September 20, 2002
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Dear Buzz:
At the top of the past two news hours, NPR has been playing a clip in which Shrub says congress needs to vote on an Iraq resolution "*before the elections*." Do you think he meant to say before the October recess? Oops.
Yours,
Nicole N.
BuzzFlash,
I realize that I may not be the only person around who is a bit confused over the hoopla about our 'intelligence failure' surrounding 9/11. The source of my confusion is that all the information now coming out tells me that our intelligence gathering community was, to my mind, very efficient at getting the information that terrorists were (a) seeking to strike within the United States (b) Use airliners as weapons (c) develop specific targets including the WTC and the Pentagon and yet everyone seems bent on saying that there was a failure in the intelligence community. Given that it is to be assumed that this information was pushed up the ladder and given that we know the Clinton administration provided a full report to Condoleeza Rice during the transition and that the incoming Bush administration, Ms. Rice included, chose to ignore the report as well as the Vice President's report on airline security while they 'reassessed' the information given to them by the outgoing administration. It was during this period of 'reassessment' that the July and August intelligence briefings were presented to Bush and his advisor's telling of a massive increase in activity; yet nothing was done. Oh excuse me, one thing was done in response to the July briefing; John Ashcroft stopped flying on commercial jets due to a 'threat assessment'. Why was that? He lies and says he didn't know. Really. Then we need to ask, at minimum, given the increasing information that an attack was imminent, why weren't fighter jets placed on a heightened alert as well as Air Traffic Controllers so that at the first sign of a hijacking or other abnormality in a given flight pattern or loss of transponder and/or radio communication they might be a bit faster on the uptake? It really begins to look like the failure was not in the intelligence community's gathering of information but in the administration's response or lack of response to that information. I am further puzzled by the administration's whine that 'nothing really said anything about September 11th' and the corporate media's willingness to parrot that as though it had validity. I'm sorry, but if this or any administration is going to wait for information so explicit that it gives the date, time, target and means of a terrorist action then that administration needs to be pilloried for stupidity. Serious stupidity as well as ignorance about the world and ineptitude to function in a leadership capacity in it. Right now I am barely willing, or begrudgingly ready to say that this administration knew that something was going to happen and that they let it happen but they didn't know exactly what was going to happen. Having said that, it seems to me that anyone who agrees with that assessment has got to place the onus for September 11th where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of the Bush administration et al including Rumsfeld, Rice, and the totally disgraced and castrated Powell. Trust me when I say that if I got continued warnings that someone wanted to do me in, I would certainly take every action I could to be prepared. This administration did nothing and sooner or later someone will find the smoking gun; the difference will be that rather than an action taken, this smoking gun will be in the actions not taken given the extent of the information they had.
A
BuzzFlash Reader
Boston,
MA.
Subject: This just has be an alternate reality
Dear Buzz,
Did we all go to bed one night and wake up in another universe? In another reality, different from the one we usually live in?
Which regime is the one that threatens the world? So much so that even the soft spoken and forgiving Mandela has come out of retirement in alarm to accuse the President of the United States of being a threat to world peace. In that other reality, the one we used to inhabit, other than Dick Cheney, the rest of our country was highly instrumental in pressuring South Africa to release Mandela and to stop apartheid. Back in that reality the people had the power to influence international policy. What happened to those days?
Which country is actually thinking of openly and blatantly killing as many innocent people "as it takes" to put the tiniest handful of Cronies in power of the world's most valued resources. Yes, if we go to war three men and one woman will be the ones who decide who lives and who dies on a scale that could rival the death toll of Vietnam. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice. They will send our youth to kill and to die so they and their corporate donors will control the oil that the rest of the world has to have. Is it just handful of us who think this, or is this crazy?
How did it happen that suddenly the US is the bad guy, the block bully, the tantrum throwing superpower threatening everyone with "you're either wid us or against us" and "...or you'll suffer the consequences", and telling the United Nations to "get a backbone."
