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| March 29, 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: First They Came for the Public Schools As far back as 1950, the iconic University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman wrote in his book Capitalism that, "The privatization of schooling would produce a new highly active and profitable industry." Friedman is the ideological godfather of today's assault on the public school system across the country. From the world's richest human being Bill Gates to the world's most powerful corporate entity Wal-Mart and the Walton Family Foundation to the billionaire mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, the enemies of public education can dip into a bottomless well of money to execute their mission. They carry political leaders around in their pockets like so much loose change. The President of the United States and the governors of Florida, California, Texas and New York are just a few who belong to their "destroy disguised as reform" movement. Our nation's history recalls public education as a partner of the abolition of slavery in a grand post-Civil War experiment in expanded democracy. Their dream is to arrest and reverse this expansion. They are men unsated by billions in profits plying young people with X-Boxes, iPods, Big Macs, Air Jordans, cell phones, Sprite, MTV, and B.E.T. They want their cake and they want to eat it, too. Their appetite includes the transfer of billions of dollars in annual public school funding into their own pockets. They will have a downsized and exclusive for-profit school system to train and educate only the children created in their own image and likeness. But the American people's deep reverence for equal opportunity stands between the privateers and their mission. For that reason their designs must be concealed behind the facade of education reform and the smokescreen of school choice. Genuine reforms like class-size reduction and increased teacher salaries are violently opposed. The principle of increasing budgetary outlays to build a more effective homeland defense does not seem to apply to public education. Instead they employ weapons of mass deception that include voucher programs, merit or performance pay plans for teachers, charter schools, and canards like the so-called "65% solution." Then there is the most potent weapon in their arsenal - standardized testing. They bludgeon 9- and 10-year-old children, parents, teachers, administrators, elected school boards and whole school districts with it. You failed! You are a failure! You are failing! Yours is an F-school! Strange how something so uplifting is confined to the public schools, but testing is for public schools only! Start testing the pre-teen child in the third grade. Keep testing every year until the schools become testing factories and then testing sweatshops where children labor to no useful end. The music, art, dance, theater, physical education and vocational classes are for private schools. Recess and field trips are for rich kids! With these tools they have battered public schools as Hurricane Katrina did the Gulf Coast. The ensuing New Orleans-style exodus has transformed those schools into America's Superdome. Huddled inside now are the mostly Black, Latino and white children of poor and working-class parents. Their broken bodies and spirits will be found amid the wreckage after the very idea of universal public education has been demolished. Paul A. Moore Subject: I am so sick of him I am so sick of him. So utterly, completely, sick of him. Mentally, psychologically, spiritually and yes, physically, sick of him. So sick of him that every morning when my homepage opens up to BuzzFlash and the first thing I see is those beady, evil eyes, I have to quickly scroll down the page so I don't have to look at him. So sick of him that the sound of that petulant, whiny, defensive, ignorant voice creates a visceral, immediate reaction and I have to change the radio station. So utterly disgusted by him that three years ago I gave away my television in order to cut down on the number of intrusions per day by news media talking about him him him him him. I am sick to death of the lies. A constant, daily barrage of lies that never ceases to amaze me with its blatant, arrogant confidence that yes, here is a lie, folks, and I just dare you to call me on it. And guess what? NO ONE dares. Not one single Democrat, Progressive, or conservative politician has dared to stand up and say, "You are a liar. A murderous liar. And we will not stand for your lies another minute." Only Cindy Sheehan has dared to call him a liar and ask for the truth. For which she has been vilified, and has, of course, received no answer. The murder, the slaughter, the explosions, the maiming, the blood enrage me, the absolute horror of a so-called war brought about by the mere whim of this empty shell of a human being of him. How sick, how tired, how hopelessly futile is my inability to do anything to stop this nightmare. How sick I am of feeling this rage. I am so sick of him! I am psychologically affected by my worry about the future that awaits my child. I am tired of waking up in the middle