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| February 15, 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: Christocrats Hi, Buzz!! Thanks for the interview with the author of Baptizing America. Very informative, as usual. The Christocrats' (I LOVE that word!) justifications for their positions don't hold up. First of all, they require a "literal" interpretation of the Bible. I got news for you, guys: Literal interpretation is still interpretation. And large portions of the Bible don't make any sense when interpreted literally; the psalmists, prophets, and yes, Jesus, spoke in metaphor a great deal of the time. One of the psalms praises anyone who takes their enemies' babies and "dashes them against a rock." (Psalm 137:9) Does that mean God wants us to do that to, say, Iraqi babies? Or does God love them because He made them, as He says to Jonah? (Jonah 4:10-11) And what are we to make of Jesus' descriptions of hell? At one point he calls it a place of "eternal fire" (Matthew 25:41). Elsewhere he refers to a place "of wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matthew 24:50-51); or to a dark place (Matthew 22:11-14). Are we to take all of these descriptions literally? Are there different levels of hell, as Dante said? Or is Jesus speaking in metaphor of the place from which God has removed His presence? It could get a bit confusing - and these quotations are only from the book of Matthew! There are three other gospels, and many other writings in the New Testament alone. Sorry, Christocrats, but you DO have to think a bit about what you read in the Bible. The dominionists have it wrong, too. I refer them to Genesis 2:15: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and look after it." Granted, Adam and Eve got themselves kicked out of Eden, but God never rescinded the command to till and look after the world. We are still responsible for the environment. There is only one thing to do about these people and their assault on religion and our way of life: We must know the Bible and the Constitution better than they do. Jane Hawes Subject: Cheney and ship of fools George Bush is a silly fool, and laughable at times...but, he is also teflon...all he does is just lie...and it eventually goes away. Too bad Bill Clinton did not get on to that way of doing things. I never liked Bush...but I have always detested Cheney. I watched him after the Bush Sr. administration...in an interview when he admitted to 5 deferments from Vietnam...the little remark about "I had better things to do" was a little much for me. Considering that my brother was like all the poor unfortunate souls who HAD to go, in order to finance a College Education! From then on, the battle lines were drawn between me and Dick! A friend up in Iowa a few months ago...could be a year...told me that Cheney did not really go duck hunting there, what they (likely at our expense did)...was take a huge mesh hanger (filled with live ducks...he calls the shots...and they let the mesh thing open...and the ducks fly away...and he shoots at as many as he can get! Cheney is not the kind of man who could live off the land even for a hunting trip...whatever critters he shoots...are brought to him! These trips are likely financed by us, and we likely pay for the live ducks, too. You know, remember the way we flew Ashcroft by private plane every weekend to the lake in the Ozarks for fish...at out expense? (back when they deemed it too dangerous for them to fly) I read in the regular news something about the man he shot...and I cannot remember it all...but he had something to do with the 'Governor Bush' of Texas, during the time Bush, Jr. was involved in the funeral homes and it was fishy, in fact this entire story smells like fish. Now, the scapegoats in the entire Katrina thing...is boiling down to two...and considering that 'Heckofajob' Brownie has already testified...it will be like every other thing in this administration...Chertoff will wimp it out...maybe blame the administration...and it will lie there like dead meat just like every other thing we have thought would come to something. How did they get by with outing Valerie Plame? How have they gotten by with leaving the Gulf Coast of this country like rubble for 6 months? How did they get by with saying that the Iraqis had WMD and were an imminent threat, and had Al Qaeda in their country? How did Bush get by with the many lies he has told about Katrina... i.e., no one could have predicted the levees breaking...lying about military help being there on Wednesday...anyone who watched that thing like I did knows no troops came until Friday...the same day that Bush and 'Heckofajob' Brownie did! Is everyone other than us democrats...getting tired of just nothing being done about his lies? It does not matter what we find...what anyone finds...he