Comment and Summary

Comment:

Remember the body count on 911? It was a constant. The numbers began to roll out in the media from the first hours of the disaster. 10,000... Maybe more... Then as things began to stablize the number began to come down 8,000.....7,000....until it finally reached 2,996. There was a point when the right wing noise machine was complaining that "liberals" were cheating on the number and minimizing it.

How many are dead in Katrina's wake? After 911, it served the right wing purpose to inflate the number of casualties. Now, the larger the number on the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans in particular, the worse it will be for the Bush Administration. Now, who is arguing for restraint and caution in announcing the casualty figures?

Summary:

Democratic Veteran covers and comments on two Navy "rotorheads" who got in trouble for saving 110 people in New Orleans.

"These two guys did a good thing GREAT THING, they went in and helped out when some Coasties asked for assistance, and since they likely did not have HF radios on board, they couldn't call back to NASP while airborne to ask for permission to continue their SAR ops. But they did when they stopped for gas, and were granted permission to carry on; exactly what they should have done.

Now they're in hack for not being "team players" on someone's team (gee, wonder whose) FEMA. Someone who's still in the Naval Helicopter Association ought to nominate these guys and their crews for a SAR award next year...they went and did it."

kid oakland has a superb post up at the Daily Kos that creates a broad outline for attacking the "conservative" movement.

"Conservatism = New Orleans.

• Did "big business" save people when they needed help?
  
• Did "free markets" save people when they needed food and water?
  
• Did "tax cuts for the rich" save people when people needed to evacuate?
  
• Did "compassionate conservatism" come to the rescue when people were left stranded?
• Did "faith based iniatives" come to the rescue when people were trapped in their homes?
• Did "Homeland Security" come to the rescue while an American city drowned?"

From AmericaBlog, Democrats may be going a spine. Quoting the AP.

"Adding to the rising partisan temperatures, the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org announced a protest demonstration in front of the White House on Thursday afternoon by storm evacuees. And Democratic party chairman.

Howard Dean, speaking at a Baptist convention in Miami, said, "Americans deserve better from their leaders." There's more. Censorship in NO. Bullshit from Mafia capos like Bernie Kerik. Then there is Barbara Bush....

Tomorrow some Cunningham news. He's still stealing and dealing.