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<div>Below is a great letter from Pokey Anderson, who tells Howard
Dean about the REAL issues he and the DNC should be talking about.
I think Dean and the DNC should be hearing from more people about
this.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Pokey, are you interested in running for Congress next year?
You talk the way candidates should be talking. You'd get my
vote! Or at least, I hope some Congressional candidates listen
to your advice.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I encourage all of you to listen to Pokey and Mark's show
"Sunday Monitor", every Sunday, 6-7 pm on KPFT where they
talk about news on issues like this. Or listen to it via the
KPFT archives after the show, at http://kpftx.org</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Bill</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Pokey's letter follows.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>- - - - - - - -</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>From: Pokeyink@aol.com</div>
<div>Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2005 12:45:06 EST</div>
<div>Subject: my letter to Howard Dean</div>
<div>To: codepinkhouston@lists.riseup.net,
paa@crosierbiomed.com,</div>
<div> macdoggie02@yahoo.com,
roadie@roadwomen.com, stokes@baylessstokes.com,</div>
<div>
stan.merriman@sbcglobal.net</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><i>Okay, I got one of those DNC "surveys" in the mail,
that lists multiple-choice "solutions" for education,
taxation, Social Security, abortion. The signature is HOWARD
DEAN.</i></div>
<div><i><br></i></div>
<div><i>These just piss me off, because they don't even have the
commonly accepted alternatives on there, for those issues. Plus, they
leave off the big issues. (Okay, and we all know they're not really
surveys anyway, but fundraising letters. But, let's ignore that
here.)</i></div>
<div><i><br></i></div>
<div><i>So, I used their envelope and their postage to send back my
OWN answers, on nice paper, very proper. (Permission hereby granted to
steal any of this language at will.)</i></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Howard Dean</div>
<div>Democratic National Committee</div>
<div>P O Box 96585</div>
<div>Washington, DC 20077-7242</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Dear Governor Dean,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Your signature is at the bottom on the DNC survey/fundraising
letter I just received.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Gosh, you forgot a few issues, didn't you? In fact, I'm a bit
confused. When I heard you speak here in Houston in your presidential
campaign, you were on fire, fella! You had real issues, real passion.
You shook the outdoor Miller Theater with your fire and ideas.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Now, you send me this warmed over issue survey, that doesn't even
supply the standard warmed over possible solutions to problems.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>And, gee,<u> you forgot the biggest issues of our time</u>.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Allow me to refresh your memory:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>1. Electronic voting machines are riddled with hundreds of
documented examples of failure and statistically impossible results.
Optical scan machines have been shown, because they are tabulated
electronically, to have similar vulnerabilities to bugs and thugs. You
yourself participated in a quick hack demonstration. John Kerry had
hundreds of attorneys and millions of dollars reserved for any
recount/challenges after the presidential election, but chose not to
use them except in a few isolated instances, even with massive
evidence of fraud and intimidation, especially of African-American
voters. Unless our votes count, gee, you're raising tax money and
campaign money from us, but our opinions never really get counted.
(Unless my name is Jack Abramoff.) <b> ELECTION VALIDITY IS
FUNDAMENTAL TO A DEMOCRACY. THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING RESTLESS!</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>2. Over sixty percent of Americans believe the Iraq war is a
continuing mistake. I'm sure you have your own growing count of the
outright lies used to foist this war on Americans, our (shrinking)
allies, and Iraqis. The U.S. ($400 billion defense budget) was never
for a moment in danger from Iraq ($1.5 billion defense budget). What
IS the noble cause US troops are there for, Howard? Oil and empire?
Then say so, and let's quit beating around the bush. Let the American
people decide if they want to spend all their resources on futile wars
whipped up by ideologues and military spending hogs.<b> Democrats are
about to become an IRRELEVANT POLITICAL PARTY if you don't take a
stand on this.</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>3. The country that fought Hitler and stood atop the world after
World War II, the country that got well-wishes from people around the
world after September 11, is now the country that is feared and
disdained around the world. The U.S. has tortured prisoners in
Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, has outsourced torture to other countries,
has used cruel weapons like phosphorus and depleted uranium, and has
used rendition to send prisoners to secret prisons away from the
perview of humanitarian agencies. The most powerful three members of
the Bush administration, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, are advocating for
official torture policies.<b> OFFICIALLY-SANCTIONED TORTURE BY THE
U.S. IS A ROT ON OUR NATIONAL SOUL.</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>4. If this country had vibrant, diverse, independent media, more
truth about our real problems (a hint - the country's biggest
problem is NOT abortion) would be available to the general public,
instead of pap about J-Lo or Michael Jackson. Big media need to be
forced to reverse their trend of consolidation and control of ideas
and information. We have big problems to solve in this country;<b>
fake, lying, distracting media performers will not help us address
them.</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I repeat, the people are restless. The people are seeing through
the illusions, and know their jobs and pensions are on shaky ground,
and that their country is in the hands of crooks.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The Democratic Party needs to decide whether it will weigh in
with the people. ... or the crooks in nice suits.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Sincerely,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Pokey Anderson</div>
<div>Houston, Texas</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Bill Crosier<br>
Progressive Action Alliance http://paa-tx.org/
http://progressiveactionalliance.org/<br>
paa@crosierbiomed.com 713-641-4941<br>
Tell Bush: WE WANT THE TRUTH!
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/</div>
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