I'm hoping that this whole clusterfuck will metaphorically put a stake through the Shrub's shrivelled caraway seed of a heart, politically speaking. Especially now that Renquist has died. If Bush will be politically useless, or even a liability for Senators up for re-election next year, perhaps the remaining non-neocons will rediscover the storage facility where they left their balls/ovaries. Especially since they'll now be voting on at least two Supreme Court justices in the coming months.

6. Get Halliburton to submit a no-bid contract to rebuild the levees.

Well, 1 out of 10 ain't bad...

I got pissed at Bush's morning press conference.

The Democrats in Congress were calling for a halt to the SC confirmation hearings in light of the Gulf Coast tragedy. Bush essentially gave a fuck-you to that, saying it is important we get the positions filled ASAP.

I have yogafied and grocery-shopped, so anything else I get done today is gravy, right?

This mornings Atlanta Journal-Constitution today did something almost unprecedented in modern newspapers. It ran a front-page editorial:

The rescue operation mounted in the wake of last week's hurricane was characteristic of a third-rate country, not the world's only superpower.

Shame on the public officials who reacted slowly to the cries for help from New Orleans. Shame on the criminals wandering the streets, preying on the poor and helpless. Shame on those who didn't heed the warnings about the vulnerability of New Orleans.

Shame on all of us.

The people of New Orleans, many of them lacking the wherewithal to evacuate on their own, were left stranded without enough food or water to survive. For days, their pitiful pleas largely went unanswered.

By midweek, bodies began piling up at the Louisiana Superdome, while bloated corpses were seen floating down still-flooded city streets.

How could this happen in the United States?...

So, and I'm asking this in all seriousness, do we think the country could collapse?

The Supreme Court that appointed Bush president now has two openings for him to fill. A huge portion of the country, including much of our refinery infrastructure, is in ruins. The economy which is just starting to recover may bottom out again. Obviously our national guard isn't operating efficiently (at least not quickly). We're in over our heads in Iraq. Any terrorist with any sense would hit us RIGHT NOW. And so much is shipped -- very little food-wise and merchandise wise produced near our population centers anymore. And warehouses are smaller than ever because of our over-nighting world. Basically, our supply lines are permanantly thin.

And what sort of collapse? Economic? Then a long term/permanant martial law and the end of already wobbly civil liberties? Then a civil war?

I'm not being doom-n-gloom, I'm asking. Could this be what we are facing?

Not going to post the obvious, but in response to this:

no taxes in the world would be providing diapers and such right now to the victims,

Isn't that actually part of emergency relief? I mean in a non-clusterfuck response to a disaster aren't food, water , medical care, and diapers, forumula,tampons and other personal neccesisties provided?

Meet The Press with Aaron Broussard - President of Jefferson Parish. Apparently the actual video is really heart-wrenching. Here is the partial transcript

[link]

Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now.

...

Yesterday — yesterday — FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards and said no one is getting near these lines…

...

I want to give you one last story and I’ll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, “Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?” and he said, “Yeah, Mama, somebody’s coming to get you.” Somebody’s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody’s coming to get us. Nobody’s coming to get us…

Le nubian, I watched him and it was heartbreaking. They had to break away from him because he completely broke down.

I'm going to Tivo the repeat on MSNBC tonight. Wow.