How did this country suddenly become TEXAS?
How is it that Saddam Hussein, one of the cruelest, most murderously warmongering, hated and feared men in the world is suddenly fomenting peace?
How is it that much of the world suddenly lets out it's pent up breath in relief over Saddam's latest missive, even as we feel it's just another move in the "let's play chicken" game between him and the Bush Regime.
We can all remember when Saddam's ploys and prevaricating infuriated us, yet now we're grateful for his "unconditional invitation." It doesn't even matter that it's probably a falsehood, because the important thing is that his move may have bought us the time to keep building an effective opposition against who? Our own home grown Bush Regime! That makes Saddam Hussein the ally of peace, for Chrissakes!!! When did that happen?
When did bullchip kickin'cowboy boots become tuxedo accessories?
How did the pResidential selection happen?
Dear God (Goddess, Allah, Jehovah, insert deity of choice here), can we have our old reality back? I don't like this one.
Judith
Foster,
Berkeley
Dear BuzzFlash,
So now we know that "1" FBI agent was assigned to work on the terrorists? How many were helping Starr to impeach Clinton? How many were assigned in total to work on Whitewater from 1993 on? I don't have these numbers but it seems to me that if FBI resources had been allocated to terrorist activities instead of you know what; perhaps 911 might have been avoided all together. And we now know that there really was a right wing conspiracy to remove a "legally" elected president. Get the picture?
A BuzzFlash Reader
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020918-16942061.htm
Hey Buzz, if the text of this story from the Bush-Mooney Times is true, Iraq will be easy because of this or that, then how could Iraq possibly be a threat to the United States? Am I missing something?
We must attack because they pose an immediate threat to Amurika; but then this:
"Iraq's inability to recapitalize and modernize its forces means that much of its large order of battle is obsolescent or obsolete, has uncertain combat readiness and will be difficult to sustain in combat," said Anthony Cordesman, a military analyst at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"It has not demonstrated that it can use surface-to-air missiles in a well-organized way as a maneuvering force to cover its deployed land forces," he said.
Is this not a denial of their original reasoning?
A BuzzFlash Reader
RE: You're Joking, Right? -- A BuzzFlash Reader Commentary
Dear BuzzFlash,
Have you seen, can you post, the video on Bush's speech on Tuesday where says, "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again." -George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002.
I saw the clip on "The Daily Show". It's both hysterical and truly scary! I can't seem to find it anywhere. People need to see it!
David Kroes
[BuzzFlash Note: It's right here.]
Buzz,
I read several times that geeDubya recently warned schoolchildren "don't be fooled again." Was he quoting from the anti-war song by The Who? "I'll get on my knees and pray, We don't get fooled again"? As the song says, "history ain't changed" - once again antiwar protestors are "fighting in the streets, With our children at our feet" so that "the morals that they worship will be gone." Great song. Unfortunately, timely today.
And GeeDubya's AWOL problem keeps cropping up. He could wipe that stain off his record by serving his AWOL time in this war he wants so bad. He must serve as a grunt, not as commander-in-chimp, not as an officer, not as a flyer since he already chose not to continue flying.
And he can take his chickenhawks with him.
And it should be a requirement of the Congressional vote for war against Iraq that any member who votes for it is required to serve in that war. If a member is too old to fight, he/she must send a child or a relative instead. Demand this of your representative and then watch how the vote goes.
T Quigly
Hello to my lifeline,
I swear I'd not be able to continue without visiting your site every day.
When I read a letter to your mailbag from Elaine in Petaluma I decided to heed her advice and contact my representatives to let them know what I think about the shrub's war garbage going on in this Country. A piece of information at my House Rep's website made me wonder about the purpose of the anthrax letters that targeted our (mostly Democrat) lawmakers last fall. Representative McDermott (7th district, State of Washington) explains that it takes up to 5 or 6 weeks for mail to get to House members because all of it is first routed to a facility in Ohio to be irradiated in case someone sends another infested letter.
