July 15, 2002
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Dear BuzzFlash,
Did you catch James Doty defending Bush on NPR's Morning Edition. He trotted out the garbage that he was fully cleared. When he was challenged that the letter explicitly said he was not exonerated he denied it. Amazingly, Bob Edwards had a copy of it and read it to him. He then gave some unbelievable, convoluted response. It was mindboggling. Your readers need a link to the transcript.
I was then disappointed when Jody Allen on Diane Rehm's show summarized the whole Harken thing as basically just looking bad, and that there was no illegality. She explicitly stated that "that's the whole story," as if she could possibly know that.
Dora O'Shaughnessy
Charlotte, NC
Dear Buzz,
Those hoping that justice will serve the country by putting corporate thieves in prison should think back to the Savings and Loan Scandals during the Reagan Bush administrations.
Charles Keating and two others spent a "collective" nine years in prison, while many larger fish went unscathed. Researching the Scandals, we find that the looting of the Savings and Loans benefited wealthy republicans. Additionally, fraudulent real estate deals never received attention in the Mainstream Media and Bureaucracy because of political connections of the people defrauding the S & L's. Including the fraudulent real estate deals, the American taxpayers were left holding a 400 - 500 Billion dollar bag when some of the dust settled. Let's look a good old Jeb Bush who had a 4.65 million dollar loan. What happened there? A "Forgiveness of Loans" by the Reagan/Bush S & L Regulatory Agencies, got Jeb off the hook. Result? Jeb was afforded the opportunity of paying off his $4.65 million dollar loan for $505 thousand dollars. That averaged out to pennies on the dollar. Still being researched, are many others with political connections, who did the same. We know that Neil Bush came out smelling like a rose too.
The $400 - $500 Billion dollar S & L Scandal serves as a perfect example of how a republican administration handles a well-orchestrated Looting of America! With this historical example serving as a blueprint, does anyone really expect wealthy corporate criminals to get their just dues after looting the stock market? We have mistakenly come to accept that there are two forms of justice in the US... one for the wealthy and one for the rest of us. What kind of justice system convicts a robber, netting $150.00 in a Deli hold up, receives a 10-20 yr. jail sentence, yet wealthy looters who net millions are never prosecuted?
Wake up America! Just because you don't understand the complex world of corporate insider trading violations doesn't mean that you are forced to act like sheep, grazing on a peaceful summer afternoon. While you have been silently grazing, the Privileged were on the Back Forty, quietly bailing up the lush field for themselves! When the silent sheep progress to the Back Forty and find it has already been ravaged, will they continue to be silent?
~ Cathy
Buzz,
The SEC has released some records on its insider trading probe of Bush, but has withheld others. The White House is declining to authorize the SEC to release all documents.
Hmmm, doth anyone agree that the rest of the documents will be lost and blamed on shoddy SEC record keeping?
~ Cathy
Dear BuzzFlash,
Subj: Definitions, please
Referring to the broadened search for terrorists in the continental US:
"The agents are "looking for people who have an affinity toward or sympathy for those carrying out terrorist attacks and provide any kind of support," one law enforcement official said, speaking on condition of anonymity."
Where is the bright line between sympathy for terrorists and sympathy for geopolitical victims whom the terrorist purport to represent? Is the administration prepared to define these terms?
Doug Bostrom
Dear BuzzFlash,
An Exciting New Game From Putsch by Michael Stark
From the Corporate cronies that brought you "Era of Responsibility", comes a new entertaining game called "The Bush Two-Step". In this fast-paced contest, players take on the role of apologists from around the country, blindly following wherever the twisting path of deceit and prevarication leads. Along the way, you'll get to recite such favorites as:
--"I did not have relations with that Enron fella, Kenny Boy." --"The dog ate my SEC filings." --"We've released all relevant information. Trust us." --"Everyone was cheating shareholders back then, what's the big deal?" --"Conflict of interest? I don't see any conflict of interest." --"No, as CEO my company never sold equipment to Iraq."
But, watch out! As you progress through the game, you'll be faced with dastardly Press Conference squares, on which you'll be presented with actual 'documents' that contradict your statements. Think fast, because you'll need to come up with an even bigger lie to diffuse the situation--the bigger, the better! Sit back and enjoy the wacky results. You'll never laugh so hard in your life!
