The Devil Is in the Details....

The devils were everywhere at the Drownie Brownie Hearing...

How did Jeffrey Dahmer

come back as Shays aide?


And that big eyebrowed, smarmy lawyer behind Brownie....



It's a mystery! It's a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma!

BULLSHIT......

The NYT has an article on the difficulties Katrina victims will face with obtaining bankruptcies given the new law. They start out like this....

When Congress agreed this spring to tighten the bankruptcy laws and crack down on consumers who took on debt irresponsibly, no one had the victims of Hurricane Katrina in mind.

Come on. That they never imagined such a thing is just bullshit. They didn't care about the possible effects on Americans as they were too busy shooting down any and all amendments to this crap piece of legislation to ensure passage for the credit card companies. They knew of the possibilities. They didn't care.

Go read A copy of the Democratic House Judiciary Staff's dissenting views on the bankruptcy bill that was leaked to RAW STORY prior to the bill's passage. It's right there...

While some people abuse the bankruptcy system, more than 90 percent of debtors file for bankruptcy due to unemployment or underemployment, an illness or accident, or divorce. The bulk of the remainder suffered from other legitimate difficulties, including activation for military service, being a victim of crime or natural disasters, or a death in the family ...
SNIP

a. Concerns Regarding the Means Test

It is incorrect to assume that the effect of S. 256’s harmful provisions would be limited to individuals seeking bankruptcy relief who earn more than the state median income.

The definition of “current monthly income” used in the means test measures a debtor’s income based upon how much the debtor earned in the six months prior to bankruptcy. If the debtor lost a good job in month three and has been working at a low-wage job ever since, the income from that good job, and help from family members, would be counted as if that is what his future income would be. The debtor would be expected to pay out of income that may no longer exist. Also, the means test will pick up a variety of revenue sources – such as disaster assistance, and Veterans’ benefits – which will result in lower- and middle-income individuals being cast as bankruptcy “abusers” with income above the median.

What Happened to "Out of the Goodness of Your Heart"?

Let's just get it over with and turn the government over to the churches. From WaPo....

After weeks of prodding by Republican lawmakers and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said yesterday that it will use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

FEMA officials said it would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.
SNIP
Civil liberties groups called the decision a violation of the traditional boundary between church and state, accusing FEMA of trying to restore its battered reputation by playing to religious conservatives.

Brownie Will Never Last...... Again

My sister called earlier and said she had just heard on the CBS Evening News that Michael Brown had been hired as a consultant by the government to help in finding out what went wrong with the Katrina response.
I laughed and laughed and laughed. I heard her say to her husband, "She's laughing."
And I was. Then she said, "I never heard you laugh like this." It must have been like a slap to the face that brings a hysterical person around. Why was I laughing like this?
I'm not sure....

What else can you do?
If you don't laugh you'll cry?

Only these guys would effectively fire and then re-hire what all of America knows to be an absolute incompetent and think they could get away with it. Their greed knows no bounds. They do not know the meaning of "Enough". I had thought when Brownie was let go that they had to face up to their limits, admit a mistake and take action. Snort...boy was I wrong. What made me think such a thing? It is that after all this time (5 Bush years seems like 10) I am still rooted in and operating in this world with a sense of reason, rationality, fairness and shame when I do wrong and above all with the expectation that our leaders would do the same. Whoa isn't that a hoot?

Maybe Not. At least not on this one. This Brownie story is all over the cable news already. People will be hot about this one by tomorrow. It will not stand. I just can't wait to see how they spin it before they fire him for the second time.
It's the Great Age of Irony it is.

Up Against the Wall....

Mother of a dead Soldier

Cindy Sheehan Arrested

From Yahoo News.....

Sheehan and several dozen other protesters sat down on the sidewalk after marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests.

Cat Blogging: New Carrot Toy

Purchased the carrot toy on a tip from Eschaton reader four legs good. 4LG's Maxx the Lion Kitty loves it and I found so did Teddy........












.

Could He Possibly Look More

Disinterested In His Job......










Or Pouty?

Oh Oh...

From AP:

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., was updated several times about his investments in blind trusts during 2002, the last time two weeks before he publicly denied any knowledge of what was in the accounts, documents show.

Wyoming's FEMA Request Approved While WI is Denied

As in post below Wisconsin learned today that FEMA denied it's emergency disaster aid request for 3 counties hit by 28 tornados causing $47 million in damages. 2 people died, 67 homes were destroyed and 400 were damaged.
Governor Doyle had requested aid on August 25 prior to Katrina. It took 29 days to be told No. WI was informed Friday just one day before the request would have been disallowed.

Now people may say hey there is Katrina and so you just have to sacrifice as others are hurting more. Then how come this happened.......

What makes the situation more frustrating is how fast a similar disaster declaration was made out West in August, before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.

According to FEMA reports on its Web site, Bush declared Wright, Wyo., a disaster area on Aug. 22, 10 days after the town of 1,500 people was struck by a tornado. Two people died, 60 homes were destroyed and another 60 damaged in Wright.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal requested the emergency declaration Aug. 17 and got it from Bush five days later.

So let's compare......