always wriggles out of it...and goes on to do more damage. And, he will this time, too. Incidentally, how many of you remember Buddy the Dog? Remember when Bill and Hill were in Mexico, vacationing...this was in the year following Bush's inauguration. Well, poor Buddy got out of the huge fenced yard...and a car hit him and killed him. That was the story that led the news every night in 2001, when Bush's ratings were in the dump. They even went back, investigating, and found that, horror of horrors, the Clintons had had a dog in Arkansas...and it was killed by a passing motorist, too. OOOOOOhhhhhh...the Clintons were killing dogs! It is so crazy, anymore, I wonder what else...since they don't have Clinton to kick around anymore...no one...not one soul is in the majority in the democratic party, and someone much smarter than me, has to notice that! And Fox news will still tell you that Bush's approval ratings are up there in the 50%...and on Fox they are. This paper here in St. Louis, is still insisting that Abramoff and Harry Reid were tied together by PACs....who knows....who cares? Shirley............St. Louis Subject: One more hypocrisy BuzzFlash, The same criminals who advocate a strict, constructionist view of the Constitution now tell us a President has the right to totally disregard the Constitution. Isn't there a contradiction somewhere in that ? The Soft-on-Torture Liberal Subject: What kind of stamp do you need to kill lawyers in Texas? Cheney is getting a ticket for not having a bird stamp? He didn't shoot any birds. You need a bird stamp in Texas to assault lawyers with a deadly weapon. What kind of bird do they think Whittington is? I think it would be better if Cheney would just stick to the old-fashioned kind of "shooting the bird" or even just telling the bird to F--K off. Maiming is always more painful. So what is the punishment for shooting lawyers without a bird stamp in Texas? Or do lawyers need a bird stamp to be shot? If it isn't too stiff, there could be open season on Texas lawyers. How much is that stamp? Can Oklahomans shoot Texas lawyers without a bird stamp if they stay on the north side of the Red River? Speak up or they assume you agree!!! ABB Karen Webb Subject: Next up in the notification process... WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NOTIFICATION PROCESS IN EVENT OF INVASION OF IRAN The White House announced today the method by which the media will be notified in the the event that the United States invades Iran. Donald Rumsfeld will call his next door neighbor, Joe Doe. The Doe family has been authorized to then notify Faux News, which has agreed to disseminate the bush administration's propaganda. In a telephone interview yesterday, Mr. Doe was asked if he felt a great burden of responsibility. Doe stated, "No, not at all! It's what neighbors do for neighbors. I borrowed Rummy's power drill last week, this is the least I can do to repay him." Scott McClellan, White House press lackey, issued a statement saying that the process would be reviewed after the possible invasion when proper excuses could be offered. Liz Subject: Cheney Blasts Lawyer President Bush in a conversation with Cheney said, 'Nice Job Dickie, them lawyer fellas have been gettin a bit too uppity.' A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Rabbi Rudin Interview Rabbi James Rudin says of Christocrats in his interview with BuzzFlash:
That sounds like the Republican party, to me. Victoria Love Subject: Dead-Eye Dick Forget "Darth Cheney," the new nickname should be Dead-Eye Dick. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Open Letter to Howard Dean, "I'm Writing To Say Goodbye." Howard Dean Chairman Democratic National Committee February 10, 2006 Dear Howard, I’m writing to say goodbye. I’m off to join the Greens or Ralph Nader and the CUIP bunch, even the Libertarians—anybody who’ll fight what’s going on. It hurts badly, but I just can’t stay with you anymore. I thought I owed you an explanation because of our courtship during the presidential campaign. During that time I detected in you a fair measure of a quality that’s been sadly lacking in Democrats for much too long, that being a willingness to grapple with an opposition that’s fostering the ascendance of fascism. And wonder of wonders, you seemed willing to combat their effort with as much vigor as Democrats usually approach infighting among themselves. I was elated again when you were made leader of the Party. My hopes were rekindled, even if ever so slightly. But at a moment in history when the separation of powers and genuine allegiance to a living Constitution were literally on the line in the Alito Supreme Court nomination, Senate Democrats morphed into a collective Neville Chamberlain and chose appeasement at the cost of personal freedom and recognition of the