Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do, Judy

Who caved? Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald caved, and Judith Miller got what she wanted.

"Fitzgerald made a recent and important compromise. The prosecutor would narrow his questions to Libby, which he had not been willing to do when Abrams (Miller's then lawyer) approached him about the idea last year."

Why did Fitzgerald cave? "The grand jury hearing the case is to conclude its work by Oct. 28."

"Sources close to Miller said she had numerous government sources she wanted to protect, but Libby was the only one relevant to the Plame investigation."

"A source close to Miller said yesterday that her testimony does not implicate Libby as intentionally and knowingly identifying Plame."

Judith Miller walked and testified, after 85 days in jail for REFUSING to testify in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case.

She didn't really need a personal waiver of confidentially from Scooter Libby -- he issued a blanket waiver last year. Miller wasn't protecting Libby.

Possibly all of Miller's talk about protecting sources is merely lip service, and Miller is in reality protecting herself from testifying not only about information she may have received, but also divulged.

Power Line elaborates.

Here's the leak probe timeline.
--LynZee

Superdome Anarchy Overstated

We shouldn't be surprised that the Bush bashing, agenda driven, liberal media discarded any semblance of factual reporting in their irresponsible, sensationalized coverage of the New Orleans Superdome.

The vast majority of reported atrocities -- murders, rapes, violence, scores of dead bodies -- have turned out to be false.

"...newspapers and television exaggerated criminal behavior" coming out of a rumor mill "treated as fact by evacuees, the media and even some of New Orleans' top officials".

On national TV, Mayor Nagin told Oprah of people "in that frickin' Superdome for five days watching dead bodies, watching hooligans killing people, raping people". Not true, yet Nagin has not stepped down as has Police Chief Eddie Compass and Mike Brown of FEMA.

Another example is Aaron Broussard on MTP accusing the feds of murdering an old lady by not coming to her rescue for five days, when in fact she was one of the drowning victims at St. Rita's on the first day of the flood.

When subsequently confronted about his false claims, Broussard responded to Tim Russert with, "Man, get out of my face".

Amid all the lies came calls for accountability.

"But now even the mainstream media is figuring out that its performance in New Orleans was a disgrace, an emotion-binging joyride fueled by urban myth, rumor, and a deep desire to injure the Bush administration."

Where are the calls for journalistic accountability?

More at Power Line.

WSJ via Instapundit:
For FEMA, "rumors of lawlessness simply delayed on-the-ground relief efforts".

--LynZee

What's The Big Idea?

The Dems don't seem to have a clue, much less an idea.

“What Big Idea would a Democratic presidency be about? No one seems to know…”

Their latest ploy is selling a set of packaged goods branded “cronyism and corruption”.

Caveat emptor.

--LynZee

Skunk Indicts Hammer

Somehow, the "Earl of Injustice", Ronnie Earle, convinced a grand jury to indict Tom Delay on conspiracy charges.


If there's a conspiracy afoot, it's political, vast, left-wing, and includes media types, like Tim Russert, who promptly spewed forth Democrat talking points.


Objective: 2006 mid-term elections.


Earle pulled the same thing in 1993 with Kay Bailey Hutchison. Earle wanted then TX Gov. Ann Richards to appoint him to fill Lloyd Bentsen's vacant Senate seat, but Richards instead appointed Bob Krueger. Hutchison beat Krueger in a special election, giving TX two GOP Senators.


In an attempt to preserve liberal Dems in Austin and scuttle Hutchison's 1994 re-election campaign, Earle went after Kay but dropped the case on the first day of her trial. Hutchison was acquitted.


There's a skunk named Earle on the left of the road, and it's stinkin' to high heaven.


Michelle Malkin here.
Power Line here, here.
--LynZee

John Roberts Answers

Hat Tip: steward

Update: Bush Victory -- John Roberts confirmed by a vote of 78 - 22.
--LynZee

Louisiana's Looters

WaPo issues a blistering editorial of Louisiana's "request for $250 billion in federal reconstruction funds for Louisiana alone -- more than $50,000 per person in the state".

"Like looters who seize six televisions when their homes have room for only two, the Louisiana legislators are out to grab more federal cash than they could possibly spend usefully."

The Louisiana bill is "preposterous".

But, it explains that looting in Louisiana is not limited to poor folks in the 9th ward, or New Orleans cops who watch and participate in looting, but extends all the way to the state house.
--LynZee

Update:
Swamp of Corruption
New Orleans Police Superintendent Resigns

Mike Brown Testifies

Former FEMA Director Mike Brown was crucified today.

"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," two days before the storm hit, Brown told the panel.

Brown FEMA got a "bum rap" because many people incorrectly believe it serves as something of a federal rapid-response force.

"FEMA is a coordinating agency" he said.

"Brown said: FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement. FEMA does not do communications."

"Brown said: Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin were not coordinating their efforts and that he should have done more to persuade them to."

"Brown told the committee, FEMA's approach worked in Mississippi and Alabama."

Brown said that "for whatever reason, Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco were reticent to order a mandatory evacuation."

FEMA cannot order evacuations.

--LynZee

Rita Exodus -- Why We Fled

"It takes a lot to pierce the bravery — and the bravado — of a Gulf Coast culture inured to big weather."

We fled from Rita primarily because of images of Katrina.

We fled because, on Wednesday, she was headed straight for us.

We fled because my area was issuing a mandatory evacuation 6 a.m. Thursday.

It was the largest evacuation in U.S. history.

Even factoring in the spectacular traffic jams, Houston had a better plan than most cities. Better than Chicago, LA, or New York. "Houston's plan worked about as well as could be expected, despite the glitches that developed." Houston lacked pre-planned contra-flow lanes, and pre-positioned tankers for gas.

The biggest problem was that the majority of people evacuated on Wednesday. We all left at the same time.

Politics played into it -- officials were determined to perform their leadership rolls better than Kathleen Blanco and Ray Nagin. Houston's Mayor Bill White did an excellent job.

Update: Fuel deliveries coming in around the clock.

--LynZee
Related:
Rita -- Shelter From The Storm That Missed Houston
Rita -- Evacuation Hell

Rita -- Shelter From The Storm That Missed Houston

Evant, TX, population 392, is located about 70 miles west of Waco, TX.

After the nightmarish ordeal of evacuating Houston and countless "no vacancy" signs, FEMA directed us to this small town and an available shelter at Evant's First Baptist Church.

We arrived at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning, sacked out on a pew for a few hours, and awoke to find the nicest, friendliest, most sincerely generous people I have ever met in my life. We stayed until Saturday afternoon.

Twenty - thirty people sheltered here at various times, and hot meals were provided. Sunday School classrooms were allotted to offer a little privacy. The church had only one shower, but a church member opened her vacant rent house and let us shower there. At least four people offered us their own homes to stay in.

My husband and son trucked a huge painted sign to the main highway directing others to the shelter. I helped compile a computer file of evacuees for FEMA purposes.

