August 14, 2002

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Dear BuzzFlash-

Yesterday, as I was picking up my mother's laundry, I heard her radio. A caller, to a Detroit radio station, was talking about how often George W has changed his mind about various things. The radio host yelled at him, saying that the caller didn't know what he was talking about. The called asked the radio host if he has been living on Saturn.

At that point the radio host flew into a rage. The caller said,' My Heavens.' and the radio host said,' You had better look out, fella, it is MY HEAVEN, too'.

I was thankful that my hard of hearing mother could not hear any of this.

I know it is hopeless to expect that the republicans will come down off their high horses any time soon.

Stephanie
Dearborn

Dear BuzzFlash,

Love your Web Site!! And thanks for posting all the stories I've been sending you from the Gov.'s race between President Moron's Brother, and our next, and FIRST Woman Gov. in Florida's history, Janet Reno!! Right now things are still pretty calm, but it's like the Reno camp said, after 9-11, the GLOVES WILL COME OFF!!!!!!! And unlike our LEGITIMATE Commander in Chief (Al Gore), she won't hesitate to NAIL Jebadiah's ASS on all the DAMAGE he has done to this state!! Including the Hijacking of our Democracy in 2000!!!! So hang in there it's going to be a fun 4 months till Judgment day (Nov.5th-PAYBACK for 2000).

Sincerely,

Rohinton Irani

PS: HAIL TO THE THIEF !!!!

Dear BuzzFlash,

Dateline: August 13, 2002

Bush held his 'forum' in Waco today to reassure the people and investors that he was "on top of" the economic thing.

The Dow dropped 206.5 points.

Just shut up, George.

Richard Newton

Dear BuzzFlash,

It was appropriate that Junior and his coconspirator Dick "didn't make a penny from government-except for the 100 million my company overbilled them" Cheney held their "ecnomic-type forum" in Texas. The foul air from all the deregulated industries in that state which do not voluntarily comply with pollution standards obscured the stench of the unadulterated horse manure which was spewed into the air by the less-than-dynamic duo.

This dog and pony show was a Kafkaesque farce, laughably inane in both tone and subject. The idea that someone like Charles Schwab, a mega-Republican donor, featured prominently front and center on the dais with Junior, could offer advice which would be helpful to average Americans symbolized perfectly the utter disconnect which Dick and George have from the world in which we all live. In our world we are concerned about paying the bills and making the mortgage payment. In their world they worry about whether the seats of the new yacht will have to be lined with ordinary cashmere rather than mink. True to form, Mr. Schwab's most significant contribution to the proceedings was a suggestion for ANOTHER TAX BREAK for the rich! Wow go figure. On the very same day his company axed 375 people, his solution to ease people's pain was to increase the amount of deductions for investment losses from $3,000 to $20,000. He thought the $3,000 figure was "almost an insult." BOO HOO.

So lets get this straight. We, the hard working taxpayers who actually produce things of value for a living should subsidize the crooked practices of people like Ken Lay, Bernie Ebbers, Dennis Kozlowski et al. It was their gaming of the system that caused their companies to collapse. So by allowing a write-off for money lost on these corporate fiascoes we will be rewarding the behavior of the scam artists who caused it by raiding the U.S. Treasury. The former employees of these companies who lost their retirement money on the way down were the true victims, and they need real help. However, a tax break won't help the vast majority of these folks since they didn't make anywhere near enough money to pay $20,000 in taxes on their investments. The only people that kind of tax largess will help are, once more, those in the top 1% of the income brackets. Even though Junior and company trampled our economy under the wheels of the massive gravy train for these same people via the obscene tax cut for the rich, their solution is to do more of the exact same idiotic thing that got us in the mess in the first place. I believe it was Einstein who said that insanity was doing the exact same thing over and over again and expecting to get a different result. Such is the Bush economic policy. Tax cuts, Tax cuts must have tax cuts, nuthin but tax cuts.

I propose a different solution. At this bilge-belching festival of asininity, Dumbya, in one of his corn pone mangled syntactically lame imitations of the great Harry S. Truman (who Dumbya is unworthy of carrying even his used jock) said how he talked to a "common average man." HOW BIG OF KING GEORGE TO MINGLE WITH THE PEASANTRY!! The loquacious serf apparently told the dauphin that the best way to deal with corporate corruption is to take someone away in handcuffs. I couldn't agree more, and concur emphatically that Dick and George being led away in manacles and leg irons would do absolute wonders for the economy!!

