September 9, 2002

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The BuzzFlash Mailbag is updated on an ongoing basis, with the newest material and comments on top. Again, we can only post a small percentage of what is sent to us. The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are the not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Thanks again for your email and your patience.

Dear BuzzFlash,

Just another dim repuglican trick - sleaze and slime all the way.

EBay weighing legal options against Simon parody site http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/4276812p-5296612c.html

Published 8:20 p.m. PDT Thursday, September 5, 2002

LOS ANGELES (AP) - EBay Inc. said Thursday it is considering legal action against a parody Web site called E-Gray that lampoons Gov. Gray Davis and is produced by his opponent's campaign.

"Obviously it has the look and feel of eBay without our permission," said eBay spokesman Chris Donlay. "Whenever we see a situation like that we always take a good hard look at it."

A BuzzFlash Reader

A WORLD WITHOUT BUZZFLASH??????

Is a world without truth!

BuzzFlash Readers

Subj: they have GOT to be kidding!

Hi, Buzz:

RE: "...the protesters -- some of whom were clad in bandanas and other militant dress..." ("Hundreds rally to protest president's visit", http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2002/09/06/bush_protest.html)

Let me be the first to post an early warning to the INjustice Department: The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo starts in February 2003. This event spawns many attendees wearing militant dress (read: "bandanas"). The insidiousness of this event cannot be underestimated--it even seeps into our local elementary schools!

That's right, one of the bastions of evil, the public school system organizes rodeo-themed festivities and encourages children to dress as militants! Our own family has unwittingly engaged in subversive dress. Yes, I have ten years of Rodeo Day photos of each of my four boys wearing (shudder) BANDANAS!!!! One of my sons even posed with his bandana covering his lower face!

Please, Atty. Gen. Ass-croft, SAVE our children!!!! Head 'em off at the pass! Outlaw outlaws in bandanas!

Liz Taylor
Houston, TX

Dear BuzzFlash,

Today's issue, Friday, September 6, 2002, has a most interesting article. In "In War, Some Facts Less Factual" one will find the following:

'When George H.W.Bush ordered American forces to the Persian Gulf- to reverse Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait- part of the administration case was that an Iraqi juggernaut was also threatening to roll into Saudi Arabia.

Citing top secret satellite images, Pentagon officials estimated in mid- September that up to 250,000 Iraqi troops and 1500 tanks stood on the border, threatening the key US oil supplier.

But when the St. Petersburg Times in Florida acquired two commercial Soviet satellite images of the same area, taken at the same time, no Iraqi troops were visible near the Saudi border - just empty desert.'

"It was a pretty serious fib," says Jean Heller, the Times journalist who broke the story.

This being the case at that time, how much propaganda are we being asked to swallow at this time?

John MacArthur, publisher of Harper's Magazine and author of 'Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War,' says that considering the number of senior officials shared by both Bush administrations, the American public should bear in mind the lessons of Gulf War propaganda.

'These are all the same people who were running it more than 10 years ago,' Mr. MacArthur says. ' They'll make up just about anything...to get their way.'

Chilling, to say the least.

Stephanie Dearborn

Dear BuzzFlash,

When does a sortee become by definition "a combat mission" and thus by definition a mission of an "undeclared war"? The BBC reports discrepancies in the number of aircraft participating in the mission from what is reported from the Telegraph off the link from BuzzFlash.

The President is not telling the truth in his public statements!! It is apparent that we, the United States of America, are already engaged in combat with Iraq in an "UNDECLARED WAR"!

How many body bags were created by the lies of the "Gulf of Tonkin"?

Most Americans would agree that Saddam Hussein should be removed, but at what cost? Does his removal make sense in the context of the geopolitical complexities of the Mideast? I think not. At least not at this point.

This president and his lackies are poised to perpetrate another Gulf of Tonkin resolution on the Congress and the American People. I am personally sickened by what I am seeing and have seen from this administration

Noelle

Dear BuzzFlash,

Thanks for a great read today. Everything on this day, on this site thrilled me to death. The fact that the idiots ratings are finally dropping lower than Clintons while he was being slammed from everyone on tv, even those who should have stood up for him more!

I also sent a letter to Mr. E Kane, regarding the article he did on the Clinton Charisma! What a writer he is...puts it into words so well. I loved it and I told him so.

