September 13, 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,
How sweetly ironic that Jeb could well end up with McBride as his challenger because his mis-management of the primary election prevented many Reno supporters from voting!
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
When we hear and see what we have representing America in the White House, we feel so ashamed. Like we want to wipe something dirty off our shoes.
There is something very wrong, when a person who is from the bottom of the barrel, is presented as a leader, by the media.
Then there is President Bill Clinton, who is a born leader, and presented as the bottom of the barrel, by the media.
We quote David Brock, in an expression he used at one time for some one else. (Excuse us David) But we feel the MAIN STREAM MEDIA is "A LITTLE BIT NUTTY, AND A LITTLE BIT SLUTTY"!
BuzzFlash Readers
Dear BuzzFlash,
FACT CHECK
JEB BUSH SAYS: "It is just unconscionable that two of the most prosperous counties in this state seem not to be able to run an election." (referring to Miami-Dade and Broward counties, CNN, September 12, 2002)
FACT: According to a comparison of nationwide statistics based on the 2000 Census, Miami, once again, has been gauged the poorest big city in the country (Miami Herald, June 5, 2002)
JEB BUSH SAYS: "In 65 counties, they got it right. ... It is related to the incompetence of Dade County and Broward County that this is a problem." (Florida News Channel, September 12, 2002)
FACT: In spite of Jeb Bush touting Florida's building an election system that would be the "envy of the nation" the Bush election reforms failed to prevent election problems from occurring across the state during Florida's Sept. 10, 2002 primary:
BROWARD COUNTY - Dozens of poll workers didn't show up. In at least six cities, polls opened late. Elderly voters waited more than three hours to vote in suburban Miramar. A Hollywood Democrat left without voting after a two-hour wait when new touchscreen machines weren't running. Less than a full complement of machines was working in many precincts. An observer from the U.S. Justice Department took names of people who left one precinct without voting. Democrats received Republican ballots, with no primary in the governor's race. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
DUVAL COUNTY - A precinct at a senior center near downtown Jacksonville opened 90 minutes late because poll workers didn't realize they were supposed to turn on machines themselves. Dozens of voters left without casting ballots. For the first 25 minutes, voters in a precinct in a predominantly black Jacksonville neighborhood distributed Democratic primary ballots to all voters. At least one Republican left without voting. U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown tried to call the elections office to report problems but couldn't get through. Ballots jammed in optical-scanning machines due to rough tears at perforated lines. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY - People assigned to new precincts in redistricting went to their old ones. People who moved went to the wrong precincts. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY - Elections supervisor Pam Iorio called Gov. Bush's decision to extend voting for an extra two hours "a big mistake" because she had no uniform way to contact all 353 precincts to notify them of the decision. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY - More than 500 voters were turned away before machines were activated nearly five hours late in a precinct in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood. The precinct shut down later and was closed in late afternoon. At 2 p.m. some machines were inoperable at 36 precincts. Machines malfunctioned in another Liberty City precinct by resetting themselves, routing voters back to the starting screen. Vote machines were activated late in precincts across the county ranging from affluent to poor black and Hispanic neighborhoods. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
OKALOOSA COUNTY - Republican voters, including many Air Force retirees, were upset by redistricting when they realized they had been moved from a contested congressional district to one with no race. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
ORANGE COUNTY - At more than 100 precincts in the Orlando area, election workers used scissors to cut across flawed ballots before handing them to voters to enable electronic ballot readers to properly record votes. Boxes of ballots that had not been cut before workers noticed the problem had to be read by hand. (NY Times, Sept. 11, 2002)
PALM BEACH COUNTY - Some voters left without casting ballots when new ATM-style voting machines couldn't be activated. Some poll workers didn't show up. About 115 poll workers quit Sunday. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
PASCO COUNTY - Precinct opened a half-hour late when a custodian arrived late to unlock the building. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
SEMINOLE COUNTY: Elections officials ran out of ballots for the new optical scanning machines. Some people left without voting, election officials said. (NY Times, Sept. 11, 2002)
UNION COUNTY: Union County workers were forced to count 2,600 ballots by hand because a programming error registered all Democratic votes as Republican. (St. Petersburg Times, Sept. 11, 2002)
VOLUSIA COUNTY - A redrawn precinct forced some rural residents near Deltona to vote more than 20 miles from home. Two Oak Hill district races were incorrectly numbered on sample ballots published in newspapers and online. (AP, Sept. 10, 2002)
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
Had one heckuva time last night flipping between Letterman and Leno. Leno had McCain on who said that, with Lieberman, they were calling for an independent investigation to 9/11. It's about time one got started--a whole year later--the lack of information is just appalling.
