If ya ain't been watching the news, the Bush administration continues it's post election-fraud binge with a purge of the CIA, the State Department, and is vigorously hunting down any last crumb of critical, independent thought from any and all sectors of our government. Fun times- we can look forward to four years of an administration that will never have to suffer anyone contradicting them in anything they do or say (not that they paid much attention to such voices in the past, anyway...) Ya know- I hate to do this- but I must point out, once again: History has proven, time and time again, that governments who have no place or time for opposing viewpoints within their own ranks routinely succumb to an intellectually incestuous fate. Stalin jailed loyal members of his government that dared to point out that Hitler intended to invade the USSR. Hitler operated a government that, on every level, was dedicated, by oath, to him, personally. Mao went beyond this, and turned his entire country's youth into a cadre of "Mao Freepers". There is only one kind of government that does not tolerate dissent within its own ranks- and that form of government, of course, is dictatorship. Dissent, disagreement, and discussion within the halls of power is not only desireable- it is essential for the workings of a healthy democracy or republic. The very notion behind our government is that we have a balance of power- power that is diversified through various branches of government, so that no one branch can overwhelm the others.

But, unfortunately, such is not the case, in our country, today. I have always been astounded at the rapacious opportunism that the Bush administration has exhibited- every time an opportunity presents itself, to gather more power unto itself, it never hesitates- never considers- it just plunges ahead, and gobbles it up.

Where better statesmen of the past would pause and consider the long term implications of actions taken, this administration pounces upon oppurtunities to consolitade power and enrich itself, as easily as you or I might eat that next peanut. I guess they figure that now, since all three branches of government are secure in their hands, they needn't bother with humility, or wisdom in their actions- if the door is open- walk right through it- one morsel left on the plate? Don't bother to ask if someone else would like it- snatch it, and shove it in- and screw anyone who gets in your way.

Ya know, folks- this whole mess seriously distresses me- in ways that would take a million webpages to type out. I always have always figured that if the Bush crime family were given enough rope, they would hang themselves- but they never seem to. The Noose has been around their collective necks, after four years of failure, but with a liberal splash of Diebold brand butter, they slipped right through again. Rather than counting their blessings, considering that this last-minute reprieve might have been a karmic warning of sorts, and pausing to reflect upon their rapacious ways, they just go and grab for more power- and more and more, and more.

But- Ya know? As I stated above- History has always proven that governments that behave in such ways are doomed to failure. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Franco, Ceausescu, Mao, Suharto, Marcos, Cedras, Pinochet- the list goes on and on. They have all exercised the same lust for power that we see in our own government today, and they all fell.

I'll make no rosy predictions for the short term- we're seriously screwed, in this country. The next four years will bring about calamity, repression, poverty, and war on a scale which we haven't seen in the past century. It will take decades- perhaps generations, for things to be set right. My parents won't live to see things returned to the way things should be, and neither, perhaps, will I. But that doesn't mean that I'm giving up. As Gandhi once said:

"When I despair...I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it ... always."

Time may not be on our side, but history is.

It's true- the Green Party and Libertarians (two rather unlikely partners) have reached their fundraising drive, and the Ohio Recount is going to happen. Thank goodness- but Mike Malloy raised an important point, tonight:

The recount is, indeed, an important event- every vote will be counted, in Ohio (Unless the republicans pull off another 2000). Whether it is sucessfully carried out or not- it was at least ATTEMPTED. And who did it? Two small political parties that have 1 percent of the operating budgets of the two major parties.

And the question is: If these two parties can get together, and raise the cash for a full recount in one, single state- WHY HAVEN'T THE DEMOCRATS DONE IT, NATIONWIDE?

Now, I must repeat again, we on the democratic side of things did anything wrong, in this election- we won, but it was stolen from us. The Democratic Party ran an excellent campaign, and we shouldn't waste one minute with narcissistic navel-gazing. However- what the democratic party is doing, in the wake of this fraud-ridden farce of an election, is nothing short of shameful. They just GAVE UP. No challenges- not a peep- never mind the torrent of reports of irregularities, nationwide, that emerged within hours of the closing of polls.

There's a lot of conjecture about this- but I haven't the time to go into it, here. Check out the Boards and Blogs, and make up your own mind...

It's just good that it's gonna happen- and I hope it gets 1/10th of the press coverage that it deserves.

