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BuzzFlash Mailbag for October 5, 2007

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Fri, 10/05/2007 - 4:54pm.

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Subject: ESPN Page 2 - Why the Cubs must lose

"Perhaps worst of all, while waiting for Blackwater USA Field to be built in a faraway suburb, the Cubs would need somewhere to play ..."

http://sports.espn.go.com...

John Johnson

[BuzzFlash Note: Sad but comic article ... Nevertheless, we choose to "believe," when it comes to the Cubs.] 

Subject: Jimmy Carter

I want to applaud Jimmy Carter for having the courage to stand up and issue brave words to the rebels when recently he visited a school in the Sudan, later wanting to continue on to visit a nearby camp. He deserves a BuzzFlash medal of courage. He has shown that he has no fear of the oppressors or what they could do to him. He shows much more courage than anyone that we know in our political system right now who are constantly letting those around them do something more outrageous every day to let our nation go on a downhill slide.

I saw the fear on Nancy Pelosi's face today on television. Why does she let Bush fr------ scare her after he secretly signs the bill denying children the proper health care that they need, but we are so darn scared of any health care money going to immigrant children (when it was not their fault that their parents came here, illegally or not). These same people do not think that if they are suddenly in a bad position due to unemployment or losing their home, they may not have any health care choices should their own child become sick--whatever goes around comes around. These people are not one bit humbled, but later on their false pride will hopefully come to hurt them. These people are the biggest hypocrites of all. What will it take this nation to become truly humbled before God?

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Lisa Johnson-Tschudy

i watched it too ... and it made me sick. In my life ... I have never lived in a time (and I am not a spring chicken) ... when one party could get away with so much ... and not have to pay. They started on Bill Clinton the minute he got to Washington ... and with the damaged they had already done ... they accused and accused and lied and slammed ... until he did nothing in his last term but hire lawyers. Jim Jeffords was our savior then ... he actually went over to the independent side ... so, we would not lose all our power ... even then ... Clinton had a hard time ... and Tom DeLay was the wolf in sheep's clothing ... which came off shortly... It is a crying shame how that one party can just run roughshod over everyone ... no matter the proof!!

I try to tell myself that I don't want to have them in the business of running this country if they think Rush is sooooooooo good! But, what we think doesn't matter a whit ... they can and will still say it. Just to make us feel a little better ...

I watched Richard Holbrooke on PBS the other night, he is no friend of Bush or the administration or this war. And he says if you ask the heads of all the countries in the Mid East who the best American is ... they will yell ..."Clinton," which they somehow can speak very well. I just got a post ... as I always do ... from signing up for his library news ... that says that Hillary will have President Bill Clinton go to the Mid East and make nice with all the heads of those states ... and that is a very good thought! I for one ... have always hoped that if she is elected ... he would certainly be a plus with the people over there who really want peace.

We can hope...even with the silliness we have to listen to in the Congress....the sore losers the hard right! They will never change!!!

One thing we have to realize ... that maybe after this mess ... they will appreciate a Democrat more, but there will always be those hard heads ... who will find fault ... and, if you remember ... there was never an administration so persecuted. We will hope!

Shirley ... St. Louis

Subject: President Dufus speaks: My job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions

[eeee gads...this man is a total buffoon......answering a question as any 4th-grade student would answer.]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires...

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Republicans Could Care Less About Life Between Birth And Death

Hi BuzzFlash,

Bob Englehart's editorial cartoon of Bush, nailing a little child with the "Veto Tazer", hit the nail on the head.

http://blogs.courant.com/bob_englehart...

Isn't it amazing how the Republicans are so concerned BEFORE YOU ARE BORN?

Then they are concerned, as you LAY ON YOUR DEATH BED (Terri Schiavo), and the Republican "Doctors" ... in Congress determine that you should LIVE and the plug should not get pulled.

In between those two events however, while you hope to live a happy, normal life, Republicans do all they can to make sure you do not have access to a doctor or other people that can help you live a better life.

Simply Amazing!

Tom Wieliczka
Windsor Locks, CT

Subject: What Does Being Unpatriotic Have To Do With Dubai And Paraguay?

