Mr. David Corn,

Another good post. I too have a hard time with the "rest in peace" thing but am reminded of the fact that dead are gone and their contribution be it good or bad has ended.

Like a victim of state sponsored murder by injection, what the person did or did not do matters very little when life has left their physical body. They have paid the ultimate price and as we all hope for a peaceful respite let all of the dead "rest in peace".

Thanks again

Kirk

Dear Mr. Corn,

In all sincerity sir, that was the best "spitting on someone's grave" that I have read in a long time. Keep up the good work.

Here is something that makes for a good bookmark!

The complete 2005 Congressional Pig Book is a searchable database of 13,997 pork projects. Search by keyword, city, state, or appropriations bill.

Thanks to JoeTrippi.com

capt

Katrina: Why did help take so long to arrive?



03 September 2005 08:25

"It is incredible, the government had no evacuation plan ... the first power in the world and it left its own population adrift."

It will be particularly galling that the man voicing those thoughts, echoed on Friday by many across the United States and around the world, was Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela, and one of the Bush administration's main hate figures.

That bewilderment, tinged with anger towards officials at local and national level, was shared at the scene of the disaster and by political commentators and disaster relief experts. In Louisiana, local and state officials voiced anger on Friday at the Bush administration's response.

What went wrong with the relief effort? Why, so many days after Katrina struck, is there still such chaos, despite the fact that there was ample warning of what might befall the Gulf Coast?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has been accused of being so concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack that it failed to prepare properly for a much more inevitable natural disaster.

After the authorities in Baton Rouge had prepared a field hospital for victims of the storm, Fema sent its first batch of supplies, all of which were designed for use against chemical attack -- including drugs such as Cipro, which is designed for use against anthrax.

"We called them up and asked them, 'Why did you send that?', and they said that's what it says in the book," said a Baton Rouge official.

*****end of clip*****

The problems are institutional, as all institutional problems are the result of bad management, heads should roll.

The buck stops at the man in the oval office, whomever is in charge Cheney, Bush, Rove, etc. not one is man enough to admit a single mistake. That will not change now. The only heads that will roll will be underlings if any.

Just like Abu Graib, the mistakes in policy will be addressed by punishment for a handful those forced to obey the failed policy. Those in the front line are the only ones actually doing anything and that is always punishable by those that make policy and do nothing.

It will happen, we have already heard this WH plame. . . I mean blame the Army Corps of Engineers for problems caused by funding cuts.

capt

In all sincerity sir, that was the best "spitting on someone's grave" that I have read in a long time. Keep up the good work.

Well, actually, it's called "telling the truth." You can read Town Hall or one of the other wingnut sites if you don't care for it.

Thought I was alone in my inability to be other than non-pulsed by the death of another of America's bigots.

Here is a thought:

It is widely accepted that the 9/11 attacks were the result of an intelligence failure. Assuming that is true, why would anybody go to war on intelligence from a department that has just failed so miserably?

Military action as a response to an intelligence failure of biblical proportion based on more "intelligence" from the same failed source. The question is why would anybody trust a CIA with such a new and monumental failure on their books?

Of course Bush was going to invade Iraq with no regard for anything or anybody in opposition. The intelligence community cannot be blamed after the failure of 9/11, they should have been all charged with dereliction of duty. Instead they are kept as a disposable whipping boy for the action Bush had decided upon before 2000.

I cannot see how it could be made more clear. IF 9/11 was the result of failed intelligence then Bush should be held to account for believing them about the looming mushroom clouds just 45 minutes away.

Of course all of the blame pointing anywhere but the WH is just a distraction, more misinformation sold as a "possible" truth to insulate Bush and his corporate cronies from the failed policies and messed up plans they devised to enrich themselves and their ilk.

Sitting exposed, waiting for one more intelligence failure to complete the destruction of our American freedoms and rights. Will it be because of continuing and consistently bad intelligence or from the ill conceived master plan to destroy and loot the our country?

At what point should we be concerned with holding Bush to account? After the next "terror attack"[sic] or on the heels of the complete mismanagement of a calamity that cannot be blamed on the intelligence community?

Bush sucks big time either way.

IMHO

capt

Don,

The truth is spitting on someone's grave?

I am reminded of a certain Paul Welstone's funeral when the rabid Reich-wingnuts were screaming?

Not one thing factual was dished from the Reich, just more neocon cry babies.

See, they spit without a single truth.

That post qualifies for the bottom of the barrel so far today, I bet there will be a few that try to out limbo the low blow. *sigh*

capt

"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. " ~ A. Sachs

"Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not. " ~ Epicurus (341 BC - 270 BC), from Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. " ~ George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

capt

The emperor truly has no clothes. I'm watching Chertoff, Rumesfeld, et all at 10:30 Sunday morning, Sept. 4, 2005 having yet another press conference [photo op] to tell us how they didn't see this catastrophic event coming. Where have they been post 9/11? Isn't this the entire reason for the Homeland Security Department? We watched Katrina coming for several days. This is a catastrophic event we actually saw coming and yet these people act like no one ever predicted, foresaw or analyzed the aftermath unless we actually had a master plan in place. Guess what. We didn't. If the catastrophe were man made, the aftermath would be even worste. That is what this event is making abundently clear to everyone. This is the result of a philosophy, an ideology, that promotes survival of the fittest, every man for himself and the reliance on volunteerism and charity as the primary way of dealing with this kind of catastrophic event. These people literally don't believe it's the role of government to deal with it. That's why their mantra is to cut taxes above all. Let the private sector deal with it. As we are clearly wittnessing now, this philosophy, this ideology does not work. These people have sold us a bill of goods. Perhaps now the rest of us are beginning to understand the falicy of their philosophy.

and how exactly will they anticipate and respond to another 9-11 when a buncha wind and rain throws them for a loop?

I think you, David Corn, damage the very concept of democracy every day with your efforts. But on your death I will do nothing but offer sorrow. Shame on you for this immature, ill-timed and childish outburst. We may be in political war with one another just now, but when it's over, we will still have to live with one another. Please revise your remarks.

at least I hear Bush is looking to replace Rehnquist with someone more moderate...you know, in an effort to be a uniter
someone in the middle
that everyone can relate to
that's right folks
captain fair and balanced
Sean Hannity

To Richar :
revising words takes the D out of democracy

hey, Richard
I think I found your D

--->D

"We may be in political war with one another just now, but when it's over, we will still have to live with one another." I have to agree with Richar [sic] on that one point. For shame.

Lies Lies Lies.
This is from Think Progress.
Chertoff Learned of Levee Failure 36 Hours After Mayor Nagin?
Homeland Security chief Mike Chertoff today offered the administration’≥ (first, second) third excuse for their lack of preparedness for Katrina:

Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning picking up newspapers and I saw headlines, Ҏew Orleans Dodged the Bullet.ӠBecause if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse. It was on Tuesday that the levee Ѡmay have been overnight Monday to Tuesday Ѡthat the levee started to break. And it was midday Tuesday that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city. I think that second catastrophe really caught everybody by surprise.

