Bill O'Reilly Is Screaming Right Now

O'Reilly has said the ACLU is the most dangerous organization in America. Never mind Al Qaeda terror cells, white supremacist groups, etc. No, it's the ACLU. This is going to make him scream. The ACLU has been fighting for the release of these photos for a long time. O'Reilly and those like him argue that it's dangerous for these photos to come out, as that will increase the number of people that want to kill us. I think it's a little beyond that.

The only people who are not aware of the content of these photos are the American people. I am reasonably certain that people in Arab countries have had this knowledge for a long time. I think it's important for them to come out because American citizens need to understand the abject hatred of what's being done in their name. "They" were already wanting to kill us. "This" wasn't just relegated to "a few" at Abu Ghraib.

So Mr. O'Reilly, scream all you want. The truth always has a way of coming through.

Avian Flu and Worthiness

CAUTION: Non-productive, spleen-venting post mixed with actual information ahead.

In the Senate today, the Defense Spending Bill for FY 2006 is being debated. Apparently, some in the Senate were treated yesterday to a top-secret briefing about the Avian Flu and potential pandemic. So Senator Harkin (D-Iowa) wants to put an amendment out there to get $4 billion in funding to secure anti-virals and further exploration with regard to vaccinations. If you'll recall, there is no vaccine for this flu, because it's a bird flu, and vaccines are made with eggs. Senator Harkin would like to put this amendment only the Labor and Health Spending bills that are being delayed by, wait for it, Republicans.
So anyway, the Republican from Alaska, Ted Stevens, gets all hot and heavy because, essentially, he wants the Defense Spending Bill to apply only to our 'troops in uniform.' Apparently the Senator has done no research or reading on what an Avian Flu pandemic will do to our national defense, both internally and externally.
The Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) will hopefully build a coalition to get this amendment passed.

WHY IS IT ALLOWED FOR THESE JIZZBAGS TO MAKE A HEALTH ISSUE POLITICAL? Again we see that if you are not a politician in Washington, THEY DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU. They are willing to let you die in the street and be buried in a mass grave, than allowing a $4 billion dollar PREVENTATIVE measure be put onto the fucking precious Iraq spending. But while we're on that subject, after the bazillions of dollars spent, why the FUCK can't they have armor yet? These people are dangerous. Powerhouse media, the country needs you now.

Slimebags are the people who will allow politics to triumph over all. The elephant over the flag. Slimebags can't be said enough.
/vent

Shorter Tom DeLay (ignore size joke)

...on Fox News, in an Exclusive Interview ::snick:: he says, I didn't do it, they used my name to raise money, other than that, I don't know who these people are. lol I think Atrios is right. He, among many. DeLay is effectively seeking parachute status to K Street. And the Republicans will continue to act as though there is no corruption in their ranks. Crazy thing, though...the cat is now out of the bag. Everyone is watching, not just us junkies, at least for the moment.

Bush Agenda, R.I.P.

With DeLay indicted (how much chance do you have when Pat Buchanan thinks you're toast?), the Bush Agenda is effectively dead. Without "The Hammer" to hit congress over the head to pass multi-billion-dollar legislation at 3 a.m. to avoid press and Democrat scrutiny, his agenda is done. Post-Katrina, Republicans have been running away without trying to seem like they're running. Now that there is no one to oversee them, Bush is done in Washington. Republicans can run in the open away from Bush. David Drier as Majority Leader? Please. Bush might as well let Cheney be President. Oh wait.....

Shorter White House Press Briefing

UPDATE: Drier's out, so to speak, and Blunt is in. lol

...pay attention to the Hurricane, dammit. We did this one better. Ignore the indictments behind the curtain...

Tom DeLay will step aside, and Speaker Dennis Hastert will recommend David Drier (R) California as his replacement as Majority Leader. No one could write a script this good. A homosexual leading the anti-gay party. And everyone does it with a straight (so to speak) face. Simply astonishing.

This is the article on the indictment. TWO YEARS IN PRISON, BABY!

In the meantime, Bill Schneider on CNN has finally said that Republicans are increasingly the party of corruption. Ya think? Heh.

Merry Christmas, Mr. DeLay

DeLay indicted on one count criminal conspiracy. Heh.