Let me see didn't George Bush buy 98,000 acres of land in Paraguay in Oct, 2006? Jenna Bush went down there under the guise of working for UNICEF. On the side, she met with the President of Paraguay and the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay to secretly buy (according to all the press in the Southern Hemisphere) 98,000 acres of land in Paraguay on behalf of her father. A good article is by Residentcynic "Resurrecting the Bush (Huge) Land-Acquisition-in-Paraguay Story" Daily Kos, April 27th, 2007, click Wonkette also.

The land is on top of the largest underground water reserves in South America and borders on Brazil and Bolivia. George's neighbors are his Dad, Rev. Moon and Mariscal Estigarribia a secret U.S. military base. Heavily armed special forces troops are stationed there.

So why, you ask yourself, does George need to invest in land in a foreign country? I've never heard of any politicians (other than Rep. Jerry Weller R-Il in Nicaragua), let alone a sitting President of the U.S. owning land outside the U.S. Sounds rather UNPATRIOTIC (where were the Democrats on this one?) to me.

Could this be illegal? Did he list this in his financial disclosure report, that all politicians are required to file? The first thing that came to my mind was the word EXTRADITION and sure enough Paraguay doesn't extradite criminals with the U.S. Surprise, surprise!

So if Congress should decide to impeach, our decider has decided to say adios to the U.S. So much for wanting to stay and protect us from all those terrorists lurking around every corner. Ah, Dubai, (United Arab Emirates), now that's the country Halliburton has moved its headquarters to. Now let me see, who use to be the President of Halliburton, before he became President (oh I mean Vice President) of the U.S.? Why it's Dick Cheney. Now why would Halliburton go to Dubai? Could it possibly be because they might not extradite criminals to the U.S.? Might this be a safe haven for Cheney?

Dick Cheney is the only politician that I've ever heard of not to have his investments in a blind trust. Read Alternet, Aug. 24, 2006 "Cheney thinks economy sucks." Could you imagine Bill Clinton not having one? I know Dick says he's too busy to check his portfolio, sure! So why Dubai for the Halliburton headquarters? Well let's assume no extradition. Dick then has his old job back (or did he ever leave?). He can conduct business as usual, selling services to the highest bidder, terrorists included! Don't forget, Halliburton, under Cheney's leadership, ignored U.S. sanctions against U.S. enemies and dictators including Iraq, doing business with them. Read "Cheney and Halliburton Go Where the Oil Ism" Multinationalmonitor.org May, 2001 volume 22 number 5. Maybe they'll even put Osama on the payroll. (oh, I forgot, he's got a job working for the U.S. government already!)

Where does this all lead? Bush and Company have nearly collapsed our dollar, they've put us in such debt with this war, that it will affect our country's growth for years and years to come.

Does anyone but me find it UNPATRIOTIC for a Vice President to take his U.S. investments and move them to Europe like Cheney did this year? See Kiplinger.com, Steven Goldberg's article of May 17, 2006. I mean he is the Vice President, doesn't he have faith in our economy? He took 10-25 MILLION dollars and invested it in American Century International Bonds (mainly in Europe) and this guy hasn't looked at his portfolio? Does he know something we don't know? If the dollar should collapse, guess where his money is, safe and sound, in EUROS!!!

George is pulling his money out of the U.S., too. We're at war, shouldn't he and Cheney invest their dollars here in the U.S.? (just asking) Bush who never traveled outside the U.S. until his presidency, now wants to reside in Paraguay!! Go figure.

Markmyword
Chicago, Illinois

Subject: Chris Matthews

As long as I live ... I will never forget the Chris Matthews of the late Bill Clinton days. Nothing he loved more than taking Clinton apart! Like most other men of that time ... he was so jealous ... he was red in the face, just discussing him. I will never forget Matthews or his hatred and visceral jealousy of Bill Clinton. I don't know why they even give that man air time ... except ... except that he is not as bad as Limbaugh, Coultergeist ... and numerous others, too many to mention actually. He was in on every single bash of the Clintons, and even Tim Russert ... who has to completely take credit for putting Hillary in office ... really he and Rick Lazio backed her into a corner, as much as they could ... and ganged up on her, until the people only wanted what they saw as the wrong way she was treated ... and not to take a single thing away from her intelligence ... which none of the aforementioned men have. It absolutely takes my breath away when I think about how mortally and strangely dumb they are, it is like a common sense thing ... they have none, and now people are polling that Bill Clinton will only HELP Hillary's election prospects!

