November 5, 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: Dehumanized

Dear Buzz,

This morning I woke up to the knowledge that 2/3 of the people of Ohio (my home state), do not consider me a person. Not only do they not want my partner & I to get married (big whoop, it’s just a word anyway) they want to make sure we have NO rights at all.

If I die, my parents, who haven’t spoken to me in 15 years (because of my sinful depravity) can come to town and demand half of everything from my partner. The house, my car, the money, valuables, everything we’ve worked for all these years. And now, under this law, there’s not a damn thing we can do about it. After 15 years together (better than the average hetero marriage) and all the storms we’ve weathered, the United States, from the President on down, snorted up their best loogie and spit on us and our relationship. I felt like I was having a bloody stroke when I heard the news. I hope I don’t though, because my spouse will not only be barred from making any medical decisions, he can be barred from seeing me altogether. Not a damn thing we can do about that either. If my company decides to extend benefits to unmarried partners, they can no longer legally do so in this state. You guessed it...not a damn thing we can do about it.

George W. Bush singled us out. He held us up as demons to be feared and hated. He sacrificed us on the alter of his lust for power. He brought out all the Evangelicals, whose hatred of us is a part of their very religion, and is not open to debate or interpretation. We were only a means to an end for him.

I’m a U.S. Veteran. I served three honorable years in the 82nd Airborne. The country couldn't care less about my service. I’m not a full person now. I don’t deserve rights. And the fact that I served at all is offensive to them. A fag that went undercover in the Army. I wasn’t a REAL patriot, or even a REAL soldier. I was just another faggot that didn’t get caught. The fact that I served with pride and distinction doesn’t count...I’m still a fag.

Thanks to George W. Bush and the Republican Party, it’s okay to hate queers again. How many of us will be beaten senseless, robbed, even murdered?

Well, at least in Ohio, 2 out of every 3 people don’t really give a shit.

John Nation
Pierpont, Ohio

Subject: Bush Mandate or Tainted Election?

The legitimacy of democratic elections is inexorably predicated upon the electorate's ability to verify the results which is only possible with a tangible ballot and permanent record. Indeed, the history of democratic voting in America is a history of ballot recounts and the ability to conduct them.

A ballot that cannot be physically verified or interrogated is no different than a vote by someone with no verifiable name or residence. It is like making a bank deposit with no receipt and for which the institution retains no hard copy of the transaction.

If it's not good enough for our financial transactions, it's not good enough for our elections. Yet, this was the voting method used in about 1/4th of US precincts including 7 counties in Ohio. At best, such systems are an open invitation to voting fraud by whichever political party controls the state voting machinery.

With so many "smoking guns," this election can at best be described as tainted. Instead of propagating the Bush "mandate," the media should focus on the recent tainted election and why America needs to rid itself of our balkanized mess of voting systems and forever eliminate any system that does not leave a permanent voting record.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: A New Start

This morning, Nov. 3, I started my morning as usual with one exception. Over the last few years I would get up, pour a cup of coffee, tune the TV to one of the cable "news" channels, give my little dog, Arlo, his insulin shot, turn on my computer and start reading BuzzFlash. The exception this morning was NOT turning on the TV. As the day progressed and I realized that our country has, once again, been had by a ridiculous and dangerous voting process and that the outcome of this will be a devastating blow to our democracy and everything we are supposed to stand for in this world, in a strange way, I felt a sense of peace and well-being.

The only explanation for this is that I did NOT turn on the TV. As sad as I am for this country it has felt like a cleansing. Not once today did I see the face of or hear the voice of any of the media whores echoing the words of Karl Rove or the many surrogates for this Misadministration. I read BuzzFlash and listened to Air America Radio and I cried for all that we have lost.

On the other hand, I did not find myself shouting obscenities at the TV and the ridiculous whores of their masters. I don't believe that this country could have ever come to this without the complete and utter corruption of our news media. I hold them more responsible than even the Bush Crime Family because this tainted blood line could never have put forth their #1 idiot son into such a position of power without a completely corrupted news media and a completely corrupted voting process ignored by a completely corrupted news media.

