May 15, 2002

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Here's my new coping strategy:

I've never been much of a political donor before, but if we're to wrest control of our government from Dubya's cronies back into the hands of the electorate, no sacrifice is too great.

When I found out Dubya recently called the two-term Dallas mayor, Ron Kirk, an "obstructionist" in his run for Phil Gramm's Senate seat ("Pray tell, Mr. pResident, how does one 'obstruct' the actions of the
U.S. Senate from the Dallas City Council chambers? Or are you 'pre-judging' the actions of this moderate, African American Democrat?"), I got hopping mad. Then I sent a check to Ron Kirk's Senate campaign.

When I read about how Dubya and his cronies have specifically targeted Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota for defeat ("Who is this chickensh*t?" was the reaction of Dubya's dad, upon first meeting him), I sent Wellstone's re-election campaign a check as well.

Granted, they're not big checks ($25-$35 each). But if they help pay for radio and TV advertising to counteract the blizzard of Bush Guano coming out of the White House these days, it's money well spent. I urge each of you to do the same -- or at least, to do
what you can. For every fatcat GOP donor, there's got to be hundreds of "little guy" Democratic voters (like me) who have had enough, and who simply will not tolerate another "judicial bypass" around a complete vote count. Make your voices heard!

Translate your anger into positive action. Think Democracy is expensive? Try War Without End, brought to you by the Potemkin pResidency (no thanks; we already did)!

Sincerely,

Michael P. Scott
Santa Rosa, CA

----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Warren
To: <rep.paul@mail.house.gov>
Cc: <lloyd.doggett@mail.house.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 2:50 PM
Subject: Investigate 9/11

Subj: Investigate 9/11

Congressman...more and more I am reading very disturbing reports that are seeping out about what our CIA and FBI and administration knew in advance about plans for attacking America.

I am no conspiracy nut but this is beginning to sound like something out of the movies and it is unnerving. I ask you to join with Congresswoman McKinney of Georgia and the other few representatives that are asking serious questions.

How on earth can our administration ask Congress to 'limit' the investigation of an attack on our nation?! And how can any member of Congress not see a huge red flag when such an astounding request has been made?

I also ask you to hold the Pentagon accountable for their budget. This huge increase is beyond staggering...and especially mind-boggling when we know that the military has never once passed an audit and at the present can not account for fully 25% of last year's money.

How can they be simply misplacing billions and billions of dollars...and when they do, how can we continue to give them more and more? Defense is one thing. Stupidity, graft and fraud are quite another.

Thank you.

Steve Warren:
San Marcos TX

Dear Buzz,

I have been waging a lonely battle to get Mediawhoresonline to stop calling the GOP the "Republic Party." Lord knows, they mean well. And it's an obvious attempt to annoy Republicans and parody their stupid tactic of calling the Democratic Party the "Democrat" party.

But, the "Republic" party still sounds respectful. It actually implies that the GOP give a damn about our Republic, when all the evidence suggests otherwise.

So, I have turned to you to get alternative my idea out.

I propose that we label members of the "Grand Hypocrisy Party" as you eloquently call them, as "Publicans."

Here's the definition:

"\Pub"li*can\, n. [L. publicanus: cf. F. publicain. See Public.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A farmer of the taxes and public revenues; hence, a collector of toll or tribute. The inferior officers of this class were often oppressive in their exactions, and were regarded with great detestation."

http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=Publican

It's such a perfect dig at the Publican party, without also giving them the benefit of associating a respect for democracy and elected representation with them, that it ought to become standard.

If only...

Well. I've said my piece. You know me to be a reliable fighter against the corrupt Dubyah regime. Hopefully you will spread my idea around.

Particularly, if you could forward this directly to the powers that be at Mediawhoresonline.

My e-mails and other attempts have been ignored, thus far.

Thanks.

--Hesiod.

