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| November 1, 2005 |
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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: Free and Fair Elections I have just finished reading yet another article on the possible shenanigans that took place in the November 2004 election for President. The conclusion is always the same. "While crimes may have been committed they do not appear to have changed the outcome of the election." Certainly principled people should be appalled. After all, attempted murder is not the same as actually finishing the job, but we should not simply turn our heads and accept, the well he did not kill him attitude as some sort of acceptance of the practice. The mere fact that efforts were made to steal an election is in and of itself something worth fighting against. It is these very things that lead some in our society to believe that their vote does not count and does not matter, but it does. In Ohio in 2004 there were facts and fiction that surrounded the outcome. Progressives and Liberals were labeled as sore losers by those on the right, and to some extent it was a deserving label as they clung to every myth as though it were true. The reality is that in highly Democratic areas it was all too common for there to be an under supply of voting machines and people by the thousands left out of frustration. This did not happen in the Republican precincts. These sorts of things don't just happen, they are a well thought-out strategy. But where were the Progressives and by God where was John Kerry? The Secretary of State in Ohio was also the head of the Bush Cheney Campaign in Ohio. Just think about that and the concept of free and fair elections. This gentleman was able to use obscure laws in the state of Ohio to purge literally hundreds of thousands of names from the voter roles; he changed and confused the public over the use of absentee ballots. Once again, where was John Kerry and the Progressives? This sort of abuse of power, this flagrant act of arrogance is not the sort of thing that provides for the philosophy of a Republic, of an America that is "Of the people, By the people, and For the people." Ohio is now, for those that don't read, fraught with corruption, as millions of dollars were stolen from the pension plans of the people; the scandal runs deep throughout the Republican Party, the very people who were responsible for ensuring that citizens participated in "free and fair" elections. And at the heart of the crime is a man named Noe who not only bilked the people out of millions of dollars, he was also a BIG contributor to the Bush campaign. So. Let's see. We have a criminal with ties directly into the highest levels of government in Ohio who supported Bush and what WE should do is sit back and accept some lame ass excuse that while misdeeds took place during the election it did not alter the outcome!!!!! In New Mexico the same sorts of things have occurred. The under vote was always in areas of strong Democratic support, the over vote was always in areas that supported George Bush, and there were precincts with an insufficient number of voting machines. The case is still pending. But the talking heads that purport themselves to be journalists all end up at the same place, "There may be some evidence of tampering, but not enough to have changed the outcome of the election." HOGWASH!!!! Those that commit these crimes should be prosecuted. We have become a society of bumper sticker politicians. We take more notice of lapel pin politics than we do substance and principle. Our Flag, those colors we fight and die under, the icon of our democracy is not a symbol of a political party it is a banner for all Americans, under which we disregard our differences and unite. We have lost 2,000 American heroes and our treasury has been drained by those that abused the principles of our flag. It all starts with active participation, it all starts with openness and honesty, with political discourse, with neighbors talking to neighbors about their needs, and adhering to some principle of communal goodness. Free and fair elections are the backbone of the principles on which we were founded. Your vote does count. It does matter. It is time for a change. It is time for all of us to demand that our votes be counted and that all Americans be given an equal opportunity to participate. Jim Ridout Subject: Candidate for US Senate asks McCain to leave Republican Party
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The times they aren't a changin' Buzz... Thank you for your rigorous exposure of the Bush cabal and the culture of lies that they spew all over the media. I feel bad for Patrick Fitzgerald...I am sure he is under tremendous pressure to keep a lid on the ultimate truths about this world of Bush we live in. How convenient. The press talks of nothing but Harriet Miers, then shifts to Scooter and his lies, thereby leaving those "Bush Cheney Lies Lead US into War" headlines unwritten and the underlying truths unexplored. With the exception of patriotic publications like BuzzFlash, where a citizen can find the truth every day. So the times they aren't a changin' over there in Warshington. The status quo remains and I predict a big comeback by Bush with the collusion and approval of the mainstream media. Two important words: Boycott and Impeach. Take your country back! Richard Wagner Subject: Cheney Guilty of Malfeasance If Scooter Libby is going to claim memory loss in his defense of criminal charges, where does that put Cheney, who entrusted him with the job of national defense? If Scooter can't remember who he talked to, when he talked