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March 22, 2004 |
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THIS IS PART 2 OF THE MARCH 22, 2004 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1. Subj: Kerry Campaign Idea - very positive Today I heard an old song on the radio and it immediately gave me an idea for the counter campaign to the Republican digs calling Kerry a Massachusetts Liberal. Using the song "Abraham, Martin and John". Use the section - "Didn't you love the things that they stood for? Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?" This would be a great positive way to make the word Liberal NOT a dirty word. Yes I do love what they stood for and that they had great plans to make things better for us all. And so does Kerry. Kerry stands for things that we can love and have plans to make things better for us all. Here are the words: A BuzzFlash Reader Today is Saturday, and the papers are filled with news of Bush's first "official" campaign rally. In each of the papers I just read, the same exact wording appears: "Kerry has proposed a health care plan that has been estimated to cost about $900 billion over 10 years. His campaign has not laid out how that plan would be paid for." I don't recall at the moment which right-wing columnist stated it first, but it has become a mantra adopted by all of them. It's stuck tight. It's overpowering by Kerry simply by its constant repetition. We have an opportunity to make a huge difference and perhaps mitigate some of the damage the conservatives are trying to do to John Kerry. Poll results make big headlines, and the higher we can drive the numbers for Kerry the better. It's a subliminal message, in effect, that's used to great advantage in the advertising field, and we should take advantage of it. Please seek out every poll you can find (not the ones offering gifts or cash) --such one currently running on MSNBC's webpage -- and cast your votes. Zogby.com is another place you can volunteer to answer polls. In this very simple way we can build real momentum. Sharon Andrews Subj: Follow up on Operation Mountain Freedom Dear Buzz, In a brief follow-up of my letter to you about the clumsy operation along the Pakistan/Afghanistan bordering the volatile Waziristan tribal area, it appears that my worst fears have been realized. It seems that the attempt to corner and capture Ayman al Zawahiri has failed miserably, and we are no closer to capturing Osama, Omar, or al Zawahiri than we were before this gambit began. Worse, the US media is trying to cover it up. At present, only The Australian, Agencies Presse France, and Dawn have picked up early about al Zawahiri quite literally getting into his truck, and driving away, and getting to Afghanistan, away from the Pakis, and through the Americans it seems. Buzz, regrettably, Bush almost guaranteed that this adventure in Waziristan would fail. The early trumpeting by the media of this latest offensive and its objectives was done for political reasons on the home front. I cannot comment about the incredible arrogance that has to permeate the Bush crew to think that the rest of the world wasn't listening and it didn't matter if it was. Next, the extent of US involvement in the amazingly ham-handed blunder that by deceit took the Waziristani chieftains into custody is now shown to be one of ordering the Pakistanis to do it. The Pakis thought they could get cooperation without such a measure, but it seems Bush has a need for "Bull-of-the-Woods" behavior, I guess foolish bravado is better than some psychology and brain-power. Though I pity our sons and daughters left in the fastness of the Afghanistan eastern mountains and Waziristan country. Our troops are in a fiasco, not of their own making! The price: 1, no Osama, no al Zawahiri, and no Omar; 2, a serious loss of credibility in the US media by not following up on international stories, and then inflating their stories for political consumption; 3, Waziristan is in open revolt and WE, the US appear to be primarily responsible for this, through our insistence that the Pakis arrest the Waziri chieftains, which is well documented, and was the height of folly in such a volatile place; 4, General Musharraf has a rebellion on his hands, that he didn't start, and worse this rebellion is happening in the most important and strategic location in the Paki/Afghan border at this time; 5, lastly, but not least, our troops now have still more people shooting at them for all the wrong reasons, they marched into the mountains with the highest expectations and were well prepared, but the mission was bungled before it ever got off the ground, and the targets are gone. All that is left are angry shepherds, and landsmen who wanted only some peace and quiet, and our sons and daughters who only wanted a quick, decisive operation. No one got what they wanted, except al Qaeda and the Taliban. Can we afford anymore of Bush's blundering around? Steve in Syracuse Subj: Mailbag Sue in Florida....I agree with you about the torment of waiting for the mailbags to come out, after a weekend of much news. The first time it was late on a Monday, I think it was the first time....and it was of course, after Bush was president. Well, I think I wrote a letter to Buzz...and told them that I hoped the delay in the mailbag meant that they were getting so many hits, that it was becoming a job! And I think they responded to me...actually, that I was right! I miss it, too...so much! But, it is so worth it when it does come out. This site, has some of the most interesting, and "in the know" people in this country....and I come to that conclusion with the knowledge....of listening to C-span every morning and hearing some of the most, if you will pardon the expression, Ignorant people and some of the most brilliant. You know, it takes all kinds....and God Bless them, BuzzFlash has the best!! I would help, too, if possible. But, they are doing a wonderful job of it...and I would not ask for more knowing how many readers they have now. When they first started, I am sure it was much easier...but, with the growing resentment of this administration....it has surely grown out of sight! Anyway, we all agree with you, Sue...we miss the darn thing too, but it is so worth it when it does get here!!! I come from a host of relatives...family and just acquaintances who are for the most part, stubborn republicans, who know they are wrong, but just will not admit it, and think that Saddam bombed the trade center and the Pentagon (many of these people used to be democrats). They are from small towns, republican towns...and the only one I know of that has changed since all of this has come out about the war.....is a couple who lives in a larger Missouri town (Ashcrofts) and have made the comment that they have decided that they will never vote republican again! That is the best I can do, at this point! Some of them never vote, have never voted and I do not prod them, because they, many times, do not even know what the policies of any candidate is! As for the buzz reader who mentioned that the Libya WMD story, might be a set-up- I say to you, thanks! I have had a feeling about that since the first....and it would be very much a sweetheart deal for the Bushits! Only thing is, there is a worldwide "yawn" taking place with anything that comes up now....it does not seem to resonate. I just heard on the Chris Matthews show..and had heard this before, that according to a Pew Research poll....Germany, France, Poland and Russia....all basically think this country is nuts! The numbers are in the high 60's to 80's...for disapproval!! These are western Europeans....not third world nations...and that is why they did not go along with Bush to begin with....The United Nations are not going to send in their military, unless they are given some muscle in the rebuilding and the brains of the rebuilding. Bush, wants this all for He and Cheney..you see!! On a lighter side, there are two cartoons in our paper, "The Post Dispatch," on the Anniversary of the beginning of the war thing! And, the big stink about Kerry's "Friends" in Foreign high places! The one with the anniversary tag...has Bush sitting at a table set for about 15...a cake in front of him...no one else at the table...and this person draws the most hilarious depiction of Bush, anyway...you know, the eyebrows that come together, the little skinny lips, and the ears like Dumbo??...He is singing "Happy Anniversary to Me"...tee hee!!!! The other one is a six parter...with Bush and Kerry. Bush is berating Kerry for his remarks about the foreign leaders he has talked to, who are not happy with this administration (which he never said anyway). Bush is ranting in the first block,sneering at Kerry, "He claims World Leaders support him," with his little thumb pointing to Kerry, and Kerry has this smug "mile long faced grin"...next section, bush says, "He refuses to say which ones"..same smug grin....next one "If you're gonna make a claim you'd better be able to back it up"..same smug grin from Kerry. 4th "Because someone who can't is liable to....."...then Kerry says, with a slight sneer, "Invade a country for illegitimate reasons?"...The next block, is totally black, with Bush's confused mug, eyes wandering, ears out to here...Then Bush gets a nasty look, with the words, "I'll make honesty an issue in this election!"