Wisconsin................................Wyoming
28 Tornadoes..................................1 Tornado
67 homes destroyed .......................60 homes destroyed
2 Dead ...........................................2 Dead
Blue state ....................................Red state
Home of Cheeseheads ....................Home of Dick Cheney

The facts regarding each disaster appear to be even. No?
So you have to ask..... was it the last 2 that swung this one.
And in case you didn't catch this...Wyoming's request was expedited quickly while WI 's request took the entire 30 day period allowed. Tomorrow the request would have been disallowed.

FEMA Denies Aid to Tornado Ravaged Area of WI

28 tornadoes touched down in 3 Wisconsin counties on August 18. It was a one day record. Damage was estimated at more than $47 million. One town (Stoughton) south of Madison was particularly devastated. The Governor had requested aid for the disaster area.

However today it was announced that FEMA denied aid......

The Bush administration Friday denied a Wisconsin request for disaster assistance for three counties hit by tornadoes.

"Based on our review of all the information available, it has been determined that the damage was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments," wrote R. David Paulison, acting under secretary at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle.
SNIP
Doyle said he would appeal the decision."I'm dismayed by this decision, having seen firsthand the damage these tornadoes caused," Doyle said in a statement. "While I understand that FEMA's resources are strained, the country shouldn't be in the position of having to choose between victims of one disaster and victims of another."

This is actually quite incredible as it was assumed FEMA would be there as it has in past disasters. American citizens need to realize just how unprotected they are at present and in the future.
It is well past time to demand an end to the Bush tax cuts for the rich.

Some Good News....

Fantastic job. Kudos to the pilots and crew!

Is Bush Drinking Again?

The National Enquirer (don't laugh those folks have gotten some big scoops) has a source saying he is.

Family sources have told how the 59-year-old president was caught by First Lady Laura downing a shot of booze at their family ranch in Crawford, Texas, when he learned of the hurricane disaster.
SNIP
A Washington source said: "The sad fact is that he has been sneaking drinks for weeks now. Laura may have only just caught him — but the word is his drinking has been going on for a while in the capital. He's been in a pressure cooker for months.

Definitely read the whole story at The News Blog

Gravatar, Oh Gravatar, Where Are You?

Caption This.....

And this?????

Cat 4

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?

From the Mercury News:
Laura Bush while promoting this weekends National Book Festival made this remark regarding her husband's 5th visit to the Katrina stricken area.

"He has to. That's his job," Mrs. Bush said matter-of-factly. "That's what happens when you run for president. You don't know what might happen like this."

Ahh RUN for president??? I thought the election was over and he IS president.
What is with these folks and Time. They are always looking forward or backward.
What About NOW???? There's no Now......

Time table for the War?? ......if we do that now, the terrorists will win later.
Can't decide who messed up the Katrina response now...later folks.
People drowning and dying of thirst on the Gulf coast.... after vacation.
Can't pay for the war now....later folks.
We'll rebuild N.O. .......we'll pay for it someday.
Global warming? ....we need more time to study it ok?
Can't fire anyone for leaking ID of CIA operative, we're investigating...later folks.
WMD's? Just wait, they'll be there, east, north, west, south.....just wait and see.
Can't blame us for no WMD now. We got a war to fight...no later on this, don't ask again.
Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US...hey that's historical.
Hurricanes? Who would ever have thought this might happen.....we can't see the future you know.

Any other examples of the Bush Time Bender???

Freedom's on the March ...Except

Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is chafing a bit.

Karzai demanded an immediate end to foreign troops searching people's homes without his government's authorization. He also said foreign governments should "concentrate on where terrorists are trained, on their bases, on the supply to them, on the money coming to them" - a veiled reference to support that militants allegedly get from neighboring Pakistan.
SNIP

"I don't think there is a big need for military activity in Afghanistan anymore," Karzai told reporters. "The nature of the war on terrorism in Afghanistan has changed now.

"No coalition forces should go to Afghan homes without the authorization of the Afghan government. ... The use of air power is something that may not be very effective now. ... That's what I mean by a change in strategy."

American People Have Different Idea on How To Pay for Katrina

An AP-Ipsos poll found that:

"Given a choice in the survey, 42 percent favored cutting spending on Iraq to pay for relief efforts on the Gulf Coast, and 29 percent wanted to delay or cancel Republican tax cuts. That's a whopping 71 percent backing options that Bush doesn't even have on the table."

And that:

"Just 11 percent of respondents favored reductions to other domestic programs like education, welfare, transportation and health care. A slightly higher number, 14 percent, said they favored adding to government debt and gradually paying it back."

Bush just is not on the same page as the American people.

1900

1900

Here it comes....

I have been concerned that right wingers would make the lesson of Katrina to be that faith based charities should take over for government. And here it comes....

From Scarborough country:
SCARBOROUGH: At the same time, what bothers me is that we have seen, by getting supplies over here from our group from Florida, the best way to do it is not through governmental groups or huge bureaucracies. It's through faith-based groups.

LOTT: Absolutely.

SNIP......

SCARBOROUGH: Why is it that church groups can do this so much more effectively than our federal or state or local governments?

LOTT: Because that's the uniqueness of America.

The first-responders really are always the American people. They will rise to the occasion, any occasion. There are trucks headed from Ohio and Illinois today to help the people there. And, basically, they are coming through church groups, to church groups, where they are quickly moved to the people that need it. I don't know why the federal government can't do the same thing.

