How To Talk To Condi And Dick

If you're lucky enough to ever be introduced to Secretary of State Condi Rice, I suggest you look her in the eye, say "Nice shoes" and walk away. Imagine the toll that would take if Rice met this again and again. They can't hide in photo ops at wealthy communities for the rest of their lives. If you meet Dick Cheney, ask him "How did you enjoy your vacation while thousands of Americans died?" Or you can be crasser and more direct. If you know Rice is appearing somewhere in your vicinity, make up a sign that says "NICE SHOES" and make sure she -- and the MSM -- sees it. Until they apologize for abandoning America during the worst natural disaster in our country's history, they don't deserve anything less. Read the rest of this post...

"An increasingly unpopular president"

Washington Post/ABC News:

President Bush's public standing has hit record lows amid broad support for an independent investigation of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and calls for postponing congressional action on $70 billion in proposed tax cuts to help pay for storm recovery, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

President Bush's overall job approval rating now stands at 42 percent, the lowest of his presidency and down three points since Hurricane Katrina savaged the Gulf Coast two weeks ago. Fifty-seven percent disapprove of Bush's performance, a double-digit increase since January.

The Post includes this analysis:

Together, the poll portrays an increasingly unpopular president who is under siege at home and abroad. It also suggests that the public is growing impatient with an administration that once seemed so sure-footed but now seems unable to deal effectively with crises at home and abroad.

Okay, he's an idiot, nasty and incompetent. And, the public has figured it out, too.

The Bush agenda is finished. We're stuck with him for the next three years. The Democrats should never, ever, ever fear Bush again. Read the rest of this post...

More Fun News From "Freedom" March

John and Joe and Chris in Paris have torn apart the Pentagon war rally for the farce that it clearly was -- but why should that stop me from pitching in?

John and Joe highlighted the pathetic turnout. Chris in Paris detailed the way only pre-registered people could attend, posters were banned, everyone was urged to wear the same government-distributed t-shirt, the walk path was fenced in, etc. Here's one more lovely anecdote from the Washington Post:

One protester [of the march], Rik Silverman, 27, of Arlington said he was holding a sign that said, "Shame on You" when a marcher leaned over the railing and punched him in the stomach. A U.S. Park Police officer wrote a report but no arrests were made.

Ah, yes. Nothing quite says "freedom" like punching out people who happen to disagree with you. Let me add that I can't remember the last time there was a march onto the Mall where no one took a photo from up high to get a good look at the size of the crowd. Every photo I've seen is a street-level shot of people walking that gives you no idea whether the overall crowd is a few hundred or half a million. So why is the media hiding the fact that this was a massive flop?

If anyone finds a link online to a photo of the rally from above that shows how small the crowd is, put a link in the commentary section. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Everybody got their duct tape? Read the rest of this post...

Oprah Is Wrong -- It's Bush That Needs To Apologize

Oprah said that "I think...this country owes these people an apology. This makes me so mad. This should not have happened." In effect, she said America needs to apologize.

Oprah is wrong. Americans immediately sprang into action to volunteer, donated money at record levels far faster than after the tsunami and it was the anger and frustration of Americans that finally pushed Bush into action.

It's Bush that needs to personally apologize for his callous indifference to the suffering in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf region. During the worst natural disaster in our country's history, Bush stayed on vacation. Bush stayed on vacation over the weekend when it was clear this was going to be a terrible, terrible storm -- the sort one sees only once a decade, if that. Bush stayed on vacation on Monday when the hurricane struck. Bush stayed on vacation on Tuesday while the floodwaters were rising, thousands were dying and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. Bush stayed on vacation on Wednesday while New Orleans sank into anarchy and finally headed back to Washington Wednesday afternoon. Yes, a president can stay in touch from anywhere in the world. But ONCE DISASTER STRIKES, you go back to DC and get to work. Bush stayed on vacation.

