meme orandum
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Money Flowed to Questionable Projects By / WaPo — Permalink Before Hurricane Katrina breached a levee on the New Orleans Industrial Canal, the Army Corps of Engineers had already launched a $748 million construction project at that very location. But the project had nothing to do with flood control. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Pulled Pork — From the Washington Post, "Projects Plentiful in Louisiana": [snipped quote] [my emphasis] As more and... Gateway Pundit: This post from Instapundit and the Washington Times today divulges that it wasn't the money that was going into the... Steve Soto: Third, separate from Bush's negligence in reacting to the imminent storm, it is also true that what happened to New... |
Mark Schmitt: Not More Spending, Better Spending (cross-posted on tpmcafe.com) This article from the Washington Post this morning... Orin Kerr: Pork Barrel Spending and the Katrina Flood: In his post below on the Washington Post story on spending by the Army Corps... MarkInMexico: The Washington Post has finally begun to do some digging and what they found comes as no surprise whatsoever. |
| Also: Donald Sensing, Damian Penny, James Joyner, Michelle Malkin, Tim Graham, Betsy Newmark, Gary Farber, Dr. Steven Taylor, David Bernstein, Glenn Reynolds, Joshua Claybourn, Ken Masugi, Nick Gillespie | |
CBS Poll: Blame All Around CBS News — Permalink (CBS) Americans think the response to Hurricane Katrina was inadequate, and spread the blame around all levels of government. President George W. Bush finds disapproval on his handling of the matter, too — and the public now shows diminished confidence in his... | |
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Garance Franke-Ruta: There is no reason on earth that his Katrina response approval rating had to sink to 38 percent, as it has in the latest... Mark Blumenthal: The results are remarkably similar to the CBS News poll released this morning that was also conducted Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Taegan Goddard: A new CBS poll has similar results, showing 58% of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the disaster and just 38% approving. |
Jonathan Singer: I wonder what that says about the direction the Democratic Party needs to go in*... CBS News also finds widespread... Steve Soto: Along those lines, the Survey USA daily tracking poll taken on Wednesday, again in the middle of Rove's blame the... Matthew Yglesias: If Only The Czar Knew — There's some striking stuff in this CBS poll on Katrina. 58 percent disapprove of Bush's handling of the hurricane, and just 38 percent approve. |
| Also: Andrew Sullivan, Oliver Willis, Atrios, Armando @DailyKos | |
New Orleans Begins Confiscating Firearms as Water Recedes NYT — Permalink NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 8 - Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here. | |
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Gary Farber: IT'S ALL A PLOT TO DESTROY THE 2ND AMENDMENT, I tell you. Spoons: I hope Louisiana authorities reconsider their ill-advised plans to confiscate lawfully-owned guns from hurricane survivors. Glenn Reynolds: NEW ORLEANS: WE CAN'T PROTECT YOU FROM LOOTERS — but we can confiscate your guns! Unless you're hired security for rich people. |
Eugene Volokh: Constitutions and Emergencies: The New York Times reports: [snipped quote] Note, though, that the Louisiana Constitution, art. Perry de Havilland: We cannot protect you... but we can disarm you — How else can you interpret the authorities intention to disarm people in New Orleans? |
Berger to Pay $50,000 Fine for Taking Papers AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — 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. | |
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John Cole: A fine: A judge on Thursday ordered Sandy Berger, President Clinton's national security adviser, to pay a $50,000 fine... Gary Farber: SANDY BERGER SENTENCED today. [snipped quote] He was stupid and irresponsible, and the punishment is just; disregard for the security of classified material is a serious thing. Glenn Reynolds: SANDY BERGER UPDATE: [snipped quote] Bizarre, indeed. (Via The Corner). |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Berger to Pay $50k Fine — VIa the AP/NYT: Berger to Pay $50,000 Fine for Taking Papers "A judge on Thursday ordered... ArchPundit: Of Other Trainwrecks — Can someone, anyone explain why Sandy Berger can theoretically get access to classified documents ever again? Jonah Goldberg: THAT'S A LITTLE BETTER — Sandy Burglar's fine upped to fifty grand. |
Legal Brief By / TNR — Permalink By now, the basic contours of Mike Brown's ascendancy to director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (fema) have come to light. Journalists have uncovered that Brown had almost no relevant experience for the position and got hired by fema because he was a longtime friend of George W. Bush's close associate Joe Allbaugh. | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: More on FEMA's Brown — Law Professor Paul Campos has a piece on Mike Brown's background at the New Republic online (registration required) prior to his hire at FEMA. Josh Marshall: According to this article (sub.req.), he basically gave up the practice of law fifteen years or so before he got the job... Andrew Sullivan: CRONYISM AT ITS WORST: Don't miss Paul Campos' review of Michael Brown's career at TNR. |
Gary Farber: THE MANY LIVES OF BROWNIE are examined in this TNR piece by Paul Campos, who apparently is a neighbor in Boulder. Hilzoy @ObsidianWings: From The New Republic: [snipped quote] More below the fold. Tom @Corrente: Ouch — [snipped quote] In-damn-deed. UPDATE It turns out that OCU School of Law did become a member of the AALS in 2003. |
| Also: ArchPundit | |
Deadly Bureaucracy By / Opinion Journal — Permalink BATON ROUGE, La.—Over the past few days, America has been both moved and disturbed by television footage of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. But for those of us in Louisiana still struggling to cope, the troubling images are of opportunistic politicians playing the blame game while there is so much real work to do. | |
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Timothy Wheeler: Cam & Company Cover Katrina — NRANews.com has been all over the stories out of the Gulf Coast, including referencing... Gary Farber: BOBBY JINDAL, THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN from Louisiana, after some boilerplate about how we mustn't finger-point,... Steve Bainbridge: Second, Congressman Bobby Jindal reports on how red tape has interfered with efforts to aid his constituents: "There... |
Radley Balko: Civil Society — Louisiana Rep. Bobby Jindal writes in the Wall Street Journal: "After so many years of drills and... MarkInMexico: Main Page Private companies responded in early hours Rep. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, writing in the WSJ, says that... Glenn Reynolds: BOBBY JINDAL notes that bureaucratic red tape can be deadly. Tim Worstall notes that this should come as no surprise. |
| Also: Rich Lowry | |
Group's TV ad uses storm's aftermath to target Roberts USA Today — Permalink The televised images of poverty-stricken evacuees from Hurricane Katrina are part of a provocative, last-minute effort by a liberal interest group to divert federal Judge John Roberts' path to confirmation as chief justice. | |
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Michael Stickings: Yet that is precisely what the irrepressibly left-wing MoveOn.org is set to do, and in a particularly tasteless way:... Paul @Wizbang: Loony Liberals Blame Roberts for Katrina — Sometimes I just have to thank the whacky members of the Loony Left, they do... Ann Althouse: USAToday reports: "MoveOn.org Political Action plans to unveil a TV ad on Monday that questions whether Roberts is... |
Jan Haugland: PS: In the United States, loonie left group MoveOn.org wanted to use televised images of Hurricane victims in an ad opposing John Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court. John Cole: Someone Explain This I will publicly acknowledge and credit anyone who can explain how this is not the shameless... Justin Gardner: (Found on USA Today) |
| Also: Jayson @PoliPundit, Kathryn Jean Lopez | |
Huge Racial Divide Over Katrina and Its Consequences Pew Research Center — Permalink The American public is highly critical of President Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Two-in-three Americans (67%) believe he could have done more to speed up relief efforts, while just 28% think he did all he could to get them going quickly. | |
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Gary Farber: So here is the latest Pew survey; Pew is the poller I tend to distrust least, much as I find polls inaccurate, at best... Mark Blumenthal: The Pew Research Center has just released results of another survey conducted over the last two nights (9/6-7, n=1,000 adults, sampling error 3.5%). James Joyner: Katrina: Huge Racial Divide in Public Opinion — While the public is generally critical of the government response to... |
Jerome Armstrong: Bush Hit — New polling info out from Pew. Taegan Goddard: Bush Losing Support Among Republicans — "The American public is highly critical of President Bush's handling of... |
CIA leak probe may be nearing end game: lawyers By / Reuters — Permalink WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York Times reporter Judith Miller, locked up for refusing to reveal who told her a covert CIA operative's name in a probe that may be nearing a conclusion, works part time at the jail laundry helping clean fellow inmates' green jumpsuits and dirty linens. | |
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John Cole: Plame I guess now is as good a time as ever to reignite the Plame debate donnybrook in the comments section: New York... Judd @ThinkProgress: Plame leak investigation drawing to a close. |
Arianna Huffington: Buried in the middle of this afternoon's Reuters story on Miller, her lawyer, Floyd Abrams, offers up a bombshell: Miller is looking for an out. |