And, to Mr. Westerman, whom I am very glad is a recent writer...i have always loved his work, books and movies. We are proud to have him.. We do, with BuzzFlash, have a pretty good bunch.. I could not get though a day without it..it is my lifeline and I have told you that before, I am sure, i hope!!!!

Last night, I watched a very good Phil Donahue. Thank God for him, at least he is a voice of reason in a mess of awful shows, that have spent the entire time lying about the Clintons. Donahue had Greg Palast on and I must admit, as much as I have read about him on this show, I've never seen him. It was, in all, a very good show!

Thank you, Buzz

Shirley, St.Louis

Subj: To the UN and Media

Dear BuzzFlash,

We saw on the news that some private companies had tape of where new construction was going in Iraq and they say that is where there may be weapons of mass destruction. Who are these private companies and would they benefit financially from a war with Iraq?

karen massey in south carolina

Dear Buzz:

Andy Card says it all. Since when is WAR just another service to be marketed? Since 9/00 when the spoilers got their hands on our great democracy.

Maybe that's why they didn't tell us about the upcoming horror of 9/11? Never introduce catastrophes in August, bad for bidness. I vote for a change of CEO, CFO and CMD (chief marketing director). That is, of course, if my vote still counts.

lmp

> September 7, 2002
>
>
> QUOTE OF THE DAY- NYTimes
> "From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in
> August."
> ANDREW H. CARD JR.,White House chief of staff, on why the Bush
> administration waited until September to press for public support of its
> Iraq policy.
>
>

Dear Buzz,

In reading all about the war buildup and repositioning of troops in the Middle east and now we are taking on Iraq. That seems to leave the troops a little thin at home. This might mean that Bush really is not worried about an attack here in the Homeland. You would not leave the country unprotected if there were a possibility of another Sept. 11, would you?

A BuzzFlash reader

Subj: Voting Reforms

Dear BuzzFlash,

The current debate in Congress over voting reforms once again has Republicans screaming fraud. Like the 2000 presidential election, their accusations ring hollow and upon closer inspection, their real agenda becomes clear.

Congressional Republicans are accusing Democrats of trying to make it easier to commit fraud because Democrats don't like a provision in the voting reforms being debated that requires first time voters to provide a photo identification, a utility bill, a bank statement, a paycheck or a government document showing name and address.

Those who remember the Jim Crow era have heard of provisions like this before. Jim Crow laws were enacted to keep former slaves from voting by requiring things such as proof of residency, poll taxes and literacy tests. Of course then, like now, the real agenda was hidden behind a subterfuge of rhetoric and spin.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the only people who would be unable to provide one of these types of identification would be people who are very poor. And when voting patterns are examined, it turns out that people who are poor vote overwhelmingly Democratic.

When you put 2 and 2 together, it is easy to understand why Republicans so favor this provision, and why it is in their best interest to convince the public that this is about preventing fraud, as opposed to what it is really about: preventing Democrats from voting.

Troy Torstrick

Hey Buzz,

If Bush would only come out and say, "I want to drill Arctic National Wildlife Refuge so I can make more money, - me and Dick Cheney, through oil and live wealthily ever after. I want to go to Iraq so me and Dick can make money through oil when we are out of office. The dead young soldiers will help us get rich. I want to blame the environmentalists and that Sierra Club (that seems to be the only organization that prevents me from doing what I want) for forest fires, which maybe I had someone set, so I could impress Americans that cutting down all the trees in the national forests is ok, and that way I can pay back the timber industry for the money they used to help me steal the White House. Maybe they can give me a kickback later. I still allow butane lighters and matches on planes because even though that is what the shoe bomber used, I can't upset the tobacco industry. I owe them big time for what they did for me by helping me steal the White House. " If only Bush would say, "I am a selfish SOB" and would quit blaming others and pretending that it is for the good of Americans and stop insulting our intelligence, I may actually respect him. I won't vote for him or agree with him, but I will respect him. My husband and I are Sierra Club members and we realize that the reason he hates sierraclub.org so much is because they are effective. He wouldn't waste his breath blaming them if he weren't scared of Sierra Club. We dampened his little ANWR dream.