In other words, it’≥ not that we didn’¥ expect the levee system would burst. It’≥ that the storm passed and the levees remained in tact, and when we found out afterwards they had failed, it was already too late.

The problem: we didnմ learn that the levees were failing on ҭidday Tuesday.ӠWe learned Monday morning:

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said on NBCճ Ҕoday ShowӠthere was already ҳignificant floodingӠin the city, most of which lies below sea level.

҉նe gotten reports this morning that thereճ already water coming over some of the levee systems,Ӡhe said.

oh boo hoo
we'll feel as free to rip your dead as you feel to rip ours
Fair AND balanced

Behold Ed M. Perry. Be sure to pick up his new book "How I Love To Hate," available now wherever progressives talk about tolerance but spend more energy ripping their opponents than acutally working for social justice.

Egyptian poll monitors 'banned'


Sunday, 4 September 2005

Egypt's electoral commission says it will not allow independent groups to monitor Wednesday's presidential election, defying a court ruling.

The commission said only supervisors, candidates and their representatives would be allowed in polling stations.

The decision has fuelled fears of vote rigging in the country's first multi-candidate presidential poll.

Campaigning ends on Sunday, with incumbent President Hosni Mubarak widely expected to win.

Mr Mubarak, who has been in power for 24 years, is running for another six-year term against eight other candidates.

On Saturday, the Egyptian judiciary overruled a ban by the government-appointed commission prohibiting local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from monitoring the poll.

But the electoral commission chief, Osama Attawiyah, told the BBC that the ban would remain in force.

*****end of clip*****

Why do they even pretend? Election, is a Selection. I bet there are a few private polling companies that already know the numbers that will be published as "results."

Power, like drugs or money, is an addiction. Those in power will use that power to stay in power.

I hate to be the skunk at the picnic but watch for a wildly successful GOP in 2006. If not a super-majority a super-majority if you throw in the turncoat blue-dog democrats. They no longer make any effort to deceive. They are so very much Republican light. Hillary, Biden, Loserman, Feinstein and the rest. They should all be drummed out of the party but that too would require a spine from somewhere in the DNC.

Rename the DLC "Rangers" or "Pioneers" at least it would be closer to the truth.

I think everybody is getting sick and tired of the lies. Rumbling from the right says it must be half true.

capt

LOL
I'm a Liberal, of course I hate everyone
don't be silly
I listen to Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter
they are dead on
most Liberals live in grand castles with brown house slaves and pools of liquid platinum
we dine on pickled fetuses served on Bible pages
we cause poverty and subject the masses
we divide people and cause wars
Liberals caused Cancer, AIDS and the last Ice age
believe me
I know who powerful and dangerous we are?
what are you again?

tell me next how I have no plans

I'm glad to see that David is not being lured into that phony, disingenuous "thing" people do when someone dies -- turning the undeserving into a saint.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=17&did=453

The clip below is from Robert Sherill's January 8, 2001, "Death Trip: The American Way of Execution" from The Nation.

"Rehnquist-izing Justice
One thing became quite clear as the 1980s rolled along: The Court was getting meaner, as the ranks of its hard-liners got bigger. In 1953, when William Rehnquist was a clerk at the Supreme Court and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were about to be electrocuted at Sing Sing, he wrote a memo saying, "It is too bad that drawing and quartering has been abolished." When he grew to Justicehood, perhaps he was no longer so bloodthirsty, but he was not shy about saying the death industry's execution line was far too slow. His impatience was shared by Justices Byron White and Lewis Powell. In 1981 Rehnquist gained another ally in Sandra Day O'Connor, and in 1986 he could celebrate not only being promoted to Chief Justice (over great protests from Senate liberals) but also being joined on the bench by Antonin Scalia, that philosophical heir of Torquemada."

And we have a contestant for the low blow post!

Richar who we can all assume goes by Dick takes a dhot but loses on the personal SCHWING at Mr. David Corn.

Watch, we will likely go all day with snipes, yips and yaps but not one fact from David's post will even be challenged.

Facts are too confusing for blind ideology.

I still give the award to Kevin for his effort at brevity.

capt

Dick's de-railer and distractions is another SCHWING and a miss, still Kevin by a few points.

I agree with David Corn. Rehnquist helped create a climate in this nation of prejudice and every man for himself.
I am amazed the Christian Right supports "intelligent design" so strongly. In their world, as in Rehnquist’≥, only the fittest survive.
If I seem a little angry it’≥ because I don’¥ like to see grown men cry on TV while describing tales of promised rescue for five days only to have the person drown on the fifth evening. America abandoned Americans? No, No, No. Your president did. Go to Buzzflash for the story.
http://www.buzzflash.com/

that or argue a point with me
I play both sides; debate and outrage
I prefer the former

honest debate should, but rarely does, sway a mind a tad to one side or another
outrage is fun because it mocks the tone, thereby proving points through honest insincerity

With guys like Ed Perry around, why does anyone from the Right bother to come by here and engage in any civil conversation whatsoever? Some of us would like to reach out to each other on both sides--if you'd like to join us, take a lesson in manners, Ed. Otherwise, why don't you be quiest and learn while civilized conservatives and liberals try to work together to build this nation up and find commond ground? It's called mutual respect--and though I disagree with you, I respect your opinion and your right to hold it and express it. Hate me all you want. That's your burden, not mine. Someday, Ed, I hope you find something to live for, instead of only things to live against. Best, Richard

Ed,

You forgot "Tax and spend" nobody but "libruls" runs a government by taxing the people then spending that income. Jeeze, you forgot?

BTW - I cook by burning the pages from the bible like any civilized heathen, serve up my babies on golden platters with Satan’s pentagram stamped into the rim.

Just sayin', you know?

capt

PS - my spell check made me capitalize Satan. Hmmm

reach across the aisle then
how did you feel about pushing John Bolton with no consensus onto the UN through weekend appointment?
did you agree with that?

The President has the right to appoint whom he chooses with support of a majority of the Senate. A majority favored that choice but the majority were denied the right to vote--a favorite charge of yours.

name an issue where you think the Left and the Right can compromise without compromising their respective positions?

I'll say this, and then you guys can laugh.

In some cases my respect is not for the dead, but the living. Rehnquist was what he was, and I feel no need to eulogize him for it. I will however take no action to increase the sorrow of his family.

Those of you who are offended do more to spit on his family than on him. William Rehnquist is beyond our reproach, but you turn dislike for him as disrespect for those who will mourn him.