Greens vs. Levees By / NRO — Permalink With all that has happened in the state, it's understandable that the Louisiana chapter of the Sierra Club may not have updated its website. But when its members get around to it, they may want to change the wording of one item in particular. | |
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Gateway Pundit: And, Michelle Malkin and National Review Online have the skinny on the environmental groups: "...The national Sierra... Michelle Malkin: See also John Berlau on Greens vs. Levees (hat tip: reader Mike M.): "âThe national Sierra Club was one of... |
Jayson @PoliPundit: Cause and Effect — Writing in NRO, John Berlau outlines the connection between leftists' enviro policies and Katrina's... Ace: Sierra Club Sued To Block Army Corps Of Engineers Upgrades To Mississippi River Levees — They stated they wanted to keep the area "wet and wild." |
Stossel: Price gouging ensures that scarce resources go only "to those who really need it" Media Matters for America — Permalink In his September 7 syndicated column, ABC News 20/20 co-anchor John Stossel defended price gougers, writing that by charging $20 for a bottle of water to a person whose baby needed it to live, "the price gouger makes sure his water goes to those who really need it." | |
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Matt Singer: Sigh. John Stossel pretends to be a mediocre economist: [snipped quote] That last line simply isn't true. David Sirota: They are now defending corporate price gougers. COMMENTS: Go to Sirota's Working Assets site to comment on this entry |
Steve Bainbridge: Media Matters for America on Price Gouging — MMFA blasts John Stossel for telling the truth about price gouging. |
Disaster Relief Continues Along the Gulf Coast; Nancy Pelosi Internview CNN — Permalink THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Checking charities, now. How can you be sure that your donations to hurricane victims are really helping? Well, the head of Charitynavigator.org joins me live this hour. | |
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Skippy: not: ok, we admit, neither kyra phillips nor rep. nancy pelosi were anywhere near biloxie when this cnn interview took place. Atrios: Pelosi/Phillips Transcript |
Tbogg: President Faith Based Dumbf**k: The responsibility of caring for hundreds of thousands of citizens who no longer have homes is going to place many demands on our nation. |
With Rove heading to N.D., GOP hopes Hoeven can be coaxed into Senate race By / The Hill — Permalink White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove is planning to travel to North Dakota later this month to rally GOP activists and, Republicans hope, persuade Gov. John Hoeven (R) to challenge Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) next year. | |
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Alexander K. McClure: 2006 North Dakota Senate Race — Republicans are stepping up the pressure on North Dakota Governor John Hoeven to challenge Democratic incumbent Senator Kent Conrad. |
Gerry Daly: , GOP hopes Hoeven can be coaxed into Senate race The Hill: [snipped quote] The political lay of the land will be a lot clearer by then in any case. |
Former FEMA Chief Is at Work on Gulf Coast By / WaPo — Permalink During his two years as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during President Bush's first term, Joe M. Allbaugh traveled to Louisiana for a series of disasters, from tropical storms Allison and Isidore to Hurricane Lili. | |
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Charlie Cray: Cheney's in Mississippi while Joe Allbaugh, the former head of FEMA is helping clients obtain disaster relief contracts in Louisiana, the Washington Post reported today. Taegan Goddard: Former FEMA Chief Seeks to Profit from Katrina — While FEMA chief Mike Brown comes under fire for his agency's slow... |
Billmon: Bolten — the OMB director — said most Katrina-related contracts would be funneled through former FEMA director and... Gary Farber: DISASTERS ARE GREAT FOR DISASTER BUSINESSES and Joe Allbaugh knows how to do good for others by doing good for himself. |
SHAME ON BUSH! SHAME ON BUSH! NRO — Permalink When MoveOn rallied at the White House, things didn't go exactly as planned. The next time MoveOn.org's political team in Washington schedules a protest at the White House, they will undoubtedly check to make sure there are no competing demonstrations scheduled for the same place at the same time. | |
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John Cole: "If President Bush Ate a Babyâ" Reason #12274282 why I hate protests/rallies, regardless the issue: "I'll tell you why I'm here," the MoveOn woman said. |
Kathryn Jean Lopez: MOVEON — And Byron has the full report here. |
The latest on Katrina's aftermath CNN — Permalink WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate late Thursday passed a $51.8 billion emergency supplemental bill to pay for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts — an amount that sets aside roughly $1.4 billion a day for the five-week period it covers. The Senate passed the bill 97-0. | |
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Steve Soto: Cheney Says Effort "Very Impressive" As Bodies Emerge — On a day when Dick Cheney said the disaster relief effort was... |
Cookie Jill: after 1 day, fema curbs its debit card program mr. arabian fluffer has no freaking idea what he's doing [snipped quote] and the real catch...they have to provide a home address. |
Chertoff Draws Fire on Briefing By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary who has been the Bush administration's point man in fielding criticism of the hurricane relief effort, came under fire Wednesday from some Congressional Democrats for private remarks about the conditions faced by storm survivors that struck the lawmakers as insensitive. | |
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Marc W. Schneider: According to this story in the NYT, Michael Chertoff is being ripped for being "insensitive" to the suffering from the hurricane. Paul @Wizbang: Chertoff Draws Fire on Briefing WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary who has been the... |
Jeff Goldstein: "Chertoff Draws Fire on Briefing" — From the New York Times: [snipped quote] This has become the calling card of the... Gary Farber: Chertoff frustrates lawmakers. |
Lawyers vs. Katrina By / Townhall.com — Permalink WASHINGTON — "I've got this down," Michael Chertoff boasted to aides last weekend as he staved off questions on television about handling the Katrina disaster. It turned out, however, that the secretary of Homeland Security did not begin to have it "down" when he subsequently was interrogated by Tim Russert on NBC's "Meet the Press." | |
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Brendan Nyhan: Update 9/8: Via Andrew Sullivan, here's Bob Novak with more on GOP support for firing Brown: The Democrats on the... Gary Farber: Yes, even his Dark Lordship, Robert Novak is lashing Brownie and Chertoff on behalf of Republicans. The world goes mad, I tell you, mad! |
Andrew Sullivan: "I'VE GOT THIS DOWN": Bob Novak rips into Michael Chertoff. |
A do-it-ourselves shelter shines By / Baltimore Sun — Permalink NEW ORLEANS - When their homes began to sink in Katrina's floodwaters, elders in the quarter here known as Uptown gathered their neighbors to seek refuge at the Samuel J. Green Charter School, the local toughs included. | |
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Gary Farber: A defiant society of survivors created in New Orleans; there are a lot of these stories (use Bugmenot.com). Joanne Jacobs: Self-reliance — At a New Orleans charter school, neighbors led by a Gulf War veteran organized a do-it-ourselves... |
Jesse Walker: Little Platoons — Here's another report of self-help and mutual aid in New Orleans. Glenn Reynolds: OUTDOING FEMA AND THE NEW ORLEANS CITY GOVERNMENT: [snipped quote] Bravo. (Via Daily Pundit). |
Astrodome Radio Station Blocked By / Wired News — Permalink HOUSTON — KAMP 95.3 "Evacuation Radio Services", a low-power FM station for Hurricane Katrina evacuees housed at the Astrodome, is still stuck in limbo. Although the group trying to organize the station has wrangled three 90-day licenses from the FCC, as of... | |
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Jesse Walker: Radio Free Bureaucratic Jackasses — If anyone's compiling a master list of the asinine roadblocks the government has... |
Gary Farber: THE RADIO STATION AT THE ASTRODOME THAT ISN'T. BoingBoing has been documenting this story on an ongoing basis, in... |
Waters Recede in New Orleans; Cheney Tours Gulf Region NYT — Permalink NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 8 - Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered weapons, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here. | |
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Matt Welch: Also, from the Dept. of What-a-Surprise, last night on CNN I saw a report where local cops were wary about enforcing the... |
Orin Kerr: Taking Away Their Guns in New Orleans: I have a feeling that this story is going to get a lot of attention at the VC one... |
Survivors, Others Take Offense at Word 'Refugees' LAT — Permalink Dictionary definitions aside, many consider the term inappropriate — even racist — when applied to Hurricane Katrina evacuees. In Houston, where tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims have sought temporary shelter, officials distributed a terse... | |
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Gary Farber: I discussed this rather thoroughly yesterday, here. Today, the LA Times weighs in with more piffle. Kevin Drum: REFUGEES...Diane Watson chimes in on the "refugee" issue: [snipped quote] I've used "refugees," "homeless," "evacuees,"... |
Jim Romenesko: > Concerns prompt news outlets to reevaluate use of "refugee" (LAT) > Jamieson: "There is nothing derogatory about 'refugees'" (Seattle P-I) Matt Welch: L.A. Times story here. |
Cheney Expresses Strong Support for Relief Efforts By / WaPo — Permalink Vice President Cheney, dispatched by President Bush to troubleshoot hurricane relief efforts on the Gulf Coast, expressed strong support today for a joint House-Senate inquiry proposed by Republican leaders and defended putting political appointees in charge of organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. | |