I firmly believe that we will never again have the country we deserve unless we take back our airwaves and break the back of this media empire. I wish every one of those who worked for and voted for John Kerry would follow suit. Turn off the TV. You don't need them -- they don't tell you the truth! I fantasize about the day I will read that Wolf Blitzer is employed as an overnight security guard at Wal-Mart, Judy Woodruff is emptying bed pans somewhere, Chris Matthews is a carnival barker, Candy the Cow is also employed in same circus (use your imagination for her role), Hannity and O'Really are flipping burgers in a diner and Bob Novak is in prison awaiting sentencing for treason against America. These fantasies are the only thing that give me a chuckle in these dark days.

Thank you, BuzzFlash, for all you do for those of us who love our country.

Nancy Singletary
A Loyal BuzzFlash fan and a Proud Liberal

Subject: A bit of reality

Good morning all,

Here we are a few days after a small majority of "moral issues" voters sent Bush to his 2nd term as president. While that is a bitter pill to swallow, there is something else looming even larger that could spell doom for the world's oldest democracy in just a few short years. The party of George Bush has added to their majority in the House and Senate, and with several Supreme Court Justices probably retiring or dying in the coming years, they pretty much control the whole federal government. The only check we have left is that we still have the ability to filibuster in the Senate - mind you, there is no more balance and if you believe this crap that Bush is going to "reach out to Democrats" I have some beach front property for sale in North Dakota. That's it. That's all we got, the ability to try and
talk long enough in an attempt to stop the Republicans from doing what they want with impunity.

Okay, here's my main point: in 2 years we have mid-term elections, there is no doubt that the GOP will maintain, if not add to their majority in the House - face it, the House is lost for generations - but, all they need is 5 more seats in the Senate (they picked up 4 this time) and they'll have a Super Majority with the ability to stop any and all filibusters. That
will be it. From that point forward there will be no more need for elections in this country, because they'll have and do whatever they want and no one can stop them. They'll be able to make or change any law they want without opposition. Think about the worst thing that can happen and realize that they'll be able to do it. Saddam Hussein may have been their enemy, but he may also be their model.

Yes, we need to work hard, identify someone now who can be elected president in 2008 (someone who is charismatic, has some government experience but not too much of a record that can be used against him or her - a John Edwards/Barack Obama ticket comes to mind), get the whole party behind him or her, and clear the field of any opposition from within the party.

But most importantly we need to work toward the elections coming up in 2006, or 2008 and beyond may be irrelevant. We need to continue our efforts and support our candidates who will be up for election and find some more "Barack Obama's" to run against Republican incumbents.

And equally, if not more, important we need to get rid of all those unverifiable, electronic,
touch-screen, voting machines (see http://www.blackboxvoting.com for more information - plus I'm making this a top personal objective, I believe these machines pose one of the largest threats to our democracy, so expect more information on how we get rid of these things in the future).

This movement started 2 years ago with Howard Dean and to think of the ground we gained in just those 2 short years is incredible. Sure we lost, but thinking about where we were a couple years ago, and that we didn't lose by much speaks of how far we have come.

Let's not blame John Kerry or anyone else for losing this election; we don't have time to do that and we can't let it splinter our party or this movement. We have a short window of
time and the deck is stacked against us but we need to keep this going.

Colin M.

until the dems get as mean, nasty, dishonest, and evil as the republicans, they will lose!

km

My sister-in-law would have voted for Bush even if he were an admitted child molester! She would just say it was God's will and God has chosen Bush to lead us into Armageddon. All of the people at her church are the same. They also all watch and almost seem to worship Fox News. They are scary people!

Diane A.
FL

Subject: Name Howard Dean as the Next Chairman of the DNC

Dear BuzzFlash Readers/Supporters:

The Christian Liberal is going to keep this brief. As I recalled the abject failures of the current Democratic Party, it's painfully obvious that if we are going to take back our party, major housecleaning needs to be done within the Democratic National Committee. The first head that should roll is the Chairman, Terry McAuliffe. On his watch, the Democrats
have lost all three branches of Congress, and have been further marginalized to where our government is really a one-party government right now. He's got to go, and he can't go fast enough.

I have a suggestion for his replacement: HOWARD DEAN!