Constitution as a lawful constraint on executive power. The failure to stave off Alito’s nomination will likely prove critical in its acquiescence of real power to the executive branch, a branch of government now dominated by elements willing to implement policies demonstrably akin to some of the worst employed by the enemy during WWII and the Cold War. This loss of power seems likely to be rendered permanent under the authority of recently confirmed Chief Justice Roberts, especially as indicated by his vote in the Oregon Death With Dignity case. Some of this administration’s wholly self-authorized behavior includes interrogation and imprisonment techniques found to be crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Tribunals. And Alito’s opinions regarding the unitary executive, along with scores of existing opinions authored and joined by Justices Scalia, Thomas and Anthony Kennedy, can be expected to herald further instances of the court ‘legitimizing’ ever more serious violations and shifts in real power. This isn’t simply a hard turn right, either, Howard. It’s a historic, landmark departure toward a unitary executive corporatocracy. That sounds exactly like Mussolini’s Italy to me. Among other things, there’s been a systematic erosion of the well-demarcated line that ostensibly separates the public and private sectors. Already real political power, until recently held exclusively by public governing bodies, is being exerted on a routine, daily basis by private corporations— entities that exist for the sole purpose of exacting a profit that’s ultimately provided by taxpayers. Military and police powers embodied in the mercenary and penal operations of Blackwater Security and Wackenhut Corporation bear this out, as do many of the varied and highly questionable practices of Halliburton’s wild child, Kellogg Brown and Root. How could you possibly let this happen, Howard? How can there possibly be a debate on whether or not the president has power to conduct warrantless clandestine NSA surveillance on American citizens? Common Americans held in thrall by fear intentionally propagated by administration officials and corporate media may have some doubts, but Howard, you and I know full well that the American Revolution was fought in very large part to remove this misuse of power from the hands of our nation’s original “unitary executive,” formerly known as ‘king.’ And Howard, it’s not just warrantless surveillance. It’s outrageous, paranoid intrusiveness joined with secretiveness and an utter dearth of accountability. It’s Capitol Hill lobbyists composing the actual verbiage of critical legislation directly and positively impacting their clients. It’s teetering health care stretched to its limits by insatiable dollar demands put on it by the insurance industry— a parasite intermediary that now dominates medical practice and altogether too often dictates life or death dispensation of treatment. It’s corporate welfare and destruction of the middle class and the environment. It’s the weaponization of space and the spurning of viable international treaties. It’s the deterioration of domestic infrastructure and a failing educational system. It’s an incessant pursuit of war and human exploitation. You see what I’m getting at Howard? Simply put, it’s evident that way too many Democrats care more about their political status and sinecures than they do their personal honor—when it’s called into play for upholding and defending the Constitution, genuinely serving the people of the United States and securing our freedoms. Virtually all the serious Democratic presidential pretenders are in favor of the Bush Doctrine of Preemptive Warfare. That’s just great. Among other things, it clearly indicates that just because Democrats don’t have a current poster boy for corruption in the same league as Jack Abramoff, they’ve consciously opted to continue their dependence on the oceans of easy special interest money to which political survival holds them equally hostage. So I’m out of here Howard, gone. Wish I could say it’s been fun. Starting well before Bill Clinton the Democrats had become GOP Lite. Today the Republic is reeling toward a completely totalitarian fascist state. In truth we’ve become a foreign invader seeking conquest and empire, the mortal enemy of a peaceful Earth. So I’m off to find political leadership that’s got some true moral integrity and courage left to fight with. You were OK Howard; you had some of it personally, but most of your friends and colleagues…Hoo boy! See ya, J. L. Mann P.S. I sent copies of this letter to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. I also sent it to everyone I care about who has an email address. Subject: Cheney Hey there - Cheney and friends have often enjoyed what is called "canned hunting," where domestic animals