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Justin Gardner: More from the Washington Post: Cheney Expresses Strong Support for Relief Efforts |
Andrew Sullivan: "VERY IMPRESSIVE": Cheney weighs in on the effort to deal with athe aftermath of Katrina. |
Evacuees' stories are moving, but fence isn't By / Denver Post — Permalink Verne Stovall, foreground, and her daughter-in-law, Jacquelyn Augustine, stand at a fence separating them from reporters and others Tuesday at the Community College of Aurora. Stovall recalled how she was rescued Sunday with 23 other people from a flooded house in New Orleans. | |
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Pessimist @LeftCoaster: Evacuees' stories are moving, but fence isn't Article Last Updated: 09/07/2005 03:37:49 AM By Diane Carman Denver Post... Shaula Evans: The Word of the Day is Detainment Camp — Thanks to the Internet, Eye-Witness Reports are now coming out from the FEMA... |
Michael Froomkin: Denver Post's Disturbing Story on FEMA Camp — DenverPost.com reporter Diane Carman's story — a reliable source —... |
Tancredo: Don't let Louisiana broker aid By / Rocky Mountain News — Permalink U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., asked House Speaker Dennis Hastert not to send federal disaster aid to officials in Louisiana, calling state and local government there incompetent and corrupt. | |
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John Cole: Update *** And another idiot speaks: U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., asked House Speaker Dennis Hastert not to... Taegan Goddard: Tancredo Wants Aid Stopped to Louisiana Officials — Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), a possible presidential candidate in... |
Gary Farber: OUR LOCAL NUTBAR CONGRESSMAN, Tom Tancredo ("local" in the sense of being from this state), issues more of his wisdom: ... |
Bush Requests $51.8 Billion More for Relief WaPo — Permalink President Bush sent Congress a request for $51.8 billion in additional hurricane relief yesterday, raising Katrina's cost to the federal government to $62.3 billion so far, easily a record for domestic disaster relief. | |
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Steve Soto: First, the White House plan to deal with their criminal negligence in not responding to the Katrina disaster is to 1)... Dr. Steven Taylor: Bush Requests More Aid — Via WaPo: Bush Requests $51.8 Billion More for Relief [snipped quote] No doubt. |
Billmon: Katrina Update — Republican leaders moved to try to contain the political fallout from Katrina, forming a joint... Admin @ThinkProgress: FEMA to investigate itself |
Katrina Evacuees to Tell President Bush His Administration Let Them Down U.S. Newswire — Permalink Why Was Federal Funding Cut For Levee Maintenance? Hurricane Katrina evacuees flew into the nation's capital to tell President Bush to stop blaming local officials for his mistakes and acknowledge that budget cuts and indifference by his administration led to the disaster in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. | |
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John Cole: Politicizing Tragedy MoveOn.Org up to their usual shenanigans: To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Trevor... Scared Monkeys: Then again what else was I to expect from MoveOn.org? What a shameless act, check out the US Newswire release. LauraW: Totally, Totally Wonderful — Karl Rove does it again. [snipped quote] Can it be any better to be a conservative nowadays? |
Michelle Malkin: THE SHEEHAN-IZING OF KATRINA — MoveOn.org steps into the Bush-deranged circus, via e-mailer Andy Bryant and U.S... Steve Antler: Be sure to mark your calendar... Members of MoveOn.org Political Action are scheduled to hand- deliver thousands of petition signatures to the White House after the rally. Lorie Byrd: UPDATE: If you haven't already heard about MoveOn.org's latest publicity stunt, it is a perfect example of the worst of the internet. |
Mexican troops cross into U.S. for hurricane relief AP — Permalink LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A Mexican army convoy began crossing into the United States on Thursday to bring aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Carrying water treatment plants and mobile kitchens that can feed 7,000 people daily, the convoy bound for San Antonio is the first Mexican military unit to operate on U.S. soil since 1846. | |
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Tbogg: Across the borderline — Michelle Malkin blocks their advance... Posted by Picasa The Mexicans are coming! The Mexicans are coming! |
Gary Farber: Oh, wait: "LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A Mexican army convoy began crossing into the United States on Thursday to bring aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina. |
Group says it won't use victim images in Roberts ads By / USA Today — Permalink A liberal interest group Thursday denied it ever planned to use televised images of poverty-stricken evacuees from Hurricane Katrina as part of a provocative, last-minute effort to divert federal Judge John Roberts' path to confirmation as chief justice. | |
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Jan Haugland: After facing fierce criticism, MoveOn now denies ever having made such plans. |
Ann Althouse: UPDATE: The USAToday article now has a link to this update: "A liberal interest group Thursday denied it ever planned... |
They Shoot News Anchors, Don't They? By / LA Weekly — Permalink For the first 120 hours after Hurricane Katrina, TV journalists were let off their leashes by their mogul owners, the result of a rare conjoining of flawless timing (summer's biggest vacation week) and foulest tragedy (America's worst natural disaster). | |
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Laura Rozen: Now Comes the Test — Nikki Finke: "...No one could have anticipated that, suddenly, TV's two prettiest-boy anchors... Jay Rosen: From Deference to Outrage: Katrina and the Press — Spine is always good, rage is sometimes needed, and empathy can often reveal the story. Jim Romenesko: NBC deserves an "F" for its Katrina coverage, says Finke — LA Weekly Nikki Finke praises CNN for being the only... |
Ezra Klein: Return of the Press — Nikki Finke has a blistering column lauding the heroes and assaulting the hacks from the last week or two of Katrina coverage. Kevin Roderick: Ben Ehrenreich is on the ground in Baghdad on the Bayou, John Powers writes on the Week of the Living Dead, Erin Aubry... Brian Stelter: Aftermath: Please Don't Cave To FEMA — The real test for the media is happening now, Nikki Finke opines: [snipped quote] > Wash Post: Media groups cry censorship... |
California Governor to Veto Bill Authorizing Same-Sex Marriage By / WaPo — Permalink LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7 — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) announced Wednesday night that he will veto landmark legislation that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. | |
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Ezra Klein: But in this case, it's less the bigotry (or in his case, the opportunism and fear of Tom McClintock) and more the... Jesse Taylor: Schwarzenegger predicatably vetoes the same-sex marriage bill in California, citing...weirdness. |
Zoe Kentucky: But what is a little peculiar is the justification his office gives for his veto. John J. Miller: TERMINATED — I talked to a well-connected California GOPer yesterday, and the gay-marriage bill came up. |
Embryo with two mothers approved BBC — Permalink UK scientists have won permission to create a human embryo that will have genetic material from two mothers. The Newcastle University team will transfer genetic material created when an egg and sperm fuse into another woman's egg. | |
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Julian Sanchez: Well, we're not quite there yet, but the BBC is reporting on a British experiment involving the transplantation of... |
Ann Althouse: Having two mothers at the genetic level. It has to happen sooner or later, right? |
Exxon's $10B fill-up: Cashing in on crunch By / Boston Herald — Permalink Oil companies came under new fire yesterday when it emerged that ExxonMobil's profits are likely to soar above $10 billion this quarter on the back of the fuel crisis. That's $110 million a day, and more net income than any company has ever made in a quarter. | |
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David Sirota: Here's why. COMMENTS: Go to Sirota's Working Assets site to comment on this entry |
Judd @ThinkProgress: ExxonMobile's profits are expected to exceed |
Preparing for World War III By / Weekly Standard — Permalink A FEW MONTHS AGO, most observers expected Chief Justice William Rehnquist's failing health to trigger President Bush's first Supreme Court nomination. But Rehnquist hung on, to the surprise of many, and it was Sandra Day O'Connor whose resignation brought about the first vacancy on the Court since 1994. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: The Post-Katrina Democrats — The WeeklyStandard.com has a column on the new Navy destroyer, two on the Supreme Court... John @PowerLine: "Preparing for World War III" — The Weekly Standard has posted my column "Preparing for World War III", on the coming battle over the Supreme Court. |
Captain Ed: Girding For Battle — Be sure to read John Hinderaker's excellent column in today's Daily Standard, "Preparing for World War III". Betsy Newmark: John Hinderaker is right - if Bush chooses a true conservative to fill O'Connor's seat, it will launch a political World War III. |
One question builds: Where was FEMA? By / St. Petersburg Times — Permalink WASHINGTON - The blistering criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina reached a fever pitch in the flooded city of New Orleans Friday as the nightmarish aftermath continued to expose numerous flaws in the way the government prepared for and executed disaster relief. | |