"compromise without compromising"? Can't be done. We each have to give up a little of what we want so we can all have some piece of satisfaction.

but still there was no real consensus, he was put through without an endorsement
the Right move would have been to drop his appointment and find a serious candidate
not say I don't care about the minority, some of which were conservative, I'll put him in when your not looking
also the President does not have the right to whomever he chooses, never has
he was still voted in by a 51/49 split in the nation...he still must serve both sides

so let's take an issue
abortion
what would be the give take scenario?

The Constitution grants the President the power to appoint whomever he chooses, and grants the Senate the power of advise and consent. The President was completely within his rights. It was a minority in the Senate who--also within their rights--prevented the majority from having a vote. The President, by law, gets the last word on this one.

FINE John, FINE. I'll be nice.

May he REST in Peace.

Abortion: I think the first step would be to make a dialogue among those of us who are willing to compromise. That, I believe, is a big majority. Those who oppose every single abortion in ever case are not welcome, because they will not compromise. Those who think abortion has no moral component--who portray it as a sacrament--are not welcome, because they will not compromise. Beyond that I'm not sure my single opinion is that useful. I do think that those who discuss it must grant that abortion is convenient, sometimes arguably necessary, but that it is at some point in the process the taking of some life, or potential for life. Surely we can work from that basis, all together, couldn't we?

consent is a large issue
Bush has not shown one inch of compromise
letting someone speak but not listening is not abiding by consent
tyranny of the majority comes to mind
how does one party getting everything their way, even by forcing certain items through, unite a nation divided nearly in half moreso than ever before...not quite Civil War but the similarties are coming back
the consent provision is to prevent such tyranny

Some of the knuckle heads here talk about how we all will have to live together? When this political war is over?

Please, only the survivors have to worry about such things.

From the looks of Bunnypants "plan" in Iraq and "plans" for disaster I think you guys might be assuming too much.

You come the site of a author that you comment as "I think you, David Corn, damage the very concept of democracy every day with your efforts." and expect to treated like your comment is reasonable discourse?

That is not a comment on this post that is a charge against the author (note the EVERY DAY?)

You are not kidding anyone here Dick, go spread your insults about what David does EVERY DAY in some small minded echo chamber where outright insults pass for political commentary.

You sir are a pathetic excuse for a poser.

So, where oh where is the reasonable crap you claim to spew? Insults and broad brush generalization are neither arguable nor reasonable.

capt

PS - if you just kept you cool a little bit and could post without the insult you might be met with the same. You only get the same measure of respect you give.

makes sense to me

there is room for that level of discourse on abortion...the first step though needs to come from those in power and if not then by the people who keep voting them there...the majority needs to reach out
I have seen none of that from this administration

I see your point on consent and consensus. I offer only two thoughts: 1) Many of those opposed to Bolton seemed to be looking for any excuse. The notion that he had yelled at some employees is a rather weak straw on which to hang opposition, and suggests to me and to others that this was simple obstructionism. I could be wrong, though. 2) The President usually has discretion to run foreign policy for his administration. Such policy cannot be run by committee. I think if Kerry were in, he should be granted leeway to run foreign policy his way, not be forced to surround himself with "advisers" who don't support his position. Of course politicans won't behave this way too often but you asked what I thought.

Ed--good point on abortion/discourse/reaching out. agreed.

Bush has been a bully
His people a cavalcade of doublespeakers
His media a ravenous horde
I mean honestly, can you really compare the content of Media Matters and Ann Coulter?

believe me I know when my party is getting out of hand...I threw Jackson, Sharpton and Hillary under the bus yesterday
and I'm hard Lib...but fair
this Bush administration has been the worst
his father was better by far
and I liked Clinton best of the three

Ann Coulter contributes nothing to debate. Media Matters has approximately zero interest in anything that goes against their belief system--but they are, yes, marginally more reasonable than Ann Coulter. Michael Moore--he's the same crowd, worst of all of them I say, not because of his opinion of Bush et al but because he spends so much time disparaging the US overall--witness his overseas remarks about Americans being idiots.

It is too bad that transferring levee maintenence funds for Homeland Bush Bullshittery is not considered a capital crime when the decision was a known risk and caused death.

Wow, Ed, has my opinion of you changed. It takes guys like you and like me, wiling to toss the extremists "under the bus" on both sides, as you say. Good for us!

but he had flaws too
just not to the extent of the long term effects we will all suffer from the W fiasco
I think opposing Bolton was the right move
his nomination was a snub to the UN
that's not the way to set a dialougue for change within the UN
and change is needed

I am still giving the low blow to Kevin on points for brevity.

Dick is a troll and his reasonable crap is a vacuum to suck you into posting to him.

Play if you want but do not kid yourself, he is a troll and should be ignored. Do not fall for the new handle or the reasonable BS, troll tricks and old ones at that.

That is my opinion and I checked with myself and confirmed my perspective. HA!

All humor is half true or it would not be funny.

capt

And with the return of Timantoinedickrichardlinacmurad the troll I bid you all a fine day and will cherish every word posted by my like minded friends.

Here to wishing you will all quit letting the troll yank your chains and push your buttons.

Good day all!

capt

Bolton: that's a reasonable bolton position--I just wish more of his opponents had simply said that instead of dragging out this "he yells at subordinates" garbage. I disagree with the position, but at least it's got legs. I can respect that.

I think war on idealogy is unwise
determinism reinforces the idea of looking for a cause so you have to fight a solution as opposed to an event
teach a man to fish and all
war on drugs=war on poverty
war on terror=war on poverty
most of our social ills breed within the poor
I'll fight that war

I disagree that poverty is the source of terror, the drug problem and other similar things. Witness the Great Depression--not much theft going on then. No offense meant, I'll try to find a way to say this reasonably, but I find it somewhat condescending to say that poor people will get violent if they don't get what they want. I don't think that's what you meant at all, but that's how it comes out to someone like me. I'd love to chat more but I have to take my son to a ball game--I'm sure you'll agree this is a valuable, non-partisan event, lol. I'll try to ccheck in later--thanks for the chat, ed. Best, RM

yeah I agree being a tough boss is lame material
alas he is in the UN now and I will hold my opinion to his first actions there
as for France though they really have stepped up on the war against terror in their country and were quick to offer aid for Katrina victims
wonder when Fox News will talk about the global coalition that is forming to help the US
and why did we snub Cuba's offer

Richard, Ed eats little children.
Now, let’≥ get back to the subject. What was the subject? Oh yeah, Rehnquist is a ....sorry.
The Hurricane Katrina's connection to Rehnquist. Connection? That would be the fact that he was prejudice - part of the record - and that he helped create a climate of acceptance of prejudice.

catch ya later
enjoy the game and the time with your son

Jeanne you are a leftist, nein?
you eat kids too
I like to throw crap like that out because it reinforces the silliness behind the Right media monster machine...I think that is an enemy we need to face
I agree with John Benson from a few posts back
Renquist is dead, I'm letting him go
history will tell his story as we know it
I was more engaged in the O'Connor bit...that was a loss
Renquist is still a like for like trade

too true about prejudice though

still waiting to debate the elusive Antoine

fed rate hikes unlikely in wake of Katrina
can we get a collective Amen

Went to a blog yesterday where the blog-author has a fast, merciless hand on the "delete comment" button. Anything OT, racist, or stupid. It was wonderful.