- little dove -

Subj: Remember the Back Entrance

Dear BuzzFlash,

I think protesters ought to force Bush and the media to notice. Show up in dumb looking Republican outfits (maybe they could dress all in red, white, and blue - nothing like a Navy blue skirt or slacks and blazer, with a white blouse and stars and stripes silk scarf - some little flag earrings) and carry those We Love President Bush signs. Right behind the sign, you should have a sign saying, "the non President should not go to Iraq" Pull that sign out after you get right in front of the media or Bush. Since Bush likes to hide from protesters, half the crowd should go to the side or back entrances, and half to the front.

a BuzzFlash reader

Dear BuzzFlash,

Does anyone really care how old Ann Coulter is?

A more interesting fact is that she now has a weekly column in Scaife's Tribune Review. Could it be possible that her book reached the top of the best-seller list because he bought a huge supply of them to bolster her standing in the conservative community?

I have learned how to cope with Coulter's rantings. When she speaks, I hit the mute button and watch her very prominent Adam's apple bounce up and down. That's all the attention she warrants.

Bert
Pittsburgh, PA

Dear BuzzFlash,

A different notion just occurred to me about this get Saddam Hussein fever. Maybe someone else has already expressed this.

Remember how the US pulled a "regime change" on Manuel Noriega, and how BushTheFirst invaded Panama to "arrest" him? Only they didn't call it a "regime change" back then. Noriega had previously "worked" with the CIA and BushTheFirst, but suddenly he had to be "arrested."

Is it possible that Saddam Hussein knows too much about Vice Resident Dick Cheney's Halliburton subsidiaries? You think maybe Saddam has a complete list of the millions (maybe hundreds of millions) of dollars of equipment and material Cheney sold to Saddam over the last decade, through Halliburton's offshore subsidiaries?

We know of some sales to Iraq, but Cheney has already demonstrated that he doesn't like to share his unvarnished truth with Americans, so there could very well be much, much more Halliburton/Iraq dealings that Cheney is hiding under all that varnish.

And do you think it's outrageous to suspect that the Carlyle Group may have also violated US laws and sold Saddam equipment too? Lots? Maybe even weapons and "dual use" military material? Or would Carlyle simply leave the billion-dollar profits of the "Saddam market" to the Chinese and/or Russian entrepreneurs.

Maybe Saddam has a whole laundry list that could prove very embarrassing to some US CEOs, particularly some who have come to power since the US Supreme Court's "regime change" of December 2000. God forbid any such documents should ever fall into the evil hands of international weapons inspectors! No, this is a job for the elite OllieNorth Special Forces of the 41st Shredder Battalion.

I just can't help thinking back on how the US invaded Panama and "arrested" Noriega so urgently, back under BushTheFirst's regime.

This fervent debate to "Attaq Iraq" doesn't make any logical sense in the context of the simplistic theory that Junior wants to make Daddy proud and finish the job on Saddam.

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Karl Rove himself spawned that "notion." It provides the cynical and uninterested with something to swallow, and it fills the news stream with something other than Bush and Cheney's pioneering corporate fraud at Harken and Halliburton.

And it also provokes Saddam by continuously threatening to kill him. If he's a dead-man then he might just figure "use it or lose it" and do something desperate.

And don't forget, Karl Rove has already proven that he's not afraid to use weapons of mass distraction* against his own people.

*(WMD: Weapons of Mass Distraction - saw it on Democratic Underground ;)

A BuzzFlash Reader

Dear Buzz:

I see where Ashcroft has successfully raided another medical marijuana depot out in California. DEA agents and all. I thought we had a war going on? So much for States rights. Whores in Louisiana, and terminally ill pot smokers in California.

Our Attorney general is a very sick and cruel man. But we didn't we know that when they were confirmed? I believe we did. Please Lord, let November come early this year.

Louis Houde
Cloquet, MN

Dear BuzzFlash,

I am glad you posted the article about Ann Coulter, because it proves that if she would lie about her age on legal documents such as voter registration or driver's license, then she would likely lie about other things, which would include the lies she tells about the left in her book.

MV

Dear BuzzFlash,

I could have wept when I saw Bill Clinton and heard his off the cuff remarks at the Cuomo capitulation on Cspan a few days ago. All the superlatives apply. What an incredible mind, Simply awesome.