....and Kerry, with that goofy smile, though confident, says, "Promise?" You just gotta see it! Gave me my laugh for the day! But, in spite of the political humor....I am never free of the concern for all of the citizens of this country...and the military personnel in Iraq...I do not think that Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld, OR mysterious Colin Powell, gives any of them a thought! How in Gods name, do they sleep at night? And there is so much hogwash about them being a Christian administration...well, when you think about it, Jerry Falwell thinks he is a Christian, too,..mystery of mysterious!!! Shirley..............St.Louis Subj: Enforcing morality--New Rules for Conservative Republican Men Dear Buzz, I have an idea. If these Conservative Republican men feel that the State is entitled to interfere with a woman's decision to go through with a pregnancy, then I think they should be fair about it. These Republican men should have to report when they had sex and the type of birth control measures they used. If they are unwilling to use birth control (because they are opposed to it on religious grounds, for example), then they should not be allowed to have sex. If a Conservative Republican man is going to have sex, then he must sign a statement saying he will be responsible for any offspring that come from that encounter, regardless of whether he is married to that person or not. That statement will be legally binding and result in jail time, docked wages, and a ruined reputation if they fail to comply. In fact, we will have Karl Rove think up how he can trash each man's character since Karl enjoys that so much. All Conservative Republican men will have their names posted on the Internet and their sexual behavior will be monitored publicly. This is very important so that women can avoid hypocritical and irresponsible partners. Remember, these are the men that care about babies and children so much! A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: neil bush is making money off NCLB This was last week's so forgive me if you had it up and I missed it. I think it's a significant connection, especially the Carlyle people connection... Link to source: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/03/12/1534244 my piece: http://anoldsoul.blogspot.com/archives/... shari McCain as Vice President Just read your headline about Biden suggesting McCain as Kerry's running mate. Isn't Biden the idiot who helped the Republicans install Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court? Wow, I think I'll rush right out and send McCain a letter of support--NOT! Doesn't anybody remember that during the last presidential primary, Bush trashed McCain's family, and McCain eventually endorsed Bush for president. If somebody leveled a nasty, personal attack on my family, it would be a cold day in hell before I would support that person. I don't want somebody like that on the Democratic ticket; Kerry needs someone who won't turn the other cheek every time Bush and his thugs attack. He also needs to pick the guy soon so there will be someone else helping him counter Bush and Cheney's continuous lies (do these guys know how to tell the truth?). My favorites are Edwards and Clark; both are articulate, intelligent, and southern. I like Dean, but I want him to be named Chairman of the FCC after Kerry is elected, so he can kick some corporate media ass. Donna Lightfoot Subj: Another Scandal in Plain Sight? Is Bush giving Pakistan a free pass on the Khan-gate nuclear secrets scandal in exchange for their delivering Osama? The unintended consequences (blowback) from that kind of election-year plea bargaining could be catastrophic. Rosamond Subj: Is he drinking or just nuts? I heard George Bush bragging on tv today about how good the economy is. What the hell planet is he on?!!!!!!! Maybe in his world, but not out here in the real world! Is he drinking again or just nuts?!!! Karen in South Carolina Subj: "Genius of the Week" Dear BuzzFlash, I believe you may have already created something like this: "Genius of the Week". And I believe the first time I noticed this category on your site was for the exact same statement from the exact same person, Paul Bremer ... that is "Broken Record" Paul Bremer - Thanks, David Subj: It's not appeasement The neocons who keep babbling on that the Spanish people are appeasing terrorists by voting for an anti-war leader are missing an important point. The majority of Spanish were always deeply and profoundly against the war. Its not like these people were all for the invasion and occupation of Iraq, then the Madrid bombings happened and everyone simultaneously panicked and wanted out. The bombings just consolidated the feelings they had all along. The Spanish people had a chance (a lucky one, I might add) to get off the highway to nowhere they were currently on and they wisely took it. They showed what true democracy really is. I can only wonder, as I'm sure you all do... will we be so lucky in this country? Laurie Subj: Critical 60 Minutes Update Here's an update on tonight's 60 Minutes. I've pasted several excerpts from the article below that I think are critical and have put them in bold. Under several of the excerpts I have written some comments that I think should be looked into closer and should be asked during the upcoming 9-11 Commission hearings. When the terrorists stuck, it was thought the White House would be the next target, so it was evacuated. Clarke was one of only a handful of people who stayed behind. He ran the government's response to the attacks from the Situation Room in the West Wing. The Director of the White House Situation Room, Deborah Loewer, was with Bush in Florida when the attacks took place. From two articles I have archived, Ms. Loewer claims that she was the person who actually told Bush about the first attack after their motorcade reached the Booker Elementary School. What was the White House Situation Room Director doing with Bush in Florida? I contacted Barbara Honegger who worked in the Reagan/Bush White House and asked her if it was normal for the Director to travel with the President and she told me it was highly unusual and couldn't understand what Deborah Loewer was doing with Bush in Florida when her job was at the White House. So when the planes struck, the Situation Room wasn't commanded by the Director, and Clarke claims he had to take over. Wouldn't you think that after all of the warnings about impending attacks and Clarke stating that they were put on "Battle Stations" (see below) that the Director of the White House Situation Room should have been at her station instead of traveling with the President to an elementary school? I've pasted the two Loewer articles below the 60 Minutes article. AD So if Bush put them on "Battle Stations" because he didn't want to rule out the possibility of a threat to the homeland, why wasn't airport security ramped up and the American public warned? If the FAA did indeed send out alerts to the FBI, which is charged with policing the United States and not nations abroad, why didn't the FAA and the FBI act on these alerts and likewise strengthen airport security and warn the public? Just a few points I thought were interesting. Allan Duncan "Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link?" Dear BuzzFlash, I am a huge Dolly Parton fan. The first album I ever bought was one of Dolly's. She not only is a fantastic entertainer and singer, in my opinion she is one of the best songwriters to ever grace the earth. Whenever I hear George W. Bush or any of his corrupt corporate cronies talk about our "vibrant"and "strong"economy, No Child Left Behind, the Clear Skies Initiative, Healthy Forests, or how America is safer because of Bush's "leadership,"a Dolly Parton song always starts playing in my head. While this Dolly Parton song is about a heartbroken lover figuring out how to survive a breakup, so many of the words remind me of the Bush Administration. With my apologies to Dolly, I have taken the liberty to change just a few of the words in Dolly's song, so it fits the current situation with Bush in the White House (and is something like what I sing in my head). Brent Wilcox Subj: After a Year in Iraq Dear BuzzFlash: After a year of spin and re-spinning, packaging and re-packaging, speeches, and tv interviews, (not to mention the countless fundraisers), surrounding the Iraq Invasion -- doesn't it seem to be a miserable failure that the bush* administration still hasn't been able to convince people that the invasion was the right thing to do? Perhaps the American People are not as stupid as bush* and his cohorts think. D. Hippauf Subj: If this isn't Treason, then what is? Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link? "The president dragged me into a room with a couple of other people, shut the door, and said, 'I want you to find whether Iraq did this.' Now he never said, 'Make it up.' But the entire conversation left me in absolutely no doubt that George Bush wanted me to come back with a report that said Iraq did this. "I said, 'Mr. President. We've done this before. We have been looking at this. We looked at it with an open mind. There's no connection.' "He came back at me and said, "Iraq! Saddam! Find out if there's a connection.' And in a very intimidating way. I mean that we should come back with that answer. We wrote a report." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml If this isn't HIGH CRIMES AND TREASON against the American people, then somebody please redefine this phrase for me (and don't argue that it doesn't rise to the level of lying about sex). L. Lemire Subj: You have the power, so use it! Economists, Bush cronies and chief executive officers of multinational corporations tell us that consumers and workers are the beneficiaries of foreign trade. Actually, U.S. consumers are not benefiting from the unfairness of our trade negotiations. This is a no-brainer. Common sense tells us that we are losing our jobs so that we can buy cheaper goods. In addition, no one knows how long the goods will remain cheap. And throw in another plus... we can all buy a house now due to low interest rates. [Try inserting "unemployed" on your home loan application. Try inserting $5 - $7 an hour income on your home loan application.] [Not to worry] is what the Bush cronies tell us... this is good for our country and economy. Whose country and whose economy, Bush? Then they tell us that we can retrain for another job or go back to college. Americans can go back to college and pay for it with their generous unemployment checks, right? Maybe they can pay the tremendous education costs with their $5 - $7 an hour part time jobs, right? And haven't a lot of degreed jobs already left the country? What jobs will the unemployed transition to? The US has gone this route so many times and our backs are up against the wall. After manufacturing, service industry and government service jobs, high-skilled and high-tech jobs are all outsourced and traded away, what will be left for the United States? We have record trade deficits now... how much higher can they go? If Americans have any democracy left at all, they must take control of their government. When corporate profits are not being used to better American workers and their communities, it is vital that Americans demand that government officials represent people over profits. That demand is accomplished by threatening to vote them out of office. ~ Cathy The Fort Lauderdale, Florida's daily newspaper, the Sun-Sentinel, conducted an online poll on Sunday, March 21st. The question: Dubya has some severe credibility problems in the Land of the Chad. Just thought y'all like to know. Sharon Andrews Subj: If Kerry had his way ... Dear BuzzFlash, I used to love it when my Republican friends would tell me, "If Kerry had his way, Saddam would still be in power!" I would just say, "Well, if Bush had his way, Osama, the guy who murdered 3,000 Americans, would still be running free terrorizing the world instead of locked up behind bars like he is now. Oh no, wait a minute, what's wrong with me? Bush did have his way and Osama is still running free terrorizing the world! By the way, tell me again how many Americans Saddam killed with his Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Related Activities." They don't try that tired, old line on me any more. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: The two faces of Tim Russert Tim Russert: How delighted I would be to see you grill Bush administration career liars Rice, Cheney, Perle and Bush as heatedly as you grilled Ted Kennedy this morning. Perhaps your testicles only descend when you're interviewing Democrats. Or are you on the RNC payroll? They should at least pay you for reading their talking-point faxes word-for-word on your increasingly odoriferous air... Pathetic. Chuck Van
Wey Subj: George Will's on This Week.... Boy oh boy, are they grasping at straws now. I was watching THIS WEEK (Sun. AM) and George Will just pretty much said that changing administrations at this point would leave us weaker and more vulnerable to attacks. Trying to scare everyone into keeping old Bushy boy. Par for the course, tho. I love the Buzz. Suzan Subj: Iraq and Terrorism Hello, Perhaps you ought to get hold of Professor Rogers from Bradford University in the U.K. He will lay out for all of us just how "secure" George W(arcriminal) et cie has made us, and how he is playing into the hands of Islamic fundamentalist militants to destroy us in the long run. Shrub's "strategy" is framed by domestic elections, those of the terrorists by decades. Shrub and boys' objective is oil and plundering our treasury, theirs the destruction of the USA. It appears, Osama is winning, we are losing BECAUSE of the shruB! Frank A.
Lojewski Subj: Does anyone else see the irony in this? "The Passion of the Christ" was knocked from its number one slot this weekend by --- "Dawn of the Dead". Guess it has the higher gross-out factor working in its favor. "The abuse of the Empire has a limit and that is the patience of the people." Scott Subj: cost to US taxpayers, and to the British A BBC Report this evening gave a comparison of the cost of the Iraq war to US in troops and taxpayer dollars in comparison to its closest ally Britain. While the US now has 125,000 troops in Iraq, England has 8,000 - so the US has 15 times as many troops there, or in percentages US troops are over 70% more than the Brits... but get THIS: While the US is spending more than $133 billion in the new budget, the UK has spent 2 )that's TWO) billion pounds, which is about 2% of what the US taxpayers are spending!!!! some PARTNERS!!! A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Bush 41 Covert CIA Operative when VP With all the great books out documenting the Bush deceit for history, pray "House of Bush, House of Saud" doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Is it old news that Bush 41 while VP acted as a covert CIA operative. That he personally delivered to Saddam strategic intel for his war with Iran, with gassing afterward likely? Unger said he was in DC with M. Moore while he was working on his movie about the Bin Laden's being whisked out of the country after 911, so he must be one of Moore's main sources, he knows the story as well as anyone who is talking. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Rumsfeld on ABC "Primetime Special" March 25 Hi there BuzzFlash ! Did you know that this Thursday, March 25 at 8 pm, ABC is giving an hour of primetime TV air on a "Primetime Special" edition entitled "Rumsfeld's Rules of War"? The show description in the TV listing says: "Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discusses the invasion of Iraq." Can this be true? Now, that can't be right. He gets one hour to present his case on Iraq, just as their election campaign takes off? Nice coincidence, huh ? Isn't this an abuse of some kind against election laws and political airtime during an election campaign? Will ABC give John Kerry the same air time? I know this is small potatoes compared to the long list of despicable things he and his accomplices have done to your country, your country's media and also abroad, but I just had to mention this to you. By the way, I have to tell all of you great BuzzFlash people how much I enjoy, appreciate and respect the work that you do (yes, even if I'm not an American - besides harming the United States' democracy and people, Bush's gang is also a threat to the rest of the world as you well know, and we're just next door...) Most people in other countries, though, are able to see the difference between the "People" of the United States and the US "government", and it is the US government that is despised, not the people, even if large numbers of American citizens seem to have been politically asleep at the wheel (we have a lot of those too up here...) if those polls are right, but it's now or never that they must wake up to their tragic political situation). Thank God this has started to change in the recent months. Thank you for all that you do, relentlessly and courageously fighting for the truth, freedom, integrity, justice and democracy. I also read other worthy websites but yours is special to me and I really enjoy your blunt and so accurate commentaries, humour and irony in some of your titles on the main page. They are very "soothing" to me since like so many others, I've been so constantly appalled at the U.S. government since Bush and his creeps are there, and at the lack of mainstream reaction to it all over the world. It's been really mind-boggling and I can only imagine how it's been for all lucid U.S. citizens... But ultimately, all major countries also have a responsibility in this. World democracy, if such a thing exists yet, should do something about Bush. Well I guess I could have just said in a nutshell, I think you guys are great ! My fingers are crossed for the next election - may Anyone but Bush get in ! For your good and for the rest of the planet too... Micheline, Subj: Troops Ordered to Smile at Bush Visit Jackie Subj: Kennedy on Meet the Press Although I'm always happy to see democrats like Senator Kennedy and Howard Dean on Meet the Press, something is starting to bug me. After they start talking a while, I realize they're missing the point. They're always defining the Iraq invasion within the context of the "War on Terror". They debate whether it was effective, what they would've done, etc. Why don't they step back even more and tell what this war really is -- a clumsy, bloody land grab in the plans for several years? Why is the Project for a New American Century never brought up? Its the very bible of this administration, spelling out every move they have, and intend to make. Why is it never mentioned that plans for invading Iraq were being bandied around five or six years ago by the people of this administration? They wanted Iraq's oil fields. They wanted to build military bases in order to get a foothold in the Middle East, to help bolster Israel. The war in Iraq has nothing to do with the war on terror. It is only a convenient marketing tool. And yet, on every talk show, all these liberal politicians do is argue about issues like whether capturing Saddam Hussein was effective or not. I guess that's worth debating to an extent, but what about what lies under his capture? Why not discuss the strategy for taking over Iraq that was in place long before Bush ever came to power? Why not educate the public on the big picture? Would it blow their minds too much? Our only hope for ousting these people are the folks who pop up out of the woodwork every once in a while like Paul O'Neill and this recent Clark guy. In their own way, they keep pushing out the envelope. They're former insiders who tell things that may seem shocking to some folks, but at least might get them thinking. Its not the same old reheated, rehashed debate coming out of the democratic party week after week. Somebody needs to shake things up much, much more. Don't get me wrong, I'll vote for Kerry. There's no choice. But please, someone, sometime, please really educate this public. Laurie Subj: Anti-War Marches Dear Buzz, As a progressive, I was pleased to swell the throng of the anti-war march in Hollywood yesterday (Saturday, March 20, 2004). But as a Jew, I was unhappy with the extent to which it was a pro-Palestinian-Arab rally devoted to bashing Israel. If the progressive movement wants to align itself with a group of people who deny the right of Israel to exist and gleefully celebrate the mass murder of innocent civilians, that's its right, I suppose. But it will only serve to fracture the progressive coalition and demonstrate an appalling moral obtuseness that is unworthy of progressives. Jon Krampner Subj: This Ridiculous Administration Dear BuzzFlash, After watching 60 Minutes, it is more evident that W and his minions should be impeached. Listening to Richard Clarke talk had quite an effect. For one thing, Leslie Stahl let him talk. For another, Mr. Clarke had very good answers. What has gone on, with this administration is a travesty. Earlier,when reading your link to CBS News,' Did Bush Press for Iraq-9/11 Link... all I could think was you better believe that he did.The number 2 man on W's National Security Council, Stephen Hadley, began a game of he said-he said. He may stand on what he said, that the conversation between W and Mr. Clarke never took place, but he certainly looked uncomfortable saying that. Even when presented with a witness to that conversation, he would not back down. Perhaps that is because he knows what will happen to his job if he tells the truth. Mr. Clarke has had a long tenure in the position he held. Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and finally....Dimbulb. I cannot imagine the frustration that man had in trying to get Dimbulb to listen to the fact that Iraq was not tied to Al Queda. Perhaps the most telling comment Mr. Clarke had on this particular point was that it was necessary to come up with something that W wanted to hear. If that wasn't the case, the report would be bounced back. Also earlier, while reading a link, I came across a sidebar which contained this information. There was a picture of a wounded human being. The caption under it said,' We expect to be the best friends to Iraqis who are trying to put their country back together.' This was said by Marine Commander James Mattis. The picture caption said,' below, a picture of Iraqi medics tending to Azam Issam, 37, severely wounded.....who died later.' Thoughts on this were....well, we were the ones who tore Iraq to pieces...and why? Many of us felt that Saddam was a wretch. But look at the suffering with the families here in the US and the Iraqis! Mr. Clarke knew the truth. Iraq was not in cahoots with Al Queda. So many soldiers lost. A travesty. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Democracy, freedom and scones - shortages everywhere Hi BuzzFlash, Keep up the good work, Buzz. It is appreciated more than you can know. ================================================== Subj: Cathy Suggests a Set-up Yes, Cathy there is a set-up in the making - - see Cathy's letter published on March 21 referring to the bargain obtained from Libya to dismantle WMD programs. Just follow these dates: On March 6, U.S. and British intelligence teams finished emptying Libya's previously secret nuclear-weapons plants and loaded 1,000 tons of equipment onto a cargo ship that promptly left the country. Also on the ship were five complete Scud-C missiles and their launchers, purchased from North Korea. As reported by Insight Magazine. In a column in Common Dreams on March 18, Ira Chermus quoted the Iranian News Agency Mehr story of March 13 that "U.S. forces have unloaded a large cargo of parts for constructing long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the southern ports of Iraq. A reliable source from the Iraqi Governing Council, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Mehr News Agency that U.S. forces, with the help of British forces stationed in southern Iraq, had made extensive efforts to conceal their actions." According to Mehr's source, the parts are old ones, just the kind the U.S. gave to Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. Once they are "discovered," they would be the smoking gun that George W. needs to get re-elected. No, Cathy, you are not paranoid. I agree that anyone who has followed this "lying, plotting, administration" needs to be alert to all of their election machinations. And, Cathy, win their track record, it is more likely to be a screw-up than a set-up. Mcwald Subj: More job loss thanks to Bush and the G.O.P. BLAME BUSH A BuzzFlash Reader You guys should not make THIS the issue, because the truth is, that everyone who COULD tried to stay out of that war. From my high school class of 500+ in New England (1961!!!) , maybe a dozen boys ended up in the army, and I think one died (we have a website, so one can see that only a few of the classmates have died in the past 40 years). People went to grad school, into the reserves sometimes, but they also got married, and did whatever they could not to go.... In fact, it was no different then than it is now, the kids who were able to go to college and on, went, often just to get out of the army, some others got married, because marriage got you exempted, and only the poorer ones, the ones who couldn't afford college, were really drafted..... I also think that making these non issues into issues turns a lot of voters off, which is why Nader is picking up support... people like me, baby boomers (more or less), we care a lot more about the REAL differences between the candidates, and those differences lay in their attitude toward education, jobs, medicare and social security (and many like me, toward war and poverty in the world - the demonstrations, if you noticed, are packed with people my age, and we VOTE!) and other social and financial issues. If you think that if there's a draft the rich (or most Republicans) will have to go into the army, you're dreaming and don't really understand how the American system works. With or without the draft. I will probably vote for Kerry, but without enthusiasm.... he is, for me, what Michael Moore wrote, just a Republican with a different name. He voted for the war, for the medicare fiasco, for the welfare reform fiasco, and a lot of other stuff that are Republican issues..... as did many of the Democrats. One big problem is money: the system stinks as long as politicians have to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in order to run for this office; the other big problem is, with all due respect to the Founding Fathers, that a nation of 300 million people cannot only have two political parties. That is why all the polls are split more or less right down the middle, give or take a couple of percent. There is no way to balance our politics, no way to compromise.... a coalition government, or a Congress composed of several parties would benefit this situation and the US enormously. Susan Subj: No More Totals? I recently became aware that both AP WIRE & YAHOO have eliminated the totals in regards to soldiers killed in IRAQ. Could the BU$H Cartel have put the word out"no more totals", so the Americans do not realize just how bad it is. They hear or read about the one or two, it doesn't sound so bad, verses total now up to 570. People become bothered by large amounts. So by keeping the numbers small, "only a couple" today, people let it slide by, without much thought. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Kerry's testimony in April of 1971 First, I watched Bush's speech in Orlando...as much as I could take. I do not think I have ever seen anyone who can spew pure lies as much as this man! My second mistake was trying to watch Sean Hannity, speaking to whomever on the 12 of Mar. (I think)...if anyone else saw that, I would love to know if you heard more applause than I. It was not the most receptive crowd I have ever seen....or had they muted the crowd. By this time, I am pretty sick, so I turned on the testimony of John Kerry, to the senate, back in April 1971. I was moved as was a lot of people who disagreed very much with that war. There is a pod of hard right, who would vote for Adolph Hitler if he were the republican candidate...believe me when I tell you that. I know some!! They would find some thing about the man that was good, just good! I can remember, and thought after the war was ended, that we had all been looking elsewhere at the time....but, my brother was writing letters to distant family members, and saying pretty much the same things that Kerry is telling us about! He only lasted two months...101st airborne...he was what a lot of people call a grunt soldier...carried a 60 lb.load of ammo, every day, he was a machine gunner, and we do not know how he died, except that they called it small arms fire. That can be anything except a bomb falling on them.. It most likely was a land mine! I truly admire Kerry for the guts to go before the senate...at that time, I wish I had had more interest in watching it. I do hope, with all my heart, that it helps get the witless wonder out of the white house now! One incident I can remember, and it might not be good to bring it up now, because of the strides the african americans have made.....but, the month after my brother died, we read that a man in Alabama or Mississippi (I cannot pin it down now), had donated an acre of land of his own for burial of Vietnam dead. So, a black man from that town died in the war, shortly after my brother, who was given the royal military, taps, 21 gun salute...military pallbearers...the works.......and there broke out in this town, a furor because the man who had donated the land balked at a black soldier being buried there!!! It was in all the papers, and by this time, I think clear thinking folks of all colors were getting damned fed up with the fact that blacks are ordered into the war, but so horribly discriminated in death! It sure taught me a thing or two about rightwingers!! I, by that time, hated the war and at last believed everything that was being said about it. Now, folks, at least we thought we were fighting a civil war for the south vietnamese, and it sort of seemed like the war we fought in Korea.....but, how in God's name do we sell this war in Iraq for Oil to young folks!? I have been to Camp Jackson for my granddaughter's graduation...I've seen the way these kids are talked to...the new recruits come every day, and the DI'S start yelling at them the minute they get off the bus...and they are taught to Kill, Kill, Kill..