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| January 23, 2006 |
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. THIS IS PART 2 OF THE JANUARY 23, 2006 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 Subject: Quote of the Day
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Wiretapping and Insider Trading The Bush Administration's widespread wiretapping, data mining, and e-mail searches give them enormous information they can use for Wall St. insider trading, corporate espionage, and spying on their rivals in the Democratic Party. It also gives them the ability to spy on Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation and the Abramoff investigations. This unchecked power, unchecked advantage, and thievery of rival American citizen's privacy must be stopped or democratic checks and balances will be gone and an American king will have been spawned. Sincerely, A Special Education Teacher Subject: Osama, Dude Don't Be Such a Stranger (satire) Hey Osama: Where the hell you been? It’s about time we heard from you. Man it’s really tough selling the war on terra without some regular sightings of the grand fromage, the big kahuna, you know pal? How’m I gonna keep the little piggies pinned down in fear if the big bad wolf don’t show his head now and then? Look there was a good reason I let you ‘get away’ in Tora Bora. Now you gotta hold up your end of the deal buddy. Don’t be such a stranger. Come around once in a while. I gotta admit your timing on this tape was pretty good. Things are gettin’ a little hot here in DC. S**t, there’s even been talk of taking away my divine rights as King ... er, Preznit. And damned if there ain’t even talk of givin’ me the Clinton treatment, too. And I won’t even get the intern under the desk. So here’s a big shout out on the new video. The distraction is damned well appreciated with all the s**t swirlin’ around Libby and Turd Blossom and the NSA stuff and the Exterminator and Tele-diagnosis boy … and so much s**t I can’t even keep track of the whole list myself. And you know my boys are spinnin’ it damned good. Blamin the libruls. By the time Gibson and Rush and Falafel-Boy are done, the rubes’ll be chokin’ on the smoke screen and completely forget that I never delivered on them “dead or alive” or “mission accomplished” things. So come on dude, don’t be so shy. I'm countin on you. Yer buddy, George Curmudgeon Boy Subject: W is waiting for Osama to die of old age Since Osama appears to have better health care or supernatural connections than we have it could be a long wait. Since Frist is taunting us about Alito, I think we need to insist on getting all his financial records in order and convict his sorry hide. Bill Clinton lost money in White Water and they went after him for a decade and Frist is making a bundle, especially with the bungled Medicare drug bill. Speak up or they assume you agree!!! ABB Karen Webb Subject: The BuzzFlash editorial "Wag the Osama" concludes: "The real enablers of helping the terrorists achieve their goals of bringing democracy to its knees are in the White House." Wag the Osama -- A BuzzFlash News Analysis Indeed. It might have been good to include this well-used quote from Osama himself: "I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed. The United States government will lead the American people and the West in general into an unbearable hell and a choking life." (Osama bin Laden, Al-Jazeera interview, 21Oct01; reported on CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports, 31Jan02) http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/01/31/gen.binladen.interview/ The best defense is a good offense: Repeat it everywhere: Bush is Osama's best ally. Bush supporters are craven cowards who would sacrifice their country's principles and their children's future all for the chimera of "protection" promised by a fool and a servant of Satan. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Liberal Media My Ass!! Hi BuzzFlash Readers, Can anybody please explain to me why it was ONLY Keith Olbermann who told his viewers how Senator Bill Frist is in more trouble for Insider Trading? Hardball Matthews was MUTE as he needed more names to call the Democrats. Real even handed, Chris!! Keith at MSNBC is their Colmes of FAUX. One Lone Liberal Voice in the so-called "Liberal Media." Frist wanted to put legislation in to eliminate lawsuits against Asbestos health problems. Naturally, it was tucked in a 3000 page spending bill and not debated, of course to help companies out pertaining to Asbestos. Of course, the "Day Traders" in Frist's office heard all about this and could put in their "Killings" in Stock Trades before anybody else heard about this. Suggestion for Mr. Frist...Talk to Martha Stewart about Insider Trading, Its Ramifications and how to Decorate Your Prison Cell!! Air America's Majority Report with Sam Seder, The Daily Kos and other websites have been reporting this along with a lone Keith Olbermann voice. http://www.majorityreportradio.com/weblog/archives/003486.php So to the remainder of you in the so-called "Liberal Media," I ask: "When The Hell Are You Going To Get Off Your Lame Asses And Report In Depth Yet Another Bill Frist Insider Trader Violation?" Oh, that's right...He's a REPUBLICAN!! Liberal Media My Ass!! Tom Wieliczka Subject: Why Another Osama Tape? I so distrust this lying, draft-dodging president and his administration that I have developed my own take on why we are seeing another threatening audio tape from Osama Bin Laden, produced and directed by Karl Rove, the assistant nazi. My scenario includes the following facts: 1. The poll ratings for this dictatorial, right wing idiot are the lowest for any president in the history of the presidency. 