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| January 4, 2006 |
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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: Hi All ... ... and Happy New Year To Randi, Liz and Renee (1/2 Mailbag) - I'm afraid you're right about this (baby Noor) being about public relations. I too am happy for her - who wouldn't be happy about a baby being cured? But I remember in the very beginning of the war, there was a little boy, I'm not sure, I think his name might have been Ali - he lost his whole family, both arms and sustained various other horrendous injuries. I think a lot of you remember this. It was getting a lot of publicity, so they eventually ended up bringing him here to help and rehabilitate him. While it was great news that he was helped, how many more Alis were there in Iraq? Did anyone care? Did anyone ask? Yes, unfortunately, this was really another photo op for Bushco. If they do something good (which is just about never), it's for the wrong reasons. Thanks for your beautiful New Year's message Buzz. A Special New Year's Message to Our Wonderful Readers...from BuzzFlash.com I feel the same as Rich. I don't know what I'd do without you - or your mailbaggers (and yes, it's the best mailbag on the net). I never feel alone in my fear or misery or frustration. I know you guys are out there somewhere just as pissed off as I am. And I know that when something happens, like Scooter getting indicted, Frist being investigated, or any one of Bush's policies being shot down - that you guys are also having a smile on your face. Hope for a better 2006. Barbara in NYC Subject: Greed and Gall re Asking Iraq to Pay for Its Occupation The minority of Americans who support the war largely do so out of a sense of responsibility to Iraqis. They favor reconstruction and restoration as well as ongoing occupation. And most of the majority who favor ending the war support the financing of reconstruction, which – after all – costs less than war. Reconstruction seems to be something we generally agree on. Of course, very little reconstruction has been done or appears likely to be done, and recent reports are that the Bush Administration doesn't want any more money for it – having spent most of the money already allocated for reconstruction on other things. So, I was disgusted to see a website called www.nationalreferendum.org promoting rebuilding New Orleans with payments from Iraqis. We invaded their country, killed 100,000 people, left the place a wreck, and neglected our own cities – so they should pay us? It gets worse. I learned about that website because Jeeni Criscenzo, a candidate for U.S. Congress, forwarded me an Email the group had sent her. The Email pretends that the US has actually followed through on all sorts of extravagant promises to the Iraqis, and then proposes repayment – apparently oblivious to the fact that it is illegal both to invade another country and to seize its resources. Here is the Email:
David Swanson Subject: Dave Barry's Year In Review This is the first time I've seen a Dave Barry column in BuzzFlash; and, NOT to my surprise, I laughed myself sick, particularly when describing a certain Supreme Court Justice nominee in quotes--"John Roberts" What a way to start the New Year! Thanks, Buzz! :) By the way, if there are any Dave Barry fans out there, do read his book, "Dave Barry is Not Making This Up"; you'll know his Pulitzer Prize was more than deserved. Lisa Navarro Subject: John Kerry = 08 PLEASE BF....my day was going well, until YOU announced that Kerry may run in 08 for PRES. again. SURELY, the DEMS can do better than that.....and Hillary will be another DISASTER. WE NEED NEW BLOOD and a new party. Like BF, I'm getting JADED too, these old "Losers" are making me so. Sen. John Kerry Keeps 2008 Options Open 1/2 Margaret Miller Subject: "The Greatest Enemy of Justice Is Privilege!" -- Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach Every day George W. Bush, his Administration’s talking heads, his corrupt cronies and spin doctors, plus assorted prevaricators {Chris Matthews, Pat Buchanan, etc.} are on the networks trying to grease the wheels of justice using the mantle of “executive privilege” as an excuse for their misuse of power! They slither out of lie after lie, scandal after scandal, by playing upon the ill-informed, and the gullibility and short memories of too many Americans. They continue to avoid accountability for wrongdoings, broken promises and breaking the law! Harken and “probable insider trading” by Bush was ignored by the media. Richard Foster, a Medicare official, was threatened with “severe consequences” and loss of job because he told Congress the truth about the cost of the prescription Medicare plan! Congress never has held Bush accountable for money {$700,000} voted for Afghanistan and switched to Iraq! Irregularities in elections were bypassed. The 9/11 Commission has never come up with a promised report on the Bush Administration’s fault for 9/11, and despite Harry Reid’s one-day flurry demanding answers, the whole situation has disappeared. The investigation of Rove has been downplayed, and Bush’s promises for accountability to get to the bottom of Treasongate have been stalled. The Downing Street Memo and the U.K. Briefing gave us hopes that justice would not be denied! Out of sight, out of mind by the media, who hardly mentioned the problem of a "fixed" policy to go to war. We applauded Rather for trying to bring out the truth about Bush’s military A.W.O.L., but the Administration and the media switched the emphasis to verification of the document, though there was plenty of evidence despite this one news broadcast that Bush landed in a Champagne Unit and did not fulfill his military duty! Political retaliation was taken against O’Neill, Clarke, Joe Wilson, Max Cleland, John Kerry, and even the military’s General Shinseki because they dared to tell the truth about the corrupt Bush Administration. The Administration’s abuse of power for high war crimes, acts against the Geneva Convention rules, rendition and torture must be dealt with at home, and responsibility for their actions should be reviewed by a world court. The NSA wire tapping of American is a scandal and against the law. The Bush Administration ignores the crime and promotes a “Red Herring” cover-up blaming the NYT and a Whistleblower to take attention away from from Bush’s crime and attitude that his Presidential Privilege gives him the right to act as a dictator. Bush Broke It, but Won't Fix It (truthout) Read it all. Please! In "The National Security Red Herring," Larry Johnson states:
It is past time to expose the corruption of the Bush administration and to hold their feet to a very hot fire for misuse of power and taking the law into their own hands. George W. Bush, his cronies, and most of the Republicans are all squeaky, broken wheels, that should not be oiled by public trust or the public's confidence, which they do not deserve. They must be replaced and voted out by all Americans who value the Constitution and democracy! Susan Carr Subject: "A Life Wasted" and "Chicago Vs Hugo Chavez" "A Life Wasted," the letter in the Washington Post today from a parent whose soldier-son was killed in Iraq, together with BuzzFlash's headline, "Chicago vs. Hugo Chavez" tell it the way it is. Each gets to the essence of what happens when we the people act as if we're powerless and let the powers that be have their way. We get a parent's soldier-son dead in Iraq on account of our president's lies, and our powerlessness act. And now, in Chicago, the poor and needy are going to be hit hard as that city, rather than accepting Venezuela's offer to provide cheap diesel fuel, raises commuter fares on low-income residents; with casualties sure to follow since higher fares means less money for other basic needs such as food, medicine and shelter. How to stop the carnage at home and abroad? We the people give up on powerlessness and change the world. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: In Their Own Words
Libby Hicks Subject: Abramoff Is it too much to hope for, that as part of the arrangement with Abramoff, that afterwards he will be turned over to the Native Americans he called "monkeys" and "Morons," for scalping?
Mike Curtis (mostly Native American himself) [BuzzFlash Note: Guess that kind of attitude and language is acceptable in his circles. He is certainly too politically sophisticated to be accidentally "politically incorrect" in his choice of words.] Subject: Re U.S. Has End in Sight on Iraq Rebuilding So ... we've left this country torn apart with no infrastructure, and now we are diverting the funds promised for rebuilding??? Can anyone explain this?
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Government Whistleblowers How is it that that a whistleblower from a large corporation or even most government agencies are protected by law when exposing unlawful behavior, but if a whistleblower exposes laws broken by our "dictator" Bush or his cronies, the attorney general sets out to track down the whistleblower instead of the law-breaker? Yet, another double standard enforced by "dictator" Bush. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Misunderestimated Man I found it in Slate's archives from 5/7/2004 by Jacob Weisberg, author of Bushisms--it's worth a read in attempting to figure out who Bush is and what makes him tick, "as if" anyone could. http://www.slate.com/id/2100064 Peggy Subject: Three Levels of Engagement Apathy, indignation and inspiration. The first tends to reinforce the status-quo, the second to shake things up a bit while the third is for starting anew. Now since it's the status-quo that's got us into this here dead-end straight ahead and since shaking things up hasn't eased our pain much beyond plus or minus a few degrees and/or percentage points, it's going to be up to inspiration to set us free. Then, good-bye apathy, as our background indignation coupled to insurgent inspiration provide us with whatever energy it's going to take for we the people to come up with a world to match our dreams. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Witness Protection for Abramoff Dear Buzz, It seems to me that the erstwhile lobbyist, Abramoff, should be under federal protection until he has finished testifying in court. We are dealing with ruthless and powerful people who would love to be able to blow the whole thing off with "our thoughts are with his family" or some such tripe. After testifying they can do some "extraordinary rendition" and make soap out of him in Uzbekistan as far as I'm concerned - but these crooked politicians need to GO DOWN. Additionally, if they're involved with the Sun Cruz murder they need to walk the green mile in Florida just like any other common criminal. It may be one (or more) times when deterrence actually works. Abramoff said that whatever happens he will spend the rest of his days praying for forgiveness from the Almighty. What a bunch of crap. He doesn't need to aim so high - if he wants God to forgive him, he should start by asking his clients/victims to forgive him. He's just so pregnant with his sorry self that he's about to be "born again" - another overworked republican ploy. Sincerely, Tim Mooring Subject: No Harm from the Dems? I Don't Think So Yesterday, you wrote:
Obviously, the democrats will stand for anything. You keep trying to nudge them to do the right thing, to no avail. They are harming the country by letting Bush, et al., get away with every crime they have committed. They have overthrown the legitimate government of this country. Every time I hear or read about someone referring to the next election, I want to smack them in the head to see if their brains will engage. There hasn’t been a real election at least since 1998. Do you really think there will be one this year? Is anyone thinking this through? Arrest someone, for crying out loud. Or perhaps we should all stop complaining and just bend over. You can choose your attitude about this, but that is about all you have left. My apologies to Victor Frankel. You are getting so caught up in the daily distractions, you have taken your eye off the prize. They are not going to give government back. Let's move people! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: PATRIOT Act is 99% permanent already Bush Pushes for Patriot Act Renewal. Sure, Let's Concentrate Power in the Hands of a Guy Who Doesn't Care about Laws. 1/4 Buzz, The Patriot Act did not expire at the end of 2005! About a dozen key sections of this two-hundred section Act WERE about to expire, however, and they're what the flap is about. DAMNED NEAR ALL OF THE PATRIOT ACT IS PERMANENT ALREADY. Maybe you can find a way to reflect that sobering fact in your headlines. You'd be one of very few who do, by the way! Thanks for doing what you do, as always! PWM [BuzzFlash Note: How right you are: Bush Pushes for UNPatriot Act Renewal of What Little Isn't Already Permanent. Sure, Let's Concentrate Power in the Hands of a Guy Who Doesn't Care about Laws. 1/4] Subject: Letting Go of Abortion I think it is time to (gasp) stop fighting Conservatives on abortion. Over the years it has become a red herring that is tossed out anytime it is politically convenient to change the subject. It distracts from more important problems like feeding, educating and providing medical care to the millions of children already breathing. And this is, politically speaking, a perfect time to tackle these issues head on by coughing up the ball. Most pro-choice advocates acknowledge that the right to choose is being incrementally destroyed by the right wing anyway so we have very little to lose by bringing this front and center and letting the Conservatives run with it. The Republicans control the Congress, the White House and a large chunk of the judiciary including the Supreme Court. After thirty years of claiming to be pro-life they have had plenty of time to work out the details of making America abortion free. I, for one, want them to answer a few questions including the following: · If abortion is illegal, who will be prosecuted? · If a man doesn’t turn in his pregnant wife or girlfriend is he also accountable? Does spousal privilege apply? · Will licensed physicians and midwives be held more or less accountable than a back street butcher? · If a woman induces miscarriage with a blow to the stomach or a well-planned drug overdose-both popular pre-Roe solutions-is she still culpable? · If a lay person suggests a method that may cause a miscarriage are they culpable? · How will pregnancy be enforced? · If incarceration is necessary to protect the fetus do we have the facilities? · Will the man, if he is involved in the decision that led to this incarceration be incarcerated for the duration of the pregnancy as well? · Who pays for extraordinary medical measures if they are necessary to treat an unwanted fetus? · If a woman is forced to continue a pregnancy and dies as a result do her remaining children or spouse have the right to bring a wrongful death suit? · Will legislation be necessary to protect the government from wrongful life suits brought by severely disabled children if they reach adulthood? · Many unwanted pregnancies result in unwanted children. What is the best estimate as to how much we will need to expand the foster care system and Medicaid? Will the state or federal government fund it? There is also the thorny question of who and what is being protected. I have always been pro-choice, yet I find myself more morally sympathetic to those who will not allow abortion in any circumstances than with those who believe the value of the life of the fetus is somehow related to the circumstances of its conception. From a moral standpoint a child born of rape or incest is of no less value than a child resulting from a loving marriage. I also believe that if one believes-and I confess, I do not-that a fetus has the same rights as the mother that that fetus deserves equal protection. It should not lose its life to protect the mother’s life and certainly not to protect her health. If Republicans are offered the opportunity to give their base exactly what they want, well, I believe they would have to deliver. In the