Nightline, R.I.P.

"If it isn't broke, break it so it can (maybe) be fixed."...So sayeth the corporate brain.

Nightline as we know it will cease to exist when Ted Koppel leaves the show when his contract is up. Rumors abound. FishbowlDC has highlights of the latest rumors. I have nothing against Terry Moran or Cynthia McFaddon or even Martin Bashir (Michael Jackson notwithstanding). But come on, to change the format from a single-issue show to multiple issues per show is moronic. A half hour of network time really equals what, 24 minutes? 23? I realize we're a society off ADD news consumers, but it's a damn shame to conform Nightline to that model. Those faithful viewers won't be so faithful anymore, and I'll be one of them. Damn shame.

The Mother of All Bill Maher Shows

If you don't have HBO, cozy up and make a new friend tonight, because the mother of all Maher shows will be on tonight. Panelists include, though I'm guessing not sitting next to each other, are George Galloway, the member of British Parliament who resigned over the Iraq war, and British journalist ::cough:: Christopher Hitchens.

These two debated about a week or so ago and it was rebroadcast on CSPAN. All I can say is, I hope tonight's audience actually wants to hear the debate, because the debate last week was abysmal. The moronic audience wouldn't shut up, making it annoying to watch. On the positive side, Hitchens appeared sober. However, he couldn't stop shaking. But still, sober he was.

These two have no hidden contempt for each other, it's way out in the open. Given how an intelligent Brit can go on and on trying to make the other look a fool, this will be a great show. Mr. Maher, I hope you have your armor on. Game on.

The Nightmare Keeps Coming

I'm not much for religion, but there is some biblical stuff happening in the south. Word just now that not one, but two levees have broken through again in New Orleans. They hadn't been able to retreive all the bodies from the last hurricane yet.

Also, word this morning that a bus evacuating elderly patients from a nursing home explodes on its way out of town. They're thinking a fire sparked by brakes ignited the oxygen tanks on board the bus.

There are so many tragedies happening at once, it's hard to keep up with individual stories, and hurricane Kate hasn't even hit yet; but these are individuals experiencing overwhelming loss all at once. I don't know that I'd do as well. Please donate if you can: 1-800-HELP-NOW.

UPDATE (2:00 P.M. EST): It looks as though CNN's original reporting of a breech was premature. However, the 9th ward is still flooding due to water pouring over the levees. There's live video on all the cable nets. Hurricane Rita is now a Category 3. Let's hope it stays that way, or even better, goes down.

Are You Kidding Me????

Holy Flipping Christ. Can these people do ANYTHING right? Via Josh Marshall, we learn that part of the money to pay for hurricane Katrina damage will come from....wait for it.....THE CDC BUDGET!!I mean, come on. If anyone watched Primetime Live on the night of Bush's speech, you will note that every expert out there agrees that the US is woefully, even criminally behind in preparations for the Avian Flu pandemic. Not a pandemic at the moment, but the fact that Bush is killing CDC funding says to me that of course the pandemic will hit, just because everything he touches turns to shit. Only one lab is making Tamiflu, and that lab is filling requests for it on a first-come, first-served basis. The US? At the bottom of the list, because we can't get our shit together enough to fill out a flipping request form.

I can see it now: mass outbreak, people dying by the thousands, and the press will ask, 'why didn't you prepare?' And they'll hear, 'we couldn't have foreseen the dangers of a flu pandemic.' You just know that will be the response. Holyflippingchrist, please do your work, powerhouse media. You have to. This is so dangerous. Dangerous, irresponsible...insert your own word here. God damn them.

Jeb's Son Arrested For "Public Intoxication"

Apples and trees, redux:

"AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 17) - The youngest son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was arrested early Friday and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, law enforcement officials said.

John Ellis Bush, 21, was arrested by agents of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at 2:30 a.m. on a corner of Austin's Sixth Street bar district, said commission spokesman Roger Wade."

Not to be snarky, but dayum, Jeb. You hang out with some pretty pious people, so it'll be interesting to see how they treat this. They'll probably say what you said, that it's a private matter, which it is. It's easier for them to judge the children of the not-so-well-to-do than to judge you and yours, I'm sure. It's a shame to watch children of privilege stumble so publicly. Pretty soon the blogosphere will be asking why he's not serving in the military. Come to think of it, but why isn't he serving in the military?

