October 13, 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.

Subject: Safer or not?

Dear BuzzFlash,

According to the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents which can be found at the following address: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/search.html

...President Bush has used the word terror more each year since he has been in office. In 2004 the word terror occurs 1,121 times in 268 documents. In 2003 the word terror occurs 1,116 times in 301 documents; in 2002 the word terror occurs 1,106 times in 373 documents; and in 2001 the word terror occurs 308 times in 111 documents. He used terror 2.8 times per speech in 2001; 3 times per speech in 2002; 3.7 times per speech in 2003; and 4.2 times per speech in 2004. That means he said terror 50% more frequently this year than he did 4 years ago. You would think that if the world was actually getting safer that he would use the word less.

Bo Stencil
Washington State

Subject: we need help!

Dear Buzz,

I read in the mailbag that an owner of certain television stations plans to run a negative movie about John Kerry. I'm wondering why billionaire George Soros hasn't himself bought television stations to run anti-Bush movies? I'm getting pretty tired of the right wing always getting the upper hand of being able to slam the opposition while we're sitting ducks! The repugs are trying to make our nation one party of republicans, but while that is going on with the lies and misleads, it seems we don't have a media to fight back with.

I'm sick and tired of it, and the polls are showing John Kerry with a slight lead. I fear that this movie is the October surprise that they've been talking about. We've got to do all that we can do to get Senator Kerry into office, because four more years of this unstable lunatic will be more than one can imagine. I pray every day for this country in that we might get back to what was once a good place to live.

A Loyal Buzz Fan Forever!

Sharon Carlton
Bellevue, Nebraska

Subject: The Afghan Election

Buzz --

Okay, perhaps some "investigative" reporter can answer this: the Bushies keep touting that more than 10-million Afghans registered to vote in this sham election. According to the CIA World Factbook the population of Afghanistan between the ages of 15 to 64 is 15,079,933. The population age 65 and over is 685,318. That's a total of 15,765,251. Let's assume a reduction of 10 percent for those under age 18 not eligible to vote -- 1,576,525 so approximately 14,188,726 of an eligible voting population of which the Bush Administration claims more than 10 million, or approximately 72 percent, have registered to vote in this new democracy. Who's kidding whom? Even in the United States not more than 49 percent of eligible voters register to vote, and fewer than that total actually vote. So we are to believe that people who have been suddenly lifted from the strict regime of the warlords are going to up and go to the polls? Why haven't the media -- or better yet -- the Democrats -- looked into this and debunked it immediately? These criminals will stoop at nothing -- NOTHING -- to keep power. They must be stopped...

Tony Mac

Subject: combat sinclair with Paul Alexander film

What's the chance of getting Sinclair to run "Brothers in Arms"? (Probably very little.)

What's the chance of getting any of our fat cat donors to cover the cost of running it in the 39 markets Sinclair serves? (Mr. Soros?)

Hamilton Brosious

Subject: Check out The Monitor - McAllen, Texas

Hey --

Article on Teresa Heinz Kerry in Texas Sunday. Two quotes that stood out to me:

"John will never send a boy or girl in a uniform anywhere in the world because of our need and greed for oil," Heinz Kerry told the audience gathered Sunday at the McAllen Civic Center.

"Diplomacy is not about, 'I'm telling you.' Diplomacy is about, 'What do you think?'" Heinz Kerry said. "If you cannot have respect for the other side, you cannot have diplomacy."

A Wife's Work -- Teresa Heinz rallies Valley support for Kerry campaign (The Monitor, McAllen, TX)

Jake

Subject: What does Matthews know?

On Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" I heard Chris Matthews project a Bush win. Perhaps he hasn't seen the latest poll results. Or perhaps he has heard that the Bushies are preparing an "October surprise." Or could it be that Matthews secretly hopes that Bush will win? My hope is that the Creator hasn't given up on America's ability to use "free will" in doing the right thing for the world: DEFEATING Bush/Cheney and the real evildoers who are currently running this government. I feel that the tide is turning, but Bush's handlers will do anything to stay in power. My prayer is that America will do the right thing and send this right-wing bunch packing on November 2nd!!