Bush set the tone for his entire administration. The Secretary of Defense went to baseball games and political rallies on Monday and Tuesday instead of overseeing a military response to the crisis. While dozens of countries called offering aid and assistance, the Secretary of State went on vacation and stayed there on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday until she finally headed back to DC because of media attention. And remarkably, the Vice President stayed on vacation on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and FINALLY was spotted in DC on Saturday during a photo op. During this disaster, it's been reported that Cheney was closing a deal on a multi-million dollar mansion off Chesapeake Bay.

Oprah was being polite -- but we don't have to be. President Bush, when are you going to apologize to the American people for abandoning the American people during their time of need? Read the rest of this post...

Bush puts "duct tape" idiot in charge of FEMA

Guess who Bush just appointed as the acting head of FEMA? Yes, you guessed it. The idiot who caused the "duct tape" scare two years ago.

Yes, David Paulison, a top official in Homeland Security, has just been appointed by Bush as the acting new head of FEMA.

President George W. Bush on Monday named David Paulison, a top official in the Homeland Security Department, to replace Michael Brown on an acting basis as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This is the same David Paulison who gave us the infamous "duct tape" scare a little over two years ago.

Americans have apparently heeded the U.S. government's advice to prepare for terror attacks, emptying hardware store shelves of duct tape.

On Tuesday, less than 24 hours after U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison described a list of useful items, stores in the greater Washington, D.C. area reported a surge in sales of plastic sheeting, duct tape, and other emergency items.

Great. So we've gone from Brownie (aka Drownie) to Duckie.

Is it impossible for Bush to appoint anyone competent to head any agency? Read the rest of this post...

"An emperor-has-no-clothes moment seems upon us"

Froomkin:

Is Bush the commanding, decisive, jovial president you've been hearing about for years in so much of the mainstream press?

Maybe not so much.

Judging from the blistering analyses in Time, Newsweek, and elsewhere these past few days, it turns out that Bush is in fact fidgety, cold and snappish in private. He yells at those who dare give him bad news and is therefore not surprisingly surrounded by an echo chamber of terrified sycophants. He is slow to comprehend concepts that don't emerge from his gut. He is uncomprehending of the speeches that he is given to read. And oh yes, one of his most significant legacies -- the immense post-Sept. 11 reorganization of the federal government which created the Homeland Security Department -- has failed a big test.

The emperor has no brain, either. This is actually very scary. We are not safe with Bush in charge.

He really is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER. Read the rest of this post...

LA Loses Power

Blackout in much of LA. A chance for Ahnuld to show if he's more competent than Bush? And how sad we have to be reassured that this isn't a terrorist attack. Read the rest of this post...

Tom Coburn, GOP hypocrite

Mr. Coburn nearly broke down today at the hearings, lamenting the divisions in this country. From the Washington Post blog:

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), following Sen. Brownback, choked back tears as he gave his statement.

My heart aches for less divisiveness," he said, his voice quavering, "less polarization, less finger-pointing, less bitterness, less partisanship."

LOOK IN THE GOD DAMN MIRROR YOU HYPOCRITE.

And I remind:

"The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power. ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda.'"

Tom Coburn, you are either a liar or a hypocrite. If you truly lament the divisions you and your ilk created, I expect a public apology to the gay community. If not, as Mr. Cheney so eloquently put it, go f*ck yourself.

Call Tom Coburn's office - tell them if he wants less polarization, he can put his money where his mouth is and apologize to the gay community: (202) 224-5754 Read the rest of this post...

Roberts Hearings: Judges Are Just Umpires, Not Players

John Roberts finally spoke after hours of listening to Democrats raise concerns about his spotty record and hostility to protecting the basic rights of all Americans while Republicans like Texas Senator John Cornyn belittled the "unelected judges" and the very institution Roberts was hoping to join.

Roberts spoke simply and directly and it seems highly unlikely -- without some surpise gaffe or new info -- that he'll be rejected. It also seems unlikely he'll get broad, bipartisan support, which is appropriate for a nominee so nebulous it's difficult to tell how radically conservative (or, who knows, mainstream) he might be.

Roberts made one nice analogy: he said that judges are like umpires; they don't make the rules, they simply apply them. "And no one ever went to a baseball game to watch an umpire."