to them, what he said, and what they said, then how in the hell could Cheney employ him to defend us against terrorism? Why then wouldn't Cheney be guilty of malfeasance in office? I hope this case goes to trial, and Cheney is called as a witness. Just imagine Cheney being asked, 'Isn't it a fact that Mr. Libby worked for you on matters of national intelligence and terrorism? Isn't it further a fact that you would not employ someone in that capacity if they had memory problems so severe that they couldn't remember who he talked to and what was said? This is a 'catch twenty-two' for Cheney, and he can't win. RN Subject: Bush, Cheney: Aiding and Abetting? Dear BuzzFlash: I wish some enterprising reporter would pursue this in their reporting on Traitorgate: Bush has repeatedly said that he will not comment on an "ongoing investigation." He has given the false impression that he is restricted from doing so by law. Fitzgerald pointed out that there is no law that prevents a witness before the grand jury to discuss his/her testimony. ["The grand jury rules limit the prosecutors. They don't limit the witnesses."] Therefore, Bush (and Cheney, too) should be hounded on the fact that they could have long ago determined WHO exposed Valerie Plame and OUSTED him/her/them from the WH staff. They both chose not to do that. They are aiding and abetting. Bush needs to be asked -- for as long as it takes -- why he has done nothing to fulfill his "promise" to take action on this outrageous national security offense. Bush is playing fast and loose with our national security in a "time of war." According to findlaw.com, the following is the definition for "aiding and abetting." Both Bush and Cheney's actions fit the crime, IMO.
Micki Schomaker Subject: Rosa Parks Dear BuzzFlash: Is there anybody buying the White House's attempts to "honor" the late Rosa Parks? She deserves to lie in state in Washington for standing up against white rednecks in a horrible day and age, but she doesn't deserve a white rich bastard redneck president playing for the cameras for naive political consumption. We must remember that historically, war monger presidents like Bush and Lyndon Johnson before him considered young poor black men and young poor white men nothing but gun fodder and totally expendable. LBJ tried to cover this up with his civil rights activity and didn't fool anybody. Bush showed the country how much he cares about black people with hurricane Katrina. Now we see ads from the Army, desperate for recruits that feature, you guessed it - young black men and white men with pronounced Southern accents. This is no accident. It's a promise of a job for poor unconnected kids with little else to turn to but drugs and poverty. Now there are two major movies coming, one for the Army, "Jarhead," and a Navy picture to be released later. You can practically see Rumsfeld's fingerprints all over these glorified recruitment ads. You won't see me spending a dime on this type of propaganda. Men like Bush, Cheney and the rest of his Cabinet consider anybody outside their inner circle lower life forms. Middle class people take money the rich think belongs to them, and poor people should be servile. Anybody who believes that any Republican or a Bush supporter gives a rat's ass about Rosa Parks, her legacy or the plight of poor Americans regardless of race is a gullible fool. Scott Subject: Neocon Double-team You could see the seriousness of the problem for the pro-war people by the fact that neocons double-teamed Meet the Press. Both Safire and Brooks were making sure Tim did not cause too much of a problem by commenting on his personal experience with Libby's lies. The fake 'opposition'? Judy Woodruff? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Ways and Means Confused Last week with all the problem issues facing the current administration one can reach a conclusion of: "What we have is a failure to communicate." We, the people, have lost our voice and the press has been absent regarding presenting both sides of the issues. Added to the isolation of the White House you have to say, "The emperor has no clothes." Has anybody in the press seen the Kennedy press release in relation to the Libby indictment? My guess is many editors are aware but fail to present the contrasts for yet another host of disturbing reasons. There are fields of opportunity for our country but only with the leadership and citizenry committed to a greater good. Please read and understand these issues and look at what needs to be done. Whatever your responsibilities take some action to let everyone know, "We can do better." We need to be the country of hope and dreams and now we are not. If you do not act on our responsibilities your hopes and dreams will be taken away and our nation committed to a greater good will be gone. The indictment. Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff was charged with obstructing an investigation into the White House cover-up of their deceptions which led our nation to war in Iraq Cover-up. Two senior White House officials outed CIA operative Valerie Plame as punishment for her husband's revelations about the Administration's Iraq lies - a clear effort by the White House to cover up the lies that brought our nation to war. The White House. Karl Rove and Scooter Libby were part of the White House Iraq Group. This secretive team operated out of Cheney's office and was formed to sell the case for war. According to the NY Daily News, WHIG "“morphed into a virtual hit squad that took aim at critics who questioned its claims." Despite Wilson discovery in 2002. In 2002, Joe Wilson was sent by the CIA to Niger to investigate if Iraq was trying to buy nuclear materials. He discovered those claims were a lie. He told the CIA, and they told the White House. Bush made the discredited claim in his 2003 State of the Union Address as he made the case for war. Nuclear threat was key to selling war. Why did Bush repeat the discredited nuclear claim? A CBS News polling report in late 2002 made clear, "there is no consensus on adopting a pre-emptive strike policy in general - except where a nuclear attack against the United States is contemplated..." American people must know the truth about the indictment. The Bush White House will try to minimize the significance of today's indictment. The American people must know that today’s indictment is about the White House that led our nation to war in Iraq. Can you hear me now? Is anyone out there? It's time to be loud and to be heard….. we must do something!!!! Marcia and John Booker Subject: Letter to the Editor - Scooter says, "I forgot" In these days when we talk about how to honor the 2000+ troops lost in Iraq I think that Scooter Libby's excuse that "he forgot" about exposing a CIA agent's identity as part of selling this fraudulent war to the world is more than just hard to believe. I think it's an insult to those who died thinking that they were protecting freedom, but died for a lie instead. Although Scooter's trial is technically about him obstructing justice by going out of his way to mislead the prosecutor in his investigation of who committed a crime, the bigger question is, "Are we at war because Scooter was part of a lie?" And where is the outrage at the White House? Why isn't Bush outraged about the idea that America was misled into war? Why doesn't Bush want to talk about it? This administration is far too comfortable with lies. To them it's all just "politics" and "everyone knows" that lying is just part of the game. It doesn't matter what's true, what matters is what you can get away with. America is supposed to accept that government is dishonest and that it's OK to lie. Well, it isn't. Lying to America to convince us that Iraq was close to having "the bomb" and leading us into war is treason. The question that I ask is, "Was Bush part of the lie that took us to war?" And if Bush lied, he, too, should resign and go to jail. Marc Perkel P.S. - How about that Fitzpatrick? Talk about a guy who understands how to keep things quiet. Not only does he not talk about what he's supposed to not talk about, he doesn't even go as far as to drop any hints at all about what he's doing or where he's going. He's a really good role model for other prosecutors to follow. Ken Starr was the opposite. It was all leaks and no prosecution. Clinton was never charged with a crime. It was all politics. Fitz on the other hand leaks nothing and returns charges. And because he's a boy scout he can do his job without the agenda being part of the process. Subject: Yellowcake from Cheney's Office The article BuzzFlash linked to by ex CIA agent Philip Giraldi in the American Conservative was extraordinary. It presents powerful evidence that the forgery of documents linking Saddam Hussein to an attempt to purchase nuclear materials was ultimately the work of officials in the Defense Department's "Office of Special Plans (OSP), a parallel intelligence center set up in the Pentagon to develop alternative sources of information in support of war against Iraq." In perhaps the most important line in the article, Giraldi tells us, "Instead of going to the CIA Station, which would have been the normal procedure, they were sent straight to Washington where they bypassed the agency’s analysts and went directly to the NSC and the Vice President’s Office." The logical deduction from this is that the documents went to the Vice President's office instead of the normal procedure of going through the C.I.A. because the Vice President was the one who ordered them created in the first place. This is strong circumstantial evidence that Cheney ordered the forging of fake evidence that Hussein was seeking to create nuclear weapons. It is almost certain that Cheney would not have done this if he believed that there was real evidence for such a thing. This would indicate that Cheney knew that his statements that Hussein was seeking nuclear weapons were lies. Did Bush know also? There is a reasonable possibility that he did not. The cover up and crime of outing a C.I.A. agent pales to nothing in comparison to this deed. If the focus of our attention is on Cheney's attack against Wilson and not on the reason for the attack, than we are missing the real story of the century. The question who forged the Niger Uranium documents remains the one indispensable question that needs to be answered definitively to understand why the war in Iraq took place. Jay Raskin [BuzzFlash Note: Italy's top spy is to address the Italian Parliament November 3 on the subject of the forged documents. It might be interesting ...] Subject: Food Insecurity in the United States With the country glued to the media regarding Traitorgate, the Republicans used the distraction to vote to basically let their fellow Americans go hungry. Welcome to the "Let them eat cake if they can find it" era that is dawning in America today. On a party-line vote, a Republican-run U.S. House of Representatives committee voted on Friday to cut food stamps by $844 million, just hours after a new government report showed more Americans are struggling to put food on the table. About 300,000 Americans would lose benefits due to tighter eligibility rules for food stamps, the major U.S. antihunger program, under the House plan. The cuts would be part of $3.7 billion pared from Agriculture Department programs over five years as part of government-wide spending reductions. Hunger rates in the United States are up for the fifth year in a row, as poverty rates in the US are also up for the fifth year in a row -- the first time these rates have increased since the 1930s. How could there be any congressional action more detached from reality? Our nation is facing insecurity. Food insecurity. That is ugly, and it's certainly not the view we want to have of ourselves, but it happens to be the fact. (Isn't it ironic that Texas leads the US in its rate of households at risk for hunger? It also also leads the nation in percentage of its residents without health insurance, including percentage of children without health insurance.) This budget cut is typical rightwingery. 