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Justin Gardner: From the St. Petersburg Times: "Just last year, FEMA hired a private company, IEM Inc. of Baton Rouge, to help conduct... |
Andrew Sullivan: THEY KNEW THEY HAD A PROBLEM: Money quote from the St Petersburg Times: [snipped quote] Tragic. |
Democrats Step Up Criticism of White House NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - After 10 days of often uncertain responses to the Bush administration's management of Hurricane Katrina, Democratic leaders unleashed a burst of attacks on the White House on Wednesday, saying the wreckage in New Orleans raised doubts... | |
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Ross @TheTalentShow: Dems Blast Bush Over Hurricane Response Democrats Step Up Criticism of White House Links cribbed from the fine people over at Americablog. Joe @AmericaBlog: Dr. Dean speaks — And he nails it: [snipped quote] (With new link, thanks to Alice M.) |
Tom Maguire: Now the entire party is uniting around a simple message of bigger, better government - Katrina Bad, Bush Worse. |
Bipartisan Inquiry Proposed as Bush Seeks $51.8 Billion More for Relief By / NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - Republican Congressional leaders on Wednesday announced a joint House-Senate inquiry into failures surrounding the response to Hurricane Katrina as the Bush administration requested $51.8 billion in new relief money in the face of intensifying Democratic criticism of its handling of the disaster. | |
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Gary Farber: Now, I'm rather obviously pre-inclined to view things more along the Democratic line than the Republican... Brendan Nyhan: Fire Brown movement grows — Even top Republicans agree — Michael Brown must go: Senior House Republican officials said... Taegan Goddard: The New York Times notes a decision by Republican leaders "to press forward with a rare bicameral investigation... |
Billmon: The New York Times, meanwhile, reported the creation of the GOP sham panel under the headline: "Bipartisan Inquiry Proposed as Bush Seeks $51.8 Billion More for Relief." Sam Rosenfeld: The piece he cited was typically bad, but it's been a while since I've read newspaper articles as simultaneously... Hugh Hewitt: Pelosi's counterpart in the Senate, Harry Reid, is upset with the plan to have one committee investigate the disaster's... |
Too Perfect to Know the People? By / WaPo — Permalink I sometimes think the best thing that ever happened to me was, at the time, the worst: I flunked out of college. I did so for the usual reasons — painfully bored with school and distracted by life itself — and so I went to work for an insurance company while I plowed ahead at night school. | |
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Betsy Newmark: Today he plumbs new depths with his column wishing that John Roberts were not, well, so dang good at everything he has ever tried. Damian Penny: If people like Richard Cohen have been reduced to making this kind of argument against John Roberts, I think Roberts can... |
Captain Ed: He tries in a weak way to argue against the confirmation of Roberts by pointing out his many successes — and then... |
Storm's Devastation Fans Antiwar Flame By / WaPo — Permalink The calamity of Hurricane Katrina and criticism of the federal response are fast becoming a rallying cry in the antiwar debate. About two dozen protesters staged a rally outside the White House yesterday and are redirecting their arguments to compare the relief effort in New Orleans with ongoing spending in Iraq. | |
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Gene @HarrysPlace: ANSWER and Katrina — In thoroughly predictable fashion, the quasi-Stalinists of the "antiwar" ANSWER Coalition are... Cori Dauber: Katrina = Proof of the Anti-War Position — Hey, whaddya want from me, I just link to the stories. |
MarkInMexico: Main Page Anti-war movement blames war for Katrina The anti-war ghouls are seizing upon the Katrina catastrophe to help "fan the flames" of their staggering movement. |
New Orleans Officials Grapple With How to Pull Out Residents NYT — Permalink NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 7 - With the waters inside this city growing increasingly fetid and thousands of people still holding out, New Orleans police officers began on Wednesday evening to force residents to leave, including those living in dry and undamaged homes. | |
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Brad DeLong: The Magnitude of Katrina — A piece of information: Alex Berenson and Sewell Chan: In the first indication of how... |
Hale Stewart: FEMA orders 25,000 Body Bags — [snipped quote] NYTimes Link Permalink Hale Stewart - Comments (3) |
Katrina's Silver Lining By / NYT — Permalink As a colleague of mine says, every crisis is an opportunity. And sure enough, Hurricane Katrina has given us an amazing chance to do something serious about urban poverty. That's because Katrina was a natural disaster that interrupted a social disaster. | |
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Jesse Taylor: Didn't you like today's article where I gathered up all the conservative writings about using this as an opportunity to... Matthew Yglesias: Advancing loose talk of a grand bargain to start getting serious about poverty, David Brooks' new column suggests that... James Joyner: Katrina's Silver Lining [NYT RSS] "As a colleague of mine says, every crisis is an opportunity. |
Billmon: Reading stuff like that, you can see the utter deluded fantasy of David "bleeding heart" Brooks' proposal for a bit of... Greg Anrig: David Brooks is Right, But... From: Politics David Brooks' column today puts forward a great idea, if only someone other than the president he admires were running the country. Steve Antler: David Brooks now asks we apply Chicago lessons to New Orleans. Just wait. Expect to hear the same angry (and arguably racist) responses we heard in Chicago. |
| Also: Armando @DailyKos, Betsy Newmark | |
Medical Records Say Arafat Died From a Stroke; Poisoning Unlikely NYT — Permalink JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 - The medical records of Yasir Arafat, which have been kept secret since his unexplained death last year at a French military hospital, show that he died from a stroke that resulted from a bleeding disorder caused by an unidentified infection. | |
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Jan Haugland: Yasser Arafat died from 'bleeding disorder' — The New York Times has obtained the medical records of Yasser Arafat, and... |
Scott @PowerLine: The Jerusalem Post (here) and the New York Times (here) also carry articles with original reporting on the subject. |
Marriage for all LAT — Permalink CALIFORNIANS CAN TAKE PRIDE in the fact that their Legislature is the first in the nation to pass a law expanding the right to marry to gay couples. It's in keeping with the state's progressive heritage, and the American West's respect for individual freedom, to take government out of the business of passing judgment on the lifestyle choices of its citizens. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: But there is the future of opinion journalism: You can read five fresh commentaries reserached and written hours before... |
Andrew Sullivan: WHEN CALIFORNIA'S COURT RULES: The Los Angeles Times makes an important point about the historic fact of a state... |
Arafat's physician: French found AIDS; cover-up alleged on cause of death Israel Insider — Permalink The release of Yasser Arafat's pathology report has reignited a heated debate about the former PA Chairman's cause of death. Although no sources point to a definitive conclusion, most signs — including an admission by Arafat's doctor Ashraf al-Kurdi, that the French doctors that cared for Arafat found the virus in his blood — point to AIDS. | |
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Scott @PowerLine: Israel Insider summarizes the background and intrigue regarding the cause of Arafat's death: "Arafat's physician: French found AIDS; cover-up alleged on cause of death." |
Alcibiades @KesherTalk: Just Wondering Outloud — But is there any connection between the assassination of Moussa Arafat earlier this week and... |
More scrutiny for New Yorker By / Chicago Sun Times — Permalink The stage is set for what may prove to be a defining moment in the history of the American Society of Magazine Editors, a group of high-powered editors from more than 850 magazines, including many of the nation's most well-known and prestigious. | |
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Rex Hammock: Despite widespread ridicule of Lazare's illogic and his obvious ignorance of history (and even some name calling) and... |
Jim Romenesko: Lazare: ASME to discuss New Yorker/Target deal next week — Chicago Sun-Times Lewis Lazare says the American Society of... |
Shocking, grisly pictures vital to story of Katrina By / Denver Post — Permalink The most traumatizing images are yet to come. As the fetid water recedes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, decomposing bodies will turn up in the streets and homes. They will appear on our screens, pushing a nation beyond what once was considered appropriate news coverage. | |
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Brian Stelter: Aftermath: "Our Role Is To Show The Reality," Including Dead Bodies — The decision to show corpses on the streets of... |
Jim Romenesko: Ostrow: Showing Katrina's dead is journalistically sound — Denver Post FEMA doesn't want news organizations to show... |
Saddam did not confess to mass killings - lawyer Reuters — Permalink AMMAN (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein's chief attorney denied on Thursday that the ousted president had confessed to ordering executions and waging a campaign against Kurds in which thousands of people are said to have been killed. | |
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John Cole: More on the Saddam 'Confession' Here: Saddam Hussein's chief attorney denied on Thursday that the ousted president... |
Dr. Steven Taylor: Well, That's a Relief — Via Reuters: Saddam did not confess to mass killings |
