BuzzFlash Mailbag for April 24, 2008

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Subject: HRC is lying about "double digit" win & popular vote numbers

Corp. Media:

Subject: Todd: This would have been called for Obama if this were a
normal election...

I was watching Chuck Todd talking about the primary and he said
something that deserves repeating. (Can't recall if it was on
Olbermann last night or on First Read this morning.)

Chuck said that if we were going by the DNC rules and using pledged
delegates to decide who wins, NBC would be calling this primary for
Obama. He said that the same rules they use to call an election
have now showed Obama's pledged delegate lead as simply impossible to
beat.

I know the superdelegates can change this outcome, but does anyone
really expect them to do this? Realistically, I mean? I think a lot
of people believe this would cause a civil war in the Democratic party
and destroy our chance to win a lot more elections than just the
presidency in 08. Just saying, it doesn't seem likely to me...

I even saw a right winger in the Wall Street Journal calling it for
Obama, which blew me away.

I am wondering why we are all continuing to beat each other up when
the DNC rules and the math (and the supers who have said they will
follow the pledged delegate winner) all seem to say this is basically
over, even before we vote in Indiana and North Carolina. I don't
think anyone should tell Hillary to drop out, but can we quit
pretending that she's not just bloodying up the nominee?

And if ... as Hillary predicts ... Obama implodes before August, it's
not like the superdelegates can't change their mind and let her pick
up the pieces. But for now, can we focus on the real enemy --
McCain -- instead of having them pound each other into the ground?

Subject: Is McCain for Real?

Well there’s good ole McCain hopscotching across the country
telling the has-been areas that government cannot do anything to help
in their plights. He tells rust belt areas that government cannot get
their manufacturing companies back. He cannot get their jobs back.
Wait just a ding-dong minute McCain! Wasn’t it government and GOP
political marauders who enabled manufacturing companies to move off
shore to gain cheaper wages and allowed them nice tax breaks to boot?
It sure was republican congressmen who voted down re-training programs
for those who lost their jobs and voted against unemployment
extensions. Their chief marauder, Bush, took away much of the worker
re-training budget. Sorry, American workers, government can’t help
you but they sure can manipulate in favor of US corporations that
terminate your jobs, your very existence. Basically, McCain is
saying, government can help corporations, but destitute, jobless
American workers can take a flying leap.

McCain (with a straight face) told people in Inez, Ky everything he
and the government could NOT do. Oh and get this ... he called for
providing Internet service to under served areas, meaning Appalachia.
Show me an area that has lived in perpetual poverty being able to
afford computers. This dolt added, under HIS PLAN, the government
(who cannot help the poor) would reward companies that provide
Internet service with (you guessed it) tax breaks and faster
depreciation of their investments! What a blatant slap in the face
to Appalachians. And get this. He said business and community
colleges could train needed workers. John, what business? Needed
workers, where? How can those in poverty afford college when middle
income people can barely do it? It would be more advantageous for
volunteers to teach Appalachians how to recognize a snake oil
salesman ... to recognize a politician who offers no hope for them.

He called for providing Internet service to under served areas. I
guess it has never dawned on McCain that if Internet service were
profitable in Appalachia, it would have been there years ago.

McCain has learned well from Bush. Actually, all he did was use the
people of Inez, Ky as a backdrop for an empty speech. Then he used a
Ky. state senator (a straight man) to rise and complain about Obama’s
statement of people clinging to guns or faith in their bitterness.
That allowed McCain to take a shot at Obama saying, “I think it
represents the view of someone who doesn’t understand this neck of
the woods,” adding that they were elitist remarks. The room exploded
in prolonged whoops, cheers and clapping.

Analytic minds would view the clapping as verification that Obama’s
statement was absolutely correct. That neck of the woods does value
guns for hunting to put food on the table. They do lean on their
faith to keep hope alive and at the end of the day, they do ponder
bitterness at the world. In essence, $McCain$ tells these people
nobody in government can help them so get used to it. The people of
Appalachia listened to a speech from McCain, the king of 14K elitists
and I wouldn’t be surprised if he passed out cheap little Cracker Jack
trinkets among them in appreciation for permitting him to use them.

Captain Jessie
Cincy, OH

Subject: Obama This Time

I'm in the demographic that is supposed to go, overwhelmingly,
to Clinton. I'm white, female, and over 60. But I am increasingly
distressed by the actions, attitudes, and advertisements put out by
Clinton and her campaign.

I'm totally progressive. I love Bernie Sanders. I want to believe
in my country again, and the notion of sharing our collective wealth
inspires me. I see no problem with single-payer health care (we need
health care, not insurance) or investing in education (not religion)
and infrastructure (bridges, levees, roads, public transport). I
want us to develop alternatives to our obscene oil-based economy and
address global climate change and become one of many nations in the
world, instead of striving to take over the world.

The Bushes and the Clintons have had a monopoly on our politics for
too long. While I admire Hillary for her personal achievements, it
sure sounds like she's sold out to the neocons. She supports war.
She offers no unifying message. She has traded her womanhood for a
shot of booze and a gun, trying to trick people into seeing her as a
Thatcher.

Barack Obama remains true to who he is. He speaks of us as one, out
of many. He knows true discrimination and works to empower us to
step out of the mire.

Lee Franklin
Martinsburg, WV

It is clear you are for Obama. While I struggled with my
decision, which was centered around who had the best chance to win in
November, I did vote in the Oklahoma primary for Hillary. The bottom
line is that I think that Obama will be the nominee. I will support
him wholeheartedly. I do think this primary contest is another
example of how the Democrats have picked the weakest of the choices.
Hillary has high negatives and I really believe that it is easy to
underestimate the significance of racism that is still a part of our
national ethic. I just want to win. Please hold down the rhetoric
so that when Obama wins the nomination we have the best chance to win
in November.