Shirley ... St. Louis

Subject: .50 Caliber "Sniper Rifle"

I am a fan of BuzzFlash and a regular reader. I admire your courage and steadfastness in opposing the steamroller that is bearing down upon us all.

I am also a registered Democrat and a lifelong target shooter. I have never shot a living thing and never will but I have worn out some targets!

Perhaps your reference to a .50 caliber rifle as a "sniper rifle" is purposefully meant to show your unfamiliarity with weaponry and, if that is the case, it is effective. It does, however, smack of sensationalism.

Those knowledgeable in the field of firearms realize that a .50 caliber is anything but a sniper weapon. Sniper weapons are generally .308 caliber or .223 caliber which is a much smaller, faster projectile, designed for killing. A .50 caliber is a huge projectile much more suited for blowing up a vehicle or section of a building. Fitted with DU - depleted uranium - it is probably the most destructive round that is able to be fired without a fixed mount. But as they say down south, "Ya gotta be a man to fahr that thang!" The recoil will knock down an experienced shooter if he does not have his body braced properly.

True, getting hit with a .308 or a .50 caliber will leave you just as dead but my point is referring to a .50 caliber as a sniper weapon is inaccurate and gives the impression of someone ill-informed. Given your stance against all firearms, that may be the case, but now I am just busting chops!

Keep up the good work and be well.

If You’re Shooting .50 Caliber Sniper Rifles, Watch Out for the Ricochet 10/4

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: BuzzFlash

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate BuzzFlash.com. Because I've been reading the site for years, I am well informed (or at least I know how ill-informed I am). For example, I read about how oil companies (like Chevron) have enslaved Burmese people through contracts with the Burmese army. It's a hot topic again now, but because of BuzzFlash, I knew about it a long time ago.

Ofer
Iowa City, IA

Subject: We Don't Torture

We don't torture. The United States of America does not do abhorrent things like torturing people. Unless Jack Bauer really needs to do it in a last minute attempt to save the world. Then it's okay. Cause they're the bad guys and we're the good guys and so whatever we do it's because we're trying to do good. Horse Pucky!

That rational adults would speak such malarkey is beyond belief. What makes us the good guys is that we don't do the same things as the bad guys! Once we get down to their level, then we all wear black hats. Yell all you like that they are worse than we are. A degree of evil is a pathetic rational. The nincompoops that can't see this should be beneath our contempt. They demean all the things that we stand for in this country. Or the things we used to stand for in this country.

We shouldn't need to have this argument. Torture is wrong. It has always been wrong. It will always be wrong. Trying to find some justification, including some end of the world scenario dreamt up by a screenwriter is not worthy of this country or any rational adult.

We shouldn't be ashamed just because there is every indication the United States of America does torture people. We should be ashamed that we are having a discussion about it. We can and do discuss the ins and outs, the rights and wrongs of many issues. Torture isn't one of them. It should not need to be discussed by decent people.

Marjorie Swanson
Kenosha, WI

Subject: Guess Who!

--"His primary rules are: Never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and, if you repeat it frequently enough, people will sooner or later believe it."

-- "What is known as the mastery of the material is quite unimportant to him. He quickly becomes impatient if the details of a problem are brought to him. He is greatly adverse to experts and has little regard for their opinions."

-- "This rigidity of mental functioning is obvious even in ordinary everyday interviews. When an unexpected question is asked, he is completely at a loss."

-- "Instead of studying the problem starting with the facts as an intellectual normally does, he avoids it and occupies himself with other things until unconscious processes furnish him with a solution. Having the solution, he then begins to look for facts that will prove that it is correct."

-- "He is so convincing on the speaker's platform and appears to be so sincere in what he says that the majority of his listeners are ready to believe almost anything good about him because they want to believe it."

-- "On the whole, his speeches are badly structured and very repetitious. Nevertheless, when he delivers them he has an extraordinary effect upon his audience."

-- "The press, newsreels, and so forth are continually flooded with carefully prepared photographs showing him at his very best."

-- "He sometimes imagines himself as a person who far surpasses his adversaries in all the "virile" qualities."

