The Black Republican

Context, context, context and thought: America has too little of each going on. The usual suspects are working at this moment to phrase and distribute the talking points which will be used to tar and feather Bill Bennett over ideas he did not endorse. They, the usual weavers of spin, will attempt to portray Bennett as (hold onto your seat this is a rough word), a racist.

Their evidence will be:
1) He is white.
2) He is (another rough word ahead), a Conservative.
3) He said words which the lying left can manipulate in order to convince the semi-attentive and just plain dumb among us that he advocates aborting all black babies.
4) He is white.
5) He is Conservative, even (harsh word warning), a Republican.
6) Repeat ad infinitum

Proper response: We've seen this template before, the lefties are not fooling anyone who has a brain and is paying attention.

Update: I just heard a replay of Bennett making the statement at the heart of the controversy. Out of context. And in that frame it does sound bad, it will take more than a little extra effort for the mind-numb to grasp what he is saying before they are overwhelmed by an emotional reflex. The crux of his intention will be lost on many who will wish to jump to another discussion: debating whether Blacks create more crime than do others. That question deserves debate. And wherever crime comes from, the causes should be addressed. As Bennett states though, there are solutions to which this moral society is not willing to go. That was the crux of his thesis, explaining to the caller that there some things we Americans will not do to achieve a desired result.

It is not uncommon for new questions to arise out of answers to old questions. And that is the case here. No sane person will argue with his premise of a limited response to an identified problem. As, no responsible person will ignore an examination of whether his connection between crime and Blacks is accurate. But, remember, the second question is a whole new area of study, separate from the original question and point made.

Update II: Capt. Ed has it right when he says, "now this is racism".

HEH

You'll have to read the article to understand why I seem to have ripped off a link format from one of those "out-of-state Tennessee internet fat cats who control their every move with promises of backroom sweetheart 'Instalanche' deals". And, of course you will also note that in order to avoid any charges of plagarism or copyright infringement I spelled the link script backwards.

I strongly suggest this piece by Peggy Noonan as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

Found at Captain's Quarters is news that Bull Connor, (not to be confused with Carroll O'Connor) was a Democratic National Committeeman from Alabama. So, when the NY Congressman graveled out the words which erroneously compared President Bush to the Birmingham racist "O'Connor" (sic), he was saying that GWB is just like a southern Democrat. Well, Bush may spend like LBJ, but he has never done anything which would lead a sane person to equate him with a segragationist fire-hose wielding racist Democrat. Step right up folks and meet Charlie Rangel a real live race-baiter.

Capt. Ed,

"Even more egregiously, the DNC claims it speaks for African-Americans as a group in supporting Rangel's contentions. I suspect that African-Americans who remember what people like Connor actually did to them and their families understand the difference between George Bush and Bull Connor. They may not agree with the President's policies, but they don't see Bush directing firehoses and siccing dogs on them when they congregate for demonstrations. They won't recall seeing black men and women as key aides to Bull Connor's regime in 1963, either. In other words, most African-Americans will see this statement and its support by Howard Dean for what it is: a baseless personal attack that not only makes the Democrats look like kooks, but demeans and diminishes the real terror that Bull Connor and people like him caused during the struggle for civil rights."

And I call to your attention the comment on that post by one Gaius Livius, which begins,

The donkey party has always been the party of racism against blacks:

and contains these words,

Put another way, if I really, really hated blacks and wanted to find ways to keep them down in perpetuity, I'd do just what the donks have done to them for the past 40 years:

Some people can't see things for what they are, they have to invent a problem. It is a design, it spells nothing!

Wonder how the jerk liked his ice cream? Maybe it will go down better for him with the new packaging.

A non-politically correct response to some illiterate ignoramous cry baby.

Retired FEMA Director Michael Brown has been testifying before Congress, offering up a solid defense of his record in FEMA, and of his actions during the hurricane Katrina event. It is being reported that he calls his biggest mistake his failure to recognize, on Saturday before the storm hit, that the local governments were "dysfunctional", and incapable of directing an evacuation. Which is pretty much my analysis of the events when viewed in real time, and an opinion (dysfunctional) confirmed by the lame reactions of the local officials in the hurricane's aftermath.

I'm pulling for the guy, and it would not surprise me that when all of the facts are known, we would find ourselves well served to invite Mr. Brown to resume his former command. Politics are behind the abuse to which this man was subjected, and these kind of thoughtless, ignorant of the facts, destructive, politics are the diseases which infect these times. The politics of personal destruction, left wing media style.

And we know the motivation behind the MSM's hatchet job on Brown, they think if they discredit one of President Bush's nominees they are that much closer to impeaching GWB. So they ignore the total incompeptence of the Mayor, the Govenor. And, they spread every distasteful rumor they hear during the crisis, without regard to whether they are true, just so they can ratchet up the pressure on Bush. And, then when things settle down and it comes to light that the numbers of dead, and the amount of violence, were exagerated they may report the discrepancy but they refuse to back down the logic trail and reassess the events without the false assumptions in place.

I've seen the template used too many times, they take fictional events and create a scenario which is supposedly bad news for GWB. Then, when we shake them awake and tell them those were only dreams, they continue to use the imagined events/consequences to push for the changes they desire, while throwing blame at Bush for something that never happened. And, while they remain, to borrow General Honore's phrase, "stuck on stupid", we have to hear how dumb they are. Irritating.

Now, to be sure, Michael Brown is not perfect. And we can do the "monday morning quarterback" critique, as we should, but that doesn't mean we have to automatically tear the man down if he proves to be mortal. I am sure he is. As are the Mayor and Govenor. But, the reason I will keep pounding on them for the way they handled Katrina is that they were 1)incompetent, and 2)whiners who sought to blame someone else for their inadequacies. I can understand the first, I can not tolerate the second. The first means you are human, the second means you are a bad person and willing to hurt another in order to avoid the responsibility for your own actions (or, inactions). It means one is yellow.

I want to hear the rest of the story, there are lessons for many in the way Katrina was handled. For now I'm still drinking the Brown Kool-Aid. But don't spray me with that yellow Kool-Aid and tell me it is raining, I've heard too much of that fiction for this lifetime.

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

What is the difference between a Chinese Gymnastic team and Cindy Sheehan and her fellow anti-war protesters?