>>..from the mouth of my granddaughter!! And, they are taught that President Bush can have them killed if they go Awol...at least that is what she says.....but, oh, the syrupy, sweet things they do and say in front of the parents and grandparents. Her mother is Worried,...I am worried, my husband does not discuss it...Her father, is caught up in the patriotic glory of it...so is her uncle...And she is quiet as a clam about the entire thing....I really wonder if she will ever be the same when she gets out. I have a feeling that Kara will be older than her years....she is in the Nation Building, you know the thing Bush was never going to do??? She seems to have about two more months there...so far ...safe! But, I really do not know what to look forward to when she gets out. The parents hear less and less from her! I believe in John Kerry...I think it took a lot of guts to do what he did, in the military and to be able to see how wrong it was....I feel sorry for Lt. Calley, who was court martialed and tried for war crimes...I sort of lost track of the entire thing after that...I do not know what happened to the man...but, he (Kerry) will likely never send the country into any war without an attack on our soil...and not one that was devised by a party itching to get their hands on the oil of any country! Bush is out there, having a ball, lying his ass off about everything Kerry is going to do, and if they keep the protestors away....we will never know any different..until election....then, who knows??? Shirley............St.Louis Subj: Richard Clarke Bush cronies say Richard Clarke is lying. Is that so? Then why did Wes Clark say this? Is Bush going to say he lies too? A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Clarke Book Let's see-- Bush's rebuttal to the Clarke book on "Sixty Minutes" pertaining to his concern about terrorism in the Unites States at the time around 9/11 does not hold water for two reasons: One, why the President went back to reading to the Florida children after the first plane struck Tower One on 9/11..... And Two, why the only person around to go on television and reassure the American People that all was okay in the middle of the absolute chaos--was his political guru--Karen Hughes. Gee, guess there was no backup plan. Or maybe she was the only brave person in the Bush administration not running and hiding out like a scared skunk that day. Yeah, they were really prepared! I believe the book. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Judith Miller Lies Again I just sent the following letter to the New York Times. I urge others to read the article cited below and to complain as well. Judith Miller should no longer be called a journalist. She has crossed over too many lines, too many times. * * * I was absolutely appalled by Judith Miller's hack job, Former Terrorism Official Criticizes White House on 9/11, published on March 22, 2004. For anyone who had seen the 60 minutes interview with Clarke, there is no doubt that this man is a patriot. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan and served under four presidents, three of whom were Republican. He is a career civil servant and as a counterterrorism expert for these administrations, he is in a position to know what he is talking about. He proves beyond a doubt that Bush has run an inept administration blinded by its own preconceived notions, and was prevented from going after the true enemies of this country because of outmoded notions and grandiose plans. Miller's details Bush administration objections to Clarke before she even presents Clarke's case. Her first paragraph says that Clarke lays blame equally on the Clinton and Bush administrations for a failure to fight terrorism when, based on the 60 minutes interview, this is patently not the case--in fact, Clarke speaks of how the Clinton Administration was successful in preventing the planned 1999/2000 terrorist attack on the Los Angeles airport. Miller has, in the past, relied too heavily on those in favor of going to war with Iraq for her stories. She has asserted that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; she has insisted on a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda when no connection ever existed. Clarke has come forward and insisted that U.S. intelligence knew categorically from the start that there was no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. This means that Judith Miller's stories over the past few years on this subject have been seriously flawed. Her "high-level" sources obviously did not include those in the best position to know and to be objective about Iraq and its (lack of) connection to Al Qaeda. In short, Miller has a dog in this fight. Clarke totally undermines her credibility by showing the flaws inherent in her reporting on Iraq and terrorism. And yet she writes an article under the guise of objectivity about a person whose information undercuts her former reporting. You should have known that she was not the person to write this article. Shame on you and on her. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Memo to Sen Kerry: Brevity is the soul of sound-bites Dear BuzzFlash, You had a Kerry story with his quote "John Kerry: "George Bush is proving to the American people that he is incapable of solving our economic problems for the simple reason that he doesn't see them" 3/22". Brevity, man, brevity. "George Bush can't fix our economy because he doesn't even know it's in trouble. He thinks things are just fine." You want lines that "flow" but sting, John. The American people are not impressed with intelligent speech. Don't use 4 syllables when one will do. Jim P Subj: Maybe This Should Be Called Treason-gate Dear Buzz This is going to be some week, what with the public 9/11 hearings, but with Richard Clarke's comments, things are about to fly. Already even your Newsweek pr link is spewing the Bush-ite line. "[Clarke] did not have much luck, in part because in both the Clinton and early Bush administrations, the top leadership did not back up Clarke and demand results." This directly contradicts Clarke's "60-minutes" interview where he said Clinton had the cabinet "at battle stations"--meaning Clarke reported personally to Clinton every day or two. But forget that lie. When you hear Bush-iters say "Well Clinton did nothing," we just need to say "apart from that being an easily provable lie, is your point that President Clinton didn't do enough, so since Bush did less than President Clinton we should vote for Bush and thing him a great leader?" Here's the link http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040321/nysu007a_1.html [...Justice Department Curtailed Highly Classified Program to Monitor Al Qaeda Suspects in the U.S.] As to the 9/11 Investigation hearings, according to C-Span's schedule http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp C-Span will broadcast it Monday starting at 1 pm EST, though they have a note that beginning and end times might change. They usually re-run such things later in the day, so you might want to check the schedule to see when. Jim P Subj: Open Letter to the World Even though Bush is president of the United States he affects every person on the planet - and not for the better. Bush has become a global menace and I call on the people of the world to do everything in their power to stop him. I would remind you that Bush has no problem with the idea of using your country and way he sees fit. I am concerned that if Bush isn't removed from office that we are going to end up in World War 3 but the end of this decade. We are the most powerful nation on the planet and we are controlled by madmen who were never elected in the first place. A year ago today Bush was talking about using nuclear weapons against Iraq in a war we now know he faked. I would ask you - what will the world look like 4 years from now if Bush isn't removed? For years America has been the beacon for freedom and democracy and has come to the aid of countries who's liberties were threatened. Today it is us who are coming to you because our liberty is threatened. And - we are a very dangerous nation - to dangerous to be in the wrong hands. Please help us. Marc Perkel |
otherwise noted, all original |


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There was a certain study about the mental health of the soldiers that were assigned to fight in Iraq. Alarmingly, there were many soldiers that were not mentally healthy. There was 1 in 8 soldiers that exhibited some signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Sadly, about less than 50 % of the soldiers who are suffering from post traumatic disorder sought for help / assistance.
This is mostly due to the fact that these soldiers think that it is shameful and it might hurt their career as soldiers. The most difficult and important concern that should be given focus right now is to educate people about the reality of post traumatic stress disorder especially the soldiers.
This is so that they will not think twice about asking for help and for them to not have any difficulty accepting the disorder they are suffering from. Soldiers are perhaps one of those people who are very prone to developing the said mental condition. Seeking care is of utmost priority because the sooner that a person suffering from post traumatic stress disorder asks for help and undergoes treatment, the faster he / she will be able to recover.
Post traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder which was once called combat fatigue or shell shock. A person can suffer from this kind of disorder after he / she will witness, undergo, or experience a very traumatic event. The traumatic event is usually one that is life threatening such as military combat, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, violent assault (e.g. rape), or it can be serious accidents. A specific example is the 9/11 (September 11, 2001 terrorist attack).
Some of the people who were involved even those who saw the incident showed some signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Another example are the veteran soldiers who come home after fighting in the war. Normally, those people who survive from traumatic events heal in time. However, for some, it takes a longer time. Then, they will have problems dealing with day to day life stresses. Eventually, life becomes harder. Again, another battle should be fought.
Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of soldiers post traumatic stress disorder: trouble sleeping / sleeplessness, easily annoyed / irritable, concentration problems, flashbacks / nightmares, and feeling numb (physically, emotionally, and mentally). Suffering from these symptoms will seriously impair the quality of a person's life.
Medically speaking, the cause of post traumatic stress disorder is not known. However, experts have found out that there is involvement of a number of factors such as social factors, physical factors as well as genetic factors. Another study also revealed that post traumatic stress disorder changes the response of the body to stress.
What it does is that the chemicals and stress hormones that are responsible in carrying information between nerves are impaired. Hence, the signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder occur. It is not clearly understood how trauma causes the disorder. However, what is sure is that traumatic events increase a person's chances of getting post traumatic disorder.

