News Service, 1/8/03]

Says Brad DeLong: "Why would Cheney make a lie so obviously easy to expose? It's almost pathological -- reality need not get in the way of a good zinger.

It's not almost pathological, it's totally pathological--and based on an enormous confidence in the incompetence of the press corps."

http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/movable_type/

WSI

Subject: The Draft Vote, what a joke!!!!!

So 2 voted for a draft and 433 against a draft. What they are saying is that GWB doesn't want a draft and that is likely to be true.

When the election is over, if Bush wins,they will still say GWB doesn't want one, it will suddenly be necessary and he will get the vote he wants for the draft.

If there isn't a draft then the reserves, guard and regular army will be forced to re-enlist. There won't be enough for the quagmire we are in and it is a quagmire and the Bush administration knows it.

They think the American people will continue to think that every other country in the world is lying about what is going on, only Georgie is telling the truth.

There is a shocking number of people wanting to sacrifice their children for the Bush family legacy. I am not one of them.

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.

Subject: Edwards clearly won the debate while Cheney lied

John Edwards went toe-to-toe with the most powerful Vice President in modern memory, held his own and won the debate. VP Cheney lied about not meeting Edwards before the debate. The facts prove that they had met before, more than once. During the prayer breakfast meeting, then during the swearing-in of Elizabeth Dole and on NBC's Today Show Tim Russert revealed that Cheney and Edwards met even on his show. There is also a picture of Cheney meeting Edwards at one of these meetings.

Then Cheney lied once again saying he never linked 9/11 and Saddam. Cheney clearly linked them on Meet The Press last year. If we can't trust Cheney on the little things, how can we trust Cheney-Bush with the safety of our nation?

Halliburton was the key moment of the debate, especially since Cheney had NO RESPONSE to it, which shocked me (he had to know it was coming). Cheney was clearly on the defensive. Cheney never answered the question on Bremer either.

The last two debates clearly showed that Cheney-Bush are still not straight with the American people. With this good performance by Edwards, Kerry's momentum continues into Friday's debate and as America gets to know him better, they will like him more, just as we all have.

Kelly Sanders
Parma, Ohio

Subject: Re: The Resident...

Why is the Resident given the bully pulpit today to gloat about last night's debate Edwards/Cheney? Shouldn't Kerry be given equal time to gloat? VERY UNFAIR....

BF do something.....

Thanks.

Colette Miller
Wellington, Florida

Subject: Clarification on El Salvador's election

For a change the lies of Dick Cheney were caught by the broadcast media last night (with of course the exception of Fox News). Cheney asserted that he had never linked Saddam Hussein with 911 when, in fact, he had repeatedly, and MSNBC had a tape to prove it.

Ignored and forgotten was a curious snippet the Vice President provided about the 1978 elections in El Salvador. He used the example to claim that people so yearn for freedom and the right to vote that they will pour out to exercise that right even while threatened with a dangerous insurgency.

Not surprisingly, considering Mr. Cheney's lengthy history of lies and deception, the facts as shown in Frank Brodhead's 1984 book "Demonstration Elections," paint a different picture. The Salvadoran people were indeed desperate to vote in the 1978 election. Those who voted received an indelible stamp on their wrist to prove it. Those who did not have the stamp were linked to the insurgency, and were subject to arrest, torture and execution by the Armed Forces.

Cheney's obfuscation is just as relevant now, because Saturday's Afghan election is one of a long line of such demonstrations, held as political propaganda for the American people, rather than as a benefit to the Afghanis. The Administration crows about ten million registered voters even when that number exceeds the eligible voting population. In fact, people are being well-paid to register (with US money, naturally) and are registering over and over again. Also Afghanistan does not particularly need a presidential election. The puppet interim president Karzai will simply be confirmed in a heavily rigged contest. What the country actually needs are free parliamentary elections that will allow many voices from this war-torn nation to speak out.

Chuck Burton
Steilacoom, WA

Subject: Bust CNN!

CNN is running the results of the ABC poll and refusing to show its own, or for that matter any poll showing Edwards won. What's up with that? Nail them on this one, someone is keeping them from reporting the truth and we need to find out why.

Thanks for all the hard work!!! Blessings,

Morgana Rhys

Subject: I was happy...

I was happy when Cheney told viewers to check out the facts about Halliburton at factcheck.com. Now I know a site like that would also have the truth about Kerry as well, so using that site might help in misrepresentations about Halliburton...it would also expose the GOP lies about Kerry.

Now, this morning on the way to work I heard a few times that Cheney got it wrong that it was factcheck.org, NOT factcheck.com...ok same difference Kerry would come out better for it. Then checking out the political debate board I visit often, someone pointed us to visit factcheck.com...the one Cheney told all of America to see for themselves the TRUTH about Halliburton... It is a direct link to George Soros site. LOL So everyone will be directed to his site AGAINST Bush/Cheney...

Too Rich!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Re: Cheney's FUZZY coalition math

If the bushies can use the dead iraqi "police" as part of their coalition count...shouldn't they use the dead iraqi civilians in their war as part of the casualty count???? i hope sen kerry asks that question on Friday night.

S. Anderson

Subject: Bush needs to STOP sending Mixed Messages

Can the Bush Administration please stop sending MIXED MESSAGES? What kind of Commander in Chief ALLOWS LIES and MIXED MESSAGES to come out in the media?!? Bush needs to work harder to suppress the truth from coming out!!

Tue Oct 5, 8:39 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Statements by two top US policymakers contradicting
administration dogma on Iraq provided new fuel to relentless Democratic
criticism of President George W. Bush that have jolted his re-election bid.

Paul Bremer, former civilian overseer of occupied Iraq, said the United
States never had enough troops on the ground to establish control and was
remiss in not stamping out looting and other violence after Baghdad fell.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld added to Bush's embarrassment by saying he
had not seen any convincing evidence linking Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and
Al-Qaeda terrorists as claimed by the White House....

Two US officials embarrass Bush on Iraq (AFP/Yahoo)

Judith B.

Hi,

I just wanted to express my feelings about last night's debate. Many people in the media have been saying that Dick Cheney won last night's debate or that it was a tie. At first glance this may seem true. But what is unfair about this assessment is that Cheney repeatedly lied throughout the debate.

Anybody can win a debate if they just lie the whole time and nobody calls them on it afterward! And it wasn't distortions or "misleading statements" that Cheney issued. They were flat out lies.

1) Cheney never drew a connection between Iraq and 9/11? That's a Lie.

2) He had never met John Edwards before the debate? That's a Lie.

3) Saddam Hussein's capture has been the main cause of less suicide bombings in Israel? That's a Lie.

4) Iraq had a 10 year relationship with Al Qaeda? That's a Lie.

5) Allies have agreed to forgive Iraqi debt to the tune of $80 billion? That's a Lie.

6) Kerry's tax cut rollback for the top two tax brackets will affect 900,000 small businesses? That's a Lie.

7) Kerry voted 98 times to raise taxes? That's a Lie.

8) Edwards' hometown newspaper has taken to calling him "Senator Gone"? That's a Lie.

None of these are "misleading statements." None of these are distortions. They are all flat out lies. The one Vice Presidential debate we have, and the Vice President just sits there and continually lies to the American people with a straight face. I think that speaks volumes about our present administration.

Please do your best to report this, or at least take into account if you are reporting about the debate or about the election in general.

I think I speak for millions of Americans in that I am simply sick of being lied to by this Administration and starting to get equally sick of our media not calling them on their lies.

Thank you for reading,

Colin Bosch
Chicago, IL