I would be remiss if I didn't give a nod to the two parties involved- The Green Party of the United States, and The Libertarian Party.

I've made it clear to a lot of folks, in months past- we do need more parties in this country. Just look at every other representative democracy in the world- and there are MULTITUDES of parties. Iceland, with a population of about a quarter-million, has more Political parties than we have Democratic senators. It's insane that we should have to choose between black and white in a country that's 300 million shades of grey.

Let's hope the recount goes ahead, with out republican interference (one can always hope (or, so I thought...))

About alla these guys leaving the administration: They gotta get rid of these guys- because they have to make room for the REAL right-wing bastards- I warned ya'll this was gonna happen- but our next administration's gonna go down in history as the most right-wing insane plate job (if you're over 18- feel free to go over to urbandictionary.com, and illuminate yourself, if you've never heard of the previous) that this country has ever endured.

Wish I could write more, but damn- got a a lot to deal with...

Folks- I've spent the day monitoring the news from Fallujah- and it isn't good. If there's fodder for my next animation, it's this horrific spectacle that is simultaneously being ingored, and glorified, by the corporate media. While the major networks here in this country air reports issued to them by their "imbedded" reporters, extolling the galliant and glorious efforts by the occupation forces, many stories have been ignored.

Let me start off with This story. The main hospital was seized by occupation forces, early in the assault on Fallujah, and shut down. One of the doctors who staffed the hospital, Sami al-Jumaili, was able to escape arrest, and the hospital, before it was taken, but has continued to administer care, where he can. In the aforementioned article, he has reported that medical supplies are running short, and only a few emergency clinics remain open.

Even if you can't be bothered to read the whole article, please read the following:

”There is not a single surgeon in Falluja. We had one ambulance hit by US fire and a doctor wounded. There are scores of injured civilians in their homes whom we can’t move.

”A 13-year-old child just died in my hands,” he said by telephone from a house where he had gone to help the wounded.

Words are failing me, people.

Listen- I know there are those few nutless republican war-hungry trolls out there who come to this site- people who applaud every civilian death in Iraq, because it means that there's one less "allah-worshipping sand-nigger" left in the world. Further- there are those whom these subhuman FILTH support, in the Bush admininstration- Rumsfeld, Pearle, Wolfowitz, who continuously appear before the cameras, and dismiss this kind of carnage, time after time, saying that this is to be expected, because, after all, "freedom is a messy business".

I challenge these trolls- and their surrogates in the highest levels of power: come to my house- come and sit here, and look me in the EYE, and justify this- rationalize this. Tell me why our military is JUSTIFIED in killing CHILDREN, in the sake of Bush's misbegotten war. Tell me- please. Come out from your freep-holes, your nicedoggie enclaves- I DARE you- SHOW YOURSELVES.

No- I know you won't. You're cowards.

Tonight, I have shed tears, and have beat my head with anger, frustration, and despair.

How much Blood must be shed, in your name, Mr Bush, before you admit to ONE, SINGLE ERROR, in your murderous policies? How many americans, in the flower of their youth, must be sacrificed, to your war, before you show ONE OUNCE of remorse, Mr. Rumsfeld?

How much blood is enough, Mr Bush? How many lives are to be sacrificed in the name of your hubris, before you show ONE, SINGLE OUNCE OF SHAME, you murdering, thieving BASTARD?

And, you think this is gonna stop, here? No- it's going to go on, and on. 15 cities in Iraq are under partial or total insurgent control, as I type this- do you think you can murder Iraq into submission, Mr Bush?

Good lord- I am ashamed, to be an american, tonight. We, the good ol' USA, have allowed another election to be stolen right out from under us, and despite our best efforts, it goes unchallenged. And as we sleep, tonight, the horrors in Fallujah will continue, and in the months ahead, it will only get worse.

Folks- I know- tonight, my update hasn't much in the way of new funny pictures to look at, or new movies to entertain you. I know I promised such, in days past, but the news, today, has just devastated me. Some may say my comments are hysterical, and I've lost sight of the greater ideal, but:

Children are being killed in our name, by our military, in pursiuit of a war that was based on lies, hubris, and greed, as I type this very sentence. Go ahead- call me hysterical- I really don't care.

Goodnight- I hope you sleep well- because I certainly won't...