process many questions would be answered and there would be meaningful debate-all of it among Republicans. Democrats, if engaged, need only remind the Republicans that as a party we believe abortion is a decision best left to a woman, her doctor and God. Then Dems could simply step aside with a promise to vote their conscience when the time comes. Of course Democrats would need to insist that the legal and financial issues be resolved and that those solutions be part of any legislation the Republicans offer to ban abortion. It’s true, incumbent Republicans would be extremely busy making sure this legislation was satisfactory to all those in the GOP’s big tent, but I am sure they would forego a little campaigning in order to write a bill that all their constituents would support. Peggy Lynn Zahrte Subject: Mike Malloy Is Correct! Mike Malloy said on his talk show Tuesday, January 3, 2006, that Ed Schultz is Not a Liberal and/or a Democrat! And, I Could Not Agree More! Just because someone says they don't support Bush! Doesn't mean they don't support 99.9% of the Republican party's platform. Don't be fooled BuzzFlash readers. Ed Schultz is No Mike Malloy, Randi Rhodes or Thom Hartmann. Ed Schultz is Rush Limbaugh's replacement! Matthew Habben Subject: Selling Canadian Water Hello BuzzFlash Readers: I thought that I would elucidate regarding the sale of Canadian fresh water to the United States as demanded by Paul Cellucci that I wrote about yesterday. Pressure to export fresh water likely to grow as U.S. shortages increase The loathsome North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at present does not include water as a consumable but, written into the agreement is a clause that states that if even one province in Canada were to sell its fresh water to the United States, then all ten provinces and Canada's three Northern territories would be obliged to sell their fresh water as well. Under the agreement then, Canada would have no right to stop selling water and it would continue into perpetuity. That is why I believe if a country needs fresh water, we should just send tankers of it free to relieve that country rather than sell it and commit forever to selling a resource that is a non-negotiable necessity to human life. This clause in the agreement is unfair as are most of the NAFTA clauses. Under NAFTA all labourers in Mexico, the United States and Canada get shafted (is that okay to say in the US?). NAFTA has never been about we who do the blue collar work, the agricultural labour, silvacultural labour, aquacultural labour, all the dirty, tough jobs, etc. It is an agreement that is in place to ensure corporate profits as are all trade agreements. Everyone should get involved in understanding what the governments are doing to us and how harshly policies affect our resources in the name of profits for the very few. The holding back of the truth by our governmental administrations always hurts the very citizens they are supposed to represent. Something that is being evidenced quite broadly in your country at this moment in history. WATER AS A COMMODITY (waterbank.com) Marie-France Germain Subject: Congressional Corruption Over forty-nine percent of Americans polled today on CNN said that our government, to include the executive branch, the senate and house, were corrupt and dishonest to the core. Abramoff has demonstrated to us just how corrupt and despicable our elected officials are. Republicans and Democrats alike. Our elected Government and corporate lawlessness have made America the most evil and corrupt nation on earth today! We blame all this on Republicans and make excuses for the Democrats caught up in this web of greed and deceit. Not true! Bush-Cheney-Rove could not have run roughshod over our citizens and the Constitution if there was not complicity from some on our side of the spectrum! Looking back at the voting records of the past five years, one realizes just how blatant our complicity has been. Liebermanism has run rampant in our party. Most disturbing however is the fact that millions and millions of Americans support the Bush Administration and his criminal cronies. They are not duped they, very simply, believe as he does. That's the sad part. Our party has to find a leader other than the Bidens, Hillarys, and Liebermans. They will never be elected. The Christian fundamentalist NASCAR dads, anti gays and women haters will never vote for any of these and like kind. Lawman Subject: Blood Bath on David Letterman Please check out the beating that Bill "o" Liley took on the David Letterman Show tonight. http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/ http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/exclusives/wahoo/ KO Kyle Subject: No Secrecy in Busheviks Spying, Dominance of Cyberspace Spelled out in PNAC Docs Buzz; If someone looks deep, we'll find this whole thing is cover for Total Information Awareness (TIA). In the primary PNAC document, "Rebuilding Americas Defenses," page 57, states;