For those who suggest that David and some of us are out-of-line with our comments about Rehnquist:

If George W. Bush fell off his bike, hit his head, and died today, should we silence ourselves regarding our opinions of his ineptitude? It might be prudent to tone down some of the vitriolic criticism of bush, but FACTS are warranted...before AND after the death of a person with the power of a president or a Chief Justice.

I undertsand the delete function the more I hear the words of Doc Savage of the Savage Nation
he makes a strong case for censorship
I think his views need NEVER be broadcast
but I must fight for the first amendment
even for that lot

Historians will determine Rehnquist's fate. Our fate as Americans is already decided by the Nazis who control every facet of our lives. We should always practice on a daily basis the greeting that will be expected of us. "Heil Mine Fuehrer!"

public figures invite scrutiny
even in death

we are headed in the Nazi generation if the Right wins the border debate

Why is it that when someone dies, we should say nice things about a scoundrel? I had a supervisor who said that there was this rat of a person and when he died people just said well he tried to do this or that in conciliatory terms. People need to know the truth about a person. A rat is a rat. I do not know if I would go as far to say that Rehnquist was a rat but he did set the tone in court decisions and the tone of America today that we all wallow under.

Modern Slavery

If Delay was to die let us say tomorrow, what should we say about him?

One of my favorite programs is NOW with David Branccacio. Since America suffers from a truth deficit, NOW offers viewers truth and information. On Fridays NOW has interesting programs. On one particular Friday NOW discussed the Mariana (spell) Islands. Tom Delay, the born again kkkristian, called the Mariana Islands a model for America. The islands are in the Pacific Ocean and they are a Commonwealth of America but they are not subject to the same labor laws as in the U.S. The islands import women to work 15-16 hours per day and 7 days per week. The women do not punch a clock and the yearly salary is $350. Delay calls the Mariana Islands the model for America. He should know because he is having America headed toward 15-16 hours per day and 7 days a week for a yearly salary of $350.

We all know Delay as a born again kkkristian. He and Bush are poster children for the born again kkkristians. Born again kkkristians carry the Bible in one hand and an oozie in the other hand. Most born again kkkristians read the Bible but the words are meaningless to them.

I love America because America is a nation filled with hypocrites and her politicians are scum and slime. NY Times' Joel Brinkley had an article "US faults 4 allies over forced labor." These four allies are in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The US says that they practice modern slavery. Hypocrites are calling other hypocrites names and saying that they practice modern slavery. Yet, Delay calls the Mariana Islands a model for America.

When I see born again kkkristians like Delay and Bush, I am beyond puking and into dry heaves. The dry heaves never end. Yes, Delay and Bush are perfect examples of born again kkkristians. I love America because we are so predictable. We've gone from the home of the brave and land of the free to fear, greed, hatred, killing, and torture and born again kkkristians.

As a side note to our killing mentality the war drums are becoming louder and louder. Rummie, the dummie, issues a sharp rebuke of China on arms. America, a nation, with a nuclear holocaust as a game plan chastises China. Don't you just love America's hypocrisy?

In case you are interested our intelligence sources are saying that terrorists are inside Iran. The war drums never stop and are getting louder. Soccer moms should be prepared for the renewal of the military draft and their sons and daughters singing out hut fours as they march off to war, Bush's endless wars.

IT MUST FEEL GOOD FOR THE NEOCONS AND THE BORN AGAIN KKKRISTIANS TO SLEEP SECURE IN THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

What if Bush, a murderer and a war criminal, was to die tomorrow, should we say nice things about him? Americans suffer from a truth deficit now, should we continue to have Americans suffer from the same truth deficit?

"...At a press conference on Thursday, the fourth day of the disaster, with newspapers and TV reporting tens of thousands stranded at hospitals, homes and a highway overpass, Homeland Security chief Michael Cherotff was asked by a reporter if he thought only hundreds or maybe many more needed rescued. He replied:

“I'd be guessing. I mean, a thousand seems like a very large number, but we have already rescued several thousand. Hopefully, most people have gotten themselves onto roofs and have been picked up. But, as I said, rather than give you a guesstimate, I can tell you that as long as there is someone on a roof waving a flag, we're going to be sending a helicopter out there to get them.”

At the same press briefing, Cherotff was asked if he thought there were enough soldiers on the ground to control the situation. His answer: “I'm satisfied that we have not only more than enough forces there and on the way. And frankly, what we're doing is we are putting probably more than we need in order to send an unambiguous message that we will not tolerate lawlessness or violence or interference with the evacuation.”

While the 9/11 “My Pet Goat” episode was certainly illuminating, it’s not certain what might have worked out better that day had the president dropped the book and taken action. But his failure to grab the reins in the hurricane catastrophe for three days this week probably doomed hundreds, or more, to death.

This is not mere incompetence, but dereliction of duty. The press should call it by its proper name."

Greg Mitchell E&P
"My Pet Goat - The Sequel"

Conservatives need to be more vocal in some scrutiny of this administartions failure to act with speed...four days is too long, imagine if this had been the massive terror attack we've all been holding our breath for now over four years
the response would have amounted to so much duct tape

DISGUSTING! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179790/

Chertoff making lame-brained excuses. Russert wasn't buying...

Chertoff needs to practice some of that ownership society blather

The nicest and sincerest thing I can say about someone who dies is that I wish they would not go to hell. I do not like Bush and I would be a hypocrite if I was to say nice things about him when he dies. Yet, I do not wish hell for Bush's destination.

If someone can get a link to the speech/discussion that the President of Jefferson Parish had on MTP, today, let me know. The transcript is powerful, as it is. The video must be horrifying.

-T

It is more than understandable that the late Chief's (and I'll not say Justice in his description) family would mourn and love the old curmudgeon. I've never heard of their political thoughts, and I'll not paint the sins of the father upon them. But, that does not in any way excuse his life's work, which stands in full view now in the wake of the flood.

From the President of Jefferson Parish..
_______

MR. AARON BROUSSARD: We have been abandoned by our own country. Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of the worst storms ever to hit an American coast, but the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will go down as one of the worst abandonments of Americans on American soil ever in U.S. history. I am personally asking our bipartisan congressional delegation here in Louisiana to immediately begin congressional hearings to find out just what happened here. Why did it happen? Who needs to be fired? And believe me, they need to be fired right away, because we still have weeks to go in this tragedy. We have months to go. We have years to go. And whoever is at the top of this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chain-sawed off and we've got to start with some new leadership.

