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| February 2, 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: Freedom's on the Frog-March How perfect that we had a perp-walk out of the Capitol (where the crimes are being committed) of a victim of those crimes (Cindy Sheehan) before the head crook laid out his plans for committing more crimes (SOTU) for his co-conspirators (Congress). Who said irony is dead? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: State of the Union (sent to MSCM) It would appear the San Antonio Express-News reported the actual State of the Union in the past two days' editions, rather than President Bush on his "Big Night." Quoting the Express-News, 31 Jan 06, front page: "Savings rates now in the red,'" indicating our nation personal savings rates are at a minus .5%, the first time it has been in the red since the great depression of 1930's. Same edition reported on the Business page, "Exxon Mobile gushes record profits,"' and the 1 Feb 06 edition in the Business Section, "Valero Energy posts 'a huge quarter." It appears the poor get poorer and the rich get richer as the middle class disappears. This is "The True State of the Union." Respectfully, Colonel Colin J. N. Chauret, USAF Retired Subject: State of the Union THINGS AMERICANS DIDN’T NOTICE DURING THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH Quite a few things happened during Bush’s State of the Union speech which went unnoticed. When Bush started talking about getting off our oil addiction, Dick Cheney started shaking and going into withdrawals. When he advocated more money to train math and science teachers, the polar ice caps sank into the sea and leading scientists replied, “This is what happens when you deny our findings and shelve our reports on global warming and stem cell research.” While Bush was defending his secret wire tapping program, six million more unpatriotic Americans made their secret nightly phone calls to the Al Qaida network. And while talking about defending free speech, Cindy Sheehan was executed by firing squad, and millions of protesters all across the country found that all of the Bush television news networks had completely blacked out their “drown out the State of the Union” protests. While talking about investing more money into the coal industry, coal miner’s wives were burying their dead husbands. One was heard to say, "He would have been alive if Bush had not deregulated the coal industry." When he talked about cooperating more with Democrats, a faint democratic voice was heard emanating from the basement of the senate building, “Does that include us?” Republicans quickly locked the basement door. While suggesting health savings accounts, two million more Americans dropped dead while working three jobs just to pay for their food and housing. “Savings? Are you kidding?”, replied 200 million Americans simultaneously. And when Bush closed his speech with “God Bless America”, Jesus was heard mumbling, “What is it about “love thy enemy” that he just doesn’t understand?” Rob Moitoza Subject: Cindy Sheehan Arrest at SOTU Dear Buzzflash, as you, I'm totally puzzled at Americas non-response to the loss of basic freedoms. Most recently seen in the arrest of Cindy Sheehan at the SOTU yesterday. I'm writing my Senators today to urge them to show solidarity with Cindy Sheehan by suggesting that they too begin wearing a badge that states the number of dead in Iraq and asking how many more? A simple plastic pin on badge that you would wear at a convention that can be updated as needed. My hope is that all elected officials who have sworn to uphold the Constitution would wear these badges while at work, during press conferences and any other high profile events that they may be involved in. Cindy Sheehan's ultimate sacrifice of losing her son and her continued "patriotic" fight for basic rights must be acknowledged. She is not a criminal. She is an American citizen exercising her Constitutionally protected rights. Her arrest was a violation of those rights. Please help me get this simple "protest" idea out to as many people as possible. Thank You for all you do, you are appreciated. Nelson Lickey Subject: Cindy Sheehan's Arrest There is a headline on MSNBC right now that says "Sheehan, and lawmaker's wife ejected". It seems that the wife of the House Defense Appropriations Committee, Republican Bill Young of Florida, also wore a T shirt displaying one of Bush's "mottos", "Support the Troops - Defending Our Freedom". She, too, was removed from Bush's sight, but did not leave without a protest. Mrs. Young, seated six rows from Laura Bush, argued with the police outside the House Chamber and was quoted as saying "Read my shirt, it is not a protest". The reply was "We consider that a protest.", to which Mrs. Young replied, "Then you're an idiot". Unlike Mrs. Sheehan, Mrs. Young was defended on the House floor Wednesday morning by her husband who suddenly got the message we've been sending for 5 years now, and scolded: "Shame. Shame." Although the "message" of shame didn't extend beyond his wife. I'd like to know what happened to Mrs. Young when she finished arguing with the security official. Was she dragged down the stairs and handcuffed? How long did she spend in jail? Does anyone know these answers? If MSNBC does, they certainly aren't telling. If this isn't proof positive that a Grand Canyon of a double standard exist in this country, I don't know what would be. Cindy Sheehan, mother of a dead soldier forced out of her seat, handcuffed, charged with unlawful conduct, jailed, held 4 hours. Beverly Young, wife of a Republican Congressman argued with security, called him an idiot, and was defended by her husband in the House of Representatives. This is outrageous. Carol Hagner Subject: Re: Review of "The Baptizing of America"...and connecting the dots Dear Buzzers: I wish I could afford to buy premiums. If so, I'd spring for THIS book, simply based on the review. The alliance between the newocon "New American Century" BLEEPERS and the religious right holds ominous implications for ALL of us. Both groups are control freaks. "My Way or the Highway" should be on all their bumper stickers. (Forget the yellow ribbons with "Support our Troops"; if we supported our troops, we wouldn't have sent them