In the words of Matt Drudge, one is a cunning display of stunts!
(image modified slightly to fit)

I strongly suggest this piece by David Limbaugh as "Recommended Reading".

It seems that Global Meteorologic expert Barbara Streisand (What, you thought she was just a singer and a mediocre actress?) has some dire warnings about the effect Global Warming is having on global weather patterns.

Ms. Streisand, who earned her PhD Masters Bachelors Associates Degree Certification... something (TBA - I'm still sifting the Internet for that information) in Meteorology from Harvard Yale Princeton Stanford Berkeley San Francisco Community College University of Phoenix Online The National School of Meteorology well somewhere (I'm still looking for that information too, but I was sure that last one was it!), is warning the world...

We are in a global warming emergency state and these storms are going to become more frequent, more intense, there could be more droughts, dust bowls, you know it's amazing to hear these facts...

This is quite shocking stuff, specially coming from such a well known and highly regarded expert in the field of Global Meteorology. George Bush should quit ignoring the advice of such highly educated and experienced experts!

And in a related story, the nation's leading authority on Foreign Affairs and Military Strategy also has some advice for the President. I would suggest that unless the President listens to this sage advice from one of the worlds leading Foreign Policy experts, then he's likely to lose the 2008 Presidential election to this man.

The following came in an e-mail update from Take Back The Memorial.

"Newsday is conducting an online poll regarding the IFC. Vote Now! And Make Your Voice Heard!

To vote GO HERE.

The current results will show after you vote, so far, reason and dignity are winning big time. If the people have a say, the IFC will not be present at that site.

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Dave Pierre (from NewsBusters) as "Recommended Reading".

James Taranto said it yesterday (see the heading To the Bitter End--II), and I said something very similar months ago. The reason I point this out is articulated very well by Mr. Taranto:

Given Bush's efforts to reach out to black voters, he could do worse than to choose Janice Rogers Brown. If the Republicans are really lucky, the Democrats will be unable to restrain their prejudices, as Reid was when he made bigoted statements about Justice Clarence Thomas last year.

Most Black Americans, like most White, Brown, Yellow and Red Americans, are what I like to call "regular folks." By that I mean that they are not caught up in politics and political machinations the way most of us bloggers are: they pay attention to politics when it directly and obviously affects their lives, and every other year when there is a big enough election - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Reading and/or hearing the comments of Senators Reid, Durbin, Kennedy, and Biden (et al) has often made me wish that I was totally ignorant of how much power and influence they hold. At least that way I could just dismiss them as idiots and move on with my life. But seeing as how I cannot un-ring the bell of my political understanding (such as it is), the only thing I can hope for are instances that can bring a portion of that understanding to those "regular folk."

This is basically what I was hoping for back in May - that were they to actually listen carefully and see the liberals and Democrats for who they really are, Black Americans would be appalled and insulted. By nominating Janice Rogers Brown, the President would be wielding a double-edged Vorpal sword (+5 vs former Clan members) against his political foes that may just do that: She's a conservative, a strict constructionist, a woman, black, and a Californian (Blue State). Against her, and with the help of the new media (aka the Pajamahadeen), Blacks in America may finally see the subtle and corrosive racism of the liberal elite Democrats rear it's ugly head... and see that head finally get severed from the American body politic.

President George Bush refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, and as a result of his arrogant kowtowing to big oil corporations - according to the liberals and Democrats - Global Warming caused hurricane Katrina (and now Rita) and brought devastation to millions in New Orleans and the gulf coast. Now we have evidence that not only are his evil plans to destroy the earth and everything on it going as he wished, he has now spread the devastating effects of Global Warming throughout the solar system.

The climate on Mars is showing a warming trend and recent images have shown the first evidence of seismic activity on Earth's neighbor planet, scientists said on Tuesday.

The images, documenting changes from 1999 to 2005, suggest the climate on Mars is presently warmer, and perhaps getting warmer still...

His evil genius knows no bounds!

Riiight!

Hat tip to The Code Monkey!

I humbly offer a few thoughts on the passing of this most important man, with apologies that I can not begin to explain his relevance, and with the hope that I do him some manner of justice.

Simon Wiesenthal, noted Nazi hunter has passed.

Mr. Wiesenthal survived five concentration camps, and dedicated the remainder of his life to finding the criminals that escaped prosecution after World War II ended.

The horror of the holocaust took place so many years ago that I feel certain that many today think of it only as history, an ugly blip on the historical radar with no relevance to this time. But, then some at the time knew it would be unfathomable to those who were not there.

In the final paragraph of his memoirs, he quotes what an SS corporal told him in 1944: "You would tell the truth [about the death camps] to the people in America. That's right. And you know what would happen, Wiesenthal? They wouldn't believe you. They'd say you were mad. Might even put you into an asylum. How can anyone believe this terrible business - unless he has lived through it?"

And Wiesenthal noted how time had eroded the understanding of those events not so many years ago.

"We are living in a time of the trivialization of the word 'Holocaust,'" he told AP in 1999. "What happened to the Jews cannot be compared with all the other crimes. Every Jew had a death sentence without a date."

This was before Senator Dhurbin made his famous remarks, making a false connection between this war and that time, a not so trivial mistatement. There is a connection between now and then, the case is put forth clearly in this article from the Jerusalem Post which Chris presented earlier. Today's Islamofacists owe a great deal of their philosophical origin to the Nazis. But, even these madmen have not approached the level of crimes committed by the Nazis; though they aspire to achieve the same result. And we must fight them back with the same resolution that guided Mr. Wiesenthal for so many years. His work remains unfinished, some of those Nazi criminals live on, some will have to meet justice in the afterlife. But, those not caught in this world remain as a pollution on the human spirit, and their disease spreads even without their further involvement. Until the racism and religious prejudice which fueled the Nazis is extinguished none of us are safe. Protecting the Jewish people is the bellwether of humanity today, if you are not with them, you are against all of mankind. I believe that to be true, if only because they are historically the most oppressed of all peoples. It starts there, if they are not allowed dignity and freedom, then no other group is safe. Each victory against racism and prejudice bolsters our strength to battle against the next example. That is the temporal war we fight, freedom and dignity for the least of us, in order to gain the same for all.

Mr. Wiesenthal believed there is also a cosmic reason to fight the good fight.