Here's my rejoinder:

Anyone who has ever worked as an umpire knows the rule book can never anticipate every situation. (My mother and brother have worked as professional tennis umpires for decades.) In fact, it's a rare tournament where an umpire isn't called on to rule on an unusual, even unique set of circumstances. Umpires must also use their sound professional judgment -- something fans often disagree with and loudly. But no one ever took a vote on whether the pitch was a ball or a strike at a baseball game. If all umpires had to do was look up a particular rule, a child could do it. And times change -- new surroundings, new types of players, new tools (like on-the-horizon instant replay) mean the game of baseball as played today is radically different from the game played 100 years ago and umpires need to understand that.

From the memos we've seen, if Roberts were the umpire in charge just 50 years ago, when blacks wanted to join the game he would have shrugged his shoulders and said, "Them's the rules." When women wanted to join the game, Roberts would have laughed and said, "Girls don't care about sports." When the players kicked off a teammate because he was gay, Roberts would have said, "Tough. Baseball has always been played by straight white men." And when the air became so polluted that players got ill simply trying to play the game, Roberts would have asked, "What can I do?"

Is that the kind of umpire we want? Read the rest of this post...

Drownie just resigned

I'm sure Bush will get the news on Saturday when he finishes his next vacation. Read the rest of this post...

The Thunderdome - An on-the-scene report from Kyle in New Orleans

Press credentials are the golden ticket to New Orleans. They can even get you on the special emergency access route into the city. We returned to the I-610 freeway to observe rescue operations and hopefully find out some details about what's being uncovered.

We were fortunate enough to have an extended conversation with the Division Chief of the Riverside, California Fire Department as his men were going through detox. His day starts at 5am and usually ends around midnight. His mission is to systematically go from house to house in the flooded neighborhoods, recover the dead and encourage some of the 5,000-10,000 living, who have remained in New Orleans, to leave. On average, his crew has been rescuing 8 people, leaving 7 and uncovering 1 dead body in any given day. The chief spoke candidly about the tragedy of those denying rescue. He said that they would mark the house accordingly and expect to come back later to find them dead.

The California fire department official we were talking to suddenly changed topics to point out the idiot fan boat coming down next to the opposing ramp. The reason for this was because the boat driver was foolishly spraying the toxic water into the air for all to breathe in. The nose of the vessel was riding up high on the water as the pilot revved the engine and toxins transformed into an aerosol form. He encouraged us to get pictures of this and send them to him as evidence of reckless riding on the water. The chief concluded our conversation by saying that a body was floating nearby and we didn't even know it. He then pointed out to the neighborhoods ahead and said that bodies were sitting on top of the water all over. The Riverside team had to constantly drive past one body during their work on Saturday and the chief said he did his best to not look at it.

The tip from the official prompted me to scan the immediate area and there it was. The floating corpse sat just off of Humanity Drive caught on the street post. It was swaying back and forth with the current. I had never seen a dead body before. I put aside my shock and snapped the photo a few times.

This is New Orleans. Read the rest of this post...

Bush just lied about the hurricane

Well, it took him two weeks to catch up to the lies his administration was spouting, but Bush has now reiterated the same lie used by Homeland Security chief Chertoff, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Myers, and White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

Bush is now claiming that he didn't realize the hurricane was a big deal because the media said New Orleans had "dodged a bullet."

When that storm came by, a lot of people said we dodged a bullet. When that storm came through at first, people said, Whew. There was a sense of relaxation. And that’s what I was referring to.

And I myself thought we had dodged a bullet. You know why? Because I was listening to people probably over the airwaves say, The bullet has been dodged. And that was what I was referring to.

Of course, there were plans in case the levee had been breached. There was a sense of relaxation at a critical moment.

The problem? Bush is a little slow - that talking point got blown out of the water, oh, about a week ago. You see, the levees broke Monday morning within hours of the storm hitting, so there was no sigh of relaxation that the levees had been saved.