Citing Prop. 22, Gov. Rejects Gay Marriage Bill LAT — Permalink A day after California's Legislature became the first in the nation to pass a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced through an aide Wednesday that he would veto the measure "out of respect for the will of the people." | |
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Susie Madrak: Some Animals Still More Equal Than Others Just substitute the word "black" for "gay" and you'll see how ridiculous... Kevin Drum: ARNOLD TO VETO GAY MARRIAGE BILL....Arnold has decided to veto a measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in California: [snipped quote] Fine. |
Kevin Roderick: Here are some observettes... • Gov. Schwarzenegger says through an aide that he will veto the gay marriage bill... |
Yahoo Role Documented in Chinese Trial By / NYT — Permalink BEIJING, Sept. 7 - Yahoo, the Internet search company, provided information last year that helped authorities in China convict a Chinese journalist for leaking state secrets to a foreign Web site, court documents show. | |
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Jim Romenesko: Yahoo provided info that helped China convict a journalist — New York Times Journalist Shi Tao was sentenced to 10... |
Laura Rozen: Yahoo collaborated with Chinese jailing of journalist: [snipped quote] It's pretty horrifying, when the Internet profiteers work in effect to further repression. |
A Bad Analogy By / Opinion Journal — Permalink While it is far from clear that antiwar sentiment actually has been spreading this summer (after all, 60% of Americans indicated continuing support in a recent AP poll), there's little doubt that antiwar rhetoric is on the rise. | |
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Mcq: How Iraq can be analogous to Vietnam — Peter Kann does an admirable job of stating how we can make Iraq like Vietnam:... |
Scott @PowerLine: He challenges the antiwar theme equating Iraq with Vietnam in a column for the Journal this morning: "A bad analogy." |
Journalists' outrage visible in coverage By / St. Petersburg Times — Permalink For Campbell Brown, the anger peaked when she reached the New Orleans Convention Center. In the area for days covering the landfall and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for NBC News, Brown had seen plenty of devastation. | |
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Hugh Hewitt: Self-congratulation is the theme of the St. Petersburg Times look at the various talking heads who swamped New orleans last week. Brian Stelter: The scene inside the New Orleans Convention Center made her blood boil: "Watching the power struggles play out between... |
Jim Romenesko: > "What appeared to start out as another overhyped TV story about extreme weather has turned into one of journalisms... |
Parties Scramble for Post-Katrina Leverage WaPo — Permalink Congressional Republicans had hoped to devote this fall to tax cuts, private investment accounts for Social Security and tilting the judiciary further to the right. Instead, they are appropriating massive sums for the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort and retreating, at least for now, from plans to eliminate the estate tax. | |
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Gary Farber: PROTECT THE PARTY! That's clearly the primary motivation behind this sort of "investigation". Matthew Yglesias: Naturally enough, the coverage of the Republican plan gives you no flavor of any of that. Michael Stickings: Katrina may have killed over 10,000 people, a major city has been almost completely evacuated, and much of the Gulf... |
Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: TRAVISHAMOCKERY — Oh, vomit. This is disgusting: [snipped quote] If you want to assess a joint failure to which two... Steve Soto: Well today, Frist and Hastert said they would assemble a bicameral and bipartisan commission to investigate the Katrina response. Barbara O'Brien: Today House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced there would be a "bipartisan"... |
| Also: Echidne, Cookie Jill, Josh Marshall | |
Exclusive: Confidential medical report on PA leader's death By / Haaretz — Permalink An analysis of the confidential medical report on Yasser Arafat's death reveals three main possibilities as to the cause: poisoning, AIDS or an infection. Israel and foreign doctors who have seen the report say the details do not lead to a conclusive determination on what caused the death. | |
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Jan Haugland: But the Haaretz does not agree with the NYT that this information makes AIDS, or poisoning, any less likely. Gateway Pundit: Haaretz today says it was either AIDS, an infection or poisoning. Rajiv Singh: Now, the great pro -Arab newspaper published in Hebrew, Ha'Aretz, suggests just that in this English article! |
Gary Farber: The Haaretz version is "we dunno, but here's what various sources think": "# The report does not clear up the ambiguities surrounding Yasser Arafat's death. Scott @PowerLine: Today in Arafatistan — The day after Yasser Arafat died, I wrote in "Omitted from Arafat's AP obituary": ... |
Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay Marriage Bill By / AP — Permalink SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage "out of respect for the will of the people," drawing heated criticism from gay rights supporters and cheers from conservative groups. | |
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La Shawn Barber: California Homosexual 'Marriage' Bill Passed — Update (9/8): California governor says he will veto homosexual "marriage" bill. |
Ed Cone: California gay marriage, not — California passes gay marriage bill...Arnold to terminate it. |
The 'Stuff Happens' Presidency By / WaPo — Permalink We're not number one. We're not even close. By which measures, precisely, do we lead the world? Caring for our countrymen? You jest. A first-class physical infrastructure? Tell that to New Orleans. Throwing so much money at the rich that we've got nothing left over to promote the general welfare? | |
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Dr. Steven Taylor: However, I would like to present an open message to any who make claims like "Americans don't care" (to paraphrase,... Radley Balko: More Failure, Please — Harold Meyerson writes that he isn't surprised that a country which fails to provide universal... Paul @PowerLine: The "stuff happens" presidency — That's what knee-jerk leftist columnist Howard Meyerson dubs the Bush administration. |
James Joyner: The 'Stuff Happens' Presidency (WaPo, Sep. 7, A25) [snipped quote] What's bizarre about all this is that the... Barbara O'Brien: In WaPo, Harold Meyerson almost sounds like a leftie blogger. "By which measures, precisely, do we lead the world? Ezra Klein: Op-Ed of the Day — Meyerson: "But these are chronic conditions, and even many of us who argue for universal health... |
Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory? By / Weekly Standard — Permalink WITH JOHN ROBERTS sailing toward confirmation last week, President Bush had the O'Connor seat "won." The Court was set to move one click to the right (so to speak). Then Chief Justice William Rehnquist died. | |
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Mark Kilmer: Bill Kristol thinks that POTUS "may be rattled by the criticism for mishandling Hurricane Katrina, and he may think it would be better to avoid a big fight over the court." Justin @SouthernAppeal: Kristol gets the ball rolling: "So there is no good reason for Bush to flinch. But he could. |
John @PowerLine: SCOTT adds: Bill Kristol read the tea leaves earlier this week: "Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?" |
Shas rabbi: Hurricane is Bush's punishment for pullout support AP — Permalink Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former chief rabbi and the spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas movement, said on Wednesday that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for U.S. President George W. Bush's support for Israel's Gaza pullout. "It was God's retribution. | |
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Damian Penny: Beyond disgusting — Christian and Muslim fringe figures have said Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment against... Radley Balko: God and Katrina — Good to know just about every religion has its wingnuts: [snipped quote] Got yer' Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Mother Earth Environmentalists, now. |
Norm Geras: Depraved belief — I'm not a believer in any deity, but if I were I wouldn't be signed up to this man's God: "Rabbi... |
Cheering the racial division By / Townhall.com — Permalink A major news event follows a very routine pattern. First, we get the hard news phase, where reporters relate the unfolding dramatic facts. In the second phase, those same reporters become analysts, commentators passing moral and political judgment on the story. | |
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Richard Reeb: First Set the 'News' Table, Then Savor the 'Analysis' Food — Brent Bozelle III rightly excoriates the Old Media for... |
Betsy Newmark: Brent Bozell details how it has been the media that has been doing a lot to further the racial "subtext" of the hurricane story. |
Governor will veto same-sex marriage bill San Francisco Chronicle — Permalink Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, under growing pressure from his conservative supporters, promised Wednesday to veto the gay marriage bill passed less than a day earlier by the Democrat-led Legislature. | |
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California Yankee: Schwarzenegger To Veto Gay Marriage — The San Francisco Chronicle reports Governor Schwarzenegger will veto the gay... Gary Farber: VETO. [snipped quote] Out of respect for the will of the people who elected the legislature, Arnie will take it out of... |
Kerry Howley: Arnold to Cali: No Gay Nups — According to his press secretary, Gov. Arnold will veto the state's same-sex marriage bill "out of respect for the will of the people." |
Schwarzenegger Vows Gay Marriage Bill Veto By / AP — Permalink SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday he will veto a bill that would have made California the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through its elected lawmakers. | |