Wiesenthal is often asked to explain his motives for becoming a Nazi hunter. According to Clyde Farnsworth in the New York Times Magazine (February 2, 1964), Wiesenthal once spent the Sabbath at the home of a former Mauthausen inmate, now a well-to-do jewelry manufacturer. After dinner his host said, "Simon, if you had gone back to building houses, you'd be a millionaire. Why didn't you?" "You're a religious man," replied Wiesenthal. "You believe in God and life after death. I also believe. When we come to the other world and meet the millions of Jews who died in the camps and they ask us, 'What have you done?', there will be many answers. You will say, 'I became a jeweler', Another will say, I have smuggled coffee and American cigarettes', Another will say, 'I built houses', But I will say, 'I didn't forget you.'"

And he didn't, and his work made certain that we did not either. Though there are others who worked for the same cause, Mr. Wiesenthal's is the face we put to the effort. He was the most famous, and perhaps the most diligent, and enduring of the Nazi hunters. But, he was not alone. Kudos to all who took part. His visage and reputation for results remind us of the evil that took place, and of the determination to not let it go unanswered. He will be missed. But, not forgotten.

The horror of that time can not fit into the meanings of mere words, that the human spirit is greater than that horror is a blessing. Just living on afterwards is a victory. Fighting back, well for some, it was a necessary part of that life. Wiesenthal was the front man, the one putting himself in the hot seat, he lived the remainder of his life in memory of those lost, but to the benefit of us all.

We can't all forego making a living in order to dedicate our lives to finishing the work of bringing murderers to justice, (someone must still produce), he did. So, in the highest terms, we honor Wiesenthal that he did such work.

However, one thing we can do, we can all remember. Never forget.

Never forget!

I am not yet expecting him to wonder aloud, "you mean we don't get French benefits?", but the sometimes Mayor of New Orleans, Nagin, is certainly reminding me of that character in the shipping ad who never gets anything right.

At least, after his latest error, inviting his part-time constitutents to return to New Orleans before the city is decontaminated and secured from future flooding, he has been convinced to rethink his wrong position; and is now telling those who did not return to stay away, and those who did, to prepare to leave by Wednesday. He remains defiant, insulting even, of those who saved the people he abandoned. And, he is clearly not ready to take the lead in the recovery effort. This man, who failed to execute the planned evacuation before Katrina arrived, stifled the efforts of the rescuers who followed, lambasted those same rescuers for not doing what he would not permit, and now unilaterally invites the citizens to return to further danger, is out of control.

The Federal government is doing all it can, and has the resources to finish the job; Nagin should stand down until the job is done.

Perhaps a vacation would relieve some stress and allow him to gain perspective. He may find it enjoyable to visit a famous landmark, a trip to view the "Tower of Pizza" seems appropriate.

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Mary Ann Glendon as "Recommended Reading".

Tomorrow is Constitution Day, the 218th anniversary of that document's signing by our nation's Founders. In honor of this day, do yourself and the country a favor and read (or reread) that noble document. Once you have, read this section of the transcripts of the Roberts hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and this piece by Mark Alexander in which he states:

While the words "conservative" and "liberal" are ubiquitously used to describe Republicans and Democrats respectively, these words properly should describe whether one advocates for the conservation of our Constitution, as originally intended, or its liberal interpretation by judicial activists. Does one want to conserve Constitutional limits on the central government, or liberate those limits?

In the section of the hearings I pointed out, future Chief Justice nominee John Roberts answers a question from Senator Dick Turbin that I think all Americans should have cheered, but which - based on the truths Mr. Alexander correctly illustrates - probably enraged diehard liberals:

DURBIN: Well, if I might say, Judge, if you've made one point many times over during the course of the last three days, it's that as a judge you will be loyal and faithful to the process of law, to the rule of law.

I think that is without question from what you've said. I accept that on its face.

But the questions which we continue to ask you really try to go beyond that. Because I said at the outset that I thought one of the real measures as to whether or not you should be on the Supreme Court goes back to a point Senator Simon had made: Would you restrict freedom in America or would you expand it? When you are defending gays and lesbians who are being restricted in their rights by the Colorado amendment, you are trying, from my point of view, to expand freedom in America. That, to me, is a positive thing. That's my personal philosophy and point of view.

But then when you say, If the state would have walked in the door first to restrict freedoms, I would have taken them as a client too, I wonder, where are you?

Beyond loyalty to the process of law, how do you view this law when it comes to expanding our personal freedom? Is it important enough for you to say in some instances, I will not use my skills as a lawyer because I don't believe that that is a cause that is consistent with my values and belief ?

That's what I've been asking.

ROBERTS: I had someone ask me in this process -- I don't remember who it was, but somebody asked me, you know, Are you going to be on the side of the little guy?

And you obviously want to give an immediate answer, but, as you reflect on it, if the Constitution says that the little guy should win, the little guy's going to win in court before me. But if the Constitution says that the big guy should win, well, then the big guy's going to win, because my obligation is to the Constitution. That's the oath.

The oath that a judge takes is not that, I'll look out for particular interests, I'll be on the side of particular interests. The oath is to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States. And that's what I would do.

If you will read all that I have asked, and sit a bit and ponder the weight and meaning of the words therein, I believe you can have no other reaction but to agree with us here at The Black Republican and the words of Mark Anderson:

The future of the Republic is riding on these confirmations.

I strongly suggest this piece by Mike S. Adams as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

Do we need to judge these people according to an effects test or an intent test under the Civil Rights Act?

You may have heard that flood gates protecting New Orleans were not built due to pressure from environmentalists who contended that such structures would damage the ecosystem. And, in protecting the environment from supposed danger, the eco-dudes got people killed. Inadvertant, you may argue, but they are dead none the less. And the gates are said to have been the answer.

"If we had built the barriers, New Orleans would not be flooded," said Joseph Towers, the retired chief counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans district.

I remind you that the environmentalists also played a role in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. The restrictions on the use of freon caused an engineering nightmare for those applying the foam. And, since the time the foam was applied without the freon component, the freon was discontinued in 1997, the rate of foam caused damage has increased markedly.