Dear Buzz,

Subj: God Shed His Grace On Thee

I read Barb's question in the 5/14 mailbag, asking if anyone else gets a sick feeling in their stomachs watching this administration play world ruler and politics of destruction.

My answer is yes. I do get a sick feeling in my stomach watching everything this administration does.

I now view this country as if it is in a swirling whirlpool, its vortex pulling us downward without hope. Nearly everything this country has stood for has been turned on its head by this administration.

I didn't always feel this way about my country. I was one of those individuals who got a lump in their throat singing America the Beautiful... Oh beautiful and spacious skies for amber waves of grain. For purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plains... America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea. That song epitomized my country. It no longer does. Bush is making decisions favorable to corporations that pollute our environment and beautiful and spacious skies... the grain and fruit from the plains may not be fit to eat. If Bush has his way, it won't be sea to shining sea. It will be ocean oil platform to ocean oil platform. And petitioning God in the song to crown thy good with brotherhood... well, what good? I don't have to spew out a litany of destructive decisions that Bush, with his (in your face) attitude has left the country with dropped-jaw syndrome. Here at BuzzFlash, we can recite them by heart.

Can America survive two to six more years of Bush incompetence? That is a very serious question and we had better start thinking more intently about it. If we think Bush has been anti-citizen/pro-corporation in two years, I say we haven't seen anything yet. And God forbid him a second term! He will pull out all the stops in a another term. He has nothing to lose. He has carefully put in place foreign relations, domestic, economic and environmental plans that would take the democrats sixteen years to repair, bringing us up to the year 2000 standards. On the positive side is that many Americans are beginning to see Bush for what he really is.

With that in mind, maybe the better question is, can Bush survive two to six more years of his own incompetence?

~ Cathy

Dear Buzz,

Which is more evil?

Cuba has medical research labs that could possibly be used to possibly develop possibly virulent biotoxins, that might possibly be exported to a possibly hostile rogue nation that might possibly have a bioweapons program that is possibly sophisticated enough to possibly make weapons-grade biological agents that might possibly be deployed against innocent American civilians and might possibly kill them.

Or

The US Army has research labs that have been used to develop extremely virulent biotoxins that have been stolen by a hostile rogue scientist who has sophisticated enough bioweapons experience and facilities to have made the weapons-grade biological agents which have been deployed against innocent American civilians and have definitely killed them.

Just asking :-)

Dave Collins

Dear BuzzFlash,

When do these repugs have time to do the "people's work" if they are so busy raising money for the GOP. Just asking!

Mayor to Do Lunch, Rake in $1.7M for GOPers
http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-05-14/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-150860.asp

Chewgababy

Dear BuzzFlash -

Subj: Investigations, Anyone?

Yesterday, late afternoon (EDT), Dan Rather gave a commentary on NPR, saying that it now appears that Gov. Gray Davis of CA was absolutely correct when he charged that Enron was price-gouging his state last summer, and that Boy Geroge's administration was lying when they ridiculed that idea. Since Clinton got investigated every time he had a bowel movement, can't we pu-leeze have an investigation NOW? Rather sounded totally indignant, whereas he used to find it in his heart to drool over the Usurper like everyone else. So what is it going to take to get just one investigation going, what with ALL bush's illegal and/or immoral activities to date? Just thought I'd ask.

Nancy A. Jackson

Dear Buzz,

Re: Bush Fundraises for GOP by Selling September 11th Photos of Him on Air Fo...

On 9/11, I believe Bush went into hiding out west and Cheney was hiding in Washington. But that should shock no one since Bush, Cheney and most of their flag waving warhawks were finding ways to hid from combat during Vietnam.These warhawks were a CHICKENHAWKS bunch of letting other young men do their fighting.

Alphonse520

[BuzzFlash Note: For all the links to Chickenhawk databases, visit the BuzzFlash Perspectives page, The Chickenhawks.]

