May 8, 2002

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In response to the recent Guardian article which touted Condoleeza Rice to replace Dick Cheney, Rice won't save the White House thief. Rice has never spoken one word about the many thousands of African American voters who were disenfranchised by George W. Bush's broad daylight theft of the 2000 Presidential election in Florida. In addition, Bush has a record on women's rights that's so bad that it makes cavemen look good. Women and African American voters wouldn't be fooled by such a dishonest ploy.

Bush's anti-women and minorities actions speak far louder than his words. In addition, Al Gore got the most votes and won the 2000 election. That victory was stolen from him by the Bush campaign's numerous illegal acts, which blocked the counting of thousands of legal votes in Florida, which was rubber stamped by five U.S. Supreme Court judges who were appointed when Bush's father was Vice President or President. The people of Florida and the American people chose Al Gore to be their President in 2000. The will of the people was clearly trampled.

Nancy E. Kuhn
Scottsdale, AZ

Dear Buzz,

I know you try to provide a wide range of articles, and I often enjoy your commentary on the article links, so I was surprised that you let Kristof's 'Behind the Terrorists' editorial slip by without commentary. In typical NYT fashion he manages to slip someone in with a neo-liberal trade agenda. Oh yeah, the WTO will solve everything...lord knows they've done such a good job so far.

Mark Robertson
Columbia, Missouri

Dear BuzzFlash,

Ken Lay and Enron were advocates of deregulation and the free market. And look what they did with their "freedom." They ripped off the entire country and destroyed the 7th largest company in America. So much for the discredited conservative free-market insanity peddled by these crooks.

Socnowmka

Papers Show That Enron Manipulated Calif. Crisis

By Peter Behr

Enron Corp. manipulated the California electricity market with such maneuvers as transferring energy outside the state to evade price caps and creating phony "congestion" on power lines, according to internal Enron documents released yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42867-2002May6.html

Buzz,

Justice Dept. Reverses Policy on Meaning of Sec…
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/politics/07CND-GUN.html

This is simply appalling!!!! How could the judiciary committee believe John Ashcroft when he said he would uphold and enforce, but not try to change the law? He's doing it right now, in bowing to the powerful gun lobbyists and the N.R.A. that contributed generously to his campaign when he lost his senate position to a dead man. I knew, when he raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth, that he would lie. You can mark my words that next he will attack Roe vs. Wade. Ashcroft and Ted Olson are such extreme right-wing radicals that there will be no more fairness in the rule of law.

Gigi

Hey there,

Just for the heck of it, I decided to do an internet search on "drafting former presidents to serve again" (my meaning being Bill Clinton).

If you launch a similar Internet search, the results would surprise you. Then, again, probably not. (Almost every page is filled with daddyshrub stuff). Seriously, though, is there anything in the US Constitution that precludes firing, (impeaching) the dude who wasn't elected, and replacing him with a former president...for example, Bill Clinton takes over WhiteHouse reins?

And why is Bill C going to E Timor anyway?

Finally, really, the idiot in the white house has got to go. The only person currently qualified to take his place is Bill Clinton. If the Dems go with Gore they'll end up gored/bored some more.

They need someone who really knows what the heck he/she is doing. If for no other reason, this administration has cost us so much in world opinion, that only a finesser in the fine art of politicking will ever be able to restore our credibility, let alone all the other damage done by a less than stellar actor followed by the father and son shrubbery acts.
There has to be a way that we can put together a campaign to at least save this country from the rest of shrub's insanity/inanity.

Come on folks, let's put our heads together on this one. W is so far down in the sewer that the sewer spinmeisterette had to leave.

Dixie

Gentlemen,

I'm just wondering why there is no outrage and virtually no newspaper coverage over the IRS paying out over $30 million in fraudulent "slave reparations" to some 70,000 taxpayers, including IRS employees. The payments were based on an imaginary credit for withholding taxes from regulated investment companies and approximated $43,000 per claim.

The IRS in 2000 warned taxpayers and tax practitioners alike about claiming these false credits.

Granted that IRS computers are outdated, but since the IRS had knowledge of this scheme in 2000 and possibly before, it seems there was adequate time to develop a fraud detection program. A credit of that size should be manually checked regardless of computer programs anyway.

Is it possible that politics is involved? Are there any investigative reporters still out there? A good chance for enterprising journalists to make a name for themselves.

