April 29, 2002

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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. The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Thanks again for your email and your patience.

Since BuzzFlash has provided Crossfire with proof of viewers perhaps we can get them to explain why they did not re-air the segment with David Brock when Crossfire came on for the rebroadcast. I will email with the question, but I have no idea what to expect.

JA in LA

Hey Buzz,

I tried to find recent Crossfire ratings on the web but was unsuccessful. Some freepers are saying the new Carville/Begala show is tanking and nobody is watching. What is the real story? Let us know. If it needs a boost, what better way that to tell all Buzz fans to tune in.

Thanks,

Leslie Aderson

Dear BuzzFlash,

David Brock's comments on Clarence Thomas and Ted Olson's lying under oath were a refreshing breath of previously unspoken TRUTH. It was obvious to all that Tucker Carlson knows beyond any doubt that everything in Brock's book is true! He lamely and pathetically tried to attack the book on a few insignificant points. Blinded by the Right is their worst nightmare come true. Thank you, David Brock!

The fact that many of the right-wing pundits, who are finally exposed in this book for their unbelievable hypocrisy and lack of anything resembling honesty, are trying to bury the book with their silence, speaks volumes! We now have a public record, from a true insider, of their many hateful and diabolical smear campaigns against anyone and everyone who they considered a threat to their narrow and self-enriching agenda. Great job, Crossfire!

Susan Sanchez
Boynton Beach, Florida

Dear BuzzFlash,

Perhaps it is time to change the meaning of the acronym for the Bush EPA from Environmental Protection Agency to the Environmental Pollution Agency?

DT in Tennessee

Dear BuzzFlash,

Subj: Questions we'd love to hear a real press pose to the "resident":

THE PRESIDENT'S remarks from:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020425-4.html

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, one of the really positive things out of this meeting was the fact that the Crown Prince and I established a strong personal bond. We spent a lot of time alone, discussing our respective visions, talking about our families. I was most interested in learning about how he thought about things. I'm convinced that the stronger our personal bond is, the more likely it is relations between our country will be strong.

WHAT A REAL PRESS WOULD ASK: Mr. President, did he tell you how many wives and children he had -- are there less than 100 of either? Also, with only one wife and 2 daughters -- no sons to continue your Bush bloodline -- did you feel masculinely diminished in the Prince's presence? And one more question, Mr. President: did he feel anytime soon the women in his country would be allowed to vote; actually that question applies to all Saudi citizens. Heh, heh, I bet now you wish Laura was from Saudi Arabia...you never would have had to cover-up that fatal accident if she'd never been allowed to drive in the first place; same with the girls and booze -- no booze there, heh heh.

THE PRESIDENT: So there's a shared vision. And as to how to achieve that vision is something we must consult with our friends. And that's what this meeting was about. It went on quite a while because there was a lot to discuss, plus, I want you to know, I had the honor of showing him my ranch. He's a man who's got a farm and he understands
the land, and I really took great delight in being able to drive him around in a pickup truck and showing him the trees and my favorite spots. And we saw a wild turkey, which was good. But we had a very good discussion, and I'm honored he came to visit.

WHAT A REAL PRESS WOULD ASK: Just who would those friends be -- are they democracies like Israel? Why have you decided to meet on the "ranch" out of public view? Did you make him ride in the bed of the truck, sitting on those beach chairs? What's he hiding under those robes? Shouldn't you consider Israeli paratroopers to pat him down just in case he's a homicide bombers, or are they all only young people sent out to die by
rich, old male leaders? Don't you feel the slightest sense of shame or embarrassment -- in the face of the gravity of the situation you two met to discuss -- to piss around in a pick-up truck on your "ranch?" Do you think some Americans might be insulted by this childishness? Why not show him YOUR North Slope oilfields by snowmobile instead, from the Bush Bonding Doctrine guidelines, of course?

Deirdre Eaton

Sirs:

In my previous letter I mentioned MoveOn.Org as a place to find out about candidates that need supporting. I just found out MoveOn has a separate URL for their political activity in regards to candidates and that URL is http://www.moveonpac.org.