Buy your copy of "The Bush Two-step" today, for the low, low price of a $100,000 campaign contribution. (Ask us about our special 'kick-back' pricing for people at the top 1% income level.)
For Ages 18 and older, as children may be too disturbed by the game's inherent hypocrisy.
Dear BuzzFlash,
Oooooh, I'm not so sure about this one. Larry Klayman is a dyed in the wool arch conservative backed by the Heritage Foundation and who I find it hard to believe has now become 'non-partisan.' There isn't an ethical bone in this man's body! Just suppose for a moment that Larry's real purpose is to 'throw' this lawsuit. That would clear Cheney now and for good. Look, Cheney's in a box and can't get out. A lawsuit is going to be filed by someone like it or not. My guess is that they've strategized long and hard on this one, and the only lawyer who would be so complicit in such a conspiracy is none other than Lyin' Larry. Don't be fooled, this lawsuit was conceived as a loser from the get go!
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
As a Virginia resident, I am rather familiar with the recent troubles of our state GOP officials. Here is a letter I sent to the author of the South Carolina article, containing some clarifications which might interest BuzzFlash readers.
-- Jim
Dear Mr. Bandy,
I am a Virginia resident, and I wanted to thank you for your article about Ed Matricardi, the former executive director of the Virginia GOP who resigned in disgrace. It's always good when people are kept informed of past misdeeds of incoming officials, so people like this can't just jump to another state without consequences.
I wanted to correct a few statements made my Mr. Matricardi and his attorney concerning the case, and echoed in a more moderate manner in the article text. Contrary to their statements, there is no evidence that "All the authorities did in this case was indict my client and smear him in the press, and move to withdraw the charges," nor that "the issue of his indictment is over." The state indictments were *specifically* dropped in favor of the federal investigation, which is ongoing. One of the main reasons for this is that Virginia law requires investigators to obtain permission of the governor or attorney general before investigating elected officials, and federal authorities have no such restrictions. These facts have been well-reported in Virginia, and are available, among other places, in the archives of The Washington Times, which is certainly not known for being unfriendly to Republicans.
The fact that investigators must be circumspect when speaking about their work, which may take some time, should not allow Mr. Matricardi to escape the consequences of his actions. Smearing state and federal law enforcement officials in a further effort to escape responsibility is even more revealing of Mr. Matricardi's attitude toward the people whose support his party seeks.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work!
-- Jim Edwards-Hewitt
Alexandria, VA
Dear BuzzFlash,
A daily news was lying around in a sandwich shop I was in. Saw this gem...Bush expects such scrutiny from those unwashed Dems, but he expects better of the media...
Hallie
New Dents in Bush Armor White House defensive, jittery over economic fallout
By THOMAS M. DeFRANK
Daily News
Washington Bureau ChiefExcerpt:
...Blaming the Media
Outwardly, Bush remains bullish. Privately, however, he's frustrated and angry. Aides said he seethes over criticism of his 1990 Harken Energy stock deal -- an irritation directed more at what he calls the "media elites" than his Democratic baiters.
"He hates what the Democrats are doing but he understands it because he thinks nothing is beneath them and it's just the culture of Washington," one Bush loyalist said. "But he's furious that the reporting all starts with a presumption of guilt when the [Securities and Exchange Commission] looked into it and cleared him."
Even Vice President Cheney, usually the soul of serenity, was described by colleagues as unusually subdued as he grapples with criticism of his dealings as the CEO of Halliburton, including a lawsuit by Judicial Watch's Larry Klayman accusing him of inflating the value of the company's stock.
"His mood is not good," one confidant told the Daily News. "He's got Larry Klayman and Halliburton and the energy task force thing and a few other gnats snapping around his ankles while he's trying to figure out whether we invade Iraq."...
Original Publication Date: 7/12/02
Whole story: http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-07-12/News_and_Views/Beyond_the_City/a-157267.asp
Dear BuzzFlash,
I just returned from a trip to Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. The papers, from what I could understand of them (in my best German and Spanish as substitute for Italian), were not complimentary of Bush. He and Cheney are on front pages, and the issue is of their own personal business fraud w/Harken and Halliburton while Bush talks mildly of policing insider abuse (in encouraging companies to police themselves better).