But it is a problem. And we have learned over the past, certainly the last week, we are going to try to find where the problems are by talking to the mayors, the supervisors, individuals. Then we are going to find the solution to getting it direct to the people. And we are going around a lot of the bureaucracy.

But the federal government is going to have to come to terms with doing a better job. One other point. Last night, I want to a reception to thank a group called Diageo. It's an international company from London. They moved a giant generator into Pass Christian, Mississippi, within 24 hours after the hurricane winds died down. And they have been running the water system in Pass Christian ever since, private company. Nobody told them where to go. They came. They did the job.

And when I asked the chairman of the company, how can you do that, but the government hasn't been able to do it, his response was, I can't answer that, because it would incriminate too many people. But it can be done. And we are learning. We are getting the bureaucracy, the wheels turning a little bit. We made a little progress on the mobile home issue. But we still need a lot more, and we need to get them to the people.

Wingers will push this harder and harder in the weeks and months to come. They will use Katrina to justify the growing movement to place the role of government in the hands of Christian churches. They will say as above they can do the job and government can not.
Well government did the job in the past. The problem is how the government is administered under Bush. We must demand government Do It's Job and not abdicate its powers and purpose to the churches.
Usurping revenue and powers to churches is Anti-democratic and Anti-American. And the churches will have many strings attached to aid once they have cornered the market. America wake up. When they run the schools what will your children be taught? When they run social services who will be aided and what will they need to do to be eligible? And when they respond to a disaster who will be rescued?
Do you really think Pat Robertson's Operation Blessing will go into The Castro to rescue gays and lesbians when the big one hits San Francisco?

Brownie Fell on Sword for Bush, Chertoff

The Left Coaster writes:

"It is interesting that hours before Knight Ridder goes with a story that places the blame not on local officials but the Bush Administration, Bush sorta fessed up for the federal government's failings, almost as if the White House knew this was coming. It is also interesting that the day after former FEMA chief Michael Brown fell on his sword, the memo showing that Chertoff for some reason delayed and failed to act timely makes its way into Knight Ridder's hands. Obviously Brown has some friends who are going to set the record straight."

The Knight Ridder story is a must read.

Poll Results on Race Are Disturbing

Just how deep is racism in America?
From USA Today:

Six in 10 African-Americans say the fact that most hurricane victims were poor and black was one reason the federal government failed to come to the rescue more quickly. Whites reject that idea; nearly 9 in 10 say those weren't factors.

Well I know I'm the one white out of that 10...believing that if those were White Republicans left in NO, Bush would have moved heaven and earth to get them out.

Only one in five blame Bush, while one in four for blame NO's mayor and one in four blame the resident's.
"About 4 in 10 say they don't have much confidence in the government's ability to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks next time."

But then there are these numbers on Bush.......

And Bush?

His strongest political asset — the perception that he is a strong and decisive leader — has eroded to the lowest rating of his presidency, 52%. That's 8 points lower than in the previous poll, and 23 points lower than immediately after 9/11 — when his response reshaped Americans' views of Bush.

A majority of Americans say the president doesn't display good judgment in a crisis, doesn't inspire confidence and doesn't "care about the needs of people like you."

How many FEMA's are there?

Paul Krugman is asking THE important question:

But what we really should be asking is whether FEMA's decline and fall is unique, or part of a larger pattern. What other government functions have been crippled by politicization, cronyism and/or the departure of experienced professionals? How many FEMA's are there?

He offers some answers too. The media must follow up on the fine job it did in telling the story of Katrina by asking and answering these questions. And in turn our elected officials need to be held accountable for this sad state of governance. Finally the American people need to accept that the Republicans are shrinking the government to dangerous proportions. Now that they have seen the results let's ask anew........Is this what they really want?


Also be aware that the NYT will begin making you pay to read Krugman and other columnists starting September 19th. I hope this move is a miserable failure.

Great Scout Story

From the comments (thanks Sharbabe) is a link to a great "To Kill a Mockingbird" story about Scout and Atticus at Lance Mannion.

Surfers Get "Worked"

Sorry
Dude...

Not

Interested










Oy......

"Christian Surfers USA, a Florida-based group, has added 10 chapters in the past year and says it has reached 58,000 people in the past three years."

But I like what this surfer dude says:

"Chris Mauro, editor of Surfer Magazine, estimates that the number of U.S. surfers has quadrupled in the past decade from the 2 million adherents counted in the last unofficial surfer census.
There's all kinds of surfers with causes," said Mauro, who voices skepticism about the impact Christian surfers have on the sport's overall culture. "They aren't permeating surf fashion; these kids are sponsored by the same companies that will run women in G-strings in their ads."

BTW...Worked
To "get worked" is to wipe out and get thrown about while being held under by the wave.

CNN Prevails in Lawsuit

From CNN:

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Rather than fight a lawsuit by CNN, the federal government abandoned its effort Saturday to prevent the media from reporting on the recovery of the dead in New Orleans.

SNIP

CNN's brief argued, "It is not the place of government to replace its own internal judgment for that of a free and independent media."

Very well said.