However, since that is a long term solution which will have to wait for the election of a Democratic Congress, I propose a different immediate "strategery" to help workers victimized by corporate greed. Let's use the RICO criminal asset forfeiture laws against these corporate criminals and seize their ill-gotten assets, wherever they may be secreted, and pay the workers who lost their jobs and their pensions out of the proceeds. They would get real and immediate help right now, not some piddly little $100.00 refund on their taxes, which they can use to buy a new cardboard box somewhere.

It is true that Cheney's secret vacation hideaway in Jackson Hole may have to be sold to pay his share of the proceedings, but hey, everyone has to sacrifice in this war on corporate "terrur." However John "Madam Busting" Ashcroft is too busy covering up breasts to bother with such matters. Besides he probably thinks Rico is one of "them there hippy pot smokers in Oregon," not a statute.

In closing lets remember the other inspiring words of Dumbya at the BS conference today when he so helpfully observed that "Times are kinda tough." Well, gee, no kidding there Mr. Obvious. Betcha you're just as amazed and confused by scanners in supermarkets as your father. Here's hoping that in two years you, like he, get to know the "true joys" of unemployment.

Dan

http://www.salon.com/politics/wire/2002/08/13/economy/index.html

Dear BuzzFlash,

I was watching Hardball and that Idiot Jim Kramer from CNBC's Kudlow and Kramer let slip a very telling piece of important personal information. He was talking about Bush's economic policies (farm bill, etc.) and he said that if he wanted Democrat policies that he would have voted Democrat. Apparently the guy who is supposed to represent the Democrat view on his show (he always claims to be a democrat) voted for Bush. This just confirms my suspicions about the idiot that he is a phony. He and Kudlow are nothing more than Bush cheerleaders.

~~~Stevie G~~~

PS-I sent him this email and you should encourage others to do the same.

Dear Jim,

I always found that your claim of being a Democrat was a little shady. Thanks for proving me right. I saw you on Hardball Tuesday and heard you say about Bush's economic policies (farm bill, etc.) that if you wanted a democrat policy you would have voted Democrat. If you didn't vote Democrat then apparently you voted for Bush, which explains a lot This proves the obvious; your show is nothing more than a sham, and you and your "supply side" conservative buddy Kudlow are just cheerleaders trying to prop up the Bush administration. Thanks for the moment of honesty on Hardball and I hope that you and Larry get your prized Presidential Kneepads for your hard work. I know that it takes a lot to prop up the W.

thank you, stevie gardiner somerdale, nj

Dear Buzz:

I was watching Phil Donahue tonight, and a woman who's husband was killed in the second tower was on. She is trying very hard to get an investigation, along with many other victims families, of the trade center bombings. She wants only an independent investigation..no congress or senate involved. The Senate needs to approve it, I think, but they have not. We need to get something started with this... if almost a year has yielded nothing ..no answers at all..isn't it time for all of us to do something?

She reminded me of some chilling things that day. Why did a plane hit the pentagon almost an hour after the first plane departed Boston, and the transponder was lost? Why did Bush continue reading his stupid little fuzzy caterpillar story? I am just so afraid by the time we let Ari reprimand us for being unpatriotic for the millionth time, it will be too late. There was man on this show, also, who can draw a line directly from Bin ladin, to The Saudis, to the Senior Bush! That is also pretty chilling. I know we have been over this thousands of time, but something is wrong when Payne Stewart's plane was intercepted almost immediately when his planes transponder was lost and our four big airlines got as far as they did with no accounting by anyone in any part of the government or air safety! A few weeks back, a girl found something that I think was pretty important, and no one else seemed to pick up on it at all! She wrote that something huge, real huge had been discovered (This was on one of your buzz mailbags) -- not one of the terrorists names were on the manifest of any plane! I am at a loss as to why they would board under assumed names if they did not care if anyone knew them and they were planning to die anyway!

We really need answers! The girl's name on the Donahue show is Kristen Brietweiser. She is working with some of the widows of the tragedy. She did not give a website, but I am trying MSNBC, too.

Thanks for all the news you are providing ....Shirley, St.Louis

Subj: The War on Cynthia McKinney

Dear BuzzFlash,