Since it was Friday night in Texas, that meant football. It was homecoming and the Evant Elks played a good game, ultimately losing 35 - 33. We were given free tickets. There was barbecue after the game and a dance at 10:00, but we were tired and returned to the shelter early.

On Saturday, we were able to reserve motel rooms in College Station. Mindful of gas shortages and fearful of traffic jams going back into Houston, we still felt we should try to get closer to home. Before leaving, we were told that if we got stranded to give them a call and they would come pick us up.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the good folks of Evant, TX, their First Baptist Church, and especially to their Pastor David Bonnett who worked extremely hard to organize and accommodate evacuees from Hurricane Rita.

Sunday morning, we left College Station and drove home on a full tank. It was smooth sailing, 65 mph all the way. Only a few gas stations were open along the way. It's good to be home.

--LynZee
Related: Rita -- Evacuation Hell

Rita -- Evacuation Hell

There are 2.5 million evacuee stories out of the Houston area.....this is mine.

We were 42 hours without sleep, and 27 hours on the road.

Departing 11:30 p.m. Wed., Sept. 21, it took 12 hours to travel 52 miles to Conroe, TX. Three, six, ten mph, standstill. A gridlocked, neverending nightmare.

Found a Shell station in Conroe with no long lines, but lots of people, cars and a situation out of control. We were next in line, so I got out of the car to stand in front of the pump to prevent cutters. At that moment, the store clerk announced the store was closed -- only credit cards at pump. It was obvious she couldn't handle the crowd. Probably some stealing at the pump and in the store. Seconds later, a cop appeared to say the pumps were closed, too. They weren't out of gas, just trying to prevent chaos. We moved on, got gas at another station -- no problem. We never encountered a problem getting gas after that.

Three hours and 30 miles later -- Huntsville, TX -- no motels, no shelters.

Left the interstate, took the backroads to College Station, TX -- no motels, no shelters.

Kept going -- hit Hwy. 6 into Waco -- no motels, no shelters. One motel clerk gave me a phone number for a FEMA person, who directed us to an available shelter in Evant, TX.

Evant is about 70 miles west of Waco. We arrived 2:30 Friday morning. A church pew never slept so good.

--LynZee

Hurricane Rita

Here in the Houston area, people are stocking provisions and bracing for Hurricane Rita.

In my community today, lines formed at gas stations, Wal-Mart sold out of water, flashlights, coolers; and there isn't one can of Spam or Vienna Sausage left in my immediate area.


Galveston has issued its first ever mandatory evacuation for 6 p.m. Wednesday and a state of emergency was declared this evening. Evacuation buses are to begin rolling out of town Wednesday morning.

Schools in Houston and Galveston have closed.

Rita is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm.

As of 4 p.m. today, the National Hurricane Center forecast that the storm's center would come ashore just north of Matagorda Bay. That's about 100 miles SW of Houston.

Different computer models call for different landfalls, and we all know too well that hurricanes love to hook northward.

A hurricane making landfall near Matagorda would to be expected to roll over Houston with tropical force winds in the 70 mph range, with heavy rain and possibly tornadoes. She could still hook close to Houston.

With visions of Katrina still in our heads, many people are evacuating. It looks like my crew will be truckin' north.

--LynZee

Don't Get Stuck On Stupid

"Don't get stuck on stupid" -- a priceless gem from General Honore.
(via Instapundit)

Transcript

N. Korea Flips And Flops

Kim Jong Mentally Il and "North Korea's word by itself is worthless".

One day they sign an agreement to halt nuclear activities and discuss light-water reactors at the "appropriate time", and the next day they demand light-water reactors BEFORE dismantling.

Washington is focusing on the Beijing declaration and Bush says, "we expect a verifiable process".

"China is either taking on the implicit role of inspector here or this agreement will also be impossible to verify."

Signing the agreement indicates the six party talks is the right way to go. Bush's recent meeting with China's president, and Condi at State sealed the diplomatic angle.

But, God -- the North Koreans are historical liars of historical proportions.

--LynZee

Heresy?

I, Heretic at RedState.org.

"President Bush understands money better than any President we have ever had."

"Money is power."

"Here's where we get the money: our citizens earn it in their businesses or by performing their jobs. They spend it on things they need. A lot of those things are imported. The cash ends up in the hands of foreigners. The U.S. government borrows it back. Note carefully that our consumers now have the stuff, and our government has the cash. "

"Here is why we take on debt: He who has the cash makes the rules."

"Debt is about acquiring cash now, from somebody else. An institution should do that any time it thinks it can earn a return on the cash that is higher than the interest it must pay on the debt."

"We know where to get the money. It's a Good Thing to get the money."

"You Democrats had 60 years to try it your way. Now we're going to try it our way."

Read the whole thing. It will make you think.
--LynZee

Ass

In the aftermath of Katrina, NO Mayor Ray Nagin screamed for the feds to get their "asses down here" in an attempt to save his own ass. It was either going to be his ass or their ass, and now it's a question of who can kick ass.

Nagin has been throwing a hissy fit about people getting their asses back into a city with no water, no electricity, no 911 service, no hospitals. Since Nagin's head is UP his ass, he must be talking OUT his ass.

The federal asses that Nagin screamed for in the first place, Bush and Thad Allen, had to put a sling on Nagin's ass. Now Nagin, in a bass ackwards reversal, is telling people to evacuate their asses back OUT of New Orleans because of approaching storm Rita.

This was after Nagin's tight ass called Thad Allen ""the new crowned federal mayor of New Orleans."

Spoken like a true dumbass by the biggest ass in New Orleans.

--LynZee

Rita's Coming

Tropical storm Rita is heading for the Gulf and hurricane status.

"It could hit anywhere in the window of Brownsville and New Orleans,” said Lance Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The Houston area is in the center of that window."

Galveston has already called for a voluntary evacuation.

After the debacle of Katrina, local officials are scrambling to not get caught with their pants down like LA Gov. Blanco and NO Mayor Nagin.

--LynZee

A Hand Up

Bush offers Katrina victims a hand up, not a handout.

David Brooks: Bush wants the spending "to go to programs that enhance individual initiative and personal responsibility".

Bush wants to transform the gulf region which has become a disaster of urban liberalism.

Louisiana wants to house evacuees in trailers parked on military bases where they will live in "abject dependency".

Bush wants "to put temporary housing within a mile of the original neighborhoods so people can become self-sufficient as quickly as possible."

--LynZee

Bill Clinton Attacks George Bush

By tradition, former presidents don't criticize their successors -- unless it's Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton.

Clinton attacked Bush today on MTP.

Tim Russert asked: how can we afford the $300 billion cost of rebuilding New Orleans?

MR. CLINTON: Well, I don't think the--it may cost $300 billion, but a lot of it will be borne by the private sector.

Clinton's initial response was to be "Well, I don't think the--" (insert "Well, I don't think the price tag will be $300 billion"), before catching himself, then continuing with "it MAY cost $300 billion".