Letterman had Clinton on and, wow, we are so starved for having an intelligent leader, it was just wonderful to hear someone speak so brilliantly about world affairs. At on point Dave even said, "are you sure you're not still the President!"
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Bush doesn't have a clue . . .
Dear BuzzFlash,
I read this and I can't believe it. Its been two years since a thorough intelligence review of Iraq's clandestine weapons. Bush is making an argument for something for which he has no backup intelligence.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/11/international/middleeast/11IRAQ.html
Intelligence is definitely lacking in the White House.
Jim
Stewart
Chicago
Dear BuzzFlash,
Liz Smith: -- Bushies cast a chill over D.C. social life - Bushies isolated and withdrawn
http://www.nypost.com/gossip/liz.htm
September 12, 2002 -- Bushies cast a chill over D.C.
But, this being the news that is, here goes. Glamour is, of course, gone from D.C. Pizzazz is dormant. Wretched excess won't rear its tiny head. This is not post 9/11 doldrums, according to W. The Bush clique simply doesn't want to party, get dressed up in black tie, meet new people or lure fabulous famous types to big state dinners. The result, according to the capital's reigning hostess, Sally Quinn is "Washington, as we know it, is over . . . the social scene has come to a screeching halt."
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: The world is laughing at Jeb Bush's Florida
Dear BuzzFlash,
I don't know what I would do if MY Governor were a bum like Jeb. First all the lost children. What a tragedy that is. Still unsolved..Now this....he promised to fix the voting problems and he DIDN'T. Voting is the most important thing Americans can do to support our way of government. If it's not important enough for a governor to manage then that governor is a threat to democracy.
How deep will Floridians let their state sink under Jeb Bush? The entire world is laughing. Jeb Bush needs to be voted out of office. Jeb Bush should focus more on his daughter (just this week she was brought up on COCAINE charges). She needs a father now. His only campaign right now should be for the soul of his daughter. Her behavior is evidence of a deep problem. Especially because she KNOWS her father is governor. Could his office be a contributing factor in her stress? Has she given up on God? If it were my daughter, I'd be campaigning with LOVE and GOD for the heart of my little girl.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Blood will have to spill now . . .
Dear BuzzFlash,
Bush can never allow unencumbered weapons inspections now in Iraq. When they find nothing, his credibility will be destroyed and people will know Bush would have sacrificed thousands of lives for political gain. Be has no choice but to find a way to force war now.
The
Johnsons
Tampa Fl.
Subj: This is outrageous!!!!
Dear BuzzFlash,
http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/
editions/today/news_d308025c00fb40780049.html
This article says Jeb and Jim Smith might try and replace the Superintendent of Elections in Dade and Broward Counties, the two biggest Democratic counties in Florida. Wouldn't that be convenient for him to have his own person running the election down there. What an outrage.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: The Bush "P" Word for invading Iraq
Dear BuzzFlash,
I'm no fan of Atlanta Journal/Constitution editor Cynthia Tucker, but she wrote a beautiful (and probably courageous) article on 9-11 that chastised G.W. Bush's plans for invading Irag. Basically Ms. Tucker said that the reason for the proposed invasion is the "P" word.....not "Patriotism," but "Petroleum"!
BuzzFlash readers should read it and send letters to the editor in response to those that the paper will receive from the ditto-heads, right-wingers, and local "sons of the confederacy". The paper's e-mail is:letters@ajc.com.
Thanks BuzzFlash for helping me to maintain my sanity!
Dee
Turner
Atlanta
[BuzzFlash
Note: "REMEMBER
9/11: LOCAL OPINIONS: The big 'P' in Bush's war is not patriotism"]
Dear Buzz:
I was unsurprised, but taken by the 1998 archive of Time.com which posted the article about Saddam. Notable was that ALL THE OTHER STORIES ON THAT DATE IN THAT RAG WERE "GET CLINTON" STORIES. Isn't it interesting that the propaganda RAG Time.com stuffs such a self serving message into such a provocative issue?
They stirred up a nation full of sexually repressed conservatives and then laid on the Twin Peril story, whereby Clinton was supposed to be too stupid to handle more than one crisis.
The truth of the matter is that these people have been undermining our nation for a LONG TIME and President Clinton, and the shit they put him through, serves as a bright reminder of the dark forces currently in charge at the helm of this nation.