It's not just Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans here. Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area, and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now. It's so obvious. FEMA needs more congressional funding. It needs more presidential support. It needs to be a Cabinet-level director. It needs to be an independent agency that will be able to fulfill its mission to work in partnership with state and local governments around America. FEMA needs to be empowered to do the things it was created to do. It needs to come somewhere, like New Orleans, with all of its force immediately, without red tape, without bureaucracy, act immediately with common sense and leadership, and save lives. Forget about the property. We can rebuild the property. It's got to be able to come in and save lives.

We need strong leadership at the top of America right now in order to accomplish this and to-- reconstructing FEMA.

MR. BROUSSARD: ...that have worked 24/7. They're burned out, the doctors, the nurses. And I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night.

_________

The man broke down in tears...as did I.

MotherFuckers...
-T

More...
______
MR. BROUSSARD: Nobody's coming to get us. Nobody's coming to get us. The secretary has promised. Everybody's promised. They've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences. For God sakes, shut up and send us somebody!

More....
___________

MR. RUSSERT: Hold on. Hold on, sir. Shouldn't the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of New Orleans bear some responsibility? Couldn't they have been much more forceful, much more effective and much more organized in evacuating the area?

MR. BROUSSARD: Sir, they were told like me, every single day, "The cavalry's coming," on a federal level, "The cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming." I have just begun to hear the hoofs of the cavalry. The cavalry's still not here yet, but I've begun to hear the hoofs, and we're almost a week out.

Let me give you just three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn't need them. This was a week ago. FEMA--we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word. "FEMA says don't give you the fuel." Yesterday--yesterday--FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting near these lines." Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be in this crisis.
_________

Maybe I shouldn't have taped it.

Micki;
You are missing my point. David expressed my thoughts on the subject, and I'm not going to say nice things about the man when I don't believe them. The people who are offended that you state your opinion simply because the person is dead miss the point. The only ones hurt by such an expression are the people who are grieving. I wouldn't go up to Rehnquist's family and state my opinion because it would cause them pain. However the people who are taking offense here are doing so because "we aren't respecting the dead," and how hurt can the dead be by this? They are dead. So if you take the "You're not respecting the dead approach" to defend a politician (just being honest here folks) you are being just as offensive to the family.

Jeanne I speak for myself alone.

Ed. It should be a wash, but I suppose they could nominate David Duke.

Imagine you have a family member, an uncle or aunt, cousin or sibling that was in a position of political power or public prominence. A family member you had major problems with as their position and politics were not at all in line with yours.

Forget right versus left, this is an exercise in a general objectivity.

How much would you welcome comments from others that choose to speak ill of your family member? Even if you agreed with their sentiment how welcome would those comments be when they are just causing more pain for other family members?

There is a time and a place for everything. If anyone had issues with the dearly departed using the event of their death to express your opinion is just opportunistic clap-trap. You should have addressed them BEFORE they died as now there is nothing you can say about them that cannot be said in good time and nothing that is said can change a damn thing about what the dead has done. It is truly past tense.

Nobody has to say good things about the dead. There are some that will choose to see only good things not any of the bad. That is how some thought of the dearly departed, most of your despots, dictators, murderers and scoundrels have family that loved them unconditionally and thank God for the love never the hate.

Life is a great gift made more precious by death. Life is an opportunity to learn so many things. We live to love and experience our world by our determinations and choices and death just the other bookend.

Death is a gift too as it always ends the physical suffering and we all hope an end to the mental, emotional and spiritual suffering. Death is a great opportunity for those that survive. An opportunity to revisit the priorities and the determinations that shape the balance of our lives, an opportunity to revisit our mortality, an opportunity to better understand ourselves, others and the value of life.

To speak freely of the error and mistakes, the terrible things people do, all of the things with which you vehemently disagreed when the dearly departed was alive can be set aside for the moment. It is a discussion of the past because the person has died.

Death is impossible to face but impossible to deny. In the end death is life affirming. Our ceremonies and memorials are necessary rituals to show our respect for those that died but also a respect for the finality of death. The only power we have over the finality of death is the memory of those that have died and the perpetual love, respect, recognition or memories of the dead we keep.

You who would speak ill of the dead have the memories without the love or respect. You do have the recognition of what you find bad about the dearly departed and can wait just a short while to offer your forensic review.

Imagine what you would not like to hear if it was a member of your family, one with which you might have disagreed or one of your heroes, because the decedent, every person that has died had a mother, a wife, maybe siblings, cousins and such.

In the end death is the great equalizer for all of us and after all is said and done we are all part of the human family.

Nobody has to sing the praises of the departed but a quiet recognition that we all pay that dividend, that ultimate price the loss of OUR life IS called for in the immediate days after a death.

It is respect for the deceased that builds bridges and the disrespect for anybody or anything, living or dead that breaks down those bridges.

Show compassion and respect death, it is the only power we really have over the loss whether we loved ‘em or hated what they did or stood for in life.

Nobody is spitting on any graves or coffins but the discussion of what a bad man someone was can wait. Maybe their family did not agree with them any more than you did. I can only hope their family loved them, that is what life is about.

If you cannot show respect for the dead consider showing respect for death as we will all be in that boat in time. As a corpse, a lifeless shell of what was once a vessel of life, no body is better than anybody and no body is worse.

capt

Yeah, and then the governor of Mississippi got on Meet the Press and said everything was fine in my state. Everything went smooth in my state. Unbelievable. Show an ounce of compassion.

Let me just to a quickie here, then I'll put it down to the e-mail list...

Jill DMAT Update:

She called in the middle of my ER shift today to tell me that they're near LSU campus in Baton Rouge at a school for the deaf and blind. There are 16 DMAT medical teams, 25-30 members each, think somewhere between a community ER and M*A*S*H
who HAVE NOT YET BEEN GIVEN LOCATIONS OR ORDERS TO DEPLOY.

That's right, Over 300 Medical professionals attached to FEMA, and under the orders of Homeland Security, sitting around the LSU campus with twiddling theirs, while Michael Chertoff and Michael Brown spend hours on TV claiming they're "Moving Heaven and Earth" to take care of the people of the Hurricane Ravaged Coast.

One of Jill's Team members, Cliff, actually rode out Katrina in a hotel in NOLA, at a national EMS convention. They evacuated hundreds, maybe thousands of people themselves before they were told to report to DMAT teams and wait for orders.

I'm going to drink some, then I'm going to write...

Thanks for reading my pre-vent offensive.
Y'all are too kind to the appologists.

I'm not here for that. Take it as a warning.

-T

Hajji,

It was one of the most gripping moments in a week of television as I've never seen before. And the interview with Chertoff was telling as well.

The cronyism is evident to all. How does the fired head of an Arabian Horse Association become head of FEMA?

Let the hearings begin, and let them begin in front of the dispossed.

One more thing, in Afghanistan, great care was taken not to call the internally dispossed, refugees. Not here.