"The Great Society" President

I think the Republicans that are flipping out that George W. Bush has become a liberal need to calm the hell down. You are not in danger of losing your president to the dark side.

It is beyond disappointing to hear people like Chris Matthews, David Gregory and Wolf Blitzer talk about last night's speech and compare it to the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson. Are you people taking medication that erases your short-term memory? Think about this for a moment:

There will be no true addressing of poverty in this country. He said these things to throw people like you, the powerhouse media, off his scent of fallibility. And lo, it worked like a dream. He's sleeping well tonight, now that the minions are back in line.

What will happen in New Orleans will be the redistricting of the most poverty-stricken areas to be...oh, I don't know...businesses? ::cough:: The people who were poorest probably won't be able to get bus fare back to their homes anyway, so by the time they get there, the deed will be done. The rebuilding costs to Halliburton and Bechtel will be so expensive, the permanent relocation of those residents will be "necessary for the common good of the entire project. What would you have us do, subsidize them forever?" So, by removing the people that live in poverty, you've ::poof!:: obliterated poverty. It's Republican-think. Sort of like Healthy Forests and Clear Skies. You get the idea.

So rest easy, Republicans. Your president is living up to your ideals even now, while he sleeps and dreams of ways to tell us all he's cutting Social Security to pay for reconstruction.

Republicans Vote NO To Katrina Commission

Well, well, well. Those pesky Republicans. They always have the interests of the American people at heart, don't they? I mean, they purport to be pro-America. Maybe what's lost is that while they want to be pro-America, they're just anti-American. They voted down an independent commission to examine Hurricane Katrina. It was only Republicans who voted against it. I am sure other blogs get tired of using "assholes" or other such words. Me, I'm tired of saying SHITBAGS, but if the bag fits.....
Here, in alphabetical order, the Senate.gov list of the recorded vote. I'm calling my Senators tomorrow morning to demand an explanation.

Alphabetical by Senator Name
Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Allard (R-CO), Nay Allen (R-VA), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Nay Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burns (R-MT), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Chafee (R-RI), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Coleman (R-MN), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Corzine (D-NJ), Not Voting Craig (R-ID), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay Dayton (D-MN), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Nay DeWine (R-OH), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay Domenici (R-NM), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Frist (R-TN), Nay Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Nay Hagel (R-NE), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Nay Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lott (R-MS), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Nay Martinez (R-FL), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Obama (D-IL), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea Santorum (R-PA), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Smith (R-OR), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Nay Specter (R-PA), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Nay Sununu (R-NH), Nay Talent (R-MO), Nay Thomas (R-WY), Nay Thune (R-SD), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Not Voting Voinovich (R-OH), Nay Warner (R-VA), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea

MSNBC, NBC, Chris Matthews and Polls

So, I watched the first 10 minutes of the 7 p.m. EST showing of Hardball, where the new NBC/Wall Street Journal polls were discussed. Tank, tank and more tank. Approval, wrong direction, foreign policy, you name it. Then, the handling of Hurricane Katrina. Matthews said those numbers were dead even, 48% to 48%. But on the Nightly News, Brian Williams/Tim Russert said those numbers were 38% to 50-something. The MSNBC website isn't all that clear, or maybe I'm just seeing it wrong. I'll check back there later. Things that make you go: hmmmm.....
Oh wait. Chris Matthews, the guy who was all atwitter with Bush's flightsuit. He's saying the numbers are dead even. ::in the best Emily Litella voice:: Never mind!

The Apple Falls Close To The Tree, Redux

Speaking Of Donations....

We know from news archives that President Bush donated $10,000 of his personal money to the tsunami relief effort. How much has he given to the Katrina fund? Anyone know? I see nothing on the White House website. Thanks for any info.

Tonight's Telethon

Watching the telethon, I'm overwhelmed by surreality. Did you ever in your life think you'd be watching a telethon for American citizens of this nature? I didn't. Please give.

