More outrage than you can shake a stick at
CNN is reporting “New Signs of Progress” in New Orleans. This is good news. As the number of civilians in the city drops while the number of National Guard, Army, and volunteer organizations increases, good cannot help but get done.
Sadly, the Feds are still running about like foxes caught “guarding” the hen house. While Condi Rice shopped for shoes and Dubya dipped over NOLA in Air Force One while returning from vacation, there actually were some folks working hard in the White House. For example, Karl Rove shifted into high gear to enact a plan to “contain the political damage from the administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina”. Nice to know there are some folks in the Executive Branch willing to do hard work on short notice.
Over a thousand firefighters hauled selves and gear down to a staging area in Atlanta in preparation to help out with rescue operations. What did FEMA choose to do with them? Why of course, give them conference-room training on community relations and sexual harassment. Why, you ask? Because FEMA wanted to use these 1000+ men and women, specially trained in rescue operations, as community relations officers and use this force of specialists to hand out fliers. To its credit, FEMA did fly an advance unit of firefighters to New Orleans… to pose next to the President while he toured the area. A tour which grounded all other air traffic, halting search and rescue as well as delaying repairs to the levees.
Let’s see. What else? What else have I read today that makes me want to tear my hair out and scream? Oh yes, here’s a gem. Do you remember how the Bush administration passed regulations to prevent journalists from photographing the coffins of war dead returning from the war in Iraq?
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
FEMA has “requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media.”
ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH
OK, calm down. Read this story about how 6-year-old Deamonte Love cared for six babies and toddlers until being rescued. Maybe one day that young man will grow up to be President.