October 25, 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: Fw: General Mills' Position Regarding Sinclair Broadcast Group

Check out this smarmy and condescending missive from General Mills. They are equating Sinclair's use of public airwaves to launch smears against John Kerry as "free speech." What about my free speech? Since I don't own TV stations that reach 24% of the U.S., General Mills seems to be telling me to "F*** off!" I don't know about anyone else, but I'm exercising my "free speech" by boycotting General Mills.

Thank you for contacting General Mills.

Many consumers have written to share their views on this issue. Some have urged General Mills to use its influence as an advertiser to ensure that the media reports the news in an unbiased manner. Some have urged General Mills to continue advertising, and have threatened to withdraw support for our products if we alter our advertising plans. Passions run deep on both sides, particularly this close to an election.

Whenever possible, General Mills does strive to preview the programs on which our advertising appears. We do so to assure that we do not advertise on programs inconsistent with the family-oriented nature of our products. This works well with entertainment programs produced and available for advance screening, but pre-screening of news broadcasts is usually not possible.

Our view in this area is clear. We believe one of the fundamental elements of our society is the freedom of the press. Companies such as ours, in our view, should not attempt to influence, control or pre-empt the content of news through the leverage of advertising sponsorship. To do so would undermine that fundamental freedom.

From time to time, any one of us as viewers may consider a particular news story to be inaccurate or imbalanced. News organizations do err. Judgment is not always well applied. One major news organization recently acknowledged that errors were made in stories relating to the current presidential election. When such errors occur, certainly a price is paid in terms of reputation. But errors and questionable judgment are an acceptable price to pay, in our view, to assure the presence of a free and independent media in our society.

As viewers, each of us is free to make a choice. We can choose to patronize or not patronize programs with our viewership. We can choose to patronize or not patronize particular television stations, or even entire networks.

Similarly, advertisers may choose not to sponsor certain broadcasts, a particular network or specific publications because of their journalistic standards and judgment. But advertisers should not attempt to control or pre-empt news programming prior to broadcast or publication. That, in our view, would be inappropriate.

In this instance, as in the example cited earlier, passionate voices are calling on advertisers to insert themselves into the election by threatening to boycott those who remove or who do not remove their advertising.

We choose to stand with freedom of the press.

We welcome the views that you and others have shared with us. You may rest assured that we will remind the networks we sponsor that the integrity of their reporting reflects on the companies that advertise during their broadcasts.

Hopefully, you will understand our views and the importance we place on a free press.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us and share your views.

Sincerely,

General Mills

Joe Heaphey

Subject: Bush's ad using the wolves

Women know better than to fall for a sheep in wolf's clothing. And they don't fall for stalkers either. Bush and Cheney can leave their wolf costumes at home this Halloween.

A BuzzFlash Woman

Subject: 911 cia reports being DeLayed

Links are below. We started this petition to ask media to get more coverage on the stalled CIA reports on 911. We hope to get mainstream coverage by emailing them en mass. We have sent a bunch of emails and continue to do so. We would like any help you can give. It's an important issue. Here are our reasons for the effort.

1. We have a right to know the truth about the 911 tragedy and who is to blame for the intelligence failures, especially since the Bush administration is campaigning on "stronger on terror."

2. The lack of openness by Bush administration about this issue shows a lack of leadership and failure to take responsibility, much like his answer to the 3 mistakes you've made question in the presidential debates.

3. Bush administration is proposing intelligence reforms before the report is released. Why not get answers before you change things?

4. We have a right to full disclosure before elections, so people can make truly informed decisions at the voting booths.

LA Times article: http://forum.johnkerry.com...

Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/Tru911ci/

Thanks.

Colum

P.S. This petition is yours to use. It's not about who started it, it's about helping to finish Bush.

Subject: Improvised Explosive Realities - behind Bush campaign lines

1. Pat Robertson . . . who knows why he says anything he says? In this case, though, maybe he's tired of some of his own flock thinking of Bush as being the American with the closest walk with God, so he shows Bush as being more delusional than spiritually connected - a case of Elmer Gantry Envy, I'd call it. Also, Robertson is a former Marine. Yes, I know he's Semper Nuts, but maybe Semper Fi loyalty to at-risk jarheads in Iraq is trying to assert itself.