"Following the change, the November 1997 mission had 308 ceramic tiles damaged. The usual number was 40. Since that time NASA has tried to improve the method of applying foam but it has not been easy. Indeed, Lockheed's Charles Martin said at Tulane University that compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's rules on the space shuttle project was "much more difficult than anticipated."

Rather than making the shuttle as safe as possible we made it as politically correct as possible. That cost 7 astronauts their lives-- not to mention the hundreds of millions of dollars."

And we can also blame political correctness for deaths in New Orleans. Now given that the local authorities were not up to their responsibilities with regard to removing the citizenry of the city with sure catastrophe approaching, it may be asking too much to believe they would have ordered the effective use of the flood gates either; but it would have been nice to have had the option open to them.

Since the gates were never built we can't blame Nagin for not using them, at least he has that going for him. Instead, the environiacs have deaths on their conscience. Not that they care about humans, a lower order of life in their estimation.

I strongly suggest this piece by Peggy Noonan as "Recommended Reading".

Now that Michael Brown has decided to resign, symbolically telling his critics to kiss his ass, a new head of FEMA must be found. The fellow now occupying the post is in there temporarily.

Let me give you two names who will not be considered as Brown's replacement. One is Nagin, the other is Blanco.

I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress. - Frederick Douglass

But as soon as the leftist stalwarts from the Senate seemed ready to throw their hands up in defeat, we've seen a troop of their best-trained cavalry make a last, desperate charge against the foe: the race-baiters come riding to the front. What we've seen this afternoon from panels of witnesses - many of whom are teary-eyed black socialists, begging for a perpetuation of their extortion schemes against the rest of America - this has reduced me to flubbering incoherance. I am almost speechless at the vehemance of their hatred for someone clearly innocent of their imaginary crimes.

A brilliant lawyer has dedicated himself to the most exacting standards of even-handedness we have ever seen from a judicial nominee (exactly the qualities we want to see in a judge). But precisely because he has not knelt at the altar of atheistic socialism, this bastardization of classical liberalism, because he has not sold his impartiality to the race hustlers and the poverty pimps, he is blatantly accused of a brand of racism that they say disqualifies him from serving on the federal bench. Their own stunning bigotry in this scheme is either lost in the trap of their ideology, or it is sickeningly supressed by their insatiable lust for power and gold. Either way, they are selling their souls and the fates of their kin just as surely as opposing African warlords did to their ancestors. The chains are still there, in every accusation of non-existant racism, and every invalid charge of prejudice.

Our reflexive incoherance in the face of their brutality, and the fear of retribution similar to what Judge Roberts is enduring, is exactly what these corruptions of humanity are counting on. They tried this several times before - and the last time it was tried on the SCOTUS level, it wasn't just against a conservative, it was against another black man. And that man gave it a name: "a high-tech lynching".

How many times have you been told America was racist because it didn't do enough to stop lynching in the distant past? Just a few months ago, this same United States Senate apologized for the historic votes of its predecessors in opposition to anti-lynching legislation. But today, the party that harbored those lynchers and who stood in defense of their hate is knotting their rope and looking for a sturdy branch. Will you stand with them, or with the men who wrote the words "equal protection of the laws"?

I recognize the Republican party as the sheet anchor of the colored man's political hopes and the ark of his safety. - Frederick Douglass

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

In the spirit of the new paradigm, I have something to say:

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Feinstein

What a clueless twit.

Two weeks ago, in the middle of the first week of the Katrina debacle, I jumped to a wrong conclusion about New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, because I hadn't seen him on TV for couple of days and misread a comment of his I read in a news report.

Where exactly is Mayor Nagin hanging his hat nowadays? Shouldn't the government of New Orleans be IN New Orleans coordinating the evacuation, and not "up there" somewhere (in Baton Rouge, perhaps)?

UPDATE: Sue found us a news story posted just today in the Washington Post, explaining that Nagin's reference was apparently pronounced from a room inside the Hyatt Hotel looking "down there" at the Super Dome, and that he is very much still in The Big Easy.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin greeted President Bush when he arrived in Louisiana last night, and was at his side as he fielded questions on the Katrina relief efforts this morning. That quality time with the president, however, marks the mayor's first visit to the disaster area since Wednesday when Nagin pulled up stakes and moved his family to Dallas. The Dallas Morning News reports that Nagin has already bought a house in the city, and enrolled his daughter in school.

UPDATE: I've changed a word in the title - "integrity" is more appropriate to my intent than "honesty".

I strongly suggest this piece by Ben Shapiro as "Recommended Reading".

Michelle Malkin has the news. Now I am admittedly no lawyer, but I have a question: Given the following...

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation "under God" violates school children's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

Karlton said he was bound by precedent of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in 2002 ruled in favor of Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow that the pledge is unconstitutional when recited in public schools.

The Supreme Court dismissed the case last year, saying Newdow lacked standing because he did not have custody of his elementary school daughter he sued on behalf of.

... why is Judge Karlton relying on the precedent of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and ignoring the fact that the very same precedent was invalidated when the Supreme Court dismissed that case last year?

I strongly suggest this piece by Manuel Miranda as "Recommended Reading".

Proof positive that the most dangerous place to be in Washington DC is between Senator Schumer and a TV camera!

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) made 49 first-person references in a 10-minute statement that was, ostensibly, not about himself.

They say that before you can love someone else you must first learn to love yourself. Well, I think Chuckie may be stuck in first gear!

The guys over at Newsbusters.org have discovered that MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, who is "not a pedophile or a lawbreaker that we know of," has some interesting things to say about John Roberts.

Isn't this just like asking someone "Do you still beat your wife?" just more cowardly? It's a joke question I know, but given the ever increasing penchant for yellow journalism coming from the MSM, does anyone really believe that a form of that question being directed at the White House is far off?

David Gregory: "Scott, given all that has gone on in the past few weeks regarding Hurricane Katrina and the breaching of the levies in New Orleans, don't you think it's time for President Bush to stop hating black people?"

Scott McClellan: "No... yes... no... I mean, David the president does not..."

David Gregory: "So he's going to continue hating..."

Scott McClellan: "David! The president does not hate black people!"

David Gregory: "Kanye West says he does! Don't you think it's time he stopped?"

Scott McClellan: "David, that is a loaded question, and you know it! There is no right answer."