My only thought on the comments about the dead is that while I don't care to aggravate the loss to the grieving family, I also do not wish to witness the historical revisionism we saw with the Reagan funeral. It was as if the man committed no wrong. Please!

Rehnquist's life stretches the limits of the old Xian saw, "love the sinner -- hate the sin." Protocol may be strained to fit the occasion; but it seems a little soon to be painting this picture. It is probably only a matter of timing, laying out the case for his bigotry later rather than sooner. I think it's one of those "too close to call" situations.

I must say up front that I don't agree with hardly anything that Jesse Duplantis has to say regarding God and His Word. I do like his attitude. He is one funny MoFo. Louisiana Lip came to our church this morning and fell apart. It is truly weird watching someone so irrepressibly joyful in faith break down for a full 20 minutes. He also let slip a few criticisms of the Cheney Administration.

E&P is dropping bombs on the Cheney Administration (See observer's post at 71). They evidently know it's a target-rich environment:
"While the media has done a good job in portraying the overall deadly failure of leadership, it has not focused enough on this deadly dereliction of duty . . . .

"(Cheney's) absence, and the president’s performance during it, can only add to the rumors that Bush is clueless without the Big Guy at his side." (emphasis mine)

The constant drizzle of bad news from the MSM is getting to be a downer.
* Krugman'sCan't-do Government
* Mo Dowd's United States of Shame
* Rich's Falluja Floods the Superdome

Even BoBo's column rained on W(uss)'s photo op.

If you don't care to register at NYtimes.com, go to BugmeNot.com to get a userid and pw.

While any distracted teenager can tear apart the silliness at rightwing blogs like Powerline. Meringoff plays it close to the vest; so he's the hardest to bust. Hinderaker is easy money. Could any of the friendly neighborhood reactionaries please provide documentary evidence to dispute The New Pravda's op-ed columnists? I really don't want to believe that I live under the most backassward administrations since the days of Hoover and Gamaliel; but it's hard to deny the record.

Hajji,

I read that #78 earlier. I am glad I am not the only emotional man here that can be brought to tears by such a tragic story.

We all must empathize with the vicitms. I feel for the loss even for the rich. Katrina never asked about who to savage. We should have all of the victims in our prayers.

I do not like or respect Trent Lott, I cannot stand the way the guy talks, but I can feel badly for his loss too.

capt

John,
I am really worked up about the lack of response on the Katrina aftermath. I went out for a walk and felt better but you know when you see things like what Hajji posted, you just can't believe that the administration has allowed it to happen. They are the leadership.
I can't believe that we would treat our citizens like this.
The media is showering Rehnquist with praise and that's wonderful for the family but there was another side to his legacy. He was very conservative and he chipped away at the rights of citizens through his whole career. As a woman, the fact that he overturned the laws protecting women from domestic violence is telling. The fact that he was against school integration is telling. It seems to me that he was very comfortable in his life and he looked at decisions very reasonably and logically. But what was lost in the process? For one thing, my voting rights were in lost in the process. I live in Minnesota but my vote didn't count in the 2000 election. I resent that and I always will.

Now, we had about 10 inches of rain here so I'm going to go see how much the Mississippi River came up.

PS. May he rest in peace.

One of Renquist's first political acts was the challenging of minority voters at the polls in AZ.

He wrote against the voting rights, and civil rights laws.

He voted against a women's right to chose.

May his voice be silenced forever!

The Supreme Court can function perfectly well with seven Justices. Until it holds extensive hearings and sorts through the true nature and abilities of those now running the government, Congress must make no new appointments to the nation's highest judiciary body.

***********

Except for the fact that Sandra Day O'Conner is still on the court until her successor is confirmed, I agree with Harvey Wasserman in this article, 'All Supreme Court appointments must be postponed.'

Closer to how I feel about Reinquist...

From WHR

READER: note to News directors in all major outlets. WE don't care. Rhenquist is dead so ship him to New Orleans and float him up and down the street for a week and see if he can be picked out from the rest of the bodies.

'Nuff Said?
-T

Actually, that was silly...

Of COURSE you could pick him out, his skin will be white/blue, instead of black/blue. And his Rolex will be real.

-T

Pandemoniac, Maureen Dowd's article of 9-3-05, United States of Shame, was a very good article.

On not listening

The enemy is inside the wire

The enemy is inside the wire

The Two Americas
By Marjorie Cohn

What good came out of President George Bush's labored response to the hurricane (I won't identify the woman's name in connection as I know of good government gal in Treasury named the same who must be horrified) is the rallying from the other 47 states to rescue these persons. Otherwise maybe the rest of us would have been complacent. So it feels great to be damn mad at the federal government, that institution of anonymity where all of us always seem tethered to in disgust. To be mad at the US federal government is a must and possibly a good thing. President George spoke correctly. I offer applause to him to drown out the noise of confusion in his head and to assist in planting the next thought of support to these US citizens

John Benson, thank you for clarifying your point (maybe I was the only one who didn't quite get it with your first posting...sorry), but I stand by my comments. Actually, I think you and I are on the same page with this, except perhaps you think it is inappropriate to point out disturbing FACTS to save the feelings of the grieving?

The actions and decisions of Rehnquist and GWB have caused much grieving, here in the United States, and throughout the world in bush's case.

(I would also point out that oft times - not saying in this case - family members don't grieve at all because the departed are simply bastards and as the lyrics in that long ago Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line" mournfully stated, "I feel nothing.")

Dangerous Incompetence
By Cindy Sheehan
t r u t h o u t | Perspective Saturday 03 September 2005

The Bring Them Home Now Tour bus that went into Covington is the Veterans For Peace Impeachment Tour bus that I rode in and out of Crawford on. They took about 10,000 pounds of leftover Camp Casey supplies and we had 2 trucks filled to the brim with leftover water from the camp to Covington [LA]. The tour bus also has satellite, so it is the only communications that Covington has with the outside world now.

Sibel Edmunds Update:

9/11 testimony of 'Inconvenient Patriot' implicates Dennis Hastert, other top officials in al Qaeda-related bribery scandal

By Mike Mejia

so far the Righties have been teflon
any wagers on who the first to fall might be?

The Saying

There is a saying that it is not nice to speak ill of the dead. I agree with that saying to a point. There are people who are placed in situations that effect millions upon millions of lives. Many of these people have abdicated their responsibility. Their life must be scrutinized by people who can assess the person's life work and the impact that their life had upon the people.

This scrutiny is necessary in order that we can alleviate present and future mistakes. The stakes are too high to let irresponsible and immoral decisions to go unnoticed, such as the fact that Bush is a murderer and a war criminal. Do we not have the responsibility to call them the way we see them?

Spot on, Gerald!

The MSM abdicated their responsibilities to give us the truth and look where we are now!