67% of food stamp recipient families have children, and more than three-fourths of those who benefit from food stamps are under the age of 18. I guess it's OK if those kids are "Post-Unborn.""Pro-life" is so cool, because it only speaks about until the child is born. Afterwards? It's called NCBL: No child's behind left! This is a truly cynical and cruel action; another rending of the safety net. Kids need decent nutrition to grow; adults need it to stay healthy and working. Older or sick people need it to survive. In the new form of NeoCon Christianity, the NeoCon Jesus apparently doesn't like people who aren't wealthy. But in my Bible, it says: "When in any of the settlements in the land which the Lord your God is giving you one of your fellow-countrymen becomes poor, do not be hard-hearted or close-fisted towards him in his need." (Deut. 15:7) But the administration will enthusiastically make the tax cuts permanent for the wealthy. Donald L Feinberg Subject: Stop Bush's Next Crony: Ellen Sauerbrey Bush is poised to appoint Republican Hack Ellen Sauerbrey to head the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the State Department's international equivalent of FEMA. Like Bush's infamous FEMA appointee, Michael Brown, Sauerbrey is a Bush crony, party loyalist and conservative ideologue with NO job-experience: zero experience in refugee protection, zero experience in mobilizing relief for humanitarian emergencies. Sauerbrey's nomination could face a vote as early as Monday, but this news story was lost last week in the focus on the Libby indictment. Bush is on the defensive right now and the Republican spin machine is going into overdrive. Sauerbrey's nomination provides a great and timely opportunity to point out the patterns of cronyism, corruption, and incompetence in Bush's nominees. Exposing Ellen Sauerbrey's Nomination: http://www.bopnews.com/archives/005267.html Ellen Sauerbrey Links Compilation: http://www.bopnews.com/archives/005306.html Action Alert - Oppose Sauerbrey's Nomination http://www.bopnews.com/archives/005307.html Thank you for whatever you can do to make Sauerbrey a high-profile story and mobilize readers to oppose her nomination. Shaula Evans Subject: "Chito For Peace" i joined the military and the one question i had to ask myself and come up with an answer, was if there's a war or i had to kill what then? the answer for myself was yes, i'd do it. why? because i had to trust in my government regardless the party in power and i also had to trust the congress and the american people. when i swore to serve my country and uphold the constitution of the united states i was serious. it was my word. i trusted "my commander in chief." years ago i got outta the military after serving 14 years with an honorable discharge and respected time served. 9/11 happened i went back into military reserves for two years. then the bush administration invaded iraq. i literally quit the reserves because of it. for twenty five years now i've been watching the politics of this country. i've always been a liberal democrat and will remain liberal. i know the difference between pro-defense (pro-military industrial complex) and pro-military (pro-troops, sailors, marines and airmen) i am pro-military. the republican party has turned this nation into a tyranny. we are in iraq for geopolitical reasons and OIL. period. the president lied period. august 8 2005 i was sitting on my couch watching the news and the sheehan and crawford situation came on. i was 15 miles from crawford. it was time for me to get up off my rear end and participate. the next day i went to "camp casey" not knowing what to expect or for me to do. but i was gonna be there at the minimum to hold a sign and support mrs. sheehan. i became the camp's handyman and anything else that was needed. i drove the southern route bus "bring them home now tour" and i am now headed for new orleans to help veterans for peace which are now well established there doing outstanding relief work. i am a volunteer. i want my country back. god bless the dixie chicks for getting it right in the beginning. god bless the folks in the peace movement. my allegiance is to the constitution for i can no longer trust our elected officials. for me this is a revolution. one that has divided me from my family (for they stand on the other side, pro-bush, pro-war) and that is how much it means to me. i go to vigils, i go to rallies. whatever is needed. for what i have lost is nothing compared to what this country as a whole has lost; honor, integrity, respect, credibility, compassion, love and worst of all our our wounded and dead children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to an unhonorable war where lies and deceit were used to get us in to it. the right wing christian conservatives will be in hell for this one. for it says in the bible, blaspheming the holy ghost is unforgivable. this has all