April 21, 2006

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: Both Hands and a Flashlight

Since September of 2003, King George has been on the hunt for anyone in the White House who might have been responsible for leaks of classified information that had been published in the newspapers. On February 10, 2004, Bush said, "Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing. ... And if people have got solid information, please come forward with it." Now “Scooter” Libby has come forward and revealed that he was the designated leaker, and that the “leaker-in-chief” was none other than George W. Bush himself.

Caught behind the curve on this latest revelation, a frantic White House spin machine jumped into high gear, with the full might of the Executive Office trying to do what they do best, manipulate public opinion. Having finally hammered the revelation into a “we’re the good guys, they’re the bad guys” message, they hastily pushed their designated liar into the press room to explain that the President [sic] has every right to selectively declassify (leak) information "when it is in the public interest," as opposed to leaks that can compromise national security. And, on his way out the door, Scotty told us Democrats that don’t differentiate between the two are “engaging in crass politics.”

So on the one hand, the Justice Department is actively pursuing whomever leaked the fact that the leaders of our nation were spying on us without legally required warrants. In other words, revealed the White House was breaking the law and violating our rights under the Constitution. The heinous perpetrators of this leak, to expose criminal acts at the highest level of our government, are being pursued by the criminals in the White House because that leak “compromised national security.” Sure it did. Before that leak was leaked, the terrorists had no idea that the U.S. government might try to intercept their communications.

On the other hand, the leak by the leaker-in-chief was “in the public interest” (as opposed to “engaging in crass politics”). Of course it was. It was so important for the public to be aware of this classified information that it couldn’t wait for actual declassification. It was so important the public know this, that the White House called a press conference … no wait, they didn’t do that. It was so important that the White House issued a press release … no wait, they didn’t do that either. It was so important that they had little Scotty … no they didn’t even do that. Getting this (still) classified information to the public was so important they designated “Scooter” to leak it to a reporter. You buying this sh*@?

Well folks, it seems our remarkably “gifted” chief-of-state has been trying to find himself for two and a half years. When I was a boy, my father (known far and wide for his tolerance and diplomacy) would say of those he considered particularly slow, “He couldn’t find his own butt with both hands and a flashlight.” Oh, that he were alive today to witness the literal manifestation of his epithet, George W. Bush.

Gerald Ganann
Minneapolis, MN

Subject: Bush Apologizes To Hu

As an indication of how far we have dropped in world prominence, President Bush, a man who has never apologized in his life, no matter how bad his transgression, apologized for an individual exercising freedom of speech.

We are in a world of hurt, and the President is apologizing to the Chinese leader, who if he was in China, would have had the offender hung from the nearest flag pole.

Tim Krause
Lisle

Subject: How To Deal with the Religion Issue

Congratulations to the Democrats. By simply not being Republicans, they may take control of Congress in 2007. However, control will be temporary unless Democrats effectively address the issue of religion.

Republicans like to divide us by false paradigms such as religious/secular, faithful/godless, etc. We can't allow that since most religious people share the same values of the non religious. The values of all right-wing religions are evil, destructive, and unjust. We must vehemently attack these values, attack the roots of these ghastly beliefs and their institutions while simultaneously pointing out alternative religious values that represent the best in us.

While I personally believe that all bibles are fiction and that the stories attributed to the major religions are mostly tall tales, my values are similar in nature to that of a reform Jew, a liberal Christian, or a progressive Muslim. I respect these great people and their religious views. I'm not anti-Catholic, I'm anti what conservative Catholics try to pass off as Catholicism. I'm not anti-Muslim, I oppose what right-wing fanatics like Osama Bin Laden stand for. I'm not anti-Semitic, I oppose the ultra-orthodox Judaism that people like Jack Abramoff try to pass off as Jewish values.

By making these distinctions and showing backbones, we can redefine the paradigm as good religious people and good non religious people versus evil religious conservatives. If we do that, we can subjugate right-wing religious cons to the ash heap of history.

Big Dave From Queens
Queens, NY

Subject: Union of Concern Scientists on Nuclear Saber Rattling

Below is the URL for the Union of Concerned Scientists Statement on Nuclear Warfare. Since all other issues pale by comparison, I as a Loyal BuzzFlash user suggest you post it on your main page urging all your users to contact all the organizations and politicians they can reach, to press for acting on this warning in all ways they can (an ongoing message as with the gun control issue).

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/commentary/administrations-nuclear.html

There is a method to send it on at their Web site, hope you can see your way clear to push for action on it.

Best wishes,

Jane Rees
Seattle, WA

Subject: Bush/Iran

Looks to me like Bush is in serious need of another 'attack' on the home front in order to look 'presidential' again ...

Perhaps not an 'attack,' but the 'preventing' of one ... you know what I mean.

After all, if we are truly attacked in this country it wouldn't look good, now would it? After all, the GOP is the party that is supposed to be the strongest on 'security' ... so perhaps what is in the wings is an 'attack' that is 'prevented' ... of course, it would have to be 'prevented' with lots of coverage ... and would have to have 'evidence' it was Iranian terrorists who put it together ...