2. With Pat Robertson's miraculous end-time campaign revelation, the Republicans' Mary Cheney-related flopflip on the incredible okayness of gayness, and George Tenet's Iraq-war-is-wrong comment, it seems like someone's strategically lobbing Improvised Explosive Realities behind Republican campaign lines, hitting their supply lines and logistics bases where it hurts most.

It's really hilarious to see so many Executive Branch bigwigs popping up like Whack-A-Moles to try to put out the fires, and then to see the flames only rage higher and hotter with every contradiction of Reverend Hurricane himself and of a still-respected George Tenet. And watching these same grande appointees twist themselves inside out to try to defend the gay sin but not the gay sinner - with all the monumental hypocrisy that attends - well it's almost too side-splitting to muse over for very long.

Add the undeniable fact of most Americans' revulsion toward the Iraqi disaster (Rove expected Iraq to be a huge plus for Bush), and you have a Bush campaign being overwhelmed from behind, while its major front also loses ground. Maybe Gore Vidal's 2002 prediction will come true after all, that George Bush will prove to be the most unpopular president in the history of the United States.

Larry Piltz
Austin, Texas

Subject: ABC News

What is up with ABC? I just watched their Friday evening coverage of the campaign and I could not believe the pro Bush coverage. They even promoted Bush and his interview with Charles Gibson on Good Morning America that will be aired Monday morning. I have heard Karl Rove speak of October surprises for John Kerry but I did not expect it to be ABC news. I have contacted the network and my local affiliate and expressed my concerns but I am sure my views will not be taken seriously. Please look into this matter. I believe their broadcast tonight was more pro Bush than even the republican propaganda network also know as Fox News. Is there a Karl Rove connection with ABC?

Kevin

Subject: Sinclair Broadcasting

Sinclair Broadcasting aired its program here in St. Louis. I must admit, I wanted to see what they were going to show.

They backed off their original story. I along with millions of others, who saw the story from the L.A. Times the weekend of the 11th saw the same article that Sinclair was going to force their stations to air the "complete" story of Stolen Honor. We are not that Stupid. That many pairs of eye did not see the same thing.

We all know that the heat was on, and they backed off the story because of the revenue they were losing, the advertisers, and the heat was just too much. In their haste, they put together some lame story that amounted to much of nothing.

I will say there were two men who were Vietnam Vets who served with John Kerry who spoke up for the Senator. There were others who said what happened 30 years ago needed to be let go and it was in the past.

The narrator kept saying they asked Sen. Kerry to come on the program to respond to the charges. Would you? No one wants to rehash old wounds. Not only that, the parts that were shown were taken out of context. Furthermore, The DNC did send them a letter (from democrats.org during the week after it was announced they were going to air this) requesting equal time of their choosing the content. To my knowledge and from their website, it does not seem to be any response.

Sinclair did show positive things about Sen. Kerry from the gentleman who made Going Upriver. However, Mr. Sherwood, who produced Stolen Honor, was completely negative.

When any mention of President Bush was made in this film, documentary or whatever it was supposed to be, the only mention was that he fulfilled his duty in the Texas Air National Guard. Not one negative word. They probably spent a total of about 5-7 minutes on him.

I am not sure what the purpose was of showing this. It may have been just to show that they wouldn't bow down to the pressures of the people. I don't know. It wasn't worth the air time.

I do know that I have read on other websites that employees of Sinclair state that they plan to continue to show this over and over. Who knows?

Senator Kerry served this country honorably. He did what he thought was right at the time. His actions did not cause the war to go on longer. They did not cause the POW's to be kept longer. Our gov't caused that. Lay the blame where it needs to be. Just like today. The culpability lies at the top.

Sinclair has chosen to abuse the power of the airwaves if for nothing else than to garner ratings and publicity, and to be a mouthpiece for the Bush Administration. In that, they probably succeeded. But at what cost? This country is more divided than ever. Can we ever heal the rift? We have allowed corporate America to rule how we think and feel, instead of thinking for ourselves.

It's time we think for ourselves. We don't need to live in fear. We don't need to live in the past. We need hope for the future. We need a stronger America. Help is on the way. That hope is in John Kerry

Anita in St. Louis

Subject: QUOTE...OF THE LAST 4 YRS...

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." -- George W. Bush, joking at a Gridiron Club dinner, Washington, D.C., March 2001

truthout/peaceout,

debra (nyc)

Subject: I don't think he is sick or has had a stroke

I think he was given progressively larger doses of some sort of tranquilizer. After what happened in Oregon and places where protesters have managed to get on motorcade routes.