The corporate media isn't reporting the news, but it's there, for anyone to see. On an hourly basis, voting irrgularities and blatant fraud are being reported, in just about every state. Even Ralph Nader has been investingating attempted fraud in New Hampshire.

Following, are just a sampling of news articles relating to what will undoubtedly go down in history as the most corrupt election ever held in the USA:

Evidence Mounts That The Vote May Have Been Hacked
Should America Trust the Results of the Election?
Vote Count "Glitches" Haunt Bush's Supposed Mandate
Board awaits state followup
George, John, and Warren (Keith Olbermann)
Voting Fraud in the 2004 Presidential Election
Some observations of the 2004 election.
Evidence of a Second Bush Coup?
Palm Beach County Logs 88,000 More Votes Than Voters
NC: 11,823 "extra" votes cast for Bush

Hell- I could post well over 250 articles about this- the facts are on the ground, and the jury's out: This election was stolen- period.

If you want comprehensive breakdowns of this theft, there are ever-growing archives of the news that Bush doesn't want us to see- the best follow:

Republican Election Theft Roundup
http://vote2004.eriposte.com/
Voter Registration Fraud Clearinghouse
Legal Issues in key states
Ohio Voter Suppression News

There has been a lot of verbiage on the corporate media, berating democrats, liberals, and progressives, saying we're "out of Touch", and heaping abuse after abuse on my candidate, John Kerry. They keep asking- "What did the democrats, and most importantly, John Kerry, do wrong?

We democrats didn't do ANYTHING wrong- we won this election (see above.) Asking US to figure WE did something wrong, because of illegal activities on the part of republicans, is insane. The only thing John Kerry did wrong, in this campaign, was to concede. For some strange reason, Kerry figured that if this election were contested in the courts, it would be "divisive". Mr, Kerry- I like you- I voted for you, but please tell me: WHAT'S DIVISIVE, ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THIS ELECTION ISN'T STOLEN OUT FROM UNDERNEATH US, YET AGAIN?

But- forgive me, I'm going off on a tangent, here...

What do we do, now?

Post this information in every blog, message board, and website that you have access to. Send them off to your local media- write a letter to the editor- phone into a talk show- and of course, send these articles to EVERYONE in your e-mail list. Send them to the corporate media, as well.

Now- I have no grand illusions that we can stop the inauguration of Bush to a second stolen term, but we can undermine his legitimacy- hopefully, enough to cripple his "presidency", before he takes the oath of office- we have until January 20th to do so. In that time, tens of millions of e-mails can be sent, and thousands of media outlets can be reached.

If there's one thing that I've learned, in this election cycle, about the internet, is that it's that last (small-"d") democratic form of media available to the American public- let's take advantage of it. How many times has the right-wing 'net-tabloid "Drudge Report" been mentioned and cited, in the mainstream media? If we can't have an equal access to the mainstream media, simply because we can't be bothered to take 15 minutes out of every day to mass-forward articles to neworks, newspapers, and radio outlets, it speaks ill of us.

Here's a comprehensive list of major media contact information from Fair.org

I've given you the info, and the tools- let's get to it.... Until next time, I ask you to remember:

From the Daily Mirror- UK

THEY say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world.

This once-great country has pulled up its drawbridge for another four years and stuck a finger up to the billions of us forced to share the same air. And in doing so, it has shown itself to be a fearful, backward-looking and very small nation.

This should have been the day when Americans finally answered their critics by raising their eyes from their own sidewalks and looking outward towards the rest of humanity.

And for a few hours early yesterday, when the exit polls predicted a John Kerry victory, it seemed they had.

But then the horrible, inevitable truth hit home. They had somehow managed to re-elect the most devious, blinkered and reckless leader ever put before them. The Yellow Rogue of Texas.

A self-serving, dim-witted, draft-dodging, gung-ho little rich boy, whose idea of courage is to yell: "I feel good," as he unleashes an awesome fury which slaughters 100,000 innocents for no other reason than greed and vanity.

A dangerous chameleon, his charming exterior provides cover for a power-crazed clique of Doctor Strangeloves whose goal is to increase America's grip on the world's economies and natural resources.

And in foolishly backing him, Americans have given the go-ahead for more unilateral pre-emptive strikes, more world instability and most probably another 9/11.

Why else do you think bin Laden was so happy to scare them to the polls, then made no attempt to scupper the outcome?

There's only one headline in town today, folks: "It Was Osama Wot Won It."