1-866-4-AID-NOW

Man On Fire

Attaturk over at Rising Hegemon has been on fire this week. Some posts that should not be missed: this one is just breathtaking. This one is breathtaking in a different way. And finally, a little humor desperately needed. Here's saluting Turk.

Holy Crap

ROFL I hope you all get a chance to watch Nancy Pelosi give serious smackdown of Kyra Phillips on CNN. Dayum. Grab hold and don't let go, Nancy! That exchange should be used in a campaign commercial.

A Very Public Blowjob, And Other Media Notes

Wow, Kyra Phillips is giving General Honore a blowjob on live television. I imagine her husband is jealous.

CNN's Walter Rogers did not have his contract renewed. I hope he lands somewhere decent. He tolerated no bullshit from the Heathers, of both sexes, on CNN anchor desks around the world.

It's a shame that Shep Smith has come back to Stepford after catching up on his medication regimen. He did such a passionate job when he was in New Orleans. His paymasters are back in control, though. Pity.

More later, after heavy drinking to counter the overwhelming disappointment over the state of the State.

BREAKING NEWS: Tom Delay Is A Fucktard

Coming over CNN just now, Tom Delay is on record saying he will stop any House hearings into what went wrong in Louisiana. This amidst the highly contentious meeting between Bush and Congressional leaders. Although, Tom Delay isn't much of a leader, but that's beside the point. How blatant can you be, on a day when Bush himself said he would oversee an investigation into what went wrong. (cricket chirp)

Will the media allow him to get away with this? Tick tock....

Where Is O'Reilly On FEMA?

This late FEMA is STILL screwing up. There are probably a million theories as to why. What pisses me off is the right-wing spin machine is more interested in taking heat off of Bush and not giving a shit about anything else. O'Reilly is the one I'm picking on because he's the one on my television right now. Where are the voices on the right that were pissed off and talking to the media 72 hours ago? They're just chirping crickets now. So, the machinery is in place (so to speak) to spin away from Bush, because that is all that matters. Fucktards.

Apples Don't Fall Far From the Tree

The President's mother:

"NEW YORK Accompanying her husband, former President George H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, "This is working very well for them."
In a segment at the top of the show on the surge of evacuees to the Texas city, Barbara Bush said: "Almost everyone I’ve talked to wants to move to Houston."
Then she added: "What I’m hearing is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed with the hospitality.
"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (she chuckled)--this is working very well for them."

(crickets chirping)

Wow.

From Wolcott:

"It is certainly an event of great significance. The effects of damage to our oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico is already being felt in rocketing gasoline prices and a burgeoning supply crisis, especially in the southeast. The home heating situation is becoming a crisis before householders even turn their furnaces on. Half the houses in America are heated with natural gas, which is now clocking in at $12 a unit (1000 cubic feet). It was $3 a unit in 2003. It could go to $16. Connect the dots.

Going on to even scarier ground:

"Bottom line: my assessment is that New Orleans is never going to be rebuilt and that US domestic oil production will never again reach pre-Katrina levels. The infrastructure is gone, the people are gone, and the US economy will be on life support very, very quickly. If people are griping at $5.00 gasoline what will they do when it’s $8.00? $10.00? Start shooting (the wrong people)? How difficult is it to rebuild in that kind of social climate? And if US oil production does not soon exceed pre-Katrina levels then the US economy is doomed anyway. It’s a catch-up game now. I think it’s quite likely that the Bush administration is responding so ineptly in part because it is in a complete crisis mode realizing that the entire United States is on the brink of collapse and there’s very little they can do about it. The Bush administration doesn’t know how to build things up, only blow them up. They aren’t worrying about New Orleans because they’re frantically triaging the rest of the nation and deciding what can be saved elsewhere."

While I read this, in the back of my mind runs the coming bird flu pandemic. It's time to invest in shotguns and canned goods.

Chris Matthews, Part of the Problem

I guess Chris doesn't even take his own show seriously, as he doesn't seem to even have transcripts of his show since February of this year. Too bad, because if there was a transcript, we could see the ad nauseum repeated remarks, 'he did so well on 9/11, why is he so bad at this?'

WHEN oh when will you stop saying this? You Chris, have worked among giants in politics, so you have to know bullshit when you see it. That's why it's almost embarrassing to watch you say things like this.