Clinton obviously thinks the estimate is too high.

Then the last part: "but a lot of it will be borne by the private sector". Later in the interview, "there are lots of things that are going to be done in Katrina through the private sector".

Clinton doesn't think the feds will foot the entire bill, and "borne by the private sector" means economic boom and Clinton knows it. And, the private sector won't be borrowing money from other countries.

MR. CLINTON: "...In effect, we're borrowing the money to pay for Katrina, pay for Iraq, and pay for Bill Clinton's tax cuts."

But not once did Clinton mention trimming the "fat" from the billions wasted by Congressional "pork barrel" spending. THAT won't get Hillary elected president. One must assume that borrowed dollars are paying for "fat" too.

Clinton keeps complaining that he's not required to pay enough income tax -- I'm sure the IRS will accept his donation any time he wants to contribute.

As for Iraq, it's a matter of record that Clinton supported regime change and often warned against Saddam's WMDs.

And yes, today, Bill Clinton declared his candidacy for First Man.

He could NEVER be First Gentleman.

--LynZee

Afghanistan Votes

"Afghans chose a legislature for the first time in decades...braving threats of Taliban attacks to cast votes in schools, tents and mosques...there were no immediate signs of a spectacular attack that officials feared from Taliban militants who vowed to disrupt the vote."

Landmark election.

--LynZee

Katrina -- What And When

Factcheck.org timelines Katrina.
(via Blogs for Bush.)

Cindy Sheehan Auditions For Jay Leno

Cindy Sheehan has called on President Bush to
"pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans" (via Drudge).

If and when the laughter ever subsides, what remains is a laughing stock.

Power Line has the scoop on Cindy's comrades.

--LynZee

Hugo Chavez

Then there's Hugo Chavez -- another belligerent, America hating, Castro wannabe dictator -- with oil and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.

And he's looking left and right for excuses to halt Venezuelan oil sales to the US.

He's cozying up to our enemies, signing energy deals with other countries, and threatening to cut off oil sales to the US.

Chavez is building up his military, loves neighboring Colombia's narcoterrorists, and wants to export his "Bolivar revolution" in the region.

He's mouthing off at the UN. He's mouthing off about so-called operation "Balboa". Yes, "Balboa" -- that's America's plans to invade Venezuela. Paranoia strikes deep....into your heart it will creep.

Another megalomaniac who wants to be president for life while oppressing his countrymen under the guise of "democratic socialism". That's the system that offers three choices: vote for me, go to jail, or die.

US policy is to "contain" Hugo Chavez in his drive to subvert Latin America.

Well, we can't just assassinate him.

--LynZee

Nagin Strikes Out Again

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin doesn't have the intellectual capacity to evacuate his city, nor does he have the intellectual capacity to re-populate his city.

"Nagin has announced that the city's Algiers section, the Garden District and the French Quarter would reopen over the next week and a half, bringing back more than one-third of the city's half-million inhabitants."

Whoa, hoss!

The mayor's homeland security director, Terry Ebbert, backed away from Nagin's promise on Friday, saying only that the city would assess the situation in the French Quarter from "day to day."

Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen called Nagin's idea to return up to 180,000 people to New Orleans in the next week both "extremely ambitious" and "extremely problematic."

It's the tap water, stupid. You can't drink it, you can't wash in it. Did you think about that, Mayor? Did you think about the possibility of heavy rain or another storm causing more flooding? Did you ever think about that? Did you ever think at all?

--LynZee

Louisiana Officials Indicted Before Katrina Hit

Corruption seems to be rampant in Louisiana.

"Federal audits found dubious expenditures by the state's emergency preparedness agency, which will administer FEMA hurricane aid.

Senior officials in Louisiana's emergency planning agency already were awaiting trial over allegations stemming from a federal investigation into waste, mismanagement and missing funds when Hurricane Katrina struck.

And federal auditors are still trying to track as much as $60 million in unaccounted for funds that were funneled to the state from the Federal Emergency Management Agency dating back to 1998.

In March, FEMA demanded that Louisiana repay $30.4 million to the federal government.

The problems are particularly worrisome, federal officials said, because they involve the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the agency that will administer much of the billions in federal aid anticipated for victims of Katrina.

Earlier this week, federal Homeland Security officials announced they would send 30 investigators and auditors to the Gulf Coast to ensure relief funds were properly spent."

These people should not have any kind of authority over federal funds.
--LynZee

Cleaning Up After Katrina

Tons of debris confront crews in Gulf Coast.

New Orleans alone has 22 million tons of debris.

Mississippi has enough debris to cover 200 football fields and stand 50 feet high.

''We have no idea yet how long it's going to take to get rid of it," said Jean Kelly, public information officer for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. ''We're working on all kinds of different ways to get rid of debris, but we won't know if any of them are valid until we see what we've got to get rid of."

Grants

Sept. 2 -- Depart. of Labor issued a grant of up to $50 million to establish approximately 10,000 temporary jobs for eligible dislocated workers to help in the recovery and clean-up efforts underway in Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Approximately $16.6 million in grant funds will be released immediately.

Sept. 3 -- Dept. of Labor issued a grant of up to $62.1 million, with an initial release of $20.7 million, to provide approximately 10,000 temporary jobs for dislocated workers to help in recovery and clean-up efforts underway in Louisiana.

Fork Over The Pork Barrel

Pay for part of Katrina with pork.

Take a look at 570 of this year's juiciest appropriations projects.

Here's a searchable database of 13,997 pork projects.

“Hurricane Katrina No Pork Pledge”.

CAGW.

Start by scrapping Mr. Young's "Highway to Nowhere" and send the money to the right somewhere -- to rebuild New Orleans and the Mississippi coast.

--LynZee

Triumph Of The Spirit Over Death

President Bush delivered an excellent speech.

"It was not a normal hurricane – and the normal disaster relief system was not equal to it."

"the system, at every level of government, was not well coordinated, and was overwhelmed in the first few days."

"a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces – the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment’s notice."

"When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation, I as President am responsible for the problem, and for the solution."

"We are going to review every action and make necessary changes, so that we are better prepared for any challenge of nature, or act of evil men, that could threaten our people."

"I propose the creation of a Gulf opportunity zone"

"I propose the creation of worker recovery accounts"

"I also propose that Congress pass an Urban Homesteading Act."

"there is also some deep, persistent poverty in this region as well."

"That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action."

"minority owned business, home ownership"

"This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented crisis,"

"And tonight I also offer this pledge of the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes, to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives."

Analysis: Strong, solid, take charge.
(Aside: It's a mistake to entrust funds and authority to incompetents like Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin.)
--LynZee

Gulf Coast Recovery And Reconstruction

Tonight, President Bush will announce a series a initiatives to reconstruct the Gulf Coast post Hurricane Katrina.

"The initiatives will encompass education, health care and other social services, with specific housing and job assistance for people who return to New Orleans to live."