I can't vote for the woman because I don't live in her district! She's never heard of me and I have never met her. But I have contributed twice to her campaign and I have made calls and encouraged others to vote for her. Now I am asking BuzzFlash readers to send support to Rep. Cynthia McKinney. She is in a dog fight against all of the forces on the right (including a whole lot of racists and the major Atlanta newspaper). Republicans have been enlisted to "cross-over" and vote for her Democratic opponent and Zell Miller has made it known that he has contributed to her opponent also. Ever since she made the assertion that "Bush Knew"....which he did, she has been under attack. You can find information on the congresswoman's web site, but here is the snail mail address:

McKinney for Congress
P.O.Box 371125
Decatur,Ga.30037

Thanks,

Dee Turner
Atlanta

[BuzzFlash Note: Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney's Web site can be found here: http://www.house.gov/mckinney/. We also found this interesting Web site: AdoptCynthiaMcKinney.com.]

Subj: Screw the People . . . Again!

Dear BuzzFlash,

I would like to know some answers to the following:

How in the Hell can the 107th Congress continue to screw the People of the United States with Senate Bill 420, sponsored by Charles Grassley, and House Resolution 333, sponsored by George Gekas, commonly known as the "UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY REFORM BILL".

Last year, congress piled free money on the Airlines in the form of a GRANT of $300,000,000 in Senate Bill 415 Aviation Competition Restoration Act. It seems that even though that taxpayers assistance did not help the airlines keep from FILING BANKRUPTCY.

I want to know why do the airlines get to loot the national treasury and then declare bankruptcy. It looks the same as Kenneth Lay, Dick Cheney, George Bush, and many other crooks who have looted the money entrusted to them. These airline CEO's went out and spent that money on personal aircraft and parked their airliners in the desert at Southern California. They cut corners and shut down their airlines, laid off thousands of workers, and then they took the money and ran.

Now they want to file bankruptcy to get away with it.

All the while the congress sits there and rebuilds the national bankruptcy law so that the working man can never again file bankruptcy and clear his slate to start over. The bills will be revamped and they will follow him beyond the grave to his family's backs.

NO MORE FRESH START FOR THE WORKING GUY, BUT BIG BUSINESS CAN STEAL ALL THEY WANT!!!! GEE WHIZ, I WONDER WHO GAVE ALL THESE CROOKS THE BIG FAT GREEN LIGHT THAT IT WAS NOW OKAY TO LOOT THE COUNTRY? AND WHERE DID THE 7 TRILLION MISSING TREASURY DOLLARS GO?

AND WHO IS GOING TO ORDER AN AUDIT OF THE FUNDS CONGRESS GAVE TO THE AIRLINES?

DOES ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE WONDER?

Cynthia B
Washington State

Dear BuzzFlash,

Using Kissinger to attack Bush is like using Charles Manson to attack Ted Bundy. Please give Kissinger the respect he deserves---None! A friend of Ronni Karpen Moffitt.

Randy Cecil
Kensington, Md

Dear BuzzFlash,

Without a doubt, Paul Begala is the top Democratic analyst in the land. His knowledge of the issues and quick wit make him not only fun to watch, but also a great debunker of the Republican talking points the Dittoheads love to ingest.

He was particularly keen the other night by pointing out why Terry McAulliffe was not being investigated for his Global Crossing dealings. The reason - 14 million dollars per hour. Papa Bush, with a hunch, took $80,000 worth of pre-IPO Global stock in lieu of cash for giving a 1 hour speech. Cashed out in the million, of course. A nice hourly rate if you can get it.

In any event, I'd like to see Begala, the brain, run against Bush the, well, bush, during the next presidential election. What a debate that would turn out to be.

YT Cai

PS: Did anyone else catch the "Acerbic Marie Antoinette" - Ann Coulter - on C-Span's Booknotes. Her poor-little-rich-girl personality was devoid of any sincerity or substance. Oh yeah, you don't need to read her book "Slander" to figure out for yourself what the title really means. Let the liberals eat (caked) cyanide!

Hi Buzz,

Have you come across any info on what exactly these tipsters are supposed to be looking for? If I recall, didn't Bush and Ashcroft ask all Americans to be on the watch for and report suspicious activities. I thought we were all tipsters, so what is the difference between us and these "official" tipsters - an official handbook? Sure would be interesting to see one.

Tim Jacobson

Dear BuzzFlash,

While I've seen a number of mentions of "follow the oil" on U.S. policy, I've seen little mention of the effects of war with Iraq and possibly Saudi Arabia on oil prices and the resulting windfall profits for U.S. oil companies. If you take out production from those two countries for any length of time, we should be in for a tremendous oil price hike. This would have major ripples on the U.S. economy, but also major bottom line impact for Bush's friends. One thing you've got to say for GW, he really does remember where he came from.

Ron Sturtevant-Stuart

Dear BuzzFlash,

The talking heads keep stating that the Economy will turn around when the investors and the public feel more confident. Well, I submit that the best confidence builder for the American public would be for Dumbya and his puppetmasters to vacate the White House and cabinet level positions and turn it over to the duly elected President, Al Gore. Yeah, that will happen! Instead, we Americans will struggle along until we can boot the pathetic loser(s) out.