-- "It was not long before the __ people were prepared to take the short step of seeing him, not as a man, but as a Messiah of __. Public meetings took on a religious atmosphere. All the stagings were designed to create a supernatural and religious atmosphere, and his entity was more befitting a god than a man."

Give up? The above quotations are from material about the Great Communicator gathered from psychiatrists and psychologists in the 1972 book entitled "The Mind of Adolf Hitler - The Secret Wartime Report" by Walter C. Langer!

Gotcha!

Creed Ballew
Arkansas

Subject: Nostra Prediction - Watch For The "Stab In The Back" Claim

Here's a Nostra prediction. As the Bush administration's oily Iraqi occupation debacle degenerates into even more demon-haunted folly and foreign policy disaster, watch for the apologetic events that emerge from it. The neoconservatives, the Christian fundamentalists, and the far right will begin claiming it was all due to "a stab in the back" back at home. History can't repeat itself, but certain mentalities seem to do it all the time.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Lady In Waiting

I have really wanted to like Barack Obama as a presidential candidate. Not because of his "rock starriness," I wasn't that kind of a fool even when I was young and foolish. I wanted to like him because of changes I hoped he might bring. But "hope" isn't a policy or a strategy and too often Obama seemed like just another politician in change clothing.

He also seemed to be a 1-issue candidate. He was against the war before Hillary and Edwards and many other Democrats. I gave him points for that. That's not enough. His Health Care Plan and other issues seemed like something I had heard before. And damn, I had! I had heard John Edwards say most of those things months ago.

Then this morning as I read my trusty BuzzFlash, lo and behold there was something to latch on to in favor of Obama. He has blocked the vote on an unacceptable nominee to the FEC in the person of anti-Democracy, anti-voter villain Hans von Spakovsky. Russ Feingold joined him in blocking the vote. Bravo and kudos to both of these men!

Obama Blocks Vote on Nominating GOP Voter Suppressor Hans von Spakovsky to the FEC. "His record of poor management, divisiveness, and inappropriate partisanship makes him an unacceptable nominee to the FEC," Obama had previously said. "I am particularly concerned with his efforts to undermine voting rights at the Civil Rights Division during his tenure at the Department of Justice."

Thank you Senator Obama. I had hoped you were the stuff of which great presidents are made ever since I heard you speak at the Democratic National Convention.

I still support John Edwards and think an Edwards/Obama ticket the best of all possible worlds. Edwards 2 terms, and then Obama 2 terms, should give people of integrity and courage enough time to correct most of the damage done by the Bush Administration and a gutless Democratic Party.

Blocking this vote by a Democrat gives me some hope. At least the hope that the gutless party will not forever and always leave a man of integrity like Russ Feingold hanging out to dry. Senator Obama, you reached this old lady with your message of hope. Now all I can hope is that you will stick to your guns and find other ways to convince us this wasn't just a fluke. Unlike our Republican counterparts, we Liberals can be concerned about more than an issue or two at a time.

Marjorie Swanson
Kenosha, WI

Subject: The Democrats Who Enable Bush

"... Bush revealed that he has been sending messages to Clinton to urge her to "maintain some political wiggle room in your campaign rhetoric about Iraq...to understand the need to continue to support the young democracy."

"Members of Congress seem to have forgotten their constitutional prerogative to declare war..."

Helen Thomas: Democrats play into Bush's hands (Salt Lake Tribune)

They also have the power to impeach. What's really going on here? What democracy? Why are all the Democratic front-runners being influenced to continue the war? Sounds like the military contracting war-hogs are out of control as much as Blackwater; trampling all laws, silencing the MSM, and bribing and blackmailing leading candidates as well as Congress.

Will Wyche
Palm Springs, CA

Subject: What'll It Be, An Armed Or A Peaceful Uprising?

"Peaceful."

"But could such an uprising prove successful?"

"Ghandi, Martin Luther King."

"Yes, but what's that compared to all that's been accomplished by way of armed struggle?"

"Like what?"

"The good old U.S.A."

"Case closed!"

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Pummeling Senator Craig

Regarding your nasty headline on October 4th: Larry Craig Reneges on Stepping Down, Now Promises To Take Senate "Seat" In A Union Station Washroom Stall To Serve out the Remainder of His Term ...