Bush cannot tolerate opposition on anything and they know it. He seems to be getting more addled all the time, but it is because the opposition is getting stronger.

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.

Subject: Comparing records

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: fair elections

Dear Buzz,

I don't believe that the republicans really want a democratic country. They have been saying for years that they want to control all three branches of government, Rush Limbaugh has been saying for years that a democrat should not be elected to anything not even dogcatcher. Now they are destroying voter registrations and slanting the polls, knowing full well that some people will vote for the likely winner. This is the version of democracy that republicans want and we have to fight it every step of the way.

A Faithful BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Encourage Everyone, Republicans and Democrats, to just not vote for Bush

If Bush and Kerry both have 10 votes and someone switches from Bush to Kerry then the vote becomes 11 to 9 (Kerry v Bush). Which is great, but if that person only chooses only to not vote for Bush then the result is a 10 to 9 vote. This is also good.

This is a very important point. Because I believe there are a lot of people who are Republican leaning and yet unhappy with Bush. And I also think we sometimes forget we can skip the Presidential part of the ballot, but complete the rest of the ballot.

I think we should all go out and encourage all of our Republican friends to just not vote for Bush.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Right-Wing Hoax Debunked - Vaccine Manufacturers ALREADY Protected by Tort Reform

Dear Friends:

Right-wingers are all a-twitter about a new claim that John Edwards is personally responsible for the flu vaccine shortage. The claim is that Edwards represented a client in the late 80's who sued a vaccine manufacturer for millions, causing U.S. manufacturers to stop producing vaccine. The problem is, since 1988, vaccine manufacturers have been protected under the Federal guvmint's "Vaccine Injury Compensation Program."

This is a no-fault protection program that places restrictions on lawsuits and is funded by a surcharge on all vaccines. Snopes, the famous internet urban legend debunkers, provides further details about the "Edwards caused the vaccine shortage" nonsense. You can get the whole story at www.snopes.com....

Whether you hear the right-wing claim that Edwards is personally responsible for the flu vaccine shortage, or, more simply, their false claim that tort liability has caused the shortage, neither is true.

See: http://www.909shot.com/Issues/Comp_Summary.htm

Rob Olson
Bellingham, WA

Subject: Bush in Oregon

Dorothy R.

Subject: "swing" states

Great site! Keep up the great work!

I just wanted to write to get everyone thinking about the latest manipulation the Republicans are doing in the press. They are trying to label states like New Jersey and Hawaii as swing states, even though we all know Kerry will carry them by 15 or so points. They do this in order to give an impression that Bush is doing better than he actually is. Notice that states like Virginia, where Kerry has been within 3% points in recent polls, are considered "safe" states for Bush, but states like Hawaii (story on AP today), where Kerry's smallest lead in polls has been 8% points, are considered 'swing' states.

In fact, the same thing goes for states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington, which are reasonably safe states for Kerry, but the media talks as if Bush can win any of them.

Davee
Athens, GA

Subject: 4-Alarm Alert!! Hart Inter-Civic's eSlate voting machines malfunctioning in favour of Bush/Cheney!

Dear BuzzFlash and everybody else I can find to CC this message to,

This comes from an Austin, Texas former City Council member. If this is true, then every precinct using a Hart Inter-Civic's eSlate voting machine should be immediately put out of service.

FYI: This note came from my neighborhood email list:

Yesterday a friend voted early at a polling location in Austin. She voted straight Democratic. When she did the final check, lo and behold every vote was for the Democratic candidates except that it showed that she had voted for Bush/Cheney for president/vice pres.

She immediately got a poll official. On her vote, it was corrected.

She called the Travis County Democratic headquarters. They took all her information. They told her that she wasn't the first to report a similar incident and that they are looking into it. So, check before you leave the polling booth, and if anything is wrong, get it corrected immediately. Report any irregularities to your local Democratic headquarters.

I just talked with the Travis Democratic Party folks and they confirmed that this happened and that the County supposedly has fixed it...but everyone should be aware of it and double check their ballot when they vote.......!

a faithful BuzzFlash reader who fears for the future of our country

[BuzzFlash Note: Information about election problems can be reported on and researched at: http://www.dkosopedia.com/index.php/Voter_Registration_Fraud_Clearinghouse. A link there to http://www.votersunite.org/electionproblems.asp shows the same problem you have alerted us to. The Austin Chronicle has a news report on it, too.]