subset: commoncrawl


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Reblogged from The Devil's Excrement:
Hi! Colleague!
So, in one single and rather brief sentence the Venezuelan Constitution, once the best Constitution in the world, Chávez dixit, has been turned into the most malleable an useless piece of paper in the land. Remarkably, the decision cites Art. 231, which is the one that was asked to be interpreted and instead of citing the many articles relevant to the decision in the current 1999 Constitution, it goes back and cites Art.


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Sylvia Caras Judith Cook Howard Dansky Frances Priester Ed Schwartz
Sylvia Caras was active on the support email lists in the early 90's, developed first ThisIsCrazy and now peoplewho.org. Currently she is a member of The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council (NAC) Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues (SOCSI), a board member and legislative chair for CA Protection & Advocacy, and active in international work. Details: www.peoplewho.org/sylvia/resume.htm
Judith A. Cook is Professor of Sociology in Psychiatry at The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Department of Psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. in sociology from The Ohio State University and completed an NIMH post-doctoral training program in clinical research at The University of Chicago. Currently she directs the Mental Health Services Research Program (MHSRP) which houses two federally funded centers and a number of research and evaluation studies. The UIC National Research and Training Center on Psychiatric Disability is funded (by CMHS and the U.S. Department of Education) for five years to conduct a series of research and training projects designed to promote self-determination among people with psychiatric disability. The UIC Coordinating Center for the Employment Intervention Demonstration Program is a multi-site study of vocational rehabilitation interventions for persons with major mental disorders in eight states around the country funded by the federal Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). She also directs the Assertive Community Treatment Training Institute, a statewide initiative in Illinois to assess and enhance provider competencies in delivering community-based assertive outreach services to those with multiple psychiatric hospitalizations. With staff at the MHSRP, Dr. Cook has created a series of training manuals and curricula in areas such as: community safety for women with mental illness, collaboration between consumer and nonconsumer service providers, vocational transitioning for youth with severe emotional disorders, job coaching in psychiatric rehabilitation, assertive case management for homeless persons with severe mental illness, and outreach to minority families of persons with mental illness. Her published research includes studies of vocational rehabilitation, transition-aged youth with mental disorders, psychosocial rehabilitation outcomes, educational services for persons with mental illness, gender issues in psychiatric disability, and coping strategies of parents of adult offspring with severe mental illness. [Back to Top]
Howard Dansky, M.A., owns STARHD (Services, Technical Assistance & Resources for Human Development), a development and research consultancy helping service providers to develop programs enabling people to make the transition to work. As Project Director for the Vocational Research Institute (VRI) in 1998-2001, he directed Project FAIR, funded by the National Institute for Disability & Rehabilitation Research. Project FAIR produced WorkPlace MentorT, a community-based situational assessment and planning software system. Howard has presented numerous workshops and institutes on situational assessment, planning for employment, and using information technology. His experience in mental health services goes back to the early 1970's as a Mental Health Worker in then-emergent community-living rehabilitation programs at Philadelphia State Hospital. Howard earned a masters degree in Developmental Psychology at Temple University. [Back to Top]
Frances Priester, raised in the segregated South, received her law degree from University of Buckingham, England in 1984. Misdiagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia for seven years until finding appropriate treatment for bipolar disorder, she now advocates for over 300 forensic consumers as a Consumer Specialist at Elgin Mental Health Center. She is an advocate for safe, decent, affordable housing for all disabled Americans and enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Frances also conducted a successful voter registration campaign in five counties in Southern Illinois. Frances is a recipient of the 2001 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award, and serves on numerous boards and communities throughout the State of Illinois. Her advocacy efforts focus on providing options to consumers, including alternative treatments as well as treatments under the medical model and she continues to advocate for "decriminalization" of those with mental illness and for the provision for law enforcement training on mental health, mental health courts, and jail diversion programs. She continues to give hope to other disabled Americans by sharing her recovery story and promoting consumer empowerment and self-determination. [Back to Top]
Dr. Edward Schwartz is presently President of the Institute for the Study of Civic Values, an organization that he founded in 1973 to develop education, research, and action programs that relate contemporary issues to America's historic ideals. Presently, the Institute sponsors a block leadership development program in Philadelphia known as "PhillyBlocks," that uses both community meetings and the Internet to help block and neighborhood activists gain better service from City Departments. ISCV also administers a sizeable welfare-to-work Community Service Jobs program, enabling more than 1,500 welfare recipients annually fulfill their work requirements through community service jobs. ISCV's "Youth Urban Affairs Arts Program (YouthRAP) helps middle school students identify issues of concern to them and present their recommendations to community leaders and public officials. And ISCV is known world-wide for "Neighborhoods Online," its pioneering web site that helps community activists throughout the country gain easy access to information relevant to their work.
Dr. Schwartz received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University in 1986. He is a 1965 graduate of Oberlin College. A student activist throughout the 1960's, he was national President of the National Student Association in 1967-68, spearheading a major movement for "student power." He has served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and has taught classes at Haverford College and Temple University
In 1984, Dr. Schwartz was elected a Councilman-at-Large in Philadelphia. In just 3 1/2 years, he emerged as a major force in developing innovative strategies for neighborhood economic development. He fought successfully to hold pre-paid fares on the City's public transit system, SEPTA, below $1.00. He also was a leader in holding City departments accountable to set standards of performance. As a Councilman, he was the first Philadelphia elected official to use computer-generated data bases to monitor the work of City departments and as early as 1986 participated regularly in an on-line local computer bulletin board to exchange views on public issues with computer-literate constituents. In 1984, Philadelphia Magazine gave Dr. Schwartz an award as an "Honest Politician," and he won "Best of Philly" awards as "Best Local Politician" and "Best City Councilman" in succeeding years as well.
Between 1987 and 1991, Dr. Schwartz directed Philadelphia's Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD). During this period, OHCD rehabilitated over 4,000 houses and apartments, invested over $30 million in neighborhood-based community development corporations, generated over $93 million in private investment in low-income housing; and created homeowner and weatherization programs that reached over 25,000 low and moderate income households.
In 1992-93, as President of the ISCV, Dr. Schwartz moderated a monthly radio program of town meetings on issues of democracy from Philosophical Hall that won the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters' Award as the Best Public Affairs Program of the year.
He has written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times Book Review, The American Prospect, Social Policy, The Nation, Progressive Magazine, Denver Law Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Philadelphia Daily News. He is author of Will the Revolution Succeed? Rebirth of the Radical Democrat, published in 1972 by Criterion Books, and NetActivism: How Citizens Use the Internet, published by O'Reilly and Associates in 1996.
A jazz pianist, Dr. Schwartz founded the Reading Terminals' Jazz Group in 1984.
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Baseball In Tampa Bay No Longer An Embarrassing Mess
I predicted that 2009 would be the year that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays caught and passed the aging New York Yankees, but I was wrong. It has already happened. The Yankees, whose players are, on average, 31.4 years old, currently sit five games behind the Rays in the standings. There is little reason to believe that they will close that gap between now and the end of the season, as both teams' records reflect their team runs-scored/runs allowed totals. The Yankees are only getting older and more expensive, with Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter all locked up for next season and beyond at more than $10 million apiece.
Conversely, the Rays, who are currently, on average, 27.1 years old, are also only going to get better, as a decade of miserable Major League performance has netted them a subsequent decade's worth of high draft picks. While some teams, like the Rangers, have strong farm systems that are packed with good, Major-League talent, the Rays' system is loaded with low-risk potential superstars. With yesterday's #1 pick of SS Tim Beckham, the trend continues. The Rays' projected lineup for 2010 (I recommend checking out the linked minor league players' stats, especially the pitchers):
C: Dioner Navarro SP: Scott Kazmir
1B: Carlos Pena SP: James Shields
2B: Reid Brignac SP: Matt Garza
SS: Tim Beckham SP: David Price
3B: Evan Longoria SP: Jacob McGee
RF: Desmond Jennings SP: Jeremy Hellickson
LF: Carl Crawford
CF: B.J. Upton
DH: Jonny Gomes
If this team goes on to win six World Series titles in the next decade, which is well within the realm of possibility, their embarrassing first decade will apparently have been worth it, for if they hadn't been so goddamn awful then they wouldn't have received all those high draft picks, as almost all of the players listed above were either drafted by the Rays or acquired in trades for homegrown players. I'm jumping on the bandwagon now.