to Iraq in the first place, and even if we'd made a huge mistake -- as in lying, distorting facts, and concealing -- by sending them, we would have brought them home long before now.) Anyway, the neocons have their eyes focused on the Middle East. Israel, of course, is pivotal -- sort of a home base. Meanwhile, the Christian right eagerly awaits the Rapture (where the "saved" will be transported, naked -- PLEASE spare me the sight! -- to Heaven, leaving the rest of us, including the unconverted Israelis, to burn in Hell). The two groups are natural allies. And I'm sure it's a bonus for the neocons to have a docile, totally controlled population. The two groups feed each other's needs. Both, despite the differences in ultimate individual goals, coincide in their immediate pursuits: e.g., supporting Israel (a power base in the Middle East, where all that oil resides) and controlling the personal and political behavior of us Americans here at home. If given the opportunity, the religious right would have 24/7 video cameras installed in all our bedrooms. Pound on our doors to check and make sure we all had well-thumbed Bibles. Check our church memberships. Force us to take tests on biblical restrictions on women. (Uh oh, I'm obviously in trouble! But I'm sure I'm already among those who are being surreptitiously spied on by the current assministration. I'd really love to read the book (I'm referring to "The Baptizing of America" here. Maybe if one of my editing clients pays me -- what a concept! -- soon, I'll be able to order it.) Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Dissent and Support I just read an article at AOL News about two women being arrested and removed from the SOTU last night. One, of course, was Cindy Sheehan, who was given a ticket by Rep. Lynn Woolsey. Seems Cindy was wearing a t-shirt with an anti-war slogan, and that, in and of itself, was considered grounds for unlawful conduct (say what?). Likewise,Beverly Young, wife of a GOP-lawmaker was thrown out also for the horrible crime of wearing a non anti-war t-shirt. Good lord, what has this country come to? Since when is it unlawful to wear a frickin' t-shirt? Is our government's administration so paranoid, so insecure that they think it necessary to resort to such thuggish tactics? Has Congress passed a law that it is unlawful to wear an anti or pro t-shirt to the SOTU? I never thought I would say "It can't happen here," but is so sad to see that it can, indeed, happen here. Police Drop Charge, Apologize to Peace Mom Congressman's Wife Also Gets Apology From Authorities (AP/AOl/updated) Lisa J. Subject: Rethug "protester" gets special treatment The thug congressman and his wife are fuming over ALMOST equal treatment with Cindy Sheehan. Both Cindy and the rethuglican's wife wore message tee shirts to the chimp's speech. Cindy's shirt got her manhandled and ARRESTED. The thug's wife merely got asked to leave and she and her hubby are pitching a fit and threatening the officers who didn't even touch her with "wait till the chimperor finds out." We should follow up and let Young Thug know by all rights his little missus ought to have been hauled to jail like Cindy!!!
And, as usual, Fox News is giving out that his wife had the same treatment Cindy had: both were not charged. Thus, the repulsicans divert the attention off Cindy. But it may backfire: folks who didn't think a minute about Cindy's arrest MIGHT realize what we're losing when the high and mighty get asked to leave. R. M. Subject: Bush Orders State Approved Citizen Uniforms Cindy Sheehan was dragged out of the Capitol yesterday for wearing a T-shirt with a number on it. Was that number 666? No, but that number probably would have gotten her some leeway and saved her from being roughed up by the SS officer (Mike Weight) who pulled her down the stairs and left her with bruises. 2245. That number is probably meaningless to many Rethuglicans, but to Patriots across America it is a soulful number; it is the number of dead US soldiers to date who died because the White House lied to the nation about being minutes away from “mushroom clouds over our cities.” (By the way, it is a crime to yell fire in a public space when there is no fire; it causes undo chaos and potential death, you know, just like what is occurring in Iraq.) Now that Bush is setting the precedent for what type of clothing Americans are allowed to wear, I wonder what is logically next. Certainly wearing a blue T-shirt will soon land you in one of the new concentration camps being built in America (another Halliburton no-bid contract). Be careful leaving the house with anything like lace or, heaven help you, ruffles, it will probably be reason to RENDER you off to a gulag in Pakistan or Egypt for torture. For the ladies, skirts down to below the ankle will probably be safe for now but, no doubt, burkas are the future for America. Any day now we can expect a new T-shirt Patrol division of Homeland Security. Perhaps Bush will simply come up with a State approved citizen’s uniform like they used to be forced to wear in China. Things are getting scary! Brian Michels Subject: 9-11 Good for Bush (Sent to MSCM) My grandson just said 9-11 was the best thing to ever happen to/for that moron in the White House. Bush said if he had been able to spy on people before 9-11, maybe 9-11 could have been prevented. Well, maybe if he had read that presidential daily briefing called "Osama Bin Laden determined to attack United States," just maybe we could have prevented it! Bush just makes stuff up! Diane Anderson Subject: Newsworthy? Why no airtime for the non-Woodruff-named soldiers? http://ivotedforkerry.com/comments.php?id=P132_0_1_0 Jim Ginn Subject: It Stinks!!! Hello again BuzzFlash, and wonderful, intelligent, often well-informed BuzzFlash readers. I do not have a television set. Last year, extremely high winds literally took my t.v. antennae completely OFF my roof and stuck it in the ground in my backyard. I never really bothered to try to fix it because when I am at friends' houses that DO have a t.v., I often don't like what is being crammed down Americans' throats. So...that being said, I was on the phone last night with a dear friend who was watching the speech by the LYING, THIEVING, MASS-MURDERING TRAITOROUS Pretender in Chief, and