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John Hawkins: "Mark Steyn: Sniping And Griping" Left-Overs "U.S. Forces Give Iraqis Full Control Of Najaf (Free WAPO Reg Req)"... |
California Yankee: According to the Associated Press, gay rights advocates accused Schwarzenegger of betraying the bipartisan ideals that... |
White House: Mrs. Bush Comment 'Personal' AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — Barbara Bush was making "a personal observation" when she said poor people at a relocation center in Houston were faring better than before Hurricane Katrina struck, President Bush's spokesman said Wednesday. | |
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Chris Nolan: The White House is saying the former First Lady's remarks were "personal." Hmmmm. Jo Fish: Bwa hahahahaha — Y'all can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it's still a p-i-g pig. |
Lorelei Kelly: It wasn't only his mother Barbara— who thinks that the mostly poor storm refugees must be better off now that they are in Texas. |
Schwarzenegger: I'll Veto Calif. Gay Nups Bill AP — Permalink SACRAMENTO, Calif — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (search) announced Wednesday he will veto a bill that would have made California the first state to legalize same-sex marriage (search) through its elected lawmakers. | |
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Captain Ed: Arnold Announces Permanent Retirement From Hollywood — The Governator will probably fulfill the prophecy of being... Gary Farber: So: beats me. But "the courts should decide" is apparently the new slogan, so whadda I know? Here is the AP version. |
Patterico: Arnold Will Veto Same-Sex Marriage Bill Via Xrlq (in the comments) comes word that Arnold Schwarzenegger will veto the same-sex marriage bill. Last Night: Update (TL): Gov. Arnold now says he will veto the bill. |
Democrats Step Up Criticism of White House Response NYT — Permalink WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 - After 10 days of often uncertain responses to the Bush administration's management of Hurricane Katrina, Democratic leaders unleashed a burst of attacks on the White House on Wednesday, saying the wreckage in New Orleans raised doubts... | |
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Steve Soto: Nancy Pelosi laid it on the line today at a press conference when she repeated a conversation she had yesterday with... |
Taegan Goddard: Democrats Unleash Attacks on Bush Response — "After 10 days of often uncertain responses to the Bush administration's... |
Report: Education Dept. funds need monitoring By / USA Today — Permalink One Sunday last October, readers of The Dallas Morning News opened their newspapers to an angry op-ed penned by Marcela Garcini, a self-described "ninja parent" who took the Dallas school system to task for dragging its heels on No Child Left Behind, saying it was "limiting the future and opportunities for our children." | |
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Brendan Nyhan: More administration payola — Katrina has buried the latest news on the payola front — more third parties have been... |
Michelle Pilecki: But kudos to USA Today for being the first (and best), reporting that the DOE gave nearly $4.7 million to various... |
Missouri Sues Web Site Purporting to Raise Funds By / NYT — Permalink The Missouri attorney general, Jay Nixon, filed a lawsuit this afternoon against InternetDonations.org, the hub for a constellation of Web sites erected over the last several days purporting to collect donations for victims of Hurricane Katrina. | |
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ArchPundit: Human Scum Gets His — Frank Weltner of Couch Potato fame has had his scam to raise cash on the backs of Hurricane Katrina victims quashed by Jay Nixon. |
Roger Ailes: I got your looter right here: [snipped quote] If you look at this prick's own website (no link), he is in fact raising money for victims of Katrina. |
FEMA accused of censorship By / Reuters — Permalink 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. | |
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Jeff Goldstein: Andrew then quotes this damning evidence, from Reuters: "[O]n Tuesday, FEMA refused to take reporters and photographers... Jack Cluth: FEMA accused of censorship The feds don't want anyone taking pictures of those killed by Hurrican Katrina? Kriston @BeggingToDiffer: Taking them at their word: FEMA's fear is that the U.S. media will reproduce the images in a way that violates the dignity and respect of the victims and their families. |
TheAnchoress: He has been very deeply affected by the pathos of Katrina - as have we all - and today he was riffing on politicians... Joe Gandelman: A debate over whether banning the press from taking pix of dead bodies is banning free speech, blatant news control,... Josh Marshall: At first the evidence was scattered and anecdotal. |
| Also: Laura Rozen, Edward _, Gary Farber, Andrew Sullivan, Joe @AmericaBlog, John @AmericaBlog | |
U.S. agency blocks photos of New Orleans dead Reuters — Permalink NEW ORLEANS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government agency leading the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded New Orleans area. | |
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Cori Dauber: One last item: I have noticed some calling FEMA's request that the recovery of the dead in New Orleans not be photographed "censorship." John Hawkins: An Open Letter About The Corpse Of Your Loved One By John Cole — Dear Families of Loved Ones Lost In Katrina: The... Attaturk: Now you cannot see the results, in some part, of Bush's FEMA handiwork. But you know what? F**k 'em. |
Guest Blogger: Media's Katrina highlight reel. FEMA's move to discourage pictures of the dead enrages many. Phew. Jay Rosen: After Matter: Notes, reactions and links… Show of hands: who thinks that United States military authorities (who... John Cole: An Open Letter Dear Families of Loved Ones Lost In Katrina: The Federal Emergency Management Agency has requested... |
| Also: Steve Soto, Gal Beckerman, Norbizness, Barbara O'Brien, Oliver Willis, Armando @DailyKos, MarkInMexico, Gary Farber, Stirling Newberry, Jim Romenesko, Andrew Sullivan | |
Mayor, Governor at Odds Over Evacuation Fox News — Permalink NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search) seemed at odds with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (search ) Wednesday, hours after the mayor ordered the mandatory evacuation of the crippled Crescent City by force if necessary. | |
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Marc @USSNeverdock: Katrina - Governor and Mayor Feud — While rescue operations are still underway and while the left continues to try and... Scared Monkeys: At odds over the evacuation of New Orleans? A city in complete disarray and there is a question still of whether to evacuate. TheAnchoress: Gov. Blanco still ditheringâ I'm sorry but this lady's indecisiveness is very alarming: As floodwaters caused... |
John Hawkins: After The Tsunami $163 Mill In 9 Days" "FEMA Has Done 32,000 Rescues Since Katrina" "Mayor, Governor at Odds Over... MarkInMexico: Main Page Louisiana Governor Blanco still won't enforce evac order What is this person's problem? Gateway Pundit: And,... Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco says she will not sign off on the order: "Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco... |
| Also: Kathryn Jean Lopez | |
Bush Seeks $51.8B More for Katrina Effort AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Congress' top two Democrats furiously criticized the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, with Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) demanding to know whether President Bush's Texas vacation impeded relief efforts and... | |
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tgirsch Edit This: Filed under: Politics, Media One lonely comment » Bush Incapable of Protecting US Posted by Kevin Edit This In... Arianna Huffington: "It's The National Security, Stupid" After an interminable week of silence on the administration's shockingly inept... Brendan Nyhan: Via Andrew Sullivan, here's Nancy Pelosi claiming that President Bush is even more clueless and out-of-touch than we... |
John Hawkins: Daily News For September 8, 2005 — Hurricane Katrina "The Administration Formally Asked Congress For $51.8 Billion In... Kevin Drum: But every time I start thinking we should ease up, the White House delivers yet another outrage: [snipped quote] Andrew... Andrew Sullivan: The president is still out of it. I must say that the Katrina response does help me better understand the situation in Iraq. |
| Also: Chris Andersen | |
Fox's Hume, Wilson take cue from conservative blogs, repeat unfounded claim that Bush "pleaded" with New Orleans mayor to evacuate city Media Matters for America — Permalink On the September 5 edition of Fox News' Special Report, host Brit Hume claimed that New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin had ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city on August 28 after President Bush "pleaded" with him. | |
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Steve Soto: In fact, Bush called Governor Blanco just before the Blanco press conference with Mayor Nagin to weigh in on the matter... Marc @USSNeverdock: What's left for the left to do? Rewrite history. But, they can't rewrite the governor and the mayor's failings. Hunter @DailyKos: Where Turd Blossom Goes, A Talking Point Blooms — There's one particular conservative talking point that made the... |
Nico @ThinkProgress: Media Matters has shown how the timing of Bush's phone call means it had no impact on Mayor Nagin's decision to evacuate the city. Joe Gandelman: Some administration defenders, meanwhile, seemingly undermine their own side by making statements like these that can at best be described as at varience with the facts. Armando @DailyKos: Freeper Myth Exposed: Nagin Never Spoke to Bush Before Ordering Evacuation — Media Matters: "Fox News ... report[ed]... |
| Also: Josh Marshall | |