And soon he'll expect pay-back. Well, he can't allow Bush to have his folks whoopin' and a-hollerin' without his own getting a share of the fun, can he?

Heck, guys, I hope you're feeling proud today.

To the tens of millions who voted for John Kerry, my commiserations.

To the overwhelming majority of you who didn't, I simply ask: Have you learnt nothing? Do you despise your own image that much?

Do you care so little about the world beyond your shores? How could you do this to yourselves?

How appalling must one man's record at home and abroad be for you to reject him?

Kerry wasn't the best presidential candidate the Democrats have ever fielded (and he did deserve a kicking for that "reporting for doo-dee" moment), but at least he understood the complexity of the world outside America, and domestic disgraces like the 45 million of his fellow citizens without health cover.

He would have done something to make that country fairer and re-connected it with the wider world.

Instead America chose a man without morals or vision. An economic incompetent who inherited a $2billion surplus from Clinton, gave it in tax cuts to the rich and turned the US into the world's largest debtor nation.

A man who sneers at the rights of other nations. Who has withdrawn from international treaties on the environment and chemical weapons.

A man who flattens sovereign states then hands the rebuilding contracts to his own billionaire party backers.

A man who promotes trade protectionism and backs an Israeli government which continually flouts UN resolutions.

ho invented a war on terror, and thus as author of it, believed he had the right to set the rules of engagement.

America has chosen a menacingly immature buffoon who likened the pursuit of the 9/11 terrorists to a Wild West, Wanted Dead or Alive man-hunt and, during the Afghanistan war, kept a baseball scorecard in his drawer, notching up hits when news came through of enemy deaths.

A RADICAL Christian fanatic who decided the world was made up of the forces of good and evil, w Which translates to telling his troops to do what the hell they want to the bad guys. As he has at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and countless towns across Iraq.

You have to feel sorry for the millions of Yanks in the big cities like New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco who voted to kick him out.

These are the sophisticated side of the electorate who recognise a gibbon when they see one.

As for the ones who put him in, across the Bible Belt and the South, us outsiders can only feel pity.

Were I a Kerry voter, though, I'd feel deep anger, not only at them returning Bush to power, but for allowing the outside world to lump us all into the same category of moronic muppets.

The self-righteous, gun-totin', military lovin', sister marryin', abortion-hatin', gay-loathin', foreigner-despisin', non-passport ownin' red-necks, who believe God gave America the biggest dick in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land "free and strong".

You probably won't be surprised to learn of would-be Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn who, on Tuesday, promised to ban abortion and execute any doctors who carried them out.

He also told voters that lesbianism is so rampant in the state's schools that girls were being sent to toilets on their own. Not that any principal could be found to back him up.

These are the people who hijack the word patriot and liken compassion to child-molesting. And they are unknowingly bin Laden's chief recruiting officers.

Al-Qaeda's existence is fuelled by the outpourings of America's Christian right. Bush is its commander-in-chief. And he and bin Laden need each other to survive.

Both need to play Lex Luther to each others' Superman with their own fanatical people. Maybe that's why the mightiest military machine ever assembled has failed to catch the world's most wanted man.

Or is the reason simply that America is incompetent? That behind the bluff they are frightened and clueless, which is why they've stayed with the devil they know.

VISITORS from another planet watching this election would surely not credit the amateurism.

The queues for hours to register a tick; the 17,000 lawyers needed to ensure there was no cheating; the $1.2bn wasted by parties trying to discredit the enemy; the allegations of fraud, intimidation and dirty tricks; the exit polls which were so wildly inaccurate; an Electoral College voting system that makes the Eurovision Song Contest look like a beacon of democracy and efficiency; and the delays and the legal wrangles in announcing the victor.

Yet America would have us believe theirs is the finest democracy in the world. Well, that fine democracy has got the man it deserved. George W Bush.

But is America safer today without Kerry in charge? A man who overnight would have given back to the UN some credibility and authority. Who would have worked out the best way to undo the Iraq mess without fear of losing face.

Instead, the questions facing America today are - how many more thousands of their sons will die as Iraq descends into a new Vietnam? And how many more Vietnams are on the horizon now they have given Bush the mandate to go after Iran, Syria, North Korea or Cuba...?

Today is a sad day for the world, but it's even sadder for the millions of intelligent Americans embarrassed by a gung-ho leader and backed by a banal electorate, half of whom still believe Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.