UPDATE: Not surprisingly, word didn't get to those on the ground in NO as CNN found out today:

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): There is so much destruction in St. Bernard Parish, every street, every corner, almost too difficult to comprehend.

(on camera): Last week, you couldn't walk down this street in St. Bernard Parish. It was flooded. Now the water has receded and recovery teams are finding more bodies.

(voice-over): We came across three bodies, bodies officials did not want us to see.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vacate the area, please. Sir, sir, you can't be here.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I won't. I'm not going to. Please don't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, yes. I was told no one could be here.

LOTHIAN (on camera): Well, would you like to talk to our lawyer? You can talk to our lawyer here in Atlanta.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's OK.

LOTHIAN: Would you like to talk to our lawyer?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, I was told you guys are not allowed to be here.

LOTHIAN: We have a lawsuit that says that we can be here. You're defying a federal -- a federal judge's order by trying to kick us out of here. It's right here.

(voice-over): Despite a legal document allowing CNN to shoot at will, officials kept blocking our view.

(on camera): They've moved two Humvees into our view, so that we cannot see them moving the body into the truck. And they've also put sort of a wall of military and what appears to be coroner types to block our view of the body. Right now, we cannot see what's going on. We are blocked. We're prevented from seeing it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LOTHIAN: After the federal judge voiced his concerns and after CNN contacted officials in Washington, the Pentagon sent word reiterating again down to the troops here in the field that they should not block the path of reporters.

Again, Aaron, I want to point out that CNN is not simply just trying to go out there and get gruesome shots of bodies, but simply trying to document all aspects of this tragic story.

We'll see what happens tomorrow............

Drownie Brownie Gone: How About the Rest of Cronies?

Drownie Brownie has resigned. He obviously should have been fired.
Now how about dismissing (or Bush style let them resign) the other FEMA cronies?:

Chief of Staff Patrick J. Rhode-- former TV reporter & advance deputy director for Bush's Austin-based 2000 campaign and then the White House.

Deputy Chief of Staff Brooks D. Altshuler--former presidential advance man

David I. Maurstad--former Nebraska lieutenant governor

Daniel A. Craig--onetime political fundraiser and campaign adviser

Then there are the FEMA Regional Directors......

And what other government agencies are packed with unqualified cronies?

More Lack of Planning at Homeland Security

This is absolutely amazing.

From CNN Presents: CNN Security Watch: Lessons of Hurricane Katrina

FRANK SESNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT....But none of these scenarios, none, included the kind of civil unrest we saw in New Orleans or the disappearance of about a third of its police force, events so dramatic that for a time lawlessness and anarchy framed the Katrina story around the world. And of course, in New Orleans itself.

SNIP

SESNO: New Orleans is forcing many in the homeland security and emergency management business to rethink how they train, plan and prepare.

ELLEN GORDON, NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL: Having the disaster victims themselves turn on the first responders isn't necessarily something that we've discussed and talked about in the past at any length.

SESNO: Ellen Gordon is a former emergency management director from Iowa. She led the state's efforts to recover from the disastrous floods there in 1993. Now she travels the country as part of a team from the Naval Postgraduate School, teaching governors, homeland security officials and first responders.

She says there's not been a lot of focus on how social breakdown plays out in a disaster.

GORDON: But I believe now that there will be many of us that will say we've got to take time out and discuss this and say, are we prepared to respond to this type of situation in the future.

SESNO (on camera): Still, the training manual itself may need rewriting. The Department of Homeland Security's own 15 planning scenarios from nuclear terror attack to Category 5 hurricane barely mentions serious civil unrest or the possibility that significant numbers of first responders can't or won't respond.

When I have thought about possible disasters, such as a dirty bomb attack or outbreak of smallpox in an American city, the very FIRST thing I thought about is the chaos and disorder that would result from a panicked public trying to get out of the affected area. In either scenario, one would think a first action would be to contain people in the affected area so as not to spread contamination or disease, probably necessitating declaration of martial law. Just how do you think people forced to stay would react to that? Think about it. Do you really think Americans would passively accept orders to remain in contaminated areas or would they pack up their SUVs and make every attempt to flee?I dare say they would be storming the barricades to get the hell out and they wouldn't be polite about it. They would turn on whomever blocked their access to safety.
How on Earth could professional planners not foresee this scenario unfolding? How could they not envision this happening and plan on how they would deal with it? Homeland Security faces an Accountability Moment and we need many, many answers to some very basic questions....starting with why aren't they even asking the most obvious and basic questions to begin with?

Fighting Bob Fest IV

Over 5000 People attended













(Welcome Daily Page readers!)
Clad in my Moonbat t-shirt, with my notepad and camera in hand, I boarded the bus to Baraboo, WI for Fighting Bobfest. Why a Bob Fest? --to bring people together to reinforce their hope that they can take back our government from the powers of the monied interests, just as Bob LaFollette and his Progressives did more than 100 years ago. So here are the speakers and some quotes, just the highlights. Hopefully they are all completely accurate. I was taking notes furiously.

The moving force behind Bob Fest is Ed Garvey:













The first speaker was none other than Rep. John Conyers.













He spoke of the problems in the Ohio election in '04:
"Instead of making voting easier and more efficient, they tried to discourage people. We need honest people taking care of the voting process."

On the media:
"Stop reading the junk media. Whoever invented this myth that liberals run the media?"