2. A clear majority of Americans now want this “bush rat”* impeached. 3. Republicans and progressive democrats in the Congress now see the internal destruction of this administration and understand that their future does not include being tied to the coattails of this want-a-be dictator, his handlers, and the religious right. 4. The Iraq holy war a lie from beginning to end. 5. Americans are wondering if there is some sick reason why Osama Bin Laden has not been killed or captured? Who would be the whipping boy if Osama were not around? They have pretty much used up all their right wing, conservative venom on Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and John Murtha to name just a few right wing targets. 6. The “bush rat” has done absolutely nothing to protect American’s jobs, secure our boarders, direct scientists to develop new energy sources that would eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce the influence of the international oil companies on our way of life. 7. Greed is dictating any solution this administration might have regarding health care for all Americans and helping American business stay solvent while providing health care for their employees. Therefore, I believe that our government intercepts or receives daily messages from terrorists and only releases an Osama message when it becomes necessary to divert our attention away from the despotic acts of this administration and their sinking poll numbers. Having once served as a communication/electronic technician in the USAF, I don’t for one minute buy into a failure by our intelligence and communication operatives to understand what was going on in Iraq prior to our invasion of that country. Information was manipulated to build their GREAT LIE. Score one for the Bush Rat. Will it be score two for the Bush Rat as they manipulate Americans with another Osama message and another GREAT LIE? This magnificent country cannot get away from the fact that terrorists hate us. A terrorist attack will not be preceded by a taped warning. It is fear of the unknown against our society that gives terrorists their power. The Bush Rat and his right wing henchmen only feed this fear. Mike Post Subject: Rove Emphasizes Security It's time to take a page out of the Rove playbook: attack the opponent's strengths. Not just point out that Osama hasn't been brought in "Dead or Alive," but the lack of scrutiny of cargo coming in by sea. And the inability of FEMA to deal with hurricanes; how could they cope with a terrorist attack? .59 caliber rifles are not a big enough concern; concentrate on nuclear, chemical and biological threats. (The anthrax mailer has not been caught.) Of course, we already know these things, and the MSM downplay them. And the GOP says the Dems have no plans, no ideas. How about introducing legislation to tighten security at our ports, nuclear power plants and chemical storage? Shut down Congress again if no action is taken. Make a big enough stink about it that the MSM can't ignore it. Instead of disaster flicks about a hurricane or ice storm hitting New York City, how about a movie about a chemical or bio attack on Chicago, or Houston? The GOP sympathizers don't really care that much about NYC or LA, but get them to consider an attack in the conservative heartland. Richard Peterson Subject: Lost Freedoms Not sure how many know about the plot against America by overthrowing FDR during the early years of his administration July - November 1933. The plot was conceived by rich American industrialists and bankers concerned that Roosevelt was about to conduct a massive redistribution of wealth. It's a sordid tale borne by some of America's most famous corporate and political families and later deliberately covered up by both the only Congressional Committee to investigate the plot and the leading media outlets of the day including The New York Times. And the truly scary part is that the plot nearly succeeded. It appears that a similar theme is once again growing among us with the current administration's insidious demand to take our freedoms by fear and intimation while they covertly transform our democracy to one of tyranny. Because just like any infectious disease, a corrupt morality is forever busy and needs feeding. Not knowing our history allows for a repeat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot Attempted Coup (demopedia.democraticunderground.com) W.A. Pearce The article by Molly Ivins was excellent and exactly how I feel about the DNC now - I am looking for people of conviction and character to represent me. Thanks for finding the article. I have mailed it to people I know. Ben Subject: Dialogue Ask yourself: What would it be to be a Democrat in this Congress? How to survive when up against a plague? And how did this Republican wall of end-justifies-all-means come to power? Simple. They lied. They gave different speeches to different crowds. They used Ralph Reed tactics, the "Compassionate Conservativism" of Rove. You remember. (And this doesn't even address the voter fraud, Bush's Election.) Who owns the media? Just ask who benefits by what they're selling. It's not the people. It's not democracy. And now we have Molly Ivins saying "I will not support Hillary Clinton for president. Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation ..." All to say that Hillary is not able to take a "clear stand." Yet -- taking "a clear stand" means letting yourself get picked off upfront, makes you a fish in their murderous barrel. Take a breath, Molly. All of us, count to 10. Hillary was the first to tell us all about the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. Who listened? No one that could help save any of us from it. But I think Hillary learned a great lesson then. She learned their game. And now she's sitting in a place where she might just be able to beat them. Should we condone obfuscation? Is that what I'm saying? No -- I'm saying that's not the point. Not now. We don't have such luxury. Rather -- we must sit back and wait. Anything, anyone who divides us from the few small bridges we have left to justice is simply in our way. We have to stop Alito, we have to bring them to trial, and we have to be a wall of unity to have a chance to do any of that. The closer we get, the more dangerous they become. They aren't about keeping us safer. We saw that with the way they handled things even before 9/11, the way they ignored certain reports. The way they used our unity after 9/11 to take exclusive power for themselves. Then there was the war, the lies, and all that continues. And so New Orleans. FEMA selling us flood insurance. What next? What happens when a true plague comes -- say, an "avian flu" mutated to human to human transmission? Where is that dialogue? Deborah Conner Subject: Teddy Roosevelt and his "Social and Industrial Justice" Speech Hi BuzzFlash Readers, With all the Lobbying taking place at a frenzied 24/7 pace in Washington DC before it becomes illegal, how many of today's politicians - in either party - would stand-up and give the following speech for a living wage for the voters? Voters and workers?? Who are they?? Hint. You'll need less than one hand to do the counting, with Bernie Sanders being the first person named. This is TR's 1912 Speech. http://www.authentichistory.com/audio/1900s/191208xx_Theodore... Tom Wieliczka Subject: Poem for Dem Senators Dear Democrat Party Senators, This is a plea, from one of the masses, Get over yourselves, and get off your asses. You have little power, except to oppose, So challenge this President, and thumb your nose! Alito is bad, he is like a curse, He will doom the Republic to oligarchy, or worse. With his help, the NeoCons will pick fights, that will take away our privacy, our freedom, our environment and Civil Rights. So gird up you loins, get off the back benches, Get your hands dirty and get down in the trenches. Filibuster! It’s all you can do! A “no” vote means nothing, and you know that is true! To fail in this charge, with the President at his weakest, Will prove to the Dems that their party is meekest. That they lack the conviction to stick up for their base, And are still fishing for soccer-mom’s (that cost you the last race!). So stand up and be counted, obstruct this vote, Be as stubborn as the donkey, and rock the boat. Get EVERY Dem to stand, and refuse this appointment Or fade into obscurity, and pass us the ointment. We’ll need it if you fail. Greg Doud Subject: Unitary executive Hey Buzz, This is for the democratic party; Democrats ... the time for holding your powder has passed. We can see the whites of their eyes. “Unitary Executive” and “Signing Statements.” Bush once “joked” that it would be easier to run the USA if it were a dictatorship and if he were the dictator. The “Unitary Executive” and “Signing Statements” bring him closer to reaching his goal. Alito is all about the unitary executive and signing statements. If you allow Alito to sit on the bench the court will legitimize the power grabbing of the executive branch. The powers of the House and Senate will become redundant. Filibuster Alito and move to impeach Bush and the entire executive if possible. Tom Coombs Subject: Bin Laden Tape You have expressed my views on the tape precisely. I cannot prove or disprove the authenticity of the tape, but I can assure everyone I know that the timing is bogus. The tape was marched out to deflect attention from the extreme corruption of the Bush administration and the Republican Party. If fear worked once, it will work again. And, the so-called mainstream Media will peddle it far and wide, 24/7, with never an expressed doubt about timing or authenticity. I smell a barrel of herring. All but the comatose should smell it, too. Unfortunately, much of the population has chosen to be comatose, or at least extraordinarily apathetic and gullible. The Nazi clones, Cheney and Rove, know this and constantly utilize it to their advantage. Once more, manipulation, smoke and mirrors, and fear are the weapons of choice. I long for the