she expressed anger saying he was just so cocky, arrogant, and pleased with himself, it was making her sick. I had seen that same nauseating self-satisfied smirk on the idiot's face yesterday in a picture right after ALito's traitorous, thoroughly corrupt confirmation, and I saw it again here on my computer this morning. It makes ME sick. This arrogant, self-satisfied smirk he now wears so steadily tells me one thing LOUD AND CLEAR: that there were DESPERATELY needed checks and balances on the record and on the books, that he wanted GONE. Given the arrogant supremely pleased-with-himself looks and glances he can't seem to control, it seems now that, with the Alito confirmation, the pretender's goals of REMOVING those checks and balances have been achieved. Hang on to your hats, folks.The "fun" is JUST beginning, and it looks like it's going to be an EXTREMELY BUMPY ride! How I WISH I had the means and the money to move to Australia, or Canada...if at this point, they would have me. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Voting? Yeah, Right! Until we reform our voting system, it won't matter if anyone changes their political party. Our dissent will go unregistered. Without paper ballots, the republicans will win every election. So all this discussion is moot until we address this matter as our number 1 priority. Melanie Subject: Pay Strict Attention, Folks Snipped from the Boston Globe:
Listen carefully: MIDDLE EASTERN OIL. And when, awhile down the road, he deems new technology too expensive to implement at this time, there will be drilling all over this once beautiful land, off-coast expansion, ANWR ... ad nauseum. And the chimp will snicker. And his oil buddies will genuflect once again. Pam Clifford Subject: 2000 and 2004 Bush Debates If you fellow BuzzFlashers have the time and want to write some great letters to your newspaper, I suggest going back to the 2000 and 2004 Bush debates. His hypocrisy is amazing. He has done a 180 turn on almost every thing he said then. After his remark yesterday about respecting the people of Iran(the axis of evil), I seemed to remember his saying he did not care about what other countries around the world think. I could not find it in his speeches but will keep looking. He said something to the effect of: "I really do not care what other countries think." Pisces Subject: Freedom Vs Tyranny (sent Wed.) Yesterday Alito was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. Yesterday Coretta Scott King passed away. Yesterday Bush gave another pack of lies message. Yesterday Cindy Sheehan was arrested for wearing a T shirt. With all that, I think we should all fly our flags at half mast for a month. Mike Curtis Subject: To Karen Webb on KKKKatie Couric Thanks for the good letter on Katie Couric. I also saw that segment on the Today Show this morning. I wrote to her at NBC and sent her some statements from the MSM which demonstrate why I do think the media is right leaning (what an understatement.) John Kerry is right and Katie is blind. I saw her prejudice all during the 2004 campaign and wrote many letters to her at the show. It is like a drop of water in the ocean to the big media giants, but we have to at least try! Also Kudos to Barb in Athens because I agree 100 percent with your take on the Clintons. I did not vote for him the second time around because he twisted too many arms to pass NAFTA. Ross Perot was right and I knew it when I heard him debate Al Gore. Mexico is NOT better off and neither are we! I guess Gore truly believed in his view but he was wrong. Sandy Subject: Letter to Howard Dean, Re: What we didn't hear tonight Dear Governor, I supported your candidacy for President and eventually contributed about $750 -- not a vast amount, but enough to make it meaningful for a singer and non-profit editor. I was gratified when you became party chairman, and have applauded your efforts to lead our dysfunctional political family. But I will not contribute to a political party whose members apparently don't know when they -- and the country -- are facing a very real threat. I'm referring, of course, to the Democratic members of the Senate who couldn't be bothered to support the Alito filibuster. If Alito's elevation to the Supreme Court wasn't a danger worth fighting, I don't know what is. Angry? Yes. Disgusted? Even more so. If you can't manage to shake the barnacles off of these Vichy Democrats, as someone else referred to them, then there really is no hope for the process. In that case, there being no one to fight on behalf of the people against the special interests, what are we to do? Very truly yours, Michael Calmes Subject: Andrew Sullivan on Alberto Gonzales (not literally) Andrew Sullivan, citing WashPost piece, says Gonzales is getting off easy:
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Healthcare Follies Healthcare is like the weather, everyone talks about it but no one does anything about it. As one of the 45 million folks who do not have any health insurance and hasn’t seen a doctor in years may I inject a small bit of reality into this conversation? Savings accounts? This can’t be for real. Where are we supposed to get the money to put into a savings account? The people who are supposedly searching for answers to those of us who can’t afford health care have no idea what it is like to be poor. Senators? Congress Critters? They have their health care paid for by the people of this country. They have great health plans that they don’t have to pay for and yet won’t get off their dead butts and do something for people who are not so lucky. Remember when Howard Dean said that every American should have the same health care plans as Congress has given to themselves? If elected officials don’t think this country can afford equal health care for every citizen, then I don’t think we can afford to provide health care for them. Or pensions, either. It’s time to wake up these people in Washington, who think they are somehow entitled to more than the rest of us, that they work for us. They are public servants. Until the people of this country hold these hypocrites' feet to the fire they will do nothing meaningful. In the meantime people are not getting annual checkups. They are not getting treatment now that might keep them from needing more expensive care later on. Common sense would tell you that it is essential to keep Americans as healthy as possible to keep the costs of healthcare down. Oh, pardon me, common sense, I forgot we ran out of that in Washington about the same time we ran out of ethics. My Bad. Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Cyber Salvation Crusade? Dear BuzzFlash: How conveniently hard core fanatical Christians forget that our nation's first citizens, dating back to Roger Williams and the Pilgrims, to name a few, left England because they wanted to worship as they chose, and not have religion imposed upon them by government. We have the right in this country to worship or NOT to worship as we see fit. Yet I can't open my e-mail up most days without some of my more religious minded acquaintances sending me "inspirational" stories, usually with a tag line that says something like "Pass this along and worship God or close the window and suffer the consequences." So here is my message to you self-righteous Christian hard core Republicans who see fit to assault me with your views, regardless of the irony (in reference to our founding fathers) or, in the case of being pro-life and pro-Iraq war, absolutely hypocritical behavior you exhibit. 1) I've heard the story of Jesus my whole life. You aren't telling me anything I haven't heard. 2) Regardless of what your doctrine says, you have absolutely no right to impose your views on anybody who doesn't ask for them. 3) Don't threaten me. I believe we'll all be judged by our acts, but exactly how, and if that involves reincarnation and karma, which were referred to by Jesus, by the way, and such references removed by the Catholic Church, we don't really know. I believe in a Supreme Being who is far greater than the human mind can comprehend, and covers far more than this planet. Your attempts to minimalize God and equate yourself with Him, or whatever the nature of the entity is, is blasphemous. So is your deliberately teaching your followers wrong lessons to further your political aspirations and dumb them down. 4) Practice what you preach. If you're pro life, why, then, is it acceptable to support a war we have no business being in because our President is a professed Christian? Hasn't anybody ever told you politicians use the name of God for their own selfish needs? 2000 + men and women from the US are dead. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis are dead. Apparently, the gift of that precious life applies only to the womb, but the senseless slaughter of an adult is different. Why can't you see the hypocrisy in this scenario? I've had it up to here with Bush and his minions who hang on his every word. You're entitled, as are we all, to your opinion and your beliefs, but keep them to yourself and stay the hell out of my business. Scott Subject: Noel L. Hillman Why not publicly suggest that Noel L. Hillman not leave his job prosecuting the Abramoff case? A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The Smirk Webster's Dictionary defines the word smirk as follows: "to smile in an affected or smug manner. They also define smug as:"highly self satisfied." Well, BuzzFlash readers, while watching King George giving "his" version of the State of "His" Union last night, all I could see was a smirk on his face. This look of, yes, I'm President, and I can do what I want, say what I want, and there is nothing that you can do about it. This absolutely, self-satisfying, look of I'm better than you, that I know better than you...and I found myself wondering how did we get to this "state" of The State of the Union. Our country is being run by a "school yard" bully who knows that I can beat you up at recess, and go back inside and smile my little "I'm really a good boy smile at the teacher," and she will think that you could never have done anything wrong. While the whole time he is looking over the teacher's shoulder with that smirking, smug look on his face while looking at you. How did we reach this point, my friends? How did we let a school yard bully end up running our country? He has around him his own little group of "bullies" that allow him all the freedoms of the world, while steering their own little courses through him. I always hated the school yard bully, and always got into trouble while telling on him, and most of the time fighting for the little guy, and I know most people would do and did the same. But, somehow, we have reached the point on this country, where we have let the "bullies" slide through our fingertips. We stopped fighting for the little guy, US, and gave into the bullies. I say, that it is time that somehow, someway, we learn how to stand up again and in a figure of speech....you know we have to be careful what we say and write....someone might get an illegal warrant....anyway, we need to remember how good it used to feel when we FINALLY saw the bully defeated and sent to the principal's office. So, folks, let us all stand together again, and maybe, just maybe we can "slap that smirk" right off. No more "school yard" bullies ... EVER AGAIN. Thank you, Deborah M. Owen Subject: History Repeats Itself Back in WWII, if you asked the person on the street who we were were fighting, they would reply. "The Germans and the Japanese!" if they were that polite. They didn't say "We're fighting the Nazi government who has enslaved their own people and is going against their wishes by being aggressive toward the rest of the world." And after Hitler was gone and we were occupying Europe, if you asked soldiers if they felt sorry for the bombed out survivors in Berlin and Germany, they would usually reply "Hell no! They asked for this and gave it to everyone they invaded.!" Not "You have to feel sorry for them. Most Germans hated Hitler and the Nazi party and did their best to stop them," Let's remember that when Bush invades Iran, and when the world inevitably turns on us. And let's remind the leaders who refuse to stand up for us against Bush and his gang of thugs. After all, history repeats itself. Mike Curtis Subject: They Thought They Were Free FROM DUANE THORIN: In light of the Alito appointment, the President's propaganda campaign for warrantless searches and secret torture and preemptive, non declared wars, and more, this quote is especially relevant.