Dee Turner
Atlanta

Subject: Ken Blackwell, Ohio Secretary of State

You'll probably think this is something for "The Lighter Side," but swear to God it is true. Ken Blackwell, yes, the same Secretary of State Ken Blackwell who of late has been working tirelessly to PREVENT people from voting in Ohio, has made a commercial giving pointers on making sure your vote is properly counted. This reaches new heights of hypocrisy even for a republican.

The commercial starts off with the words "YOUR VOTE COUNTS" showing on the screen, then quickly cuts to Blackwell with a young black woman, an old white man, and an even older white man with a walker. In a sort of patronizingly pompous manner (which is just as repulsive as his usual overbearing obnoxiousness), Blackwell says: "Tuesday, November 2, is an important election for Ohio. I'm Secretary of State Ken Blackwell; and if this is your first election, your thirty-fifth, or you just need help, make sure your vote counts. Over five million voters in sixty-eight counties vote using punch cards. So remember, align your ballot carefully in the machine. Punch it clean all the way through. Make sure there are no Florida hanging chads. On November 2, help Ohio have a great election. Make your vote count."

I'm speechless. I had heretofore believed Blackwell to be totally humorless, but this is definite irony. And what a joke on us taxpayers. We got to pay for the first commercial in his future gubernatorial campaign. It is my fervent wish that everyone he is attempting to disenfranchise this election will show up, vote for his defeat when that race is decided and send him packing to some right-wing think tank so he will at least be off the public payroll while he does his evil.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Please stop right wing TV movie from smearing John Kerry. Send msg to TV station

All,

Please help to stop the upcoming Right Wing TV smear movie from being shown on 62 TV stations by sending a message to the Sinclair Broadcast Company, at the website below.

Right wing groups prevented the showing of the TV movie 'The Reagans' earlier this year, simply because it did not portray Ronald Reagan in the most flattering light.

However, Sinclair Corporation, which refused to air Nightline when Ted Koppel was reading the names of our soldiers who died in Iraq, has no problem with ordering their TV stations to show a right wing propaganda smear film that blames John Kerry for lengthening the Vietnam War!

We must stop this smear movie from being shown on the 62 TV stations that are owned by Sinclair Corporations.

We need to organize a boycott of Sinclair TV stations by Democrats who have had enough of the Rove/Bush smears and despicable lies about John Kerry.

Please help by going to the below websites and sending messages to Sinclair and their TV station affiliates at:

Sinclair web site: http://www.sbgi.net/index.shtml
Sinclair TV station affiliates at: http://www.sbgi.net/business/markets/all.shtml

Below is some detailed information on this film and on Sinclair Corporation, and its ties to the Republican party.

And finally, we must contact the FCC and urge them to pull the license of Sinclair Broadcast Group stations that are willing to become an extension of Rove's propaganda machine.

Michael K. Powell, Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554

Phone:
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)
TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
Fax: 1-866-418-0232
E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov

BACKGROUND ON SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP:

David D. Smith
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair owns and operates, programs, or provides sales services to 62 television stations in 39 markets .

Sinclair's television group includes 20 FOX, 19 WB, 6 UPN, 8 ABC, 3 CBS, 4 NBC affiliates and 2 independent stations and reaches approximately 24% of all U.S. television households. Sinclair's news franchise includes 37 of its stations which air local news in 31 markets.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. was founded in 1986, went public in 1995 and is traded on the Nasdaq Exchange under the ticker symbol SBGI.

Conservative TV Group to Air Anti-Kerry Film (LA Times)

Thanks very much for your help & keep up the good fight!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Gobbledegook

Dear Buzz.

