by TChris

Having demonstrated his complete incompetence at yet another job -- this one a bit more important than heading the International Arabian Horse Assocation -- Mike Brown will go home and treat himself to a margarita.

"I'm going to go home and walk my dog and hug my wife and, maybe get a good Mexican meal and a stiff margarita and a full night's sleep. And then I'm going to go right back to FEMA and continue to do all I can to help these victims," Brown said.

Poor Brown can't get a good margarita in New Orleans. Brown denies that he's being demoted. The denial seems true; he's being hidden instead.

Brown, lambasted for the government's sluggish response to the hurricane, said he would remain as FEMA's head, directing the agency's nationwide operations out of Washington.

Since 9/11, the president has wanted us all to be afraid of terrorists. In reality, we should have been afraid of Mike Brown.

by Last Night in Little Rock

CNN Breaking News e-mail just sent this alert: "FEMA director Michael Brown being sent back to Washington; Homeland Security Director Chertoff to announce new leader for on-the-ground Katrina relief efforts, senior administration official tells CNN."

Update: It is now posted on CNN.com. CNN itself says he's history: "He wasn't the right guy for the job." Bob Franken reports he's not out; just moved back to Washington. Congress wants his head. The White House wants him to prepare for other disasters. (Typical!) Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen takes over.

Another update: MSNBC is reporting with video that he is out. The NY Times take on it.

"Brownie, you're doin' a heck of a job."

And so it goes.

by Last Night in Little Rock

Arkansas' population grew 3% last week.

Today, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued an order permitting displaced lawyers from Katrina to practice in Arkansas as reported in a blurb from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Update: The order is now yet on the Arkansas Supreme Court's website.

posted by Last Night in Little Rock

Below are the lyrics to "Sweet Neo Con" by Mick Jagger on the just released "Bigger Bang" CD and previously referred to here:

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?