He spoke of the on terrorism and war:
"You can't stop terrorism with violence. We need to use more than that. We aren't decreasing terrorism we are spreading it."
SNIP
To much Applause: "Pre-Emptive war is not in the Constitution."

And.....
"It's time we call these folks out and I'm calling President Bush out on everything I don't agree with. Bob LaFolette taught me the time to protest is the time your country is doing wrong. That is the highest form of patriotism."


Senator Russ Feingold followed :













"President Bush didn't have his best August vacation. Now everyone deserves a vacation, including President Bush. But it's based on doing your job the rest of the year. It wasn't Cindy Sheehan or Hurricane Katrina, it was a...
lack of Vision,
a lack of Leadership
and a lack of Candor
that made it not one of his best vacations."
Snip
"Our strongest supporters are tired of the timidity of the Democratic Party. Consultants in Washington D.C. say be Republican-light, but after 9/11 no party will win without a clear vision. Too many voters see us without a message at best or spineless at worst. ......People elect us to take a position and argue for it vigorously and even if it is unpopular at first."
SNIP
'When we go back to Washington we can not ignore 2 issues:
We need to challenge the US Patriot Act and challenge the war in Iraq."
(standing ovation from crowd)

Feingold laid out 5 Myths of war in Iraq and the need to challenge them.

He finished with...
"I want to say this as sensitively as I can. Everything you are doing for Katrina is wonderful and we're doing everything we can such as we'll work to exempt the people hit by Kartrina from the Bankruptcy Bill. And I know you are doing all you can too. But as you do it don't let George Bush off the hook on Iraq."
The crowd rose in applause and chants of "Russ '08"


Rep.Bernie Sanders (I) Vermont:













In all it was a fiery speech.
Speaking on economic disparities and poverty in the US.
"I see a great middle class being destroyed."
SNIP
"Obviously President Bush and his mother are not too familiar with poverty and what it's like to be poor....SNIP.... They don't know that not everyone can get in a limousine, go to a hotel and ride out the storm.....And Mr. President though you haven't mentioned it, 5 million more Americans are living in poverty since you became president."
SNIP
"The true greatness of a country is not in the number of Billionaires or nuclear weapons we flaunt. It is one in which justice, equality and dignity prevail. We honor Bob Lafollette when we end the Culture of Greed which Bush and his friends are pushing....These people are like desperate and sick heroin addicts. They need more and more and more millions. When does it end?
When is their greed enough?"
SNIP
"Let us be very clear. I have conservative friends, Everyone has a right to their views but when people do not tell the truth, that is different. When this president travels the country, telling people that Social Security is going bankrupt, that it won't be there for young people, this President is lying and there is no other way to describe it."
SNIP
"We are fighting for our country, for the world,we have alot to do. Let's go out and do it.
(standing ovation)














Peter Leidy sings:
"Oh Where, Oh where, Oh where is Dick (cheney)?
Was very funny

Rep. Gwen Moore from Milwaukee:













Rep. Moore was great. Watch out for this woman!!!
She was funny, brave and the most genuine spoken pol I have heard in some time.
She shared her meeting with Bush at the White House as an incoming freshman rep.
"When I met George Bush in the White House he said.....You, You, You're the reason I lost WI. and I said YEAH!"

She spoke of how Bush tried and failed to get the black vote:
"They tried to convince black people to come to the dark side but they wouldn't do it."

She spoke of the many efforts to disenfranchise voters in WI calling it "ground zero for disenfranchising voters."
She also spoke of the hideous flyers that Republicans had distributed in black neiborhoods in Milwaukee in '04 to suppress the black vote. I know of these and they were bad.

She endede with:
"Katrina gave us a glimpse of what the ownership society will look like. We are all on our own unless we stick together."

She really was great. Great energy. I hope you'll get a chance to hear her sometime.

Rep. Tammy Baldwin:













The people love Tammy Baldwin. You just feel it. I felt she sort of sneaks up on you as a speaker. She had the people on their feet more, the more she spoke.
She laid out her Progressive Manifesto which included:
Enactment of Universal Health Care
Restore economic justice, the pension systen and end corporate corruption
Raise the federal minimum wage
Retain the Estate Tax
Protect privacy by fully supporting equal rights for all Americans
Take control of the Defense Budget

"Great movements are not spontaneous."
She spoke of the need to work and hold the belief we can do it. She cited Gaylord Nelson to whom this Bob Fest was dedicated.
"Gaylord Nelson didn't start with his 99 colleages in the Senate. He started with the people."


Some Strong Women....Baldwin & Moore on the ends













The event ended with some funny material by Jim Hightower. Forgive me for no quotes as by this time I just wanted to sit back and be entertained. I was.













Many groups were there offering information....




























Lots of different food but the Ice Cream line was SOOO Long.....













It was a great day. We need events like this all over the country. We must be better organized, focused and work harder than they do if we are to take back this country before it is too late. Bob Fests move us in that direction.

Recall a Start

Here's the best quote I've heard on the Recall of Drownie Brownie. From MSNBC's Rita Cosby Show (that Voice oy)

"I'm sure the American public is relieved tonight. We were Stuck on Stupid way too long."......Jerry Stephens former Regional FEMA Dir.