of the night after dreams of Armageddon brought about by a cackling sociopath who prays for the 'honor' of bringing about the End Times that he believes is his destiny. I am shocked by my rage. I am a peaceful person. I am a lover. A mother. A sister. A good friend. I volunteer. I raise money for those less fortunate. But I hate him. Yes I do. I hate his guts and everything he says and does. I have never hated anyone in my life. But I do hate him. And for those who say they don't hate the man but hate his actions, I say, I hate the man and I hate his actions, because they are one and the same. You are what you do. And he is Hitler reincarnated. He is a mass murderer. He is an empty shell, void of humanity. And he deserves to be hated, and I do hate him. And I do not have a problem with that. I feel hopeless and powerless. Each day I talk myself into working so hard to make my living, and most of all, working so hard to show my child that Life is Beautiful and we should be grateful, because we do have so much. We are healthy, we have a nice place to live and good food to eat and people who love us. And we have each other. But when I see God's beautiful planet being destroyed by this stupid, stupid man-boy, this swaggering bully without one ounce of conscience or Love of Life, I am so afraid for the future and for my child. And I am so tired of that fear. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Well, fear is here. Brought to you by him, and him alone. His cult of personality has set the entire world against us, and we have good reason to fear. I am so sick of him. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Lieberman vs. Lamont Mr. Santori, adjust your meds and calm down! Last I checked, this is still--allegedly--a democracy and we are the party that allows you to support the candidate of your choice! As for Joe Lieberman, it is more than his support of the war that has Liberals and others upset. Lieberman has been nothing but an apologist for the bush administration almost from the start. How close is Lieberman to the bushites? His name has been bandied about for months as a possible replacement for Rumsfeld. Lieberman has lost the support of most true Democrats for more than his stance on single issue--go look up his quote about Condi Rice upon her confirmation to Secretary of State. He has put up no opposition of any sort for any of bush's far right appointees or his agenda. So, yes, Lieberman will probably go on to win the primary. People tend to go with the elder statesman who has 'influence' in D.C. But there will be many who will vote their conscience and many more who will cast a statement: that they are very unhappy with Lieberman's brand of politics. But, Joe will have another hurdle to clear come November: the general election. And those in Connecticut have proved themselves to be rather independent in their voting patterns. Just imagine all of those Lamont voters 'pulling the lever' for the Republican candidate. The sad thing is: if the Republican opponent wins in November, there will be little or no difference in the manner in which Connecticut has been represented. Liz Subject: Two Amazing Things Today Hi Buzzers: I saw two amazing things today that really cheered me. One thing was a small thing really: this morning before work, I saw my first morning doves ever. They are supposedly indigenous to our part of the world, but I had never seen them before. I was awestricken and they made my day. The second most amazing thing I saw was when I watched Democracy Now after work today. I saw the image of the march for immigrant rights. While I realize that this particular issue is a hot topic for many of both political spheres, one cannot but, be awed by the sheer numbers swelling the streets in the demand for what they believe. I am beyond awestricken; I am elevated to the inspiration of what could be accomplished if we commoners, both in the US and in Canada, could do if we could engender this kind of support against the corporate agendas that are fuelling the inequities that are now abounding globally. I fully support the marching Latino immigrants in the demands to stop the lunacy of the bill to make them criminals for merely exercising the ability to migrate out of necessity to survive today's global economic pressures. Considering how well NAFTA has served Canadians, Mexicans, and Americans in general, we should start demanding that it be abolished. It has done nothing for the average, non-elite blue collar worker in these three countries, but brings economic woes. While non-documented immigrants have always existed in our three countries, they have never flourished as extensively as since NAFTA has been established. We are all losing under this 'free trade' agreement because of the demands placed on the labourer in all our countries. Has free trade agreements ever improved your lives beyond getting cheap labour to do your gardening or pool cleaning? And another question, would you be willing to follow the harvests? If not, who do you think is going to do it if not the migrant labourers? Who is cleaning your house if not you? Marie-France Subject: Apocalyptic Times -- Maureen Farrell for BuzzFlash.com Great article, but