The BuzzFlash Mailbag
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Subj: 434+ days of Osama's flight from justice, and counting
Dear BuzzFlash,
In 1981, Iran released US hostages after 444 days of captivity--as was enumerated nightly by Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News.
Does Dan Rather have the courage to start a daily count of Osama's flight from justice? Day 444 seems like an apt anniversary to start. And it is a far more newsworthy event, with many more American lives at stake.
Perhaps BuzzFlash could promote the idea of counting the # of days that Osama has escaped capture. The implications, policy and political, are big. A simple webpage counter--"Day ### of Osama's flight from justice"--would be effective.
Thank you for all you have done.
Dale Murphy
Subj: re: 'conspiracy kooks' reader commentary
Dear BuzzFlash,
Please refer to the corrections page in the NYTimes of the article in question dealing with the purported link between vaccinations and autism:
"An article and a subheading in The Times Magazine on Sunday about the possibility of a link between brain development in children and thimerosal, a preservative formerly used in vaccines, misstated the views of Dr. Neal Halsey, a Johns Hopkins researcher. Dr. Halsey says that when he described thimerosal injury as a possibility that "must be addressed," he was referring to developmental delay, not to autism. Thus the subheading under the title "The Not-So-Crackpot Autism Theory" erred in saying of a possible autism link that Dr. Halsey "thinks it's an issue worth investigating."
While the number of cases of autism has increased, it is still not clear exactly whether the rise is due to better diagnosis or other environmental factors. It is generally accepted in the scientific community that the specific smallpox vaccines do not have any apparent significant impact upon the development of autism. People are constantly being bombarded by invading organisms, and developing immune responses to those organisms. Vaccines are a small part of an ongoing cacophony of immune responses, and only serve to help protect children from the very serious childhood diseases which one killed thousands every year.
While I personally do not believe the link between autism and smallpox vaccinations, I feel that BuzzFlash should please try to include such editor notes to help give people all the information they need to either accept or reject these statements. I'm sure that the doctor in question requested the correction in order to clarify his response, and help prevent any unnecessary alarm over routine vaccinations which have so far proven incredibly safe and reliable. I cannot say that in the future some conclusive and rigorous studies will not prove the scientific community wrong in this assumption, at this time, there is no good data to support this conclusion. It is sensationalistic articles like these that prey upon people's fears over medical procedures and drive unnecessary lawsuits based on the idea there is always an explainable reason for a person to become ill.
And I do enjoy your site- I just don't necessarily enjoy the popular media jumbling facts with speculation in order to sell newspapers at the expense of public trust in science.
Chris
Lazarski
Graduate
Student, Immunology University of Chicago
Re: Media Bias
Dear BuzzFlash,
First, wingnut gasbag Cal Thomas in the Moonie Times on Pelosi:
"The first victory, on Election Day, gave Republicans control of Congress and the White House for the first time in half a century. The second will come with the election of Mrs. Pelosi as minority leader. It will allow Republicans to again invoke the image of Democrats as the big-government, high-taxing, over-regulating, entitlement-establishing, unaccountable, irresponsible, gun-confiscating, totalitarian-coddling, peace-at-any-price, American Civil Liberties Union card-carrying, same-sex-marrying, unrestricted-aborting, anything-goes philosophy of the Dukakis-Mondale-McGovern extreme left wing of their party."
Do you think the same paper, or any paper, would (properly) refer to the appointment of Tom DeLay as "allowing the Democrats to invoke the image of Republicans as Crony Capitalist, Pro-Corruption, Regulation-Skirting, Cop-Killer-Bullet-Using, Dictator-Coddling, Hand-The-Treasury-Over-to-Defense-Contractors, Gay-bashing, Confederate-Flag-Loving, abortion-doctor-killing, use-the-Bill-of-Rights-as-toilet-paper Gingrich/Trent Lott/Jesse Helms extreme right wing of their party."