From Milton Meyers' famous book, They Thought They Were Free, interviews with those who lived through 1933 to 1945 in Germany. We all know the name in the blank space. It is the book that hoped to help prevent this from occurring again....few have heard of it. Send this link along, please. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: (1) Jeb (2) Shuttle Flights To Resume (1) I've read your headline about Jeb shredding documents. Guess his presidential campaign is underway. (2) The local NBC affiliate out of NYC announced this morning (2/2/06) that shuttle flights will soon resume. I perked up my ears in anticipation of learning the solution to that pesky "falling tile" problem we've heard for 3 years. However, that was not the reason stated. The reason was: the shuttle has been in the budget this time around. I wonder how many of us will notice the conflict here. Pam Clifford Subject: Presidential Spin Rides Again Mr. Bush’s motto should be, “Are you going to believe what I tell you or what I really mean?” For some that is an easy question. He is the President and he wouldn’t lie to us. These are the critical thinkers who get their news from Rush Limbaugh. Reality to them is whatever they want to believe. For the rest of us this is an easy question to answer. Yes, he would lie to us. He has lied to us before and chances are he will lie to us again. The one thing you can count on about liars is that they will continue to lie. Anyone who listened to the State of The Union speech heard Mr. Bush say that we are addicted to oil and that we must cut our dependency on Middle East oil. Fine, good, couldn’t agree more. Except that, oops, he didn’t really mean it. This is a pretty quick about-face, even for this president. Mr. Bush is really good at saying what he thinks folks want to hear and then proceeding to do what he really thinks needs to be done, or in this case not done, and hoping you won’t notice. Every once in a while the facts collide with the spin and Mr. Bush stands there with egg on his face. Lucky for him that the media is so kind. There is also the embarrassing fact that Mr. Bush’s suggestion of cutting our dependency on Middle Eastern oil has annoyed Saudi Arabia. Well, that’s enough of that. Of course the primary goal of President of the United States is to placate Saudi Arabia. The citizens of the United States are of secondary consideration. It should come as no surprise to anyone that evil troglodyte vice-president Cheney was on the Rush Limbaugh program promoting that same old plan for drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It shouldn’t surprise us when Bush acts with such little class and honesty. It is totally in character. How a serial liar ever convinced the public he was straight forward and to be trusted has always mystified me. Did anyone really think that Oil Barons Bush and Cheney had any interest in reducing oil usage in this country? If so, perhaps someone has a bridge somewhere they would like to sell you. Bush's Goals on Energy Quickly Find Obstacles (Bumiller/NY Times) Administration backs off Bush's vow to reduce Mideast oil imports (Knight Ridder) Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: JESUS GOD!!! (sent to MSCM) Is there no end to this madness? We just tried to call Florida's "Ask a Nurse" hot line and got a recording saying the "Ask a Nurse" program has been shut down due to lack of funding and the rising cost of health care! Why isn't that in the news? Oh, never mind, it's because the program, with a few exceptions, is mostly used by poor people! Call it yourself! 1-800-204-0478 http://www.floridahospital.org/services/aan/ Matt, Pete and Bernie Subject: Another right-wing media conflict of interest - Cheney's office puts out official press release on his chat with Rush Limbaugh, who got 'excited' during the 'interview' Could the VP office be any more blatant about what a lapdog, administration mouthpiece Rush Limbaughnazi is? The VP today released a press release with the official White House logo with the entire transcript of Cheney's chat with limbaugh, who admits to getting "excited" when he chats with Cheney. It's funny how limbaugh never seemed to get excited around any of his ex-wives - could those rumors about him being gay really be true? These major league ass***es have the gall to - sniff-sniff - decry the partisan nature of politics today. These ass***es spent the entire eight years of the Clinton administration engaging in sleazy hardball partisan politics that make the Democrats' attempts look like puffs of smoke. If you really want to get mad or laugh, here's the official Limbaugh-kisses-the-ass-of-Cheney-for-the-thousandth-time transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/02/20060201-7.html A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Why No Child Left Behind? I once was a teacher (high school math) and over the years, my training has taught me this. The brain needs exercise the same as your abdominal muscles. You can NOT grow synapses if you don't use all sections of the brain and stimulate electrical discharge to and from those synapses. It's kind of like sit ups. Bearing that in mind, consider how the mind of A LIAR works. It begins with ONE LIE ... which (lie) must be remembered so that if someone asks in the future any elements of that LIE, you can recall the original lie and repeat it. Then comes lie number two. You must remember it so you can answer in the future any elements of LIE number two. and Lie number three, ad on infinitum. The brain busies itself MEMORIZING LIES ... which takes up so much energy that the REST OF THE BRAIN, WHERE CRITICAL THINKING AND IMAGINATION, AND CREATIVITY RESIDE, IS NOT EXERCISED. IT ACTUALLY ATROPHIES. That is why these people are so impossible to reach or teach. They have brains that are actually, really -- well, ATROPHIED. They actually think teaching memorization skills is the end-all of education. Therefore they want NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, which is nothing more than exercises in memorization and little else. The teaching institution inserts the wanted "knowledge" and the student (read: liar) absorbs the "knowledge" (read lie) and you have the perfect ROBOT. THAT is the real truth behind NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. Take it from an old fashioned teacher. Who NEVER failed a student. And NEVER had a student leave my class without knowing algebra. Mike M. Subject: Abramoff, Enron, and Giving Equally Dear BuzzFlash, It just hit me why the "Abramoff gave money to Dems" lie seems so familiar. The same story was used with Ken Lay's giving to Bush. The Republicans spun that to death, ignoring that Ken Lay's contributions were the most from one individual Bush ever received, and that Lay's "money to both parties" went about 85% Republican, and the rest Conservative Texas Democrats. That last part never got much coverage. I guess it's the recent start of the Enron trial, plus a friend telling me about "The Smartest Guys in the Room." But wouldn't this be a good time to