chilling. How many of us, in the past 5 years, have wondered if something like this could be in the minds of far right-wing christian conservatives? I know many of them...relatives, even. My cousin is the one who sent me the clipping someone had sent her about 'the Q'uran speaking of the Prince from the west coming, and an Eagle also came out of the darkness.....etc...etc." And I would not hear it...I first called the library...and one lady there...put my mind at ease very soon. As the Chapter of the Q'uran was supposed to be '9' and the verse ''ll'' ... it was a little too convenient! Having come from small towns all my life, until my move to St. Louis, I had been around very much of the 'Made Up" things of small town right-wing Christian life. Our Gideon version of the Bible, for instance' says that God turned water into wine....but, the far right ladies of the church, being so against alcohol, said, that actually in reality, they thought he turned water into grape juice! I always frowned at that, wondering if we were to take the Bible literally, how could we change it to meet our thoughts? Anyway, the library lady...said first of all, there is no chapter -9- and no verse -ll- so I had to write back and tell said cousin that. Since then she has researched a little more before sending these things....and she is pissed at Bush because he is taking her single elderly benefits away....sad to say, we are all getting our benefits taken away! The lady told me that nowhere....NOWHERE...in the Q'uran does it ever mention an Eagle...nor a Prince from the West! I read also in the paper one of these days since I returned, that Pat Robertson had thought his life would be complete, if Bush appointed three new Supreme Court Justices.....he said two was better than none! I don't like anything that Pat Robertson does...so that bothered me. So far as the Tribulation....Rapture....End of times....whatever anyone calls it, I remember as a 6 year old going to one of the most Faaaaaaar right wing churches in a small town of 3000....and the Minister, as all were, even when I was in High School......told us in no uncertain times...'We were living in the last days," I had a Mother in Law (very far to the right, rest her soul) who warned me that if John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1959, that would be the beginning of the Tribulation (??). Now, those were all just, I call them, "Know it alls," that infested every tiny little town back in the fifties and sixties...but, I really thought that they were no more! But....ever since the Bush Administration took the reins...I've had this idea, when he said that he thought God had wanted him to go into Iraq, sort of made the hair on the nape of my neck stand up....and one line he spoke in one of the many documentaries I have...a line in a speech, "We are too great of a nation to allow the evildoers to destroy our soooouuullll!!!" Spoken like a three syllable word, I remember, he did not even look like himself at that time...but the words haunted me. I think he does think he is the second coming...and how do we know what chemicals he took...or how anything he did could effect him or his mind? I think back when he was getting all the love, the accolades, when those people who crossed over and voted for him, just enough to give it away...even though another man actually won, Gore supporters were being made to look like fools, losers, etc. It was not just Gore who left the playing field...anyone who has Bush supporters in the family, knows what it felt like. But, the frightening thing was, that we could all see the evil in him! I have one child left who would fight for him...and it saddens me. But, the other two have seen the light...too late, but they have! We need to play down the rhetoric about Bush being a Godly man...he is not...he is a cold blooded killer who may have a twisted mind! He is a pathological liar...and is surrounded by a group of pathological liars...who boost him up for their monetary and personal gain! We must get out of this...or our trials and tribulations will come about when the country is broken and bankrupt...and he is off on some farm clearing brush ... or hidden in a safe house type, which is where we will surely find Cheney and Rumsfeld. Shirley.................St. Louis Subject: More on Immigration The president spoke today about immigration on television. Some of what he said I found strangely enough that I can agree with but a couple of things I found disturbing. I do think that people who have already been in this country and are working right now should be entitled to have a chance to work here and be allowed to work towards the naturalization process. I do not understand why they want to be in the U.S.A. right now, however. I would much rather be in Canada if I could live and work there. But we do not know what it is like really in Mexico and what possesses the people there to come here, except that the wages here could be more here than they can earn in their homeland. I do believe that perhaps we should have stronger security at the border but is it feasible to have perfect security? Making fences at the border-is that really the solution? Why don't we just build a big