What he did in the Minneapolis men's room caused no injury to anyone except himself. He has suffered for it and his hypocrisy has been exposed. Wasting police time in silly gay stings is another hypocrisy.

Stop jumping on the Senator.

James Houle
Redwood Valley CA

Subject: Larry Craig - Welfare for Comedians

Republican Senator Larry Craig, who had pleaded guilty to charges related to an apparent attempt to pick up an under cover officer for gay bathroom sex, decided today not to resign from the Senate. His bid to withdraw his guilty plea was denied. And all this after the Republicans were bragging how they are the party of high moral values and, unlike the Democrats, they clean house. The worst part of the Larry Craig saga is that every time I use a public rest room I have to think about him.

It's like the Republicans are deliberately trying to lose the next election. By keeping Larry Craig in the Senate it's like giving welfare to comedians. Maybe that's the GOP strategy for the 2008 election?

I'm Marc Perkel - And I approved this message!

Marc Perkel
San Bruno, CA

Subject: Domenici has dementia

No joke, he can't remember anything about the Justice Dept. firings. If you have dementia does that mean you are demented? You should have heard Kevin Ogle on Channel 4 try to use Domenici and dementia in the same sentences. He even called him Senator Dementia. I hope Richardson drops out of the presidential race to run for the senate.

Karen Webb
Moore, OK

Subject: Bush Says US 'Does Not Torture'

He also lies just to be lying. He feeds off pain, misery and death - his actions are never consistent with his words. He even tortures the meaning of the word torture.

Bee
Washington, DC

Subject: Bush And Jobs

Bush was crowing this morning on CNN about the revised BLS job numbers for Sept. CNN played his remarks without comment or context. As is so often the case, when one looks at the actual document in question, things seem just a bit different.

In September, total payroll employment rose by 110,000 to 138.3 million, seasonally adjusted. From June to September, employment growth averaged 90,000 per month; during the first 5 months of 2007, average growth was 147,000 per month.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

I think that means that, even after all the revision, the year-to-date average is 118,500 jobs a month. Since equilibrium job growth, the number of jobs that must be created simply to keep pace with new workers entering the work force, is somewhere around 140,000 a month, far from creating any new jobs (that is, jobs for the currently unemployed), Bush failed to create even enough jobs to keep unemployment unchanged. (The unemployment rate has, nevertheless, remained relatively steady because the number of job seekers has declined along with job creation.)

Not to worry, in 2006 the federal government decided to revise the equilibrium point down to around 110,000 a month.

Fed Holds Different View on Jobs Equilibrium (Wall Street Journal)

Voila! Job growth. An average of 8500 new jobs a month so far this year for the nation's unemployed to compete for. And where are those new jobs? Here's the picture from today's report:

Manufacturing Jobs: 223,000 lost over the last year

Specialty Construction Trades: 160,000 lost since Feb. ‘06

Employment Services: 203,000 lost since Dec. ‘06

Credit Intermediation: 46,000 lost since Feb. ‘07

Retail Trade and Building Supply: 17,000 lost in Sept ‘07

But if you can say "Would you like fries with that?" or "Have you finished with that bedpan?" you‘re in luck:

Food Service and Drinking Places: 355,000 gained over the last year

Health Care: 396,000 gained over the last year

Bush ended his first term with a tiny net job gain: according to BLS payroll reports about 119,000 jobs.

(http://www.heritage.org/Research/Economy/wm647.cfm) Has he done better since then? I am not knowledgeable enough to say. I wish someone who is would look past the smoke and mirrors (things like revising equilibrium growth downward) and answer the question: "Has there been net job creation since Bush took office?" Has he actually created ANY new jobs?

Albert Clark
NY, NY

Subject: Clarence Thomas

Anyone who is totally immersed in self-pity partisan politics has no credibility when it comes to proper judicial temperament (as amply demonstrated by all of his SC opinions). This was first revealed by Thomas' admissions first to the Judiciary Committee that he was too upset to watch Anita Hill's testimony, and second when he admits in his book that he "drew a bath" when the committee debated his nomination. Consequently, it is not enough that Thomas periodically recuse himself. He must resign or be impeached.

If I was his grandfather's son, I'd be ashamed!

Will Wyche
Palm Springs, CA

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