Contrast that with the borderline gibberish from George Walker Bush, one can only shudder at the disparity. Hanna Ahrendt, when speaking of Adolph Eichman, said something to the effect that she was struck by the banality of the man. That he could be the perpetrator of such great evil was almost beyond comprehension. She went on to say, that perhaps what we call evil, isn't evil at all, but merely a carelessness of thought. Taken in that context, W is more than just an embarrassment. He like Eichman is the embodiment of evil. Not perhaps evil in himself, but evil because of the power inherent in his office. When I look at his emerging legacy, Dr. Ahrendt's insight is chillingly applicable. When comparing Clinton's reasoned oratory with the fractured rhetoric of the man who followed him, how can any of us not be deeply saddened by the disparity. But, beyond that, I am deeply troubled by the implications of having such a thoughtless and careless man assuming the mantle that Bill Clinton carried with such distinction. God help America.

Joe Lamantia
Mt. Vernon, Wa

Subj: Back to his Primary Duties

Dear BuzzFlash,

Imagine if President Clinton did this:

"...The brief meeting, sought by the White House, took place yesterday morning..."

AND...how's this for demeaning the office of the residency--but, you know that frat-boy george LOVED this crassness:

"...Some took 30-second turns sitting on Bush's personal toilet so they could say they'd ''sat on the president's john,''..."

````````````````````````````````````````````````

rESIDENT HONORS WORLD CHAMPS

Little Leaguers have a ball meeting Bush
By Chris Kenning
ckenning@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

They have met the governor, appeared on ''Good Morning America'' and been honored in a city parade.

But yesterday, Louisville's Little League world champions received perhaps their highest honor -- an audience with President Bush.

The brief meeting, sought by the White House, took place yesterday morning under the massive belly of Air Force One after it landed at the Kentucky Air National Guard base for Bush's half-day visit to Louisville.

http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2002/09/06/ke090602s271672.htm

Dear BuzzFlash,

I loved Elaine of Petaluma's idea to carry her "Impeach Bush" sign to the polling place. But since the Grand Hypocrisy Party has got everything twisted around, maybe we should preface it with "Stand up for America! Impeach Bush!"

Rob Moitoza
Seattle, WA

Subj: Pre-911 Warning

Dear BuzzFlash,

I think the link "Another Ignored Pre-September 11th Warning" that goes to the UK Independent News article of the Taliban aide tipping off a US envoy should be in much bigger letters. The reason is that this is the most crucial news piece proving that the Bush administration clearly knew something and chose to do nothing. What makes this more crucial than all the other warnings is the timing. The Independent article states that the secret meeting took place in the 3rd week of July 2001. Shortly after that, a July 26th CBS News report states that John Ashcroft would start flying private charter aircraft instead of commercial airliners due to a "threat assessment." Has anyone else put this together?

Steve Hanudel

Hello guys

Again congratulations on doing a great job. I check out BuzzFlash every day. (I think I've even made a small contribution)

Anyway, I wanted to urge you to tell people to write MSNBC congratulating them on putting on Donahue. He is a breath of fresh air. I have heard his ratings aren't very good and he may be in danger of cancellation, so if we want him to stay on the air, we better support him.

Check it out. Please urge people to write in support of his being on.

Marc Merson

[BuzzFlash Note: In our search for info on where to write MSNBC to support the Donahue show, we found this article, "Donahue's slow pace not a worry, MSNBC insists." It never hurts to email them anyway.]

Subj: For Ann Coulter

Dear John Ashcroft,

Why aren't you arresting Ann Coulter for saying that she thinks a president should be murdered, namely President Clinton? Why aren't you arresting Rush Limbaugh for saying Chelsea should be murdered? Why aren't you arresting Ann Coulter for saying that McVeigh should have blown up a media building? Isn't she inciting terrorism? Is it because her dresses are so short that you wonder whether her underwear has slipped off of her bony ass?

a BuzzFlash reader

Dear BuzzFlash,

I read with great interest the article you linked to about the British concern over the sale of key defense concerns to Carlyle at the same time that bush (sorry, not enough respect to use a cap) is meeting with the Brits to line up support for his War Against Losing The House.

The story seems to have been scrubbed. Do you have it archived? Or can you provide the details again, it was late when I read it and wanted to return again to read it with a clear head.

Thanks for ALL you do.

A BuzzFlash Reader

[BuzzFlash Note: "Ministers today defended plans to sell part of the defence research industry to a US-based company that has several former international leaders on its payroll. George Bush senior, his former secretary of state James Baker, the former prime minister John Major and many other figures from international big business and politics are employed by Carlyle Group, a US-based private equity and defence group." This article is here: MoD rejects fears over defence sell-off. We don't know what happened to the story on Military.com.]