Here's David Corn's quote from August 30th: "As I've watched cable news today I've seen no mention of this [Iraqi deaths] , but loads of coverage of Hurricane Katrina, which may have caused the death of 50 to 80 people." Your right, Matt, he and Bush think alike.

I will not be politically correct if some idiot is affecting my country, my family, and me!!! That is the spew we heard from the American Nazis while all the time they were lying to us. We should be nice but the American Nazis do not have to play by the same rules!!!

From a press release LA Senator Mary Landrieu sent out today:
But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast - black and white, rich and poor, young annd old - deserve far better from their national governmeent.

I went to the article of August 30th. It was posted on Tuesday night. If David Corn though the hurricane only killed about 40 people, then how can he talk about Bush being a disaster. Hell, I see a post from Matt that day telling Corn that thousands died. Maybe Matt should be president and editor of Nation.

#103 The first to go should be GWB - but that ain't gonna happen. Michael Brown and Michael Chertoff should both be summarily fired -- but bush will probably give them the Presidential Medal of Preparedness or some such nonsense.

General Rove is undoubtedly preparing the spin to make Gov. Blanco, Senator Landrieu, and Mayor Nagin the heavies. (They probably do have some culpability...but what is FEMA and HLS friggin' for????)

Now that Landrieu has discovered she was played for a fool on the bushit photo-op, she's pretty damned mad.

and regardless of all of this I bet the states affected still vote RED...something about forest for the trees

One hateful, bigoted, right-wing creep down; many more to go.

wonder if talk radio will now rail up about FEMA reform as much as the UN reform bit

coming soon on the 700 Club...
Pat Robertson explains why Mardi Gras caused God to flood New Orleans

Hajji,
Go to Crooks and Liars and you'll find the video you want.

With any luck maybe the next big hurricane will hit Bush's ranch when he and his band of croonies are there on vacation.(Since that's half the time chances are pretty good).Hopefully the water will be about 6 feet deep. They will call in the national guard but they must wait since most of them are in Iraq, they will call the head of FEMA but he has no idea what he is suppose to do. Bush just gave him that job because they are friends. They will beg for help from the rest of the world but nobody will help since he has no friends left in the world. Oh if only dreams could really come true.

I have heard the economic impact will be huge from this calamity. Maybe when it hits the Rights pocketbook they will see the light.

meanwhile the gouging at the gas pump is gonna be sweet

RJ,
I agree with your post, except a water level of 8 feet would be much better.

Good riddance to bad rubbish. By Tuesday, he will have been totally forgotten. People want to talk about something else-the bureacratic murders of the Bush administration in New Orleans.

Corn you are an idiot. You make it sound like Renquist and Renquist alone decided Bush V. Gore.
If you would do you r homework, you would find there were two decisions within Bush V. Gore. The first was a 7-2 decision, after their earlier 9-0 decision, admonishing the Florida Supreme Court for their obvious violations of making law. Not only are they not allowed to make law, the sought to impose their new law after the fact. The 5-4 decision came as a result of the court being split as to what they could do to remedy the problem created by the Florida Supreme Court. For you to place this decision on Renquist and Renquist aone is absurd in the least.

Nightline is going to be a Bush incineration fest tonight. Of course, I will be watching.

I finally figured out why I am so enraged by what happened in NO. I have training to work with first responders. I have EMT training. I am going to be there for my city if a catastrophe happens. Well, when Katrina hit land, I figured out the federal government may or may not be there for me when I line up the injured to be evacuated out and I’≠ looking for food and water. Can you imagine how terrified those cops and first responders were? It was a horror show and it went on and on. By Friday I figured out as I watched the people chanting help, help, help, that they may not be there for five days if a calamity hits my city.
And every time I see people like the President of Jefferson Parrish I can only imagine what it felt like to give to the community and the country and do as much as a person can figure out to do in those circumstances and watch the skies for help to arrive and to think, oh here it comes, here it comes, for five days. And then to find out the FEMA kept turning back help. They turned back a flotilla of 500 boats. They turned back food and water. They said no to Canada on their search and rescue team. They said no to Chicago. And the President of Jefferson Parrish waited.

Micki;
Here's the problem I have. I think you and Robert Schwartz are correct, and if we don't say something Rehnquist will be come the best thing that has happened to minorities and other people who can't buy the system ever had. That is wrong, but (and here is where you realize that its only wrong for liberals to be disrespectful of the dead) as soon as we say the deceased was a bigot we're not being respectful. The first act of some super patriot will be to track down the widow or child of the deceased and say look at what the evil liberals are saying. I guarantee you they will give Faux a good quote.

At that point you get "Our deepest sympathy" cards from people who loathed the departed and you think, "Perhaps I should track this piece of used toilet tissue down and give them a something to sympathize about." Trust me on this if nothing else, if you haven't been there, you don't have a clue.

So we can't win, but the real users will be the folks who go looking to make life just that much more miserable by pointing out that not everyone liked the deceased. It is actually easier to accept that not everyone liked the person you loved than watch him or her be used as fodder.

The first thing wrong with this country is its religiousity. I wouldn't mind or deny a human spirituality. Or even a traditional regular time to celebrate/remember it. But come fucking on - do you think god has a beard? Is heaven in the sky? There's nothing there. And the sooner we accept that, the sooner we accept responsibility.

Tim H,

Is WR's being a cog in the machine that destroys a democracy make him any less a villain than if he was the machine, in its entirety?

I don't believe Corn was placing ALL the blame on the schmuck, he was simply reiterating a decision that Reinquist made that he strongly disagrees with. And he did it without calling him a racist, chauvenistic male supremicist, a bigot, an asshole or any other lables that I'd be happy to place on him myself.

-T

You're right John.

ANOTHER DICK CHENEY SIGHTING -- SECRET. SHHHHHHH.

Vice-presidential visit confirmed

By RENATO GANDIA
Today staff
Wednesday August 31, 2005
Fort McMurray Today — The White House confirmed Tuesday afternoon that American Vice-President Dick Cheney is coming to visit Fort McMurray’s (Alberta, Canada) oilsands on Sept. 9.

“The vice-president’s visit to Fort McMurray’s oilsands facilities will be a component of the trip, which will provide the opportunity to discuss energy security and available resources,” White House spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride, told Today Tuesday.

A day before coming to the Fort McMurray region, Cheney will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan in Calgary...

The spokeswoman declined to comment on what specific issues will be discussed by Cheney and McLellan....

“...energy is going to be the focus of the discussion of the whole visit. Naturally, because of (McLellan’s) role as the minister of national security, she will update him on what Canada is doing to help secure North America..." Swann said.

Michael Walker, executive director of Fraser Institute, told Today Cheney’s visit all started as a private trip to visit friends.

“It’s a private trip and then I suggested that he visit the tarsands,” Walker said.

The government got hold of the information and made a public event out of the visit, he said.
Walker will hold a private banquet for the Cheney on Sept. 8 but he declined to comment about its details.