In praise of price gouging By / Townhall.com — Permalink Politicians and the media are furious about price increases in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They want gas stations and water sellers punished. If you want to score points cracking down on mean, greedy profiteers, pushing anti-"gouging" rules is a very good thing. | |
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Steve M.: Maybe you've already seen the latest TownHall column by ABC's house libertarian, John Stossel — "In Praise of Price Gouging." John Hawkins: Rescuers Told Gals On Rooftops To 'Show Us What You've Got'" "Bob Williams: Gov. Blanco And Mayor Nagin Failed Their... Ross @TheTalentShow: So sayeth Town hall's John Stossel, American Dickhead: [snipped quote] Oh, there's more my pretties, and it's as strained logically as you'd think. |
S.Z.: So, instead I offer her this John Stossel column: "In praise of price gouging." (Because Stossel is the git that keeps on giving.) Jesse Taylor: John Stossel has the most odious defense of price-gouging I've ever seen. |
FEMA packed with W's pals By / NY Daily News — Permalink WASHINGTON - The three top jobs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Bush went to political cronies with no apparent experience coping with catastrophes, the Daily News has learned. | |
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Susie Madrak: The Best I keep saying: If he appointed even one person I could respect… WASHINGTON - The three top jobs at... Gary Farber: Read The Rest Scale: 0 out of 5. ADDENDUM: The Daily News has noticed. Tim Dunlop: Meanwhile, back in reality, just one of the many problems that can be legitimately sheeted home to the White House:... |
Jon Henke: He titles his post: "OK, I am becoming a Libertarian" Meanwhile, the "three top jobs at the Federal Emergency Management... Atrios: When your disaster relief agency is stacked with people whose former experience was doing campaign and PR work for Bush,... Matt Welch: Next Thing You Know They'll Send Non-Arabic Speaking Texans to Run the Embassy in Riyadh — From the New York Daily... |
| Also: John @AmericaBlog, Joe Gandelman | |
Mother's remark puts silver foot in Bush's mouth By / Chicago Tribune — Permalink I was all set to defend President Bush as a guy who really doesn't want poor black people in Louisiana and Mississippi to die of starvation and disease, no matter what the Democrats say. But then Barbara Bush, the president's mom, went and dusted off the Bush family silver foot Monday. | |
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James Joyner: Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass provides one of the more measured rebukes: Mother's remark puts silver foot in... Randy Paul: Quiet Time — Mrcia just got back from five weeks in Brazil with some family matters, so I won't be posting anything... Last Night: Marie Antoinette Bush — The Chicago Tribune today has a classic editorial by John Kass: "Mother's remark puts silver foot in Bush's mouth." |
Gary Farber: Also: making fun of Barbara Bush's silver foot, by John Kass, who is rather conservative, last I looked (if I'm not confused, which is always possible). ArchPundit: I Actually Do have a 10 1/2 EEEE Feet — John Kass suggests that's the size of foot in Barbara Bush's mouth after her comments the other day. |
Katrina jolts the press By / Salon — Permalink Frustrated news consumers are supposed to be cheering that the national press corps has finally awoken from its five-year, self-induced slumber, opting to play hardball with the Bush administration by actually holding officials accountable in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. | |
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Jay Rosen: Salon's Eric Boehlert: "For years, frustrated news consumers have wondered what it would take to finally awaken the press from its perpetual, lazy slumber. Jim Romenesko: Boehlert: I'm not celebrating news media's coming-out party — Salon Eric Boehlert says the fact that Katrina reporters'... |
Oliver Willis: The Media Jackals — No need for applause Forgive some of us for not celebrating the press's coming-out party. Guest Blogger: > Don't celebrate too quickly, says Salon's Eric Boehlert. |
Katrina's windbags By / LAT — Permalink SOMETIMES I HAVE a strong urge to resign in disgust from the Amalgamated Federation of Pollsters, Pundits, Politicians and Pompous Pontificators. This is one of those times. | |
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Digby: Little Pitchers — Max Boot says: "Ordinary people are sitting at home, transfixed by the spectacle unfolding on their television screens. Gary Farber: It should be obvious that, by now, anyone decrying holding people responsible for the disasterous disaster-response,... Glenn Reynolds: MAX BOOT: "SOMETIMES I HAVE a strong urge to resign in disgust from the Amalgamated Federation of Pollsters, Pundits, Politicians and Pompous Pontificators. |
Ed Cone: Ordinary people — Max Boot is just horrified that pundits are playing the blame game with Katrina. Jim Romenesko: LAT's Boot blasts Katrina pundits for playing blame-game — Los Angeles Times Max Boot's beef: "No sooner had Hurricane... Kevin Drum: FINGER POINTING....Max Boot, meet Arianna Huffington. I have some sympathy for Max's point of view, but I think Arianna wins this one on points. |
| Also: Laura Rozen | |
Dems Blast Bush Over Hurricane Response By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON - Democrats, divided over President Bush's handling of Iraq, are coming down hard on his administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. Some of the harshest words are coming from 2008 presidential hopefuls. | |
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Michael @AmericaBlog: At the end, he mentioned the AP story gave a technically accurate but unfairly positive spin to the facts by saying Bush had "cut short his vacation by two days." Jayson @PoliPundit: But there's the anecdotal definition too: The current version (post-McGovern; post-B.D.S.) of the MediaCrat Party. |
John @AmericaBlog: Dems blasting Bush over hurricane relief — Now THAT'S my party. |
For Bush, a Deepening Divide By / WaPo — Permalink When terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001, Americans came together in grief and resolve, rallying behind President Bush in an extraordinary show of national unity. But when Hurricane Katrina hit last week, the opposite occurred, with Americans dividing along sharply partisan lines in their judgment of the president's and the federal government's response. | |
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Joe Gandelman: The Washington Post has a piece detailing how polarized the country is today which reads, in part: "Wherever reality... DJ Drummond: The Blame Game, Once Again — If you can't say something nice about someone, well the Washington Post may want you to do their polling. Jesse Taylor: (Based off this Dan Balz article. |
New Donkey: These reactions have not completely broken along partisan or ideological lines, but they have broken that way often... Cori Dauber: No Unity Here — The Post notes that, (as if we needed someone to point this out for us) while the response to Sept. 11... Patrick Ruffini: In today's Post, Dan Balz notes a striking contrast between 9/11 and today: [snipped quote] Though giving about equal due... |
| Also: Attaturk, Taegan Goddard, James Joyner, Joel Makower | |
Navy Pilots Who Rescued Victims Are Reprimanded By / NYT — Permalink PENSACOLA, Fla., Sept. 6 - Two Navy helicopter pilots and their crews returned from New Orleans on Aug. 30 expecting to be greeted as lifesavers after ferrying more than 100 hurricane victims to safety. | |
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Jesse Taylor: It's no time to point fingers at people for reprimanding Navy pilots that went to go save people's lives. Captain Ed: If so, one does not know the military, as the New York Times proves this morning. Matt Welch: And The New York Times has a report about other reasons for helicopter-reticence in those first days. |
Jason Van Steenwyk: Naval Aviators Reprimanded for Rescues — Heh. Sounds like the Navy. Jo Fish: So when a couple of my brethern at NAS Pensacola went off and did a little people-savin' on their own, after a logistics... Joe @AmericaBlog: Navy Pilots rebuked for saving lives — Who runs this government? [snipped quote] Hey, they only saved 100 lives. |
| Also: Gary Farber, Andrew Sullivan | |
I'm fit for the job, disaster boss sez By / NY Daily News — Permalink Embattled FEMA head Mike Brown insists he is well-qualified to lead the nation's disaster response agency - though he spent his time before joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency probing whether a breeder was performing liposuction on a horse's rear end. | |
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Hunter @DailyKos: Open Thread — From AMERICAblog, this NY Daily News snippet: [snipped quote] Performing liposuction on a horse's rear end? Judd @ThinkProgress: "Embattled FEMA head Mike Brown |
John @AmericaBlog: NY Daily News has more on FEMA's Michael Brown - it's juicy — NY Daily News "Embattled FEMA head Mike Brown insists he... |
Blame Amid the Tragedy By / Opinion Journal — Permalink As the devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to shock and sadden the nation, the question on many lips is, Who is to blame for the inadequate response? | |
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TheAnchoress: The WSJ has a piece by Bob Williams which some will ignore simply because it is in the WSJ, but he is - for all he is... MJA @SouthernAppeal: The Failure of Local and State Officials re: Katrina — WSJ's Opinion Journal has a great article about what everyone... Marc @USSNeverdock: And yet they try and blame the President. Finally, main stream media are starting to put the blame where it belongs. |
Mcq: Boiled down to its essence, that means: "The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. Cori Dauber: Harsh Words — OpinionJournal publishes an oped with some harsh words for the local and state governments responsible for the people of New Orleans. Mitch Berg: Indictment — Bob Williams on the local and state screwups leading to the disaster: [snipped quote] And Ray Nagin - the... |
