May 1, 2002

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Podvin's 4/29 column (discovered via a link from BuzzFlash.com) about the new Crossfire was a treat and a half! I've been referring to these chest thumping right-wingers as 'bullies' for years, and it's such a pleasure to hear someone agreeing with me.

People in general, and Americans in particular, instinctively hate bullies and root for the 'little guy.' (If you don't believe me, just watch any
Bugs Bunny cartoon.) I think Podvin was dead-on in blaming Dems & liberals without the cojones to stand up & speak out forcefully on behalf of their values (which only encourages these creeps to act even nastier). Now if the Dems (or some of them, or even just ONE of them) would get the message and start clobbering the right (like they richly deserve), we'd begin to see some real political action in this country. They could begin with asking some pointed questions about Bush & co.'s track record since 9/11, instead of meekly waving a tiny flag while the prez & friends go on a worldwide rampage. (Such as, what happened to Bin Laden & the Anthrax mailer; or isn't dropping ten ton hints about taking out Hussein an invitation to him to make a preemptive strike against us?). They'd take a lot of heat to start with, but very quickly a lot of people would admit to wondering the same things....

Kick ass, everyone - yayyy!

-JS

Dear Buzz,

Alan Colmes' response at http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/04/30_Colmes.html makes it crystal clear that for him, it's all about ratings. This is the whole damn problem with our news media today.

Keep on buzzin'!

Ken in Bama

Buzz:

Since many of the news broadcasts are reflecting on the Chandra Levy saga, I thought I would share my most memorable Chandra Levy news moment.

I will never forget CNN and Judy Woodruff going into a breaking news story with helicopters and news vans to a recently covered parking lot in the metro DC area. CNN is there because an internet site called "Tips" or something to that affect (forgive me if I am wrong) got a post that Chandra's body was buried beneath the recently cemented parking lot.

Besides the Clinton scandals and reports using such sites as cyberliar Drudge as sources, that was the day journalistic integrity truly DIED!

So in the face of the Venezuela coup, do we really expect the stenopress to actually work at anything that is not forwarded to them in a blast fax.

PJOnes

Dear BuzzFlash,

Re: AT NRA GATHERING, SPEAKERS RIDICULE GAYS

I am a 73 year old male Korea war veteran. I have a grandson who is Gay and when he comes to our house he is treated with the same respect as all other members of our family. Charlton Heston, Wayne LaPierre, and those NRA speakers are not only speaking for themselves in bashing the Gay people but they are also speaking for George W. Bush, John Ashcroft, and most of the republicans, and make no mistake about it, the news media supports these people in bashing the Gay community, just as they do the African-Americans and many other groups of people as well. George W. Bush is even bashing the Veterans of Foreign Wars by increasing the cost of medical care for Veterans at the veterans hospitals and also cutting services. All of us who want equal rights needs to fight this Bush administration and the news media who supports him.

Sincerely,

Thomas Jelf
Lexington, Ky

Dear Buzz,

Why is it surprising Hatch is for stem cell research? He got $400,000 from the pharm industry, and note the pharm industry heavy hitters on his top 13 list of contributors from the 2000 campaign (according to opensecrets.org) some of whom have interests in utah. Note global crossing too ahem, ahem. Of course, you're not suggesting that he's doing the right thing because he was paid to, are you?

btw i can't volunteer $ but i can volunteer time & research if needed.

-doug hudson

from http://www.opensecrets.org/races/contrib.asp?ID=UTS1&cycle=2000&special=N:

HealthSouth Corp (medical care, related to pharm) $38,255
*Pfizer Inc (pharm) $35,998
*Glaxo Wellcome Inc (pharm) $31,499
Qwest Communications $29,000
AT&T $28,499
*Starlight International ("herbal" supplements) $27,000
Torchmark Corp $25,000
Verizon Communications $23,500
Time Warner $21,000
Novell Inc $20,500
*Schering-Plough Corp (pharm) $20,000
Global Crossing $19,500
*Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America (pharm) $19,121

[BuzzFlash Note: Orrin Hatch wouldn't know "the right thing" to do if it grabbed him by the shoulders, turned him around with a jerk, and bit him squarely on the ass. But, sometimes, on very, very rare occasions, politicians accidentally do some public good in the course of suckling their corporate contributors. If we point it out, perhaps, when they're experiencing a particularly lucid day, politicians like Hatch might do good things on purpose. Hey, we can dream, can't we?]

Dear BuzzFlash,

Subj: Bush in California: the 'compassionate' side of the compassionate conservative

He was only compassionate long enough to rake in 4.5 mil. I think he still thinks to hell with Calif. Bush was also quoted as saying "Some of the Democrats are saying this man
has never held elected office," Bush said. "Heck, all he's been is a successful businessman. What could he possibly know about running any organization? Sounds familiar. Sounds like Ann Richards is advising the Davis campaign." Big of him, as if he was a businessman. Gag me.

Karen

Bush visits state to stump for Simon, speak in Silicon Valley
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/04/30/state0302EDT0004.DTL

Bush in California: the 'compassionate' side of the compassionate conservative
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2002/04/30/financial1751EDT0364.DTL

[BuzzFlash Note: The idea that Bush knows what "compassionate" means defies reality.]