wall like China did to keep out their enemies? (No offense, it is one of the most amazing wonders of the world.) This to me, seems very unwelcoming and perhaps going too far, like we have on many other things since 9-ll. The thing that disturbs me most is that Bush seemed to call for more of these "detention camps" to be built to house illegal aliens. Our government has already been spying on us electronically, what makes us possibly think that they won't go a step further and start to imprison natural-born or naturalized citizens within these confines in the near future? Long ago, about 4 centuries ago, there was a big problem with the prison population in England. Men, women, and children were imprisoned in overcrowded filthy prisons and had to drink bad water, eat bad food, live in squalid conditions with bad sewage conditions. Some of these men, women, and children were put in prison because a child might have stolen an apple or another person said a lie about another and the hearsay was believed rather than determined properly in a court of law. The English government then decided this was getting to be a real problem. Too many people were in overcrowded prisons and it was very costly (and possibly the cause for the heavy taxation later that caused us in America to rebel later on-that and the oppressions of the government.), so they shipped prisoners to Australia to a place called Botany Bay in ships with conditions much like those our early ancestors here had to endure when they came to America. In this day and age of what is supposed to be civilization and enlightenment, do we really want to go back to these times again? I don't think so. We must decide if we want to or not. We seem to think since 9-11 that we must have such a control over everything that has to do with security that we just step on our neighbors' toes, infringe upon their rights, and tell them literally what to think, what to wear, how to eat-what next, is it going to be when or how to go to the bathroom, will that be next? (Sorry to sound like I am crude but it sometimes seems it is that ridiculous.) Think about it. People, we all have free wills and that does not mean we should abuse others by just doing whatever we want, but this total control thing is not the answer, either. That is why we must learn to co-exist and learn to walk with God (whoever we perceive him to be to us) and our neighbor, not step all over their toes and their personal lives. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Permanent Bases I do not understand why he issue of permanent bases in Iraq is not getting any coverage. It is one of the most important reasons for the invasion/occupation, possibly alongside Saddam's switch to conducting oil business in euros. Even the Congress is allegedly demanding (ha ha) answers about the bases, for which construction they have been writing checks for two years. please expose this subject! Wendy Davis Subject: Blatant Far-right Moderation on the AARP Board I hope someone will look into the blatantly unfair moderation on the AARP board. Non-wingers' posts are being moderated and censored arbitrarily even though they do not violate TOS while far-righters on the board rarely get moderated no matter how often and how much they violate TOS. The AARP board has been a place where people could speak freely and learn the truth about what is happening in the US and the world. Now that is threatened as more and more non-wingers get demoralized from the unfair and biased moderation. I hope that someone with better investigative skills and tools than I have will look into this. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Censorship on the AARP Board As a long time member of AARP, I frequent their blog board on legislative issues. Recently there has been an attempt to silence those who challenge right wing propaganda there. The AARP moderators, who I understand are a service hired by AARP to monitor the board and see to it that posters abide by a "Terms of Service." This TOS has recently been used as a shield to ban certain outspoken liberal members of the board. When these people questioned AARP about alleged"violations," they were given no specifics, yet the right wingers were allowed to insult with no consequences. Only after a large effort by many outstanding members who spoke up and raised the issue, were two of these people restored. I am one of the most civil and respectful members of the board. I may attack a message, but never the messenger. My concern is that considering the way in which these other members were treated, I too may soon be targeted. I think this matter needs a little public attention. While investigating the TOS, I came across this:
It seems that AARP wants to use original works of others as they see fit. So, I sent them this - to which I have received no reply.