who aren't afraid of humans are trotted out to be fired upon by the rich and cowardly. Cheney and friends once knocked off hundreds of pheasants in one day. Was this one of those (disgusting, cowardly, sub-human) outings? Kerin Gould [BuzzFlash Note: It's our understanding this one was not a canned hunt. Cheney was a guest at the Armstrong ranch, which is private property.] Subject: Can't get the story straight, either The gang that can't shoot straight had a hard time getting everyone on board for their "story" --- but finally, three days later, CBS excised their mention that Cheney's Secret Service prevented local authorities from questioning Cheney on Saturday night, and now The New York Times IMPLIES that Cheney was interviewed....Saturday night! I say "implies" because if you parse it carefully, they say the sheriff sent his deputy that night and then in a separate sentence they also say that deputy interviewed Cheney...they don't precisely say Cheney was interviewed that night, but they imply it. (excerpt and link below) The Secret Service spokesperson confirms they "made arrangements" that Cheney be interviewed the next morning and that is what happened, so why did both The New York Times and CBS excise the part where the deputy was PREVENTED from speaking with Cheney Saturday night? Several excerpts and links below. Sheriff Salinas said he sent his chief deputy, Gilbert Sanmiguel, to the Armstrong Ranch that night. He said Mr. Sanmiguel interviewed Mr. Cheney and reported that the shooting was an accident. Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said that about an hour after Cheney shot Whittington, the head of the Secret Service‘s local office called the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. "They made arrangements at the sheriff‘s request to have deputies come out and interview the vice president the following morning at 8 a.m. and that indeed did happen," Zahren said.
[NOTE: IN THE LINK ABOVE ... http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/13/national/main1309344.shtml ... CBS HAS SINCE EXCISED THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT THAT SS BARRED THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES FROM SPEAKING TO CHENEY THAT NIGHT]
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Thanks for Nothing Schumer and the DNC Hi BuzzFlash and its Readers, Thanks For Nothing Senator Schumer and The DNC!! God, am I pissed!! Here I support any IRAQ WAR VETERAN who can SHOVE IT IN THE FACES OF CONGRESS and THE WHITE HOUSE, The Republican Party and The Democratic Party who supported the Iraq War and The DNC and Schumer proceed to turn around and spit in Paul Hackett's Face!! http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/politics/14ohio.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Who's next to get "A Democratic Spit Job" by The DNC and Democratic Members of Congress?? Will it be the Sixty-Five Soldiers who are running for Congress and who have formed the 'Band of Brothers' with their mentor, Senator Max Cleland?? With Democratic Vets in Congress, we would have people that know the "Smell of Dead People," who will know the "Sight of Amputated Soldiers" and who would know the "TRUE COST" of WAR. We no longer will have an Entire (or 99.9% of) Congress with No Military Knowledge or Experience and who continuously are Lapdogs for Bush. Instead, the DNC and Schumer go out and DISSES THESE VETERANS. When are they going to Support the Soldiers? Support the Afghanistan War and Be Against "The Wrong War" (not soldiers) in Iraq? I support All Soldiers and Want them in Afghanistan to get a forgotten bastard named Osama bin Laden, who attacked us. Remember him? The News Media sure as hell doesn't remember him!! As of Monday, February 13th, it is already 1,020 Days since Bush's 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' stunt Carrier Landing for the Iraq War! Remember? Sorry Bush but it sure as hell looks like it is anything but FINISHED! If it was Accomplished, Bush, then where the hell is Osama Bin Laden who financed the attack? Face it Bush, you don't give a damn about him!! You got "your man" (with our soldier's lives) who tried to kill your daddy and that's it! Now it's onto IRAN for others to die (none from your family) for YOUR OIL! I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm cutting Up My DNC Card and will Look For A Real Opponent Party vs The Republicans and the DEMOCRATIC wannabee Republicans Politicians! God, am I pissed!! Popular Ohio Democrat Drops Out of Race, and Perhaps Politics (NY Times) Tom Wieliczka Subject: Caught in the Crossfire: The Cheney Affair Reports about why the White House didn't say anything about the Vice President's hunting accident in Texas are off. Here's the unofficial transcript of behind the scenes activities in the White