Now, THAT might make this administration look like it is actually doing it's job. Wouldn't put anything, not ANYTHING past this bunch.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Just Whose Back Is It Bush Has Got?    

Everybody's.  The problem is he's got it with an eight-inch blade severing the spinal column between the scapulae.    

Rosamond

Subject: Where did they find Derek Mitchell? They should send him back. 

"It's hugely embarrassing," said Derek Mitchell, a former Asia adviser at the Pentagon and now an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China "must know that this Bush administration is good at controlling crowds for themselves, and the fact that they couldn't control this is going to play to their worst fears and suspicions about the United States, into mistrust about American intentions toward China."

Derek misspoke, Bush is good at controlling free speech while demanding that other countries give what he refuses to give us. We wouldn't want them mistrusting us and if their worst fear is that free speech is actually allowed, they need not worry. We certainly wouldn't want them to think we actually advocate free speech.

Karen

Subject: End of Days? A Political Poem

End of Days? A Political Poem

It all began when the election was stolen.
But we didn’t realize the system was broken.

The Towers came down.
The die was cast.
The Bill of Rights became a thing of the past.

Yellowcake uranium, aluminum tubes.
WMDs they said he would use.

The threat was imminent we were told.
We didn’t know the lie was bold.

Mission Accomplished, the sign said.
Tell that to the wounded and dead.

Shattered lives on both sides.
The pictures are kept from our eyes.

Flag draped coffins, in a hangar they’re laid.
But we cannot see the price being paid.

A storm, a flood, a great city in tatters.
They’re poor, they’re black, they really don’t matter.

Pensions gone, jobs offshored.
Millions more for corporate boards.

Quakers and Grannies are labeled as threats.
Not a second thought about the national debt.

Truth, justice and the American way.
Is it just a quaint notion of bygone days?

We used the bomb first.
He may use it again.
Do they really want to bring on the end?

David Faerberg
Potomac, Maryland

Subject: Horror in St. Louis

Tuesday there was a horrible shooting in this city. A nut went on a rampage and killed his ex-wife, then went to his place of employment and shot his 79-year-old boss and her daughter. Her husband was in a wheel chair. This woman owned a catering business that made about 10,000 meals per day for 'Meals on Wheels' and they fed the poor. The killer had just been notified that his wages were to be garnished for non-payment of child support.

This is the good part. He walked into a Wal-Mart (happens to be one that I occasionally go into on my way to my doctor) and the clerk asked what he wanted. He told her the size of bullets ... he took the pistol out and started to load the magazine. She said, "You have to pay for those," and he told her that he was not buying them, he just wanted to see if they fit. In the process, he told her that he had just killed his ex-wife and his boss, then he was going after the boss's daughter, then he would kill himself. She kept her composure until he was out, then notified the guards, who in turn notified the police ... and since they did not have any information on him (he stole the bullets) ... it took a long time to track him ... and unfortunately he had done the deed before they could get to him.

It is not just the murder of three innocent people ... but that they were doing the job that the government doesn't do any more ... feeding the unfortunate among us (for pennies on the meal). It filled the Post-Dispatch for almost two days!

Why ... why ... can't there be a law that no one has guns, pistols, etc. ... except cops? We have no idea what kinds of nuts are running around out there. But, noooo, no one wants that law but me! Sure, there are nutty cops ... and they use their power sometimes in ways they should not, but there apparently are no background checks for anyone wanting a pistol ... not any more ... since the new gun law came in. It is frightening when something happens like this.

Shirley ... St. Louis

Subject: German TV to Hu's Visit

The TV Stations could not believe it - or maybe they could? Not only did a heckler get through and claimed free speech, so valid in a Democracy, but when they greeted Pres. Hu, the White House played the Taiwanese anthem rather than Mainland China anthem; also Bush greeted him with the Taiwanese title.

A German BuzzFlash Reader

[BuzzFlash Note: Maybe it's that Bush's team never put much stock in diplomacy. Here's Dana Milbank's report: Chinese leader given a welcome he'll never forget (WaPo/smh.com).]

Subject: Response to: Scott Shane's article, In New Job, Spymaster Draws Bipartisan Criticism(NY Times)

Dear Buzz,

In this article, Shane quotes Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine:

"I remain concerned about the balance of power with the Pentagon." ... In particular, she said she believed that Mr. Negroponte should have responded more assertively to a Pentagon directive last November that appeared to assert control over the National Security Agency, which does electronic eavesdropping; the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which takes satellite and aerial photos; and the National Reconnaissance Office, which launches and operates spy satellites. All are part of the Defense Department. "... weakened the D.N.I. ... (but) too early to pass judgement on Mr. Negroponte (and) "We need to give him some time and cut him some slack." she said.

Take the above together with the following that I received as an e-mail from ImpeachBush.org:

Bush's Cover-up Continues to Unravel
4-20-06
Wiretapping Far Wider Than Previously Admitted

Each day brings a new revelation. Bush's secret war against the Constitution is breathtaking in its sweep. Until now most of the people have been kept in the dark but the truth is emerging. Bush's criminal wrong-doing is almost without parallel. Using his "long war" as a rationale for usurping all the power that belongs to the people, Bush has secretly shredded all federal laws designed to prevent illegal secret wiretapping of the people. ...