dig up that video that was on the web three or four years ago? The one at a party, whether Bush's or Skillings', I don't remember, where Bush is saying "My election as governor would not have been possible without you" to either Skilling, Lay, or Enron. I seem to have lost the link. Might you still have it? Jim P. Subject: Shame! Shame!! As Emile Zola once wrote, in a similar case of outrage "J'accuse." We progressives should work on our pitching arms and hurl the accusations, loudly and consistently, at anyone who voted for the appalling cuts to programs that benefit the poor (including those who can't afford child care as it is; now they'll be required to work even more hours, and STILL not be able to pay for child care), the elderly, and needy students whose only hope to escape poverty is to gain the financial means to attend college. And what is the noble purpose of these cuts? Why, it's quite simple: to make tax cuts for the ultra-rich permanent. To continue a war we were lied into and which has been hopelessly botched. To award even MORE no-bid contracts to the Halliburtons of this world. Does this sound like "democracy" to YOU?? I'm still trying to recover from the trauma of listening (I don't have TV, but I couldn't have stomached watching the *ssh*le-in-chief even if I DID). I get my news via the Internet and from NPR (which, too, has been moving, slowly and stealthily, to the right). This totally immoral, unethical bill passed by a margin of two votes. Hardly a consensus! But its consequences will affect millions of the most vulnerable Americans. I haven't heard, yet, that the *ssh*le-in-chief has signed it into law yet, but it's a foregone conclusion that he will. SHAME!! SHAME!! J'accuse!! Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Bush Misses the Boat I just heard a sound bite from our self-proclaimed "Educator-in-Chief" from his promotion tour yesterday. I think he was somewhere in Tennessee. He says the American people are "uncertain" because of the "war." Hmm, I don't think that's it. George, you need to get real. The American people don't like you and they don't respect you. They don't believe you and they also think you are little better than a snake-oil salesperson. George, stop disrespecting our American troops. Stop disrespecting the American people. Stop worrying about democracy in Iraq. Start respecting the American troops, the American people, and the Constitution of the United States of America. We don't respect you George. We don't trust you. We think you are the worst example of a leader we have seen in our lifetimes. You are, as you have always been, an abysmal failure in business and in life. You don't take responsibility for your actions. You are a cheater. You are a wimp. You talk out of both sides of your mouth. You say one thing and do something totally contradictory. You have committed war crimes. You support torture. You support the kidnapping of women and mothers in Iraq. You support illegal wiretapping. You support a dictatorship and are, yes, a fascist. In short, you are a disgrace to humanity itself, and to the United States of America. I will not be happy until you are serving life behind bars at Ft. Leavenworth, pounding rocks into pea gravel with a plastic child's hammer. Lisa J. Subject: Sell Ourselves Instead of Selling Out The Alito affair was the last straw for me: Is the Democratic Party afraid to bite the hand that has a stranglehold on their constituency because it is the hand that feeds it? I am a lifelong Democrat. I come from a long line of Democrats ... in fact, my grandfather ran for governor of Wisconsin many decades ago. I have always viewed the Democratic Party as offering viable solutions and standing up for what is right. But I no longer see that in the Democratic Party. Working on the national Dean Campaign. I saw a reluctance and inability to incorporate sophisticated marketing tactics and strategies into their campaign. It appears this problem is endemic within the Democratic Party. The Democrats are being outmaneuvered and outwitted in the public forum because they are unwilling or unable to market themselves. They don't have a grasp of their target audience. Is this because while one ear is listening to their constituents, the other is listening to their corporate financiers? The Party does not appear to really know or understand their constituency. They do not have a message, and they don't project it. Having to rely on filtered news and half-truths offered by the mainstream media, the majority of the voting public is grossly ignorant. Rather than tell the whole unpleasant truth to their constituency and offer real solutions, the Democratic Party tries to be all things to an ill-informed public. Rather than tell the awful truth, they strive for relevance in a Bushworld of lies and deception. In Bushworld, Democrats have sunk to fishing for the lowest common denominator in hopes of winning elections. They cannot win that game without compromising themselves and what they stand for. Rather, Democrats should educate the public and raise them up with a message and a program of hope and opportunity for all. That would mean taking a bold stand. Yet they are afraid to take strong positions or make bold statements because that might cost them votes. But how can taking a stand cost more votes than they will lose because they are perceived as the party of weaklings, the party without a moral voice, the party of gripers, not doers? Have the Democrats been compromised because they must accommodate the moneyed interests which finance their elections? Are they reluctant to bite the corporate hand that is strangling the middle and lower class because it is the same hand that feeds them? The Democrats must be guided by what is right, not what is expedient. They must educate, not equivocate. They must seek fairness and opportunity rather than votes. If they seek the first, the votes will come. If they seek the latter, no good will come. The Democrats will continue to lose battles as long as they are afraid to engage in them. The Democratic Party will continue to lose elections until they market themselves. Elected Democrats must find their ethical voice and use it. Boldly and soon. Chris Subject: Congressman, Your Hypocrisy Is Showing Representative Bill Young of Florida is really angry over the treatment his wife received during the President's State of the Union Speech. The wife is even angrier. Steam was practically coming out of her ears in the small clip I saw of her on CNN. Fair enough. They have good reason to be angry. But part of their anger seems to be that Mrs. Young was escorted from the gallery even though she agreed with the President. That argument doesn’t fly folks. Free speech isn’t about whether you agree with someone or not. It’s about being able to speak your mind whether we agree with you or not. (Yes, I know, no inciting to riot or that kind of stuff.) It shows how really far from the ideals that formed this Nation we have moved that there are many people who find the removal and arrest of Cindy