Roberta
Lockport NY

Dear Buzz,

Dumping slag into streams not only causes pollution it is also a dangerous practice. I well remember as a high school student in West (by God) Virginia what happened to Buffalo Creek in 1972. A slag heap had been dumped across Buffalo Creek by Pittston coal company and had formed a lake behind it. After heavy rains, it suddenly liquified and turned into a 30 foot high wall of sludge and water that careened down the valley flattening towns, floating houses off their foundations and killing over 100 people. The disaster killed 125 people, injured 1,000, and left 4,000 homeless. Five hundred and seven houses were lost or demolished 44 mobile homes were destroyed another 273 houses were severely damaged, while nearly 663 houses suffered damage to varying degrees. In addition, 30 businesses, 1,000 vehicles, 10 bridges, and power, water and telephone lines were destroyed, and the county road and the rail lines servicing the valley's coal mines were severely damaged. Pittston's New York public relations office only inflamed passions when it issued a news release that said the flood was "an act of God." The story of the Buffalo Creek disaster can be found on the following web site:

http://wvgazette.com/static/series/buffalocreek/index.html

It is a sobering reminder of the consequences of corporate bad behavior. Of course, the companies are quick to write it off as "an act of God". Coal companies should not be allowed to dump wastes across creek beds. The proposed Bush legislation will encourage bad behavior on the part of the coal companies that are mostly held by out of state interests and make companies with a conscience that are willing to protect the environment and public safety in their opperations uncompetitive.

-bakho

Dear BuzzFlash,

First, these morons give tax breaks to the rich. Then, they run up the charge card. It doesn't take a rocket scientist....

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-budget-deficit0426apr26.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dpolitics%2Dheadlines

Lagging federal tax revenues could cause this year's budget deficit to swell beyond $100 billion, far higher than Congress had anticipated, according to preliminary estimates.

Projections by public and private budget analysts indicate that individual tax receipts are running about $40 billion below earlier estimates.

If those trends hold after all the checks are counted following the April 15 tax filing deadline, the deficit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 could be $30 billion to $70 billion higher than expected.

sevahk

A BuzzFlash Reader Letter to MSNBC about The "Improving" Economy:

http://msnbc.com/news/743986.asp

Tell that to my Thrift Savings Plan. I'm out over $20,000 since Clinton left office.

I guess your analysis doesn't take into account the NASDAQ composite. In January 2000 it was 2700. It now stands at 1600. It nosedived right about the time Bush took office. Federal workers are dying on the job in hopes of recouping their losses rather than retiring. What a difference new "leadership" can make, eh?

Have you seen the latest stats on Bush's own Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) budget? He slashed his federal schools' budget by 33%, what MSNBC would describe as BOUNCING BACK (complete with waving flag, anthem and all).

So much for W's idea of "promoting education," not to mention his support of the troops' dependents while parents are TDY fighting Bush's oil wars, ensuring billions for Poppy's Carlyle Group coffers.

Don't you think it's time for MSNBC to stop using the flag as a tool for shamelessly promoting W's raping of the US' social structure, indeed, its very security?

By the way, did you enjoy W's "friends of Bush" cookout in Waco the other day? Too bad about the corporate leer-jet "stau" you experienced, but I'll bet the bacon-wrapped shrimp made the trip all worthwhile.

Michele Winter
Germany

Dear BuzzFlash,

Paul Begala speaks of needing to define Enron "in terms of just to what extent was George W. Bush a wholly owned subsidiary of Enron."

So far, George and the Busheviks have been successful in keeping their persons untainted by the scandal.

But what about their money?

While their assets are in blind trusts, the holdings still have to be managed. So the question becomes, "How much Enron stock was in your trust?" and -- even more revealingly -- "What transactions have taken place involving Enron stock?"

If would be interesting to see if they bailed out of Enron around the same time that Jeff, Kenny Boy, and all the other insiders were tossing the moneybags into the trunk of their getaway car. It would also be pretty damn hard to explain away such fortuitous timing.

Of course, they could always refuse to answer the question. Which would allow us to keep asking it.