Anticipate a rapid decrease in European investment of US businesses.
Meanwhile, the military's COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) recently made its presence known on paychecks here in Europe due to the Euro being nearly even with the dollar.
If Americans don't "get" Bush, Europeans do, and they will likely sink him themselves via the markets. Americans are always "free" to figure him out for themselves later on, after they've lost their investments.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
Somebody just told me about this. What a joke. I wonder if John will set up a mirror and accuse himself of distorting facts to fit his story?
Seeya, Kip
John Stossel Takes on Media Hype
This Friday's 20/20 about us -- fooling YOU. I'll use the hour to look at the how we (the media) may mislead you. Sometimes the media distort pictures. I'll show you how. The Communists killed Trotsky and then removed him from Soviet photographs. Now computers make it easier. Remember when some people booed Hillary Clinton at a fund-raising concert after September 11th? MTV replayed the concert, but changed the boos to applause. TV Guide put Oprah Winfrey on its cover, but gave her Ann-Margret's body. Steven Spielberg took guns out of the remake of ET.
(more)
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/2020/2020/2020_email_main.html
Dear BuzzFlash,
Bush referred to the corporate scandals while discussing the war on terrorism during a speech in Minneapolis yesterday. He said that "as a result of the evil done to America, there's going to be some incredible good here at home, too."
"I believe people have taken a step back and asked, What's important in life?" he said. "You know, the bottom line and this corporate America stuff, is that important? Or is serving your neighbor, loving your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself?"
IS HE SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF OR AS YOU'D LIKE TO BE LOVED BY YOURSELF?
John Ishihara
Dear BuzzFlash,
My friend saw a headline that said, "Bush meets with task force on corporate fraud." We both laughed uncontrollably. How is that news? Bush has been meeting with his task force on corporate fraud since the early eighties.
Martisa
Vignali
Phoenix, AZ
Dear BuzzFlash,
This sort of sloppy legal reaching smacks of Ted Olsen's handiwork.
"Sullivan said Justice Department lawyers defending the Cheney task force had mischaracterized a minority opinion in a Supreme Court case as if it were controlling legal authority that should result in dismissal of the lawsuits. 'One or two isolated mis-citations or misleading interpretations of precedent are forgivable mistakes of busy counsel, but a consistent pattern of misconstruing precedent presents a much more serious concern,'' Sullivan wrote.
"He said the government misstated the law in other instances as well."
What can you say when the executive branch purposely lies to and misleads the courts?
Alan
July 12, 2002
White House Criticized Over Records
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFiled at 8:06 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON(AP)-- A federal judge says the Bush administration has a disturbingly broad legal view of confidential advice to the president that would keep a huge amount of government information secret.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan also accused the Bush administration of making purposefully misleading arguments in defending Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force against two lawsuits.
(more)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Cheney-Energy.html
Dear BuzzFlash,
Key point to keep in mind is: Who are the investors in the ENRON partnerships? Anybody at the White House? Why is it taking so long for us to find out? Guess this gives these partners time to scrub the records, and put anonymous corporations and individuals who do not exist on phony papers.
Karen/WI
To The Post:
In 1992, Sarah McClendon quoted George Herbert Walker Bush as saying "If the American people knew what we did, they would chase us down the street and lynch us."
It now appears that Bush's "us" includes The Washington Post -- now that full obeisance to the dynasty has been admitted in July 12th's editorial pleading for shelter for Bush crimes.
So get your running shoes ready. The people are on to you. Information about your malfeasance is passed with lightning speed to hundreds of thousands, who pass it to millions more. Such gross displays of partisanship meant to deceive the people and to deprive them of information needed to practice democracy will no longer be tolerated. Your future, if you can outrun the citizenry, is irrelevance.
It was your most sacred task to stand between the American people and tyranny. Mrs. Graham understood the responsibility and accepted it with courage and grace. Today's Post is an insult to her memory and an assault on America.