On an unrelated Rays note, after all the hubbub about changing their name, uniforms, logo, and colors in the past year, why was yesterday's top draft pick, Tim Beckham, photographed wearing an old Devil Rays hat after being selected? In case you're wondering, yes, this is my second post in which I discuss Tampa Bay Devil Rays hats. Weird.
One Response to "Baseball In Tampa Bay No Longer An Embarrassing Mess"
I'll bet you another $50 (that's in addition to the $50 I appear to have wasted on the Tigers) that the Yankees (as much as I hate them) will finish ahead of the Rays this season. What say you?


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Our Staff
Nadine Smith, Chief Executive Officer
Nadine Smith has been Chief Executive Officer of Equality Florida since its inception in 1997, and was the Chief Executive Officer of its predecessor, the Human Rights Task Force of Florida prior to that. She joined the organization in 1993 after serving as one of four national co-chairs on the 1993 March on Washington and taking part in the historic, first-ever meeting between LGBT leaders and a sitting U.S. president (Clinton) in the White House. In 1986, she began her activism in college and served on the founding board of the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization, a group that continues to be a resource for young people across the globe. Nadine has also served four terms as co-chair of the Equality Federation and served as a member of the Democratic National Committee. She has led advocacy efforts in Florida at the state level at a time of unprecedented attacks on the LGBT community, initially serving as Equality Florida's lead lobbyist in Tallahassee and heading efforts to stop discriminatory legislation and ballot measures and to overturn Florida's ban on adoption by gay and lesbian parents. Nadine has been recognized for her national and state leadership by organizations around the nation, including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the National Black Lesbian and Gay leadership Forum and others. A former award-winning journalist, Nadine has written syndicated columns for various LGBT and general audience publications. She currently serves as chair of the Leadership Team for State Voices Florida a coalition of progressive 501c3 organizations. In 2013, she was named by Florida Diversity Council as one of the "Most Powerful and Influential Women" in Florida. |
Stratton Pollitzer, Deputy Director
Stratton co-founded EQFL in 1997 and serves as the Deputy Director overseeing all Field and Development programs. A Political Science graduate of Emory University, Stratton has spearheaded numerous community based campaigns both responding to far right political attacks and building support for anti-discrimination ordinances, safe schools policies, and domestic partnership laws at the local level and at our state capital. As a key spokesperson on LGBT issues, Stratton is a regular contributor to major television, print, and radio outlets throughout the state and has had opinion columns published in the Miami Herald, Broward Sun-Sentinel, Saint Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune, Daytona Beach News Journal and Orlando Sentinel. Stratton served on the board of directors and as Vice-Chair of the Equality Federation, the national network of statewide LGBT advocacy groups, from 2004-2006. He has raised over ten million dollars for LGBT Organizations and political campaigns. Stratton lives in Miami with his husband of 19 years, Christopher Boykin and is the father of 16 year old twins, Ben and Sarah. |
Brian Winfield, MBA, Managing Director, Finance & Administration
Brian began his career with Equality Florida in June of 2000 and is currently the Managing Director of Finance & Administration. He oversees the organization's administrative and financial systems including finance, accounting, communications, information technology, human resources, staff recruiting, and physical infrastructure. For over a decade, Brian served as Equality Florida's communications director, overseeing the organization's education programs, message development, online presence, media & public relations, branding, advertising, and publications. Brian's efforts have helped grow the organization to include 165,000 supporters and 63,000 online advocates. He has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and Court TV. Brian's writings have appeared in national publications including the New York Times and the Advocate, as well as every major daily newspaper in Florida. Brian has the distinguished honor of being the first keynote speaker for an official LGBT Pride event ever held within the Bureau of Prisons, having spoken at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in 2011. Brian is Chair of the Moffitt Cancer Center Diversity Advisory Board and is a member of the Center for Equal Health's Community Advisory Board. He is also a National Steering Committee Member for the Network for LGBT Health Equity. Over the past two decades he has served on numerous community boards, including Bay AIDS Services & Information Coalition (BASIC), the Tampa Int'l Gay & lesbian Film Festival (Treasures), and others. Brian received his MBA in Finance and International Business from the Stern School of Business at New York University, a BS in Accounting from Rider University, and he achieved his CPA accreditation while at Deloitte & Touche (NYC). Brian married his husband, Tampa family law attorney Kim Byrd, in February 2012 on their 25th Anniversary. Brian and Kim live in Palm Harbor, Florida with Sandy, their 12-year-old Cock-A-Poo. |
Joe Saunders, Director of Civic Engagement
Joe Saunders is a proud graduate of the University of Central Florida's Political Science, Women's Studies and Legal Studies programs where he first began his work as a community organizer. As a campus leader, Joe fought for LGBT protections, affordable tuition rates, stronger anti-discrimination policies and ran civic engagement programs to register and empower young voters. After graduation Joe began his work with Equality Florida a statewide organization dedicated to educating and advocating for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Over the last ten years he has led coalitions that have won non-discrimination protections for over 1.5 million people in Central Florida and in 2008 was a key leader in the successful effort to pass the "Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act", Florida's first antibullying law. Joe is one of Central Florida's most respected leaders in equal opportunity, local policy advocacy, inclusion and diversity, and arts education. He has held leadership roles with the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee, Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando, the Osceola Arts for a Complete Education Coalition, the Central Florida Disability Chamber of Commerce and is a longtime chaperone of the Gateway High School Drama Club. In November of 2012 Joe made history when he was elected to serve Florida House District 49, the "UCF Seat", in the legislature and became the first openly gay state legislator to take the oath of office in Florida's history. Today, in addition to his legislative duties, Joe serves as the Director of Civic Engagement for the Equality Florida Institute where he works to register and educate progressive voters and directs the Equality Florida Institute's Equality Means Business program which works to improve Florida's national and international reputation by spotlighting major employers in Florida who are leading the way on inclusion and diversity. |
Mallory Garner-Wells, Public Policy Director
As Equality Florida's Public Policy Director Mallory oversees our federal, state and local legislative programs. Her responsibilities include drafting and tracking legislation, overseeing our candidate endorsement process, empowering LGBT Floridians to talk to their legislators and general legislative trickery. Mallory as been a part of the Equality Florida team since 2005 and serves as the organization's full time lobbyist in Tallahassee during legislative session. In 2008 Mallory played an integral role in passing the anti-bully bill and blocked an amendment that would have prevented gay Floridians from adopting overseas. In 2009 she helped to organize the Rally in Tally for LGBT Equality, the first LGBT rally at the Capitol in over 10 years. In addition to her work at Equality Florida, Mallory is the President of the Alachua County Young Democrats. She has served on the national Young People 4 steering committee, where she received an award for Youth Mobilization. Mallory has been named one of the "Top 25 Leaders under 25" by Watermark magazine. In May 2012 she was named one of The Advocate's "40 Under 40". Mallory is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in Political Science and African American Studies. In her time there she served as the President of the Florida Collegiate Pride Coalition and as a board member for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Student Union (GLBSU). She currently lives in Gainesville with her husband, Garrett and their adorable puppy, Maya. |
Michael Farmer, Statewide Field Director
Michael Farmer began his advocacy as a 17 year old when he and a group of his friends started a Gay-Straight Alliance at Apopka High School in a conservative part of Central Florida. While he was a student at the Valencia College, Michael served at the Valencia College Campus Organizer for the Fairness For All Families Campaign (FFAF), a campaign to defeat a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality and civil unions in Florida. Michael went on to serve as the Orlando Area Field Organizer for (FFAF) where he worked closely with the Campaign's Field Director, Joe Saunders.