Is it possible that whoever sent the originals (we still have no released information about who that might have been) wanted (among other things) to cripple the people's right to let their voices be heard? Think about it. Those who don't have easy access to e-mail capabilities are the elderly, infirm and at the low end of the income structure.
People in those groups are predominately Democrats -- and so their ability to contact their senators and reps is greatly hampered. Obviously that wasn't the immediate reason, but isn't it convenient that it is so. It would be interesting to know who decided that all House mail be "sanitized" for such a long period of time....
Beautiful Barb
Seattle
Subj: Mailbag 9/19
Dear BuzzFlash,
I am so sick of the Faux network repeating this tired old line over and over how the 6 terrorists were DEMOCRATS!!!!! And, so far as Limbaugh, he has never told a truth in his entire life, so how does anyone believe him now. He constantly blames Bill Clinton for what is going on two years later....how in Gods good name can these two people (especially the one from the EIB Network -- ON LOAN FROM GOD) even discuss terrorists, war or any other thing regarding any kind of conflict...when, folks, as most fine upstanding republicans (Congressional, Senatorial and Media) got out of Viet Nam. Mr. Limbaugh had anal cysts..or, maybe an ingrown hair follicle on his fat rear end.
I think (I know) that O'Reilly, got out for some reason...they have so many, sometimes, you forget what any of them were deferred for. I just so much resent that Our Last President (elected) got a deferment to go to Oxford on Scholarship. Now, that is exactly what my brother wanted to do, but he couldn't...he had no scholarship and we were poor, no rich daddy to get him out! And, to be quite honest, we may not have, thinking it was our duty as citizens..as most of the ones running the country now... are glad to admit that they had other priorities at the time!! Like our beloved Vice President.
I think it does not bother them one bit to be called Chickenhawks, which is the best name for the lot of them!
Thanks for the mailbag..I love it,
Shirley, St.Louis
Subj: Loved Your Typo! We Need an "Emergency Democratic Majority"
Dear BuzzFlash,
I enjoyed your email and article titled "The Emergency Democratic Majority" -- A NEW BuzzFlash Premium.
That's exactly what we need, a democratic majority. And, we need it in a hurry so it must be an emergency!
If the need weren't so serious, it would be even funnier.
Regards,
Sharon
Addison
Loudon,
TN
[BuzzFlash Note: We weren't sure if it was a typo or a Freudian slip.]
To Editor,
I read your article on all the chickenhawks out there and it seems that we are a couple weeks from war. For all those proposing war I say you make a list of the congress' sons and daughter and the status of where they are currently now. I believe the draft-age son's and daughters of these congress members must be made public. They should not be shielded while Delay, Cheney, Bush, Lott, O'Reilly, Limbaugh and others want to send others to a senseless war. They should be ready to send their kids first.
Abraham Salazar
Subj: Bush Knew?
Dear BuzzFlash,
In the fall-out from the first day's public hearing on all that the security services knew prior to 9/11, a lot of media pundits and ex-CIA/FBI people were seen to wring their hands saying that if ONLY there had been a central agency to pull together all the disparate known facts ....
There is such an agency...its called the Executive Branch of Government and George W Bush is the man who heads it and gets such daily briefings
Coincidentally, the White House is refusing to hand over to the Intelligence Committee just what it knew, claiming the ubiquitous stone-walling secrecy know as "executive privilege." It's time for elected representatives to demand the truth.....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36615-2002Sep18.html
"Are we getting the cooperation we need? Absolutely not," Sen. Richard C. Shelby (Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence committee, said
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u
=/ap/20020918/ap_wo_en_po/us_attacks_intelligence_5
A BuzzFlash Reader
Subj: Ahh, The Trick!