Dear BuzzFlash,

I read somewhere that the formidable Karen Hughes is tagging along on this junket -- I'm hoping you can see that this is reported more prominently! Shouldn't she be focusing on her lonely, homesick family?

J

[BuzzFlash Note: Is the European trip a chance for Jenna to visit a some kind of specialized clinic and Hughes is going along to manage the media? Just asking.]

5-14-02
Mr. Howell Raines
The New York Times

Dear Mr. Raines:

I have read today that web-agitator Andrew Sullivan will no longer be writing as a New York Times columnist. I guess I should applaud you for taking that long-overdue step to fire Sullivan and restore some honesty and credibility to the Times' reporting, but unfortunately, I must agree with the media watchdogs at M*W*O on-line and cynically attribute Sullivan's firing to the Times' desire to seem not quite so blatant, partisan, or over-the-top while vilifying the Democratic/progressive agenda of the past - oh, 50 years - and trying to add luster to the reactionary agenda of the conservative/radical dominated Republican party.

But if I may, I'd like to ask a question of you: while the American public is being tasked to spend BILLIONS of dollars on "the war against terror" and for "Homeland Security," doesn't it make you THE LEAST LITTLE BIT CURIOUS as to how very, very little information we, the American public, have received about the deaths (murders) and terror inflicted as a result of the Anthrax terror-letters?

Doesn't the New York Times have the LEAST bit of curiosity as to the frankly amateur manner in which the anthrax letters tried to appear as the work of Islamic terrorists, when the writing indicated no person versed or trained in Islam would have addressed them that way? Are we TRULY to expect that for $60 billion PLUS in the "war on terror," we are to accept whatever measly crumbs of information the FBI, Justice Department, and administration deign to give us as to this threat, while we are expected to
salivate like Pavlov dogs when some foreign country is mentioned as conducting bio-terror research? Is that truly the state of the American Press and media in 2002?

$60 billion and counting for "Homeland Insecurity," an administration whose preoccupation with "missile defense" was 180 degrees, diametrically opposite the true threat(s) to America's security, and administration so confident in its own national security assessments that it squashed threat reports from FBI agents in the field, and from foreign intel. agencies - and now a carte-blanche, "heavens forbid, ask NO questions" attitude to
spending billions for the "war on terror," - this agenda seems to meet with the complete satisfaction of the editors and publishers of the New York Times.

If that is the case, I must conclude that the Times has abdicated its responsibility as a public watchdog, and is for the most part little more than another show in our ongoing "infotainment" media spectacle. More Monica, anyone??

LJBK

Dear BuzzFlash,

Check out labor relations at the Washington Post, from the washington city paper:

The Posts institutional self-confidence is reflected in one of its bargaining proposals: Management wants the paper's union to waive its rights to negotiate over the placement of hidden cameras in the workplace. Post negotiators, according to guild members, insist they have no current plans to install such security-enhancing devices, but they want to leave their options open.

"We will not have this imposed on us unilaterally," says Weiss, who insists that the union will fight to maintain its negotiating leverage over the placement and purpose of cameras. Reporters don't want management to use the cameras to check workers' hours or to investigate even petty workplace peeves, such as who's using the company fax to send
out résumés.

Small Change: The Washington Post is bashing its union again.
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/special/postcam050302.html

Alice Marshall

Dear Buzz,

Subj: Post Article on the Carlyle Group.

I scanned the article twice, did I overlook Poppy's name? Or was he not mentioned?

Deb

Crusader a Boon to Carlyle Group Even if Pentagon Scraps Project
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11748-2002May13.html

[BuzzFlash Note: No mention that we could find.]

Dear Buzz:

Ms. Dee Turner of Atlanta wrote complimenting my letter on the 9/11 investigations. She stated her desire to have the letter sent to the media. I wanted Ms. Turner and other BuzzFlash readers to know that the letter is being mass e-mailed to over 600 media addresses by many people. If she or any other BuzzFlash reader would like to use the letter, they certainly have my permission to do so. Here is the link to the BuzzFlash mail archive where the letter can be found:

http://www.buzzflash.com/mailbag/2002/05/13_mail.html

I can also provide a media e-mail database to anyone interested. They may contact me at tennessee_gal655@yahoo.com and I will forward it to them.