George W. Bush and Dick Cheney went out of their way to conceal that they had set up a secret spying and wiretapping operation against the American people. Then the New York Times learned of it, but sat on the truth for another year. When the scandal finally broke, Bush tried to minimize his crimes by saying he had merely wiretapped international calls and very few people were affected. Then, ten days ago, we learned that domestic calls and emails are also subject to wiretapping without court order.

But that doesn't tell the whole truth either. As new revelations prove, the Bush wiretapping operation is a vast undertaking.

On Saturday, April 15, the New York Times wrote:

"A former AT&T employee has come forward with documents suggesting that there may be a lot more domestic spying going on than President Bush has admitted. The AT&T documents suggest that telephone companies may be helping the government engage in wholesale interception of telephone calls, e-mail messages and Web surfing. If AT&T is violating its customers' privacy rights, it should come clean, and stop immediately.

"According to Mark Klein, a longtime AT&T technician who is now retired, AT&T has maintained a secret room at its San Francisco Internet and telephone hub where its customers' data could be mined by keywords, e-mail addresses and other attributes. Mr. Klein says the National Security Agency was given access to the room and the data. He says other technicians have reported to him that similar rooms exist at other AT&T sites."

It seems to me, given what we know about the Bush White House and how and who they appoint to various positions, that Mr. Negroponte's REAL JOB may just be to obscure intelligence and deny reality! In my opinion, we don't have the time nor the patience to "give him (more)... time and cut him some slack." Our citizens in leadership positions have got to start taking a good close hard look at reality -- i.e., what's REALLY happening -- not what they'd like to have happen; not their fantasies; not their wishes about what's happening -- but cold hard facts and start connecting the d...n dots!!! If we ordinary citizens can do it, what's wrong with them???

Joyce Zborower
Tempe, Az

This morning on break we were talking about the White House possibly picking Fox news reporter tony Snow.

That will only show us they have no intention of being honest with us, they are just going to have us taxpayers paying Snow to do what Fox News does now, cover for the White House.

Liz

Subject: Un Stoppable Bush's Iran War

Buzz:

The Poll on American trust on Bush and Iran is pretty incredible. All the marches and protests to stop Bush from HIS Iraq destruction were like flies he just grinned through with his crazy grin ... knowing he was doing God's work. Now with this poll showing majority American support for military intervention in Iran AND NO CONGRESSONAL LEADERSHIP, the Iranians might as well just cover their heads. Watch for the Iranian-War Drum beats to get louder and louder.

Jean
Little Rock, AR

Subject: Is George Bluffing?

Hi BuzzFlash,

It occurs to me that Bush may be bluffing about using nukes so that we will better accept an attack on Iran that uses only conventional weapons. All he needs to do is get his polling numbers close by the midterm election so they can steal it if they have to.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: How Our Country Has Changed

Watching George W. Bush re-arrange the deck chairs on his very own Titanic clarifies the damage done to my country in his five years in office. This purported president has taken the United States of America from its flashing beacon of democracy and light across the whole world to a national depravity unknown in this country before his administration.

Until his father invaded Iraq in 1991 we never undertook warfare in a nation that did not threaten us. Even Bush Sr. had the good sense not to advance as far as Baghdad.

We are now 3 years into an unending war in Iraq, having killed close to 3,000 Americans and some 300,000 Iraqis in the process so far. My whole life has been in this country where I grew up believing that "Presidentroosevelt" was one name. He served in the presidency for three terms - now the presidency is possible to serve only for two terms. As I grew up and began to understand the world, it dawned on me that this president actually cared about us. He made things better for everyone with Social Security (which Republicans opposed even then). He was interested in housing the poor, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. And he largely succeeeded. Because he cared about the country and its people.

Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941 and the President immediately got on the radio (no TV then) to tell us there was "nothing to fear except fear itself" and we believed him. And we went to war - all of us - in whatever ways we could. And we were not afraid because we were all in it together.

The contrasts with George W. Bush's presidency are striking indeed: you will be afraid, very afraid of the terrorists; we are entitled to torture anybody we feel like torturing; we can capture and imprison anybody we want to without a trial; the writ of habeas corpus is suspended for all intents and purposes; we are barring all kinds of people from entry into our country including scientists and actors and professionals of all kinds; this president believes it is all right to teach religion in the public schools and, moreover, has turned the Republican Party into the first religious party the country has ever known (a concept taken directly from Kevin Phillips' new book). Teaching religion in the public schools is clearly a violation of our American values.

Many more insults and departures from American values are obvious but there isn't room for them all here. This president has made it clear he does not care about our people - he cares only for his wealthy buddies and is doing his darndest to continue this pattern. 

We need to divest ourselves of this administration. Elections are coming this November. If a dramatic change does not come with them, my country will never be able to recover from the hurt inflicted by George W. Bush.

Evelyn B. Friedman
Edgewater, Maryland