David Nickell
Call Oklahoma City, OK

Subject: Listening is a crime now?

The ad points out that Democratic gubernatorial candidates
Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore have endorsed Obama. It calls Obama
too "extreme" because of his ties to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and
implies that Obama heard Wright's controversial sermons.

TV station rejects state GOP ad (newsobserver.com)

Oh, so listening to a sermon is now a crime? You know I had the
History Channel on yesterday and they did a show about WWII. Hitler
spoke. I was watching TV at the time. Am I a Nazi because I heard
him speak?

As a local preacher once said "That's the same as saying sleeping in
a garage will make you a car."

Mike Curtis
Greenbrier Ark

For all those of you who still think there is a shred of
liberalism left about NPR, a brave new concept in the late 60s and
early seventies meant to give voice to the voiceless, let me assure
you that the experiment has failed.

NPR has turned from its progressive roots on a dime many times during
the last few years. They easily bought the WMD lie in Iraq, just as
they supprted the lie that Bush really wanted to establish democracy
in Iraq. We all new better, And NPR is not stupid. So they bought all
the really big lies.

The NPR organization became shills of the regime. They were tasked
with appeasing former liberal progressives, to convince us all that
since they had old creds, we should believe them.

Didn't. Don't.

Bush and the FEC tasked NPR with the job of making death on a broad
scale more acceptable and justifiable to those who only wanted peace.
Namely, you.

And NPR has played a pivotal (and assigned) role in averting a real
outcry that could have constituted a real peace movement. I guess it
will take another draft of college students to light those coals.

Today, April 23, 2008, NPR's mission has been to put a game face on
Hillary Clinton's unexceptional win in PA. You can hear their message
as they run to protect Clinton, as they try to frame Obama with new
questions about his electability.

Listen to your local NPR affiliates closely just now, and listen to
the national mothership.

My advice is, don't give another penney to your local NPR affiliate.
Really. Starve them out until your locals agree to fight against the
board ownership of NPR. Dan Shorr is an almost dead figurehead of
their national false parade.

I can smell his corpse now, you know, that old-person smell, as we
all patiently wait for him to die.

Richard Mann

Subject: BuzzFlash MUST learn how to write headlines

Would you like to know why I do NOT currently contribute to
BuzzFlash? It's because of headlines like the one I have copied
below (NOTE: I am NOT a Senator Clinton supporter; I voted for
Senator Obama in the Primary)

BUZZFLASH HEADLINE FROM 4/24/2008
More on that Breaking Allegation in the Rezko Trial that Rove Sought
to Have Patrick Fitzgerald Fired from the Libby Case. This is, for
the Moment, Just a Tangential Claim by a Cooperating Defendant in the
Rezko Trial at This Time, But Was Significant Enough to be Brought Up
to the Judge by a Prosecutor. Remember that Patrick Fitzgerald is the
U.S. Prosecutor for Illinois Northern Illinois and is, Ironically,
Overseeing the Rezko case. (Clinton Fanatics, Sorry the Public
Official in the Sights in the Rezko Affair is NOT Obama; It is the
Current Democratic Governor of Illinois. Hillary Fans Will Just Have
to Live with That. And Considering How Many Criminal Political
Corruption Trials the Clintons Have Had Their Names Come Up in But
Not Been Guilty of Anything, Hillary Fanatics Should Know How to Live
With It.)

Quick heads up: A headline by definition should be easily scanned.
It should NOT be as long as "War and Peace" and twice as cumbersome.
This "headline" is sloppy. It's poorly written. It's unreadable.

While I'm on the subject, get someone to edit/proof your work. And
for God's sake, learn the difference between "its" and "it's."

BuzzFlash has an important job to do. Your site is certainly needed.
Please crank your professionalism up a notch.

Rollyn Carlson
Austin, TX

[BuzzFlash Note: Thanks for the feedback. Most of the time we get it's/its right. Sometimes readers see stories before our proofreading gets done. Sometimes we can't get things proofread. Feel free to help out.] 

Subject: The Iraq War Is What's Pulling Us Down

"Why is that?"

"Either we end the Iraq War or it'll be the end of us."

"So a stay the course candidate who promises jobs, jobs, jobs if
elected is what?"

"Not to be taken seriously."

"Why?"

"The Iraq War is the cause of this recession."

"And a candidate who promises jobs, jobs, jobs but is for ending the
Iraq War?"

"One serious contender."

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: Your negativity towards Hillary

Maybe you are so far behind in your fundraising because of your
negativity towards Hillary! I know I won't contribute again! I
support her, but will certainly vote for Obama if he is the nominee.
I would hope that all rational people would do the same - and the
reverse if Hillary wins the nomination. After all, our goal is to
get rid of the Republicans in Washington!!!

A BuzzFlash Reader

Subject: STOP RANTING ABOUT GUN CONTROL

Please stop ranting about gun control

We need our guns to use if the government keeps on doing what it is doing. REMEMBER OUR
REVOLUTION WE HAD GUNS TO OVERTHROW KING GEORGE IN THE 18TH
CENTURY. WE MAY HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.

A BuzzFlash Reader

[Buzzflash Note: We don't advocate armed revolution.]

The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. You can write to Mailbag at http://www.BuzzFlash.com/contact/mail.html. Guidelines for submissions are at BuzzFlash FAQ #18.

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG 

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