And second of all, most every newspaper said the hurricane was a disaster causing massive devastation, etc. Had Bush looked at the news prior to the Friday evening AFTER, five days AFTER the hurricane hit (true story), he'd have known that fact. But Bush prides himself on not reading newspapers or watching the news, so he was understandably ignorant that an entire American city had just been wiped off the face of the planet.

But as Bush is just playing catch up to the fact that we had a devastating hurricane two weeks ago and lost an entire American city, it's understandable why he's a bit behind on the pre-packaged lies his administration is using to deflect blame away form the fact that Bush was clueless about the full impact of the hurricane until Thursday night, 4 days after the killer storm struck.

The sad part is that the president of the United States is still lying to the American people two weeks after he stayed on vacation while an American city was destroyed.

Worst. President. Ever.

Oh yeah, and about all those newspapers - that Bush admits he doesn't read anyway, so how did he know what they supposedly said? - claiming that we'd "dodged a bullet":

Read the rest of this post...

Is the MSM going to ask Bush about Blackwater in NOLA?

As you read here over the weekend, Blackwater Security which is best known for its mercenaries fighting in Iraq, is actively patrolling the streets of New Orleans. So yesterday Bush said "we've got plenty of troops to do both" and "It is preposterous to claim that the engagement in Iraq meant there weren't enough troops" so perhaps he can explain this confusing situation. Don't tell me it's yet another case of the man in the bubble that we've witnessed all too often.

I would really like someone in the MSM to ask Bush why we need to have mercenaries working for the federal and state government if the US is not over extended in Iraq. Please explain this to me because I must be missing something. Read the rest of this post...

Please ignore that incompetent imbecile in charge of protecting your life

Bush, interviewed in New Orleans today, is still defending his actions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and even getting testy with reporters asking questions about how well the relief was handled.

Particularly unnerving is that Bush has now picked up the administration "blame game" talking points, i.e., let's not talk now about what went wrong and who's to blame, we have people to save. Of course, we can't save those people if some imbecile is in charge of the very effort to save those people.

It's a bit like medical malpractice. You go in for a tonsillectomy and the doctor cuts off your leg. Rather than change doctors, Bush would tell you to stop playing the blame game, go back to the same doctor, and focus on getting those tonsils fixed.

Of course, you take his advice and next time the doctor cuts off your arm.

Leaving incompetents in charge, from FEMA to Homeland Security to the Oval Office, only ensures that more incompetence occurs during this disaster and the next.

George Bush: A failed presidency, a failure as president, worst president ever. Read the rest of this post...

When Is Bush Going To Declare Bankruptcy Relief For The People Devastated By The Hurricane?

Bush was crowing loudly when the Republican-controlled Congress made draconian changes to the bankruptcy laws that put the screws on the middle class and poor. One out of 4 people who declare bankruptcy do so because of catastrophic illness and out of control medical bills. But Bush made it infinitely harder for them to get a clean slate and a fresh start. The wealthy, of course, can afford the lawyers to avoid taxes and use bankruptcy to their advantage.

Those new bankruptcy laws go into effect IN A FEW WEEKS. How is Bush going to face those millions of people uprooted and financially devastated and look them in the eye and say, Screw you? I hope the MSM starts doing stories on the people devastated and how the new bankruptcy laws make their lives infinitely more difficult. When is Bush going to urge Congress repeal the new bankruptcy laws? Or has he no heart? Read the rest of this post...

Open Thread -- Roberts Hearings Begin

And be sure to check out the biggest hits of the week on Americablog. It's a great way to catch up or introduce your friends to Americablog. Read the rest of this post...

President of Louisiana NAACP Calls for Shelters to Organize

Dr. Ernest Johnson is calling for evacuees to organize themselves and form shelter communities. "Each SHELTER COMMITTEE should elect a Chairperson and a Secretary and begin holding meetings, organizing, and working as a team for better treatment," said Johnson, the president of the Louisiana NAACP. "In unity there is strength." The idea is to get people working from the inside out in order to take control of their destiny.