Yanks had the chance to show the world a better way this week, instead they made a thuggish cowboy ride off into the sunset bathed in glory.

And in doing so it brought Armageddon that little bit closer and re-christened their beloved nation The Home Of The Knave and the Land Of The Freak.

God Help America.

And he can blow it out his scabrous cakehole.

When I put up this site, I said that as long as he, and his gaggle of leperous, reptilian killers occupy the government of the country that I love, I will continue to fight them. Bush claims that the "people have spoken", and that those of us who dare to oppose his policies to pollute, to murder, to wage war, to neglect, and to ruin, are somehow polluting the waters...

Screw that- we're neck-deep in waters that are clotted with 100,000 dead Iraqis, an over 1000 dead Americans. I don't care how many votes Diebold gave him- he still ain't my president, and he's still a murdering, dimwitted fool, and above all- the most dangerous man in the world.

We tried voting- and thanks to the same deleterious cabals that stole the 2000 election, it didn't work. Now is the time to resist- peacefully, yet with every ounce of vigor that we can muster.

In the wake of this "election", Bushflash.com enjoys 15,000 hits a day- and that's a significant number, no matter how you slice it. I will work, in the following weeks, to determine how most effectively, we can use this audience to full effect.

Now, if you'll grant me a poetic license, for just a minute:

The world is being pulled at breakneck speed down a whirlpool of feces by this corrupt gaggle of corporate cowards that have stolen our government, once again. At risk isn't just the fate of our own country, but the world. It doesn't matter whether you're american, asian, african, or european- we're all equally worthless in the eyes of this administration, and equally screwed in fact.

And ya know, if one guy- me- can bring 15,000 people to the same table, in a day- imagine what we all could do, together. Think about it.

Today looks bleak, but the color of the skies of tomorrow, is entirely up to us.

Look at this. Bush's first post-election press conference.

Now- it's more of the same- lie, after lie, after lie- the same empty promises, and simple-minded evasiveness.

However- the first 6 minutes are telling. Go and watch- I'll just groom my cats, while I wait (they like that wire brush...)

Back?

Good- now- the most disturbing thing to me, about this- in fact- it's made me scream incoherently, for a few minutes- is Bush's unabashed hubris. One of the first things he says after his opening lies, is that, since the "people have spoken", he has instituted a new rule on the press corps- one question- with no follow-ups.

The first reporter DARES to ask him not one, not two, but three questions, and Bush, with a genteel incredulity, adminishes the reporter- "that's three questions- not one." (No doubt thinking- "How DARE he- is he deaf, or something- I said- THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.") The next reporter asks two, and Bush comes down hard, reminding that only ONE question is permitted, of his high holiness: "Obviously, you didn't listen to the will of the people"

Ya know, folks- that was a magic moment- Bush, as simple as he may appear to be, is actually a tough cypher to crack- but he reveals his inner workings in short, spare moments, like these... The layers of deception are stripped away, and the bare core of self-obsession and hubris shows through.

Bush has, on rare occasions, subjected himself to press scrutiny, but now, for the first time, he believes that a dubious election not only gives him the right to govern, but to curtail discourse, itself- and he says he's doing it, because of the will of the people.

Bush, I fear, after seeing this- is literally mad with power. Whether his hubris is the result of the shielding bubble his handlers have constructed about him, or from watching too much fox "news", it bodes ill for the future.

It's not enough that he thinks he channels the will of his version of God- he now thinks he channels us...

Bush IS "Die Stimme des Volkes"- don't dare to question- or even to think. Alles ist gut, and Tomorrow Belongs to Him.

I'm going to have nightmares, tonight, folks...

An elegant solution presented itself on Buzzflash today. It makes sense really- let the blue states join up with Canada. We'll quadruple their population, and bring the majority of our industrial base with us. We in the new southern states of Canada can enjoy universal health care, decent beer, and a sane attitude. The citizens of Jesusland can break off on their own, teach creationism, pollute themselves to death, and wallow in trailer park shantytowns culstered around the local wal-mart and tanning mill. Yeah, they get the lion's share of the oil, but without folks like Bush slaughtering instrastructure budgets, we in the USC could gear up our public transit and grain-based fuel technology.