I am beginning to think AARP has become mostly a commercial enterprise. John Subject: Did Everyone Feel that Quake in Los Angeles this Weekend?? The Senate panel on immigration sure did, because it approved a much softer bill than the draconian measure that they'd previously been considering, in which anyone doing anything to help an undocumentado would be guilty of a felony. This sudden Senate cave-in shows for the umpty-umpth time that a people united can never be defeated. And this victory also demonstrates that when it comes to mobilization, spontaneity wins hands down over the canned, planned long in advance, variety. Invariably it's more egalitarian, spirited; and why not? It's the stuff of revolution! It's continuing, too, because rallies are planned for tomorrow, so the opportunity is here for us to seize not just the moment but the world and to never let go! How? By adding troops home from Iraq to the rallying cries and down with NAFTA, and health care for all, and so on and so forth. Put these together and what have we got? Another world, that's what! Out in the streets everyone, not just to participate but to lead! We can't let this one get away! A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Newspapers Losing Readers Last night (3/27/06), my television was tuned to The Nightly Business Report, although I was busy doing other things and not paying much attention to it. I focused in on it in time to hear this one man say something about newspapers losing readers and perhaps the papers weren't exciting enough. I immediately responded, "No, it's because they aren't giving us the real news." We know the NY Times is out of touch with reality as they thought including more religious news would increase their circulation, and now this man says newspapers aren't exciting enough. If this is indicative of the thinking of today's newspaper executives, the newspaper business is living in the same fantasy dimension as baby bush and his followers. R. M. Johnson Subject: The question rages: How does Boehner get that tan? Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) has long been one of Congress's lead travelers to sunny places, but now he's also the House majority leader. That means he has the opportunity to lead his caucus and the entire institution toward meaningful anti-corruption reform. But so far — despite running as a 'reformer' for the majority leader — Boehner has backed away from any ban on lobbyist-funded travel. Why? Maybe because it's hard to stay bronze without the help of some trips to luxury golf destinations. http://cleanercongress.org/thescoop/20060327/index.php A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Well, at least there's SOME good news! Dear Buzzers -- Republicans in several states are leaving the party and/or picking their candidates on the basis of whether they're "pro-choice" or "anti-choice" regarding women's rights to both abortion and contraception. (Rose Aguilar, AlterNet, 3/28 article "No Room in the Big Tent.") And these include LIFE-LONG Republicans. (It's hard for me to understand why they stuck around for so long in the first place, given all the corruption/BS/greed/war-mongering they've been through over the decades, but I give them credit for announcing that they've finally decided they've had enough. Remember all those people opening their windows and shouting, along with Peter Finch, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it any more?" Sounds like "deja vu all over again." Of course the news isn't ALL good. We've got to find some Democrats with guts to woo these Republican evacuees, or we'll stay in the same sinking boat we're in today. So far, these brave Dems are about as hard to identify as the ivory-billed woodpecker! But the rest of them had better learn -- FAST -- if they have any hope of capturing either the House or the Senate in 2006, not to mention the Presidency (well, by 2008, it might be called the Kingship), two years later. Still, it helped to read this piece. Not ALL Republican voters are as backward as their official party line suggests. Even though they got it later in life, I'm happy that they finally picked up the cosmic phone and got the message: the ship is sinking fast, and if you want to stay afloat, change your vote! P.S. Also heard that "Andy" Card has resigned. Hmmm. Wonder what HE's about to be indicted for. Democrats (I mean the Senators and Reps -- not to mention the strategists, since it's hard to tell if there ARE any these days) had better wake up like...say four years ago (oh, well...I'll settle for today) and get their message out. There ARE moderate to semi-liberal Republicans out here, but the Dems aren't making many efforts, at least that I see, to reach out to them. In other words, they're selling out us progressives/liberals. What if Jefferson, Franklin, John Hancock, and all the other signers of the Declaration of Independence had caved to (THEN) King George?? Are we going to let these thugs sell us out and continue to gut our Constitutional rights??? HELL, NO!!! Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Bumper Sticker Here's a new one: I Never Thought I'd Miss Nixon. R. Custis Subject: "Today I Weep for My Country!"