Subject: The New International Thought Police

In George W. Bush's speech in Pennsylvania yesterday, he rolled out his old "Saddam had the desire to reconstruct a WMD program" saw. He also said that knowing what he knows today, he would still have attacked Iraq. And the attendees at the speech gave him a standing ovation. So now we know what the title of the Bush Administration really is. It is: "The New International Thought Police." And their motto? "If we determine that you desire WMD, we'll invade you!" I have a proposal: Mr. Bush and company should be required to send their own kids to Iraq, and to the next set of wars, first.

Donald L. Feinberg
Naperville, IL

Subject: Please investigate this example of voter intimidation in Florida

FLA asks voters to bring ID & old voter's registration to poll

FDLE Commissioner Guy Tunnell is now investigating alleged registration fraud by ACORN, an organization that mobilizes poor voters. Of course, he is not the least bit specific as to who or where these violations occurred. This is a pure intimidation tactic.

In some cases, persons who believed they were signing petitions later found out that their signatures or possible forged signatures were used to complete a fraudulent voter registration. In other instances, it appears that workers hired to obtain legitimate voter registrations filled in the information on the registration forms that should have been completed by the registrants. On several occasions, workers appear to have signed multiple voter registrations themselves using information obtained during the registration drive. In many of the situations complained about, the workers were being paid on the basis of each registration form submitted.

And he is now suggesting voters bring an OLD REGISTRATION CARD and VALID PICTURE ID to the polling place! How many poor people actually could produce both documents? How many with outstanding warrants would stay away from the poll in fear of being arrested?

This guy is KNOWN for his intimidation of African-Americans when he was a sheriff:

http://www.flanews.com/archives2003/0826Fdle.htm

This is the outcome of our failed attempt to get justice for the same tactics in the 2000 election in Florida. We never got enough of the public at large to care.

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/press_releases/20041021_Voter_Fraud.html

Bonnie L.

Subject: Countering the Bush-Shirts

Dear BuzzFlash,

The only response to "Big G.O.P. Bid to Challenge Voters at Polls in Key State" is to have our own people there to 1) challenge the credentials of the Bush-Shirts each time they approach voters, making sure that they are in full compliance with whatever laws might apply (and in the process minimizing the time they have for contact they have with voters), 2) telling voters what their rights are, and providing them with any legal forms they'll require the Bush Shirts to fill out and sign.

I don't know law, but I'd think there must be some provision somewhere protecting voters from intimidation, and in that case, injunctions should be sought.

Jim P.

P.S. That idea someone posted of charging the Republican Party with RICO Civil Rights Violations sounds like a good idea.

Subject: SANTORUM'S SNAKE OIL (Med-mal)

SANTORUM'S SNAKE OIL: In 1999, Rick Santorum testified in his wife's $500,000 medical malpractice case against a chiropractor. Mrs. Santorum claimed she suffered back injuries caused by her chiropractor and said her injuries hurt her husband's re-election campaign. Although her medical costs totaled $18,800, she also sought "pain and suffering" and anticipated future medical costs. When all was said and done, she got $350,000, although a judge eventually reduced the award to $175,000. Just a few years prior, Santorum said: "While we may have people, individuals, who hit the jackpot and win the lottery in some cases, that is not exactly what our legal system should be designed to do."

Peter D.

Subject: Bush's physical

Bush's avoidance of his august physical is a fascinating article. Why is no one else covering this? Aren't there some basic requirements for a president -- and for a commander in chief -- and isn't a physical one of them? It would seem that such a requirement would be built into the system as a weak and ill leader would put the country at risk. Does anyone know what the laws are? And how do we get more attention on this issue?

You guys do a great job. Keep up the good work!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Bush's Presenile Dementia

Several medical experts have noted that during his Presidency George W. Bush has displayed several of the classic symptoms of presenile dementia including a decline in speaking skills and a confused memory. The most recent manifestation of this occurred at Wednesday's debate.

John Kerry pointed out that when President Bush was asked "Where's Osama bin Laden?" he said, "I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned." Mr. Bush responded, "Gosh, I don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. That's kind of one of those e-x-a-g-g-e-r-a-t-i-o-n-s." In fact the President said almost exactly that.

At a March 13, 2002 press conference, Bush said, "So I don't know where he [Osama Bin Laden] is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him...I truly am not that concerned about him."