Gouging? No Such Thing By / TCS — Permalink For various reasons, I took a lot of trips to the local hardware store on Sunday. On my route there were two gas stations gazing at each other across the thoroughfare. On the first trip, I noticed that one was charging $3.41 a gallon for regular, while the other was charging $3.29. | |
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Natalie Solent: Iain Murray explains the subject. Let me add my own two pennorth. (Three pennorth now - special crisis rate.) Justin @SouthernAppeal: More on price gouging: "This was actually an excellent case study for the basic economic lesson on supply and demand in situations of scarcity. Iain Murray: This is economic idiocy, as I argue in a piece on Tech Central Station today. |
Judith Weiss: The one appearing in Europe airs some biases about the workings of a market economy which did not appear in the article for domestic consumption. James Joyner: There's No Such Thing Price Gouging — So argues Iain Murray today in Tech Central Station: [snipped quote] Steve Verdon made the same argument here days ago and they're both right. Steve Bainbridge: More on price gouging — You can't get much blunter than this: "Price gouging is one of the great myths of our time. |
Katrina Victims to Get $2K Debit Cards By / AP — Permalink WASHINGTON — The federal government plans to begin doling out debit cards worth $2,000 each to adult victims of Hurricane Katrina, The Associated Press has learned. Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff descibed the plan in a conference call with state officials Wednesday morning. | |
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Joe Gandelman: A brutal hurricane whose victims are given for relief...$2,000 debit cards. Gary Farber: IT'S A START. Their plan: [snipped quote] It's a good idea. Jeralyn Merritt: Gov't. To Give Katrina Victims $2k Debit Cards Finally, a good idea from the government. |
Xan @Corrente: Business Week is reporting the following: [snipped quote] It's an AP piece, sourced to "a state official who was on the... Ezra Klein: Let's hope this is a sign of more creative, effective relief initiatives to come: [snipped quote] Those at the Astrodome will get them first. |
FEMA FOOL SAT ON HIS HANDS New York Post — Permalink The head of FEMA waited a mind-boggling five hours after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf before even contacting his boss about sending personnel to the area — then suggested workers be allowed two days to get to the ravaged region, shocking internal documents reveal. | |
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Cori Dauber: Third, the New York Post claims to have shocking documents indicting the FEMA Director's preparations for the storm. Steve M.: I guess Brownie's lost Rupert Murdoch... Chances are you've seen the AP version of this story, but you might be... Michael @AmericaBlog: The front page story? "Dead Wait," with the inside article headlined "FEMA Fool Sat On His Hands." |
Joe Gandelman: Headline in the New York Post on Brown's delay (a Murdoch paper): FEMA FOOL SAT ON HIS HANDS Related Posts (on one... Barbara O'Brien: The New York Post and the Associated Press both say that FEMA chief Michael Brown sat on his hands while Katrina raged. Taegan Goddard: Documents Prove Brown Delayed Relief Effort — FEMA director Mike Brown [snipped quote] the New York Post reports. |
New Bankruptcy Law Could Exact a Toll on Storm Victims By / LAT — Permalink WASHINGTON — After virtually every major hurricane of the last 25 years, bankruptcy filings have grown significantly faster than usual as victims sought to shake off old debts in order to rebuild their economically ruined lives. | |
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Joe Gandelman: Scotty: you should have answered that and not left that one hanging...) Meanwhile, some grave consequences are yet to... Kevin Drum: BANKRUPTCIES AND KATRINA...Bankruptcy filings have been rising steadily in the United States for the past two decades,... Gary Farber: Because helping the credit industry seize assets from bankrupt people is what modern-day Republicanism and good government are all about, as we've discussed before. |
Christy @ThinkProgress: The LA Times reports that, thanks to the new law, recovery will be even tougher for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Elizabeth Warren: Peter Gosselin at the L.A. Times gives the first report of a data analysis put together by Professor Robert Lawless at University of Nevada Las Vegas. David Sirota: Proof That Those Who Voted for the Bankruptcy Bill Are Heartless — This LA Times piece is a good example of why the... |
Fonda Puts Brakes on Bus Tour By / Fox News — Permalink Jane Fonda told me yesterday she's scrapped plans for anti-war bus trip next March. As well, Fonda will be making only two appearances this month on another rally with controversial British politician George Galloway, not the eight that were widely misreported in the press yesterday. | |
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Justin Gardner: From Fox News: "Jane Fonda told me yesterday she's scrapped plans for anti-war bus trip next March. Marc @USSNeverdock: Fox News reports she is canceling her tour because she doesn't want to over shadow Cindy Sheehan's show. Cindy who? Gary Farber: MILLIONS OF RIGHT-WINGERS CRUSHED at the latest from Jane Fonda: [snipped quote] Oh, well, you can still denounce the two times she and Gorgeous George will be getting it on. |
Warren Bell: KATRINA RELIEF ENTERS SELF-PARODY PHASE — In case you didn't know the tragedy in New Orleans was huge, Michael Jackson is going to sing a weepy ballad to make you really feel it. Alcibiades @KesherTalk: Can I Vomit Now? [snipped quote] Well that's a relief! And phew! She's not coming to Galloway's debate with Hitchens in NYC next week. John Cole: Gary Farber notes that millions of right-wingers have had there hopes dashed with the news that Jane Fonda is cancelling her bus tour. |
We Failed You? Try Again. NRO — Permalink Anne Rice blames America, not local officials. "To my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music. | |
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Steve M.: Jim Geraghty at National Review Online: Look, Rudy Giuliani might have run around with Judith Nathan before his divorce,... Damian Penny: You're welcome — Anne Rice in the New York Times, quoted by Jim Geraghty in NRO: [snipped quote] Amount of money raised... |
Ace: Anyway: Geraghty: "I would also note that this is one hell of a police force your local officials hired and that you... |
Dems Assail White House on Katrina Effort AP — Permalink (09-07) 10:03 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' top two Democrats furiously criticized the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, with Sen. Harry Reid demanding to know whether President Bush's Texas vacation impeded relief efforts and Rep. Nancy Pelosi assailing the chief executive as "oblivious, in denial" about the difficulties. | |
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Oliver Willis: Oblivious, In Denial, Dangerous — That's America in the Bush years In a letter to the Senate's Homeland Security... John @AmericaBlog: Why don't you ask the thousands of people you killed in New Orleans - you know, the ones you just banned the media from... |
Joe Gandelman: The Scariest Hurricane Katrina Quote Yet — This has to be one of the scariest quotes to come out of the Hurricane... |
Public Skeptical New Orleans Will Recover By / Gallup — Permalink PRINCETON, NJ — A new CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey finds the public skeptical that New Orleans will ever completely recover from Hurricane Katrina, but also supportive of making the effort to rebuild the city. Even those who predict full recovery expect the process to take many years. | |
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William Voegeli: A Gallup poll taken September 5th and 6th found, "When asked to identify who was most responsible for the problems in... Billmon: Although whether they're realistic enough remains to be seen. bush-dumb.jpg Update 12:20 PM ET: It looks like Mr. Broussard may need to ratchet down his expectations some more. |
Echidne: A Gallup On Public Opinions About The Unrescue Operation — It tells us that 42% of the respondents think Bush has done... |
Democrats Assail White House on Katrina Effort AP — Permalink WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' top two Democrats furiously criticized the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, with Sen. Harry Reid demanding to know whether President Bush's Texas vacation impeded relief efforts and Rep. Nancy Pelosi assailing the chief executive as ''oblivious, in denial.'' | |
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Susie Madrak: Dangerously Stupid Why oh why can't we have a competent president? Atrios: "Oblivious, In Denial, Dangerous" — Indeed: At a news conference, Pelosi, D-Calif., said Bush's choice for head of the... |
Avedon Carol: "It can't happen here" — Via Atrios, Nancy Pelosi: [snipped quote] Or maybe nothing went wrong. Maybe this was the way they planned it all along. |
Wal-Mart at Forefront of Hurricane Relief WaPo — Permalink At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, as New Orleans filled with water, Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. called an emergency meeting of his top lieutenants and warned them he did not want a "measured response" to the hurricane. | |
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Ezra Klein: Credit where it's due, Wal-Mart's done a damn good job on hurricane relief: "Wal-Mart's response to Katrina — an... Joe Gandelman: One Of Hurricane Katrina's Fastest Relief Sources: Walmart — Walmart has taken a lot of heat in many quarters but... Alex Tabarrok: Not Just Low Prices — From the Washington Post: "While state and federal officials have come under harsh criticism for... |
Brian Keegan: Just don't say that they don't know how to git 'er done. Callimachus: Yet Wal-Mart has been at the forefront of the corporate relief effort in the wake of the hurricane. Radley Balko: Civil Society — The Washington Post: [snipped quote] H. Lee Scott for director of FEMA? |