Sheehan justified. It’s called free speech folks. Not free speech as long as we agree with you. Cindy Sheehan must be grateful to the moron who dragged her out and arrested her. She will have a lot more places to speak her piece. They have given her more publicity than she could have afforded to buy. Sometimes being a bully just doesn’t work out the way you planned it, does it? Oh, and just for the record, Cindy Sheehan offered no arguments, no resistance and went quietly even as she was handled roughly. Mrs. Young, by her own admission. resisted, swore at the cops and was generally a real pain. Still she was not arrested and Cindy Sheehan was. Bless that good old double standard, it never fails. The Capitol's Tempest in a T-Shirt (Washington Post) Marjorie L. Swanson Subject: Support Congressman Stark's Resolution - Call Your representative! I just called my representative (Russ Carnahan, D-MO3) and asked him to support Rep. Stark's resolution to investigate the removal of Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young from the House Gallery for "protesting" by wearing T-shirts referencing the Iraq War. I then called Rep. Stark to let him know that I have asked for Rep. Carnahan to support his resolution. If there's one thing that the recent Alito mess has pointed out, it's that we, the rank and file of the Democratic party, actually can influence our elected officials when we stand up and talk to them. Michael Safford I just taught a class on the English Civil War of the 1640s and have to correct your comment. After the execution of King Charles I, no English monarch has dared claim to be above the law or beyond the reach of Parliament. George W. Bush is making a claim that George III wouldn't have dared make. Stan Nadel, Historian Subject: Newsweek Article (Religious Terrorism) My current copy of NEWSWEEK (see Cut Thrust and Christ: Why evangelicals are mastering the art of college debate) exposes the fact that colleges such as Liberty, associated with America's Christian Coalitions, are turning out "Assault Lawyers and Assault Ministers" by the thousands. The Church has become totally committed to changing the laws of the land to suit their views. They are bent on telling you how to live your life and what you must believe spiritually. It's apparent they are intent on installing a fundamentalist theocratic government from top to bottom and changing the current laws while creating those that promote only their philosophy and or beliefs. They intend on legislating from the pulpit and our judicial system. To me this assault is tantamount to terrorism without violence. They will use violence, though, if it suits their purpose and they have the power to carry it out without repercussions. This is the preeminent threat to America and its constitutionally based idealism. Bin Laden is secondary! It seems the ideals of America and its Constitution are under attack from all directions. Communism could not destroy America but the assault from the christian entities in our nation has become much more sinister and threatening. They are intent on doing what Khrushchev could not accomplish. Religion has been the driving force behind wars and has destroyed countless free societies throughout history. Billions of innocents have died in the name of religion. Lawton Watson Subject: Republican War with the Democrats I believe that the Democrats have one fundamental flaw of misunderstanding that is going to break the back of the Party if they are not very careful. Politics in this country used to be competition with gentleman's rules of decent behavior, with small anomalies of bad behavior, such as Nixon's. Enter the likes of Lee Atwater, Leo Straus, Karl Rove, etc. and they have declared war on the Democratic Party. They have decided that the goal is no longer competition, but the total annihilation of the Democratic Party and everything it stands for...forever! Read their writings and internal memos (that have been obtained ) and observe their behavior. Karl Rove's " Bible " is " The Art of War," and he follows its teachings absolutely. It is a philosophy that embraces ruthlessness and the utilization of every weapon at your disposal to destroy the "enemy." Many people see Rove as a brilliant tactician, but it is not intelligence he works with, but ruthlessness and an absolute absence of ethics and moral values. He is willing to behave in ways that no normal human being would ever behave, and that catches many Democratic strategists unaware. In the ruthless application of Machiavellian beliefs, he can use every nasty method of destruction to achieve his goal with no conscience whatsoever. I don't know what the solution is, but I do know what the result will be if no solution is found. Your horrified Canadian in Austin. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: "Oil Addiction" Bush is not complaining about the "oil addiction." He is BRAGGING. At the moment it looks to me as if the oil companies are bigger thieves than the Arabians. Exxon Mobil just announced (how much have they hidden?) larger profits than the gross revenues of Saudi Arabia. Bush likes to brag about free markets--he just said maybe the market will take care of our energy problems "in his lifetime." We no longer have anything like a free market. It is rigged to the max (actually by the people crying "free market" the loudest) and quickly choking us to death. Meanwhile, we citizens worry about gay marriage, while our jobs and personal freedom go out the window. Stephen Colbert did an excellent take on jobs Wed. night. You might want to catch the early rerun tonight. http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/index.jhtml Edith Conrad Subject: T-shirts & the Fallen Re a t-shirt that Cindy wore honoring the fallen that includes her son...we all need t-shirts...one we can change the last numbers...buttons would also be nice...with increments of 10 or so. The MSM marginalizes anti-war slogans or anti Bush...but anti- the fallen, that one is tough...and the MSM attacking Cindy goes beyond the compassionate idea they pretend. Honor the fallen...and it sure gets a reaction from these guys...they must have heard Barbara's "she can't bother her beautiful mind with that stuff"...so, we should remind them all the time... We could also honor the parents who have lost a child in this war....that would really get them...the parents are alive and vote. Thanks for reading....BuzzFlash is doing a great job....I like getting to know who is a Vichy Dem. Mary Hough Subject: On Senate Hearings/Spying While watching the Senate Hearings on spying, it came across the bottom, much like on CNN/MSNBC, it was shown that the White House seems to be having problems with computer 'glitches' ... in that some of the emails are ... um ... missing. All this has turned up, of course as Fitzgerald is probing the Valerie Plame CIA leak. Kinda like Nixon's, ... uh ... 'oooops' with the 18-minute gap on his tapes. You would think, as smart as those in this administration are supposed to be, they could think of a better excuse.