"Blame Game" Verboden :So Let's Play the "Name Game"

I'm sure we have seen every one in the Bush Administration and all of Fox TV tell us we can't play the Blame Game. So how about the Name Game......

Submit your name for Bush's disasterous FEMA

I've heard some good ones like: Florida Election Management Agency

So leave your submission in the comments and I will post them.
Have Fun And...

*Playing the Name Game does not preclude contestants, their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, cats, dogs, ferrets or ANYONE in the US from continuing to play the Blame Game. We in fact strongly urge all, especially the media, to play the Blame Game until all blame has been assessed and W has been impeached.

UPDATE: Submissions:

Failure Ever More Astounding
cosmic rays


Failure Effectively Managed Always

Federal Error Management Agency
Bill Witless


Favored Evacuees Mostly Anglo
norman conquest

Failing to Effectively Manage Anything
HRC

Man Hands to the Rescue

Karen Hughes is busy at her job of polishing the US image....

The problem, Hughes replied, was not a failed relief effort but a
foreign press that did not appreciate the federal government's good
work.
"There are a lot of things being said about us around the world that
aren't true," said the woman in charge of polishing the American image
abroad. "We've marshaled the resources of our federal government" to
help fellow Americans, she said, and if people think otherwise, "we
need to aggressively challenge that idea around the world."

Too late Karen. The world saw the pictures and they are going to go with that reality not yours.
If only Bush and friends spent half as much time on governing as they do on politicking and image control......well we might have a government left. As it is we are well along the road to "starving the beast". Katrina proves that.

Pets......

Pets are being rescued



But many more remain.....




To aid rescue efforts..... Please donate to Noah's Wish

Uug..What a Mess......

How do THESE people live like this.

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What They Don't Want Us To See

.

FEMA is not allowing photos of the dead in NO...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. officials asked the media not to take pictures of those killed by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, they were censoring a key part of the disaster story, free speech watchdogs said on Wednesday.
SNIP

But on Tuesday, FEMA refused to take reporters and photographers along on boats seeking victims in flooded areas, saying they would take up valuable space need in the recovery effort and asked them not to take pictures of the dead.

In an e-mail explaining the decision, a FEMA spokeswoman wrote: "The recovery of victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect and we have requested that no photographs of the deceased by made by the media."

This is about CONTROLLING the story, NOT dignity for the drowned.
Dignity in America Died last week in New Orleans.

Talk About Resume Padding....

It's painfully obvious that Mike Drownie Brownie failed miserably in heading FEMA and should never have been in that position. Time magazine looked into his resume padding.........

Before joining FEMA, his only previous stint in emergency management, according to his bio posted on FEMA's website, was "serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight." The White House press release from 2001 stated that Brown worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 "overseeing the emergency services division." In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an "assistant to the city manager" from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. "The assistant is more like an intern," she told TIME. "Department heads did not report to him." Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. "Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University," recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt."

Wow impressive, he was on time. Now I was an intern once and let's say it went without saying I was to be on time and dress professionally. My advisor never told me I excelled or was subsequently hired due to punctuality or appropriate dress.

Brown also lists "Outstanding Political Science Professor, Central State University".
But Time contacted the university and was told:
Brown "wasn't a professor here, he was only a student here......"He may have been an adjunct instructor," says Johnson, but that title is very different from that of "professor."
As for the honor of "Outstanding Political Science Professor," Johnson says, "I spoke with the department chair yesterday and he's not aware of it." Johnson could not confirm that Brown made the Dean's list or was an "Outstanding Political Science Senior," as is stated on his online profile.

Brown also claims "that from 1983 to the present he has been director of the Oklahoma Christian Home, a nursing home in Edmond."
But " an administrator with the Home, told TIME that Brown is "not a person that anyone here is familiar with."

Brown's also lists "a wide range of areas of legal practice, from estate planning to family law to sports."
But his boss said "He did mainly transactional work, not litigation," says Jones. "There was a feeling that he was not serious and somewhat shallow." Jones says when his law firm split, Brown was one of two staffers who was let go."

It's clear the White House did not vet Mr. Brown. The question I have is did the White House do the padding? Because frankly I don't think Drownie would have been capable of even that.

Give That Man an AMEN!

From Raw Story:

Dick Cheney was doing a press conference today when a man in the background yelled:

"Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney. Go fuck yourself."

The camera remains on Cheney while we hear scuffling in the background

CNN's reporter asks Cheney, "Are you getting a lot of that Mr. Vice President?"

Cheney replies, "First time I've heard it., Must be a friend of John..., er, ah - never mind."

I hope that grand fellow is not on his way to Gitmo.

"Blowback Barbour" Connected to Intentional Reduction of Refineries

Mississippi Governor and Bush Pioneer, Hailey "Blowback" Barbour whose lobbying efforts I wrote about the other day just keeps popping up if you connect the dots. Read on....

Raw Story has uncovered oil industry memos that show the industry moved to Intentionally reduce refinery capacity to drive up gasoline profits.







In that memo it states "One example of a significant event would be elimination of mandate for oxygenate addition to gasoline. Given a choice, oxygenate usage would go down, and gasoline supplies would go down accordingly."

Of course ....Supply down =Price up=Profit up.

