Open Thread

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US Government not sure if the rebuilt levees will hold

This is insane:

Despite aggressive efforts to repair the New Orleans levee system following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, it isn't clear yet whether it could withstand a hurricane with heavy storm surge this year, the head of the Army Corps of Engineers conceded Saturday.

Everything Bush says this week about progress on Katrina is undermined by the fact that he can't vouch for the levees. Enough said. Read More......

Wash. Post examines Bush and Katrina -- only through eyes of the GOP

Today the Washington Post took a look at the political damage Bush suffered because of Katrina. Funny thing, most of the people they talked to thought Bush has recovered quite well and that a lot of the criticism was unfair. Well, it's not that funny. They ONLY talked to Republicans -- not one Democrat. The reporters did talk to two pollsters, one historian -- but the rest of their interviews were with a who's who of GOPers including:

White House Aide Dan Bartlett

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino

Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry from North Carolina

Republican Congressman Jim McCrery from Louisiana

Republican Congressman Jack Kingston from Georgia, and

Republican Congressman Tom Feeney from Florida.

We expect the White House and the GOP to spin Katrina....do Washington Post reporters have to do all their work? Read More......

Obama gets the star treatment in his family village in Kenya

Adorable story. Read More......

Open Thread

I know it's a weekend in August, but what's the buzz? Read More......

Patricia Todd is the victor in Alabama -- finally

Wow. Big news from Alabama. The Alabama Democratic Party today voted to dismiss the challenge to Patricia Todd's primary victory.

Birmingham Blues put it best: WE WON.

The Victory Fund released a statement from Chuck Wolfe:

"Finally, the voters have prevailed. We are enormously proud of the courage and tenacity Patricia showed throughout this ordeal, and equally proud of her supporters in Alabama and beyond who stood by her unfailingly. The Victory Fund and its network of donors have worked to ensure Patricia had a level playing field and a fair chance to show that a qualified, committed public servant can win the trust of the voters regardless of her sexual orientation. We have no doubt her career in the legislature will reflect the same determination and skill she showed in her campaign."

Congrats to Patricia Todd and all the folks who made her victory possible. The Victory Fund did a tremendous job....and thanks to Kathy at Birmingham Blues for the great coverage and for keeping us informed of the shenanigans. And I need to thank David L. for getting AMERICAblog hooked on this race in the first place.

Patricia Todd with be the first openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature. That's some big history to make.

UPDATE: Kathy from Birmingham Blues wrote up an account of the Alabama Democratic Party meeting. I thought this was especially interesting:

Patricia was all smiles, and her supporters were ecstatic. I walked out with party Executive Director Jim Spearman, who told me that Howard Dean had called eight times during the meeting to find out what happened. He said he’d been on the phone with Dean all week, and that the DNC was frantic because of all the negative feedback. People were ticked off, and no funds were coming in.

So thanks to all of you who contacted the DNC, the Alabama Democratic Party, your local committee members, and anyone else who would listen to insist that justice be done.

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Lieberman is refusing to support Democratic House candidates, endangering Dem effort to take back the House

Okay boys, it's time to take Joe Lieberman down. And I'm not talking to the bloggers here, I'm talking to Democratic Senators and congressman. This man's ego is now endangering our efforts to take the House back. (The latest is that respected DC number-crunchers are predicting the Dems will win the House.) That is unacceptable behavior from any Democrat. Lieberman doesn't care about who controls the congress because, face it, he's happy George Bush is president so why shouldn't he be happy that the Republicans control congress.

This man isn't a Democrat. He needs to be destroyed now. The Democrats need to tell him in no uncertain terms that he loses his seniority in the Senate if he doesn't endorse the Democratic candidates, now. Then watch Lieberman tell the people of Connecticut how much his seniority has done for them when he doesn't have it anymore. It's time for the Dems to play hardball before Holy Joe destroys them.

"It's a little awkward for me now" to endorse the Democratic candidates in the general election, [Lieberman] said, "since they all endorsed my opponent," Democratic primary winner Ned Lamont.

The comment was significant because analysts from both major parties believe that Lieberman's campaign could help the three Republicans keep their jobs in the face of tough challenges. Lieberman's strongest support -- 75 percent in the most recent Quinnipiac poll -- comes from Republicans. If he succeeds in drawing more Republican voters to the polls to support his candidacy, that could help the Republican Congressional candidates. Those three races are considered among the 10 most competitive Congressional races in the country; both parties consider the races key to deciding which party controls the House in 2007. National Republican strategists and donors have come forward to help Lieberman's campaign; party leaders have abandoned the nominal Republican in the Senate race, Alan Schlesinger. Prominent Republicans like Shays and former Republican House leader Newt Gingrich have endorsed Lieberman.

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I went back to the Musee d'Orsay

Silly me. I got home from the museum the other day, asked friends where the best Impressionism exhibit was in town, and they said the Musee d'Orsay. Doh. I missed 90% of it. So, I went back yesterday. Truly a wonderful museum. These are just a handful of the photos, above and below. And remember, click the photos to see enlargements. Enjoy.









And this last one is a view from the top of the museum. You're looking at the Seine, with Sacre Coeur in the background, and the Louvre to the far right.

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GOP Senate candidate, and friend of Bush, Katherine Harris thinks Jews shouldn't be elected to public office because they'll "legislate sin"

Oh yes. The GOP, the new "Party of God" - also called Hezbollah in Arabic.

"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," she told interviewers, citing abortion and gay marriage as two examples of that sin.

"Whenever we legislate sin," she said, "and we say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they don't know better, we are leading them astray and it's wrong..."

I wonder what she thinks of Jews swimming in our pools? Read More......

Embattled GOP Senator George Allen (R-VA) cancels event after dogged by monkey and banana

Oh, just imagine if Allen ever runs for president, which he reportedly has plans to do. The man will NEVER be left alone ever again. Read More......

Open thread

Good morning. Read More......