The initiative came out of a partnership between our blog team and the Louisiana NAACP. Bob Brigham from Swing State Project proposed the idea of starting something to get people organized within the shelters around 9PM last night. We were constantly hearing about mistreatment in the shelters and felt that something needed to be done. Dr. Johnson came in and we ironed out the idea of a shelter committee.

In under an hour, we had a minute and a half video of Dr. Johnson, a public service announcement to be run on all Hip-hop stations here in Baton Rouge and an official press release ready to go. The hope is that the message gets out to the evacuees while at the same time applying pressure to force FEMA , Red Cross and local authorities to step up and take some positive action to get evacuees back to some sense of normalcy.

We need bloggers to stand together in solidarity with the NAACP. Write about this and spread the word. Help the evacuees organize themselves. Read the rest of this post...

John Roberts Isn't Doing Us Any Favors By Answering Questions

Let's keep in mind one simple fact while John Roberts goes before a Senate committee: he is applying for a job. Everyone acts as if it's rude to ask prying questions or get a sense of what Roberts is actually like before we name him to a lifetime appointment to one of the most powerful posts in our country. Bull. John Roberts wants to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He wants it bad. What jurist worth their salt wouldn't? No one is forcing him to take this nomination. Just remember that he's not doing us any favors by deigning to answer our questions. We're doing HIM a favor by granting Roberts the honor of being considered for such a plum and powerful position. Read the rest of this post...

So-called fiscal conservatives upset with spending for Katrina survivors

Silent since 2000, suddenly now that federal aid is going to poor and black Americans, the so-called fiscal conservatives in Congress are upset at the spending to help Katrina survivors. Apparently they've just been released by captors or something because I don't recall hearing much complaining while Bush redefined big government, lavishing his friends with juicy contracts in Iraq and forking over cash for quality folks like Drownie.

So just where the hell have these so-called conservatives been while Washington has been showering the wealthiest Americans with tax breaks, increasing corporate welfare and running up the deficit? Heaven forbid Washington steps in to help vast numbers of poor Americans and not give out more to the wealthiest.

Among those who have protested in these private sessions is Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a fiscal conservative who said his colleagues greeted his suggestion that disaster relief be offset by other cuts with "stone cold silence." He added, "You would have thought I was a Martian."

Yes, besides being garbage, you are also a Martian. Go back to hiding in the hole where you've been the last five years because whining about this after everything your team has blown money on is pretty lame. Read the rest of this post...

Bush to host political prayer event

Trying to recapture some of his post-9/11 glory, Bush has declared September 16th a "National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina." Following the script from four years ago, he's having a service at the National Cathedral in Washington.

Looks like this really just another political event which should come as no surprise:

Bishop Jakes, a multimillionaire and best-selling author, is to deliver the sermon this Friday at the Washington National Cathedral, his office said, where Mr. Bush will mark a national day of prayer for Hurricane Katrina's victims. The bishop's style of preaching is black Pentecostal - he roars and rumbles in performances that got him on the cover of Time magazine as "America's best preacher" in 2001. More important to Mr. Rove, he has become a vital partner in the White House effort to court the black vote.

That is more important to Karl Rove than anything, like actually saving lives in the Gulf States.

When all else fails, and Bush has completely failed, do a political prayer event. The Bush people can do campaign-style political events. That's not news. They just can't run a government and keep us safe. Read the rest of this post...

Open Thread

This should be an interesting week... Read the rest of this post...

NY Times coverage of the not-so-much-freedom march

Notice once again the lack of an aerial photo from the event? Of the 15,000 who registered, the Times only said "thousands" actually participated. Sounds like a massive turnout for freedom, Bush style. And what freedom parade is complete without a few arrests for peaceful protests and freedom of speech? Freedom and democracy in action.

One man who registered for the walk was detained by a Pentagon police officer after he slipped a black hood over his head and produced a sign that read, "Freedom?"

The man was removed from the Pentagon registration area, handcuffed and taken away in a police car. It was not clear whether he was charged or simply detained and the police did not respond to messages requesting more information.

