The BuzzFlash Mailbag
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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.
Subj: Randi Rhodes
Dear Buzz Readers:
So happy to see that others are listening to Randi either on WJNO 1290 in South Florida or on the Internet ClearChannel.com. She has been a driving force in this area for nearly 20 years. All who listen, whether they agree or not, laud her for her research she has done on numerous issues. SHE speaks the truth, not Rush.
She had a very short interview with none other than Oliver North on Friday, November 22. His comments were so telling that I have to repeat them here. He actually admitted that his "good friend" Rush (with whom he was scheduled to have dinner that night at his Palace in Palm Beach) clearly said he was aware that Rush was a driving force in preventing Randi from being syndicated. Why is he so scared of this "Lib"? Could she possibly be giving out truthful information on the air? Facts that can easily be checked, if one cares to read? Granted, Randi's listening audience is limited to primarily Palm Beach Country and parts of Broward to the South and Martin to the North, but, her popularity is enormous. Back to Oliver North: He eventually ripped off his headphones and walked out of the studio, because he would not admit that he was INDEED a convicted felon. He had no reasonable answers to her questions and would not engage her in a debate. It seems that when one of these characters is actually asked real question to real issues, they back down.
We all have been so lucky here in Florida to have Randi. She is well-informed, intelligent, entertaining and most of accessible. Her call screener does not give you the third degree on what you plan to talk to her about; just in case you disagree with her. She allows all callers to state their case and welcomes debate. Just know your facts, because she will set you straight if you call with a bunch of conservative crap from the Limbaugh Line. Please give her a listen. She is our only hope her in Florida.
A Buzz Reader
Subj: Bruce Morton
Hi Buzz,
The following is an email I sent CNN after watching a very good "Big Brother" commentary by Bruce Morton.
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CNN has finally put out a commentary by Bruce Morton that likens the present administration to George Orwell's "Big Brother" with the news that today Bush is signing the Homeland Security Bill and in his commentary Morton has included the appointment of John Poindexter (a convicted criminal) to head the Information Awareness Office.
There are millions of us out here who have been forced to cease relying on you or your mirror image FOX (or any TV news networks, except C-span and Lehrer's News Hour) for any kind of real information. Your showing Bush endlessly getting on and off of the Presidential helicopter all day long and turning yourselves into the spokesparrots of the present administration is not news and because you vaunt yourselves as practicing professional journalism on CNN and because you constantly tout yourselves as being trustworthy you have committed egregious lies which have contributed to the rapid slide of this country into nothing that can resemble democracy, and into something that very closely resembles "Big Brother".
Though I'm grateful someone has finally come up with the information that should cause a great deal of alarm to the citizens of this country, I am very angry that it wasn't done months ago. The "Big Brother" warning has circulated extensively in alternate news media and in some newspapers for over a year while you and all the other Corporate owned news media have chosen to fill the airwaves with praise for the perpetrators of this surveillance brand of government by ignoring the warning signs. Signs which are self evident as they are in-your-face to those of us who think. If I had the power to fire you for incompetence and serious breach of public trust I would. Since I don't then I'll just turn you off.
In utmost sincerity and anger,
Judith Foster
Dear BuzzFlash,
Regarding the issue of legality in the shooting of the suspected terrorist in Yemen.
The Bush administration cannot have it both ways.
If as they say, the people in the car are to be considered enemies in a "war" then yes, under International law, there was nothing wrong in killing them. (Presuming that the government of Yemen had approved of the attack) But, then it also follows that the prisoners in Guantanamo are prisoners of war and must be treated accordingly.
It is stunning that respected law professors from American universities can approve of the killings without commenting on then the illegal detentions in Cuba.
Morten
Christoffersen
St.
Petersburg, FL
Re: Feinstein to Demos:Time To Get Tough
Hey BuzzFlash,
Talk about cynical, political pandering...California Senator Dianne Feinstein telling the Democrats it's time they stood up to the Bush Cartel and its Republican goons and pushed back.