David Gregory: "You're avoiding the question. I agree it's not right - because either the President hates black people now or he hated them in the past - and you won't tell us which it is. Is he more embarrassed by the question... or the answer? Why are you stonewalling?"

Scott McClellan: "David, the President doesn't... he has never... there is no stonewalling..."

David Gregory: "Thanks for the 'non' answer Scott. Tells us all we need to know!"

Now, all of that is makebelieve... but does anyone with eyes to see the current frenzied state of the MSM really believe it can't happen? All I can say is stay tuned!

I strongly suggest this piece by Ace of Spades HQ as "Recommended Reading".

Steve and I are chatting back and forth on AIM, a la MST3K, during the Roberts hearing. Here are some snips of the conversation as a "liveblogging" event. We pick up the action with Sen. Kennedy's statement.

Steve: Two for two... both Leahy and Kennedy have both mentioned Katrina AND race!
Chris: Another "if only" moment: "I don't give crap about your 'bipartisan solutions' if they violate the Constitution."
Chris: Teddy quotes Ronnie! ("City on a Hill")
Chris: WOOT! Grassley give us our due!
Steve: Missed it... what did he say?
Chris: "First Court nominee of the Internet Age, with millions of bloggers scrutinizing your every word..."
Steve: Heh!
Chris: The pay sucks, but if the Senate won't do it right...
Steve: 8-)

Chris: and some Conservative interest groups, too, Senator
Steve: I was thinking the same... a hack is a hack.
Chris: Ugh...
Steve: ?
Chris: "We need a Chief Justice who'll 'run the trains on time'..."
Steve: Who said that?
Chris: Grassley, in reference to the CJ's admin role.
Steve: Hey... El Duce got the trains to run on time didn't he?

Chris: Biden wasn't too bad, for all his liberalism. He makes political calculation, but he also wears it on his sleeve more than the rest.
Chris: Kyle was good, supporting Hatch's statements.
Steve: The battlelines are being drawn... and the Republican line is pretty obvious. The Dems are, as usual, all over the place - flinging shit around and then waiting for the MSM to tell them what stuck!
Chris: Wow, did you know this was a Democratic country? Dems ignoring the election returns again.
Steve: Are you surprised?
Chris: pfft. Given enough federal dollars, even the Senate can make pigs fly.
Steve: I love it when pigs fly... PULL! Bang!
Chris: Kohl: "You'll be the most important jurist of your generation." Heh, he sound scared to you?
Steve: Sounds like a man who sees the outcome but is virtually powerless to change it
Steve: Didn't Kohl just say he was fully qualified?
Chris: Yup. All but said he'd vote for him.
Steve: ;-)
Chris: DeWine is listing all the things that didn't exist in 1972, like the GWOT. Heh, Dems think it's still '72, everything is Watergate, Vietnam and Nixon.
Steve: DiFi just said - in the possesive - that "this position you will be assuming..."
Steve: =-O
Chris: She's also speaking directly to the family, trying to set the stage for attacking him in front of them.
Chris: It's one thing to presume he'll win, but it's another to give up without a fight.
Steve: I don't think she's that strong
Chris: Check the transcript when it's done. "This will be a tough hearing for your family member..."
Steve: She talks a good game in front of cameras, but I don't think she has the balls to talk that tough to his face
Steve: If you have to say how tough you're going to be, you're not going to be tough.
Steve: Biden's the one who will be the pitbull
Chris: "Strict interpretation of the commerce clause", and even used the school-gun ban as an example. Driving a van through it instead of a mac truck is "strict"
Steve: You're right - they're stuck in the 70s... the 1870's!
Chris: OMG, she's basically asking him not to turn back the clock to before the 19th Amendment.
Steve: Home run for him... all he needs to say is "It's in there!"
Chris: LOL She's arguing that O'Connor won't be on the court. Someone gave her the statement they wrote before CJ died.
Chris: "Back-alley abortion" First time!
Steve: Is she naturally blonde?
Chris: "I convicted women for getting abortions" REALLY?!

(DiFi makes comments about religious persecution... in Europe?)

Steve: ... like Christians?
Chris: Playing the Catholic card?

(Now a strange story about executing people with their shoes off)

Chris: Budapest!
Steve: What is her point?

(She runs out of time and asks to finish the story.)

Chris: LOL! Time's up!
Chris: That was FREAKY.

(The hearings take a break.)

Chris: Jeffy lost a page, from the sound of it. Thankfully, there weren't 35 seconds of dead air. /snicker
Steve: "Where's page 10?"
Steve: :-D
Steve: Ahh... Feingold says Roberts should make "every effort" to be forthcoming. Seems like he's not as strident as his fellows.
Steve: Oops... spoke too soon!
Chris: It's Graham now
Chris: "This hearing is about if you're qualified, and if Reagan Conservatism is in the mainstream."
Chris: He's grandstanding now about the Gang of 14.
Chris: The Senate wouldn't be in disarray if you'd grow a spine.
Steve: Good point about Ginsberg though!
Steve: Freudian slip? "Politics is lousy"
Steve: TURN IT OFF!! IT SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMER!
Steve: Must... hold... on. (in Agony) Must... have... duct... tape!
Chris: "Angels trembling in the presence of God". Oh Lordy. A little over the top, Chuckie?
Steve: Of course... the camera's are on him!
Steve: OMG! Shumer says being fair is not enough!
Chris: Well, you have to be fair in the right direction.
Chris: Oh, yah. Put it on Bush. HE'S the ideologue. Right.
Steve: Shumer is arguing classism... "...your privileged upbringing."
Chris: Gotta judge his heart. Scalpel!
Steve: Someone get Schumer a duck and a well!
Chris: ....losing... consciousness....
Chris: ACK! A water metaphor followed by a Titanic metaphor. My brain's melting.
Steve: Breathe!
Chris: Burden of proof is on the convicted... I mean, the nominee
Steve: Schumer wouldn't know the broad mainstream if he were drowning in it.
Chris: Ah... guilt by association. Read the Constitution, Senator.
Chris: No... No! Not... Durbin!
Steve: Durbin infers Roberts is a racist! The gall of the man!
Steve: ...and yet Rush Limbaugh's medical records are fair game. I guess the "right of privacy" is only for some people!
Steve: Burden of proof? Hearings are evidentiary you dolt.
Steve: More duct tape please...
Chris: I ran out when... oh, they're going by so fast I forgot what he said before the "burden of proof" rant.
Chris: Wow, Brownback isn't holding back, is he?
Steve: Brownback is hitting the Roe dog pretty hard! And mentions Plessy RE: Stare decisis!
Chris: Is Coburn crying?
Steve: Choked up...
Steve: ... passionate.
Chris: Seniority goes first, which means the guys at the end aren't jaded yet.
Steve: That hearing is no place for tears though, no matter how passionate. I appriciate the passion, but he has work to do.
Chris: Remember, too - he's not a lawyer, so he still has a soul. :-)
Steve: Yea... but he is a politician, so he's already put it in jeopardy!
Chris: D'OH! Warner's talking about the Gang now, too. It occurred to me they're not grandstanding - they're pigeonholing Byrd and Landreiu
Steve: He is challenging the Dems saying that Roberts is the best quailfied he has ever seen.
Chris: That was some poor speechmaking. His stumbling made it sound like Roberts was the one that pleaded guilty to something.
Steve: 15,000 photos taken in 15 seconds!
Steve: Roberts is easily the most articulate and well spoken person in the room
Chris: Humility? Can I get that from a Times editorial?
Steve: (as Teddy looks for a drink)
Steve: 5:30 tomorrow morning? Teddy doesn't even get home from partying untill 6:00
Chris: Don't know if he misspoke or you mis-heard. 9:30 tomorrow.