9/11/01: Children's classroom, Florida. "My Pet Goat" in his hands. Looking around, knowing that a second plane has hit the World Trade Center. The lost 7 minutes of his life, of all of our lives. The next several hours, spent flying from air base to air base. Now, however you feel about the legitimacy of that piece, you cannot deny the 7 minutes. You, and so many of the people who comment on your show and others keep doing this, making the rest of us crazy.

So, I submit to you that you are part of the problem, because you cannot seem to portray this president clearly. Remember Clinton? Every sneeze, every hair out of place, every blowjob was analyzed by you and yours forever. Why do you give Bush a pass?

What A Difference A Day Makes

When you look at what our military is capable of...wow. In just 24 hours, they have evacuated thousands upon thousands of people. I'm guessing this is what Gov. Blanco had in mind when she requested evacuation. Some of the trackback has begun; for instance, last night on Nightline, I heard that the proper forms weren't requested? Or the help wasn't requested in the right way? I wasn't watching directly, but damn. How will anyone give that excuse to the American people without hiding behind a blue dot?

Today, Governor Blanco hired James Lee Witt to be her liason between herself and FEMA. Witt was Clinton's FEMA guy. It's a shame this didn't get done earlier, it's a great idea. Any buffer you can put between yourself and that incompetent (Bush: "You're doing a great job, Brownie") Michael Brown ("I wasn't asked") asshole head of FEMA the better off you'll be, Gov. Josh Marshall has the story about Brown's history of incompetence.

Tonight on MSNBC (I'm probably the only person watching MSNBC) a hurricane guy from LSU was on with both Rita Cosby and Tucker Carlson, discussing how he personally briefed someone at the White House and gave that person a cd containing animated models of just exactly what has happened in New Orleans. Huh. I wonder when that news will spread?

They Get Letters

Letters received by the FCC, obtained through a FOIA request, over the Douchebag of Liberty's outburst on the CNN set:

(sic)"how come cnn has not been fined
for novak saying bullshit on the air?
Chairman
Kevin J. Martin
is supposed to be some kind of anti pono advocate
i think it's bullshit that shitbag novak gets away with saying
BULLSHIT live
one the air
and not a fucking word from the fcc.
what the fuck is up with that?
anti cussing advocate"

Heh. Many more at The Smoking Gun.

Bringing It All Together

Thursday I had a discussion with a co-worker about what is happening in New Orleans. At the time of our discussion, I was thinking of New Orleans as a primarily racial issue, as was my co-worker.

I've done a lot of thinking since then, and now am changing my mind about that. I am speaking only of the relief response, or lack thereof, not about how the news is portraying the story, as I think they are two different things.

The response issue is about class, not race. When you look at popular culture (something I think will be responsible for the loss of the republic, but I digress), you see a lottery, of sorts. The television networks' fall schedule is full of the examples of this: Amy Grant granting wishes to those who are deserving. Home makeovers for those who are deserving. Personal makeovers for those who are deserving. If you are not deserving? To quote our Vice President, go fuck yourself. What makes you deserving? That isn't as clear, but I think over time it will become clear that you have to have some physical deformity, have a child with a deformity, or have something horrific happen to you. You May Also Be A Winner if you adopt 30 children and house them in a single family 3 bedroom home. The only other way you can become deserving is if you are willing to go on national television and embarrass yourself by eating live insects for, what is it, $50,000? All the rest of you are undeserving.

Undeserving, to the point of derision. Think about that. The Hannity's, the Limbaugh's, the O'Reilly's of the world now dictate what's deserving of our attention, our money, our emotions. If your are morally upstanding, then your need is acceptable. If you divert from their norm, then you are undeserving.

What happened in New Orleans earned scorn by HannityLimbaughO'Reilly. They will until the day they die focus of the morons who stole a big-screen tv and ignore completely the people who got food and water any way they could. So while they tell people to donate, they won't call in Amy Grant or the home makeover guys, because...they are undeserving. You don't win the lottery this time, please play again.

Democrats have allowed this to happen unanswered. Democrats used to understand the principles of providing for everyone who needs it, not just those who are deemed respectable enough by someone else. We used to talk about this stuff in public. It's become shameful to do so, because the republicans have worked for 2 generations to dismantle the whole concept of common good, and have demonized anyone courageous enough to discuss it.