Dear BuzzFlash,
Okay, now I get it... First they get all these notorious GOP hawks squawking about how wrong-headed is an attack on Iraq... Dick Armey, Scowcroft, etc etc... Then our brilliant president (read: moronic imposter in the white house) starts telling all his little secrets behind closed doors to the naysayers and, wallah! by gosh! ol' bunnypants was right and we were wrong, say all the old hawks! Of course, we can't tell you peons, you nobodies, these secrets, but take it from us, the presidential dick-tater was right! Saddam's a raving lunatic and has all kinds of horrid things in store for me and you and you and you and yeah it's gonna be long, expensive, ugly, with lots of death, death, death on both sides of the line in the sand, but, trust us-- we didn't believe he had any real evidence either, but he does! And you gotta know you CAN trust us because, gee, look how hard we were to convince!! So, kiss your sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers goodbye. Some of them, sadly, won't really be coming home again, except, you know, in bags and boxes-- others will come home, but there'll be long, dark nights when you, and they, may wish they hadn't... But, buck up America, you know we have to make sacrifices for oil... er, I mean, for freedom! For national security! Yeah, us old hawks kinda regret we didn't believe our prez in the first place, but, hell, questioning authority's the American way! And we did that for all of you. Now you can rest assured, he's made his case. Relax, get your Doritos and beers and belly up to the propaganda box-- get a front row seat. The fireworks are about to begin...
Kerry Hart
Providence,
RI
Subj: How about a little humility, Tucker
Dear BuzzFlash,
Quote from Tucker Carlson, Crossfire, Sept. 19, 2002 (about 47 minutes into the show):
"Is there anything I don't know? I can't imagine! Truly"
Paul Cohen
Dear BuzzFlash,
Rothenberg on IL:
The growing inevitability of a Democratic tidal wave is likely to depress Republican statewide turnout, further enhancing Democratic prospects to win offices throughout Illinois. A recent poll in the state's redrawn 19th district, where Rep. John Shimkus (R) faces Rep. David Phelps (D), puts the Democrat ahead by a couple of points.
http://www.rollcall.com/pages/columns/rothenberg/
Markoff Charney
Dear BuzzFlash,
Now get this...the United States is threatening to find a way to stop UN weapons inspectors from returning to Iraq. Not Saddam Hussein refusing to allow them in. Nope. The United States stopping them.
The man means to have his war. He's nuts. I feel like I am living in a nightmare.
Alan
BBC NEWS Thursday, 19 September, 2002, 23:51 GMT 00:51 UK
US threat to stop Iraq inspections
The American secretary of state, Colin Powell, has said the United States will find ways to stop weapons inspectors going back to Iraq unless there is a new United Nations Security Council resolution on the issue.
Addressing a Congressional committee, Mr. Powell said the Security Council must spell out to Iraq the serious consequences if it fails to cooperate with the inspectors.
Dear BuzzFlash,
I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. I was watching Lou Dobbs Moneyline on CNN. An ad came on that caught my attention. It was about how much a friend Saudia Arabia is to the US. They went on about how they helped with this and they helped with that and they've been our dear friends for ages. And the ad ended with a picture of one of the kings and - BUSH! This is the most disgusting political ad I have ever seen.
Pat
Cherundolo
Lakeland,
FL
Subj: Cowboy in Baghdad
Dear BuzzFlash,
If Bush wants to "go it alone," then why doesn't he gallop on in there on his horse, with a cowboy hat on, take out his gun and have a shoot out? They can call it High Noon in Baghdad. He can go there ALL BY HIMSELF for all I care.
MV
Dear BuzzFlash,
Bush is an abject fool to go it alone on Iraq, and my husband says that he is going to tank the economy and we will be in Iraq for a long time and that there will be many body bags and that there are going to be protests like in the seventies, not to mention that this fool is going to push his stupid party into oblivion and we won't hear from a Republican for another 40 years.
mev
Subj: The Truth Must Be Hidden
Dear Buzz:
Why Flight 93 will remain a mystery....
....because, while Bush was reading and interviewing 5 and 6 year olds for more than 10 minutes AFTER the 2d WTC attack, Big Dick Cheney (remember him) was calling the shots -- it was Cheney who ordered the shoot down.