The senior Senator from San Francisco certainly knows all about getting tough with the Repugs: she was one of twelve Democrats who voted for the Bush sponsored gratuitous tax cut of 2001, the other eleven being the so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Feinstein voted yes for every repressive, liberty limiting piece of legislation that crossed the Senate's path.
http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/votes/1071.html
She certainly stood up to those mean old Republicans.
Bob Jewett
Subj: Looking For Hope In All The Wrong Places
Dear BuzzFlash,
Judicial watch had captured my interest when they actually tried to obtain the Cheney papers on energy. Today I went to their website and didn't see Cheney's name, not once. No Haliburton, no Ken Lay, no enron, nothing. However Jennifer Flowers name was mentioned, Janet Reno's name was mentioned and of course the ever popular vessel for all conservative hate, Bill and Hillary Clinton.
I must admit I didn't delve deeply into their website but only saw their most recent litigations and lawsuits so it could have been missed. Now is anybody questioning where the Reagan papers drifted off to (could be a bit of Iran contra info in there). How about Harken and the wonderful baseball stadium that was hoisted on the taxpayers. Is their every going to be any public reference to President Bush's term in the national guard or lack thereof.
There always seems to be room in the press about any violation of any kind by certain of us and yet news is scarce and hard to find on others of us. If you were to scan the local news and CNN and the newspapers you would think that this administration is as popular as apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Where are the dissenters. At this point even Republican dissenters seem to be welcome. Where are they when the votes come up. Do even they speak with only one voice.
It seems to me that before long Mr. Bush is going to be canonized into sainthood and the only thing that keeps me going is that the arrogance of this administration will cause their eventual fall. They are bound to overstep their power. However just waiting till this happens and not speaking out in the meantime against policies will also lead to freedoms fall.
We, the people, not we the democratic insiders are the voters that count. I am tired of Terry McAuliffe and his money people telling us who we have as candidates and who we should vote for. The candidate that speaks to peoples issues should be our candidate.
Signing off on a rather rambling letter. Keep on buzzin'.
Charlene Moran
Subj: My Email to Diane Feinstein
Hi Buzz,
After reading your link to the San Francisco Chronicle's story "Feinstein to Demos: Time to get tough" by Phillip Matier, and Andrew Ross, I emailed her the following:
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Senator Feinstein,
I have repeatedly tried to contact you and have begged for your opposition to both the Patriot Act and to the literal giving of all war powers to George W. Bush and I've asked you to oppose any war with Iraq. I notice in your interview in the SF Chronicle (Feinstein to Demos: Time to get tough by Phillip Matier, and Andrew Ross-Sunday, November 24, 2002) that you are obfuscating and pretending that the war with Iraq is a just one and that your constituents will be fooled if you only urge the administration to not wage it alone.
You have already lost my vote by allowing my rights to be taken away by the Patriot Act and I see this "get tough" stance as you realizing that you've cast erroneous pro Ultra Conservative votes that have put our Country in peril of becoming a dictatorship.
Your call to get tough is too late. And as for what your opinion is of Al Gore as someone who you don't know who he is, please let me assure you that not knowing who you are appears to be your problem. Al Gore is definitely not a Republican wannabe or appeaser like you seem to be.
You will not get any future donations or votes from me.
Judith Foster
Subject: Demonize Daschle Demagoguery
Dear BuzzFlash,
Limbaugh on Daschle...
"You (Sen. Daschle) are seeking political advantage in the war on terrorism just exactly as you sought political advantage after the war on terrorism started on September 11. Just as you sought political advantage with the economy plundering, just as you sought political advantage with the stock market collapse, just as you sought political advantage with the corporate scandals. You seek political advantage with the nation at war. There is no greater testament to the depths to which the Democratic Party and liberalism have fallen. You now position yourself, Senator Daschle, to exploit future terrorist attacks for political gain. You are worse, sir, than the ambulance-chasing tort lawyers that make up your chief contributors. You, sir, are a disgrace. You are a disgrace to patriotism, you are a disgrace to this country."