Irma

Subj: If everyone stopped their 401k deduction

Dear BuzzFlash,

Would that send a message to the White House?

I am getting real tired of the Bush rhetoric.

My automatic paycheck deduction for 401k is toast as of today.

Stephen

[BuzzFlash Note: We know people who have pulled their money completely out of the stock market as a protest. You might also consider funds that invest in companies that are employee-friendly and promote social responsibility.]

Subj: the orchestration of inclusion

Dear BuzzFlash,

scroll down the page for this tidbit:

http://ktrh.com/script/headline_newsmanager.php?id=40954&pagecontent=business

"...The White House paid careful attention to diversity at the forum. While a large share of the participants were white men, the people selected to sit with the president on stage and speak in the general televised session were far more diverse. The group included two black men, one Hispanic man, one Hispanic woman and one black woman. When they posed for a photograph with Bush and Cheney after the session, the lone white man in the group, Frank Ditmore of Austin, Texas, was not included.

Responding to criticism that the event was overly orchestrated, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said: "Give me a break."

"I hope there are lots of Americans watching their television," O'Neill told reporters after the campaign-like forum, which featured marching music by John Philip Sousa and its own red, white and blue logo. "The people in my session came across as unprogrammed, genuine Americans. They weren't Republicans and they weren't Democrats, they weren't independents and they weren't impolite."..."

Also, from the same article . . .

Cheney was bored out of his mind:

"...But when Bush and Cheney were in the smaller, breakout session, only a prearranged group of people were invited to share their comments. Cheney, who is rarely seen in public at the president's side, stayed in the background Tuesday. He stifled yawns during the closing session of the forum and scribbled notes during earlier meetings, telling participants: "Politicians too often talk too much."

"The best policy is for me to simply sit here and soak up the wisdom you have to offer," Cheney added..."

Liz Taylor

[BuzzFlash Note: Cheney is no confident leader, he's a pompous failed CEO. Pompous failed CEOs often masquerade as confident leaders, but they do nothing more than allow people to follow them as they plunge headfirst in a direction that benefits, quite often, only them, if anyone at all.]

Subj: the Big-Lie, fulminating, bloviating, right-wing media assassins

Dear Buzz,

Ever since I read Al Gore's ever-so-welcome New York Times Op-ed piece, I have with increasing despair and rage read and listened to the venomous ravings from the Big-Lie, fulminating, bloviating, right-wing media assassins ripping into Gore as if he had been WRONG, when in fact all he said during the campaign has proven to be TRUE.

Can we believe ANY Democratic candidate will be able to escape the wrath and hatred of the right-wing, dimwit, talking heads and crayon scribblers? For a long time I have assumed it was just a "thing" the media had about Al Gore, or that their bread was better buttered by supporting a de-regulating GWBush. But now, I think these latest swipes -- which come after all that Al Gore said during the campaign turned out to be true -- are just warm-ups for the savage dust-ups to come, no matter who runs as the Democratic candidate.

The Bushites know how to play the bad cop-good cop game to perfection. They get really ugly when they want their way, or conversely they know how to whisper sweet nothings about untold wealth ahead if you just support their boy.

How do we fight that? I write daily to anyone and everyone I can think of, trying to open eyes and minds, but there are far too many of "them" and "they" seem to propagate like rabbits.

Help.

Lois Erwin

Dear Buzz,

Yesterday I journeyed up to Waco to protest the simu-forum (http://www.msnbc.com/news/793684.asp?0dm=C11OO) and yes, had the lovely "first-amendment zone" experience. We were small in number, and kept blocks and blocks away from Dim Son and his minions, but I'm still glad I went. I had to know first-hand how the new tin-horn dictatorship feels, and it feels...weird! On the other hand, I felt purified marching and chanting and exercising my Constitutional rights in the Texas heat, knowing that the Stalinist PR event up the road was enclosed in its own solipsistic bubble. Such bubbles inevitably burst from within and without, and this will be no exception.

Julie in Austin

Dear BuzzFlash,

After reading about Ashcroft's "Camps for Citizens," I nearly vomited. It wasn't the thought of the "Camps" that made me sick so much as it was the thought that the Democrats will most likely let him get away with it or give him a scaled down, cleaned up version of his "Camps"!

What the hell is the matter with the Democrats!????

Nancy Lynn Nagy