And who was it that was working on the behalf of oil companies to at least limit their liability from using the harmful oxygenated additives if they can't be rid of the mandates all together?

It was lead by Hailey Barbour's lobbying firm. Yes that is the now Governor of Katrina ravaged Mississippi. He represented "The Oxygenated Fuels Association, which lobbied a House-Senate Conference Committee in 2003 to grant legal immunity to producers of toxic gas additive MTBE." (Learn more about oxygenates and MTBE at EPA site
and the controversy of harmful MTBE at USGS and for latest update of limiting legal liability in present Energy Bill)


And remember Barbour said of his lobbying efforts:
“We don’t represent issues that are inconsistent with what we believe in,” Barbour told the New York Times in 2001.

In other words Hailey believes his constituents and the rest of the US should wait in line for ever increasing priced gas so his oil industry buddies can increase profit and not pay the price for clean up of the harmful MTBE.
How does Barbour sleep at night or look at himself in the mirror in the morning???

Now They Blame the Americans that Lived There:Not Gov't Cronies

WaPo online has this headline:
Americans Ignored Risk In Flocking To Coast

More Blame Game? It sounds like crazy Americans are to blame for foolishly moving to the Gulf Coast.

But the article tells how......
"The federal government also paid prodigious sums in flood insurance claims to property owners who had insisted on building in harm's way."

And .....
"There's been a steadily increasing buildup in high-hazard areas, especially in the Gulf from Louisiana to Alabama," Conrad said. " The federal and local governments don't have the ability to say no, even when the risks are so obvious."

Then there is this.....

In 1998, Deputy Assistant Army Secretary Michael L. Davis tried to stop the Army Corps of Engineers from rubber-stamping casino applications without studying the impact dredging would have on marshes that shelter wildlife, purify drinking water and help prevent flooding. This angered Lott, then Senate majority leader, who had recently flown to Las Vegas in a casino executive's jet and had raised $100,000 for Republicans at a casino-industry fundraiser.

Lott got the moratorium lifted, then he got the Army to launch an investigation of Davis. No wrongdoing was found, but Davis was removed from Gulf Coast permitting issues.

So the government was doing much to encourage this "flocking" to the coast. So before we blame the American people for engaging in such risky behavior I think we should ask who was to benefit from the risky development of this area. Like say Joseph C. Canizaro, CEO of Columbus Properties of New Orleans and one of 4 LA Bush 2000 Pioneer and 2004 Ranger. Mother Jones puts his contribution gathering prowess at $587,250 and that only up to 2000. Canizaro once said, “You have to participate in government if you want to get something out of it.” Yup. It is wise to know folks in high places.....say W. After all "Canizaro was one of 22 wealthy business leaders whom President Bush invited to lunch in 2001 to discuss his tax cut for the wealthy."

And Canizaro's Gulf Coast development......It's called Tradition.
The Tradition web site certainly is heavy on luring those flocking Americans to the Gulf Coast...

The Gulf Coast is fast becoming a premier national destination resort, entertaining over 20 million tourists annually. Located only minutes from the coastline, Tradition offers access to all the benefits that the region has to offer. With the excellent fishing and golfing opportunities, Las Vegas-style gaming and entertainment, and white sand beaches just minutes away, Tradition and the Mississippi Gulf Coast offer an attractive alternative to Florida retirement. The Gulf Coast, however, is more than just a beach town.
INDEED....
Mississippi's low crime rate, which is 14.5% below the national average, provides an underlying level of personal security that stands in sharp contrast to many popular destinations like Florida and Arizona. Additionally, Mississippi is tax-friendly when it comes to retirees. In addition to low tax rates in general, retirees living in Mississippi do not pay state income tax on qualified retirement income. They also gain an additional exemption of property taxes upon reaching the age of 65. Tradition has been diligently working in tangent with several retirement communities in trying to eliminate state taxes for all retirees 55 years of age and older.

There appears to be state government help also in luring those crazy flocking Americans to that risky coast area. In fairness ....Tradition is not right on the Coastline (was there any left for development) and their web site claims the Sierra Club did a nice write up on the development.All the same it looks like once again we see another example of Bush Ranger/Pioneer buddies profiting from state and federal government breaks. This political patronage, graft and corruption needs to stop.

Oh and and a few asides.....
Mr. Canizaro founded Coporate Capital in 1998 which invested in Automated Technology Machines or ATM machines, owning 1,000 ATM's in the US.
Think of that next time you are at the ATM......might be giving profit to Bush's Ranger.

And Mr. Canizaro is a member of the Tulane University President's Council. Now you don't think he could have had anything to do with Tulane University Hospital getting their staff evacuated out of NO as Charity hospital patients waited (and died) in vain for choppers that never came? NAW I'm sure that NEVER played into it.

They Couldn't Leave

Read this harrowing account of 2 convention attendees trapped in NO:

In short order, the police commander came across the street to address our group. He told us he had a solution: we should walk to the Pontchartrain Expressway
and cross the greater New Orleans Bridge where the police had buses lined up
to take us out of the City. The crowd cheered and began to move.