Ann Grossman, 56, from Silver Spring, Md., also carried a homemade sign, which read "Honor Our Troops, Respect Their Lives," that was confiscated by police at the Pentagon.

Read the rest of this post...

NY Times Gets It Wrong: Bush Waited Till Wednesday Before Ending Vacation

The New York Times has a good, lengthy Katrina roundup recounting some of the devastating details of the hurricane and the even more devastating details of the inept and incompetent response -- especially from the White House. One terrible detail about the convention center:

Before the last people were evacuated that Saturday, several bodies were dumped near a door, and two or three babies died of dehydration, emergency medics have said.

There's also a good timeline detailing who did what and when. But the New York Times makes one big mistake on Bush's timeline. It says that on Tuesday August 30 Bush "cuts his vacation short."

That is wrong, wrong, wrong. On Tuesday, Bush ANNOUNCED he would cut his vacation short. On Tuesday, Bush was in California at a political rally and -- instead of heading straight to DC so he could FINALLY start to focus on this crisis first thing Wednesday -- Bush went BACK to Crawford, Texas for another night's vacation. He arrived back in DC on Wednesday, August 31.

This is not splitting hairs. If Bush announced he would shorten his record-setting five week vacation by one day, would you state he "cut his vacation short" on the day that announcement was made (even if it was day two of the 35+ days of vacation) or on the day he actually ended it? Naturally, it would be on the day he actually ended it. Bush does not deserve to have it recorded he ended his absurdly long vacation on Tuesday when he actually delayed going back to work till Wednesday.

The first few hours and days of a crisis are crucial and during those first three days after the hurricane struck, when the entire country was glued to its TVs and watching in horror as the Gulf region and especially New Orleans sank into despair, Bush stayed on vacation.

The timeline -- which lists the activities of The Gov. of Louisiana, the mayor of New Orleans, Bush, Chertoff and Brown -- does NOT include Republican Governor Haley Barbour, Secretary of State Condi Rice or most importantly Vice President Dick Cheney. The NYT presumably didn't list Cheney because it would be so damning and "political" to state the fact that during this crisis the Vice President STAYED ON VACATION for six days.

I remain astonished at how the MSM ignores the elephant in the room. Never in our nation's history has a natural or man-made disaster struck the country -- not Pearl Harbor or 9-11 or the San Francisco earthquake (in which gov't responders arrived in two days) -- quite simply NEVER has a nationwide crisis occurred with so many of our top leaders staying or going on vacation.

Here's the letter I would write to the New York Times:

Your hurricane Katrina timeline contains a crucial mistake. President Bush ended his record-setting five week vacation on Wednesday, August 31, not a day earlier. (He merely announced it on Tuesday.) After a jaunt to California on Tuesday, Bush returned to Crawford, Texas for one more night's rest while flood waters were rising and potentially thousands were dying.

This is not splitting hairs. In an emergency, the first hours and days are crucial. And during the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, President Bush stayed on vacation. He stayed on vacation for two days after the hurricane struck. The vice president stayed on vacation for five days after the hurricane struck, not being seen in Washington DC until he appeared at a photo op on Saturday, September 3. While dozens of countries were calling us with offers of aid and assistance, the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went on vacation to New York City, saw a Broadway show and reportedly went shopping for shoes.

Criticism of the political leaders at all levels of the government continue to fly. But the simple fact remains that if the Governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans did a bad job, at least they were on the job. Bush and Cheney and Rice didn't even bother to show up. During the worst natural disaster in our country's history, they were on vacation. When are they going to apologize to the American people for their gross dereliction of duty?

Read the rest of this post...

Dick Morris: Bush Will Recover

Pariah-like adviser Dick Morris says Bush will recover from this travesty and Morris may have a point.

People can stay angry only for so long and once the much-delayed and bungled relief effort finally starts to gain traction, the MSM and certainly Bush will want to focus on the good stuff happening now rather than "tiresomely" bringing up the scandal of those first five days. Is he right? As the death toll rises and images of the dead bodies float to the surface, I'm not so sure. But never discount the cynical wisdom of someone like Morris. Read the rest of this post...