In a shocking revelation, famed Johns Hopkins scientist Dr. Robert Musckovitz has diagnosed George W Bush as suffering from stage 3 syphilis, after examining the President's increasingly erratic behavior. Dr. Musckovitz and his team of physicians, who have not seen or treated Mr. Bush, have identified telling characteristics of the dreaded sexually transmitted disease in the President by closely studying tapes of his mannerisms, speech patterns and eating habits. Candidly, the doctor cautioned "he's really starting to creep me out."

MS. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON

This is a recap by Parry that I was glad to be reminded of, especially why the Marines were targeted in Lebanon years ago. I have been guilty of swallowing the word "terrorism," which does seem to be used against just one group of people, even though Israel, the US, and the Arabs are all guilty of killing thousands of innocent people. All are guilty. And, it seems that there is no difference, no real intelligence in any of the leadership today. Bush fits right in. The problem is that these leaders such as Bush and the others who are the ones instructing the violence, they never have to be afraid for their own skin. That is what is wrong with this picture. I resent every single penny spent on the protection of Bush. Every cent.

BUZZFLASH MAILBAG

Subject: What are them Ay-rabs doing sittin' on top of OUR oil?

For the Evening Edition:

It isn’t news anymore. The allied death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan rose above 3,200 this week. That milestone did not rate a mention in the daily press. Thirty-Eight have died during the first 26 days of July. It isn’t news because it is routine. America’s soldiers and those of her allies go out to die every day with little to mark their progress. Dead soldiers just aren’t news.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

George Bush signed a 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) yesterday in a lavish White House photo-op with 600 guests. "My administration will vigorously enforce the provisions of this law, and we will defend it in court," he declared. But why start now?

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

With control of Congress, Republicans have the luxury of simply scrapping bills they don't want to vote on, but sometimes they have to be more creative. That's where "poison pills" come in.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Somehow, George Bush is taking time out of his busy day of thinking up new ways to ruin the world to meet with the ten finalists of American Idol. Unfortunately, he still can't muster the courtesy to meet with his new neighbor Cindy Sheehan, who just bought property near his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

BARBARA'S DAILY BUZZFLASH MINUTE

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The Repuglican mind-set---keep the incompetents in place during the tumultuous times they’ve created, otherwise the American people may find out there are those who really can do the job a helluva lot better!

Unforeseen Obstacle in Mid-East Peace Process

by Tony Peyser

Hezbollah? Hizbollah? Hizbullah?
How can anyone ever quell it
When there isn't even a current
Consensus on how to spell it?

World Media Watch

1//The Moscow Times, Russia--PUTIN AND CHAVEZ SEAL WEAPONS DEAL (President Vladimir Putin courted Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez in the Kremlin on Thursday, offering the strongly anti-American leader broad political support and giving his blessing to hefty arms orders and budding oil and gas projects. Under the arms deals, which Washington has sought to block, Russia will sell 24 fighter jets and 53 helicopters to the Venezuelan military. … After more than three hours of talks with Chavez, part of which included delegations of business and political leaders from both countries, Putin told reporters that Russia was ready to pump investment into Venezuela, primarily in the energy sector. … Steven O'Sullivan, head of emerging markets research at Deutsche Bank, said oil-consuming countries were over a barrel when it came to Chavez's energy and arms deals. "In an era of high energy prices, resource-exporting economies are becoming much more independent," O'Sullivan said. "There's not a lot you can do about it -- whether it's Chavez supporting Fidel Castro or Putin selling arms to Chavez. Russia is pursuing its own interests.")

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

There has been some intriguing speculation floating around among commentators on the net that the Neo-Cons never had any real intention of building electoral democracies -- as we know them -- in the Middle East. In fact, their goal may be the destruction of nation states in their current form in the Middle East and their replacement with a United States "protectorate" of sorts.