Rehnquist

Chief Justice William Rehnquist died today. What a time to inject this news into our unstable nation. Not that he could choose when to die, of course . . . .

T'will be interesting to see what we all make of it. My initial thoughts are that Bush goes with someone even more conservative to replace such a conservative. And that he goes outside of the current Court. But those were my thoughts pre-Katrina. Will he bend to some kind of popular will and choose a "softer" nominee, one easier to bring to the Court?

Hard to imagine Bush and his evil axis choosing anyone softer at any time.

Quickies for tonight?

1. From Senator Mary Landrieu

"I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid. When Amtrak offered trains to evacuate significant numbers of victims — far more efficiently than buses — FEMA again dragged its feet. Offers of medicine, communications equipment and other desperately needed items continue to flow in, only to be ignored by the agency.

But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this
morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast — black and white, rich and poor, young and old — deserve far better from their national government."

2. Did you know that Red Cross isn't actually allowed into New Orleans? According to a faq on their website, the state Homeland Security Department requests that the Red Cross not reenter New Orleans as "(O)ur presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city".

Yep. I can see that many, many REFUGEES will be flooding (pardon the sick and weak pun) back into NOLA to reach the Red Cross.

Yep. I can see that people are PINING to stay in NOLA, and the Red Cross would be one big lure, one smacking enticement, keeping those people who just can't stay away from a bleeping catastrophic third world country disaster region there.

Betcha that state Homeland Security Department was told to do this by the Federal Homeland Security Department.

Until tomorrow,
Liz