From the Dailykos diary of BarbinMD

With Hurricane Gustav bearing down on the Gulf Coast, John McCain is playing President Wannabe in Mississippi today, showing just how darned concerned and presidential he is. Which makes this a good time to remind people of what he was doing three years ago when Hurricane Katrina was devastating the Gulf Coast. Of course no one can forget that on the day that New Orleans was drowning, John McCain was busy having cake with George Bush, but what was his reaction a week later, as the scope of the humanitarian disaster was still playing out day after day, as a horrified nation looked on and as an incompetent administration sat on its hands?

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has occasionally been a thorn in the side of the White House. However, he warns against “premature judgments” about the government’s response, noting that “we were all surprised” by Katrina’s scope, ferocity and damage. McCain does not provide any specifics, but he signals a willingness to follow Bush’s lead on investigating any shortcomings. “Just as the president said this morning, we need to find out what we did right and what we did wrong. I agree with him.”

No, we were not “all surprised” by Katrina. In fact, three years ago, while McCain’s birthday cake was baking, Darksyde wrote:

Urgent Warning Thread: Hurricane Katrina Strength Unprecedented

Anyone who was paying attention to the news instead of planning their birthday party knew what Katrina was. And in the days that followed, as we watched bodies floating in the streets of a major American city and saw thousands of stranded, starving Americans waiting for help, John McCain was willing to wait and to follow George Bush’s lead. Just as he is following George Bush’s lead today with his politically motivated photo-op visit to Mississippi, and just as he has followed George Bush’s lead for the past eight years. And we’re still waiting for that investigation

Update: This video says it all

Randy Newman
“Louisiana 1927″

You are on our minds Chicher…….

Criminal, indeed. So many lives in the balance.

Those are the words St. Bernard parish president Craig Taffaro used to watch videotape Eyewitness News showed him, of floodwalls built to protect his parish.
“That should be criminal,” Taffaro continues.

What he’s talking about was witnessed by a St. Bernard Parish resident who didn’t want to be identified, but did have sharp criticism of the work done by a contractor hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on the hole of a gas tank of an airplane,” the resident said.

Instead of an airplane, it’s a floodwall, and instead of a Band-Aid, the witness says two years ago, he saw the contractor filling the expansion joint or opening between the floodwalls with newspaper.

“The whole length of the wall was stuffed with newspaper.”

And when he confronted the contractor, the contractor blamed Washington for the substandard work.

“He basically told me when Congress sent down the money, it would be repaired the proper way.”

More here H/T Bat!

Cindy McCain on Palin’s experience: She’s a Mom and she lives near Russia. OMFG….. I think Cindy has been raiding the medicine chest again!!
You just can’t make this shit up……. I’d say they should take this show on the road, but they already have!! And where’s Grampa Lascivious…… in Mississippi using the hurricane as a political prop. These people are too much.

From the Borowitz Report:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) used the announcement of his vice-presidential pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, to blast the experience of his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill), arguing that Sen. Obama has never been the mayor of a 5,000-person town.

“The Presidency of the United States of America is the toughest job on the planet,” Sen. McCain said. “And my friends, the best testing ground for that job is being the mayor of a 5,000-person town in Alaska.”

Sen. McCain unleashed a savage attack on Sen. Obama, claiming that his Democratic opponent would be “at a loss” when faced with the challenges of running a 5000-person municipality in Alaska.

“Let’s say a constituent calls you and says that a caribou has wandered onto his front lawn,” he said. “My friends, Barack Obama wouldn’t know what to do.”

He used the hypothetical situation to draw a sharp contrast with his vice-presidential choice: “Sarah Palin would take out her gun and shoot the caribou.”

Mr. McCain said that an understanding of foreign affairs, Congress, and other issues that a president has to deal with is “overrated,” adding, “That’s what ‘Presidency for Dummies’ is for.”

While saying that her “vast experience” was the main reason he selected Gov. Palin, Sen. McCain said that she also had the other three qualifications he was looking for in a vice president: “She is pro-life, pro-drilling, and willing to housesit.”

I really don’t know how to feel about this one. The officer did suffer minor injury, so obviously Banger rammed him pretty hard… But, then again, Banger’s very life hung in the balance.

If one of the points of punishment is to dissuade that type of behavior, I don’t think this really qualifies. How often are you being robbed, and a police officer is within sight?

I think they should leave Mr. Banger alone here.

NC motorist avoids being robbed by hitting police

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A Winston-Salem man was nearly robbed before he got the attention of a police officer — by ramming his car.

The incident happened about 4 p.m. Thursday when 34-year-old Melvin Banger agreed to give two men a ride. Police told the Winston-Salem Journal one man put a gun to Banger’s head and demanded money.

When Banger saw a police cruiser at an intersection, he ran the red light and hit the cruiser. Authorities said his passengers got out and ran.

Officer J.C. Smith suffered minor injuries, and Banger wasn’t hurt.

Police Lt. David Perry said Friday the district attorney will determine if Banger faces charges. A police spokesman said Friday that neither passenger has been found.

With the coming Gustav storm about to hit the gulf coast, people from the area were ordered to leave. Neighboring states have offered shelter for these poor souls:

Gulf Coast residents fleeing Hurricane Gustav began arriving across the state Saturday.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported that as of 6 a.m. Sunday, 2,255 evacuees have checked in at Air National Guard bases across Tennessee.