Subj: Chickenhawks and Chicken Littles

Dear BuzzFlash:

One more thought about the misconceptions of the meaning of "chickenhawk." Terry Neal refers those who don't wish to resort to war as "chicken littles" ("a reference to those afraid to use military force even when there is a strong reason to do so").

I always thought Chicken Little was the little bird who got hit on the head by an acorn and thought the sky was falling, and who then proceeded to raise a panic among all his ignorant animal associates. That seems a poor choice of terms to describe somebody who thinks that war should be a last resort.

Garry Hayes

Dear BuzzFlash,

On 9-7, the A and E outlet aired "Intelligence Failures," on Bill KURTIS's Investigative Reports, a clear-eyed summary of the missed intelligence signals right up to 9-11. It all added up to the question, why has Congress STILL not commenced the inquiry into the responsibility all up and down the Administration?

And then (Item 1) another news item this week about warnings to U.S. government officials along the lines of another one (Item 2) from last July and yet another (Item 3).

But then, at an appearance with Prime Minister BLAIR on 9-7, there was the spectacle of George W. BUSH, APPEARING to be drunk, stumbling/slurring over words, appearing to be at least confused or at most lying about a supposedly new report of nuclear weapons within 6 months that actually dated back YEARS, and appearing to be very ANGRY in a drunk sort of way. This is very scary, somebody in charge of worldwide decisions behaving erratically and our illustrious free press not DARING to question anything. It's not a matter of no-clothes, it's a matter of an emperor over life-and-death decisions.

***********ITEM 1***************

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=topnews&StoryID=1422253 ...the Independent newspaper said on Saturday. It said an emissary acting for then-Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil warned both the United States consul general in Pakistan, David Katz, and the United Nations in Kabul of the impending attack, but was ignored.

************ITEM 2*************

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/42860.htmShir says he regularly drove eight hours from Khost across the border to Peshawar in Pakistan to give information about al Qaeda's movements to U.S. Consul David Katz. Shir says Katz visited him when he was moved from a small jail in Miram Shah to the Peshawar prison. He said Katz also got him sprung. The State Department refused to comment on Shir or his relationship with Katz because Shir hadn't signed a privacy waiver, a spokeswoman said.

**********ITEM 3****************

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=331115

Mr Muttawakil learnt of the coming attacks on America not from other members of the Taliban leadership, but from the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tahir Yildash. The organisation was one of the fundamentalist groups that had found refuge on Afghan soil, lending fighters for the Taliban's war on the Northern Alliance and benefiting from good relations with al-Qa'ida in its fight against the Uzbek government. ....The emissary went first to the Americans, travelling across the border to meet the consul general, David Katz, in the Pakistani border town of Peshawar, in the third week of July 2001. They met in a safehouse belonging to an old mujahedin leader who has confirmed to The Independent that the meeting took place. Another US official was also present ­ possibly from the intelligence services. Mr Katz, who now works at the American embassy in Eritrea, declined to talk about the meeting. But other US sources said the warning was not passed on.

**************************END QUOTES*********************

John Garza

Dear BuzzFlash,

I want to encourage all BuzzFlash readers to get out and vote in the primaries. It's important. The media will try to show 9 1 1 photo after 9 1 1 photo to try and make people forget to vote. Don't even turn on the television until you have voted. Otherwise, you are going to be steamrolled by this fraud in the White House for many years to come.

a BuzzFlash reader

Dear BuzzFlash,

This is the letter I sent to the NY Times regarding Bush's appeal for UN support.

Barbara Mathieson
Hermosa Beach, CA

* * *

Subj: Iraq,UN and Bush
Date: 09/07/2002 10:34:28 AM Pacific Daylight Time

To: letters@nytimes.com

Mr. Bush's appeals to the UN for support against Iraq would be more meaningful if our UN obligations were paid.

If I don't pay my phone bill, the phone company will not cooperate with me. If I don't pay my health insurance bill, I cannot fill my prescriptions or see my doctor. If I don't pay my trash pickup fees, my trash doesn't get picked up.

What about this simple human tradition of reciprocity does our ill-read president not understand? The UN has the right to tell us to get lost until we pay up. Of course, they are diplomats and too polite to say that. Bush, on the other hand, is not a diplomat and is rude enough to demand cooperation without cooperating himself. He missed an important lesson in his upbringing.

Barbara Mathieson