I strongly suggest this piece by James Taranto as "Recommended Reading".

I've been putting this off all day.

Actually, it's been all weekend. I knew it was coming, but unlike the last two times, I didn't quite know what to say for this anniversary. I think the revulsion over this (and this, and this, and this) has put me into less of a sad-but-proud and more of a demoralized mood. Even this and this didn't lift the gloom for long.

They said they'd never forget. I haven't.

I fight the anger, and the hatred, and the boiling rage on so many days, and the Church says it'll eat me alive* - and sometimes I feel that it's doing just that. But I don't want to forgive in a suicidal way. I'm willing to die for the faith, but I'm sorry Lord, not like that. I need to find somewhere safe between forgiveness and Christian resolve against evil without tumbling into simple resignation to fate without hope. And that's a tough balancing act I just haven't worked out yet.

They said they'd never forget, but then they say I'm "perpetually indignant". I suppose I am. And maybe I'm mixing up my political indignation with my American indignation. But it's becoming increasingly hard for me to tell the difference.

I pray the good Lord gives me enough time to work all this out.

(*Permalinks here, here, here, and here.)

I strongly suggest this piece by Michael Barone as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Newton Emerson as "Recommended Reading".

Yesterday Rush Limabugh had a lengthy answer for Howard Dean on how race affected the response to Katrina. Scroll down to the picture of Dean looking nuts, which could be any picture of Dean, in this case there is only one picture of Dean.

"There's no reason to run and cower when these charges of racism start being bandied about. Stand up and throw it right back at them. I mean, Klansman, Robert Byrd, was Senate majority leader for ten years. They had a segregationist as their vice presidential nominee in 1952. I mean, folks, you have a circumstance here where everything is 180 degrees out of phase when it comes to race.

I strongly suggest this piece by Victor Davis Hanson as "Recommended Reading".

When the AP "makes news", it's almost an art. In an article containing so much opinion that I kept looking for the "analysis" or "commentary" labels, they look into the phenomenon of how "Katrina Rallies African-Americans". Get out the duct tape.

To African-Americans, Hurricane Katrina has become a generation-defining catastrophe — a disaster with a predominantly black toll, tinged with racism. They've rallied to the cause with an unprecedented outpouring of activism and generosity.

Blacks who have been touched by the disaster are not only donating money but gathering supplies, taking in friends and relatives, even heading south to help shoulder the burden of their people.

"You'd have to go back to slavery, or the burning of black towns, to find a comparable event that has affected black people this way," said Darnell M. Hunt, a sociologist and head of the African American studies department at UCLA.

If the rescue effort had not been so mishandled, and if those who suffered so needlessly had not been so black and so poor...

...perhaps Hurricane Katrina would have been just another destructive storm...

alongside the likes of Charley and Andrew and Hugo. (There is no Keisha or Kwame.)

"You don't look at Rodney King and say, 'I remember when I got beat up.' But people remember being neglected, unimportant, overlooked, thought of as 'less than.' That's a very common experience for black people."

It has opened people's eyes — "The face, the cover has been pulled off the invisible poor," said Rev. Ronald E. Braxton of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. — and it has created a rare opportunity for people of all backgrounds to make a tangible, immediate difference.

Katrina has spurred other blacks to take crucial roles in relief efforts — and they're in a better position to help than they were even a decade ago, when rap still scared people and being paid $30 million per year to play basketball was beyond imagination.

(Thanks to Steve for helping assemble the links.)

UPDATE: Ace of Spades now has a take on this.

That's sorta why I avoid writing about race. It's a minefield. I kinda-sorta know what this guy was trying to say, but what he did end up writing was, basically, that if only Katrina had obliged all of our equal-opportunity wishes and killed more white people, it would have been no big deal.

White people don't count. Or, rather, it's just that black people count more. A lot more.

Ace actually gets the tip (obviously not me) from SWLiP, who links to some lovely follow-up comments from Cornel West.

What we saw unfold in the days after the hurricane was the most naked manifestation of conservative social policy towards the poor, where the message for decades has been: 'You are on your own'. Well, they really were on their own for five days in that Superdome, and it was Darwinism in action - the survival of the fittest.

I strongly suggest this piece by Charles Krauthammer as "Recommended Reading".

The Left is so found of inventing memes. All they need do is make up some junk that seems to support their Uber Meme, the one which purports that Bush is bad, and all the facts and logic go out the window; the newborn meme becomes gospel to them.

One of the baby memes making the rounds after Katrina passed is that FEMA head Michael Brown has no experience. It takes only a glance at his profile to dispel the myth; it will take some heretofore unknown force to make the Left accept that they are lying about the man.

Excerpted from his profile page.