been done in the name of God. that is blasphemy. blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Amen. Chito For Peace Subject: Just Wondering… I am an unabashed political and news junkie. I have been for most of my 62 years. The first thing I do in the morning is make coffee and the second is go to my computer for the first of many trips to my beloved BuzzFlash. Alas, I must confess to not being monogamous. I visit other sites and many blogs from time to time. I can be found at the Daily KOS, the Huffington Post, and always the fantastic Informed Comment by Juan Cole. You might get the idea that I am a liberal. A liberal, but a registered Independent. I always like to stress that lest some think me a wimp. I do have a backbone and I know how to use it. But I digress. My comment, or rather question, today has to do with the fact that I never go to conservative web sites. What they have to say is of no interest to me. I could never convert them to my rational way of thinking and the thought of them converting me to their misguided and irrational way of thinking is ludicrous. So I wonder why there are so many really nasty conservatives who visit and comment on liberal blogs. Not here at Buzz, thank God and all who make that decision. I thank you and my blood pressure thanks you. Two things confuse me. (Well lots of things confuse me but we don’t need to go into all that.) Why do these conservatives haunt liberal spots and even Air America Radio? What is the point other than to spew more of their hated? Why give them air and print space? There are more than enough places for conservatives to go to vent their ideology of hate. Why do we have to show that we are so open minded that we let them foul our nests? I for one am not interested in anything they have to say. There are brave liberals who listen to their filth and report back so that the rest of us do not have to curb our gag reflex constantly. Thank you BuzzFlash. When I click on the Buzz I know that I have come home. I feel safe. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Rove Got Off Because Of What?!! dear buzz, i love the site, thanks for all your work. in your article titled 'how rove got off' from msnbc there's the following section:
bwahahaa! are you serious! so rove got off because of what he DID NOT say to an aide following a conversation he had outing a cia officer?! lemme ask you, why WOULD he say something about such a serious crime? and, if true that he often talks to levine about conversations with reporters, is it not even MORE odd, presuming his innocence(!), that he didn't discuss it?? either way it reeks and i can't believe this is what gave fitzgerald 'pause.' we're screwed, what a joke. dmt4 Subject: Now is the time We had better start trying now to convince kids that their vote does count. Many believe that even without all the voting problems their votes do not count. If Alito is confirmed the supreme court will be in your OB-GYN's office. Overturning Roe v Wade will not in any way affect the Bush twins because they can afford to go anywhere to get a safe abortion, but the rest of us can't. Bush has gotten himself in a corner and if anyone thinks Laura, even if she is pro-choice, will be saying anything against this confirmation they will be disappointed. Everyone needs to call the White House, their Senators and the moderate Repub senators and tell them what you think because the right wing of the Republican party doesn't care what you think. It would please me if everyone called Sen. Hatch's office to ask him to come out in favor of opposing the nomination on purely ideological grounds because he did that numerous times with Clinton appointees when he was denying them a hearing. Speak up or they assume you agree!!! Karen Webb Subject: Supreme Court Pick Five out of Nine Roman Catholic! This does not represent the country and it should be a huge talking point! This is an outrage for anyone that has a least bit of knowledge of the Dark Ages and Roman Catholic rule. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Rosa Parks and......Bush! Dear BuzzFlash friends: The ignominious act of newspapers and the media displaying pictures of Bush and his Stepford Wife viewing the body of Rosa Parks on the very same day that the picture of this hypocritical bastard has nominated one of the most "racist" judges to the Supreme Court bench has to be one of the most heinous and despicable acts by this misadministration to date!!! Only BuzzFlash can "CALL THEM ON THIS EVIL AND RACIST ACT" !!! I would "trust" no one else to do it!!! GO GET THESE EVIL BASTARDS!!!! Peace. Ron Gordon Subject: Politics around Alito I'm somewhat confused about that politics of the Judge Alito nomination. What confuses me is why the Right supports him and why the Left opposes him. Maybe I'm missing something but he voted in favor of partial birth abortion. He is also someone who considers being open minded as a virtue which is clearly liberal. As compared to Harriet Miers who was a right wing born again evangelical Christian, Alito is merely a Catholic. I was somewhat amazed that Bush didn't appoint a real right wing extremist like Judge Bork or Kenneth Starr. And considering that Alito was already confirmed as judge by a unanimous decision of the Senate I would think it would be highly unlikely that they would be able to defeat this candidate. I think the media and the Right aren't going to get the fight they are looking for. Marc Perkel Subject: No Crime? Than why lie? SE Subject: Demi-crats Want An Apology For Libby Indictment Senate Demi-crat leader Reid responds to White House felonies directly related to starting a war by asking for apologies and