Ms. Turner, thank you for your kind words regarding the letter.

Rebecca Knight

Hi Buzz,

Things that make me go "hmm": we originally read in the Providence Journal (local paper for Lt. Col. Martha McSally) that Rep. Jim Langevin had to fight the Republicans to get a floor vote on the bill to kill the Pentagon regulation "encouraging" women soldiers to wear
abayas:

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20020510_abaya10.7af43.html

And yet here it is days later, and suddenly the vote is unanimously in favor of the bill, with two Republicans listed and quoted as sponsors:

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/134/region/House_unanimously_seeks_to_kil:.shtml

What's up with this? This bill doesn't sound like the "compromise" bill that Langevin supposedly had to settle for when he had to fight the Republicans. It sounds like the marching orders were changed abruptly from on high. Could the reference to the Rutherford Institute taking on McSally's case be significant? They are one of the religious right's darlings (although they are slightly more eclectic than some of the other religious right legal groups.) Could it be that the GHP realized that the Saudis and their backward
policies just aren't popular among swing voters, and moreover that religious right types were watching the McSally case closely? It sure looks that way.

Keep up the good work.
Tina W.

Hi,

The story below ran Oct. 18, and has one of the most powerful paragraphs (the second paragraph) post WTC. It would be nice to see this link posted so people could give the story a second read in light of recent developments. Probably some members in Congress would now find it interesting.

Joe S.

CIA, FBI Disagree on Urgency of Warning
Inquiry: Dispute over cable on suspected terrorists points up an ongoing rift.
By BOB DROGIN, ERIC LICHTBLAU and GREG KRIKORIAN
Times Staff Writers

October 18 2001

WASHINGTON -- The one thing everybody agrees on is that a CIA cable transmitted Aug. 27 over a classified government computer network warned that two "Bin Laden related individuals" had entered the United States and that two other suspected terrorists should be barred from entering.

The CIA had already notified the White House and other senior policymakers in early August that the exiled Saudi militant Osama bin Laden was determined to launch a terrorist attack within the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-101801cable.story

Dear BuzzFlash,

FYI: Run this or a similar article for all to see and trace it back to the GWB economy. 43 of the 50 states have budget deficits and are in big trouble. Only 7 states are operating without deficit. Saw this last night on ABC eve. news. They showed a map of the US, then states with deficits lit up like a Christmas tree. California, one of the largest states in the union, has the heaviest burden. Much of its deficit is traced to the energy crises and Bush economy. I'd like to know the 7 states with no deficits.

The states are cutting back on services, furloughing state workers without pay, cutting out Medicaid, etc., etc., and yes, RAISING TAXES.

As I recall, Reagan (quietly) did the same thing... shifted a lot of financial burdens to the states. He also touted a tax cut, then we found that he also removed many of our favored deductions on our tax returns. Guess we'll have to get a look at the 2002 tax forms to see if Bush does the same sneaky thing.

How does that $300 to $600 Bush (rebate) look to everyone now?!!! It's time to pay the piper. Hopefully those (big rebates, chuckle, chuckle) are enough to pay the piper! Each of 43 states has a piper and he has just extended his hand (palm-up) toward us to return the rebate $$$ and then some.

Here's a thought. Interview a trusted and legitimate tax councilor to explain this shell game to the nation.

~ Cathy

Budget Blues
State Governments Brace for Financial Losses; Cuts Expected
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/state_budget020514.html#

Dear Buzz,

Instead of talking to his boss on the phone, shouldn't Bush have been addressing the nation? Doesn't Air Force One have broadcast capabilities?

What a joke.

A BuzzFlash Reader