It seems Tom Daschle whose life and the lives of his staff that were in peril from a domestic source of weapon grade anthrax manufactured by our government was taken political advantage of by those who wanted to make sure that a post September 11th investigation would not take place.
It seems the economic plundering was accomplished by Mitch Daniels and the other government book-cookers that came up with the phony numbers to sell a boom time tax cut as a bust time tax cut. And just where did that $60 billion dollars already allocated to homeland security and Tom Ridge really go?
It seems the stock market collapse was directly attributable to lack of confidence that much of the country has in its current leadership. Just like your car not being able to run on 2 cylinders, our nation's 4 cylinder economic engine won't run with half of us not caring to function in unison with a bunch of Wall Street crooks.
It seems that Bush, Cheney, White, et al were part and parcel to the actual corporate scandals. Add their main supporters like Lay, Ebbers, Winnick, etc. and you know who really gained both financially and politically.
It seems that Bush and company can certainly take long vacations and campaign endlessly while we are at war, so why would asking a few questions that need to be answered about the conflicts be a problem? Shouldn't Bush be bringing us all together in a nonpartisan way during these trying times?
It seems a good trial lawyer is preferable to a CEO whose profit over personal injury approach to managing has caused much serious harm to unsuspecting consumers. The GOP just loved those trial lawyers during Bush v Gore, and while suppressing Cheney's energy meeting records, etc.
The only disgrace about Daschle is that he is too nice and civil in his approach to dealing with the other side of the aisle in the Senate. The only thing that is worse than no legislation is bad legislation, and unfortunately we are about to get more lousy law than most of us can endure. Where is the patriotism in that?
YT Cai
Subj: Good for BuzzFlash
Dear BuzzFlash,
I liked the idea a reader spoke of in the mailbag. That's a good idea to have the Bush twins do some volunteering or military service or some other type of thing, since Bush wants all Americans to volunteer. I volunteered long before Bush ever suggested it but I can tell you that many Americans, especially the ones he scrooged out of their unemployment benefits, need a paying kind of job first. The Bush daughters don't need any job since they each have $1,000,000 in a trust fund. That is not the case with most Americans. I have a word for Rush the Flush. He is claiming that people on unemployment are lazy because he was lazy when he was on unemployment. Well, damn, Rush, not everyone is as fat as you. That's what makes you lazy.
Mama Mimi
Dear BuzzFlash,
"Protesters criticize CNN coverage of Iraq, CNN Reports 11/25" to this pointer
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/South/11/24/cnn.protest/index.html
is dead, and no similar stories show up on a cnn site search, nor is it listed on cnn's asia or euro sites either. Google has all three links listed, but pointing to dead pages
So what happened to the story, and what did it say?
Josh
[BuzzFlash Note: We printed a PDF of the above search page, in the event it also disappears. We don't know why CNN pulled the story, but it was about a protest outside the CNN offices about CNN's obvious bias of the news.]
Buzzers:
To those of you that are really sick of the legitimization of Rush Limbaugh, I suggest you read "Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot and Other Observations" by Al Franken. Al Franken was a writer for Saturday Night Live in the 70's and his book was out on the best seller list about five or six years ago. It's a delicious book. Read the index. It's hilarious.
A Fellow Buzzer
Subj: Their strength is their downfall
Dear BuzzFlash:
As depressing as the last few years have been, (in fact, I can't remember the last time I heard any *good* news), there is one ray of hope. The "strength" of the Republicans is that they all fall in lockstep to the same tune, (ala Rush Limbaugh), unlike us Democrats that by definition are going to have diverse opinions and therefore have a hard time delivering or acting on a coherent message. I say let's use their strength to our advantage. All it takes is for the chief ditto head to make a misstep, and they'll all fall off the same cliff. All we need to do is find some way of misdirecting them.
I predict the Republican agenda will crash and burn very quickly once it is ignited. The question is, will the country survive it?
A BuzzFlash Reader
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