Some notable past government reconstruction efforts:
Civil War Reconstruction
Civil Rights Acts of 1866
New Deal
Work Progress Administration (WPA)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Marshall Plan
Great Society

We've done it before, we can do it again.
--LynZee

Freedom Hating Terrorists Slaughter Civilians

A series of coordinated bombings in Baghdad targeted civilians, killing 160 and wounding 570.

Al Qaeda in Iraq and Zarqawi claimed responsibility, declaring retaliation for the Tal Afar offensive.

The Tal Afar operation netted more than 400 suspected militants. Officials said Monday the insurgent death toll in three days of fighting in Tal Afar totaled 200.

"Al-Qaida in Iraq lost basically a base area and transit point coming across the Syrian border. That will severely inhibit their operations..."

The bombings were also an attempt to scare Iraqis away from the Oct. 15 referendum on a new constitution.

The routing of Tal Afar has contributed to Zarqawi assuming tactical command of terrorist groups in Ramadi and Baghdad who "have had to merge under
him for the sake of survival."

Today's carnage is another instance of terrorists with "no more agenda than to kill, maim, and destroy".

-LynZee

Update: Al-Zarqawi has united insurgent groups in
Baghdad to target the Iraqi Shia Muslim community
with the aim of bringing civil war to Iraq.

Expect the terrorism to escalate in the run up to the October 15 referendum on Iraq’s new constitution and general elections due in December.

Successes in Tal Afar uncovered "horrible" abuses wrought by the Zarqawi terrorists.

"The details were prophetic reminder of what al-Qaeda’s supremacy may bode. "

Bush: Not on my watch.

Pledge Ruled Unconstitutional

"U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional Wednesday."

"Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation "under God" violates school children's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

(Just WHO is forcing and coercing these children to utter "under God"?)

"Karlton wrote that the case concerned "the ongoing struggle as to the role of religion in the civil life of this nation" and added that his opinion "will satisfy no one involved in that debate."

(Not true -- it will satisfy at least one atheist.)

"Karlton dismissed claims that the 1954 Congressional legislation inserting the words "under God" was unconstitutional. If his ruling stands, he reasoned that the school children and their parents in the case would not be harmed by the phrase because they would no longer have to recite it at school."

(Here's a novel approach: let the phrase "under God" be optional. Simple and harmless.)
--LynZee

UN Must Change To Earn Respect

"If member countries want the United Nations to be respected and effective, they should begin by making sure it is worthy of respect."

President Bush delivered a strongly worded speech calling on the UN to rid itself of corruption.

"...the United Nations must be strong and efficient, free of corruption, and accountable to the people it serves. The United Nations must stand for integrity and live by the high standards it sets for others."

"The President cited the make-up of the UN Human Rights Commission, which has been dominated in recent years by countries such as Cuba, Sudan and Zimbabwe, as a particularly unhappy example of UN hypocrisy."

Related: Oil For Food IS The UN
--LynZee

Ophelia

Hurricane Ophelia pounds North Carolina coast with sustained winds of 80 mph.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned that Ophelia's pace could result in "an excruciatingly long passage of the hurricane along the North Carolina coast over the next couple of days."

Mandatory evacuation was ordered for islands, beach towns and flood-prone areas in parts of six coastal North Carolina counties and voluntary evacuation was urged for parts of nine others.

Ophelia could dump up to 10 inches of rain with an 8 foot storm surge.

Thoughts and prayers go out to those in Ophelia's path.

--LynZee

"Crescent of Embrace" -- Memorial To Terrorists

The red crescent is the
universally recognized symbol of
Islam.

The "Crescent of Embrace" "commemorates the killers' faith instead of the victims' revolt".

This proposed memorial design is a sickening insult and dishonor to the crew and passengers of Flight 93.

It is no less despicable than erecting a swastika on a Holocaust memorial.

Michelle Malkin has the low-down.

Related: What Islam Has Become.
--LynZee

Keep On Truckin'

Did you hear the one about Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA), who manipulated usage of a 5-ton military truck and six National Guard MPs to check his own house after the hurricane?

Jefferson personally rescued a laptop computer, three suitcases, and a box about the size of a small refrigerator from his home, which the enlisted men loaded up into the truck.

"I don't think there is any explanation for an elected official using resources for their own personal use, when those resources should be doing search and rescue, or helping with law enforcement," said Jerry Hauer, a homeland security expert.

That big truck got stuck in the mud. Signals were sent out to Coast Guard helicopters but, for some mysterious reason, Jefferson declined to be rescued by the Coast Guard.

"The Louisiana National Guard then sent a second 5-ton truck to rescue the first truck and Jefferson and his personal items were returned to the Superdome."

Get this -- "Authorities recently searched Jefferson's property as part of a federal investigation into the finances of a high-tech firm. Last month FBI officials raided Jefferson's house as well as his home in Washington, D.C., his car and his accountant's house."

"Last week, Jefferson set up a special trust fund for contributions to his legal defense in light of the FBI investigation."

An old saying comes to mind: Even before Katrina hit, half of Louisiana was underwater and the other half was under indictment.

--LynZee

New Orleans Is Broke, Man

"The City of New Orleans has no money to meet its expenses, Mayor C. Ray Nagin told a meeting of elected officials."

"The city is bankrupt, the last payroll was the last cash we had," said Nagin, looking and sounding exhausted. "We have no money. ... I can't even make payroll for my police and fire [personnel]."

"Technically, today we are out of cash. By hook or by crook, we are going to pay our employees until the end of the year," he said. "Then we are going to try to figure out what we can afford. That's the intention."

Well, the "hook or crook" analogy is apt.
Nagin can't afford to meet his payroll, but he could sure afford to send his cops to Vegas to paint the town red last week while rescue efforts were still going on in New Orleans.

Let me see, how did he justify it? Oh, yeah -- "New Orleans is a party city. Get over it."

--LynZee

New Orleans Bankrupt

The City of New Orleans has no money to meet its expenses, Mayor C. Ray Nagin told a meeting of elected officials.

"The city is bankrupt, the last payroll was the last cash we had," said Nagin, looking and sounding exhausted. "We have no money. ... I can't even make payroll for my police and fire [personnel]."

"Technically, today we are out of cash. By hook or by crook, we are going to pay our employees until the end of the year," he said. "Then we are going to try to figure out what we can afford. That's the intention."

Well, the "hook or crook" analogy is apt.
Nagin spent too much money on his police force's free trips to Vegas!

Long before Katrina, the welfare state failed New Orleans's poor.

Brendan Miniter, WSJ:

"If LBJ had won his war on poverty, Ninth Ward residents would have had the means to drive themselves out of New Orleans."

"Instead, after decades and billions of tax dollars have been poured into big government programs, one out of four people in the Big Easy were still poor. That is an
indictment of the welfare state and all its
antipoverty programs."

"It's time to rethink how we, as a society, combat poverty. Are we going to try another big-government program and expect better results this time?"

"Or are we now going to realize that ownership is the most likely path to the middle class?"