Can you imagine how this man will fire up our base! If we put Dean in, and he galvanizes what he did in energizing the original Democratic Party, we should be poised and ready to field real, social progressive candidates to at least take back the House and pick up a couple of Senate seats to further narrow the gap by 2006.

Let's start a campaign to champion Howard Dean as the next Chairman for the DNC. As it is, McAuliffe has us on life-support and Cheney's standing in the doorway itching to pull the plug!

God bless you, take care and stay focused!

My name is Leutisha Stills, and I am the Christian Liberal.
Not only do I approve this message, I encourage you to pass it on so we can get on with the battles that need to be fought for the values Jesus really represented!

Subject: Get ready to barf...

Hiya BuzzFlash!

Just a quick note to share the opening paragraph of this week's Presidential Prayer Team newsletter. Notice how every sentence can be disproved in the BuzzFlash headlines.

Give thanks for the great success of the democratic process this week. Democracy has triumphed, thanks be to God. Pray now for President Bush and Vice President Cheney as they bring the country together and move forward in the most positive, constructive direction for America. Pray for them to have God's wisdom as they seek to unite the nation.

Honorable mention: a closing paragraph praying for "fresh troops" as they deploy to Iraq. What an afterthought!

Your pal,

Erin

Subject: Bush Press Conference: "One Question Rule?!?"

At first I thought this was a weak one-line josh with the press corps, he's now cited it three or four times, with visible agitation! How many more repetitions before this is an official "Rule of Order" (supported by commentary among the AEI, the Heritage Foundation, and Fox News) and the Service removes journalists for this infraction? We are in big trouble.

Ken Duerksen

Subject: Cf. W & Adolph

The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life. -- Adolph Hitler, My New World Order, Proclamation to the German Nation at Berlin, February 1, 1933

[BuzzFlash Note: Couldn't find the source for this, but do see our related home page link: In case you forgot: The 14 Characteristics of Fascism. You Read, You Decide. 11/5,
with thanks to www.secularhumanism.org.]

Subject: Please join me in boycotting CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, Fox News!

Could you help me in getting this message out?

We saw these cable news organizations cover Bush and staying on his talking points. Our
goal should be for Truth, not Spin, Fair and Balanced reporting. This past coverage of
the election was none of these things.

More than 55 million Americans voted for Senator Kerry and we have a voice! Our protest
of the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, sent a message to their shareholders and advertisers, we can do the same with these cable news networks.

Do we want more of the same or are we going to make a stand? Reprogram your remotes so you do not accidentally hit these stations. Ask your cable company to expand your cable channels to include different news stations.

In the mean time find alternative news sources on the Internet.

Michele Bock

Subject: My .02

I remember when Nixon easily won a second term. I was young but I remember thinking how many dumb people there were in America. I of course now have a bit of déjà vu after seeing Bush 43 being reelected. They may have actually been misinformed but they learned the hard way how corrupt Nixon really was. It set the Republican Party back years and helped pave the way for a cultural revolution. It took the GOP the better part of 20 years to recover.

It has been a generation plus a few years since that series of events, so it is time for another uprising. If Nixon had not been reelected he probably would never have been exposed for the lying rat bastard he truly was and became the first US president in history to resign in disgrace. If George Bush 41 had been reelected he most likely would have finally been held accountable for his role in the Iran/Contra drugs for weapons scandal. As it happened that story was pretty much swept back under the carpet when he lost.

Now that George Bush 43 has been reelected it will truly give the American people the chance to see how foolish they were for voting for Bush just as they were shown how foolish it was for voting for Nixon. If Kerry had been elected it would have paved the way for a constant attack from the angry right, and with the GOP maintaining control of Congress made him most likely ineffectual in solving our country's myriad of problems that BushCo is directly responsible for.

Now Bush truly has to defend his sorry record for four more years while things will continue to get worse while at the same time giving the American people four more years of seeing just how bad it can get. Most likely only then will he really earn the disgrace he so rightfully deserves and the American people will finally see Bush 43 for the immoral coward he truly is just as the rest of the world already knows.