The most promising hope for limiting the progress of this condition is through embryonic stem cell research; the very research Bush himself has spoken against and imposed restrictions upon. Unless Kerry is elected and the research restrictions lifted, Bush might be condemned by his own actions. Sophocles and O. Henry would have appreciated the exquisite irony.

Robert R. Regl
Hattiesburg, MS

Subject: Liz Cheney, out of turn again

I didn't need to watch much of the Today Show again because Lester Holt and Campbell Brown let Liz talk over the top Kerry supporter again. It isn't enough that if you are a US citizen you can't even go to a presidential campaign speech unless you are willing to have your children die for Liz, she gets to yap on endlessly. The segment ended with Liz talking over the other woman because her opinion is the only one that matters.

Mary isn't allowed to speak at all for fear of enraging the Christian right so they let Liz, the lip, prevent anyone from voicing an opinion she doesn't care for.

The Cheney and Bush girls are going to inherit a fortune from their parents sending other people's daughters to fight for them. You could at least tell Liz to give someone else a turn.

I believe in equal rights for males and females so if the draft comes the girls can't expect not to be drafted because the sweet comes with the bitter, but they will not get mine. My child will not fight to preserve the Cheney girls' and Bush girls' right to party. I will go to jail to prevent mine from fighting another war for Bush profit.

Children were shot with pepper spray in Oregon because their parents were yelling "3 more weeks" across the street from people who were yelling "4 more years" at the presidential motorcade. Mothers of dead US service men have been arrested. Three school teachers were tossed out of a Bush rally for shirts that said, "protect our civil rights." They said nothing about Bush.

I won't be watching the Today Show and I won't be giving Katie's children's book to anyone because there is not one single anchor that cares about anyone else's children. I may go broke, but I am going to begin to send a thank you note to the Bush's, Cheney's and the Today Show every time a US soldier dies for their war and it belongs to the Today Show, they bought it and they own it.

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.

Subject:Bush talks tough

Bush is gambling that his tough talk on terror and war will win the election. But what does he have to back that up with? Are we safer with Bush? I think not. It takes more than just force to win a war - it takes direction. In football for example, it's more than just making a touchdown. If you run in the wrong direction - the other team scores the points. In Iraq, we managed to defeat one of the few nations who were not controlled by Islamic Fundamentalists. Now that we captured Saddam, the people we "liberated" are rising up against us to try to get liberated again. Bush has made the enemy stronger and America weaker because he is running in the wrong direction.

The bottom line is - Bush is incompetent. He attacked the wrong enemy. Bin Laden is still free and Bush isn't pursuing him. Bush is just not smart enough to be president. It's time to get rid of the draft dodger and get a real military man in there to pick up the pieces and try to fix all of Bush's mistakes. We need to get back to reality-based thinking and put America back on the right track.

I'm Marc Perkel - And I approved this message!

Marc Perkel
San Francisco, CA.

SIDE NOTE: For those who haven't seen it - I have posted Fahrenheit 9/11 on my web site. I bought 100mb of bandwidth for the next 2 weeks to distribute it. Sp if you want to watch it - here's the link. It's Windows Media Format - 40mb. As you might guess - the image quality is less than what you would find on DVD or in the theaters.

http://bulk2.ctyme.com/f911.wmv

If you are on a slow connection or can't do Windows format - I have the audio in MP3 format at this address:

http://bulk2.ctyme.com/f911.mp3

I am relying on Michael Moore's public statements that he wants this passed around the Internet - so I'm doing that. Since the Republicans own the news media - this might help even the score. I encourage everyone to view or listen to the film and discuss if it's true or not.

SIDE NOTE 2: The election is tied and now it's down to who can do the most cheating. Much of America now uses highly insecure voting machines that can and will be tampered with. It's just a matter of who and where. As a result there are going to be a LOT of stories about who tampered with what and there are going to be two kinds of reporters covering these issues - those who understand electronic voting technology - and those who don't. My question for you is - do you want to be someone who understands it? So - getting to the point. Here is a video that is a tutorial for reporters to understand the technology behind the "black box." Do you know what a buffer overflow is? Do you understand the concept of the attack surface? Do you know how elections can be rigged? If you don't - you don't want to wait till election day to figure it out. So - here's the link. http://www.archive.org/stream/VoterGate/votergate_film_256kb.mp4

Additionally - if you have any questions about these issues I recommend you contact the Electronic Frontier Foundation for more information. The EFF (http://www.eff.org) is a high tech civil liberties organization and a very good source of information on both the technologies and the law.