We'd keep the capital in Washington, and Jesusland can set up a new capital in Midland, Texas, sandwiched in between a Waffle House and a Golden Gallon Kwik-Stop.

Eventually, I figure Jesusland would collapse to an insufferable swill of corporate farms, toxic waste dumps, and a laughable frenzy of inbreeding, During which Alaska would secede. After a horribly bungled preemptive invasion of Mexico (to git rid of them "Mary Worshippers" once and fer all), Jesusland would balkanize into a thousand small states, each defined by their own particular brand of fundamentalist protestant christianity- Imagine "The Road Warrior", but with a tad more snake-handling.

We in the USC would just put up a good, sturdy wall along the border, and get back to wondering how we can get our literacy rate over the current 99.998%- and we really SHOULD do something about that nasty smell of burning corpses, coming up from down south...

One can dream, after all.

1) On the international front, the occupation of Iraq will continue, and despite Bush's hopes, Europe and the rest of the world won't just "Give in" to him. In fact, the coalition will continue to shrink, as things get worse.

Iran will continue its nuclear weapons development program, at a leisurely pace. Israel, However, won't put up with it. Israeli airstrikes will take out the facilities, and Iran, by way or retribution, will pretty much open its border with Iraq, and insurgent fighters will pour in.

Bush will have very little other option than to invade. At this point, stretched paper-thin by existing obligations, Bush will flip-flop, and re-institute the draft. Much to Bush's surprise, the Iranians fight back like crazy- such an adventure will cost us at least 100,000 american lives, in the first year alone.

2) In regards to the Supreme court, Bush will appoint Scalia as Chief Justice, after Rhenquist's resignation. Rumors will abound that the recently-departed John Ashcroft will be named as the next Justice. Bush might try this, but he'll never pass congressional muster. I'm not up on my judiciary, but he'll nomimate some apellate court judge that makes Rhenquist look like Tommy Chong. Bush will most likely appoint him, during senate recess, by executive order.

Roe VS Wade will come up for review by the court, but it won't be overturned. States, however, will institute their own anti-abortion laws, all of which will be upheld by the high court.

3) In congress, The Patriot act will be extended and made permanent, along with the tax cuts- but the cuts will continue to disproportionately favor the richest 5%. Constitutional amendments against flag burning and "defense of marriage" will be proposed again, but will fail, yet again. Funding for education, the environment, medicare, and a host of other programs will be slashed dramatically. To offset this loss, Bush will force, in his budgets, more unfunded mandates onto the states, bankrupting the states further.

Bush's "Energy Plan" (drafted by Haliburton, remember,) will pass through the congress, once and for all, and drilling in ANWR will begin, in full force, giving us all of 6 weeks worth of oil supplies.

More, as things develop.

Okay- after spending six hours sitting about, reading vulgar british comic books, and avoiding politics, altogether, I sit down at my keyboard, and instead of further avoiding the truth, I checked my e-mail box, and found the truth dumped in my lap.

They did it again. Ya know- after spending a lot of time, worrying about Bush's october surprise, I totally lost sight of his November surprise. There were a ton of conspiracies flying around, and the signal-to-noise ratio had shrunk to an all-time low, and it pretty much slipped, right uder my radar.

I've read innumerable articles, and hearing innumberable news reports, though, that the Katherine Harris-style voter disenfranchisement was going to go nationwide. People consistently warned of the diebold voting machines. I saw the Ohio Secretary of State, and saw him puruing the same strategies....

But, I chose to ignore it. Buzzflash raised warning after warning- Greg Palast broke the story a week ago- but I was confident- I figured that the overwhelming voter turnout would swell things to the point that even the most crass Diebold political operative would have problems with messing with the results.

But no. They did it again, people.

THEY DID IT AGAIN. This election was STOLEN once again, through mass disenfranchisement, and those voting machines. Exit Polls have NEVER been out of synch with final results, as they were in Florida, and Ohio. It was universal- go to CNN.com, and look at the county-by-county results, as opposed to the exit polls, in the counties that DID use the machines, compared with counties that didn't. And the beauty of it? THERE'S NO PAPER TRAIL- just as folks warned. There's absolutely NO WAY to challenge these results- the opposition has NO recourse.

It's elegant, clean, ingenous, and DAMMIT, I IGNORED THE WARNINGS.

Investigations are developing- my latest report is that 25,000 votes just dissappeared, from one localle, and GNN has a good article, with related links here. read it, and watch this CLOSELY.