"School vouchers can help poor parents take ownership of their children's education and finally break the grip teachers unions have on the public schools. Health savings accounts and private accounts for Medicaid and Social Security will give those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder the skills as well as the assets necessary to climb higher."

"In late August the levees broke in New Orleans. But the welfare state had left the poor stuck in the mud long before that. "

Read the entire column. After failure of the welfare state, the time has come for Bush's "ownership society".

Avoiding Poverty

George Will has thoughts on poverty and Katrina (hat tip: SistaLJ).

Three rules for avoiding poverty:

Graduate from high school,

don't have a baby until you are married,

don't marry while you are a teenager.

Among people who obey those rules, poverty is minimal.

Alternate link.

The Storm Has Passed

Mark Steyn via Power Line:

"It would seem unlikely that in the 2006 elections voters in states unafflicted by Katrina would eschew Republican incumbents and stampede to vote for the party that's given us the New Orleans Police Department, its clown mayor and Louisiana's sob-sister governor."

"These days, the Republicans are the party of small government and the party of big government, and the party of all points in between. The Democrats, meanwhile, are the party of emotive know-nothings, the go-to guys for soap-operatic sobbing and righteous histrionics. You can understand why the 24-hour cable-news networks love the Dems."

"Just stick a camera in front of New Orleans's Mayor Nagin: "To those who would criticise, where the hell were you?" he roared the other day. "Where the hell were you?" In a town you're not the mayor of, happily. That's how most Americans react."

"But the media think, wow, this is great television, he really socks it to Bush. And, if life were an especially bad daytime soap, he would. But ask Democrats for specifics and they're either as blank as Mrs Pelosi or as mired in their ancient tropes as Jesse Jackson."

Kipling: "If you can keep your head when all about you/Are losing theirs and blaming it on you."

That's all Bush had to do. The storm has passed.

Read all of it.
--LynZee

John Roberts' Confirmation Hearing

Real Clear Politics highlights some of the proceedings. Democrats are fond of mouth farting, but I'm fond of this tidbit from John Cornyn (R-TX):

"Now, I know some of the members of the committee will ask you questions that you can't answer. They'll try to entice you to abandon the rules of ethics and the long tradition described by Justice Ginsburg.
But that should not concern you, Judge Roberts. Don't take the bait."

Blogs for Bush has the live blogging.

And, they're off to a contentious start:
"It took less than an hour before Senators...fell into disagreement over Hurricane Katrina."

"Today, the devastation, despair facing millions of our fellow Americans in the Gulf region is a tragic reminder of why we have a federal government, why it's critical that our government be responsive," said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and ranking minority member of the panel."

Ted Kennedy: ""The powerful winds and flood waters of Katrina tore away the mask that has hidden from public view the many Americans who are left out and left behind," he said. "As one nation under God, we cannot continue to ignore the injustice, the inequality and the gross disparities that exist in our society."

Cornyn shot back: "We ought not to appropriate a national tragedy in a misguided effort to further a political interest of any sort."

"Wendy Long, counsel for the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network, accused the Democrats of "exploiting the national tragedy."

"Reasonable, fair-minded Democrats should prevail on their more extremist Senate colleagues to back off these inappropriate tactics," she said. "Grandstanding,
deception and cavalierly playing politics with
the human tragedy wrought by the hurricane
will not endear Senate Democrats to the
American people."

Cornyn: "Others likely will make similar attempts in a bizarre effort to link Judge Roberts to the tragedies in the Gulf of Mexico. But Katrina victims should not be used to score political points."

Monumental Success ?!?!

Has the Hurricane Katrina relief effort been a monumental success? Jack Kelly thinks it has.

Jason van Steenwyk is a Florida Army National Guardsman who has been mobilized six times for hurricane relief. He notes that:

"The federal government pretty much met its standard time lines...The federal response here was faster than Hugo, faster than Andrew, faster than Iniki, faster than Francine and Jeanne."

Journalists who are long on opinions and short on knowledge have no idea what is involved in moving hundreds of tons of relief supplies into an area the size of England in which power lines are down, telecommunications are out, no gasoline is available, bridges are damaged, roads and airports are covered with debris, and apparently have little interest in finding out.

So they libel as a "national disgrace" the most monumental and successful disaster relief operation in world history.

In the course of a week, 32,000 rescued; levee repaired; water pumping out; food, shelter, medical to 180,000 refugees.

Journalists complain that it took a whole week to do this.

Exhibit A on the bill of indictment of federal sluggishness is that it took four days before most people were evacuated from the Louisiana Superdome.

The levee broke Tuesday morning. Buses had to be rounded up and driven from Houston to New Orleans across debris-strewn roads. The first ones arrived Wednesday evening. That seems pretty fast to me.

Read the whole thing -- there's an interesting passage about hookah hits.

--LynZee

Bush Tours New Orleans

Bush on the scene in New Orleans.

"The storm didn't discriminate and neither will the recovery effort," Bush said.

"Look, there will be plenty of time to play the blame game," he said. "That's what you're trying to do. You're trying to say somebody is at fault. And, look, I want to know. I want to know exactly what went on and how it went on, and we'll continually assess inside my administration."

"We've got plenty of troops to do both," the president said. "It is preposterous to claim that the engagement in Iraq meant there weren't enough troops."

"We need to make sure that this country is knitted up as well as it can be in order to deal with significant problems and disasters," Bush said.

"Meantime, we've got to keep moving forward. And I know there has been a lot of second-guessing. I can assure you I'm not interested in that. What I'm interested in is solving problems. And there'll be time to take a step back and to take a sober look at what went right, what didn't go right."

Shoulda Been A Cowboy

There's New Orleans Ray Nagin, the
last person to be finger pointing,
pointing his finger again. Surely, he
must be thinking, "I shoulda been a
cowboy".

Nagin was in Dallas Sept. 9th because his family
evacuated to the city. He said his family has found a
place to live and their 6-year-old is in school. "All that
was taken care of," the mayor said. "I can't tell you all
the support that Texans have given us."

I guess he figured it was better to move now, rather than wait to be run out of New Orleans for impersonating a mayor.

Lights Out Los Angeles

A major power outage from Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley raised neck hair, coming on the heels of a videotape of a purported al-Qaida member making terrorist threats against Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia.

However, reports of a snapped power line ruled out terrorism. Power is being restored.

Initial fears of terrorism reveal a country on edge in the wake of Katrina, September 11th anniversay, and continued terrorist threats.

Update: Utility workers connected the wrong wires.

Career Firefighter To Head FEMA

The White House picked R. David Paulison, a top FEMA official with three decades of firefighting experience, to replace Mike Brown,
who resigned today amid criticism
of his handling of Hurricane
Katrina disaster.

Paulison has headed up FEMA's emergency preparedness force. Before joining FEMA, Mr. Paulison, who has 30 years of fire rescue services experience, was chief of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department.

Good choice! They don't come any better than firefighters. I should know -- my son is a firefighter.