Domestic electronic spying is part of their "imperative ... offensive capability" to wage war. They avoided FISA primarily because the sheer magnitude of the TIA data mining process could never be legally warranted. Pete Clark Subject: Bush's red and scratched face Yes, I saw him this evening with the cut....he blamed it on cutting brush...his favorite pastime. I would bet......he wonders why he ever decided to be president.....well, not likely! Even with the 'driven to drink' thoughts....he thinks he is right always...! Today, I saw 'Syriana' and was completely worn out. If anyone goes...or if you have already gone....I am wondering how you dealt with it. I immediately fell asleep for two hours....it wiped me out! It is worthy of every award....even though it is so hard to watch....George Clooney does a magnificent job...he deserves it! Take your nerve and guts with you....it is a very violent movie..... Poor Robert Baer...how he suffered....!!! Shirley...............St. Louis [BuzzFlash Note: Here's Bush's explanation: "Mr Bush, who spent much of the last week clearing brush at his ranch in Texas, returned to Washington on Sunday sporting a two-inch wound on his forehead. Visiting a military hospital in San Antonio, Texas before his return, he said: 'I have an injury myself - not here at the hospital, but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won. The cedar gave me a little scratch.'" (Financial Times).] Subject: Ruling Supreme Nine people in black robes have the final say in legal matters in this country. Nine people make decisions that affect the lives of every citizen. Nine people sit in judgment and there is no appeal beyond. Thus these nine people need to be the best that our judiciary has to offer. Of course they must be qualified. This is the highest court in the land. It is no place for mediocrity. Of course they should be bright. This is the highest court in the land. No “C” students should sit on the high courts. This is no place for incompetence or second best. In order that all these things are so, these people need to be vetted completely. Selections for the Supreme Court are no place for politics. When Chief Justice Roberts had his hearings, the press was gleeful as Roberts bobbed, weaved and refused to answer questions. He was obviously bright and qualified. He was also arrogant. It will be years before we know that aside from being qualified and bright if he is indeed the best. He didn’t answer the questions that were put to him. He evidently felt he was above the process that places people on the highest court in the land. Will Judge Alito answer questions? Will he let us know what kind of a justice he will be? Or will this be another arrogant man who thinks that he should sit on the highest court in the land for the rest of his working life just because he is qualified? Without legal training, we can’t know just how qualified this man is. I do know that he thought it was all right for a 10-year-old female child to be strip searched. I don’t think that any man who thinks this is proper procedure belongs on the highest court in the land. Our children will be at the mercy, or lack thereof, of this court. The nine people who sit on the Supreme Court need to be the most qualified, the brightest, and they need to be the best. We can do better than Samuel Alito. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Bush to Give Up $6,000 Linked to Abramoff For Bush to do this he must be very, very nervous. Top Republicans Give Up Abramoff Donations (AP/Yahoo) Subject: Reaping What They Have Sown When people believe themselves above the law there is an inevitable corruption. Reading some years back that when a waiter at a restaurant had told the Majority Leader DeLay that he could not smoke his cigar because it was against the law, Mr. DeLay’s response told us all we need to know about this man. Mr. DeLay said, “I am the law.” Thus he proved himself unworthy of his position. With the revelations that will follow Jack Abramoff’s new-found singing career, we will learn of others who are not worthy. There are corrupt politicians just as there are crooks and liars in any segment of the population. The difference is that these people seem to think themselves above the law. The fact that the Ethics Committee in the House of Representatives has failed to do its job is one reason that Americans think both political parties equally corrupt. Why have the Democrats not been putting corrupt politicians in front of the Ethics Committee? Not able to, because the Republicans are in charge? Or not able to because of a little under the table deal that says I won’t squeal on you if you don’t squeal on me? Such ethical deals send the message that there are no ethics in the Nation’s capital. You will reap what you have sown folks. Those Democrats and Republicans who have felt safe on the sidelines, silent as the corruption continued are now going to find themselves tarred with the same brush. If they weren’t crooks too, why were they silent? And when and where does party loyalty stop and loyalty to your country begin? These are things the people deserve to know. There is no doubt that a certain segment of the right wing will be convinced that the whole thing is an evil liberal plot. They belong in the same asylum as the lefties who think every Republican is an evil troll. If politicians ever expect the population to have as much respect for them as the average telemarketer, they need to clean up their act. We know the short attention span of the American people. With a year or so, things will return to normal and folks with a base pay of $158,000.00 a year will find it necessary to accept gifts of Skybox seats and Golf outings once again. Greed being what it is, there is an inevitability to this fact. Marjorie L. Swanson
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