Dean:  “…The ugly truth of America is that this whole ‘exploding gas tank’ thing wouldn’t even be an issue if—instead of Pintos—we were talking about, say, 1997 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupes.”*

From the New York Times: Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary who has been the Bush administration’s point man in fielding criticism of the hurricane relief effort, came under fire Wednesday from some Congressional Democrats for private remarks about the conditions faced by storm survivors that struck the lawmakers as insensitive. The new criticism was set off by a private and sometimes contentious briefing that Mr. Chertoff and other senior

Well, it looks like the newest lefty Katrina talking point is beginning to clarify itself, and it’s one of the worst yet.  The jackals must be getting desperate. Exhibit A:  Kerry-supporting, anti-war “conservative” Andrew Sullivan (who, let’s face it, he’s a hirsute¹ Josh Marshall with a nicer apartment and a bear fetish), begins his morning dutifully parroting the hard left line that FEMA is, in his words, attempting “to censor

Seriously.  Don’t.  Click it. Trust me. **** (h/t Tman, via Rambling’s Journal, who has more) **** update:  Verified.

From their website: * Acess to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders. *The state Homeland Security Department had requested–and continues to request–that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come

Courtesy Mudville Gazette. HOW DARE YOU FIGHT A WAR ON TERROR WHILE PEOPLE ARE THIRSTY, MR BUSH!  WHERE IS YOUR COMPASSION?*

This Is Not Over’s Miss Alli: People are going around and around about who should have done what at what time to get food and water to the victims of Katrina, and to get the buses there to evacuate people from the city who didn’t get out on their own, and to get medical care to the elderly so they wouldn’t die, and to get control of the shelter areas

Following up on my earlier post, I tracked down the email addresses of WaPo reporters Manuel Roig-Franzia and Spencer Hsu, the two gentlemen responsible for the story suggesting Bush requested Governor Blanco cede authority to the feds on Friday. At question here, though, is which Friday—Aug 26, before the storm hits landfall? or Sept 2, after the looting and in advance of the martial law declared by Nagin?  Context suggests

Rusty has the details on the freeing of American Hostage Roy Hallums.  See also, Commissar. This is fantastic news.  Welcomed, in the face of so much ridiculous partisan bitterness over a natural disaster.