Cynthia
WA
State
Subj: Computer programs do not execute errors all by themselves.
"Union County workers began counting 2,600 ballots by hand Wednesday because a programming error registered all Democratic votes as Republican..."
Dear Buzz,
I am a computer programmer/analyst and I would like to point out that computer programs do not execute errors all by themselves. Nor would it count some of the Democratic votes as Democratic some of the time and count Democratic votes as Republican votes the rest of the time. If a program registers all Democratic votes as Republican votes, it is only because the programmer intentionally or unintentionally (hard to believe) wrote the program to do just that. Weren't the computer programs and machines properly tested before implementation?
Also, if the same voting machines are distributed across the state of Florida, then it would be reasonable to assume that only one program would be written for all of the machines. Why is it that only certain machines in Democratic counties had programming errors?
By computerizing and automating our election process we will be inviting the potential for more and more fraud. A couple of well paid unethical computer programmers working for the Bushies would be enough to keep these mad men in power forever!
Better that we hand count the votes like we did in the early elections of this country and like Canada still does today.
Nancy Lynn Nagy (TN)
Dear BuzzFlash,
There was a letter in Thursday's mailbag re: chimp-in-chief's hair on 09/11.
Go to this link:
http://www.mostnewyork.com/front/story/18423p-17336c.html
There are two photos: one from the Ground Zero site and one from Ellis Island. The reader was correct. Another ghp vanity exposed: in the fine tradition of ronnie reagan (friend of Bonzo, the chimp), strom thurmond, and now jr. (Bonzo's descendant), jr.'s hair IS darker.
Did they really think that no one would notice?
He's as vain as he is stupid.
liz
Dear Janet,
It is important to throw your support behind McBride. If you do not, then you are helping Jeb get re-elected and in so doing, you are helping Dubya get the White House again in 2004. Please support the party.
MV
Dear BuzzFlash,
"...[County Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler] said Miami-Dade County needs an international organization to monitor elections as is done in Third World Countries..."
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/nation/1572813
Sept. 12, 2002, 7:57PM
Election officials point fingers
Haunted by ballot bungle, Florida braces for November
By ALLEN G. BREED
Associated PressMIAMI -- After two straight botched statewide elections, Florida officials are trading blame and trying to figure out how to prevent it from happening again in November.
While Gov. Jeb Bush and other Republicans are blaming local election supervisors in South Florida Democratic strongholds, county commissioners said much of the fault lies with the state for a lack of funding and with the companies that provided complicated machinery and inadequate training.
"I'm disgusted. I'm embarrassed. We're tired of the global community thinking we're idiots down here, that we have no democratic process down here," Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler said. "This is more serious than what happened in 2000."
She said Miami-Dade County needs an international organization to monitor elections as is done in Third World Countries.
Liz Taylor
Subj: [VoterMarch] Bush Protest at UN Rebroadcasted on RadioLeft.com
Dear BuzzFlash,
"While the president delivered his speech to the General Assembly, hundreds of demonstrators braved tight security to gather outside the UN. They beat drums, held signs and gave speeches of their own, as they called on Bush not to attack Iraq." Bush Urges U.N. to Take Action Against Iraq, NY1 News, September 12, 2002
The entire program at the UN Bush Protest can be heard live over the internet at RadioLeft.com There will be a replay of the program on Friday at 5 PM ET, and throughout the weekend.
Louis
Posner
www.votermarch.org
Dear BuzzFlash,
Netanyahu: U.S. should attack Iran with TV
But Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich was not as supportive of Netanyahu's calls for war. In a terse exchange that occurred before the former prime minister laid out his "Iran Strategy," Kucinich asked him for additional suggestions for places to invade.
"While you're here, Mr. Prime Minister, are there any other countries besides Iraq that you would suggest that we invade?" he asked.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Dear BuzzFlash,
Please include a link to information about the pending changes to FM service by the FCC. They're getting ready to add digital signal to the regular FM dial, obscuring the signal from many smaller stations and giving the big guys even more power. In the rest of the world, the digital signals are given their own band, leaving FM as it exists intact. The ultimate outcome of the integrated method is likely to be that we and broadcasters will pay corporations for services received over the FM band. One link is digitaldisaster.com. There must be more. I think hearings are going to be held soon, so there's some urgency to getting this story out.
sheila collicott
Subj: For RA in LA
Dear BuzzFlash,
I checked with John (Benedict) Edwards - he's with Feinstein and the Dim Son on the issue of an independent commission. It's sickening.