day when these thugs hoist themselves upon their own petards. It is long past due. Thank you for voicing my own concerns about the tape. You have seen through the ploy to the truth. Peace, Patricia Chang Subject: Dear George Bush from Osama Bin Laden (Another Satire) Dear George W Bush: Thank you once again for telling your own special operation forces to "stand down" repeatedly so I could take up sanctuary in the rugged and lawless mountainous region in Pakistan. Imagine if the American people ever found out that you deliberately created procedural obstacles which prevent your military from acting on intelligence of my immediate whereabouts? The extra time guarantees my freedom and liberty. Praise be Allah that a fellow religious conservative is President of the United States. If a strong progressive was President of the United States right now, I wouldn't be alive to write this letter. I hear that you are in trouble in the polls with the American people. They learned from Hurricane Katrina that we religious conservatives are truly incompetent when it comes to the affairs of human beings and always put raw politics over the lives of individuals. Your economy is weak as your middle class is drowning in debt, losing their pensions, and seeing inflation wipe out their "dream" living. Your school system is working beautifully as "Allow No Child To Get Ahead" prevents children from learning critical thinking skills necessary for civics or science and worthless teach to the test materials replace gym, music, art, and technology. Praise be Allah. George I don't want the American people to figure out what right wing conservatives such as yourself truly stand for. Your party would never hold political office again if that happens. So George my friend here is what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to make an audio tape using sound bites that Karl Rove will be able to utilize in a fear campaign. Pro Conservative news media outlets such as NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, the NY Times and the Washington Post will take care of the rest. We need each other George because I hate liberals, moderates, and progressives just as much as you do. The more fear we have the more likely you can get away with jailing and wiretapping American citizens simply for the crime of disagreeing with you. George, I am the unitary executive of Al Qaeda and I love that Judge Alito. He'll turn America into a Christian version of my form of Wahabi Islam. I love you, George, more than Jeff Gannon Guckert. So for letting me freely roam the mountains of Pakistan I send you this audio tape as a gift. My timing couldn't be better and I'm glad I can assist you whenever possible. Use that tape to scare the American people George. Now if I attack your homeland again, it may be able to boost your poll numbers or it could backfire and wake people up to the fact that I am the person who struck on 9/11, not Saddam Hussein. Let Karl Rove decide which course of action I should take. I'll be more than happy to oblige either way. Very truly yours, "Osama Bin Laden" Big Dave From Queens Subject: Making the Most of Ivins' "I've Had It" Column I would like to see you give much more prominent play to the following extract from Ivins' I-won't-vote-for-Hillary-Clinton" column you link to. For example, make it a centerpiece of a BuzzFlash editorial. E-mail it to Atrios, firedoglake, digby, DailyKos--and the DLC, etc. It nails something: a choice in front of all of us. Don't let it sink from view under the waves in 48 hours.
Best, Francis Ingledew Subject: Terrorist Chickens You have to go to a New Zealand paper to find this out, but the gummint is about to crack down on all who own a few chickens or livestock. Agribusiness, of course, will be the beneficiary of this new, Nazi-like rule, wherein all animals owned by the little guy will have to be registered with Big Brother. Read about it here, and find out how to stop this nefarious scheme in its tracks: The Real Deal: Tagging Terrorist Chickens (scoop.co.nz) Farmers, Breeders Faced With Animal-Tracking System Deadline (technewsworld.com) John Lovejoy Subject: Boogie-man Boogie Dear BuzzFlash, It's a sure sign that Bushrove is in DEEP trouble when he rolls out Osama WAY before the election. The more the truth gets out and the more the polls reflect that, the faster the neocons have to do their "dance to fear and death" number on the American people. Just remember, the truth WILL out. It works in powerful, sometimes hidden, ways. The closer it gets to the surface, the more fear is churned up in those who are already SO afraid of it. Their dance is a dance of desperation, nothing more. So let's keep working with truth as our best ally. And pay no attention to that sweaty, stumbling elephant dance over there! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Hypocrisy as Usual Hi, Buzz!! It's fascinating to hear the Republican leadership fall all over themselves trying to convince us that they're "reformers." Ken Mehlman says the party has to regain the public trust because "confidence is more important than party." Funny how they didn't hold that point of view until they got caught with their pants down. As someone once said, you show your true priorities by what you do when nobody's looking. Jane Hawes Subject: America the Greatest I live in Germany and just got through watching a documentary about fuel assistance in Mass. by the kindness of Venezuela! I watched it because I once lived in the Boston area and after divorce and illness, I, too, had no fuel or heat or health insurance. Tough days! In the land of the greatest, these tragedies happen. A man, who worked all is life - is now 80 years of age with a wife tied to the bed and cannot heat his house? 45 million people have no health insurance! What a shame - people here in Germany just smile when they hear this "ra ra - we are the greatest." Everybody here, by law, receives 6 weeks of paid vacation, with an extra salary as vacation money. That is the greatest! 6 weeks of paid sick leave! That is the greatest. Christmas and Easter 3 days off and many other holidays. That is the greatest. If you have a medical problem, you can pick the doctor. You can go to 3 different doctors, or hospitals. You are entitled to go to a "Kur" which is like a spa - for Rheuma... for your back, or the skin problems. I had an accident and was 3 weeks in a rehab in the mountains and hot springs. With the salary being paid the whole time. That is the greatest. America wake up!!! Look beyond your borders! A Mountain Girl Subject: BuzzFlash.com Dear BuzzFlash, You have received several Mail Bag letters about being full of doom and gloom. I don't see you that way. I see you telling the truth. Every day I log on to your site, and every day I come away better informed than many folks around me. Thursday, I received a call asking me to make a donation in order to take back the House and the Senate. I blew up at the caller. He was a telemarketer, and had the nerve to tell me what I had given the last time I donated to the Democrats. I explained I was attempting to show my anger...so all they got was $20. We had a very heated exchange, but I felt that I won. My husband was listening and he cheered when I hung up the phone. Why did I not feel happy that I had won? Molly Ivins has it right. She is Not. Backing. Hillary. She is fed up with the Democrats and their pussy-footing around. The sad part of all of this is the corrupt republicans won't do anything to move toward impeachment...while impeachment is what should be done. BuzzFlash, keep doing what you have been doing. You are definitely a beacon in the night. Stephanie Subject: MonicaGate ReDux: Bush, "I did not Have Sexual Relations with That Lobbyist!" Whooooooooooooooooooaaaa Nelly.... Man...Boy Bush just keeps digging a hole for himself... he claims he never met Abramoff... now pictures are surfing up.... so Bush lied then.... Abramoff was a $100,000+ Pioneer for Bush with over 200 contacts and visits to the White House in 2001.... See, Bush is used to lying...and getting away with it... his claim that he never MET Abramoff...and now DOESN'T RECALL.... is going to become the Next Monica Gate... "I did not have sexual relations with that Lobbyist..." Huh.... we can also add .... "I did not have sexual relations with that Male Prostitute faux Reporter Gannon!" Oh man..... the closer Bush gets to Impeachment and Embarrassment.... the closer we get to a manufactured terror attack.... and the ultimate Distraction --- GLOBAL THERMO NUCLEAR WAR.... AND MARTIAL LAW... http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_30742.shtml
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Wrenching Changes Midwest ... This story is absolutely heart-breaking. This is what it's really all about, I'm afraid. Also, in my view, the real economic decline and erosion of the middle class leads to an existential and moral panic - which makes people fearful and hence vulnerable to so-called "values" issues (maybe something in their world they can control?) and political manipulation. Do any public figures speak up for these people? Does anyone make economic arguments anymore? I didn't have time to read the book about What's Wrong with Kansas? Was this his argument? A BuzzFlash Reader [BuzzFlash Note: What's the Matter with Kansas? sort of went there ... it was focused on how the Republican party courted and manipulated middle class white American voters, especially by using their Christianity, over a period of decades, all the while shaping policies that favored agribusiness and other wealthy contributors. Here's our interview with author Thomas Frank.] Subject: Response To Your Wag the Osama I do have a hmmm with the above article... How is Osama offering peace with America a bad thing, actually terror? If the agenda was to give Bush a leg up...then why was his offering one of peace, and why was it thwarted so readily in the Bush administration? I don't buy it...I think the tape is timely and accurate because Bush's predicted refusal for an offering of peace doesn't make Bush look good, it makes him look worse. Like the author said, Osama isn't stupid. Shewolfe Subject: My Letter To President Bush I sent the following letter, verbatim at 1050 PM pacific, to the white house. It's simple:
It's not something I want to hide, nor a literary classic; it sums up what I hold to true. Print it at will, my name doesn't need to be hidden. Jeff Winn
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