Bush has an obvious affinity and respect for first responders, in particular FDNY.
--LynZee

9/11 -- Never Forget

Ghost Trains And Dead-Heads

WaPo:
"Nagin did not tell everyone to leave immediately, because the regional plan called for the suburbs to empty out first, but he did urge residents in particularly low-lying areas to "start moving -- right now, as a matter of fact." He said the Superdome would be open as a shelter of last resort, but essentially he told tourists stranded in the Big Easy that they were out of luck."

"The only thing I can say to them is I hope they have a hotel room, and it's a least on the third floor and up," Nagin said. "Unfortunately, unless they can rent a car to get out of town, which I doubt they can at this point, they're probably in the position of riding the storm out."

"In fact, while the last regularly scheduled train out of town had left a few hours earlier, Amtrak had decided to run a "dead-head" train that evening to move
equipment out of the city. It was headed for high
ground in Macomb, Miss., and it had room for several
hundred passengers. "We offered the city the
opportunity to take evacuees out of harm's way," said
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black. "The city declined."

"So the ghost train left New Orleans at 8:30 p.m.,
with no passengers on board."

Another feather in the cap of Mayor Ray Dead-Head Nagin.

Oil Production Still Blocked

As of Saturday, 122 of the 819 staffed platforms in the gulf were shut down, blocking 59.8 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's normal daily production.

The shutdowns also blocked 38.2 percent of the gulf's normal daily gas production.

Since Katrina first threatened the gulf on Aug. 26, 17.1 million barrels of oil and 84.2 billion cubic feet of gas have been shut in.

Some Good News

Gateway Pundit has some Good News From The Gulf Coast.

"Progress is being made in leaps and bounds following the massive destruction of Hurricane Katrina."

Check it out -- there is a long list.

Brown Out

As I noted yesterday, FEMA head Michael Brown has been removed from managing Katrina relief efforts on the ground. He's back in DC to "oversee" the overall operation.

Salvation Army Barred From New Orleans

Not only was the Red Cross barred from entering New Orleans, but so was the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army was prepared to go in. They
repeatedly asked to go in before the levee broke.
They repeatedly asked to go in after the levee
broke and the city was flooded.

They were denied access by the state of Louisiana "from minute one".

Yet, Gov. Blanco faults the slow response of FEMA for the horrific suffering at the Superdome and convention center.

CQ: "The suffering and deprivations that caused the revulsion of the nation did not result from a lack of response from FEMA."

"No amount of spin will overcome the heads of the Red Cross and the Salvation Army telling this story."

Unloading On Nagin And Blanco

Thomas Lipscomb unloads on Nagin and Blanco (via Power Line):

"New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin had the colossal nerve to shout indignantly "Get off your asses, and let's do something" -- and then continued doing nothing himself, but add to the deluge by bursting into tears. "

"Of course behind all this is a dirty little secret well-known in New Orleans which is also the reason almost 30% of New Orleans police precinct members deserted during the Hurricane Katrina emergency."

" The police were afraid to try to enforce any kind of evacuations in the violent ghettos of a city that remains one of the most lawless in America. Anyone driving a school bus down a street in one of New Orleans's "projects" trying to enforce the mayor's evacuation order would be risking his life. Had the Mayor ordered police escorts, the desertion rate of the police would have been far higher than 30%. And that is the reason for the current argument between the Mayor and his own Police Commissioner, who still refuses to enforce his "mandatory evacuation" order."

Oil for Food IS the UN

"Oil for Food is a story about what the U.N. is. And our conclusion from reading the 847-page report is that the U.N. is Oil for Food."

"Mr. Annan was himself complicit in covering up
Iraqi violations of the sanctions regime. "

"Mr. Annan was aware of the kickback issue from at least February 2001, yet "the Secretary General's
quarterly reports never mentioned the emerging
problem"."

"Why Mr. Annan chose to see no evil on Iraqi sanctions violations, much less use his bully pulpit to denounce it (as he later denounced the Iraq war as "illegal"), is an interesting question."

"Our sense is that the U.N. Secretariat as a whole took the view that the sanctions regime was immoral and that Saddam was within his rights to break free of it."

"Now Mr. Annan wants to use this Volcker report as an endorsement of his "reform" proposals. Only at the U.N. could he dare to think he could get away with this."

FEMA Head Michael Brown Fired -- Sort Of

WaPo:
"With Michael D. Brown, the embattled public face of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, taking harsh criticism for the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina, the secretary of homeland security this week assigned a top Coast Guard official to help bail him out."

"Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen, the Coast Guard's chief of staff, was assigned on Monday to be Brown's deputy and to take over operational control of the search-and-rescue and recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. The unprecedented task of coordinating the massive effort was handed off to a leader and expert who was described by colleagues as unflappable, engaging and intensely organized."

Michael Barone's take:
"I suspect, Bush told Chertoff to bring in someone with hands-on emergency management experience to do Brown's job for him. In effect though not in name, if my reading between the lines is right, Michael Brown has been fired."

Haley Barbour Leads In Crisis

“When you look at the way Miss.
Governor Barbour has conducted
himself, especially in contrast to the
ineptitude displayed by Governor
Blanco, you think to yourself – this
guy has some special leadership
qualities,”


Ankle Biting Pundits has the DC Buzz.

Sandy Burglar Fined $50,000

"A judge on Thursday ordered Sandy Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, to pay a $50,000 fine for illegally taking classified documents from the National Archives."

"Berger avoids prison time but he must surrender access to classified government materials for three years."

Berger had admitted to sneaking classified documents out of the Archives in his suit, later destroying some of them in his office and then lying about it.

It was memo drafts of the Millennium After-Action Review that laid out vulnerabilities and glaring weaknesses resulting from the restrictions on the sharing of critical information between intelligence and law enforcement. This was Clinton Deputy AG Jamie Gorelick's infamous "wall of separation".

Berger got off easy for covering Clinton's rear end.

--LynZee

Bringing Home The Bacon

WaPo via The Buzz:

"In Katrina's wake, Louisiana politicians and other critics have complained about paltry funding for the Army Corps in general and Louisiana projects in particular."

"But over the five years of President Bush's administration, Louisiana has received far more money for Corps civil works projects than any other state, about $1.9 billion."

"Much of that Louisiana money was spent to try to keep low-lying New Orleans dry."

"But hundreds of millions of dollars have gone to unrelated water projects demanded by the state's congressional delegation and approved by the Corps."

"Despite a series of independent investigations criticizing Army Corps construction projects as wasteful pork-barrel spending, Louisiana's representatives have kept bringing home the bacon."

"Overall, the Bush administration's funding requests for the key New Orleans flood-control projects for the past five years were slightly higher than the Clinton administration's for its past five years. Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, the chief of the Corps, has said that in any event, more money would not have prevented the drowning of the city."

Blanco Ices Nagin

Can Louisiana Gov. Blanco get on the same page with anybody? Can she get in the same book?

