Single What? Female...

okay...back to cranky...

I have been appalled from the get-go about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, and I know full well that I am not alone in this...but last night, despite hearing about further outpourings of help and compassion from around the country, I was talking to my mom and she told me how she saw a story on the news about a how a plane full of evacuees, destined for a set-up in Charleston, SC, was flown to Charleston, West Virginia...communication is still lax, obviously.

And just now, while looking for any articles referring to that story, I read about Dennis Hastert-who'd been delayed to the vote on Katrina relief funding because he was at a fundraiser-and Tom DeLay have decided to cancel Congressional hearings about the response, saying essentially it's not the fed's fault, it's the locals, dammit!...yes, the partisanship holds tight, even-or perhaps particularly-in the face of embarrassingly bad press (which Tom DeLay knows best...)

Also, yesterday, Otis Airforce Base in Bourne, MA was waiting for evacuees...scores of volunteers...beds made, hospital ready, clothes and supplies organized...*blink blink*...where is everybody. One family of three showed up...there was no plane full of people...and all such flights to Massachusetts and other states offering to take evacuees have been put on hold. Apparently there are two reasons. 1) There are families who fear that if they leave the region, they will not only lose contact with family members trying to find them, they will be lost in the FEMA system. 2) Apparently the White House called the governor of Texas the day the flight to Bourne was to take place and said that the states were to "take no immediate action and hand over the operation to FEMA." Well, we all know how well that's been working...

I really think Bob Schieffer put it best on Sunday in his "Face The Nation" final thought Sunday (so glad they save these on line)...the initial response really was geared to "the survival of the richest"...

And Matt Cooper, no matter what you may think of him over "PlameGate", did have his strong opinion piece in Time...

Though I do love this reponse that is in the New York Daily News today apparently-though I stole the quote from wonkette. Paul Begala had this to say about Dick Cheney (who'd been on vacation til last Thursday in Wyoming): "You're not going to send him to be comforter-in-chief. He's the type of guy who would look at them and growl, 'Life's tough. Get back to work.'"

Nor should he be the guy to head up a White House investigation into, as Bush put it "What went right [?!?!] and what went wrong..." And really, should Bush be looking into this? I think not...

And just to make George twitch a little more, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats are looking for an independent investigation of what went wrong, the Dems really want more info on John Roberts, AND not only did the California Legislature vote for gay marriage, but the Europeans still hate him...

Keep e-mailing your Congressfolk, people!!! Make sure they know that you are paying attention and want George and his people to face the consequences!! As has been brought by numerous foldk over the past week and days...if they can't handle a hurricane, they certainly can't handle a terrorist attack...

Peace --Alex

posted by funkweee @ 7:46 AM