December 26, 2001

Note: The BuzzFlash Mailbag is updated on an ongoing basis, with the newest material and comments on top. Again, we can only post a small percentage of what is sent to us. Thanks again for your email and your patience.

Dear BuzzFlash,

"A possible link to Osama bin Laden emerged when The Times discovered that the alleged bomber, Richard Reid, 28, who was identified by British police from fingerprints sent by the FBI, was a worshipper at a London mosque also attended by one of the suspected conspirators of September 11. The leader of Brixton Mosque in South London said that Mr. Reid was incapable of acting alone and was probably on a test mission for a new terrorist technique when he apparently tried to detonate C4 plastic explosive packed into his shoes on American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami last Saturday."

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001570016-2001595137,00.html

Dan Hill

Dear BuzzFlash,

Suggestion: Please alert readers of BuzzFlash.com to the article on page 9 of the Dec. 25 NY Times ("A Fiscal Crisis, Paid in Credibility), which shows that the Bush administration (and even the previous Bush administration) is responsible to a significant extent for the disastrous financial collapse in Argentina. This is the kind of disaster that Clinton, having to fight the Republicans all the way, averted in Mexico and in Asia during his administration through timely, activist measures.

I believe Paul Krugman also wrote about the connection of American conservative financial policies to the looming Argentine disaster, a couple of weeks or so ago in a NY Times op-ed. I think the gist of that op-ed was that we'd pressured Argentina to go a strictly pre-FDR type of route to financial stability and the Argentines are paying for it (and it will affect all of us too, of course).

Thanks, and keep up the good work. I very much enjoy reading your website's columns.

Daniel Burnstein

[BuzzFlash Note: We couldn't find a link to an article titled "A Fiscal Crisis, Paid in Credibility," but this article sums up the problems in Argentina and the Bushs (I and II) hand in making it that way: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/25/international/americas/25ARGE.html]

Hi Buzz:

End of a wonderful Christmas Day, popped onto your site to see what's happening and lo and behold, your interview with Henry Waxman - it was like receiving another Christmas present. Great interview, great questions... I certainly hope Congressman Waxman has the tenacity to hunt them down. It was so refreshing to hear an actual representative of our government, tell it like it really is -- a democrat not pandering to the Bushies is a real treat.

Maybe other democrats will search their consciences and make some good New Year resolutions - For instance, I'll throw away my kneepads, I'll use the brain I was given, you know the rest.

Congratulations on another great interview. You people are the best -- you even worked on the Holiday... I hope by the way, your Christmas was filled with love and happiness.

Regards,
Marlene W.

Thank you BuzzFlash___ for keeping the dream alive,
for keeping the peace, for keeping the truth flowing.
I make sure everyone in my world knows about you.
There are a lot of us... artists, scientists, builders
government advisors, programmers, designers,
inventors, students, teachers, people who live
in trees, children who explore and invent,
whole towns of clowns and fire eaters,
welders, campers, governors, ceo's,
entertainment moguls, publishers,
film fare, composers, with live
music everywhere, our DJ's
weaving their web of
how it is all held
together. We
thank you
one and
ALL!

Coco

Dear Sirs:

Frank Luntz is the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party. This is the same guy that advised Lauch Faircloth to attack John Edwards profession as a trial lawyer on the theory that the GOP couldn't demonize trial lawyers enough. Faircloth did exactly that throughout the '98 NC Senate campaign and was unseated by NC voters, which past Senate campaigns prove are a fairly conservative lot.

We can only hope that the GOP continues to heed Luntz's advice. Like so many others in the GOP, he preaches to the choir, telling the faithful what they want to hear, not what they need to know.

Paul Hefferon

Buzz,

RE: Funeralgate: The skelton in bush's closet......

Of all the other really bad things boy george is involved in, this one, most certainly, should not go unchallenged. It has hit home. Everyone's home!

What's so strange is, just last week, my husband and I completed our funeral arrangements. He is almost 70, and I almost 64! We are at this time, pretty healthy.

Doing this brought such peace to both he and I, it was unbelievable. If this would happen to our grave sites, our children would be enraged, and rightly so. Although our children did not like the thought of it all, they thanked us for loving them so much, to relieve them of these decisions. They would move heaven and hell to bring all parties to justice.

Still, this would not relieve the hurt brought on by these money grabbers. But they ALL should be exposed for what they are. The LOWEST of the lows.

Leonard and Angela, Pa.

Dear Buzz,

Having belatedly heard about the wingnuts' renewed assault on Sen. Leahy (http://www.hillnews.com/121201/leahy.shtm), I dropped him an encouraging line (mailto:senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov) --

I don't usually trouble myself to write Congressfolks when I'm happy with them, but having heard some of what the right-wing in this country have been harassing you with of late, Mr. Leahy, I thought it might do your heart good to hear that there ARE people out here who think you're doing the right thing, even if we're not so vocal in our approval as are the lockstep nutballs who like to style themselves 'conservatives' in their disapproval.

