CSPAN2

Senator Schumer is discussing Reid's plan (I posted that earlier) and explaining the necessity of it. His speech is pretty good. I cannot wait for the Republican speaker to get up and explain why helping all the people on the gulf coast would be a bad idea.

ooh! Sen Dorgan is speaking now. I think if I the Senate was a fandom, I'd be all fangirly over him. He just related the story of when Grand Forks was flooded and the entire city was evacuated. Clinton flew in immediately on AF1 and told them all, "You are not alone." A nice segue into his speech.

ETA: Wow, he's targetting the oil companies. He'll be introducing a bill tomorrow for "windfall profits rebates." Good for him.

I have reached my outrage limit

This has seriously blown my mind. Via Talking Points and Dailykos.

From the Salt Lake Tribune.

1000 firefighters from all over the nation volunteered to go to the Gulf Coast. Once they arrived in Atlanta, they were told by FEMA they would be community relations specialists and received a day's training in community relations and sexual harrassment. This is absolutely ridiculous enough--NOLA, for example, is alternately flooding and burning. Anybody watch CNN today? The Situation Room was all about the fires they couldn't fight due to lack of men and no power to pump the water.

So, pretty ridiculous. But that's not the end of it. Are you sitting for this?

But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.

There's a fucking picture too.



You know, I'm sure I have things to say, but I like what Markos said, so I'm just going to quote him.

Bush's use of firefighters as human props doesn't win the "most fucked up" prize because it was the most costly for the nation -- the Iraq War wins hands down. It doesn't win because it caused the most deaths, or damaged the reputation of the U.S. the most, or harmed national security by outing undercover CIA agents. In the greater scheme of things, this may seem as small fry compared to the long stream of serious failures in this White House.

It's the most fucked up because it is easily the most crassly political act ever taken by this administration. Bush is so thoroughly a PR vessel that he can't even tour a disaster zone without his human backdrop. He's been a PR marionette for so long -- clear brush for the cameras! -- that he's become thoroughly incapable of keeping it real. God forbid he try to connect with people, get a better understanding of their efforts to cope with real disaster. That's not worth his time. Nope, it's got to be turned into a frickin' Bush campaign commercial. Everything is political. Everything.