I, like most every other thinking, caring, honest person, am disappointed in another Bush win; but as I and some others have thought for some time, it may actually have been the best thing for the Democratic Party in the long run. Dare we say Hillary in 08? Whether it is her or someone else I think we are truly long overdue for a female Prez or at the very least a female VP. It would be nice to finally breakup the longtime white male stag party in the Oval Office.

Just my .02

Shunk Wugga

Subject: a very sad time

Thanks for all your hard work these past four years. I have kept my sanity by checking in with you and others in the progressive web community.

I understand the streets in Manhattan were like a funeral yesterday. I own a card store on Long Island and saw the same. Everyone who talked about the election felt the same way.....in a state of shock.

We have a great deal more thinking and fighting to do. I do believe, however, that the most effective way of handling this mess is not protests, or speaking out or even drawing up a more saleable agenda although all are valuable. MONEY....that is all that matters in this country. A massive economic boycott.

Our family is planning on canceling our cable subscription. The cable news outlets have done a great deal of damage to our country. I will no longer watch Wolf Blitzer or Woodruff or Matthews and then email to complain. They only care that we're watching....not that we are offended.

Good luck and thanks again for your valiant work.

Tuula Friedman

Subject: Bush's "broad victory"

I checked the real historical perspective on Bush's "broad victory." Here's what I found.

Popular vote data is available beginning with the 1872 election. This means there is data for 34 elections. Where does Bush's 3.7 million vote victory margin rank? Way back in 16th place. 3.7 million votes equates to about 6.5% more votes for Bush than for Kerry. This would put the true
position of Bush's victory in 26th place out of 34 elections. In fact, 6.5% is the SMALLEST margin of victory by an incumbent.

People that are really weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history. -- George W. Bush

Jeff Smith
Boulder, CO

[BuzzFlash Note:This may be Dan Quayle's quote from 9/88, actually... http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/537.html.]

Subject: dubya's press conference

I watched, as much as I dislike this man, to see what he had to say. In the first place,
how does the media...the press corps stand him? He is the most arrogant president ever, and tells them that what they just asked is three questions and he is only going to answer one! The suck-up press corps were just like they were in the first ever press conference with him...very timid. That is Bush's intent...keep them on the defensive  and make them realize just how important he is.

Anyway.......on his agenda to start right off.......of course, is to bring democracy to the middle east.... Now, maybe it is just me...but Bush and his followers bringing democracy to any place....is changing their religious beliefs to match his. If God created us all as human beings, aren't the Muslims the same human beings, and deserve to be themselves? We cannot push our christianity on them, ever! And, he will stay there as long as it takes, which means all the middle class in this country will eventually lose someone in this man's folly.

The second thing on his list is revamping Social Security, which in Bushspeak is doing away with it....which in turn, means that if he stops deducting it from the paychecks of the young now, and leaves it up to them to do their own saving.....those older people out here who are living totally on social security and medicare...are just SOL (shit out of luck). He really is saying...he needs that money to wage war on every nation in the mideast...so he and his rich buddies can control oil.

His third agenda.....and he preached incessantly about this in the campaign...is Tort reform, in other words, what John Edwards did for poor people on a contingency basis, will be no more. Like the woman in the commercial for Kerry....a Doctor had misdiagnosed her and they took both breasts off.....and that would give her no option, except maybe an apology from the medical personnel....not from the Doctor. Bush is into the big Insurance Companies, the Doctors in this Nation and the big drug companies.

Incidentally...the article about the CEO of the Black Box business in Ohio was written and told way before the election...and this man had a $100,000 fund raiser in his back yard for Bush??? HELLOOOOOOO! I fear that so many things have been done by this administration ...that the world may never be straight....not in my lifetime. My greatest fears......being my age...is his first two items...and remember with their republican agenda...they have stocked the House and the Senate....and the Court with Rightwingers. I fear.....the war...and my relatives...and grandchildren having to be sent...we all know already that no Bush or Cheney kids will have to go....no offspring of any republican will go...remember the new Governor of our Stat...Matt Blunt, the son of Roy Blunt....is a reservist/ensign naval officer. He will never see combat.