From the shifting sands of the inventions for the invasion of Iraq there was the grain of truth, revealed today with news of the disappeared, disbanded, nuclear facilities and materials. It turns out that the invasion and occupation are indeed liberating the intent and means to assemble weapons of mass destruction. Or hadn't you been listening?

Regards,

Ian Johnson
West Coast
New Zealand

Subject: Slander versus Free Speech

BuzzFlash,

Sinclair broadcasting slandered Kerry on ABC Tuesday, even before airing the right-wing propaganda They claimed that Kerry said that soldiers in Vietnam committed atrocities. Kerry only informed the public of testimony from eyewitness accounts by other soldiers (subsequently proved to be true!). The first amendment does not endorse slander. But by releasing the propaganda so late in the campaign, Sinclair knows there can be no legal remedy before the election.

Sinclair also displayed a picture of Kerry and Jane Fonda. For those who don't remember, Jane Fonda's only alleged crime was talking to the enemy. Ollie North sold arms to axis-of-evil Iran. Reagan and King George I, sold arms and WMD to Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden (also Manual Noriega.... remember when he was the most evil man in the world?) Sinclair should air an honest documentary about these three "patriots of the right."

Larry,
Maryland

Subject: stop sinclair broadcasting

This is THE site for people to get the information to contact the advertisers on the Sinclair broadcasting networks. Please post it on your website and encourage people to call, email etc. in order to show that the left can be just as effective as the right in mobilizing its people to boycott unfair media coverage of Kerry. thanks.

http://www.boycottsbg.com/default.htm

born-again-dem

Subject: How to deal with Sinclair

Three steps in how to deal with Sinclair Broadcasting:

Number ONE Identify the ten largest advertisers on SBC. That should be possible with a leak from an insider. Folks knowledgeable about television advertising probably have a good idea what that list of ten would contain. Broadcast that list on BuzzFlash.

Number TWO For each advertiser - and for the parent company of SBC - give us BuzzFlashers an email address, so that we can conduct some wholesome communication with the advertisers and with SBC.

Number THREE Encourage BuzzFlashers to boycott the products and services of the ten largest advertisers on SBC - and let the advertisers and SBC know about it.

It is sooooo easy. For instance, I do not have to use BP to fuel my car. I have other options than Sprint. Walmart, KMart, Target? We have options, people, lots of options. Let's see what SBC does with its television stations if their advertisers are guaranteed that their sales will decrease.

Love your website. Keep up the good work.

R E D
Wendell, NC

[BuzzFlash Note: The website in the preceding letter includes this advertisers list: http://www.boycottsbg.com/advertisers/default.aspx.]

Subject: Bush wired makes mainstream cartoon

Hi,

Bush "wired" story makes the mainstream press in Atlanta in the form of an editorial cartoon.

This cartoon by Mike Luckovich appeared in the Atlanta Journal Constitution this morning.

(Tuesday, October 12, 2004)

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/luckovich/index.html

[Or try: http://www.creators.com/editorial_show.cfm?comicname=lk]

best,

Craig Bennett

Subject: Wired pResident

Hi Buzz,

I'd like to put a final bullet in the "Radio Transmitter" under shrub's jacket.

The pictures show something about 3"X5"X1" between his shoulder blades, that much is certain, but what that box was remains a mystery.

First off, it wasn't a transmitter, if it was radio gear at all, it was a receiver as there was no need to transmit, he was being carried live on broadcast and cable TV.

Second, 10 seconds with Google finds this: http://www.directionfinder.com/phonak.htm

...among others. The spook shops can also supply you with exotic frequencies and even crypto in boxes much smaller than what he was wearing.

So what was that box? One wild-eyed article I read speculated that it was a drug delivery system of some sort. That would jibe with the size of the box if you consider receiver, servos, pump, metering valve, the drug reservoir et cetera, but what drug would he be on that couldn't be administered ahead of time? Why would he need remote control application? Who has the switch and what happens when they push it? Enquiring minds want to know!