Subject: Suggestion: VIDEO will make them HONEST

We the people, armed with video cameras at polling areas nationwide could help to clean up dirty Republican acts of voter larceny.

I am a professional videographer and I know how easily the presence of a video camera can render most people honest.

One or two people with any size video camera could be stationed at each polling place.

If an incident arises turn on the camera and point, just like Michael Moore's crew.

Get the word out, BuzzFlash!

I know this idea will work!

Chuck

C-Span was Biased after Third Presidential Debate

C-Span usually alternates between supporters of Bush and supporters of Kerry when they take phone calls. (If only talk radio could be so balanced!) But after Bush lost the third debate there would often be two Bush callers for every Kerry caller. I tried calling the Kerry line several times, so I know there was no lack of Kerry callers. I e-mailed C-Span about this but all I got back was an automated message telling me they get too many e-mails to answer them all.

Dennis Boyle
Boilingmad.Blogspot.com

Subject: Did the Feds disrupt a terror plot that never existed? Not OUR BUSHIES! NEVER!

No Direct Evidence of Plot To Attack Around Elections (Washington Post)

Let's have a look at how the media played it, and how Bush used it for all it was worth (and it was worth something precious: votes)

Al Qaeda threats aimed at U.S. democracy (CNN)

Rice on CNN: Dr. Rice said the government had actually "picked up discussion" relating to "trying to do something in the pre-election period," and added that information on the threat came from "active multiple sources." I found myself wondering if those sources are any better than those cited by Attorney General John Ashcroft on May 26, when he launched this campaign, citing "credible intelligence from multiple sources that al-Qaeda plans an attack on the United States" before the November election.

Ray McGovern: ProgressiveTrail.org

Al Qaeda's Pre- Election Plot Exclusive: With an eye on striking America, bin Laden's network is hard at work. On the trail of its targets and tactics (Newsweek)

Ridge Warns of "credible" Al Quaida Plot (NewsMax.com)

how hard is it to disrupt a plan that doesn't exist??

Feds: We Disrupted Al Qaeda Plans (CBS News)

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Voter intimidation begins early in Florida (simplyappallingblogspot.com)

Duval County-Jacksonville is up to more shenanigans. They designated one polling site for the 4th largest county in the state. The Supervisor of Elections resigned the day that early voting began. And now a private investigator is videotaping early voters at the only voting site in the city.

I have provided the contact information for the PI firm...[spott@bellsouth.net
Phone: (904) 779-9815]. I think your readers should know.

We're going to win this one!

Andy Hughes

Subject: Ohio Secretary of State Strikes Again!

From WTOL.com in Toledo, Ohio...

Blackwell Compares Gay Couples, Farm Animals

SYLVANIA -- Ohio's Secretary of State is coming out strong in support of Issue One, the measure that would ban same-sex marriage. Kenneth Blackwell spoke to an energized crowd at the Cathedral of Praise Tuesday night.

Blackwell said it's time for people of God to take a stand. He even drew a comparison between same-sex couples and farm animals. "I don't know how many of you have a farming background but I can tell you right now that notion even defies barnyard logic ... the barnyard knows better," said Blackwell referring to the idea of same-sex marriage.

Blackwell was joined by Pastor Rod Parsley, president of The Center for Moral Clarity. The two men are traveling across the state trying to rally support for Issue One. News 11 contacted Secretary Blackwell's office today for further explanation. His press secretary issued the following statement on Blackwell's behalf: "Part of the function of marriage is to reproduce the human race and same-sex marriage cannot carry out that function."

Mary M.

Subject: Bush Relatives Against Bush - This is great!!!!!!! You Gotta See It!!

Hi Buzzdudes,

Check out this web site of Bush relatives against Bush

http://www.bushrelativesforkerry.com/pages/1/index.htm

Bill Short
Clearwater

Subject: (Sent to ABCNEWS.com)

Yesterday I saw an advertisement on cable TV about the upcoming "interview" of George W. Bush by Charlie Gibson. I write to express my outrage that this plainly political appearance one week before the election is obviously calculated to convey a positive image of Bush for the purpose of affecting the election. Notwithstanding that the advertisement itself reveals that the "interview" will be adulatory and non-confrontational (which is the only kind of interview Bush will tolerate), I saw no equivalent advertisement for an interview with John Kerry. Although equal time requirements no longer exist, I trust that equal time will be given to Sen. Kerry in a similarly staged "interview" with Mr. Gibson.

