Good evening, let's start with Democracy Now!
Top City Official Blasts FEMA: "This Is A National Disgrace"
The head of New Orleans' emergency operations blasted the federal government and FEMA for its slow response. The official Terry Ebbert said "This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace." Ebbert went on to say "FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans." Ebbert said "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."
Blasts FEMA. Do you realize how bad a job you have to be doing for that to happen? Terry Ebbert needs FEMA's help. They have been little or no help and Ebbert wasn't going to stay silent. That takes guts to be that honest. I say good for Terry Ebbert. Ebbert's looking out for the people and willing to fight for their needs.
Bush Officials Criticized For Staying On Vacation
Criticism is also mounting over the Bush administration's handling of the crisis. President Bush didn't return from his vacation until Wednesday and several other top officials remain on summer breaks. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had been vacationing in New York City but returned to Washington on Thursday. Meanwhile Vice President Dick Cheney has been in Wyoming and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card has been in Maine.
I heard this today while I was listening to Democracy Now! and couldn't believe it. Then I'm at The Common Ills and see the thing from Lenora of Musings & Migraines and really couldn't believe it. I'm sure everyone's already seen it but I want to put it in here.
..Condi was doing WHAT?
Just moments ago at the Ferragamo on 5th Avenue, Condoleeza Rice was seen spending several thousands of dollars on some nice, new shoes (we've confirmed this, so her new heels will surely get coverage from the WaPo's Robin Givhan). A fellow shopper, unable to fathom the absurdity of Rice's timing, went up to the Secretary and reportedly shouted, "How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!" Never one to have her fashion choices questioned, Rice had security PHYSICALLY REMOVE the woman.
There's got to be a special corner in hell where this kind of callousness is punished. I hope when Condi gets there, she's wearing those shoes so Satan can shove them down her throat.
Elaine's going to be noting the same two topics because we agreed to today on the phone. She's also going to be ending her substitution duties for Rebecca. I'm not ready to give up hope yet that she's not going to start her own site.
I hope everyone who's written me to say that they want Elaine to start her own site has also written her because I don't think she realizes how much she's spoken to people. I think we can convince her to start her own site. We just might have to pester her is all. :D
Carl wrote me the best e-mail on Elaine and, Carl, please write Elaine. Also Elaine's doing the same items from Democracy Now! tonight at Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, so check out her take. It'll be in her post of thanks.
Carl spoke of how much he enjoyed Folding Star's A Winding Road and how even though he knows the person who's using Folding Star's site proper and the mirror site isn't Folding Star, he still goes there kind of hoping that it is Folding Star. He's not mad at FS for deciding not to blog anymore but he wishes the old posts were up because he'd reread them and that FS's decision made him really face the fact that, like a favorite TV show, a blog can end at any time.
We've got a potential roundtable planned at The Third Estate Sunday Review, Carl, and I'll try to bring up your topic if we have it. I've already spoken to C.I. about it.
And I'll be prodding Elaine some more or maybe just pestering her about it when I do my interview with her next week. I've also got maybe, fingers crossed, an interview with C.I. The ground rules, if it comes off, is that the questions are questions about the site and the community. I'll agree to any ground rule because, like Jim told me, they've been begging C.I. for a Q&A since they started their site. If I get the interview, it helps to play the puppy dog kid lol, it'll be two weeks from now. I also intend to interview Betty and Cedric and Kat and Ruth and Isaiah who've all agreed. Gina and Krista say they'd do a joint interview and I'm pestering Dallas for one too.
Lori e-mailed asking if Ava was mad about the interview I did with Jess because I did ask the question that Jim, Ty and me have been wondering. Ava's response was a laughing threat to throttle me if I did that again. She's not mad. She's not answering the question but she's not mad. She said if she was mad she'd be telling me that I blew any chance of a follow up with her.
:)
I didn't think she'd be mad but everyone knows about Jim & Dona being a couple and I think people are curious about Ty, Jess and Ava so since Jim and Ty and me were wondering anyway, I thought it was a good question to ask even if we didn't get an answer.
Another thing I saw at The Common Ills (from "Indymedia focus on Iraq") is something I wanted to put up here and make sure you saw it. This is from an interview that Kathryn Eastburn did with Iraq vet Kelly Dougherty and it was in The Colorado Springs Indy and called "At war: Iraq veteran Kelly Dougherty speaks of the realities of life in Iraq and the growing movement against the occupation:"
Indy: Do you feel that the anti-war movement is growing?
KD: I know that before the [presidential] election, people were saying, "Gosh, I've never been involved in politics but now I'm involved." Trying to get Bush out of office mobilized a lot of people.
But now I see even more of that happening, and I think it's good. I do think it's growing. You can tell from the polls that the president's approval rating is low, that people may not say unanimously, "We have to get out of Iraq now," but they're asking, "Why are we there?"
I don't think we should have gone. And that's what the majority of people are saying, that they don't think it's been worth it. And it's only a matter of time, hopefully not a very long time, that the majority of people will say, "OK, it's not worth it, so we don't need to stay on a course that's heading toward a cliff."