Rich Proctor
Subj: Hannity book "info-tainment" says publisher
Dear BuzzFlash,
I think that Judith Regan is Hannity's publisher. It is classic that even she doesn't consider his book serious and labels it "infotainment"
"Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism" (Regan Books/HarperCollins)
Here is her quote:
As Judith Regan, the president of Regan Books, said in an interview: "I think in the case of both Michael Moore and Sean Hannity, those are books driven by strong personalities. Whether they were tackling the subject of politics or celebrity or weight loss, if you have the platform they have, the books sell." She added, "These are infotainment books."
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/18/business/media/18BOOK.html
stevie g
Subj: Mr. Mathews
Dear BuzzFlash,
Well, I think those democratic officials who do not want Gore need to look at their track record of the 2002 elections..........let's face it, they did not have a clue what we wanted. It does not matter what they want, it matters what their base wants, without us they have another 2002 in 2004.
Katie Johnson
Subj: Homeland Security??
Dear Buzz Readers:
As the parent of an autistic child, I was appalled to find out that the "new" Homeland Security bill includes a rider that would exempt drug companies from liability for producing a Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine that was mercury based. My son has been diagnosed as autistic since he was about 4 years old, he is now 17. Originally, he was thought to be "developmentally delayed." A term that was used to pigeonhole a lot of children. His development backslided after his last MMR shot. His speech slowed, then halted. Then he started to show signs of autistic behavior. Its too late to dwell on this now and would not help him. But, the Republican scum has seen fit to include this in a Homeland Security bill, hoping that no one would notice. Barbara Boxer has noticed and I have E-mailed many other senators. I am in touch with NAAR-National Alliance for Autistic Research-and am hoping they will start an immediate barrage of phone calls and e-mails. We cannot let THEM get away with this, too!!! Our freedom is one thing, but the dignity of my son and others is quite another. We must fight them, as long as it takes; whatever it takes.
Thank you
G. Pasapane
Subj: Secret Court
Buzz,
Let's not forget that the court that came out with today's decision has Key (Reagan appointee); Leavy (Reagan appointee) and Laurence SILBERMAN (the federal appellate judge from the DC Circuit that Brock wrote about in "Blinded by the Right").
Watch the rightwingers' action as they move their pieces into place like a game of chess...we truly have been taken over by a minority wing of our country. Coup d'etat.
Denise
Dear BuzzFlash,
Are we just going to sit here and read BuzzFlash while the dictator takes over?
Where are the democrats who should be leading an uprising?
Even R-TEX. Ron Paul House Rep. is afraid of his own republican party!
He has written it better than any democrat could, several articles on his own web site!
The way these issues are being discussed on TV news is not informing the public of their lost freedoms, civil rights, and the loss of our democracy.
Republicans have more courage than democrats in having to split with their own party.
Democrats are WIMPS.
George
Dear BuzzFlash,
Here's gov link to Entire Homeland Security Bill in PDF...
http://www.hsc.house.gov/legislation/hr5710.pdf
Its 484 pages -- but = to about 80 pages of normal text. IDIOTIC structure ... written by kids!!!
Mary Titus
Subj: bin Laden
Dear BuzzFlash,
Okay, now Dubya! We must put up or shut up...or be a wimp, again (remember your military record)! Didn't YOU say we were going to get him "dead or alive"?? Well, now we know he is alive...go get him, big guy!!!!! I dare you!!!!!
Shirley, St. Louis
Subj: Rope-a-Dope
Dear BuzzFlash,
NOW talk shows across America are in a frenzy about the confiscation of all personal privacy that is contained in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
So the Democrats were "helpless" on the issue of terrorism, were they?
That brilliant Karl Rove had them "inextricably cornered", did he?