William Betz
Attorney at Law
Voter

Subject: The flu will get you

Dear BuzzFlash,

I find it totally ludicrous that a country that has enough nuclear bombs to destroy the earth 5000 times cannot come up with enough flu vaccine to supply the needs of the people for one year. We have spent $145,000,000,000 on the war in Iraq because terrorists killed three thousand people, not all of whom were Americans. The flu kills 36,000 people every year and the best we can do is spend $283,000,000 on flu research. Something is wrong with this picture.

Bo Stencil
Washington State

Subject: 9-11 mother's letter to Bush

The families of the victims of 9/11 are still searching for the truth...A big piece of the truth is being kept from the American Public by the CIA, on orders from the White House, until after the election. Why is that?

These families have become extremely well versed in matters leading up to the tragedy, and they have become most vocal in all gatherings of citizens standing up for truth and against this unfounded war. Here is one mother's plea to George Bush. It could be any one of us saying these things and asking these questions, had our child been in the towers that day, for we too would seek for answers and the more we found out, the more we, too, would ask 'Why?'

Far worse than the truth is the not knowing, having the truth withheld.

Why not call your senator(s), representative(s), and ask them to continue their demand that the report be released immediately. It has been sitting since June. We have had enough secrecy and lies and misinformation. Care about this mother's grief and our nation's tremendous

9/11 Mom: An Open Letter to George W. Bush
on the Thirty-third Anniversary of My Daughter's Birth (yubanet.com)

By Donna Marsh O'Connor, Liverpool, NY,
Mother of Vanessa Lang Langer,
WTC Tower II, 93rd floor

Sometimes, Mr. Bush, it's the smallest of details that makes everything click. The smallest of details. Right now, Mr. Bush, I am looking at your watch. It's an item of clothing accessory and, unlike your other costumes, it is one that is particularly revealing.

On Halloween my daughter would be thirty-three years old. Her child would be almost three. Seven weeks before her twenty-ninth birthday, Vanessa, four months pregnant, ran from the falling towers of the World Trade Center. She did not make it. Her body, and in it the small body of her unborn child, was pulled from the rubble of the fallen towers on September 24th, just ten feet from an alley between towers IV and V. It is important for me to tell you that she was on the phone to her uptown office five minutes after the first plane hit tower I, explaining how she and others in tower II were "safe."

Here is what you did regarding specifically the events of that morning: You vacationed before, during and after August 6th, the day you were handed the presidential daily briefing that said very clearly Vanessa Lang Langer and many other Americans were not safe. After the first plane hit tower I, the fact of the PDB did not click in your mind, did not cause you to act, to turn on a television, to contact the Pentagon. You sat so that you did not frighten a group of children. You did not worry about Vaness's brothers, or the young children who would certainly be directly affected by that event. You did not, like her fourteen year-old brother, rush from your seat and head for a phone, desperately trying to reach out, to fix, to save. You sat....

Barry S.

Subject: New ad suggestion

Since "W" believes he has been chosen by God to rule, why doesn't someone do an ad showing him leading the world to Armageddon? We need to show the world just how scary these right-wing evangelicals (Bush, Robertson, Falwell, etc.) really are. I see mushroom clouds and total destruction if he steals another term. He had no shame when he had no mandate, imagine how bold and destructive he will be if he actually wins.

Barbara Todd
Indio, CA

BuzzFlash:

Watched Washington Journal on C-SPAN this morning. Guest was Brad Maaske with documentary called WMD about how bad Saddam Hussein was to the people of Iraq.

Of course, most of this was old news about 15 years old and our government knew it at the time. There was nothing about the current torture of the Iraqi people.

I looked up his name and found he was with The Iraqi Truth Project. I googled on BuzzFlash and couldn't find anything re this man's connections. What does BuzzFlash know about him? Does he have ties to Bush? Or is he just honest pawn in oil game?

mary in Idaho
BuzzFlash fan

[BuzzFlash Note: We're not familiar with the movie or Brad Maaske. If a reader is, we'll post it here.]

Subject: Flu shots

Is there a list available of which members of Congress did take the flu shot and which members did not?

C.R.