Have we seen enough coffins come home? Has our money been used well in Iraq? Was invading a country without justification worth the loss of lives, money and our world reputation? How many enemies have we made in a hopeless occupation that has no end in sight? Has a preemptive strike without cause caused an area that was NOT a terrorist hangout to become one? Has an arrogant President and his regime caused more of a threat to the world with the rise of terrorism everywhere? Can we deny it is a civil war any longer? Have we really gone forward, or are we standing still, stuck in the mire of an illegitimate war? If these questions are answered honestly, we must know this war will go down in history as one of the U.S.’s biggest blunders! The media, per instructions from their “pioneer” owners, denied the Downing Street Memo, but like a bad nightmare for the Bush regime it comes up again! Another substantiated secret memo comes out once again proving the American people were bold-faced LIED to, and that Bush wanted that war! Yes, Helen Thomas, you were right in asking that question! Too bad you received yet another lie for an answer. It was the Bush regime’s war! They were ready to do whatever was necessary to provoke it, if necessary by painting planes, and disregarding world opinion and even the WMD inspections revealing no results! Paul O’Neill, in his book “The Price of Loyalty” revealed shortly after the Bush inauguration plans were being formulated, Richard Clarke was told to find reasons to make an Iraq invasion acceptable. Benchmarks like the election fall by the wayside as security in Iraq remains negligible, and there isn’t even an accurate count of Iraqi deaths. Are the oppressed now rising up against the oppressor? It’s bound to happen. We know the pressure, the strings pulled, the fake propaganda news reports of “progress” planted, and it is fooling no one! The World Bully, who wants Democracy, but wants it only their way so they can show gains, is being told to “bug out!” Excerpts:
How soon will we be asked to leave? With Shock and Awe we came, will it end up being the harder we came, the harder we’ll fall in the end? If all we accomplished is death, destruction, an unstable Middle East, and money down the drain, then get out the handkerchiefs, for we will really weep for it all! Susan Carr [BuzzFlash Note: Sad news this week, regarding Sen. Byrd: Byrd's wife, Erma, dead at 88 (Herald-Dispatch).] Subject: Illegal Immigrants Hi folks, I am as liberal as they come, okay. Dyed in the wool Massachusetts commie pinko liberal democrat. That's me. I am baffled by all the liberals I am reading who are rushing to the side of these protesters in L.A. and elsewhere. I believe in letting people from other nations come here and take advantage of our systems provided they are willing to do what all other ethnic groups who've come here had to do. That being, they need to become LEGAL aliens. I obviously think it is obscene to call those in question "felons" for being here illegally. But first off what do we expect from the GOP? Compassion? The other thing is, I am a little tired of hearing people talking about this great immigrant protest as if it was actually grounded in the law. These people are not heroes. They are here, trying to make their way, yes, and they should not be made felons for not being citizens, but they are keeping the jobs "no American will do" firmly planted in that category. Americans won't do these jobs because they are all 'wage slave' jobs, that could only be appealing to someone from somewhere else who is used to worse. The point being, that illegal immigrants are a problem in this country because they drive down the labor conditions and wages we are trying to (re)-establish here in the US. Bush and his ilk would LOVE to flood the labor force with illegals, they're cheap! Cesar Chavez was pro-union and against illegal immigration. Comparing these protests to his efforts is bogus and insulting to his legacy. These protesters are not heroes. NO, they should not be made felons. They should become *citizens*, and THEN protest for fair and livable wages instead of driving the cycle further downward. Liberals should check themselves on this one. It's bigger than knee jerk reacting against the GOP's terrible ideas. It's a labor issue, and it's about protecting American workers. Joshua Martin Subject: Is President Bush Above the Law? (Unpublished letter to the Arizona Republic) Members of Congress, President Bush, and his cabinet all took an oath of office promising to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Our constitution provides for checks and balances so no one branch of the government can run roughshod over the other two. What happened? Law professors all across our nation have spoken out affirming that the warrantless wiretapping of American citizens is clearly illegal and unconstitutional. Are we a nation of laws of not? I was taught that the whole basis of our government is that no man is above the law, not even the President. Isn't that why we have a president and not a king? If ever a president needed to be reminded that he is a servant and an employee of the people and not a king, it's this president. A king doesn't have to worry about accountability; a president does. Where is the accountability for anything in this administration? 