Problem is, only the President is authorized to do that. The Chimp requires cover, and so the truth must be hidden from the people.
Virginia
Johnson
Destin,
FL
Subj: Mayor Philip Giordano -R- pervert
Buzz,
Mayor Philip Giordano is in the news again. Looked for him when I read your other CT story. He is such a great guy, "the girls had no knowledge of sex", so he took advantage of them as did their mother. Nice, gotta love those republican values.
Karen
Woman pleads guilty to state charges she arranged for mayor to have sex with children
September 19, 2002
Associated Press
WATERBURY, Conn. -- A convicted prostitute pleaded guilty Wednesday to state charges that she helped arrange sexual encounters between former Waterbury Mayor Philip Giordano and her young daughter and niece.
The 31-year-old woman had pleaded guilty to federal charges last week. As part of her plea agreement, she admitted Wednesday in Waterbury Superior Court to charges of conspiracy and risk of injury to a minor.
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/statewire/hc-19010604.apds.m0879.bc-ct--giorsep19.story
Subj: Illegal Use of Force In Iraq
Dear BuzzFlash,
Saddam Hussein has agreed to the most recent UN Resolution on wrapping up inspections and lifting sanctions, UN Resolution 1284, which Mr. Bush failed to mention in his litany of resolutions on September 12.
The text of this resolution may be found at:
http://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999_12/docde99.asp
This is expected to wrap up obligations to end sanctions within 12 months. It is built on a different reality than the Administration has been hawking. As usual, now that the opposing party has agreed to what we have been asking, we now want to move the goalpost.
Perpetual use of treaties, binding on all, seems a necessary long range approach to a peaceful world order, but Mr. Bush appears to think such obligations are simply intrusions on American sovereignty, and not for us. A few months before 9-11, he trashed enforcement provisions for the Chemical and Toxic Weapons Treaty (ratified by us during the Ford Administration), which had been worked up over a six-year period to put some teeth in the treaty. Regrettably, this work against strengthening existing international agreements on weapons of mass destruction is typical of Bush.
Bush still seems to have missed the point that the New World Order isn't "Might Makes Right."
It is depressing that the Democrats, this close to election, seem to feel it is necessary to give Bush a blank check on the use of force. This appears to be inevitable. The petition of 1,200 historians that Congress exercise its full Constitutional prerogative is appealing, but the result may be to fully unleash the dogs of war. A time out to test the effectiveness of a bloodless UN approach under UN Res 1284 would be the rational thing at this point, but rationality still seems thin on the ground.
Bush's requested Congressional Resolution, which demands authority to use force to overthrow a sovereign country, is essentially a violation of the UN Charter and numerous regional treaties and conventions. He is essentially asking the American people, through their representatives in Congress, to join him in breaking the law.
Use of 100-plane missions to systematically destroy Iraq's legal air defense system is the camel's nose in the tent for the larger war, and are an abuse of the UN Resolutions put in place to protect minorities. As I have heard no one make the smallest complaint about these abuses, which certainly have the appearance of acts of war, I will not be surprised by anything.
When the U.S. steps up to a respect for international law and becomes a responsible participant in building a peace based on law, it can reclaim the moral high ground. Trying to use the UN to create a regime change by force is a novel idea that is counter to the UN Charter and purpose. Acting like the Claude Raines in Casablanca and saying we are "truly shocked" by the failure of the UN to go along with this idea is disingenuous at best. There are less polite words to describe it.
Regards,
John
Williford
Kirkland,
WA
Dear BuzzFlash,
We are creating another Vietnam and our Democratic "leaders" know it. THIS SUCKS. "President Bush's request to Congress yesterday for authorization to invade Iraq marked the broadest request for military authority by any White House since President Lyndon B. Johnson won approval of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964, legal scholars said"
A BuzzFlash Reader
Resolution Likened to '64 Vietnam Measure
By Mike Allen and Charles Lane
President Bush's request to Congress yesterday for authorization to invade Iraq marked the broadest request for military authority by any White House since President Lyndon B. Johnson won approval of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964, legal scholars said.