Michael joined the staff of Equality Florida (EQFL) in 2009 as the organization's Safe Schools Policy and GSA Network Coordinator. As Equality Florida's GSA Network Coordinator, Michael trained hundreds of students and teachers across the state on best practices for making schools safe for LGBT youth.
From 2010 to 2012, Michael served as EQFL's Statewide Field Coordinator. During his time as Statewide Field Coordinator, Michael helped to increase Equality Florida's pro-equality voter file by more than 20,000 voters, he raised Equality Florida's profile at community events and mobilized Equality Florida members and pro-equality voters to deliver victories for pro-equality and openly LGBT candidates all over Florida.
In 2013, Michael moved into the role of Statewide Field Director replacing Joe Saunders who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. In this role he leads EQFL's field staff working on programs related to voter education, identification, and mobilization and building EQFL's member engagement. Michael also leads EQFL's development programs and staff in Orlando, Sarasota, Jacksonville and Tallahassee.
Michael is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and holds a bachelors degree in Political Science with a concentration on American Politics and Public Policy.
Sue Hoffman, New Media/Communications Director
Sue has been collaborating with Equality Florida since 2004 and is based in the Tampa Bay area. She brings 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and has received over 40 local and national marketing awards. Sue served on the AIDS Resource Group Board of Directors and has been working with equality organizations across the nation for over 10 years. Sue leads on all of Equality Florida's communication plans. She directs Equality Florida's new media staff, interns and volunteers and leads for social media, email marketing, print publications and websites. Sue is a graduate of Florida State University with a bachelors degree in Communications. Sue lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with her Partner Marcia. |
Ed Lally, Central Florida & Corporate Development Manager
Ed Lally serves as Central Florida & Corporate Development Manager for Equality Florida and is responsible for general and Florida Council memberships and fundraising in Tampa/St Petersburg. After a long-term career in banking Ed retired from Wachovia Bank to devote more time to LGBT causes. His activism in the community began in the mid-80's when many of his friends were lost to the AIDS epidemic. Ed was one of the first board members of the Bay Area AIDS Consortium and later the Tampa Bay Aids Network (TAN) and headed up TAN's annual giving programs and initiated fund-raisers such as TAN's White Party and Life Dance. Recently recognized in Watermark Magazine as "The Constant Fundraiser" Ed has raised over $850,000 for various LGBT organizations over the years. He has also been active in the political fundraising campaigns for candidates that support LGBT rights and was a big brother in Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Tampa Bay for several years. Ed has worked as a fundraising volunteer for Equality Florida since 1997 as well as financial supporter. Ed's goal is to increase and broaden Equality Florida's membership and donation base in the Tampa Bay area which will allow Equality Florida to expand their efforts to make Florida's laws, on both a state and local level, more inclusive of the LGBT community and as a result, a better place for us to live and raise our families. A Louisville native, Ed attended University of Kentucky and University of Louisville and relocated to Tampa in 1979. He and his husband, Phil Dinkins have been together 32 years and were married in Canada in 2003. |
Todd Richardson, Greater St. Petersburg Development Officer
Todd is responsible for general and Florida Council memberships, fundraising, and volunteer recruitment in Pinellas County. Todd's background is in fashion/art photography and event planning. His activism began in 1993 after photographing the March on Washington. Todd has been involved with Equality Florida, Tampa AIDS Network, ASAP (AIDS Service of Pinellas), Metro Charities and Wellness Center, People of AIDS coalition, ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Todd has been both a volunteer and financial supporter for Equality Florida. Todd's goal is to increase and broaden Equality Florida Membership and donation base in the Pinellas County area which will allow Equality Florida to expand their efforts to make Florida's laws, on both a state and local level, more inclusive of the LGBT community and as a result a better place to live and raise our families. A New Hampshire native, Todd has lived in the Tampa Bay area for 35 years and is a graduate of the University of South Florida and is a veteran of the United States Air Force. His photograph, "The Lost Pages of the Bard," has been accepted into the personal collection of Sir Elton John. Todd resides in St. Petersburg with his Jack Russell Terrier, "Jumping Jack Kerouac." |
Row Iliescu, Member Stewardship & South Florida Development Coordinator
Row (short for Rowena) Iliescu is Equality Florida's Member Stewardship & South Florida Development Coordinator, and oversees the Galas and fund-raising events in 5 regions: Palm Beach and Broward Counties, Miami-Dade, Naples, and Key West. Row's activism began as a volunteer in 2008 when she tirelessly canvassed voters at the polls on Amendment 2. Since joining the Equality Florida team, Row has developed our Membership Services Program with cheerful dedication, attention to detail, and genuine concern for our members. Working alongside Stratton in South Florida, Row has helped broaden our base of support among small businesses and ally communities, while strengthening our network through increased collaboration with local organizations, and the development of dedicated volunteer teams. Originally from Toronto, Row has been a weather refugee in Broward, and now Dade County for almost 20 years. She arrived as a successful trainer and exercise rider of thoroughbred racehorses, but following a serious riding accident went back to school earning a Masters Degree in Social Work and beginning doctoral studies in HIV prevention. Finding that she preferred fieldwork, Row worked in the non-profit sector as a therapist to children and families in the foster care system for ten years before joining the Equality Florida team, where she says she feels, "at home." Row is an avid outdoorsperson and very active, spending much of her leisure time mountain biking and exploring Florida's trails. In the future she hopes to combine her love of athletics and cycling, and her work for Equality Florida to develop sport-related outreach events. |
Brittany Link, New Media Associate
Brittany Link first joined Equality Florida in June 2012 as a communications intern. In February 2013, she was hired in a part-time capacity as our New Media Associate working out of our Gainesville office. In May of 2013, She was hired full-time and will be working from the D.C. Metro area. Brittany is responsible for helping the New Media Director manage Equality Florida's communications interns, social media sites and email marketing. Brittany is a graduate of the University of Florida and holds a Master's Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Political Campaigning. She is also a graduate of Kennesaw State University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Government and Professional Politics. |
Jessica Osborn, Statewide Outreach Coordinator
Jess Osborn joins the team as our Statewide Outreach Coordinator based in our Orlando office. She will be responsible for mobilizing and expanding Equality Florida's 165,000 supporters and pro-equality voters statewide. Jess joins the team with a wealth of experience during her time as a student at the University of Central Florida. As a student, Jess was the Campus Program Manager for Fairness For All Families, the campaign to oppose the anti-marriage amendment in 2008. After graduating, Jess went on to work for the Human Rights Campaign where she travelled the country as the Southern Regional Field Organizer. She mobilized HRC members on the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and she worked in states across the country on efforts to legalize marriage equality and defeat gay marriage bans. Jess moved back to Orlando in 2012 to serve as the the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Campaign to Elect Joe Saunders. Joe went on to win his primary election by 30 points and his general election by 11 points and became one of Florida's first openly gay state legislators. |
Rick Hill, South Florida Development Officer
Rick Hill joins Equality Florida with over 20 years of successful fundraising experience with LGBT and HIV organizations. As South Florida Development Officer, Rick is responsible for coordinating all fundraising efforts in the Miami and Palm Beach areas. This includes Florida Council cultivation and stewardship, coordination of the annual Miami and Palm Beach Galas, planning and execution of Florida Council Mixers and the creation of other events that build support for Equality Florida. Together with the local Steering Committees, he develops and manages the Equality Florida annual calendar for Miami and Palm Beach and serves as a representative and ambassador for Equality Florida.
Rick's commitment to fundraising for organizations serving the LGBT and HIV communities was born out of the loss of his first lover, Stephen, to AIDS, and his determination to change the way LGBT people were regarded and treated in our society. He was a Co-Chair of the first Atlanta AIDS Walk in 1991, which raised over $1,000,000; worked for HRC as their Western Region Events Manager and later returned as their National Political Fundraiser; for The Gill Foundation as Donor Services Officer; for Lambda Legal for 8 years as National Events Director and then Major Gifts Officer, and served on the Board of Directors for GenderPac.
Rick graduated with a BBA in International Banking & Finance and a minor in French from the University of Georgia. His home is in Miami Beach, where he lives with his partner of 14 years, Stephen.


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