"Hi, I'm Senator Max Cleland. My opponent, Saxby Chambliss, is accusing me of being unpatriotic for opposing the Homeland Security Act. I'm strongly in favor of aggressively fighting terrorism, but this misnamed bill doesn't do that - it destroys your privacy. It gives federal government bureaucrats access to all of your personal information, including credit card statements, family finances, religious donations, gun purchases, medical history, and every e-mail you send or receive. What does spying on law-abiding Americans like you have to do with defending our great nation? I support legislation to protect your freedom against the enemies of our country, not a bill that gives government workers access to all of your private matters. Re-elect me because, unlike Mr. Chambliss, I understand the difference between preserving your God-given liberty and destroying it."
Rove reminds me of George Foreman. He is going to be perceived as being invincible until he runs into someone who is not afraid to fight back.
Unfortunately, the Democrats have no Muhammad Ali.
David Podvin
Subj: Bush on bin Laden
Dear BuzzFlash,
Karen omitted this oft-said and untrue Bush quote about bin Laden:
"He can run but he can't hide."
Gary B.
Subj: Pork?
Dear BuzzFlash,
Lets talk about the other pork also, HOM. SEC. has also been paying T. Ridge for over a year now and all we got for it was A worthless color code alert system that any second grade teacher could have done. It's not even a bill yet, but Ridge has been getting paid for more than a year now.
How much money has this deserter pres. spent on ILLEGAL travel on AF 1?
Ed Peltz
Dear BuzzFlash,
President Bush, a scion of great wealth who has never had to earn an honest living, has abruptly wiped out the jobs, retirement security and health benefits of 850,000 blue- and white-collar federal workers. Always bailed out of losing business ventures by his daddy or a family friend, Bush apparently finds it easy to play games with the livelihood of ordinary Americans as a way of punishing unions that opposed him at election time.
VGD
A Silver Spoon Is Gouging Unions
Robert Scheer
November 19 2002
President Bush, a scion of great wealth who has never had to earn an honest living, has abruptly wiped out the jobs, retirement security and health benefits of 850,000 blue- and white-collar federal workers. Always bailed out of losing business ventures by his daddy or a family friend, Bush apparently finds it easy to play games with the livelihood of ordinary Americans as a way of punishing unions that opposed him at election time.
Dear BuzzFlash,
Here's an e-mail I sent to CBS News:
Is it the policy of CBS News to deliberately misinform their viewers? Your November 18th report on the decision of the FISA appellate court was shocking in its misrepresentation.
Rather than simply "affirm the government's broad surveillance powers to combat terrorism", this decision chews away at the Constitution's protection from unreasonable search and seizure. With this decision, the government can now build criminal cases out of wire taps and other surveillance data collected under a FISA warrant - a warrant for which the evidentiary threshold is quite low. Virtually any U.S. citizen can now be targeted as someone "affiliated" with someone "suspected" of being an "associate" of someone who "knew" someone who might have been overseas in a state that might "shelter" Al Qaeda "suspects". As you can see the potential for abuse is enormous. Legitimate political or religious figures with no ties to terrorism may now be harassed by the government for, say, simply opposing a war in Iraq. There are serious questions of whether this decision and the FISA statute itself are constitutional. But no one can appeal this decision to the Supreme Court except the Department of Justice. Fat chance!
This is an outrage and another small step towards totalitarianism. But no one should expect the corporate media to sound an alarm. CBS is apparently in on the plan.
I plan to boycott all CBS sponsors and Viacom products generally.
A BuzzFlash Reader
<<Fox News Head Sent a Policy Note to Bush>>
Dear BuzzFlash,
Okay, so there's the gun, and it's smoking for all to see.
I have yet to hear one Democrat say one word about this.
Moreover, this is a heaven-sent opportunity for the Democrats to boycott FOX. Label for what it is --The Republican House organ -- and boycott the damned thing.
Wlc
RE: Shutdown Bush's Tyrannical Invasion of Our Privacy....