To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41999-2002Sep19.html
Dear BuzzFlash,
This is a shameful time to be an American. The economy is in the tank, I'm out of work, and the only thing the "grown-ups" in charge can offer is war, war, and more war.
Those who attacked this country in September 2001 did not awaken a sleeping giant - they poked a belligerent drunk.
-Gunga Dan
Subj: Another excerpt from Newsweek
Dear BuzzFlash,
We all know Reagan was responsible for the death of 241 marines in Beirut. What about the 37 who died aboard the U.S.S. Stark?
HOW WE CREATED SADDAM
The United States was much more concerned with protecting Iraqi oil from attacks by Iran as it was shipped through the Persian Gulf. In 1987, an Iraqi Exocet missile hit an American destroyer, the USS Stark, in the Persian Gulf, killing 37 crewmen. Incredibly, the United States excused Iraq for making an unintentional mistake and instead used the incident to accuse Iran of escalating the war in the gulf. The American tilt to Iraq became more pronounced. U.S. commandos began blowing up Iranian oil platforms and attacking Iranian patrol boats. In 1988, an American warship in the gulf accidentally shot down an Iranian Airbus, killing 290 civilians. Within a few weeks, Iran, exhausted and fearing American intervention, gave up its war with Iraq.
Tom
Sklarski
Garfield,
N.J.
Subj: Get Busy
Dear BuzzFlash,
Write to your Representative and Senators at http://www.congress.org/ ...put in your ZIP code and click "Write to ALL of your representatives" on the next page.
Tell them that Congress alone has the power to declare war. Tell them that the military of the U.S. is not the personal police force of an unelected, arrogant, reactionary fundamentalist fool. Tell them that your sons and daughters shouldn't have to die so that Chevron can make more money and so-called republicans can get reelected. Tell them that Saddam is and has been contained for over a decade. Tell them that you'd just as soon not screw up Middle Eastern relations for another millennium; that the Crusades did enough damage. Tell them that you want Osama captured. Tell them that you want your retirement money back. Tell them that you want *Ken Lay's* retirement money back. Tell them that you want a sane fiscal policy back. Tell them that you want your job back. Tell them that you vote, and that you're watching them. Tell them that you're looking for statesmanship, not politics. Tell them to get some spine and to demonstrate some REAL patriotism.
But above all, write, right now.
R
Subj: Vermonters against this stupid war.
Dear BuzzFlash,
Did you see the footage of our beloved Bernie Sanders on the Capital steps yesterday. He was PISSED!!
Thank god someone is.
This could be the beginning of an honest-to-god anti war movement. Finally!!!
Michael J Royer
p.s.
Cheney was in Burlington yesterday charging $5K for face time, $2K for a photo.
BuzzFlash rules! Keep it up!!
09/20/2002
MILWAUKEE (AP) - U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin has joined 18 other colleagues in the House who have formed a coalition in opposition to a U.S. attack on Iraq.
The 19 House members include 18 Democrats and one independent, Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Dear BuzzFlash,
Thanks to Joel S for his contribution titled, "You're joking, right?"
It hit it!
Two other things I need to vent about:
1. Who gives a fig if Poppy hates Saddam? I am sure the feeling is mutual. Another example of using leaders and then turning on them. Remember that Poppy has many skeletons in his closet, having been a CIA director.
2. I may have to stop listening to NPR. They are getting fluffy. The other morning I awoke to hear Bob Edwards (I think it was him) interviewing Laura Bush. One of his lines was in praise of Laura and her work for the Afghani women under the Taliban. Excuse me, where was she years before when other human rights groups were trying to get attention/help focused on those women? Laura was used by old hubby and his crew to justify the bombing in Afghanistan.
Can't we just make them go away??!!