“It’s a very private function. The media had made a bunch of speculations about it but I haven’t talked about it with them. So I’m not confirming or denying anything,” said Walker...
Walker also said he and Cheney fished together, before Cheney became the vice-president, and that they share a lot of interests.

GRRRRRRRRRR

OK I'm back and apologizing to all the faithful who are going to retch over my comments:

Everyone of us is going back to the earth. It doesn't matter how you've lived your life. You're not going to heaven or hell, you're going away. If you think there is a god, good for you, I need proof which will never come. Does the fact that I need proof damn me?

It is hard to pout for any Supreme Court Justice as intellectually dishonest as the late chief justice. I believe his most profound contribution to the field American Jurisprudence will be sartorial; the three pompous yellow stripes he sewed on his robe (a la Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe"), to set himself apart from the other day-players in the 1996 production of "The Impeachment of President Clinton."

Let us hope that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Bush will be forced to select a Chief Justice with a tad more integrity and style than the late, yellow-striped Rehnquist.

Brent,
If there is a God, he doesn't care. Just be good boy and you'll do fine. Bush believes he's on the stairway to heaven and I got news for him.
By the way, I'm a mom so when I say be a good boy it isn't an insult. It's just me being a mom.

I fully concur with Mr. Corn's comments on the passing of Senor Reinquist. Good article

God is the make believe friend of grown ups.

Here's the head of the totem pole the President of Jefferson Parrish was talking about. Get the chain saw.

Knight Ridder Exposes Horsey Background of FEMA Chief

By E&P Staff

Published: September 04, 2005 10:00 AM ET

NEW YORK So who is Michael Brown, now catching all kinds of criticism for his handling of the catastrophe in New Orleans? It seems his primary career experience before nabbing a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) post was running a Arabian horse association. An article by Matt Stearns and Seth Borenstein for Knght Ridder Newspapers observes, "there was little in Michael D. Brown's background to prepare him for the fury of Hurricane Katrina."

The reporters quote Kate Hale, former Miami-Dade
emergency management chief: "He's done a hell of a job, because I'm not aware of any Arabian horses being killed in this storm. The world that this man operated in and
the focus of this work does not in any way translate to this. He does not have the experience."

During the 1990s, Brown served as judges and stewards commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association. His job was to ensure that horse-show judges followed the rules and to investigate allegations against those suspected of cheating. "I wouldn't have regarded his position in the horse industry as a platform to where he is now," said Tom Connelly, a former association president. The reporter refer to Brown's stormy years with the horses as a "rocky tenure." Some have claimed that he was fired from his post.

But Brown knew Joe Allbaugh, President Bush's 2000
campaign manager. Allbaugh took over FEMA in 2001, and hired Brown as general counsel.

Brown blames victims
clearly a suitable team member for this administration

I posted this to the webpage Capt. Helped me set up. Anybody wanna try the comments out for me?

Jill's Katrina DMAT Updates

Thanx,
-T

Ffolks,


Jill called today while I was at work, so I didn't get to talk to her very long.
She told me that they're on hold at a school for the deaf and blind not far from the LSU campus.

They were served a great breakfast (considering) by the LSU Mother's volunteer brigade. In Northeastern SC, we shouted "Go Tigers" for ourselves last night. Let me shout "Go Tigers!" for them today.

Much to the team's frustration, they are one of sixteen DMAT teams who are simply idle, waiting on orders to deploy. Whether from security concerns or confusion about where they might be most effective there are over 300 DMAT medical professionals in Baton Rouge alone who want nothing more than to help the sick, injured and otherwise broken champing on the bit and nobody's seen fit to ring the bell and open the gates. I can certainly understand their frustration.

While there's evidence of downed trees and minor structural damage in Baton Rouge, Jill says that the worst is seeing many people empty, shuffling along seemingly shocked and displaced but the field hospital set up in the LSU gym wasn't really that busy.

A couple of developing stories....

Cliff, one of Jill's Teammates rode out the hurricane at a downtown NOLA hotel, apparently at an EMS convention. They evacuated hundreds, themselves, before they started being called to their DMAT teams. People like Cliff are indicative of DMAT folks, they'll suffer along with the people, get them out, go back for more...God bless them!

The second was a quick story about a California DMAT team being pulled from the Superdome area after some shooting in the area. I'm still looking for some confirmation.

Anywhoo...Jill and her team are dry and safe and raring to go. Please take the opportunity to drop her a note in the comments section.

I am new to this, so bear with me on updates and such. I'll try to not let my personal political perspectives color this blog. (well, not TOO much anyway!)

-T

It looks like the emergency management for No was privatized.
The Politics of Weather.

So why the tardiness, and the failure to learn lessons? Well, you know that thing about capitalism and the free market being the most efficient system available? Want to hear something hilarious? New Orleans' seemingly unintentionally accurately named 'catastrophic hurricane disaster plan' was privatised last year.

IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Thanks to that, as Dewberry, a partner in this noble venture put it a while back, '[h]ad one of the devastating hurricanes targeted New Orleans and southeast Louisiana, state and local officials would have been ready'. So how's that working out?

IEM stands for Innovative Emergency Management. I guess 'Climb for your life!' and 'Run to the football stadium!' are pretty innovative. To be fair it must be hard to focus when you're so freaked by the impact on insurance, let alone oil prices.

I should confess that no amount of online poking on my part has clarified to me precisely who in this corporate/mayoral thicket gets to decide when to order evacuation, vertical, horizontal or other. It's possible that the buck stops as much or more with Nagin as IEM and Dewberry. I dunno. So maybe we should just share the love.

The plot thickens. The politics of weather, the shyness of experts. This continues from my earlier post. It's an update and too long to put on a post. Here's the beginning.
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Remember my earlier point that disaster management in New Orleans had been privatised, the 'catastrophic hurricane disaster plan' having been handed over to Baton Rouge-based Innovative Emergency Management last year? Watching this nightmare unfold, I've been wondering why no fucking one is asking what exactly IEM got paid for.

It's turning out to be very hard to find out, for rather startling reasons.

In my first post on this, I quoted their original press release:

IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Don't bother trying the link to that release on the original post. It doesn't work any more. Let me explain. If you go here now, you'll see IEM's page of press releases. Below is what it looked like at 3am on Friday 2nd September, a few minutes ago.

Jeanne;
If you understand what I'm saying, I'm sorry. If you don't, enjoy the days.

It's getting downright nasty in the Big Easy.
White House Shifts Blame to State and Local Officials.

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

John,
I understand what your saying. I was being honest.

more ownership society--blame the states

Mitt Romney says the people are to blame for not having six gallons of water per household...wonder if he thought they should have the duct tape too?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1094262&page=1

WE ARE DOOMED. The United States is a nation of idiots. Bush can do no wrong. Check your brains at the door (if you ever had one!). We fuckin' get what we deserve.