resignations! Perhaps a 30 minute timeout too? What weak and venal opposition! The Libby charges flow from a criminal conspiracy to commit war for purely political purposes. War - That's mass-murder, people! Pre-emption was their theory of attack, but even that 'theory' fails when the evidence supporting it turns out to be fake, as the Niger uranium documents were. It was not a fraternity prank gone wild. The White House wrote a script for war set to a political time table, the 2002 Congressional elections. That script, initiated by Cheney, written by Rove, executed by Libby and approved by Bush, lies at the heart of this crime. Do you think Libby lied so egregiously because he's stupid, mentally ill or because he's covering something far more significant than his own, single, personal transgression? His ability to function in a very important, intense role as the 4th most important person in the White House would seem to exclude stupidity or illness. Some might call that naive, like Alexander Cockburn in Counterpunch, who sees nothing but stupidity in Libby's conduct. Others see obsession, but that obsession was not an individual's pursuit: it was the institutional pursuit of the Bush-Cheney White House to maximize their personal political power without regard for the national security of the United States, without regard for the cost to the United States and without regard for the murder of thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis who would suffer this war. The Bush-Cheney White House committed treason. Bush & Cheney know they've committed treason. Both are too weak, Bush mentally and Cheney physically, to stand in front of the American people and answer questions about this sordid affair. They are criminals retreating to the shelter of their well-constructed lairs, lairs that have always protected them from anyone who dare confront them with the truth of their lies. Senator Reid, speaking for the Demi-cratic party, lacks the courage to confront these traitors in the White House. Senator Reid, "Representative" Pelosi and the bulk of the Demi-cratic establishment are co-conspirators, advancing these wars against Islam and Arabia with votes for more funding. Except for a few, like Senators Kennedy and Byrd, Demi-crats support the troops by continuing to fund their slaughter and extend the soldiers' time in hell. Pathetic with concern for tarnishing their personal machismo by opposing war (the venality and weakness), the Demi-crats signed on to the Iraq War from the very beginning of the White House campaign, foregoing all substantive inquiries. The Demi-crats were willing to commit mass murder to minimize their political losses, just as the Bush White House would commit mass murder to maximize their political gains. Truth doesn't matter that much to Replubicons or Demi-crats. Power is all they understand, which is why America's only hope to survive as a dominant power and world leader is to free ourselves from these two corrupt political parties. These elites have monopolized our political system and destroyed our Democracy. Patrick Love Subject: Pandemic I have sat quietly for sometime. I will not sit quietly any longer. The worst way to ask someone to have faith in you is to start with "trust me." However I have no other way to say it. Trust me. The only thing that you have to keep in mind is that Bush wants control. Remember that it only took twelve months in 1918 for the pandemic flu to go around the earth twice. The main mode of travel from continent to continent was by ship. Those who were infected were military men who were kept in close quarters, and from what I have read, also the young. That means that the last known pandemic traveled the earth basically, by itself, using the currents in the atmosphere. Remember also that cleanliness was not what it was today. Keep in mind also that the humans that have contracted this "Bird Flu" have lived predominately in South East Asia. I have not visited there in quite sometime ( I am a Vietnam Veteran ), but I don't think that I would be wrong, judging by the news stories that I have seen, that the culture there is not as concerned with cleanliness as are we. I am no expert but I would like to point out that no one knows at this point if people have died directly from the flu that is infecting caged and often overly congested chicken houses or if they have actually died from secondary causes that are brought on by a combination of bird flu and another triggering device. All I am saying is that this administration goes from one fear tactic to another. Mushroom clouds to another imminent attack by some terrorist group. Have you noticed that Bin Laden has taken a back seat to some other terrorist named Zarqawi? This administration is going down in flames. Now that the terrorist threat is not working they need to punch a new key. Bush is planning to announce a way to control the spread of this flu if it becomes a pandemic. I just want you to stop and ask; how can you stop it if we now travel between continents in hours? Hell we travel around the world in less than a day now. So how can you even see it coming? So with that in mind, how would a local or regional quarantine work? It would just by using the 1918 model travel so fast that it would hit before you knew it was here. Who holds the patent for the number one declared vaccine that the government believes might be able to be used as the best defence against it? Who served on the board, if memory serves me, as the CEO? I be live it was Donald Rumsfeld who last week said that he will not be involved in any negotiations between the government and the company, for a contract for the potential