The second concern I have is that Social Security will be done away with. Now people past 62 now, are supposed to not change...but, think about it, when the younger ones stop paying into it....where will the funds come from? It has been commonly known since the Vietnam war....that our offspring pay for our social security.....the monies coming in from the deductions of our children...pay our social security. Mine is maybe okay...but my son....his son and daughter may not pay social security...he is in the kind of work that makes people have to retire on the dot at the age...his is already 67! Instead of raising that age, or revamping it entirely, why not make those now not paying over 85,000 continue paying into social security to the last paycheck?

I can remember a time when I (a lowly office worker) got a social security tax-free time of almost three months...20-30 years ago.... There are many things to worry about....and Bush is gonna try our patience as much as possible...and his minions are going to allow it because they are all multimillionaires.

Shirley.........St. Louis

Subject: It still doesn't make the so-called "war" go away

Dear Editor:

Despite the official results, the mathematics and the legitimacy of our so-called presidential election (didn't the company that handled the electronic voting machines for Ohio say that he'd do "anything" to ensure the election of George Walker Bush?), it still doesn't make the war on Iraq go away. After all, we've killed tens of thousands of
innocent men, women and Iraqi children (and babies, and fetuses), for...no good reason...and all based on lies. The election results do not change that fact.

Best regards,

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Count all the votes!

It's not over until the fat lady's vote is counted!!

Dennis Kucinich was re-elected to the House with 60% of the vote. Barbara Lee was re-elected with 80%. I just heard Obama was elected Senator by 75% of the population of Illinois defeating Al Keyes the RW nut. If that's not a message for Progressive Democrats what is? This election was not a Conservative message one.

Now...we have to fight to get all our votes counted unlike 2000 and 2002. The ACLU has filed suit demanding all the votes, especially those in "battleground states" be counted.

Record number of Absentee ballots were cast because of the mistrust of computer voting machines. People stood in line for hours voting "early" and by Absentee ballot. People took time off from work to go to "battle states" to fight for democracy. There was a record turn out to defeat Bush. More than 60% turned out this time. The reported number is wrong.

I voted by Absentee ballot for two reasons. One, I didn't trust the Optical Scanners to record my vote. All you get back is a number of which voter you were...like "319." This is a paper trail? Two, I helped Melissa Bean defeat Phil Crane on election day. How cool was that?

The ACLU has filed a suit to get them ALL counted especially in those tight states. Join them and call Senators to demand all votes be counted especially thousands of Absentee ones. We have people who can count. We can do this. It is too important not to. We should not allow the media to intimidate us either.

FOX has violated their promise during the 2000 Senate hearings to wait for all votes to be counted. They violated their FCC license. It was election fraud by the media. Again.

For now...let's just finish the vote count. I don't care if FOX and Kerry decided it's over. It's not with me. The Electoral College Certification should demand the ballots all be counted and fraud investigated (some Democratic Senators get up and demand it this time).

Democracy is at stake and we need your help. Call and demand our Democratic Senators finish the election process...not betray us like in 2000.

Signed: A "fat lady" who wants her vote counted.

Subject: Our government is one big charity for the Bush White House

Dear Buzz,

So the “IRS [is] Investigating over 60 Charities on Political Activities.” Are they investigating the White House as well? After all, the White House gave huge tax breaks to the wealthy in return for their vote on election day. And they couldn’t afford to do that because it has run up a huge deficit for the American people and is using our tax dollars. Or maybe this is a job for the Justice Department?

M.W.

We should also challenge the use of "Christian" to refer only to a particular kind of evangelical Christian. Used this way "Christian" is not meant to include Roman and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, or many open-minded and tolerant Protestant denominations
and communities.

We need to keep on our toes and oppose the right-wing Republican agenda every way we can and build on the enormous development of grassroot organizing.

Colleen Clark
Cambridge, MA

Subject: Onward Toward Tomorrow

BuzzFlash friends,

Like all of you, I spent yesterday in a blue funk, even before John Kerry gave up the fight. I was so sure that THEY would see what he has done to our great country and Bush would get his walking papers. So sure that THEY would maybe stay home instead of voting for him again. Convinced that the surge in new voters was for our side. I absolutely cannot fathom the workings of the minds that support the Bush Administration. I think it was on The Daily Show, 11/3/04, that Jon Stewart said THEY voted for "Gays, Guns, & God."