And I figured it wasn't worth waking Jesse up to ask.
-Gunga Dan
[BuzzFlash Note: We called Durbin (Yes to an independent investigation) and Fitzgerald (hasn't made up his mind. We told him to do so).
Dear BuzzFlash,
Re: NY Post rewriting history about Bush's Booker Elementary appearance.
Fortunately we have a video proof this is a fabrication, right? Video: http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/2002/06/11_Booker.html
NY Post
SARASOTA, Fla. - At Emma E. Booker Elementary School, teacher Sandra Daniels recalled yesterday how she and her class learned of the terror attacks - when a federal agent rushed into the room to inform the president of the United States.
President Bush had been presiding over her reading class last 9/11, when a Secret Service agent interrupted the lesson and asked, "Where can we get to a television?"
"The president bolted right out of here and told me: ‘Take over,' " Daniels told The Post yesterday. "I knew something serious had happened, and then a short while later he came back and said, ‘What we thought was an airline accident turned out to be a terrorist hijack.'
"My kids were so happy that morning - imagine the president of the United States sitting there shooting the breeze, and then poof, suddenly he's gone. What do you say to a bunch of second-graders?"
Joey
Davis
http://www.rememberjohn.com
http://www.liberalresurgent.com
Dear BuzzFlash,
Wimping out again. :(
Homeland Security Bill Gains, if Only a Bit
September 13, 2002
By DAVID FIRESTONE
Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed not to demand confirmation power over the appointment of the White House homeland security director.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: The Florida Gubernatorial Election
Dear BuzzFlash,
I was an avid supporter of Janet Reno during this campaign. In fact, while president of the College Democrats at Florida State University, I campaigned hard for her to make sure that when the time came for us to endorse a candidate, it was for her. Like everyone else, I am shocked an appalled by what has happened here AGAIN. However, this is a democracy (at least usually), and unfortunately, that means that sometimes other people win.
In what has at times seemed like a carbon copy of the 2000 Presidential election, there are questions as to whether voting procedures may cause a change in the election results. The fact that this has happened twice is embarrassing and certainly a sign that a change is needed in this state at the executive level. Of this there is no question.
The question that remains now is 'Where do we go from here?' More than 2 days since the polls closed, we still do not have a definite winner and Janet Reno is talking about challenging the results in court. The idea of using the courts to try to fix some of the voting problems after-the-fact is attractive, but it is the wrong move in this case.
Unlike the 2000 election, this race is a party primary, which is reason enough to end the race now. Unlike 2000, where the only deadlines were the voting of the electors and any imposed by the courts, this is a race in which the eventual winner must then go on to face the incumbent Governor who leads over either candidate in the polls. Presenting a united front over Jeb Bush's embarrassing administration is the ONLY way that we, as Democrats, can hope to defeat him.
Furthermore, besides leading to divisions in the Democratic party at a time when we must unite, lawsuits will surely bring into question the legitimacy of the eventual nominee just as they do of President Bush in my, and I know many hearts.
In addition, because this was a primary election, it was a race between two ideologically-similar candidates, not opposites as in 2000. While I did not support Mr. McBride's candidacy for the primary, I am fully prepared to in order to defeat Jeb Bush. To trade a Reno candidacy for a McBride one is infinitely better, in my opinion, than the Gore-for-Bush trade we were forced to endure two years ago.
As a party, we simply cannot afford the process that may be once again heading our way. Therefore, with gratitude in my heart for the way she fought for the goals I and many Democrats believe in, I call upon Janet Reno to concede the Gubernatorial election as soon as possible. Furthermore, I call upon all Florida Democrats to unite behind our party's nominee.
Thank you for your time.
Richard
Siegel
Political
Affairs Vice-President
Immediate
Past President
FSU
College Democrats
Subj: Bush on 9/11
Dear BuzzFlash,
I can't get the video because I am sort of computer illiterate.
But I've noticed lately that the spin on how GWB reacted on 9/11/01 is very different from what I remember. I thought the whispered conversation between Card and Bush, was to inform him of the first WTC attacks. Other people say it was the second attack, with the shot of W pursing his lips and nodding.
If it were the second attack, why in heaven's name didn't Bush react? Why did he sit in his little chair, read or interact with the children, address an entire school assembly, and then leave to board AFONE?
This boggles my mind. He didn't even leave the Sarasota school until almost thirty minutes after the second attack???
Is this a leader? The commander-in-chief of the US?