House. Saturday afternoon. A call came into the White House from Texas about the shooting. "Someone shot at Vice President Cheney," was the breathless call. Swiftly the White House Communications Team prepared a news report. President Bush was said to have been appalled when learning of the shooting. "Vice President Cheney dodged a bullet," he said. "If we'd had the Terrorist Surveillance Program that I've specifically asked for from Congress, we would have known about this plot and prevented it before it happened." "Terrorist Attack Confirmed in Texas," read the the planned page one Washington Post headline. They ran it by the WH to make sure their facts were right. "No, no," came the correction from Texas. "Vice President Cheney didn't dodge a bullet." Armed with the correction, the White House planned a press release. "It's been confirmed that Vice President Cheney has been shot. We suspect an al Qaida operative is behind it. All flights in and out of the United States will be halted until we find out who did this and bring them to justice. 'I am calling upon Congress to authorize ten billion dollars to establish a bi-partisan Senate committee to investigate this incident and authorize any force I deem necessary to stop future attacks on vice presidents,' President Bush was quoted as saying." An update came in from Texas. "Vice President Cheney hasn't been shot, and no one shot at him. He was the shooter. Vice President Cheney shot someone else." "Was it Molly Ivins?" the White House asked. "No, it was an accidental shooting." "Did anyone die?" the White House asked. "No, someone else in the hunting party picked up a little bird shot, is all." "Was it an oil exec?" "No." "Lobbyist?" "No." "Was it an Olympic Athlete? Paris Hilton? Brittney Spears, or someone on American Idol?" "No, no, no, and no. It was another Republican." "A Pioneer?" "No." "Oh." There was silence from the White House. "Well, then, why are you bothering us with this now? There's nothing to report here. We'll just save this for a day or two. The delay will drive the press nuts and distract them from covering the real news." Michael Seidel Subject: Done with the Democrats I just learned that the Democrats have withdrawn support of Ohio Senate hopeful and Iraq War vet, Paul Hackett. There is something seriously fishy going on here, folks. Forget the Cheney hunting mishap. For anyone concerned about the future of America, the Hackett story is the biggest news of the day. Maybe even the year. If I didn't know better -- and I DON'T know better -- I would swear the Dem's and the GOP have a gentleman's agreement to run America into the ground. A covert agreement to pretend to be opponents while jointly conceding everything to corporations (at the expense of the poor and the middle class, of course). Hackett is charismatic, feisty, a vet and a very vociferous critic of the Bush administration. The guy is an absolute star -- just the sort of politician any intelligent party would cultivate. Hackett's shoddy treatment by the Dems underscores the party's ineptitude, stupidity and total disinterest in leadership. I never used to be a conspiracy theorist until the current administration took office. Since then, I have watched in horror as the Democrats play nice with the most corrupt administration in recent memory. It's time we started calling the Dems what they really are: APPEASERS. The same kind of look-the-other-way appeasers that allowed the Nazi party to seize power in Germany. Gore and Kerry didn't even put up a fight for the White House amidst rampant election fraud rumors. Since those losses, the Dems have largely refused to go on the offensive against the GOP. They wouldn't filibuster Alito. Now Hackett. I, for one, am done with the Democrats. They have become a party of spineless jellyfishes and professional politicians. There's no way they can retake the House or the Senate, let alone the White House. It's time we stop supporting these clowns and talk about a wholesale restructuring of the party. Paul Hackett: My Own Party is Afraid 2/15 Robert Parry: The Paul Hackett Withdrawal from the Ohio Senate Race 2/15 A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: The President Strikes Out On all three reasons for going to war against Iraq: weapons of mass destruction, ties to al Qaeda and turning it into a democracy. While he quickly got called strikes on the first two reasons, he's managed, by hook and crook, to avoid a called strike on the third reason. Now he says he's willing to settle for less than democracy? Strike three. That's it. He's out! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Cheney Incident Probably a pellet entered a neck vessel and migrated to Whittington's heart. Bad enough, but not quite the same as having been "shot in the heart." As much as I'm horrified by the antics of our "leaders" I see no point in making the incident more dramatic than it already is. Our side just loses credibility. What really hurts is that this, too, will probably be blindly accepted by the sheeple as a "non-incident" and will quietly and quickly pass away. Anne Subject: Cheney's Hunting Accident Some progressive blogs are saying that Cheney was drunk when he shot Harry Whittington. I doubt that there will be any charges brought against him, since 11 beers do not constitute a case. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Spine of a Jellyfish? Dear BuzzFlash: I am pleased that you printed the response to my letter of February 10 regarding how hate motivates everything Bush does from Lawton Watson of Springdale, Ar. (I live in Fayetteville and work in Springdale.) Mr. Watson points out the dismal record of Arkansas' two U.S. Senators, Lincoln and Pryor, and although I hate to do it, I must concur and add even more pathetic news to the brew. Neither Senator opposed Justice Alito. Both criticize Bush to the local media but seem to lose their backbone when it comes to legislation. Both being Democrats, it's a case of birds of a feather. The worst part is, Sen. Blanche Lincoln has not responded to any of my letters despite the fact I have written several to her, Senator Pryor and Rep. Boozman, our 3rd District Republican Congressman. Pryor responds, sometimes a little late, but Rep. Boozman responds quickly and even includes a personal note to me, having met me once in a meeting over postal reform. I don't agree with Boozman on most issues, but I do appreciate his recognition of the concerns of his constituents. Sen. Lincoln on the other hand, apparently has better things to do with her time than write back to me. I find this insulting and it convinces me she has no real concern for the welfare of Arkansans suffering under the Bush tyrannical state. Yes, Sen. Lincoln, you're a busy person. However, if your two colleagues can find the time to write the occasional letter, why can't you? A Democrat who won't uphold Democratic ideals and ignores her constituents is no better than the most radical Republican. I suggest strongly that both Senators start fighting back against Bush and do it now. Your job and the country's fate depend on it. Scott Subject: I should have known (Tuesday) This is a hell of a lot more serious than they are telling us. I need to apologize for actually swallowing the idea that the White House wasn't downplaying this too much. Of course they are, they always either blow minor things out of proportion or downplay serious things. I just heard on NPR that Whittington has suffered a minor heart attack. The doctor said they knew from the "get-go" that there were pellets near his heart and that if the pellets they left in haven't formed scar tissue they can move and cause a lot of problems. Anyone wondering why it took so long to get him to the hospital, even in a helicopter, this is it. It is likely that had he not had the best doctors following Cheney he may have been really bad off. Let me express my dissatisfaction with the headline MSNBC chose to put on their website, "Cheney shootee has heart attack." Shootee? I doubt they would have described any other person as the shootee of a hunter. He is at the very least the victim of a hunting accident by a careless hunter. "The department gave Cheney and the victim, prominent Republican attorney Harry Whittington, warning citations for breaking Texas hunting law by failing to buy a $7 stamp allowing them to shoot upland game birds." The victim got a citation as well. Isn't enough to get shot. Scotty will be up a creek without a paddle when the poop hits the propellers. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11340558/ Speak up or they assume you agree!!! ABB Karen Webb [BuzzFlash Note: It looks like MSNBC changed their headline: Cheney shooting accident has political echoes (MSNBC).] Subject: It was BUCKshot NOT bird shot
That's not light BIRD shot, that's serious BUCKSHOT. What the hell was this asshole drinking? Buckshot size report: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/14/cheney/index.html A BuzzFlash Reader [BuzzFlash Note: MSNBC says: "According to a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report issued Monday ... neither Cheney, who wielded a .28-gauge Perazzi shotgun loaded with 7.5 bird shot, nor Whittington appeared to be under the influence of intoxicants or drugs." The Chicago Tribune says: "Cheney was using 7 1/2 shot from a 28-gauge shotgun. Shotgun pellets typically are made of steel or lead; the pellets in 7 1/2 shot are just under one-tenth of an inch in diameter." Miriam-Webster defines buckshot as "lead shot that is from .24 to .33 inch (about 6.1 to 8.4 millimeters) in diameter."] Subject: Hunting For once, I found something of yours overstated: A similar incident under Brezhnev never would have seen the light of day. After all, he didn't have Fox "News" Channel to describe the pellets as "bee-bees." Yes, they did! S. Subject: Just a thought From an article BuzzFlash directed me to:
Tell me if I am wrong. But, wouldn't you think that consensual sex in the White House is part of the President's, or VP's, private life, not public one? Such incredible hypocrisy. Sincerely, Bonnie M. Matheson Subject: Question re: Cheney Shooting/blaming the victim One of the first things out of administration mouthpieces' mouths when this story went public was that Witless Whittington "should have announced himself when he returned to the hunting line" after fetching a bird. This, of course, flies in the face of the basic responsibilities drilled into the mind of every twelve-year-old when he gets his first .22 rifle, but it's their story and therefore needs to be dealt with. So what about the stock photo that all the news outlets are showing of Cheney and friends standing waste-deep in grass blazing away with a shotgun? In this picture he's wearing big-ass ear-protectors; a questionable accouterment for a group hunt. Does anyone know if the VP is in the habit of wearing ear protectors when he hunts, or should we view this photo as an anomaly? If he was wearing such a device ... then it's just a little disingenuous to assert that a failure on the victim's part to sound-off played any role at all in the shooting. Ken Duerksen [BuzzFlash Note: Here's the AP photo from 2002. Cheney is wearing ear protectors while hunting quail.] Subject: Paul Hackett Hey Folks, Everybody, including you, are making legitimate commentary about the late reporting of Cheney's hunting accident, but here it is, a day after the more important, to me, story of Paul Hackett leaving the race for Senate from Ohio, because the Democratic leadership is nothing more than Republican-lite and not a word. What is going on? I have said for years that there are only minor differences between the two parties and once again the truth of this belief is being borne out by the actions of the 'players'. Enough of these two criminal parties. Cover the real progressives who will make a difference. I understand that there will be some progressives who will choose to work within the confines of this ill-begotten system by being Democrats but this Hackett business just proves that they are hamstrung by their association with the powers that be. It's time for a real power change. Please cover more of the people who can do this. Robert Parry: The Paul Hackett Withdrawal from the Ohio Senate Race 2/15 Paul Hackett: My Own Party is Afraid 2/15 Thomas Sheffield Subject: Braveheart Revisited - Corrections “I AM WILLIAM WALLACE!” I see a whole army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny… You have come to fight as free men, and free men you are! What will you do with this freedom? Will you fight? (Response) No we will run and we shall live. Fight and you may die. Run and you may live..at least awhile. And dying on your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, To come back here and tell your enemies that they can take our lives, but they can never take our FREEDOM! Tim Krause Hi BF, I want every Democratic VOTER to become an INDEPENDENT ... These people are not worthy of our vote and if every DEM voter did so we could get rid of them and replace them with a new STRONG party. Paul Hackett's case is disgraceful - a guy who fought for his country is now being denied a run for office by his OWN party yet. The DEMS surround themselves with a bunch of losers. Donna Brazile still has her job even though Al Gore lost his run for office. These people should be thrown out of the party when they can't get their guy elected. She, however, is not the only one that still has her job. Carville is yet another all talk and NO action. Throw em all out is the way to go and accomplish something for the DEM party. Margaret Miller Subject: Re: Wednesday's Top Five BuzzFlash Headlines Did you ever stop to think that this is a very Rovian move to focus the media on the Cheney-Whittington issue? Just think at all the stories that you're not covering: four deaths in Afghanistan, the renewal of the Patriot Act, the fact that 7 billion dollars in oil/gas leases are being awarded without requiring royalties, Chertoff's testimony on Hurricane Katrina was delayed because of a Senate vote on a MAJOR tax bill, there's on ongoing war in Iraq with a $120 million supplemental funds request (not in the budget). And what else are they trying to slip under our noses? I suggest you look at the Cheney shooting as a Red Herring. Did it really happen? I wouldn't put anything past these people. WAKE UP. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Wrong question Why does he continue to support Mr. Bush? Maybe that's the wrong question. Let me explain. My brother voted for Bush. He crossed three states to attend his inauguration in 2000. There's a large glossy picture of George and Laura propped up on his computer desk and at one time he was sending monthly donations to the GOP, even though he can't afford it. I could not understand how he could continue to support Bush after all the damage he's done to the country, all the lies and corruption. I realized I was asking the wrong question. First, my brother does not read newspapers or follow political news. Therefore he is largely unaware of what is really happening. When I send him factual articles, his response is: "That's just propaganda," or "You can't believe everything you read." It was only until recently that I realized his loyalty to Bush is based on two things: (1) he's "folksy" (i.e., not "elitist") and (2) my brother hates Clinton (because of the Monica thing). When you divide the world into Bush haters and Clinton haters, and align yourself with the camp you most identify with, that's your world view (long after Clinton is no longer even in the picture). So no matter what facts you present, no matter how many thousands back you up, it won't matter. "You're a Liberal. You love Clinton. You hate Bush. You can't possibly understand my world view and I find yours repulsive." End of story. Can it really be as simple as that? That we're still fighting the endless war between the "Thems" and the "Us's", the eternal clash of conflicting beliefs? If that's the case, there is no solution. This is as old as time itself. Sigh. A Buzzer Subject: Finally you think clearly But consider another possibility, which is also an explanation for all of the above: that the story that Bush was told about Cheney’s key role Saturday night may not be true…that the president was among the millions of Americans that Cheney wanted to keep in the dark about this detail. (Greg Mitchell/Editor & Publisher) Bruce Springsteen quote:
A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Timing of the Cheney Shooting Is Suspicious Has anybody considered that this shooting took place just as Scooter Libby was singing his lungs out about Cheney? Could it be that Cheney actually shot his lawyer to draw attention away from the Plame scandal? I can see the consultation with a tough-talking Texas lawyer: Harry: Now, what we need is something spectacular. Something to draw attention away from that Plame mess. Dick: What do you have in mind? Harry: Shoot me. Shoot me in the face. Dick: You have to be kidding. Harry: Come on, I can take it. Give me your best shot. Pepper me real good. Dick: I don't know if that's the best idea... Harry: Here, take a swig of this to steady your nerves. Dick: Won't the police look for alcohol use? Harry: Your the Vice President of the United States! You don't have to talk to any local sheriff. Dick: Well...OK. Stand still. I'm not real good at shooting animals unless they're tied down to the ground. The timing is really odd. John Lally Subject: Don't Make Waves I just finished reading the story about Paul Hackett, Iraq vet, who has dropped out of the race for an Ohio Senate seat. How dare they? How dare Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer put political pressure on Mr. Hackett to drop out in lieu of a more "established" member of the Democratic Party? Who in the hell do they think they are? It is the Paul Hacketts of this country, who have served honorably in this administration's botched and illegal war, who SHOULD be running for office. From what I have read about Mr. Hackett, he would be an "ideal" candidate and certainly one I would cast a ballot for. It appears the leaders of the Democratic Party are totally missing the boat. Who better to be an example of what the Democratic Party stands for than a Iraqi war vet who has served this country honorably? Most people I know, myself included, are "fed up" with established politicians and are eagerly looking for "new" blood, "new" faces, "new" ideas, and above all, people who have a demonstrated record of character, honesty, and integrity. Do you have an e-mail address for Mr. Hackett? I would like to write to him and encourage him to run as an independent. Our country needs people like Paul Hackett. Any modicum of respect I had for Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer has evaporated. I am an independent who has normally supported the Democratic Party, but this is one step over the line (by Reid and Schumer) that I think is too over the top. Lisa J. [BuzzFlash Note: Hackett's campaign web site has a "contact" link.] CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE FEBRUARY 15, 2006 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG
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