SNIP

As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the
foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing
their weapons over our heads. This sent the crowd fleeing in various
directions. As the crowd scattered and dissipated, a few of us inched
forward and managed to engage some of the sheriffs in conversation. We told
them of our conversation with the police commander and of the commander's
assurances. The sheriffs informed us there were no buses waiting. The
commander had lied to us to get us to move.
We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge anyway, especially as there was little traffic on the 6-lane highway. They responded that the West Bank
was not going to become New Orleans and there would be no Superdomes in
their City. These were code words for if you are poor and black, you are not crossing the Mississippi River and you were not getting out of New Orleans.

So they set up camp on the freeway until....

Unfortunately, our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City) was
correct. Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up, jumped out of his
patrol vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces, screaming, "Get off the fucking
freeway". A helicopter arrived and used the wind from its blades to blow
away our flimsy structures. As we retreated, the sheriff loaded up his truck
with our food and water. Once again, at gunpoint, we were forced off the
freeway

SNIP

The next days, our group of 8 walked most of the day, made contact with New
Orleans Fire Department and were eventually airlifted out by an urban search
and rescue team. We were dropped off near the airport and managed to catch a
ride with the National Guard. The two young guardsmen apologized for the
limited response of the Louisiana guards. They explained that a large
section of their unit was in Iraq and that meant they were shorthanded and were unable to complete all the tasks they were assigned.
We arrived at the airport on the day a massive airlift had begun. The
airport had become another Superdome. We 8 were caught in a press of
humanity as flights were delayed for several hours while George Bush landed briefly at the airport for a photo op. After being evacuated on a coast
guard cargo plane, we arrived in San Antonio, Texas.

It didn't end there......

Chickens Come Home To Roost

Haley Barbour, Governor of MS was a Bush 2000 Pioneer and one hell of a lobbyist

Barbour’s firm had the highest lobby revenues in Washington in 2000 ($10.8 million), when Interpublic Group bought the firm for $20 million. (Interpublic triggered a Securities and Exchange Commission probe in 2002, when it restated its earning back to 1997, wiping out $181 million in paper revenue.)

And it seems perhaps some blowback from his lobbying efforts hit 'ol Miss......

Barbour helped convince the Bush administration in 2001 to break its campaign promise to support limits on carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. “We don’t represent issues that are inconsistent with what we believe in,” Barbour told the New York Times in 2001. Recent Barbour clients include dirty utility Southern Co. (see Dwight Evans), which benefits from the Bush Administration’s weakening of the Clean Air Act, and the Oxygenated Fuels Association, which lobbied a House-Senate Conference Committee in 2003 to grant legal immunity to producers of toxic gas additive MTBE.

Praise for CNN

I have been critical of CNN in the past. But as I watched CNN's reporters on the ground in NO this past week I have been impressed. Jean Meserve's reports Tuesday afternoon and evening gave us the first indication that the levees had been breached. It was confirmed in the very early morning hours of Wednesday (on CNN) though officials knew Monday. Meserve's report on Tuesday evening's News Night with Aaron Brown was as compelling for how it made one see and hear what was happening in the 9th Ward as it was in demonstrating her compassion and humanity.
Anderson Cooper threw the chair at Sen. Landrieu and maybe it was one of those slaps in the face that she needed to wake up and fight.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported that Critical patients from the public Charity Hospital waited on the roof in vain for evacuation helicopters only to watch those choppers go to the roof next door to evacuate nurses and doctors from private Tulane University Hospital. Some of those waiting died.
And that is just a sampling of the many reporters on the ground who did the real work of reporting this past week. This is the CNN we need to continue to see in the future. But for now I just say thanks for keeping me informed and advocating for the helpless and dying abandoned by our government.

Could Have Been Seen at WH.......

The White House

Staff Activities Update: AM August 31, 2005

• President Bush - On Vacation -Texas
• Vice President Cheney- On Vacation-Fishing -Wyoming
  
• Karl Rove-Texas
• Condi Rice-Shopping & Attending Broadway production-NY
• Nicolle Devenish - communications director, getting married in Greece-(to all WH staff with her for her celebration--woo hoo have fun)
• Ken Mehlman - Greece

* To all staff: Beware vacation travel to New Orleans is not advised due to a storm in that area

Plan for George...None for Lake George

They have come up with a plan (started last week!) to save George Bush but where was the plan for what is now Lake George. This is outrageous. Just when I think the Bush Administration can sink no lower it does. They are criminally negligent in protecting the people of the United States but Rove will move heaven and earth to protect W.......
From NYT:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 - Under the command of President Bush's two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan this weekend to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina.
snip-
The effort is being directed by Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, and his communications director, Dan Bartlett. It began late last week after Congressional Republicans called White House officials to register alarm about what they saw as a feeble response by Mr. Bush to the hurricane, according to Republican Congressional aides
snip
For example, administration officials who went on television on Sunday were instructed to avoid getting drawn into exchanges about the problems of the past week, and to turn the discussion to what the government is doing now.
snip
One Republican with knowledge of the effort said that Mr. Rove had told administration officials not to respond to Democratic attacks on Mr. Bush's handling of the hurricane in the belief that the president was in a weak moment and that the administration should not appear to be seen now as being blatantly political.

Blatantly Political? Are they completely divorced from reality? NO.... that damage control has been the priority of the administration since last week demonstrates they emphatically Do Not Care about us but only themselves