Irma
Dear Buzz,
The last two mornings I have spent calling my Senators and Representatives (even the one's that don't represent me). The message is simple: No war with Iraq. It it unconstitutional, it is unprovoked, it is unilateral, it is unjust, it is immoral.
There is no evidence to support Bush and Cheney's accusations, Iraq is no threat to America, and there are too many problems here at home that are being denied attention and money due to the Whack Iraq agenda that's getting shoved down our throats.
For the first time in no less than 10 years, last night I prayed. I prayed that this insanity stop and that the tide of war be turned.
I spent six months in the Persian Gulf, and to think that such a beautiful region of God's green earth could once again be stained with the blood of thousands of dead civilians; the blood of thousands of soldiers who'd rather live; the uranium of countless shells and rounds; the pollution of destroyed oil wells; and the possible release of chemical or biological weapons; makes me sick to my stomach and saddened to my core.
War is not hell. War is death. We all know that BushCo's push to invade Iraq is to consolidate Bush's power and enrich his cronies - but its all of us who will do the dying. Now we must impress that upon our friends and family and just as importantly convince them to CALL their representatives! If you have a calling card tell them to use yours so they can call for free. Make it easy. It is. Get on the phone, forget the email, and tell your reps to oppose Bush's "War is Peace" juggernaut.
Mike
Kress
Spokane,
WA
BuzzFlash,
Somebody please tell me which is worse? On one hand we have an administration hell-bent on pursuing a needless and unprovoked war, motivated not by national interest, but by the desire to keep the country's attention shifted away from their incompetence, duplicity and corruption, coupled with the seizure of oil rich territory. The polls tell them that as long as they keep this issue in the fore, their chances for victory in November are greatly enhanced.
On the other we have a frightened, subservient opposition, the deer-in-the-headlight Democrats. They demonstrate no courage or integrity. They are like the child who takes a new route home from school, so they may avoid the neighborhood bully. THEIR polls tell them to let the maniac have his way, so that it can sooner become a non-issue too. That way, their chances for November victories increase also.
Understand, real people will die here, real families devastated. We will lose children and brothers and fathers. We will kill fathers and mothers and sons and daughters. We will do this so that those in power may stay there, and the Democrats will yield to this in the hope that they may grab some of their own.
A plague on both your houses.
Jim Cloud
Dear BuzzFlash,
If anyone happened to be watching today's Washington Journal when the referenced event occurred and object to it, here's C-Span's e-mail address:
Subj: Object to event on today's Washington Journal
Date: 9/20/2002 10:05:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Grietzmacher
To: viewer@c-span.orgmI'm a retiree who has spent nearly two years enjoying C-Span every day. I am very grateful to C-Span for offering viewers a variety of informative sources from which we may make informed decisions and opinions.
On Washington Journal this morning a gentleman caller criticized the Bush administration for hiding protesters to the Bush administration from view of the media while it allows Bush supporters to appear front and center in full view of the media. Washington Journal's host did not acknowledge the caller's statement and immediately changed the subject thereby discouraging both guests from commenting on the subject. Please do not allow this to happen again. Your audience depends on C-Span for open discussion, particularly in view of the current fear and apprehension of the citizens of our country and the terrible dangers we now live with.
Marilyn Hayes
(address)
Dear BuzzFlash,
It seems obvious that the reason the White House rushed its war resolution up to the Hill was to knock off the evening news the ever more disturbing revelations that Bush was warned repeatedly of 9/11 scenarios -- and yet did nothing but "get out of harm's way," first in Texas, then in Florida (then in Louisiana, then in Nebraska...). You'd think that the son of a former President, CIA chief and friend to Saudi royalty would have had some inkling of UBL's intentions.
Weren't we told in the 2000 campaign that Bush would surround himself with all the best minds regarding national security and foreign affairs? And yet his security was non-existent, our standing in world affairs is at a new low, and their domestic agenda is an insult to working class Americans. I don't see how attacking Iraq makes anything better, except for the Bushes.
BuzzFlash Reader