It is traditional that in the wake of such election results, that parties and individual activists start a prolonged session of navel-gazing, wondering "gee- what did we do wrong?"

Folks, let me say, here and now, that NONE OF US DID ANYTHING WRONG.

Now- I'm not like Bush- I am willing to admit that there could have been many things that I wish had transpired differently- and above all, MISTAKES WERE MADE.

However, In the final analysis- WE WERE RIGHT. Bush has been a failed president. Kerry won all three debates. The economy is in the toilet, and the war is going horribly. I could go on, but you know the drill...

Despite this, we apparently lost- why?

BECAUSE THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS NO LONGER IN OUR HANDS. We allowed the FCC to consolidate the media into the hands of conservative corporations, and now, we've seen the FEC itself- the most important body in our democracy- hand the counting of our votes to a PRIVATE COPORATION- not just ANY corporation- but one who's chairman promised, personally, to deliver Ohio to Bush on a silver platter.

Couple this with a republican party machine that has all but perfected the art of extending their power, at whatever level they gain, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Ya see, to the republican party, power is not a means to an end- it's an end unto itself, with the possible exception that power, sometimes, leads to MORE power. You saw that at the republican convention- these guys controlled the house, the senate, the presidency, and the supreme court in the palm of their hands- but they weren't satisfied- they wanted MORE, and the anger- the raw, unleavened HATRED that we saw at that convention was nothing short of baffling. These were the chosen soldiers of God, voicing their disgust at being merely QUESTIONED. Folks- the reason we lost didn't have to do with any shortcoming on our part. Our voter drives, our fundraising efforts, our activism, from that of groups, down to individuals such as myself, were outstanding. We far surpassed our goals, and our afforts paid off, well- but ya know?

In the end, it didn't matter, because we were undercut by voting machines, and the partisain whims of a few, select secretaries of state, that (surprise, surprise), again just happened to be the heads of the Bush campaign in their respective states.

So- I don't wanna hear any bellyaching on the part of democrats that we need to "change or message", or that we "Just can't communicate with the american voters"- we do that just fine, thank you very much. In fact, we do it better than the republicans ever could. That's why they have to steal elections...

IF YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN COMING HERE TO GLOAT...

...save your breath

Bush may have won...but YOU lost.

Here's why:

When overtime pay is eliminated, it won't just be terminated for liberals. You're going to lose yours, as well.

You're going to have to live in the same polluted America as the rest of us.

When the next terrorist attack hits us -- and it will -- the al-Qaeda isn't just going to target Democrats only.

When Social Security goes bankrupt, there won't be any exceptions made for Bush supporters.

The drug companies aren't going to cut Republican seniors any slack with the new Medicare prescription-drug plan either Your folks will also have their coverage changed arbitrarily whenever Merck, Pfizer, et al. feel like it.

( And they won't have any better access to cheaper pharmaceuticals from Canada than anyone else. )

Body armor and armored vehicles in Iraq are not going to doled on the basis of political leanings.

Bottom line, you're in the same leaky lifeboat as the rest of us -- you just don't know it yet.

Except in one regard.

Your kids aren't going to be able to afford college tuition any more than ours...and when the bill for these record deficits falls due, they're going to have to pay up same as everyone else.

And that's not even mentioning the possibility of a draft.

And when they realized that they'll never be able to have a lifestyle as good as yours...all because you wanted to feel pumped about having 'your' guy in office and have yourself a liberal-bashing party, right here, right now...they will turn on you with vengeance.

Either that...or guess who's gonna end up supporting them?

Most likely, both of the above. If Bush does get a second term, you'd better be prepared to have your grown kids living with you and hating you at the same time.

And that is gonna hurt you like you don't wanna know.

That's the difference, guys. Our kids are gonna know that at least we cared enough about their future to fight to try and fight for it.

I am pretty sure that the vast majority of you out there that are reading this share the same thoughts as I do, at this hour. It would be redundant to put those feelings into words, here.

What does need to be said, and to be considered, is what this election says about us, as a country, and as a people. The overriding message of yesterday's vote is that a slight majority of the american electorate just doesn't care.

