Katrina's POLITICAL aftermath (keep the political discussions HERE)

What matters, I think, is that regardless of the exact amount more than a few are in more than a few positions of power these days. Tuning into that wavelength is an eerie fascination, I admit. But we could debate this into the ground.

You guys, something is happening.

Ted Koppel, Joe Scarborough, NRO, Cafferty, Anderson Coopers, Robert Siegel on NPR grilling Chertof, fucking PAULA ZAHN getting pissed off, etc. Something is happening here. Please Christ let the deaths of thousands of Americans have at least the effect of shaking up the complacency of everyone else.

NOTE: One quote caught my ear but I didn't quite focus on it. I've played it again and Brown is laying the groundwork for putting the blame on LA's governor. (It must be a Fox News talking point; my dad made the same argument earlier.)

Brown of FEMA: We work closely with the state government. The federal government didn not just come in here and tell the state governor how or what to do. We came in here and said, 'What do you want us to do? We will help you.' We are now taking it upon ourselves to do what we think needs to be done. And we will continue to do that.

Translation: LA's Democratic governnor screwed things up royally and now we're cleaning up her mess and taking charge.

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Somehow I don't think that'll take root, except with Republican cheerleaders.

still, it's always good to identify and point out the Talking Point when it begins.

Last night on PRI's The World radio show, they asked a BBC reporter how we was reporting the story to the UK and other countries that was different from how it was being reported in the US. He said the most notable difference was having to explain how it was that the wealthiest country in the world wasn't able to deal with a disaster like this.

"We got a lot of rebuilding to do.... the good news is and it's hard for some to see it now but out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic gulf coast... out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- the guy lost his entire house -- there's going to be fantastic house. I look forward to sitting on the porch. Out of New Orleans is going to come that great city again."

Glad Trent is going to be taken care of.

Take the ball, run with it!

Trent Lott will have a fantastic house, indeed.

you guys, something is happening.

xpost: Is he shaking the negro's hands and smiling? or he looking "somber"?

Now if you don't mind I have to go meet Condi for martinis and a trip to Kate Spade.

xpost Bush is going to be remembered exactly like I just said. WHAT THE FUCK WAS ANYONE THINKING, WAS IT A PRACTICAL JOKE?

"As a result of Katrina, Saudi Arabia has finally admitted that it cannot increase (oil) production. Many of us knew they’ve been lying for at least two years. The Energy Information Administration has just admitted that global demand has been outstripping supply for several months before Katrina. Nice time to start telling the truth. Nature is finally calling everybody’s bluff.

OTM. Somewhere in the afterlife, Harding is dancing a jig with a big cake-eating grin on his face while singing "Finally" by CeCe Peniston.

The source for this is my mom but she doesn't DO anything besides watch news all day so I believe her, Bush is trying to be all nice to some young girls in Biloxi, asked why don't they go to the Salvation Army Shelter, it's right down the street. To which some dude stepped in and was like, "It ain't THERE. It's GONE."

She reports Bush as looking "annoyed".

Don't worry. That won't happen until late summer in the first year of Bush's third term.

*applause*

HE DOES! It's like he's not even trying!

"I know, I know..."

--G. W. Bush, President, in response to a distrought creole woman.

I am pronouncing that as "boosh-coo" and it's really making me laugh, I think I'm cracking like Anderson Cooper.

I think the answer here is that A) Bush never got off cocaine B) he's been giving it to the rest of the administration. I mean seriously.

God, what a jackass.

For myself, I've realized that the function of a lot of political commentary that I do agree with is to reassure me -- to say, "There there -- whether we're angry or just simply calling it 'like it is,' this way you can be reassured you are not alone, and we can all be comfortable at least in being right." This applies across the political spectrum. Well, I don't want to be reassured -- rather, I want to be annoyed, on guard, wary, suspicious. NRO's blog may be neocon fast food but it gives off a stench of the darker rot within.

Ned is completely OTM. it's PARAMOUNT, in such situations, to see what the "enemy" has to say.. even on a regular basis.. if you care to be passionate about political discourse as such. You're not a lesser person if you ignore your enemies (because 90% of what anyone says is usually crap anyway), but you're definitely more aware and objective when you don't ignore your enemies.. especially if they're a click away... this is not the same as agreeing or even giving a fuck about what your "enemies" have to say most of the time, but I stress "most of the time."

SATAN