Of those 2,255, 1,404 checked in at Memphis, 577 in Nashville and 274 in Knoxville.

But not everyone is awaiting the evacuees with open arms. A commenter of WBIR.com had this to say:

CharterVol wrote: Put them on a next plane out. They are not wanted here.

Is this that great volunteer spirit I keep hearing about, but not ever seeing?

UPDATE: The offending comment has been taken down. (Screen grab)

As Chicher pointed out in the comments, the failure of the levees after Hurricane Katrina was just that…..a man made disaster. Hurricane Katrina did not do the damage to New Orleans, but the failure of the levees did. There’s not much talk on the MSM about the possibility of the levees failing again. But, as Chicher says, it is very much a possibility. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen. Let’s hope for all the victims of Hurricane Katrina who have been rebuilding their lives for the last 3 years.

From ABC7

Eleven and a half million gulf coast residents live in the path of Gustav. One of the biggest concerns Friday night is a repeat of the levee breaks in New Orleans. Those concerns are being raised by two University of California engineers who analyzed the failures caused by Katrina.
Levee repairs have been underway ever since Katrina struck three years ago. A leading U.C. civil engineer is warning the job isn’t done and flooding could occur again.

McCain’s wandering eyes…….
This is toooooooooo funny. Check out McCain checking out Palin and playing with his wedding band as he does. Check out Cindy McCain checking out John McCain as he’s checking out Palin. Gotta love the Jed Report!!

This is one big bad storm. And the water in the Gulf of Mexico is in the high 80’s. I’m happy to hear most people in New Orleans are evacuating this time around. It seems they have things much more organized this time around, although Chicher said he heard there are no more buses. And on the local channels here, there’s no telling where Hurricane Hannah is going. They just don’t know for sure yet what track she’ll take. I read on C&L that Blackwater is ready to move into action for Hurricane Gustav. Anywho….my thoughts and prayers are with you Gulf Coasters. Stay safe.

Here’s an article on the bus situation from Chicher, our man on the ground. LOL

So it’s confirmed. We now know why Lieberman has been away from the camera, and spending so much time in the cloak room with a crying towel. I’d be upset too. That bitch, McCain! Poor Lieberman. Sold his soul (and most of America) out for this second shot at the grand prize… only to have the rug pulled out from under him. Too delicious!

The constant fight we endure to keep the church from undermining and destroying our country is a constant struggle. Watching it completely take over and strangling the republican party is hilarious. If you weren’t sure before, now you know who pulls the strings on the right.

Also, I thing they got the title of the following article all wrong. It should read “Christian” instead of Conservative.

Advisers Say Conservative Ire Pushed McCain Away From Picking Lieberman

WASHINGTON — In the end, the choice of his running mate said more about Senator John McCain and his image of himself than it did about Sarah Palin, the little-known governor of Alaska whose selection has shaken up the presidential race.

For weeks, advisers close to the campaign said, Mr. McCain had wanted to name as his running mate his good friend Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, the Democrat turned independent. But by the end of last weekend, the outrage from Christian conservatives over the possibility that Mr. McCain would fill out the Republican ticket with Mr. Lieberman, a supporter of abortion rights, had become too intense to be ignored.

With time running out, and after a long meeting with his inner circle in Phoenix, Mr. McCain finally picked up the phone last Sunday and reached Ms. Palin at the Alaska State Fair. Although the campaign’s polling on Mr. McCain’s potential running mates was inconclusive on the selection of Ms. Palin — virtually no one had heard of her, a McCain adviser said — the governor, who opposes abortion, had glowing reviews from influential social conservatives.

It’s been reported that Bush won’t be at the convention due to HurricaneGustav. I’m sure that breaks the Republican’s hearts since they would like to keep him and McCain far apart.

A guide for your pre-RNC Convention Sunday morning talking heads - all shows broadcast from St. Paul:

ABC - This Week (George Stephanopoulos): with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Kerry (D-MA).

CBS - Face the Nation (Bob Schieffer): with Rudy Giuliani, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and McCain Chair Carly Fiorina.

CNN - Late Edition (Wolf Blitzer): with Senators Bob Cassey (D-PA) and Jack Reed (D-RI) and Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ).

Fox - News Sunday (Chris Wallace): with John McCain and RNC Convention Director Mike Miller.

NBC - Meet the Press (Tom Brokaw): with Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN).

In the evening, 60 Minutes will feature an interview with Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner for Best Documentary, Trouble the Water, is currently in limited release. Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband Scott, residents of New Orleans’ lower 9th Ward, were there when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Kimberly got a video camera shortly before, and she documented what happened to them. I just saw the film, and it’s powerful stuff. Here’s the trailer:
Read more »

James Brown
“Living in America”

What are people saying about Sarah Palin, John McCain’s pick for VP? Read on…

In Alask:

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (EDITORIAL): She has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison; how will Republicans reconcile the criticism of Obama with the obligatory cheering for Palin?…Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation’s when he created the possibility that she might fill it. It’s clear that McCain picked Palin for reasons of image, not substance.

LINK

Anchorage Daily News: “She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? said [State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla]. “Look at what she’s done to this state. What would she do to the nation?”

LINK

Read more »