Isaac Segal
Cherry Hill, NJ

Dear BuzzFlash,

As a Christian, I say "ditto" to Drew Beck regarding her support of Sally McDonald's letter to Bush. I don't believe in any of the Bush policies. I have read the entire bible and I continue to read it daily if I can. I am a Christian, a born again Christian (without the unfortunate stereotype). I have accepted Christ as my savior and I know that it is only through his death and resurrection that I am saved. I particularly take issue with Bush who seems to say he is a Christian because I can't understand why he ignores the second chapter of the book of James in the New Testament. That is an admonition to people like Bush to change the way they are. In fact it calls behavior that defers to the rich and ignores the poor a word. It calls that behavior sin. Moreover, Exodus 22 has a few words that ought to wake him up too!

Martisa Vignali
Phoenix, AZ

Dear Buzz,

Here is a quote in this week's tv guide from the cheers and jeers section about conservative cable tv:

..."Donahue's 8P.M./ET show (premiering this summer) will almost certainly carry the burden of representing the liberal viewpoint in cable's conservative landscape,"...

Even TV Guide is admitting that there is a conservative bias in the media. What are we going to tell those idiot conservatives who keep whining about the liberal media? I guess they'll say TV Guide is a liberal TV publication, because they don't list Fox in the regular schedule.

***STEVIE G***

Dear BuzzFlash,

It would appear from the forwarded message below that your posting the "Pray4Bush" link prompted a number of people to e-mail Pray4Bush to express their views, including the undersigned.

Parenthetically, I did not presume to offer any spiritual advice; I merely offered my own view that I, as Christian, consider the statement on the Pray4Bush site that God selected George Bush as President to border on blasphemy; and I made the observation that while I do in fact regularly pray that God grant Mr. Bush wisdom, I do so with the fear that is the most unlikely thing I have ever prayed for.

Keep buzzing!

Datum: Saturday, 27 April 2002 om 02:33:46 AM
Afzender: xxx@xxx.xxx <xxx@xxx.xxx>
Onderwerp: Re: Prayers
---------------------------------

Which Anti-Bush website suggested that a bunch of anti-Bush people email me today? It is amazing that someone from the Netherlands would have so much time on their hands as to try to give me spiritual advice. Maybe you need to clean out the plank in your own country before complaining about the splinter in ours.

Johan Muller

Dear BuzzFlash,

I read the book and my co-host on Democratic Talk Radio Al Lawrence is reading it now. We watched the Crossfire interview together. It was great. We have been talking about both on the radio program and message board at http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com. We are also going to cover it in our weekly newspaper (and internet) column, Democratic Voices. I urge everyone to read Blinded By The Right and to watch Brock destroy his former Arkansas project ally Tucker during that CNN Crossfire show!

Thanks,

Stephen Crockett

Dear BuzzFlash:

Great interview with David Brock! I liked his book!

He needs to write another one about Ted Olson & Barbara Olson and the Federalist Society. It was great seeing David Brock putting Tucker Carlson in his place. Thank you BuzzFlash for your website. I will get some money to you shortly.

Arlene Carlson
Helena, Mt

Dear Buzz:

There was a court hearing scheduled for April 25 on whether or not to release the public information contained in the Sugar Land police reports on investigation of Clifford Baxter's "suicide."

Is that story dead? I guess so. It doesn't involve a Democrat.

RA in LA

Buzz,

I think it's a great idea to pray for Dubya - we should all get together & pray Dubya Goes Back To The Cave He Came From & Stop Destroying Our Country, Our Environment, Our World, so help me whomsoever!

(The webiste prayforgeorge, doesn't look like it would welcome such a suggestion, so I guess we're going to have to get together & do this ourselves).

T Quigly

Hey, Buzz:

Just thought I would mention this and perhaps you could encourage other readers of your fabulous site:

I was playing an online scrabble game and was playing an opponent from Michigan... I asked how she liked being in the most obvious police state in the Union... she asked what did I mean... I referenced your site noting the link to the news re: police state of Michigan...she was appalled at the news... another American who is so disgusted with our
media propaganda that she no longer listened... she thanked me repeatedly for giving her your site... have your readers mention your site to every online person they communicate with whether it is online real time or via email... just ask them to check out the site... since I have started doing this... I have 3 out of 4 people thank me for the link to real
news...

Thanks for your great work.

gryphfon