There was an article in yesterday's (9-11-2002) Los Angeles Times, special section on 9/11 concerning Sandra Kay Daniels, the classroom teacher where Bush was visiting. She said that after Card came into the classroom Bush said, "Mrs. Daniels, I have to leave now. I am going to leave Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan here to do the speech for me." She implies that Bush left then.
I've seen Bush addressing an assembly at the school. I thought it was after hearing the news of a first or second attack. I thought it was about twenty minutes after hearing about an attack.
Why, in heaven's name, didn't the president respond immediately?
I think many people are now trying to spin stories that the president left for AFone immediately on hearing about the attack(s). I don't think that is true and I think he delayed leaving the school until he had more information, and possibly, because he wanted to be sure he was safe.
The first excuse I heard him say was, I didn't want to upset the children. Daniels doesn't say that and she was there.
Judy Barger Wineberg
Claremont,
CA
[BuzzFlash Note: When Andrew Card whispered in the President's ear, he was telling him about the second plane. The video is always available here: http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/2002/06/scsb.bush.mov.]
Subj: Paul Lukasiak's article about Bush's nonaction on 9/11
Dear BuzzFlash,
In regards to w sitting like a bump on a log after he was informed of the attack, it is important to remember that at that time he was the only person in the US at that time authorized to command the shooting down of a passenger airplane. If action had been needed he was unavailable, continuing his photo op.
Esther Clark
Dear BuzzFlash,
http://www.sptimes.com/2002/09/12/State/Votes_missing_observe.shtml
State: Votes missing; observers hissing they did to reno almost exactly what they did to gore. turned away voters, lost votes, did not open on time and closed early. we have a third world there and the bushes just love it. Something has to be done to stop the deliberate malfeasance by the bush cartel. The entire country should be up in arms over this. This is the last legacy of Katherine Harris and now she will go to Washington to see how much damage to America she can do there.
Henry
Dear BuzzFlash,
You know what I like about America is that I can carry on with life while a war is going on. My ex has taken me to court lately and won. Got my own little personal war going on. I can sit back and watch the war on TV when it happens and sort of half wonder if anybody is getting killed when our bombers target some distant building. If I had some money left after battling with my ex I could go shopping right now even if a war is right around the corner. I don't have to go prepare myself for battle.
Even if I agreed with the war and wanted to help fight, I am too old. I am fairly healthy for forty-eight, but you aren't going to see my catching up with any skinny Irag soldier. I am in better health than Rush Limbaugh. Got no anal cysts.
Even though W. is fifty something, it might be a good time for him to strap on a gun. He is an avid jogger. I think he could probably make a fine soldier. He needs some combat experience. At the very least, we should let him observe a building being blow up next door by one of our smart bombs.
Here is what my problem is why all the talk of war. It use to be that only the fittest survived. If you took 100 of our leaders and new commentators and lined them 100 Iraq civilians and made them fight a fair fight who do you think would win?
Of course, the problem with the world is that no one is going to fight fair. We, with our hi tech weapons of sufficient destruction, are able to dominate most of the world. We have been able to fight a few wars now without many American casualties.
Backed with our weapons of mass destruction, we used to feel fairly secure that no one would dare attack us. But things have been changing the last several years. The world that does not like us and those who have been hurt by our weapons or our policies don't think we are fighting fair. They are using guerilla tactics. They are using terrorism.
If we go to war with Irag, the terrorists attacks are going to increase. I am sure that just about everybody agrees with that. They do not have the sophisticated weaponry to fight us. The do have the anger to fight us. Angry people are dangerous. My fear is that we are going to have to learn to live with terrorists acts like Israel does.
My son and I were listening to the news on the radio on the way to his school a couple of days ago. It was about terrorism. I came concerned about whether he could handle it or not. As I often, do when the news gets too gruesome I turn it down.
This time I decided to try to explain what I thought the long term solution might be. I told him that even though we didn't have much money right now, that we weren't poor. I told him that there is a possibility that in his life time that my current lifestyle may be defined as rich. I feel that the end result of all this terrorism is that Americans will no longer be able to live as extravagant a lifestyle as we have become accustomed to.
I told my son that the world was going to demand that we let go of some of our wealth. We could do it willingly now, or we could wait until they scare us into doing it. I am not saying that the rest of the world can live like us. The world could not sustain us if they did.
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: grave gathering danger
Buzz,
The Arizona Republic's Friday headline read 'Grave gathering danger' - with a picture of geedubya beneath. I thought, 'boy that says it all; dimson sure is eloquent when describing himself.'
T Quigly