When I watched Hannity and Colmes last night, I was stunned by Shep Smith and Geraldo Rivera. The righteous indignation of co-opting the truth was something to behold. It is pretty pathetic when our outrage has to come from reporters. Shame on our 'leaders' for not standing up for these people.

The Flip-Flop Without Legs

Yesterday, President Bush spoke before getting on Air Force One to take him on his tour of the gulf coast. He said that the response to the hurricane was unacceptable. This was the lead story over the rest of the day, as everyone who spoke of his tour showed him saying this statement. Much has been discussed on other blogs about the blowjob briefing he received from the republicans on the scene, etc. But what happened later was not shown widely, which I think is kind of a story. Small in comparison, but one that I would think would have received a little play. He recanted his "unacceptable" remark and made excuses and revised his remarks. What he originally called unacceptable became 'people doing what they can' etc. Your President: flip-flop, flip-flop. Or..."Not As Pissed As Originally Thought."

O'Reilly Does the Work So We Don't Have To

It's the democrats' fault. See? Easy.

And I warned ya. He's blaming Clinton. Not that that was predictable.

Watching tonight, Geraldo is going to incite a riot or have a stroke, I haven't figured out which. And O'Reilly, just to save face and/or Bush, may personally drive a bus up to the convention center in New Orleans just to keep his fan base.

The hackery is dumbfounding.

Another late observation of the show tonight: every time Geraldo, Steve Harrigan, the generals..any time any of them start to say something critical...he cuts them off, he's not interested in hearing it. Such a charmer.

Final observation: I want to have Shep Smith's love child. He stood up to O'Reilly and wouldn't let him steamroll the facts. "You're sounding a little bitter, Shep." Shep Smith, take a bow, you're a hero.

The Missing Governor

Did I miss something, or is the governor of Louisiana absent from Bush's visit and briefing? Lotsa men, no governor Blanco or Senator Landrieu. Things that make you go hmmm....

Breathtakingly Stupid

Quite possibly the stupidest woman in cable news. Shorter Brigitte: Sure, people are mad, but the smoke looks like it's clearing. WTF?

Surreal Moment of the Hour

An entire day is too long a period of time to only pick one surreal moment, in a situation rife with surrealism. Just now, Fox news ticker: El Salvador offering troops to assist in the security situation in New Orleans. 'Nuff said.

Too Early For Politics?

I think if you believe that, you're going to be left in the dust. The recriminations from this will be very ugly. On Nightline last night, the head of FEMA (who seems to spend more time giving media interviews than doing his job) was saying that he has responded to everything the governor of Louisiana has asked for, when she's asked for it. Wow, just soak that up for a second. Now, I'm sure when this is all over, so will the political career of the democratic governor. I don't know how much responsibility she bears in the events of the last week, but I found it fascinating to watch CNN yesterday: after the FEMA briefing, after the Homeland Security briefing, after all the federal bloviating, the mayor of New Orleans appeals to CNN with an SOS. To CNN. Bypassing the federal government, bypassing everyone. I thought that fairly well served to embarrass the heads of both agencies. If anyone else in the federal government who has not tried to apologize for the way the Bush administration is handling this was watching, they should now realize what leadership is. After all, they have gross examples of how not to lead, right in front of them. Hell, even Hannity didn't receive his talking points last night. Will the republicans finally step away from him? Is the emperor finally naked?

Your Shitbags of Leadership

So much for polite discourse. Reading posts from all over the internet, plus seeing Condi Rice's leadership skills no better than her lov...errrr, President's, then seeing bodies laying out in the sun at the convention center, it's impossible not to want to hurl when watching McClellan and Chertoff spout their shit in front of microphones. It's difficult to hear "officials" talk about having patience. Easy for you to say, you had a shower and water and a meal today. At least someone, CBS' Bill Plant I think, who was able to ask McClellan about the lack of leadership from the president. Now the other questions must follow. What the fuck have you all been doing the last 4 years? Out with Condi buying shoes...of course, what was I thinking? Ladies and gentlemen, your taxpayer dollars are going towards...Shitbags of Leadership.