it almost looks willful.

* krugman: "I don't think this is a simple tale of incompetence. The reason the military wasn't rushed in to help along the Gulf Coast is, I believe, the same reason nothing was done to stop looting after the fall of Baghdad. Flood control was neglected for the same reason our troops in Iraq didn't get adequate armor... So America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can't-do government that makes excuses instead of doing its job."
faith based? its increasingly looking like they fucked it up intentionally. the mistakes they appear to have made are *so* enormous and obvious. its difficult to imagine - but it almost looks willful.

* meanwhile condi the anti.c.rice is shopping and playing tennis and going to broadway (link)

* fema just learnt about the convention center today. paula zahn screamed at mike Brown "are you telling me that you didnt know that the people at the convention center didnt have food and water?" brown replied "actually, we didnt even know they were there" who wants mike brown's job? (fwiw - "What was he doing before getting pulled into FEMA by the Bush administration in 2003? He was an estate planning lawyer in Colorado and of counsel for the International Arabian Horse Association Legal Department.")

* cnn is reporting that police are deserting in NOLA.

* "That the Bush administration diverted funds from the rebuilding of the New Orleans levees to Iraq is by now well-known. What you might not have heard is that the people cleaning up the mess are really pissed about it. A tipster informs us that down in New Orleans, they have a name for the flood waters that have invaded the city: Lake George." (link)

* "Col. Terry Ebbert, director of homeland security for New Orleans, "It's criminal within the confines of the United States that within one hour of the hurricane they weren't force-feeding us. It's like FEMA has never been to a hurricane."" (link)

* wolcott: "New Orleans Died for Bush's Sins: ...this is the time for politics, none better, because I can tell you just from being out of NY a few days that a lot of people in this country are shocked and sobered by New Orleans, but they're also worried and pissed off. They're making the connection between the money, manpower, and resources expended in Iraq and how raggedy-ass the rescue effort has been in the Gulf. If you don't say it now when people's nerves are raw and they're paying full attention, it'll be too late once the waters receded and the media-emoting "healing process" begins."