Under Secretary Brown has led Homeland Security’s response to more than 164 presidentially declared disasters and emergencies, including the 2003 Columbia Shuttle disaster and the California wildfires in 2003. In 2004, Mr. Brown led FEMA’s thousands of dedicated disaster workers during the most active hurricane season in over 100 years, as FEMA delivered aid more quickly and more efficiently than ever before.

Previously, Mr. Brown served as FEMA's Deputy Director and the agency's General Counsel. Shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. Brown served on the President's Consequence Management Principal's Committee, which acted as the White House's policy coordination group for the federal domestic response to the attacks. Later, the President asked him to head the Consequence Management Working Group to identify and resolve key issues regarding the federal response plan. In August 2002, President Bush appointed him to the Transition Planning Office for the new Department of Homeland Security, serving as the transition leader for the EP&R Division.

The man has experience, and until the Louisiana governments interferred he was working to deliver the same manner of response which saw us through the events noted.

If Mayor Nagin, and Govenor Blanco had been capable of admitting that they did not know what they were doing, and had they then permitted an unfettered Federal response; Michael Brown may just have saved New Orleans. Or, one should say, to be precise, the agencies which FEMA manages may have saved New Orleans. The Left admires their memes, lies that they are, and will not admit that they are wrong. Nothing new there. And we will just have to repeat the truth, over, and over, and over.......

UPDATE: Michael Chertoff has ordered Brown back to Washington where he can resume his full duties as Director of FEMA. With the anniversary of 9/11 approaching, and one hurricane already on the US coast, Brown has other matters to consider. The management of the recovery from Katrina has been put on the shoulders of a Coast Guard Vice Admiral.

Fox News' Chris Wallace calls Brown's move a firing in stages, and suggests that Brown has no credibility in Washington. There are also accusations floating that Brown's resume is not accurate.

You can expect this move to re-enforce the meme for the Left.

UPDATE2: Well Rick, you called it a "meme", and Donné came a-runnin'.

Brown's Wikipedia entry is thorough in detailing the charges and counter-charges. TIME magazine investigated his resume and found "discrepancies". I'd be careful throwing around the "L" word, Donné, lest you force me to remind you who ran for president on the last four Democratic tickets.

The Black Republican has no official stance on Brown leaving or staying. Yes, he appears to be a political hack. I'd like to know how that differs from the other 90% of Washington D.C.

As for Michelle, I like her and link to her, but on certain subjects, she and I disagree. This is one of those subjects. We drink no Kool-Aid here, but we don't throw meat to jackals like you. - Chris

...because it's so much more pleasant to dry heave after this than losing your last meal.

Slant Point

Are you as upset as I am that the Ding-a-ling Brothers and Specter and Schumer Circus (aka "The Roberts Nomination Hearing") was postponed until Monday morning? Well, weep no longer! Ace has a transcript, freshly purloined from inside a hijacked Tardis. Enjoy!

I've been pretty hard on New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in previous posts, and I don't believe unfairly so. He certainly has a lot to answer for. But he's increasingly more an object of my pity than of my scorn. Since Friday, he's been positively schizophrenic: first, slamming Governor Blanco's timidity when she was asked by President Bush to hand over control of operations in New Orleans, then claiming he might be marked for death by the CIA because of earlier comments railing against the federal goverment's "slow" response.

Despite his loony antics, Mayor Nagin at least seems to grasp (NOW) that he's got to do what he can to finish the job he'd botched so thoroughly before. Meanwhile, Governor Blanco seems to be living up to her name.

As floodwaters caused by Hurricane Katrina (search) began to slowly recede with the ruined city's first pumps returning to operation, Nagin late Tuesday authorized law enforcement officers to force the evacuation of the estimated 10,000 residents who refuse to heed orders to leave.

But in a Wednesday interview with FOX News, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search) said she had not signed off on the decision.

"The mayor certainly has ordered that but the governor, and that would be me, would have to enforce it or implement it. We are trying to determine whether there is an absolute justification for that," she told FOX News.

Floodwaters in New Orleans contain bacteria associated with sewage that are at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety levels, making direct contact by rescue workers and remaining residents dangerous, the first government tests confirmed Wednesday.

Five deaths in Texas and Mississippi have already been attributed to contact with the toxic water, the CDC reported Wednesday, as New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin ordered forced evacuations of residents remaining in the city. Though a large scale outbreak of infectious disease has yet to materialize, the health risks posed by the polluted water remained a top health concern.

"Human contact with the flood water should be avoided as much as possible," said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

Time's up, Governor. Your bulb has blown out.

I strongly suggest this piece by Ben Stein as "Recommended Reading".

I've been leaving comments in a variety of places to describe to people how bungled the New Orleans emergency plan was, but that's becoming a less and less efficient way to spend my time. Looking back in the blog, I see I never told "my Charley story" in-depth, so now is the best time, I suppose.

A few notes as a preface: I'm not a government official at any level, just an ordinary citizen. But in Florida, we try to take hurricane season rather seriously. All our schools drill the mechanics of hurricanes into science classes and TV stations repeat the basics of hurricane safety endlessly, even during the dry months. ("It's never too early to establish your hurricane plan!" yadda yadda) When it comes to hurricane season, there are commonly understood to be two kinds of Floridians: the ones who've lived here long enough to have a good hurricane plan, and the yahoos who haven't been scared enough by one yet to have figured out that they can get killed. In 2004, my North Fort Myers home ended up in the path of Charley, and we spent the next four weeks dodging Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. It didn't take longer than the day Charlie hit for me to stop taking hurricanes half-seriously and get down to business.

We now pack a hurricane kit on June 1, and we won't touch it until we need it or November, whichever comes first. Gasoline is always filled in the car tanks between 24-48 hours before approach of a storm. When we get storm warnings, the hurricane shudders go up. (Actually, that part is fun, because it makes for great movie-watching, even in the middle of the day.) There's a thousand other steps involved, but the point is, we don't mess with Mother Nature.

One more thing: some people seem confused by the idea of "mandatory evacuation". No one is usually forced to evacuate by the sheriff. "Mandatory evacuation" means basically "don't come blaming us when you're dead", and "if you're caught in a fire, you're going to burn to death, because we ain't sending the fire department out to save your stupid ass." There's usually no actual force involved. It's the force of the word itself that usually gets people moving, as in: "Oh, you mean it's so dangerous and imminent, I really don't have a choice?" Right - you don't have a choice if you want to be sure you'll be alive tomorrow.

However, that's not to say the authorities are toothless. If you have to cross a bridge or pass through a toll booth to get off your property and/or come back, "mandatory evacuation" means: when this bridge or toll booth is closed, nothing comes back. If you're on an island when the storm hits, you're there for the duration. If you're off when it arrives, you're not getting back until the authorities say so. No matter where you are, when you're in an area hit by a storm, there's a curfew after dark (sometimes even during the day), and our law enforcement doesn't screw around with those curfews.

You should be getting the idea that I - like thousands of my fellow Floridians - are safe in our homes tonight because last year our Governor proved he isn't a spineless twit and our Emergency Managers proved they aren't drooling idiots. We have emergency plans and... shockingly... we follow them.

Here's the heart of my Charley story: North Fort Myers is in Lee County. You'll notice in this news story (from a Charlotte newspaper) about mandatory evacuations, Lee County isn't mentioned. That's because the storm took a wicked right turn at us about two hours before coming ashore. Of course, our local weather broadcasters and emergency authorities had been telling us to evacuate if we felt the need, especially if we were in a Cat 2 flood zone or if we had special needs, like elderly people on oxygen. Most of all, they said to be prepared for anything, so we were - I was fairly obstinate that I wanted to stay, but if I was told to, I was gonna get out of Dodge.

[EDIT: Long day, and frustrated as usual. Lee isn't mentioned in that report because it's the Herald-Tribune, which we don't read down here in Lee, so they left out mention of our mandatory evacuations (iow, D'OH!). This news report however, is typical of the evacuation orders we got, which included "a mandatory evacuation notice for the coastal/barrier islands including Bonita Beach, Estero Island/Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Captiva, Pine Island, Matlacha, and Boca Grande." Below, I do allude to the fact that these people (about 8-10 miles west of me at closest) were evacuated. My point was that my home wasn't in a mandatory evacuation area (i.e. "The storm appears to be heading towards landfall in the Tampa area...").]

I got up that morning, looked at the weather report, and said, "You know, if it just takes a slight little swerve, the angle it's coming at at the coast could send it right at my nose. And though it's only a Cat 2 now, one of the weather guys says it could strengthen at any time, maybe even to a Cat 4." I live in a Cat 3 flood zone. It was time to be smart and not wait to be told.

I turned off the TV, woke my kids and told them they had 10 minutes to dress and get in the car. It took a bit longer, but in about 2 hours, I was at Steve's house in Naples, about 40 miles south, and pretty much out of danger. The first thing we heard from the TV when we came through the door was: "It's just taken a slight turn to the east, but because of the angle it's coming at the coast, that's all it took to be headed now right for us in Fort Myers. Everyone get indoors and brace yourself NOW. If you haven't left yet, it's too late."

In fact, the storm took a little jog to the west again and my home was maybe 5 miles outside the core. Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine Island (all closer to the coast) got much closer, and Charley barreled right up Charlotte Harbor to pummel Punta Gorda and Arcadia head-on.

When we got home after the storm passed, there was no power, no water, no air conditioning, eight trees were down in our yard and one was slammed into our roof - but no significant damage despite 125 mph winds, as reported by a neighbor who rode it out. But we were lucky, and took glamour shots the next morning. Several of my coworkers from Punta Gorda weren't so lucky, and had nothing left of their home but a slab of concrete. Others had gaping holes in the roof and significant water damage. But no one I know was seriously hurt because we obeyed instructions.

It took four days to get water, another couple for power. During this time we ate food and drank water from our hurricane pack. Some people had to go to the authorities admitting they didn't prepare a hurricane kit, and were fed by the county, but not many. The radio stations were broadcasting relief information on simulcast from the TV studios. Everyone in the community shared information about where to find ice and gas. It was hot, sticky, smelly, mosquito-plagued, and in retrospect, not really all that bad. But it wasn't bad because we were prepared, our leaders knew what they were doing, provided leadership, and we followed their directions. Yes, sometimes tempers flared. Yes, some people were more than inconvenienced. Some people lost everything. But most people helped one another out and we all hung together.

Oh, by the way, FEMA inspected my house about three to four weeks later. I don't recall how long it took for them to arrive in town, but when they could, they went straight to Punta Gorda and concentrated there. We got attention when Charlotte Harbor towns, Arcadia and the islands were secure, and not a moment before. And when tempers flared, I don't ever recall anyone expecting FEMA to do more than hand them a check - everything else was handled locally, or by the State of Florida. And those people didn't seem to stop moving, helping, organizing, for weeks.

Three months later, I needed a new car because my old one was on its last legs. I drove to Arcadia, on a tip that they had some good deals, and because I wanted to bring them some business. In many parts of Charlotte and DeSoto, you'd think the storm had hit two or three days before - it was still a mess. I'm NEVER going to cut it anywhere near as close as I did with Charley, ever again.

As for New Orleans... pfft. They get my compassion, but none of my sympathy. That would require me to comprehend what they're going through, and man I haven't a clue what those people are thinking.

And he kept his word.

But the TIMES-PICAYUNE published a story on July 24, 2005 stating: City, state and federal emergency officials are preparing to give a historically blunt message: "In the event of a major hurricane, you're on your own."

Staff writer Bruce Nolan reported some 7 weeks before Katrina: "In scripted appearances being recorded now, officials such as Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm's way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation."

Hey, he is a Mayor, he must know best. But, I am going to need further education in order to understand why buses were abandoned which could have carried people to safety, and why no attempt was made to evacute those who had no transportation. Until I learn that lesson, I vow to never be a Democrat Mayor.

I strongly suggest this piece by Wesley Pruden as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Project 21 as "Recommended Reading".

Well isn't this rich... and at the same time, conveniently irrefutable! Irrefutable because when it doesn't happen (which it won't - and never would have), the obviously demented Mayor can claim that the only thing that saved his life was his making this claim publicly and exposing the CIA plot.

BTW - I want to say now, and for the record, that I have recently become aware of a plot by Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton, and Chuckie Schumer - with the help of an alien species heretofore hidden from the average citizenry by a secret government agency setup by Bill Clinton in 1997 - to kidnap John Roberts and replace him with a robot John Roberts - identical in every way to the actual man... just liberal!

Ace of Spades