by Last Night in Little Rock

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports today that three Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency contractors were arrested for looting in Plaquemines Parish as reported here.

The contractors were allowed to take food and drink from a Family Dollar Store, but they decided to take toys and clothing and loaded the cab of their truck.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Remember VP Dick Cheney's profanity to Sen. Leahy? "Go f**k yourself" on the Senate floor, unexpurgated on WashingtonPost.com?

Cheney got it back during a press conference in Gulfport, MS where a citizen off camera shouted it at him as reported on crooksandliars.com and Raw Story with links to the video.

As promised, here's another open thread. I'll be back Saturday night to resume regular posting. Major thanks to LNILR and TChris for helping out yesterday. I only brought a powerbook G4 with me on this trip, since my regular laptop seems to have died, and I can barely operate a Mac. That's another reason I'll be really glad to get home. Linking on this machine is beyond tedious, there's no right-click button for cut, copy and paste and the delete key works like a backspace instead of a delete key. On the plus side...does anyone have one?

by Last Night in Little Rock

On Daily Kos, a site that never ceases to amuse, it is reported that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) reamed out a CNN commentator in Nancy Pelosi b*tch-slaps CNN commentator where she suggested the CNN Commentator go on the White House payroll if the commentator was going to keep mindlessly parrotting the White House line.

Pelosi always was one of the strongest Democrats, but she seemed like a lone voice in the woods. Perhaps others will get a spine and start to speak up.

by Last Night in Little Rock

It is reported on at least three websites, Time magazine, New Republic, and The News Blog that Federal Emergency Mismanagement Agency Director Micheal Brown padded his resume.

Arianna has an update on jailed New York Times journalist Judith Miller. Miller, according to Arianna's source, may be getting ready to talk. Miller may be seeking a "proper release" so she can talk without violating the journalistic principles she went to jail to uphold.

What's this all about? My take: Fitzgerald's grand jury is winding down. He's ready to charge Miller with criminal contempt which is a whole different ball of wax than the civil contempt charge on which she's now doing time. The newly sought waiver, I suspect, as does Arianna, is an excuse. Miller could have sought one before going to jail.

The reason the "proper release" doesn't wash is that Miller has said all along that she doesn't want to comply with the subpoena because once she complies, there's nothing to stop Fitzgerald from asking her about more sources, like he did with Matt Cooper, and then it never ends. But, a waiver from source A, "proper" or personal or unconditonal or whatever you want to call it, doesn't solve this problem. So, it seems like Ms. Miller is trying to make a deal to avoid more time and save as much journalistic face as she can.

Any way you look at it, it's crunch time for Judith Miller.

posted by Last Night in Little Rock

MSNBC reports on another gathering storm: The Democrats and the 2006 election: "Democrats declare open season on Bush / In wake of Hurricane Katrina, a political tornado gains strength."

by Last Night in Little Rock

The lunatic fringe of all religions have stated that New Orleans is being punished for being "sin city"--Christians, the Christian Taliban, and Muslims alike. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell thankfully shut up. Remember their idiocies after 9/11, as recounted here?

by Last Night in Little Rock

An indictment against the political action committee formed Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX,22) was released today in Austin, TX. No individuals were charged with any wrongdoing, including Rep. DeLay.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Always a source of entertainment these days is a press briefing by Presidential Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Somebody at the White House dutifully transcribes these jewels for us. (The DoD website has proved to be fodder for Rumsfeldisms, which produced a good book and as shown here.)

Today's is no exception. Today's is priceless. It reminds me of the Cold War era films shown in school of what to do in a nuculer attack: "Duck and cover."

This is just too good. McClellan invokes the "blame game" defense and gets it shoved down his throat. Just about a fourth of it appears below, but the rest is on the link above.

by Last Night in Little Rock

The NY Times tomorrow has an article about the chaos in the legal system in NOLA, an issue that has been flying around the NACDL list serv since the storm. Criminal defense lawyers have been hearing these horror stories for over a week.

It compares the problems in NOLA today to the chaos after the Chicago Fire of 1871.

Yesterday, I wrote about the Administration's decision not to let the media have access to Hurricane Katrina photos of the dead. Vincent Carroll of the Rocky Mountain News took a swipe at TalkLeft for criticizing the decision.

Critics of the Federal Emergency Management Agency are shellacking it again for barring journalists from taking pictures of Hurricane Katrina's victims as bodies are pulled from receding waters.
"This is reminiscent of the policy against photographs of the flag-draped coffins of dead soldiers," declared the Denver-based TalkLeft blog in a typical complaint. "Anything that puts the government in a bad light becomes taboo."