Eileen
Smith
Salem, Oregon
Dear BuzzFlash,
A MYSTERY SOLVED? Who is George W. Bush's mysterious benefactor? If you've been following the Harken Energy scandal, you know that a mysterious investor stepped in at the last minute to buy his Harken stock. To this day, no one knows who that person, or institutional investor was. Or at least, no one's telling. There is a clue, however. The broker who "cold called" George W. Bush to see if he was willing to sell his shares in Harken, made handwritten notes, which were turned over to the SEC. Quoting from the AP article:
"The notes for June 9 appear to state that "Geo Bush will sell 212,010 shares in about 2 weeks." The June 22 entry on the day of the sale appears to state, "s/212,140 at 4 to Lee for Bush."
Who, or what is "Lee?"
One intriguing possibility is Lee M. Bass. He was a Bush Pioneer during his Presidential run, and a big supporter of his during his Gubernatorial campaigns. More importantly, as Texans for Public Justice reported:
"When Bush's ailing Harken Oil suspiciously won exclusive offshore drilling rights in Bahrain in '90, the Basses bankrolled the venture."
In fact, according to a May, 1999 New York Times Article, Bush's Lawyer, Robert Jordan, the current Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, argued that Bush thought he was selling his shares on the impending "good news" of the Bass investment in the Bahrain drilling venture.
Coincidence?
Sounds like a love connection to me.
--Hesiod
Dear BuzzFlash,
http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/07/12/harken/index.html
Memos: Bush knew of Harken's problems
The above article points out that Bush didn't date the Form 4, but dated & signed all of the other forms. As I recall, when Bush filled out a form in Texas for the Judiciary he never answered the question about being arrested - now might be a good time to bring that article back up.
There is a definite pattern here of "missing" information that could later be incriminating, but of course if it's not on the form - well, shucks, it just got missed, ya know......
So, now that the Repugs have gutted most safety nets & the current market fraud has wiped out most investors 401Ks & we have staggering deficits & have raided the Social Security "Trust" fund so that it's broke again & there's no hope of fixing it for the baby boomers, how is anyone going to retire in this country? Just asking............
Linda Kekumu
Dear BuzzFlash,
U.S. Corporate Watchdog Served At Troubled Firm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63664-2002Jul12.htm
FYI - THIS is the guy that Bush puts in charge of this "corporate crime task force"
Larry D. Thompson is also the Federalist Society guy that Bush put in charge of "investigating" Enron. He was one of the people who worked on smearing Anita Hill during the Thomas hearings. Later he turns up appointed as an "independent counsel" investigating (and clearing) James Watt. (Remember Watt?)
Dave Johnson
Dear BuzzFlash,
A lot of people have been writing and I just wanted to let everyone know about that CNN poll..
They played the results live on CNN within an hour of that post, and we kicked butt!
Here are the approximate results read on CNN Moneyline last evening-
What was your biggest disappointment this week?
President
George Bush 82%
The stock market 11%
ML Baseball 7%
Wow!! And Jan Hopkins read the results 'begrudgingly' on the air!
Keep this in mind folks.. this was on the 'stock market' program, and the Dow went down almost 700 points last week.. and the poll showed that people were Eight Times OVER more disappointed with the Chimp in Chief!!
Congratulations Everyone!
Maybe (with a little push from us) the whore press will wake up and realize these Bushies must be stopped before they destroy our entire government, economy, markets, environment, safety and everything else they touch.
Kelley Kramer
Dear Sirs:
It is time for you to run a new series of articles that illustrate issues from the past that Al Gore and others said Bush has done and would do verses what has happened. This needs to be done up until the election to show what is wrong with this administration and how we have got to turn America around - Congress being the last resort from the VRWCC (Vast Right Wing Conservative Conspiracists).
For example: It was pointed out repeatedly that Bush had used up the Texas surplus by giving a tax cut to the wealthiest and squandering the rest. Their replies was that this was poppycock and would not happen in the National Government. Get the idea - go for it!!!
