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| November 28, 2005 |
MAILBAG ARCHIVES | ||
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: The Flood Gates Are Open It seems to be the best of times and the worst of times. The White House’s fear and desperation are obvious in calling out Michael Moore in their response to US Rep. John Murtha’s stance on Iraq. Their desperation is fueling a popular quest for justice. There has been a huge shift in casual conversations. It’s not only the immorality of Bush’s war that everybody is talking about; he’s also the ideal bozo for ripping apart with jokes. More damming, yesterday I listened to two cops on a subway platform explain strong arguments for impeachment. Bushevisms are being delivered by the tanker load. Much of the sentiment is vengeful. I feel a bit guilty for enjoying the suffering Bush and his gang are likely going through. I can’t stop thinking of all the crimes and scandals in and around the White House which they cannot separate themselves from. It appears everything is lined up for justice and the flood gates are open. Katrina-gate Investigate Please add more, it can only get better, or worse. Brian Michels Subject: Here's An Easy One Take the winning half of your turkey wishbone. Send it to: The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Include a note saying your wish was for impeachment of Bush & Cheney and you won! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Julia Scheeres I just read the interview with Julia Scheeres and was reminded of a quote from the poet George Oppen: "They fed their hearts on fantasies I think this is true not only of rigid religious dogmas, but of ideologies and beliefs of all sorts; of any concept, in fact, that does more to close us off -- from awareness, compassion, imagination -- than to open us up. David Heckman Subject: How To Win In 2006 - Think Outside the Box Business is bad. I deal with small businesses around the country on a daily basis and they're scared. Many of them are Republicans, and just under the surface they're very unhappy with the economic policies of the administration. Democratic policies don't press their hot button because active Republicans evaluate everything only in terms of money, and that's where they have to be reached. Here's the plan: A massive distribution of a bumper sticker that everyone but Limbaugh can get behind. Save Our Economy It doesn't touch any of the hot buttons of mis-direction like gay marriage, nor does it touch Iraq. It touches Republicans. And it resonates with employees, business owners, consumers, and crosses all economic classes. It's not a slogan identified with any political party. But it's one that everyone can feel. It addresses the public's greatest fear, economic insecurity, and indirectly encompasses all major issues (Iraq costs $1.3 Billion a week, health care, jobs, security). Ideally, one or two bumper stickers gets mailed to every business owner in the yellow pages of every town in the country. And then to every employee. Bob McDonald Subject: Maureen Farrell's Latest Entry While I believe what Ms. Farrell is listing as facts, it would be more professional if she listed her source with each item. Then I would get everyone I know to contact their Congress person and demand to get rid of the 70-year-old Bush Regime and the KBR and Cheney. A year ago, a concerned friend suggested I put JFK + 1963 + Bay of Pigs + George H. W. Bush in my search field. I did, and the results were detailed more than Ms. Farrell's entry and quite disturbing. We have all forgotten after 9/11/01 that Cheney said there was a shadow government of individuals, not elected, rotating in hiding, waiting to take over the government in a big crisis if Bush was incapacitated. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Ten Year Old Plan to Preemptively Attack Iraq and assignments of Iraq Oil Fields to Oil Companies The ten year old plan to preemptively attack Iraq and assignments of Iraq oil fields to oil companies was shown slightly in Michael Moore's movie. So where is it? Is it published anywhere? How did he get a copy of it, if it indeed exists? Wolfowitz, Perle, ... who else was in on the planning? Why isn't the Democratic Party now showing clips of GOP senators' oratory against lies during the Clinton Impeachment???? Remember how they nobly, righteously, statesmanly told us the dangers to our country, our society, of telling lies?? The speeches must be public record, so why aren't we getting them out!!! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Patriotism ... The Last Refuge of the Whig Scoundrels" "It's their fault" is the old tired song and dance of the Bush Administration! George W. Bush and his WHIG gang wanted to "SELL" a war. It was built on pressure, on the omission of dissenting information, and a false premise! The dishonorable motives go from empire building, to oil, to the selling of an image of the "War President" at election time and now for his legacy. Since prior proper planning was missing in so many areas, Bush's actions showed poor judgment and have resulted to this day in piss poor performance. The disastrous result in Iraq has been played out with the loss of lives {2096} and money and along with it, our nation has lost its respect, and credibility. We have never gained it back since George W. Bush and his corrupt gang of cronies has been leading our nation. They have not governed by reason, but in spite of it! Anyone in disagreement is blamed for being unpatriotic as the Bushies fail, but then can not accept the reality of their failure. They can not tolerate others' ideas or admit mistakes. Their answer is to continue to "stay the course" and stick to the "rerun" of the old message discipline that took us to war in the first place. Adlai Stevenson told us that, "To strike freedom of the mind with the 'fist' of patriotism is an old and ugly subtlety!" How can a government who goes against the Geneva Convention, used torture, abuse, rendition, and has been involved in known lies, secrecy, abuse of power, and corruption, pretend to be good for our country? Hasn't respect for others always been the duty of a nation trying to promote good international relations? The Bush Administration has never gone by the right rule of conduct, but by what it considers its own rules and dictates! Who can give loyalty to a government that doesn't deserve it? Speaking from the safe haven of either military appearances or the ultra-conservative groups, Bush and Cheney hide and speak out in places where they won't be criticized. There is no hiding, however, from Cheney's outrageous defense of the right to torture and his involvement in the Plame outing. There is continuing evidence of Cheney's part in both these matters, but his actions have been protected so far by a cob web of secrecy. Out of one side of his mouth, Cheney cries foul, out of the other side, he still uses the Rovian/Bush/Cheney method of personal attacks, blame, and manipulation of the facts. The "We all had the same evidence" defense has been disputed by many, but Bob Graham, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, and the run-up to the Iraq war, said, "I probably had as much access to the intelligence on which the war was predicated as any other member of Congress." The former well-respected Senator from Florida concluded:
His article deserves the full attention of all Americans. More Congressmen are now coming out and saying, "I made a mistake," including Congressman John Murtha. His video compilation and those of others can be reviewed at UP IN THE AIR: Where is the Iraq war headed next? (Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker/Democratic Underground) Under George W. Bush, the majority of Americans agree we are heading in the WRONG DIRECTION! It is no longer advantageous to say, "My country right or wrong," but it is our duty and responsibility to respond as Carl Schurz suggested, "When right, to be kept right, when wrong, to be put right!" Susan Carr Subject: British Newspaper Independent is reporting ... an agreement has been signed with Iraq, by this country and Britain, for OIL This is a conservative newspaper, so over 2,000 dead and numerous permanently disabled, for OIL. The only problem is no one will know about this, I listen to WHJJ in Rhode Island, great talk host, former Nun, Attorney General and a Republican who is now Independent. But, the Limbas, Hannnitys, Ingrahams, Savages, do not report these items, so a lot of the country remains in blissful ignorance. Sandi [BuzzFlash Note: Maybe this is the story you heard about? Iraq's Oil: The Spoils of War.] Subject: New GOP Ad I just saw the GOP attack ad accusing Dems who supported the use of force in Iraq of "playing politics" by now questioning the President's pre-war claims. I hope to soon see a similar looking ad from Democrats: (Voice over pictures of leading Democrats who endorsed the use of force:) "They made the mistake of taking the President of the United States at his word when he said Saddam had '500 tons of Sarin gas,' was 'seeking nuclear weapons,' and had 'ties to Al Qaeda.' Don't you make the same mistake. Demand that the President justify the claims that have now cost 2100 Americans and 30,000 innocent Iraqis their lives." Albert Clark, NY Subject: Major News Networks There has been quite a lot of discussion as of late about the MSM being more fair and balanced. They have actually been accused of being "anti-Bush" by Republicans. I believe they have been forced into it by the internet blogs which they could no longer ignore. I am sure you have seen MSNBC and CNN even quoting some of the better known blogs. I imagine they had been losing viewers and had to become more balanced to regain them. Let's face it, continuous drivel from the Republican side only interests them. They had to do something to win back the Democrats who have mostly turned to the internet during the last five years. Sandy Subject: When I Look Out My Window To Steven Stone of Alabama -- your poem, "When I Look Out My Window," is incredible. All I could think of, as I read it over and over, was someone with the genius of John Prine putting your beautiful lyrics to music. Every now and then the written word can pierce right through all this despair and cynicism and touch the heart, so I want to thank you for sharing and to thank you, BuzzFlash, for printing it. It was exactly what I needed today. There's nothing like a shot of the blues to make it all go down more easily. Steve Moore Subject: Scalia About 2000... Scalia said: "The election was dragged into the courts by the Gore people. We did not go looking for trouble." My question is: Who the hell is "we"? "We" Republicans? "We" Supremes? It takes at least 4 justices to take a case. So at least 4 "we's" certainly DID go looking for trouble and 5 "we's" found it (trouble). And, as you point out, Bush filed the federal case. Scalia's "we" is a VERY interesting phrasing considering the Republican nature of the 5 justices'. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Journal-Editorial Report Buzz, I was sitting at the table drinking coffee the other morning when the Journal-Editorial Report came on the PBS station, so I decided to watch it (for the first time). Boy was I impressed, NOT! To start with, the panel consisted of three "journalists" who all had the same opinion on everything! It was like watching a bunch of bobble heads nodding in agreement. Second, there was absolutely no balance, no dissenting opinion. It was nothing but a right-wing wind tunnel. They even had the nerve to say flat out that there is nothing wrong with the hypocrisy this administration is displaying. Hey, it's a good thing, according to them. What the hell has happened to the profession of journalism in the United States? Greed and a lack of ethics are destroying it. No wonder so many Americans are turning to the internet and overseas news sources for real journalism. Corporate media is so in bed with the political establishment that it's all just one big sell job on the American public now - no sense of duty to the public interest anymore. NOW, BBC, Frontline and the internet blogs are putting the rest of the so-called journalism profession to shame. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Found Congress' PDF Proving Murray Waas Explosive Charge http://intelligence.senate.gov/iraqreport2.pdf This is the Congressional PDF that Murray Waas referred to in his article. Look for page 304 on the paper or 314 of the PDF for Murray Waas Deep-Digging Proof. Top of page will read: XII: IRAQ'S LINKS TO TERRORISM I've given up with Lieberman but I sent this info as a "Needs Action" Letter to Dodd. The September 11, 2001 PDB was not disclosed to the Congressional Intelligence Committee until June 2004 - - well after Cheney claims that Congress "Knew Everything that the White House did"!! Good Try Tricky Dick. Now Go Back To Your Cave!! BTW Matthews, Russert, FAUX, CNN, MSNBC: See what you can NAIL DICK WITH if you only DID YOUR JOBS? It's amazing what you can find on the Internet(S)! Tom Wieliczka Subject: The Trouble with "Dems, It's Now or Never" Going for broke in next November's mid-term election? That's nothing but same old same old, which not only has yet to work for us (otherwise there wouldn't be these chains) but it's also going to cost us dearly in lives lost, because this proposed focusing upon the mid-term election would divert our attention from Troops Home Now; thereby prolonging the Iraq war. Has to do with winning hearts and minds. To paraphrase a recent presidential candidate - "It's the war, stupid"! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: What If It Was Happening In Cincinnati? Now matter how many people have come to believe that the war in Iraq is a disaster there will always be that small percentage who refuses to believe that everything isn’t going just fine. How many Americans would think things were fine if what was happening in Iraq was happening in Cincinnati? Would they think everything was peachy if their wife couldn’t go shopping for fear of kidnapping or a bomb exploding nearby? Would they think things in Cincinnati were fine if armed military personnel broke into their house, questioned them and then took the husband or son with them when they left? How would the citizens of Cincinnati react to military personnel from another country taking their friends and family off to prison? Prisons where it is known that, at one time, other prisoners were humiliated, tortured and killed? “ I want my lawyer,” your typical Cincinnati citizen would insist. “You’re listed as an enemy combatant so you don’t get legal representation,” they would be told. “But how can I prove that I am not an enemy?” you would ask. Good Question. Maybe you were reported as an enemy by a neighbor who is still furious because you called the cops about his barking dog. Maybe your ex-wife’s brother still has it in for you. Fact is that tens of thousands of people are being held prisoner with no legal rights and no representation. How would that play in Cincinnati? When children, old people, innocent men and women are dying every day, things are not going well. You can be sure we wouldn’t think so if it was happening in Cincinnati. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Judy Miller Was Not the First There is an echo of the past in the Judy Miller story at the Times. In an episode that is now hard to believe, the Times published reporting that covered up crimes of Joseph Stalin. It is one of the reasons why the US decided to treat the brutal totalitarian government as legitimate in 1933 after refusing to do so for many years. This is not a right vs left issue anymore. Everyone now knows that by the time this reporting was being done, the soviet state had killed countless people and sent millions to the Gulag. Other journalists reported the truth. The Times reporter did not. What is really strange is that this past Friday the Times management would walk right by a group of people whose relatives died under Stalin, and won't even make the decent gesture of repudiating the reporting that they published. Now that the Ukraine is emerging as an independent state, it is in the process of building a memorial to its dead. One only hopes that they have a special exhibit for the Times. Friday's Demonstration http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-11-22/34802.html
Review of the Pulitzer Issue http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/6/pulitzer-mccollam.asp A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Political Vampires! Their Bloodsport Is War! It seemed like yesterday when America heard we reached a benchmark of 2000 soldier deaths, yet though it was almost yesterday, in just the short time that has passed, 100 more soldiers have died. Iraq deaths are reported over 30,000, though many know it is much more than that. Over 80% of Iraqis want us to leave. As they watch their land, and their people destroyed, they must feel like William Faulkner’s statement in the book, “Absalom, Absalom”: They live in “A terror in which I cannot believe; and a safety in which I have no faith!” Ambitious political vampires are the human breed of beasts that clutch their lies and disinformation to them like a wild beast clutches their prey, though this breed does that, too. As perpetual aggressors, they ignore recognition of others' rights, and commit the gravest crimes against humanity in many forms. They live and operate in the cave of secrecy and deception. They unabashedly use their power to escape accountability! They will go to their grave defending their untenable position to go to war! GEORGE W. BUSH 1st best argument against “intelligent design.” MR. AWOL lives in an illusion of his own progress, self-described Superman of a super power fading under his control, bumbling front man for the NeoCons, worst President in our history, Inept Commander-In-Chief, an Incompetent who duped a nation an ally and the world. DICK CHENEY A cornered rat {cornered by evidence of his own misinformation} who said, "This is revisionism of the most corrupt and shameless variety,” "It has no place anywhere in American politics." This comes from Chief Liar, hypocrite, Master of bogus information, and the draft dodger coward of 5 deferments. DON RUMSFELD SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED LONG AGO FOR INEPTNESS Rumsfeld misled Americans about the situation facing our troops going into the war. His incompetence means our troops could be stuck in a no-win situation for more than a decade. Nothing will change in Iraq until the chief architect of the war is removed. Why is he still around? Bush doesn’t want to admit his mistake of another Incompetent. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, has always claimed that no mistakes have been made. His message discipline is just like the other Neocons. From the beginning, this misfit for Secretary of Defense and creator of the failed Iraq policy stubbornly refuses to admit that a change of course is imperative. He failed to equip our soldiers properly, declaring “You go to war with the Army you have! KARL ROVE The dirty-tricks strategist who created the “image” of George W. Bush. He has master-minded the character assassinations of anyone opposed to his precepts. Rove’s methodology includes control of the media with a deluge of disinformation with just a modicum of credibility to be repeated by them, and the appointed Bush spin doctors and military retired. He relies on excuses, paid pundits like Armstrong Williams, and the short memory of the press and many Americans. http://www.prospect.org/print/V14/2/reich-r.html Keep everything under wraps. The only other administration in living memory as secretive as this one was -- no surprise -- Richard Nixon's. Whether it's Dick Cheney's Energy Task Force, John Ashcroft's gag orders, the White House's anti-abortion strategy, its plan for gutting environmental protections and regulations, or its assault on civil liberties under the guise of homeland security, the public knows almost nothing about what's actually occurring. Leaks are rare. Information is parceled out carefully. Reporters who tell the story the way Rove would like it told (Bob Woodward) get special access. All others are kept in the dark. Karl Rove is calling the shots. Richard Nixon would be proud. The rest of us should be appalled. His predatory instincts are well-known. TOM DELAY “I can get away with anything” Rep. Tom DeLay appeared in court Tuesday before a new judge as his legal team tried to get the conspiracy charges against him dropped without a trial. He also is the one who really influences judges in TEXAS, as well as changes members on an ethics committee to those favoring him and really deserves the title of “Mr. Corruption!” SCOOTER LIBBY Indicted fall guy for Cheney and Bush, but one of the leaders of the Neocons obsessed and probably instructed with the job of discrediting Joe Wilson. As a lawyer he is detailed oriented, so much so that it’s hard to buy his “Alzheimer’s defense” Libby works in the shadows! He is called Cheney’s Cheney. JEAN SCHMIDT She barely won over Hackett, Keith Olbermann deemed her the leading argument against intelligent design {many would call her 2nd best}. Her tirade on the floor had to be taken off the record. Now we find out:
Those who support these political vampires are as bad as those who hold the ladder for a thief. There are many more who have not been mentioned, but operate well within the “culture of corruption” in the Bush government. Their collective crimes are being exposed, but yet they continue hiding, lying, and denying and come across as looking out for the best for our nation. Well, we know that is not true! Didn’t Ralph Waldo Emerson warn us, “The cruelest foe is a masked benefactor!” Susan Carr Subject: Troop Drawdown What a line of bull today. Condi Rice actually says we will possibly drawdown to 138,000 troops in Iraq. Well,, the standard troop level in Iraq is 138,000. The current level of 160,000 was only in response to the election cycle and the increased insurgency. This is not a drawdown it is just an adjustment back to what the Administration considers the "normal" levels. The troop rotation plans are already drawn for the next several years. The NeoCons want a large US military presence in Iraq for other purposes such as Iran and Syria for as long as politically possible. Many, many years is their goal. The only problem was the insurgency in Iraq has ruined their plans. They expected an occupation like Japan and Germany, but the problem is, we never finished the war first because we never ever had enough troops to do the job correctly. Iraq will make us forget Vietnam before it is over. Colonel Ray CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE NOVEMBER 28, 2005 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG
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