Dear BuzzFlash,
I have a question for you. With control of Congress and three legislative branches of government under his control, who is going to shutdown Bush or any of his tyrannical policies now??
Just Wondering?
Christine
Subj: The Democratic Inner Circle
Dear BuzzFlash,
Ever since Al Gore has reappeared on the media there has been constant polling being shown on t.v.. They ask if he runs against Bush, if he is on the list of contenders, how will he do?, blah blah blah blah. The most disturbing thing to me is that supposedly the Democratic inner circle is not happy if he runs and the muckety mucks don't approve. Does this include Terry McAuliffe. After all he does run the DNC and he did such a grand job at retaining senate and house seats.
Does anyone ever seek the opinion or advice of the "people", of which I am one? Relying on this so called inner circle to determine who I will chose and who I won't is getting to be downright annoying. As far as I can see the so called leaders of the party have not done such a cracker jack job.
Al Gore so far is the only one who has spoken out against Bush's policies about the war and the economy , while everyone else went along to get along and it cost them the election. As far as Lieberman saying that Al Gore campaigned to much as a populist, it seems that is what should be happening. After all aren't we, the people, whom they should be speaking. As far as Lieberman is concerned I wouldn't vote for him for all the money in the world. I would just stay home.
Let the party get back to the people who put them there or we are all just Republicans in drag.
Charlene Moran
Subj: Why all the pork for Eli Lilly in the Homeland Security Bill
Dear BuzzFlash,
Follow the money trail and the revolving door between government "service" and private industry.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Confirmed by the United States Senate on January 23, 2001, the Honorable Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. joined President George W. Bush's Cabinet as a member who combines Main Street experience and Pennsylvania Avenue credentials.
Prior to joining the President's Cabinet, Daniels enjoyed a successful tenure at the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly & Co. as the senior vice president of corporate strategy and policy in 1997. As a top executive, Daniels ensured that Lilly had the flexibility necessary to remain a leader in its constantly evolving field. Daniels also has advised firms ranging from Indiana National Bank to IPALCO Enterprises, Inc.
(snip)
Daniels has proved a key contributor to the President's vision for renewing America. Helping shape the historic tax relief bill President Bush signed into law last June, Daniels was also influential in designing the economic and fiscal response to the terrorist attacks of September 11. Among other things, he oversaw the formulation and implementation of the airline rescue package. Currently, Daniels sits on the Homeland Security and National Security Councils.
(snip)
http://www.cei.org/gencon/003,02900.cfm
Judy Fitzgerald
Subj: Nothing Has Changed
Dear BuzzFlash,
Bush wanted bin Laden dead or alive.
Well hey, he is alive and well. The recent tape has been validated to be the voice of bin Laden. He is just as dangerous now, as he was prior to 9/11. What say you now, Mr. pResident? Nuth'in, I'm sure... just ignore him and maybe he will go away. That was the remedy Bush applied prior to 9/11. And the Bush administration had the gall to fault Clinton for not catching bin Laden and removing him from the world? Now the shoe is on the other foot and I don't see a smidge of evidence that Bush is pursuing bin Laden as Clinton actually did.
Nothing has changed since 9/11. Bush is still barking like a mad dog. Osama still walks the earth, threatens and directs terrorists. Warlords continue to operate in Afghanistan. Many Afghani women continue to wear burkas. The US has coughed up little $$$ to rebuild Afghanistan. The expensive war on Afghanistan has not changed much. Oh, wait a minute! There is one change... an oil pipeline through Afghanistan is under construction.
And Americans wonder why everyone hates us!
Heck, Bush has bigger fish to fry. He can't be bothered with bin Laden and doing the right thing in Afghanistan. There's oil to be gotten in Iraq. Send in the bombers! Massacre the innocents! And when it's finished, the Iraqi people will be no better off than the Afghans and the evil Saddam will be no where to be found. Wha-la, a Bush instant replay!
And Americans wonder why everyone hates us!
~ Cathy
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