Bill Wheeler
Hi you guys,
One of the reasons I feel Bu$h-Chicanery administration is wrong is because daily I say the Lord's prayer. In Greek, the last line of the Lord's prayer, which says "deliver us from evil" in English really means in Greek something like, "recuse us from the one who would put a false face on what his true intentions are". The current administration does that. So for me, it is not important to think of a devil as some red guy who looks like Nixon running around with a pitchfork, but rather the embodiment of those who would put a false face on what their true intentions are. Because I say that Lord's prayer in Greek (my father's language) daily, it has kept me from being sucked in by the Greedy Old Party (GOP), which puts a false face on what its true intentions are.
Martisa
Dear BuzzFlash,
Remember when Barr and all those sleazebags were going on about "a pattern of criminal activity" or somesuch phrase that Clinton supposedly engaged in? Isn't it time that phrase be resurrected and properly applied to Thief-in-Chief Bush, Cheney, White, Pitt, and the whole bunch? Where is the RICO act when you need it?
Jim P
Dear BuzzFlash,
Radio Address by the President to the Nation
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020713.html
"We need to win the war, we need to protect our homeland, and we must strengthen our economy." Another "smoke and mirrors" speech by President Stupid, in which he attempts to put his "war on terror" first. He is attempting, once more to draw attention away from how he has destroyed our once thriving economy. Notice how he puts the "need to strengthen our economy" last. Another Orwellian idea by Karl Rove. We're "at war" because of this moron's inattention to all of the warnings coming in before 9/11. His radio address is a feeble attempt, once more, to distract us and drum up a fever for more war. After all, war is very good for Poppy Bush's Carlyle Corp. and the rest of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld's defense company buddies. It is also an attempt to remind us to "be very afraid" and not question our "fearless leader". Yes, I am "very afraid", but its not the terrorists I'm afraid of. It's of Bush and his administration of crooks that are destroying this country.
Gigi
Buzz,
That was a great article about Klayman. I see it completely as a lesson for Democrats. The next time Dick Chicanery opens his big Rottweiler mouth and spews all over the Democrats, they need to snarl back like a pit bull and quit cowering. Otherwise, Americans are going to lose everything they ever worked for and it will go into the Bu$h-Chicanery pockets. Don't Americans know that this is why Bu$h-Chicanery is trying to privatize Social Security? That way they can use their corporate experience to steal everyone's last dollar. You made a good point when you indicated that if the Democrats ever find themselves in the White House again and someone in the White House sneezes, Flush Limbaugh (and his alter-ego, Ann CRUELter), will bark, drool, and froth all over about the moral decay of America that has taken place due to that sneeze. I have been fed up with nice guy Democrats. I will vote Democrat until the day I die, even if the person is nice, but I hope he or she is not nice. I want a real junkyard dog Democrat in the White House. Since Chicanery is a Rottweiler, then this Democrat had better be a vicious pit bull.
~anon~
Dear BuzzFlash:
With respect to the whole issue of whether the military may hold a U.S. citizen (Padilla, indefinitely without any constitutional rights based solely upon its designation of him as a "military combatant," bear in mind that Article III (the part of the constitution dealing with the judicial power of the federal government in our system of checks and balances), Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution states:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
In essence, in designating a U.S. Citizen as an "enemy combatant," and holding him without any recourse to due process or any other constitutional protections, the executive branch of the federal government--in the form of the military--is basically accusing this person of the crime of treason, and imposing penalty upon him for this crime without ever having had to prove the person's guilt in a court of law.
However, the Constitution itself states very clearly the terms upon which such a "conviction" may take place: Such a conviction requires the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act in an open court.
Clearly, what is presupposed here is that there will be some form of judicial due process afforded the person accused of treason. (And, for those who don't realize this, judicial due process is one of the specific "checks and balances" built into our constitution by which the judiciary, as the third branch of the government, "checks" the power of the other two branches.)
And, under our system of laws, "due process" also implies a right to an attorney.
Jeremiah Elias, Nashville, TN
Dear BuzzFlash,
Have you noticed that TV news media is beginning to provide damage control for Dubyah? (They begin sentences describing W's woes, and finish them with phrases about Democrat acceptance of corporate $ or favor.) Most notable was CNN's Aaron Brown Friday night (7/12/02) at 10.
On a related note, they seem less protective of Cheney. Is he going to take the fall for both of them?
Pamela of the Poconos