"Tuesday, NO's Mayor Nagin ordered a forcible mandatory evacuation of those people still refusing to leave the city."


But on Wednesday, Blanco challenged Nagin's authority to do so: ""The mayor certainly has ordered that but the governor, and that would be me, would have to enforce it or implement it."

Blanco is the governor that Nagin did not endorse in the 2003 governor's race.

"In a bold and potentially risky move, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin crossed party lines Monday to endorse Republican Bobby Jindal."

"Nagin said Blanco supporters attached words like "risk" and "consequences" and "repercussions" to the prospect of his backing Jindal."

"Nagin hinted that Blanco's backers issued threats, indicating that "if we get in we're going to basically ice you out"."

Mudville Gazette has details.

Open warfare?

Why Is The Red Cross NOT In New Orleans?

Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans?

"The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

Hugh Hewitt: "The Red Cross is confirming to Garrett that it had prepositioned water, food, blankets and hygiene products for delivery to the Superdome and the Convention Center in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, but were blocked from delivering those supplies by orders of the Louisiana state government."

More here.

Kudos to Gov. Blanco! She coulda, she shoulda -- but didn't.
--LynZee

Katrina Contraband

"Most of the people fleeing New Orleans stepped off planes in Salt Lake City with nothing more than a few bags of their belongings."

"But at least one person decided to take a bag filled with someone else's stuff: Jewelry valued between $5,000 to $10,000."

"Authorities believe the jewelry may have been
stolen."

"Utah Highway Patrol Capt. Robert Anderson, head of security for the evacuees at Camp Williams, said the items were possibly looted. The jewelry still had price tags and nobody claimed it when authorities found it Sunday night at the Utah Air National Guard Base. The Utah Department of Public Safety was investigating."

Tour de Gas

Katrina -- Oil Production, Refining

37 production platforms were destroyed in the Gulf's shallow waters and 15 were seriously damaged.

One of the largest of those damaged is Royal Dutch Shell's Mars platform (pictured), which received significant damage to its topside superstructure.



Companies continued to restart platforms:
Andarko Petroleum's Marco Polo back up to full output.
BP's Holstein facility producing 70,000 barrels a day.
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port 75% capacity on Tuesday.

Pipelines:
Enbridge Energy said its 30-inch pipeline in the Mississippi Canyon may take weeks to reopen.
Pipeline operators like El Paso, Enterprise Products Partners and Williams Partners have not been able to inspect all of their facilities.

Major damage at Chevron Corp.'s 325,000-barrel-a-day refinery at Pascagoula, Miss., and ConocoPhillips' 247,000-barrel-a-day plant at Belle Chasse, La. may keep as much as 5 percent of the country's refining capacity offline for weeks.

20 new shipments of gasoline are en route to U.S. ports in the next week representing barely half of U.S. gasoline daily consumption.

Oil Production, Refining Capacity Expected to Return to Normal by November

Four of the 10 refineries that were shut down are expected to be back at full capacity within the next week and six refineries that had to scale back production were expected to be back at full capacity by Thursday.

Domestic oil production should return to just under 5.4 million barrels a day in November, the level it was in August before Hurricane Katrina disrupted most of the Gulf production and knocked out ten Gulf coast refineries.

Katrina -- Environmental Disaster

Toxic Timebomb

Pumping billions of gallons of contaminated water out of New Orleans and into the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain will "have a crippling effect on marine and animal life, compromise the wetlands that form the first line of resistance to future hurricanes, and carry deleterious consequences for human health throughout the region".

Environmental Toll

The dank and putrid floodwaters choking this once-gracious city are so poisoned with gasoline, industrial chemicals, feces and other contaminants that even casual contact is hazardous, and safe drinking water may not be available for the entire population for years to come, state and federal officials warned Tuesday.

Baton Rouge Concerned About Crime

Baton Rouge has welcomed thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, but there is an undercurrent of fear about crime and the effect of the evacuees.

"They put up with the crime in New Orleans, and now it's staring them in the face, but up here that's not going to be tolerated. People are going to handle it individually if they have to. This is the South. We will take care of it."

Katrina -- Delayed Response

ABC News:

"Experts say when natural disasters strike, it is the primary responsibility of state and local governments — not the federal government — to respond."

"Federal officials say in order to get involved, they must first be asked to do so by state officials."

"As one FEMA official told ABC News, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco failed to submit a request for help in a timely manner."

"Shortly before Katrina hit, she sent President Bush a request, asking for shelter and provisions, but didn't specifically ask for help with evacuations. One aide to the governor told ABC News today Blanco thought city officials were taking care of the evacuation."

"New Orleans' own comprehensive emergency plan....was not followed completely."

CYA is a Big Job:
"A bureaucrat's prime directive is "Cover your behind at all costs, and if you can blame your enemies in the process, so much the better.""

KATRINA - THE REPORT CARD

Katrina's Diaspora

States that have welcomed refugees from Hurricane Katrina:

TEXAS: About 240,000 in shelters and hotels

ARKANSAS: At least 60,000

LOUISIANA: 53,170 in 86 shelters; 804 in special-needs shelters

MISSISSIPPI: More than 17,000 in Red Cross shelters

TENNESSEE: About 16,000

ALABAMA: About 5,380 in shelters; 20,000 elsewhere

OKLAHOMA: About 1,500 at a National Guard training center

MISSOURI: About 1,500 people in hotels, churches or shelters

GEORGIA: 1,134 in 17 Red Cross shelters

NORTH CAROLINA: More than 1,100

Forced Removal

CNN Breaking News: New Orleans mayor issues order authorizing the forced removal of people refusing to leave the city.

Oh, Gee! Will he forcibly remove them to the Superdome?
--LynZee

Jesse Jackson

Gateway Pundit takes off on Jesse (Hymie-town) Jackson:

"Isn't there some Marxist somewhere you can go prop up after a ride on his private jet?"

Blame Amid Tragedy

This is the best commentary I've seen about the "blame game" of hurricane Katrina and her aftermath.
--LynZee

"You're On Your Own"

"City, state and federal emergency officials are preparing to give the poorest of New Orleans' poor a historically blunt message: In the event of a major hurricane, you're on your own."

This was the message, in the process of being video-taped on July 24, to be distributed on hundreds of DVDs across New Orleans.

In the video, officials such as Mayor Nagin "drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm's way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation".

People are urged "to make arrangements now by finding their own ways to leave the city in the event of an evacuation".

"You're responsible for your safety."

"Officials want to get the DVDs into the hands of pastors and community leaders as hurricane season reaches its height in September."

&*%!$*!#^&*!@#!*$%!*!!#*@*#$%!&@*!#$%

And Nagin and Blanco are hollering about slow relief effort response for people they intended to leave "on your own"? Does hypocrisy ring a bell? Are cries of racism rendered a ridiculous mockery?

No wonder they left the buses to flood in the parking lot. No wonder the Superdome was not adequately provisioned.