In fact, if anything, the one thing I don't exactly approve of in your recent performance of your duties is not seeing you pursue more vigorously the idea that whomever sent to you an anthrax-laden letter is guilty of an assassination attempt upon a sitting member of Congress, which as I understand it is quite a severe matter. Given the likelihood that this is an act possibly of a piece with the aforementioned nutball campaign against you, IE originated by right-wing partisans within the US itself, I should like to see more investigation of this in the context of domestic terrorism than seems to be going on. Get out there and, if you will pardon my French, kick some ass about it, PLEASE...

Samantha Lynn

Dear BuzzFlash,

>Bush Expected to Weaken Portions of Clean Air Act 12/24

Didn't Bush learn his lesson when he tried to loosen the arsenic water rules? (No need to answer that)

Erskine Harris

Dear Buzz,

Why not create a petition to the National Democratic Party from BuzzFlash members expressing out outrage over these events and the fact that neither the DNC nor any prominent Democrats seem to care. Isn't it about time that we raise our voices in unison and let it be known that we are angrier than hell and we expect our elected officials and the people we financially support to do something about it? I think it is about time that we resurrect the attitude of one of our very wise and astute former Presidents - Harry S. Truman and "give em hell".

Charles Auerbach

Dear BuzzFlash,

INTERFERING WITH A FLIGHT CREW?

I realize that we are getting guarded information on the American Airlines gym shoe bomber, but since when do we charge obvious terrorists with "Interfering With a Flight Crew?"

~ The native Sri Lankan, British National had plastic bombs in each shoe
~ He was traveling under a phony passport
~ The passport was acquired in Belgium, noted for forged passports and terrorist meetings
~ He had no baggage or other forms of ID. A suicide bomber wouldn't need a change of clothes. A suicide bomber wouldn't want his true identity divulged after the act.

These (~'s) all spell terrorist to me. What ever happened to Ashcroft's new set of rules of getting tough on terrorists? Come on John, a drunk, verbally abusive passenger is charged with "Interfering With a Flight Crew!" Maybe we should start charging bank robbers with "Interfering with the Flow of Bank Business?" This is one for Leno and Letterman!

~ Cathy

Buzz.

If the terrorist who killed my fellow USPostal Service employees, and other Americans, turns out to be a right wing wacko with connections to the military, does that mean the US will have to bomb itself?

Just wondering.

James R. Smith
Charlotte, NC.

Hi!

I just read a message at Salon TT about the Freepers freeping Helen Thomas about her articles questions at the Bush, Inc. crime syndicate press conference. I wrote a note to thank her but it occurred to me that you guys might be interested in letting people know what these creeps are up to. Here is the message at Freeperville via Salon TT:

Supportive letters to Helen Thomas needed:

<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/595009/posts>

Freepers: I sent an email to Helen Thomas regarding her most recent
tirades at the White House Press Conference - here is what I said: Your
disrespect of President Bush - yes I said President Bush disgusts me!
Your tirades during White House Press Briefings are beyond belief - time
to take your show elsewhere! Here is how she replied: Try living your
own life. I'm sure you have your hands full-helen thomas I'm sure Helen
would like to here from you - here is her email address helent@hearstdc.com

Debbie Ray
South Bend, IN

Dear BuzzFlash
From DRC net

3. "Education Department Will Not Ease Student Aid Ba Author Strongly Critical of Decision According to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education this week, the US Department of Education has decided it does not have the authority to rewrit agency regulations so that the student aid ban on persons with drug convictions would apply only to students convicted of a drug offense while they are in college. In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) authored the anti-drug provision in the Higher Education Act (HEA), which mandates that students with drug convictions lose their student aid for specified periods. The law's language makes no distinction between old drug convictions and those received while students are attending college -- three possession convictions or two sales convictions render an applicant ineligible indefinitely -- but Souder, long an ardent drug warrior, has now emerged as a leading critic of the department's decision."

However, the GOP has managed to have the Judiciary committee exclude drug related questions from inquiry. In other words you could be a coke sniffing demagogue from the Federalist Society and pass muster. But, forget about student aid if you were busted with a joint.

Ron Anguiano
Lakewood CO

Dear Buzz:

I loved your analysis of what likely was the fate of United Flight 93 (your report a couple of months ago). Further evidence that the flight was shot down:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011220/ts/attack_hijack_recording_dc_1.html

Apparently, the FBI refuses to release any portion of the last minutes of the flight to family members. Perhaps because it was being announced, captured on the tape, that the flight was going to get shot down if it did not change course?

Plus, you have no reason to believe me on this, but a friend of a friend lives in the area, and saw FBI agents at the crash sight *BEFORE* the plane crashed.

Anyway, keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Nicole Nelson

If anyone believes that Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson even remotely represent the Christian faith, he is sadly mistaken! These wolves in sheep's clothing have been spouting Scripture as easy as water running off a duck's back! Just like a chameleon, they deftly weave in and out with just one goal in mind and it's money! They appeal to the lowest instincts of the human psyche to stir up hatred from their followers of their fellow man to arouse the self righteous. When they go too far and are 'called on the carpet,' they suddenly become so nauseatingly pious that butter would not melt in their mouth. This pattern of behavior has been going on for decades Over these decades, each of them have accumulated fortunes. I dare not dwell on what God really thinks of them.

Sincerely, Elaine N. Ramey