Wearing a wire to cheat at a debate would be right in keeping with the BushCabal style; Lie, Cheat and Steal to keep the Oval Office, but they have access to excellent technology, why use 1970's gadgets?

What the Hell was that Box?

Peace.

CV

SUBJECT: Chain of Command by Seymour Hersh

Wow, that's all I've got to say. Hersh absolutely nails Bush and Rumsfeld in his book. They both authorized the torture that went on in Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, and Hersh gets into all the gory details. Hersh doesn't stop with that, though. He also explains how Rumsfeld, Cambone, General Myers, General Abizaid, General Sanchez, and the rest of the crew lied their asses off during sworn Senate testimony with respect to who knew what when. Of course, lying before Congress in sworn testimony is a criminal offense, but will these "leaders" be held accountable? Doubtful. The loser turns out to be Taguba; his forthright investigation was a career ender for him; he's considered a traitor, is persona non grata in the Pentagon, and is currently undergoing a crash course in "behavior modification" Rummy and Cheney style.

Hersh wrote an amazing, eye-opening book. If you haven't read it, you should. Hersh writes with great can't-put-it-down style.

SherAn

Subject: Don Rumsfeld says not everyone needs to vote! What? Is that his idea of democracy? This is scary.

I am concerned that "the Donald" (Rumsfeld, that is) is setting the stage for disaster in the November 2 election in this country. Donald Rumsfeld has suggested (referring to Iraqi elections) that should there be problems on election day, that communities like Fallujah can simply be skipped, so the election can proceed apace.

He has stated "And let's say you tried to have an election, and you could have it in three-quarters or four-fifths of the country, but some places you couldn't because the violence was too great," Rumsfeld said recently. "Well, that's - so be it. Nothing's perfect in life. So you have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet," he affirmed.

This is scaring the hell out of me. If he condones that for Iraq, does that mean that the republicans are planning a partial election here? Oh, my goodness. Brownouts on electronic voting machines, paper jams, in the blue states? Look out, BuzzFlash, here they go again!

Laura Fogel
Miami, Florida

Subject: Funny bit I heard on C-Span

Funny bit I heard on C-Span, (paraphrased) ... "The Republican attack machine accuses Kerry of flip-flopping on every issue and then turns around and says he is a committed lifelong liberal."

These of course can't both be true.

Sw

Subject: Sinclair's advertisers

Hey Buzz:

Here's a letter I sent to the advertising contact at Applebees (ca.diraimo@applebees.com), which buys commercial time from Sinclair Broadcasting. I plan to send similar letters to other Sinclair advertisers and hope my fellow Buzzers will do the same (see http://www.boycottsbg.com/advertisers/default.aspx):

Dear Ms. Diraimo: Do you realize Applebees just opened a new restaurant at Pantops in Charlotteville, VA (I assume you do)? Gosh, it must cost an awful lot to open a new store! I wonder how long it takes for a new Applebees to start turning a profit?

It certainly would be a shame if, say, word got around Charlottesville--which consistently votes Democratic, is a "city of peace," and which has only one lonely Republican on its City Council--that Applebees advertises on Sinclair Broadcasting, now that Sinclair has decided to force its stations to run a slimy, politically biased anti-Kerry film just days before the election. Charlottesvillians are VERY patriotic and politically active (public wonk Larry Sabato teaches here at the University of Virginia, for instance). And Sinclair's action is patently un-American.

It would be a shame if people started protesting outside the new Applebees or if anti-Applebees letters started flooding the local papers, don't you agree?

I suggest you consider withdrawing your advertising from Sinclair unless it reverses its decision to force stations to air its stinking propaganda. Otherwise, expect that bright, shiny new Applebees to sit empty in C'ville.

A Devoted BuzzFlash Reader

George W. Bush has gotten his biggest wish: He has proved to the whole wide world that he isn't his daddy. Unfortunately for him, his dad came out looking better.

Ruth

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