They don't care about rising poverty- they don't care about millions losing their healthcare. They don't care about a government that is growing out of control in ways that causes even the fiscal conservatives within the republican party to quail and shiver. They don't care about children being denied education and flu shots. They don't care about Libraries, firehouses, and museums closing down. They don't care about our environmental legacy being sold off to the highest bidder. They don't care about their sons and daughters being shipped off to an ever-worsening bloodbath, in Iraq. They don't care about our reputation, as a country, and its place within the world. They don't care about the veterans that have fought for this country being cut off from benefits. They don't care about arsenic and lead in our drinking water, or that we've attained the dubious distinction of being the most wasteful and polluting nation on earth.

They just don't care.

And, as I said, a few weeks ago, that's the harshest fact behind the Bush presidency- as long as they continue pursuing their rapacious poliocies, and we continue to support them, we are demostrably a nation without a conscience. It frightens me, and shames to me admit it- but last night's results have proven this to be true.

How can a nation vote for four more years of a president that has plainly failed at everything he has attempted? The sad fact is- for some reason, people look at this guy, and they see him as one of their own. Never mind that he's the multimillionare son of Northeastern blueblood nobility that has coasted through life on the merits of his name, and a long succession of sweetheart deals, given to him by corporations in bed with his family. For some, strange reason, these poeple look at Bush, and see him as a kindred spirit of sorts- but the fault for that, can be placed, mainly on a lapdog media that has done so much to create a cult of personality around Bush for the past four years.

But, ya know?

The main difference between us, and that slight majority?

The difference is- WE CARE.

We care about our country, our communities, our environment, our children's futures. We may have lost, this time, but you know? I'd rather go down in defeat while caring, loving, and spreading truth, than win by turning my back on the basic concept of compassion, and poisoning the national discourse with fear.

And, despite what happened last night, I'm not changing. I'm going to continue to care, until my dying day. I am going to continue trying in whatever way I can to change things for the better, and, unlike the other side, I will go to bed with a clear conscience each night, knowing that I did the right thing- and that's something Bush and his constituency of the willfully ignorant will never be able to do.

Again, I want to thank each and every one of you folks out there for helping, visiting, chatting, and writing. Your kind words and generous contributions kept this site going for close to two years, and that's nothing short of amazing. Tamara, Donna, Peter, Therese, BCO guys- thanks so much for your kindness and generosity, when the site was short of funds. I am truly humbled. Thanks go also, to Don, who helped me out in my job searches. Thanks to Dennis Kucinich and Chad Ely, whose appreciation for my work allowed me to fulfil a life's dream, and work on a presidential campaign. Thanks to American Stranger and Symbolman at Takebackthemedia.com, who inspired me to do this kinda stuff, in the first place. Thanks to Greg Palast and Buzzflash for giving the site the exposure it needed, when it first went live. Thanks to Sanjay Tandon, for doing his part. Thanks to Hurricane for doing such a great job with the forum and chatroom. Thanks to the two roomies who have had to put up with an obsessive-compulsive political fanatic for close to two years. And, finally, thanks to Andrea, whose kind words and warm smile have gotten me through the toughest of times.

Thank you all so very much.

Buhsflash isn't going away- but I need to take a break- I need to get these now-irrelevant DVDs of the Boston convention out to those who contributed towards their making, and I need time to just think...

Until then- keep hoping, caring, and working, folks. We are the conscience of this nation, and we owe it to generations yet born to keep going, no matter the costs, or minor setbacks, that arise to thwart us.

• Wired Magazine mentions this site in an article that was posted, today. Not bad- just a reminder that I shouldn't do interviews after drinking a liter of Nyquil....
  
  
• Click here to view the report of my trip to the IPDI event in washington, DC.. Unfortunately, it was dry- more drama in the trip itself, as the event. I'll let you read it, and come up with your own conclusions...
  
  
• I usually eschew nonpartisain material, on this site, as I exclusively favor anti-bush, anti-republican material, but I was sent this link- Debating For Ratings which is both fun and illuminating, concerning the corporatist media handling of the debates, in this election cycle.
  
  
• The publishers of Peace Signs: the Anti-War Movement Illustrated have put out a neat coffee-table style book of photographs of the peace signs that have graced the record-breaking anti-Bush/anti-war rallies of recent years. If you've never been to one of these rallies, it's quite amazing to witness the creativity that goes into such.
  

Today I got a neat CD "The American way", by Dimpled Chad and the Disenfranchised. It's a collection of well-done political parody covers.