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: A Third Party? It has become quite clear to a great many of US that the political partisanship that has developed throughout the course of our nation's history has reached a point of absurdity in that the political process is no longer served by the very institutions which it has created (i.e. political parties). What should be a means by which the people ensure their common defense and by which they promote their own general welfare has become a circus of gerrymandering, mud-slinging and corruption driven by a right vs. left mentality more characteristic of a conflict than any sort of true public discourse meant to properly govern ourselves and tend to the important issues facing the collective management of our Nation. It has become, in fact, an abomination, a cruel and malevolent system which threatens to squander and destroy the very things which we hold dearest to our hearts--those being our Liberty, our Fraternity our Equality and our Posterity. Every issue has become an argument. Many people fling words like liberal, conservative, communism, socialism and capitalism around without even knowing what those terms mean, from whence they originated or to whom they should be properly applied. Meanwhile demagogues and scoundrels take advantage of this political polarization to pursue and achieve their own selfish agendas while the condition of the People and our State continues to deteriorate. In fact they inflame the situation with partisan rhetoric and have reduced any genuine debate to inane name-calling more appropriate to children's playgrounds. There is nothing good which can come of that; rather it is the recipe for civil war. To illustrate this point please take a moment and substitute North and South with right and left or liberal and conservative. Ultimately the inability to reach a suitable and acceptable compromise and the civil strife which will result is the same. Terrorism is the slavery of our time and is such that the fear of it will bring US all to bondage. The failure of the two party system is possibly the most critical issue which needs to be immediately addressed by those of US who hold the values and the ideals of the foundation of our Democracy in our hearts. This is not to say that there needs to be a third party. Rather it is evidence that political parties themselves must no longer be the means by which we organize ourselves politically. This is to say that there should not be two parties; there should not be a third party; nor should there be a single party as this would resemble communism or socialism that so many in the west fear and abhor. Rather there should be NO parties. A Citizen should enter into the political arena (whether as a voter, a candidate or an office holder) as a Citizen and nothing more. Without an artificial allegiance driving people to cast ballots or pass laws and ordinances based on party affiliation, the Nation would be in a better position to order itself and truly be a Government of the People, by the People and for the People. Steve Steinmetz Subject: New Hope for the Future Edwards/Sanders 2008 A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Disco Justices at the SOTU Shindig This may be a trivial matter in these trying days of wacko radicalism ensconced in power in this country, but I found it rather odd that, several times during this year's State of the Union Entertainment Package, members of our Supreme Court were responding to the words they heard with unbridled enthusiasm, and more than a tad bit of happy emotion. I can well understand 'Machine Gun' Sam Alito looking about that once-great chamber in dazed and confused mode, but the sight of Clarence & Company standing and applauding their Leader and Teacher in such an animated style seemed, I don't know, uh, inappropriate somehow. I, uh, thought they weren't supposed to do that. However, since the signs are pretty apparent that they are no longer an independent judiciary, I guess there's no reason why they shouldn't dump the sobriety act and join in the partying! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Camp Liberty: A Strategy To Stop the Demolition of America Excerpt:
Please click the link and go read the entire (brief) Camp Liberty statement/action suggestion. This is intended to be simple in order to get as many Americans on the same page as possible. "Doc" Subject: Santorum, a Va. senator Editor: Rick Santorum symbolizes everything wrong with Washington. He's a career politician who has consistently looked out for his own interests rather than those of his constituents. He has a long history of hypocrisy that makes corporate politicians like Tom DeLay blush. Let's look at few examples:
These are just the tip of the iceberg. You can read more at www.santorumexposed.com, which documents many more of Slick Rick's hypocrisies in greater detail. http://www.eveningsun.com/letters/ci_3468886 Greg Colburn Subject: $70b More for War Funding Which just happens to follow on the heels of yesterday's $50B cut in federal spending on assistance to the sick and needy. Hmm, more money for kill and/or be killed, less for live and let live. So what else is new! How to turn this around? We the people change the world, that's how. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Iraqi Hostage Wives Hi, Buzz!! The fact that the U.S. is now taking insurgents' wives hostage in Iraq is yet another proof that our so-called "leaders" don't know their history. Our army has done that before; it didn't work then, and it won't work now. Before Kansas statehood (when the territory was so inflamed with terrorism that it was called "bleeding Kansas"), the army decided to arrest and hold female relatives of the guerrillas operating here, to force them to change their wicked ways. I can't imagine why anyone thought we could reform people like William Clarke Quantrill, but they tried. Initially, the hostage-taking had no effect whatsoever on guerrilla activities, but then the building the women were held in collapsed. Some of the hostages were killed outright, others were maimed, and some were injured less seriously. The guerrillas went ballistic, and burned the city of Lawrence (now home to the University of Kansas). So much for hostage-taking as a means of calming people down. Of course, taking noncombatants hostage is immoral. But, on a practical level, it simply doesn't work, and can actually make matters worse. Why don't Bush's people ever think about the consequences of what they do? Are they twelve years old? Have they all fried their brains with some drug or other and lost the ability to consider their actions? Or do they just have no plan at all, and are therefore grasping at any straw that comes by on the wind? Bush needs to be impeached, the sooner the better. Jane Hawes |
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