vaccine. All I know is that my father and mother survived the pandemic of 1918. My father was two at the time and my mother was an infant. My wife's parents also survived it. They were exactly the same age as my parents. I and my wife and all our siblings totaling twelve survived the swine flu. Neither my wife nor I were given a shot to fight off the swine flu. I had quintuple bypass in 1989 and my doctors advised me to get a flu shot from then on. I got it in 1989 and almost died from the shot. My wife and I and also none of my three children or three grandchildren have taken a flu shot since and none have gotten the flu. I am not an expert, and I certainly would not want to make you not get a shot if you feel and your physician feels that you must, but please stop and think about what has happened in the last four years. Please, if you can, tell me, who would love to be able to quarantine a region of this country, to cause a national emergency and who has tried to control by fear? I ducked under desks in drills. I cried when I thought that the world would surely come to an instant end at the detonation of a nucular device from the big red machine. Sure, they were a threat, but remember that someone knew they could control us with that threat. We bit. It is gone and now, just a memory. But it has been replaced by a new threat. A terrorist threat. Evil doers that want to kill us because they hate us. There were no terrorist bases in Iraq except in the Kurdish north. A place where the U.S. had control. We enforced the no fly zone up there and Saddam had no control there. Yes Saddam was a monster. But there were other ways and plenty of time to take care of him. This administration did not count on Afghanistan and the war on terrorism there to be so easy. We had watched as our then trained, fed and supplied warlord against the Soviet Union, Osama, bogged down, wore down and ultimately caused the break down of Soviet troops. The contracts were out and the money spent. Why with a war plan already in the back pocket; (it had been planned before the stolen election in 2000 by the neo-cons); and with 150 thousand troops already amassed, why not invade Iraq? Bush has created a terrorist state in Iraq. Remember that we had eight years without an attack on our soil by the terrorists before Bush, so the fact that we have not had one since 2001 means nothing at this point. I believe that the entire deck has been dealt and since we no longer react to the color coded alerts by hiding in our homes, secured with duct tape and sheet plastic over the windows ( advice given by our new head of FEMA), stop traveling by plane, through tunnels, over bridges, or shopping in malls or visiting favorite vacation spots. In other words, we the people refuse to be intimidated by some shadowy threats, they must try another bluff. PANDEMIC. They will attack me for this. They will say that I am a threat to you. They will say that I will be responsible for untold deaths if you listen to me. I wish I could say to you that they would be liars. But I cannot. I put nothing past the power hungry, greedy and soul-less administration that is in power. That is up to and including doing to the world what they accused the terrorist of planning. Unleashing a deadly flu upon the earth to reach their goal. Remember all those threats of WMD's and mushroom clouds. Remember that this administration outed a CIA NOC that was working for a front company for the CIA that was the final line of truth, that could destroy the myth of this administration's claim that Iraq had WMDs. They needed the Brewster Jennings Co. out of the way. Mrs. Plame was not the target, just a way to destroy years of work that kept WMDs out of the hands of terrorists and governments that would aid them. This man is not as he claims. Think. He is always pointing his finger at someone else. Saying that they are planning something or doing something. When in fact it is he who is doing or planning what he is claiming others are doing. Remember the answer to the question he was asked in 1999. "How would you handle the problems in the middle east?" His answer: "Well it would be a lot easier if it this was a dictatorship, as long as I am the dictator." I have no more to say. Mike Subject: Accuracy and Fighting Ignorance Aloha, I read BuzzFlash daily, to tell the truth I read it two or three times daily to make sure I'm not missing something important. I don't contribute to BuzzFlash for the same reason I don't support most churches although I am a Christian. BuzzFlash often refers to right-wing religious nuts as Christians. Read the new testament for yourself, nowhere will you find "Christians" behaving like these people (the televangelists, TBNers, right-wing politicians, etc.), so why do you call them Christians? Is it because they call themselves Christians? You wouldn't call me a BuzzFlash writer just because I call myself one. I know better than to start quoting scripture for it is not for everyone, but even Jesus said false prophets and teachers would come in His name. So, if you would like me and others like me to contribute to your attempt at getting to the truth, tell the truth. Call these people "so-called Christians." If you do this you would win my support and you will surely start a fight you can win. True Christianity has no place for these violent, intolerant, greedy, hate-mongering people. (How can both Martin Luther King and Pat Robertson be Christians?) If you think the Democrats aren't fighting you can surely give them an example of how to fight the good fight. Make those so-called Christians prove they are followers of my Lord and Saviour by calling them what they are (so-called Christians, false teachers, etc.) until they prove it. Your courage will also be an example to the media as well. Please never refer to these people as "Christians" again. Mahalo Frederic Thompson Subject: Treason's Perpetrators Listening to Fitzgerald I think woke a lot of people up to the reality of the Bush administration’s lies, ploys, abuse and schemes aimed at keeping us all off-balance and confused. Truth rings with an undeniable clarity, and it wakes you to the realities of human nature. Power does corrupt, and apathy encourages its growth. The most effective response is to name the corruption and the perpetrators, and address them head-on. This statement is commonly understood: People who engage in or support treasonous activities against our American Republic are traitors. Anyone with a deep respect and love for our hard won freedom and liberty bristles at the mere scent of a traitor to our republic. Treason is worse than an external attack, it strikes from within the body of the republic, like a life-threatening disease as opposed to a blow to the head. According to a recent Washington Post poll the majority of Americans are aware that the Bush administration has “wider ethical problems.” In the minds of most Americans “ethical problems” is a candy-coated way of saying “treasonous activities,” treason against our American Republic by the Bush administration. The poll numbers don’t show the depth and intensity of the feeling behind the numbers. We’re bristling. It’s code red. The majority of Americans now know the White House has been engaged in activities of treason. As for the minority who actively support this treason, it is well known that many are members of certain fundamentalist organizations whose activities are more political than religious. These fundamentalists, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, support treasonous activities against our American Republic by the Bush administration. One can only conclude that the Bush administration and the fundamentalists who support them and their treasonous activities are traitors. Unfortunately, the traitors to our American Republic now hold the reins of power. The traitors in the White House know they are traitors, and that the majority of Americans are aware of their acts of treason. It’s becoming clear that they have no intention of changing their treasonous behavior. They will continue to attack and degrade our American Republic in their lust for power because they know if they lose power they risk being tried and convicted of treason. No more apathy. The battle-line is drawn, and it's time to name the adversaries: It’s the American Patriots vs. the Fundamentalist Traitors. Oh, and by the way, go find yourself another flag, Old Glory has been ours for a few hundred years. As for your colors, I’d suggest a yellow background. James Jacobs Subject: "Honor and Integrity" All of us know how GWB campaigned in 2000 about bringing 'honor and integrity' back to the White House... It is so obvious, George, that 'honor and integrity' are just simply words you bandied about, so as to make people think you were 'better' than Clinton. Surely George, you wouldn't be demanding exemplary behavior out of someone else without demanding the same behavior from yourself.....? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Scott McClellan If reporters really want to underscore and highlight their contempt for the lies that McClellan passes on from the Oval Office, all they have to do is boycott a couple of news briefings …. or better yet, a press conference!! That would clearly draw the lines between those reporters who have a shred of integrity left, and the sycophants who, as McClellan lies to them, dutifully pass on those lies to their readers. Now, THAT would really get some attention! Leon Olson Subject: Questions I Would Like To Ask Anyone Who Defends Libby, Rove, or Novak For two years, we've heard Republican extremists declare that Plame wasn't "undercover," so basically she wasn't "outed." Everyone who has worked with agent Plame has said she was indeed undercover at times. One agent that worked with her for 18 years didn't even know her last name. Think about that for a moment. Working with someone for 18 years and you don't even know their last name. Her parents, neighbors and in-laws also had no clue about her working for the CIA. By exposing Plame's identity not only was she put in danger, but every person that she ever had dealings with was also put in danger. Novak went so far as to print the name of the fictitious company set up by the CIA. This is beyond Comprehension. The following is a list of questions I would like to ask anyone who defends Libby, Rove, or Novak. Why was it essential to Novak's story to print the name of agent Plame? Why did Rove think it was okay to tell a reporter the name of a CIA agent? Why did Libby lie and say that he got agent Plame's name from reporters? How could reporters have more access to classified information than people who are working with the president and the vice president? Do you think other agents from foreign countries are going to trust our government after seeing the way Plame was treated? If this were Clinton's administration would you still feel as though it's not a big deal? (I supported Clinton being impeached for lying, doesn't matter what he lied about, he lied.) Why did Rove and Libby lie to Scott McClellan and say they weren't involved? Either Bush and Cheney are incompetent for letting their aides talk about classified information, or they're just as corrupt and they were in on leaking her name. Kimberly D. |
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