It's over now, folks. And for all of yesterday's sorrow, I woke up this morning with a new sense of power and hope. My plans? I will definitely be very prolific in sending letters to not only the Senators and Congressmen who represent the district in which I live, I will copy those letters to as many Senators & Congressmen as I can. I will argue against every outrageous bill, every disgraceful vote, anything to make a wave.

Someone asked me if that really works. Maybe not a letter from one person. But together we CAN make a difference. The current administration will not quit shooting itself in the proverbial foot. They will give us plenty of fodder to work with. I will also demand accountability for the actions that have put us in the untenable position we are in today. To do anything less would be to let down our country and our beliefs.

So chins up, fellow Buzzers. We are the optimists and we WILL carry on the fight. It is time NOW to start the campaigning for the 2008 election. We have a lot of minds to change, so we need to figure out how to make them see things our way - we're really not that bad a group! We can do it!!! Oh, and in the meantime, wouldn't it be great to take away the control of the Republicans in the House & Senate in 2006?

Stephanie in Arlington, TX

Subject: Demographic vote review

Dear Buzz,

Has anyone undertaken a review of vote counts compared with demographic data in Florida and Ohio? I believe that such a study might be enlightening. I've heard that, for example, black voters nationwide favored Mr. Kerry by a ten-to-one margin. Does this example hold in Florida and Ohio? Just asking.

Another devout BuzzFlash fan and monumentally pissed-off American

Subject: Check out THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE

As Bush is a fielding multi-part question at his post-election press conference, he states: "Now that I've got the will of the people at my back, I'm going to start enforcing the one-question rule. That was three questions," and receives polite laughter. Less than a minute later:

QUESTION: "Thank you, Mr. President. How will you go about bringing people together? Will you seek a consensus candidate for the Supreme Court if there's an opening? Will you bring some Democrats into your Cabinet?"

BUSH: "Yes. Again, you violated the one-question rule right off the bat. Obviously, you didn't listen to the will of the people."

What's worse than a George W running rampant across the country and the constitution without any mandate from the people?

The Will Of The People running rampant across the country and the constitution.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Question: What happens on Nov. 12 when Bush loses Ohio?

First let me say that I love and enjoy reading BuzzFlash.com.

Secondly, why is the media accepting a Bush win electorally and in the popular vote when there are 3 states that are too close to call and also most states will certify their results on Nov. 12th? Right now in NM and IA, the margin of votes separating Bush and Kerry are minimal. When you factor in the fact that at the time the Sec. of State Ken Blackwell told the press the vote margin in Ohio, there were 5 counties including Cuyahoga who hadn't
even reported the number of provisional ballots that they had - the number of provisional ballots outstanding was greater than the vote margin. If you look at the numbers in OH right now - the amount of votes that separate Kerry from Bush are 100,000. There are an estimated 250,000 provisional ballots out and an estimated 100,000 absentee ballots outstanding across the state of OH. When you do the math, it doesn't add up.

Also, in FL they are noting that 99% precincts are reporting. But when you look at the numbers separating Bush and Kerry - it's a rapidly reducing margin. As of 11am PST, the votes separating Bush and Kerry are: 377,216. And there are: 18 precincts left to report which include these counties - Pinellas, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Orange.

The rate at which the numbers are going does open the possibility that NM, IA and OH could possibly go Kerry by Nov. 12th.

Why isn't it being reported that way?

And what happens when several days from now - Kerry wins the electoral vote and the popular vote once all 50 states certify their election results?

If you guys have an answer, I'd like to hear it. Because if this isn't reported soon, we could be looking at 2000 again, but 3 times worse.

Remember - in 2000 after Nov. 12th we learned that the final count showed that Gore won the popular vote. The way the numbers are looking nationwide shows that upon final certification - it's possible that 4 million vote difference could disappear and become a 4 million vote plus if not higher in Kerry's direction.

What will the media report then?

Sincerely,

Tiffany - Person who sees the numbers don't match up and that we are about to see something very interesting happen.

Thanks!

CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE NOVEMBER 5, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG.