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| December 28, 2005 |
MAILBAG ARCHIVES | ||
The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. More reader opinion is at "Contributors." You can write to Mailbag at http://www.buzzflash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18. Subject: Can the Democrats take back the Senate in 2006? Dear Buzz, For this to happen, we have to have fair elections with a paper trail. We have to convince VOTERS that having voting machines that leave an accurate and complete paper trail is a nonpartisan issue. I say nonpartisan rather than bipartisan because this is an issue that ought to be championed by Independents and members of other smaller parties as well as Democrats and Republicans. This is a “people power” issue. It ought to be a campaign issue for every Democrat running for office. This is an issue in Red States as well as Blue States. It’s so basic that Republicans I know have agreed they will vote for whoever agrees to make the elections fair and accountable no matter what party they belong to. Talk about “people power” and it resonates with VOTERS who are used to having their votes count and be counted! Margaret Subject: How Democrats Need to Frame Issues I get so sick of the Democratic Party's DLC type leadership that cares more about what job their corporate masters will provide for them once they leave politics than they do about the values of the people they are supposed to represent (about 98% of us economically and 75% of us socially). The fact remains that only a small minority of people in this country hold right-wing views. I'll take my true liberal positions and match them up against another person's true conservative positions and my views would be more popular in Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, or any Southern State than the true right-wing positions. (And, no, I don't want to hear about how one can't find liberals in small towns. The liberals there only remain silent because they fear violence. If you all speak out, you will put the cons back in their place.) So how can the Democratic Party take back Congress in 2006 and help put these GOP freaks in exile for decades to come? Simple. Run on the issues. Run forcefully, run aggressively, and don't back down. Here's how. Start with the views that you know Americans overwhelmingly support. Then learn how to frame the issues. Here's how. On economic issues, the entire GOP agenda can be summed up in one word: Money. Every position the GOP takes puts money (only for a few) ahead of people. That's why they will oppose quality health care, access to the courts, due process, sound education, student loan forgiveness, etc. ... So bring up one proposal after another (especially a Trumanesque tax code which you will frame as middle-class tax cuts and you will frame all GOP "tax cuts" as the middle-class tax increases that they are.) On foreign policy, the entire GOP agenda can be summed up in two words: money, imperialism. So Dems frame this as republicans who hurt national security, care nothing about defense or America, who help Bin Laden, who've done Bin Laden's job in Iraq. As dems we support "necessary defense spending" but oppose waste, fraud and abuse. So any cuts we propose will be combined with increases on what is necessary. On social issues, the entire GOP agenda can be summed up in one word: Taliban. Big govt vs. freedom. Conservatives love big govt, we love freedom. And remember, when you support freedom you support people making choices that don't pose a reasonable risk of harm to another, EVEN IF you personally would not make that choice. Will the Dems have the stomach to put away the GOP and relegate them to a 3rd party? Time will tell. I certainly hope so. Big Dave From Queens Subject: What To Do? Dear BuzzFlash; 2006 is an election year. It is not a secret, we all know this. We also know the multitude of crimes the current GOP administration has perpetrated on our country. AND, we know how many other crimes they have distracted us from, lied about, passed off to their GOP courts to have 'disappeared.' Which is why there are so many Americans eager to FINALLY rid this country of the GOP virus by voting them out of office. But is voting enough? There have been so many laws they have broken that could not possibly be alleviated simply by voting one of them out. Although that would be wonderful! Especially since it is likely they will be the ones counting the votes. So, again I ask: "Is voting enough?" Is 'signing' an on-line petition enough? How much time will we spend next year allowing ourselves to be led around by the nose following all their media distractions? Is boycotting media outlets the answer? Is it enough? Voting, signing petitions, boycotting are only the first steps. What will we do if none of them is effective? What will we do if our votes are not counted, our voices are not heard, and our opinions are negated? Will we passively accept that there is nothing we can do as taxpaying citizens to win back our country? I know there are many well-informed people out there and many worthwhile issues which need our attention, but can we really allow ourselves to discuss only THEIR issues when we know damn well there are more important things that they are distracting us from? Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Jewish Creationism
That's a standard statement of theistic evolution with a Jewish twist, something I think we could all live with. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: How Quickly We Forget Or maybe that should read "How can one keep track of so much?" All this NSA surveillance news has a familiar ring to it. Can someone refresh my memory? What was the proposed all-seeing, all-knowing data mining agency that got publicly shot down? Headed by Negroponte? Did that go live under the radar? Alas, I cannot remember these dastardly doings out of so much foul bedevilment. Kathy Gustafson [BuzzFlash Note: You're probably referring to "Total Information Awareness"; Here are two of many links to it: http://www.thememoryhole.org/policestate/iao-logo.ht; http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56620,00.html.] Subject: Paranoia Reigns!! A very good friend of mine temporarily living in Oklahoma visited today and told me of a tale straight out of the scene from "The Godfather" at the wedding in the opening portion of the movie. Remember the FBI agents snooping around taking pictures of everybody at the wedding and writing down license plates of all the cars? Apparently Cindy Sheehan visited Oklahoma City for an anti-war appearance recently. My friend reports that goons were all over the place taking pictures of everybody who came to hear Cindy and other war protesters. No doubt license plates were taken, too. In the small community where he is living, which will remain anonymous for his safety (and I'm not kidding), the locals are adamantly pro-war and pro-Bush. Most think anybody who dares to speak out against the administration, the president or the war should not be allowed to. I've heard comments on local talk radio to the same effect: freedom of speech and expression should apply only to those who support Bush and everything he does. These people, at least, don't have to worry about being spied on at a local library. You'll never find one of these simpletons reading a book, unless Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly have someone read it to them. I have no doubt that any web site such as BuzzFlash, MoveOn.org, or any other "liberal" site that has any significant readership is being monitored by some sneaky sleazy outfit, perhaps the NSA, for example, and those of us posting messages are carefully noted. Well, jolly for you, you paranoid fascist mental cases. Your boss George and his cronies are stomping all over our Constitutional Rights and calling everything terror that they disagree with. There are several hundred thousand regular readers at BuzzFlash, and lots more at like-minded web sites. There aren't enough agents to round us up and jails to hold us all, and your threats to our privacy will not stop us from speaking out and exercising our 1st Amendment privileges. What will you do about it? Put up concertina wire around Texas and Oklahoma and throw us there? Scott Subject: Minding Our Own Business I was watching Lou Dobbs and had to laugh as the woman with the Cat Eyes, whatever her name is, who is filling in for Dobbs whined about Mexico sticking its nose into America’s business. It sure is annoying when that happens, isn’t it, lady? How do you think the rest of the world feels when the United States interferes in their internal affairs? The Ambassador to Canada recently told candidates running in an election that they shouldn’t try and get elected by bashing the United States. Why not? The quickest way to get elected anywhere in the world these days is to be anti-American. We excoriate democratically elected leaders if we don’t like their politics. We try and force our beliefs on other nations by refusing to fund programs that we don’t agree with. Not dangerous or radical programs, but programs our Christian wacko folks don’t like. Some of those tactics are coming home to roost, as countries tell us to take our funds and shove em. We just can’t help making new enemies wherever we go. It’s a talent. We would rather have people die of AIDS than provide condoms. We think we can stop one of the worst medical disasters in the world by teaching abstinence? Or is it that many of these “Christian” folk think that people who engage in sex outside of marriage should be punished? You know, that old “wages of sin is death” mindset. Many of the women who have contracted AIDS have gotten it from wandering husbands who bring it on home to momma. Unprotected sex, the gift that never stops giving. Why is the United States getting itself involved in decisions about people's sex lives in other countries anyway? Don’t forget birth control and abortion. We don’t believe in it, so we will not fund it for your country. We contribute to a lot of misery with our sanctimonious BS. But we don’t care. The United States gets to tell other folks in other countries what to do. A policy every bit as ignorant as it sounds. When did we turn into a nation of snoopers, watching our neighbors in hopes of catching them in gossip-worthy behavior? What’s next, a television series called “Desperate Diplomats”? Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Media and Bush's Comeback I believe it began in earnest yesterday as Democrat traitor Gergen cited on CNN that 2006 would undoubtedly be a comeback year for the Bush administration. Malveaux (CNN paid mouthpiece for Rove) also echoed Gergen's comeback sentiments from her perch at the White House! The only comeback little George will ever make will be in the minds of those who control our media and believe that if one espouses something over and over again, it will become fact regardless. Lawton Subject: An Open Letter to Senator Jeff Miller To anyone who doesn't realize that the word "holiday" derives from "holy day" and wants to believe that his/her own mere use of the words "Merry Christmas" makes him/her a better Christian than anyone else. This is the FIRST definition listed in Merriam Webster: Main Entry: 1hol ·i ·day Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ... 1 : HOLY DAY http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/holiday Further, use of the phrase "Happy Holidays" allows us to extend good wishes for all the holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year--as well as non-Christian holidays, such as Hanukkah. It's not politically correct, it's polite. Last I checked, this is the United States and we are granted the right to free speech and to worship as we please. This is just one more ruse on the part of the right wing to further divide this country. Shame on you and...Happy Holidays! Liz Subject: Lies Bush Told on Hitler’s Birthday in 2004 (4/20/04) in Buffalo, NY Hi BuzzFlash, Great timing “W”!! Bush is Illegally SPYING on AMERICANS and Putting The US Constitution" through "his shredder." And yet, one only has to go back to April 20, 2004 (appropriately, Hitler's Birthday), when Bush made a “Patriot Act Speech” in Buffalo, NY. Notice the “Laughter” during the speech's transcript. We’ll see how much the Buffalo Crowd “laughs” when they get illegally tapped by either wire, phone, mail, and/or Internet. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040420-2.html Do finds in the speech for: Roving wiretaps: Nothing Has Changed Constitutional Guarantees So Bush LIED when he talked about "Roving Wiretaps," how "Constitutional Guarantees Require Court Orders," and how "Nothing Has Changed"!! Let’s try to remember back, shall we? Didn't Ken Starr say The IMPEACHMENT wasn't about the "sex" between Monica and Bill Clinton -- it was only because Clinton LIED? OR HAS EVERY REPUBLICAN AND THE REPUBLICAN NEWS MEDIA IRONICALLY FORGOTTEN THAT? Well, refresh your memory with The CNN Headline and Article that read: "Ken Starr: Case against Clinton about lying, not sex" http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/11/25/starr.sawyer/ So now we have "W" telling LIES to The American Public and doing the same thing the Republicans and Starr claimed Clinton did – LIE – so they could impeach him. Hmmm? SO WHERE ARE ALL THE REPUBLICANS IN THAT SAME MODE OF OUTRAGE, LIKE THEY HAD WITH BILL CLINTON - ABOUT SEX???? Can you spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S, when it means even more to every American's private lives, with The-Bush-Gestapo-Spying-Agency on Americans from non-other than 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC?? Let Freedom Ring! Yeah, Where? Iraq? Because it sure as hell isn't freedom in America anymore, with Dictator Bush in office! Tom Wieliczka Subject: Renditions Erroneous? Government Run Amok! The CIA, it was reported today by MSNBC may have mistakenly violated rights of innocent individuals and sent them to foreign nations for imprisonment and interrogations. But of course this again was faulty work on the part of the CIA, as in pre 9/11 and pre Iraqi war. Does this agency do anything right? Lawton Subject: Re Bush Delivers Iraq on a Silver Platter So the military and the CIA were opposed to and now want to get out of this quagmire in Iraq which, as you say, means that our commander-in-chief has put himself at odds with the military, the rank and file of the CIA and our national security interests. That's most everyone who's directly concerned with protecting us from any outside threats, which leaves only our president's cronies, hangers-on, plus his steadily eroding base of "true-believers" who still support his Royal Highness, King George Number Two's, "staying the course" madness. That's because overwhelmingly in America (see every recent poll), we the people are for bringing the troops home now. Why isn't it happening, then? Who and what's in our way and what can we do to make it happen? Change the world, that's what. Everyone in favor just say yes. That'll get the ball rolling. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Arnold Arnold isn't so much the "Gropinator" anymore. Now, he's the "One-Term-Inator"! Bob Subject: Trains, Weddings and Churches I was appalled to learn from Bush that there are people running around this country who have a history of blowing up trains, weddings and churches. Gosh, every American must have bombed at least one train or church or wedding by now, since Bush is illegally and un-Constitutionally using the NSA to spy on all of us. In order to keep myself out of harm's way in these troubled times, I hereby vow not to get married in a church while a derailed train comes crashing through it. Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. President!
Jon Krampner Subject: Frightened Little Republicans These were supposed to be the tough guys. The warriors who are ready to bomb or shoot anyone who they see as terrorists. “Bring it on” they boast. Nobody messes with us. You might think these people would spit in the eye of danger. Appears not. These whiny little cry babies just want someone to keep them safe. “Please keep us safe,” they moan. “Go ahead, wiretap our phones, read our emails, search our homes, search our body cavities if necessary, just protect us oh great Daddy President. Go ahead and investigate our library cards. We don’t mind, cause most of us don’t read anyway.” For five endless years we have had to listen to these clowns as they justified an attack on a nearly helpless country and killed unknown numbers of its citizens. “We fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here.” That was a pretty good clue that we want another civilian population to do all the dying. Seems some of them "over there" have objections to that. Now when a little courage is required here at home, their bombast reveals what we should have seen all along. They are frightened little Republicans who come out from hiding under their beds just long enough to rail at anyone who disagrees with them. These are the folks who seem to think that laws and rules are for other people. Even the President, so long as it is a Republican President, doesn’t have to obey the laws. The Leona Helmsley rule of law: laws, like taxes, are for the little people. And if disobeying the law keeps these cowardly little republicans safe, well to hell with the law and the Constitution. The President's spokesman, Trent Duffy, says they only spy on “Bad guys talking to Bad Guys.” Define Bad Guys. And not to be nitpicky, but shouldn’t a spokesman for the President of the United States of America have a better word to describe supposed lawbreakers? I know this is a White House that is proud of its lack of command of the English language, but, really, Mr. Duffy, we are not all republicans so we can understand multi-syllabic words. If you are not old enough to remember Leona Helmsley here is a link for that information: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/040816/16eewhere.htm Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Time To Play Hardball I have just finished reading the article about Cheney refusing to provide lawfully-mandated information for reimbursement of his travel expenses. My question is simple: If he refuses to supply the necessary paperwork for reimbursement, why don't the "powers that be" simply refuse to reimburse him? To support that decision all that would be necessary is to write up a "Memorandum For The Record" and put it in his travel file. This group of Bushista cabalists is doing more to lead to the moral decline in this country than Clinton could have ever dreamed of doing. Or, in other words, Bush is out-Nixoning Nixon. Critic: Cheney is dodging disclosure (Cox News Service/Indianapolis Star) Lisa J. Subject: Bush as a Combatant The 12-28-05 BuzzFlash preface had the following:
I, for one, would not want to have any of the draft-dodging neocons covering my flank in an Iraqi firefight. They would probably do as they did in the past and dodge out (bug out) leaving my flank exposed. Miguel Lanigan Subject: Spying on American Peace Activists In the flurry of the first reports of illegal spying by the Bushniks, the NSA wiretaps grabbed the headlines, virtually ignoring the more onerous acts of U.S. military spying on American peace groups. No one, nobody, nowhere pointed out that this is the same tactic used by Nixon/Hoover against the protestors of the immoral war against the Vietnamese, only discovered by use of the Freedom of Information laws. So Bush can tell us that he's only looking for Osama's mamma, while he's got his minions peeping and creeping in our back yards. Shame... A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: When Thieves Fall Out Dear BuzzFlash, The Republicans are scurrying for cover like a bunch of cockroaches when the lights go on. The neocons, the biggest and baddest, are putting up a fight. The media roaches who protect them are spinning up a dust cloud for cover. The moderates are dragging their feet a little and making tiny squeaking noises. And most of the rest are slinking off quietly. I bet Bug-Man DeLay would cut a deal to finish them off, if the price were right. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Who's listening?
You mean people are still LISTENING TO THIS SAP? What would happen if no one paid any "real" attention to him, or booed him whenever he opened his yap. We ought to begin giving him the "attention" he deserves. Laugh the fool out of office.....interrupt him when he talks, boo, hiss and walk out. That's what he needs to set himself off like a rocket and do himself in, politically. He wouldn't be able to take it.....then you'd see the rage in full force....instead of having it trapped behind his fancy suits....and "immaculate" public personna.....with that old wave (probably waving at nothing)...the photo ops are so obviously phony now...who's even bothering to watch? I don't. I know what is there, so I run the other way. I find out all I need to know about him on BuzzFlash, and a few other sources. Thanks for watching for me, I can't stand the sight of that bum. Donna Subject: From and Penn
The latest evidence will support them? If electable means wining an election then the evidence certainly does NOT support them. What these two knuckleheads don’t seem to understand is that the Republicans are simply winning the public relations war and they’re doing that by LYING! They say one thing and do the complete opposite and the DLC and the DNC lets them go unchallenged. They paint liberals as radical activists and again these two knuckleheads not only just sit there like morons they actually agree! “The party needs to transcend its liberal activists and traditional interest groups” ?????? Maybe if the DLC and the DNC would actually take a moral position on the issues and stick with it instead of blowing all around in the political wind, people would know where the Democratic Party stands and actually vote for a Democrat. Cary |
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