Harry W Thrower, CPA
Houston, Texas

Dear BuzzFlash,

I'm taking up the M*W*O challenge to ask: Is there ANY decency or truth in the "major media flagships" (new york times, washington post, la times), especially regarding the clintons? Has ANYONE made a front-page apology for the lies of the 'White House "Trashing" scandal' yet?

Or, like the Nazi's in the 1930's, do you take it as some type of Holy-Right to lie, slander, smear, and condemn others, based on your own "virtues" or requirement to make a paycheck? Years and years and years of FRONT PAGE accusations, allegations, and innuendos... and retractions IF ever made, show up as an indistinct paragraph on page B-13.

America, having won victories over the controlled society of the Nazis and Communists, has the American press and media FREELY, and of its own volition, taking to broadcasting controlled lies and propaganda, as those totalitarian states did?

One author wrote "To understand the wars in the destruction of Yugoslavia, you will have to imagine the KKK controlling all the TV stations, and broadcasting nothing but the most horrific, one-sided propaganda [portraying Serbs as victims of atrocities by Bosnians, Kosovars, or Croats] 24/7 for months at a time."

As regards the Clinton administration and Clintons themselves, the media "leaders" takes similar license.

And what about that famous issue from the 2000 Presidential campaign: a prescription drug benefit for retired citizens on limited incomes. Are those crocodile tears the "mainstream press" is shedding for retirees caught with declining stock portfolios and escalating health care costs, or are you outright mocking them, too?

Like the Bush administration (instigators of the "White House trashing" lie heard 'round the world) the media has learned the lesson: spill some well-chosen words and a little bit of attention on a subject, and that will be seen by millions of Americans as substance.

LJBK

Dear BuzzFlash,

Subj: THE GUY NEVER SLEEPS! STORY IS WEAK RE: TERRA-IST

Try this yourself. Drive from Wisconsin, through the Midwest, to Amarillo and wind up in Lovelock, Nevada--without sleep. This guy apparently (?) drove from his last 'drop' in 22 hours--all this after driving over 48 hours dropping devices throughout Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado...Something just doesn't add up.

Pipe Bomb Suspect Caught, Charged
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=716&e
=7&u=/nm/20020508/ts_nm/crime_pipebombs_dc_16

TW

[BuzzFlash Note: And we FULLY expect the right-wing pundit jihad to raise the "liberal"-bashing dialogue because this kid was an "art student." Let us not forget that Charles Bishop, the young man who flew a plane into a Florida building, was a member of the Young Republicans.]

Dear Buzz,

"Tossing George W. Bush back onto the unemployment lines" is one of my most cherished hopes. I also envision using the line "Tro da bum out!" I believe that this phrase came from baseball and would be so appropriate.

Keep up the great work. More people are speaking out against this administration's inane and harmful policies.

Jean in PA

Dear Buzz,

IS BUSH REALLY OFFERING AN OLIVE BRANCH TO CLINTON?

The naming of Clinton to the delegation to E. Timor needs to be scrutinized from all angles. One of those angles is that Bush hasn't really been able to completely destroy the image of Clinton. GW came into office with a saber and slashed anything Clinton. Those actions were the height of smugness. Throw in the White House and Air Force I trashings, plus the Clinton gift inquiries initiated by the Bush team and we could see a pattern being zeroed in upon by GW. Then there was the relentless effort to drag Clinton pardons into the forefront. And don't forget the 9/11 tragedy. According to the White House, 9/11 was all Clinton's fault and every misstep by Bush in 1 1/2 years as president was also Clinton's fault. Bush is a very transparent man.

Regardless of Bush's campaign to discredit former president Clinton, the Big Dog kept moving around the world speaking to crowds that loved and respected him FOR HIS EIGHT YEAR TRACK RECORD as president. Bush's infantile antics didn't get the effects he wanted... to put Clinton out to pasture, deposed into oblivion and never heard from again. The crowds kept coming with adoration for the former president and hanging on his every word. Bush couldn't understand that admiration for Clinton after all of his low-life efforts. So, now he wants Clinton in E. Timor, an olive branch of peace offered by Bush, some say. In view of Bush's nasty track record on Clinton, many view this gesture as more rabbit-in-the-hat tricks and full of ulterior motives.

Just be careful, Bill. Bush's olive branch could turn out to be poison ivy!

~ Cathy