The entire video would essentially be a disclaimer of official non-responsibility. You're on your own, we're not responsible, you're responsible for yourself.

If that's the sorry case, then what in hell is the beef about?

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Pardon my French.

--LynZee

More here, here.

Superdome To Be Town Down

Cnn's Anderson Cooper has just reported on air that the New Orleans Superdome is likely to be torn down -- too much damage.

Snubbed

Blanco comments on Bush's Monday visit:

S. O'BRIEN: Governor Blanco, do you think the president was trying to snub you with that meeting yesterday? I mean, I heard from your spokespeople that you didn't even know about that meeting until you made the call. You saw it on CNN, apparently.

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: Well, in the heat of battle a lot of things happen. And we feel like we're in the heat of battle.

"A lot of things happen", huh?

Here's what really happened:

"Blanco was not told when Bush would visit the state, nor was she immediately invited to meet him or travel with him. Blanco's office didn't know Bush was coming until told by reporters. Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said the White House reached out to Blanco's office on Sunday, but didn't hear back. White House staff in Louisiana spoke with Blanco early Monday, he said."

So, tell me exactly, who snubbed whom?

The Big Easy Rocked

Mark Steyn weighs in on hurricane Katrina and the Big Easy:

Congressman Billy Tauzin once said of his state: "One half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment."

"Last week, four fifths of New Orleans was under water and the other four fifths should be under indictment."

Plug It Up, Pump It Out

The levee is plugged, and the floodwaters have begun to be pumped out. It may take up to 80 days to drain New Orleans.

Be prepared for the horrors that are likely to be revealed when the waters recede.

The brew of chemicals and human waste in the New Orleans floodwaters will have to be pumped into the Mississippi River or Lake Pontchartrain, raising the specter of an environmental disaster.

Experts say the vile, stagnant chemical soup that sits in the streets of the city known as The Big Easy will contain traces of everything imaginable.

The risk of disease is staggering.

The result could be an second wave of disaster for southern Louisiana.

“In effect, it’s going to kill everything in those waters,”

“Most of the buildings will have to be destroyed.”

Yet, some stubborn souls still refuse to evacuate.
--LynZee

Deputy Chief Warren Riley: "We advise people that this city has been destroyed. It has been completely destroyed....there is no reason -- no jobs, no food -- no reason for them to stay."

Hurricane Katrina Timeline

RWNH has an impressive Katrina: Response Timeline.

Check it out.
--LynZee

Nagin Blasts Blanco

CNN Transcript:

S. O'BRIEN: There are people who say your evacuation plan, obviously in hindsight, was disastrous....when you put people into the Superdome. It wasn't thought out. You got 20,000 people in there. And that you bear the brunt of the blame for some of this, a large chunk of it.

NAGIN: I don't know what else I could do, other than to tell them that it's a mandatory evacuation. And if they stayed, make sure you have a frigging ax in your home, where you can bust out the roof just in case the water starts flowing.

And as a last resort....the Superdome. That's where we sent people as a shelter of last resort. When that filled up, we sent them to the Convention Center. Now, you tell me what else we could have done.

S. O'BRIEN: What has Secretary Chertoff promised you? What has Donald Rumsfeld given you and promised you?

NAGIN: I can't stand anymore promises. I don't want to hear anymore promises. I want to see stuff done. And that's why I'm so happy that the president came down here, because I think they were feeding him a line of bull also. And they were telling him things weren't as bad as it was.

He came down and saw it, and he put a general on the field. His name is General Honore. And when he hit the field, we started to see action.

And what the state was doing, I don't frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn't adequate.

We were in Air Force One. I said, 'Mr. President, Madam Governor, you two have to get in sync.

He (Bush) called me in that office after that. And he said, "Mr. Mayor, I offered two options to the governor." I said -- and I don't remember exactly what. There were two options. I was ready to move today. The governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision.

S. O'BRIEN: You're telling me the president told you the governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision?

NAGIN: Yes....I was abdicating a clear chain of command.

S. O'BRIEN: And the governor said no.

NAGIN: She said that she needed 24 hours to make
a decision.

Hurricane Katrina Damage Map

Check out this site for color satellite images of Katrina's destruction.

Click on the map, it will enlarge.
Click on an area, you'll get another close-up map broken down to blocks.

--LynZee

Open Letter To The Times Picayune

Referencing this section of your paper's open letter to Bush:

"Mayor Ray Nagin did the right thing Sunday when he allowed those with no other alternative to seek shelter from the storm inside the Louisiana Superdome."

I emphatically disagree.

There are numerous school buses flooded -- photo here.

These school buses and the RTA's 364 city buses could have and should have been used to evacuate people out of New Orleans instead of herding them into the Superdome where there were inadequate provisions.

Mayor Nagin did not follow his city's own emergency plan.

Section V
D. Regional Transit Authority
Supply transportation as needed in accordance with the current Standard Operating Procedures

It was Nagin's responsibility to implement this plan.

Section V
A. Mayor
Initiate the evacuation.
Retain overall control of all evacuation procedures via EOC operations.

Governor Blanco should have deployed the Louisiana Guard BEFORE Katrina made landfall. She did not.

It was Blanco's responsibility to deploy the troops to bring in initial supplies of food and water.

If New Orleans was indeed accessible as your "open letter" claims, Blanco should have sent them in with buses, food, water, gas -- "no excuses should have been voiced".

"Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency." Link

If The Times-Picayune is going to assign blame, begin by looking in your own back yard.

Katrina -- Why Didn't Nagin Follow His Own Plan

CQ:
New Orleans comprehensive hurricane disaster plan.

"The plan exists on line and has a high level of detail, and yet the Exempt Media has given no coverage of its contents. The most obvious reason is that it shows that New Orleans and the state of Louisiana didn't follow their own plan."

"In short, Mayor Nagin had the responsibility not just for the declaration of evacuation, but to have a plan ready to handle its implementation. As noted repeatedly, the only actions Nagin took was to call a press conference and ready the Superdome for refugees. Those with personal transportation available hit the roads and got out of the way. Those unable to move themselves, either from poverty or infirmity, got left behind. Why? Nagin had a responsibility under this SOP to have a plan and to implement it."

"The document then goes on to discuss exactly how to conduct an evacuation of the city. It delineates several tasks for the city government, which it notes in section III-A is solely the responsibility of the city government."

"The mandatory evacuation order came a little less than 48 hours before the storm made landfall, but well past 48 hours before the levees broke. Further, the precautionary evac notice came about 96 hours before landfall, and the mayor only upped that to a general evac after George Bush exhorted the mayor and Governor Blanco to do so. (Notice that Bush could not, himself, give such an order; he has no authority to do so.)"

"It sure looks like no one in charge in New Orleans knew of this plan's existence. They certainly skipped over the part where they had the primary responsibility to take care of their own citizens. New Orleans residents should ask themselves why Nagin failed to follow his own disaster planning, instead of sitting on his rear and waiting for the feds to bail him out."

Read all of it.
--LynZee