9-11? Not his fault. No WMD found in Iraq? Blame the CIA & FBI. Iraq insurgency? Leave it for the next president to clean up. Katrina? Blame "Brownie." Abramoff? George doesn't know him. Who outed Valerie Plame? We may never know, George says. Enron? George doesn't know "Kenny Boy" either ... $8 trillion deficit? Deficits don't matter and if it turns out that they do, then it must be Bill Clinton's fault, right? Senator Feingold should be lauded for living up to his oath of office and for having the courage to weather the inevitable "swift-boating" that always follows any criticism of this administration. Every American, no matter what their party affiliation, should be lining up behind Senator Feingold to support his resolution to censure President Bush and thus send the president a clear reminder that he is not a king. Carolyn Cooper Subject: Bush values Do you think...anyone...that we can salvage one Bush who has a conscience? What Barbara did with the Katrina donation is beyond reprehension! How in the world can she only think of her rich kids...ever? Shirley..............St. Louis Buzz: When will you and all the rest of the progressive blogs connect the dots and state that the NYT (& WP, LA Times--indeed the whole corporate American Media) are all part of that very real "great right-wing propaganda conspiracy" that deliberately censors, covers up and blacks out news in order to--for whatever reason--protect the Bush Administration? Gosh, I dropped the LA Times in May 2001 when they deliberately censored the demonstrations against Bush at his Century City meeting with then-governor Gray Davis, as well as blacked out any mention of the national Voter Rights Marches across the country that same month in reaction to the 2000 election. Will Wyche Subject: McCain Flip-Flops on Gay Marriage So in order to suck up to the wingnuts, McCain is now coming out (pardon the pun) strongly against gay marriage, as opposed to his earlier stance that such issues be left to the states. Surprised? I didn't think so. In related news, staffers for McCain reveal that his run for the Republican nomination for President in '08 will feature the unveiling of a brand new tour bus, dubbed the "Straight-Only Express." Helzapoppin [BuzzFlash Note: The McCain campaign bus in 2000 was the "Straight Talk Express."] Subject: Check any Congressman's/woman's voting record..... http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r109query.html Shunk W Subject: Sean Penn's A. Coulter Doll I violently object to BuzzFlash celebrating the notion that Sean Penn "violates" an Ann Coulter doll. Seriously, people, this is making it look really bad for the rest of us. I'm as creeped out by your stance, as I am by any of A.C.'s rants. Never thought *that* would happen. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Bush, the Unitary Executive At a photo-op with Congressional leaders on 12/18/2000, then president-designate Bush said: "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." At the time this was widely regarded as his attempt at witty repartee, although one of dubious comedic merit. Since then, however, we have come to see that this was not whimsy, but revelation. George W. Bush is gradually assuming "unitary executive" powers. The unitary executive theory is an extreme interpretation of the Constitution that contorts its words to mean that the President, in furtherance of his notion of what constitutes the nation’s security, is free to violate any laws and do so entirely in secret. President Bush has relied on this doctrine, promulgated by former Justice Department Legal Counsel John Yoo, in many of his decisions. His operatives clandestinely wiretap American citizens without demonstrating probable cause of any offense, as required by the Constitution, and have even claimed the right to break into houses and offices without court approval and without ever revealing its having been done. American citizens and foreign nationals are held and tortured for years with no charges, without adequate legal representation and under conditions not open to inspection by international humanitarian agencies such as Red Cross. People are subject to "extraordinary rendition," a hideous policy whereby a totally harmless person is secretly shanghaied to a foreign country to be tortured for months or years based on mere suspicion of a connection to "terrorists" (itself a poorly defined term not part of the legal lexicon). This is not merely a theoretical possibility; it was recently done by Bush operatives to a Canadian citizen. The President claims, and has exercised, the right to make war on any sovereign country that he deems to be not sufficiently deferential to American hegemony. Iran is currently in his sights and may be bombed at any time under authority of the unitary executive. No meaningful distinction can be made between a unitary executive and a dictator; and Bush’s wistful daydream about the advantages of dictatorship has become today’s disturbing reality. Robert R. Regl Subject: Bush's Deck of Cards Hey I got an idea! Just like bush did in Iraq, print up a deck of cards with Bush's administration officials and the major Repug Congresspersons on them, the royal cards being the big cheeses. Then we can put a big red X through each one as they are indicted for their high crimes and misdemeanors! It's the 'Most Wanted' list from the leftie point of view! A BuzzFlash Reader
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