A reader sent us this tip, pointing us to this story -- to the paragraph at the end:CNN has obtained a restraining order to prevent emergency officials in the Hurricane Katrina disaster zone from keeping the media from covering the recovery of bodies. CNN filed suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Houston. A hearing has been scheduled for Saturday morning.This is hard one to … [Read more...] about CNN Battles The Government On Storm Body Recovery (GOVERNMENT DROPS LEGAL OPPOSITION)

After listed the 11 GOP Representatives who voted against Katrina aid, some folks asked if these Representatives might just be acting on a consistent and principled opposition to frivilous spending (check the comments). I examine the claim, and for 9 of the 11, it just doesn't fly. … [Read more...] about Like a Baby Penguin…

NOTE TO READERS: This was originally posted yesterday but due to the timeliness of this post and the long roundup we're reposting it to today's blog. The other shoe --or rather, the FEMA director — has dropped in the controversy over the federal government's performance in the Hurricane Katrina Disaster: Michael Brown is out as FEMA chief...at least when it comes to … [Read more...] about Brown Is Relieved Of His Hurricane Relief Post

I rarely quote him, and I find much of his work quite objectionable, but Charles Krauthammer has a must-read column in today's Washington Post. I won't give it away, but he ranks the blameworthy according to culpability, and, as far as I'm concerned, he's right on the mark. Sort of. Almost. Well... not. For some additional commentary, see my latest post at The Reaction. In my … [Read more...] about Where to lay the blame? Krauthammer on Katrina

This story seems to have been lost amid all the Katrina coverage, including today's "firing" of FEMA Director Michael Brown, but there's interesting news coming out of the Ukraine, the site of last year's bloodless Orange Revolution. President Viktor Yushchenko -- who won a repeat election against his rival, Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, last December after … [Read more...] about The Orange Revolution revisited: Crisis in the Ukraine

Stephen Green aka Vodka Pundit's MUST READ here. … [Read more...] about On Stem Cell Reseach

We're posting this due to some of the comments we've received in our comments sections and particularly emails ("How can you call yourself a moderate?...You should be saying 'Good job' to President Bush....The problem is with the local and state officials and the Democrats and liberals are all trying to blame the President..." etc) from staunch partisans who don't agree with … [Read more...] about Joe Scarborough Demands Answers Of George Bush

The Christian Science Monitor has a great piece that echoes analyses done by yours truly here and by our perceptive co-blogger Michael Stickings here. The gist of it: Hurricane Katrina has sparked a political polarization that isn't helpful to anyone. Here's part of what the Monitor (TMV's old journalistic alma mater) writes:In reality, hurricane Katrina has become an … [Read more...] about Christian Science Monitor: Katrina Polarization Harmful To Both Sides

TMV is now in Connecticut and writing this from a snail-paced dial up connection. Since it's almost impossible to post, he'll be doing his posts after 7 or 8 a.m. EST today when he can get to a high speed connection or a nearby Starbucks. But keep checking back often today -- since our always independent minded co-bloggers will likely have a few things to say as well. … [Read more...] about We’re Having Logistical Problems…But…..

Reader William Drury (an airline pilot) gives us this link and tip: This link will pull up a map of New Orleans. Click on any spot on the map and it will tell you the highest level of flood water at that location. Of interest is the corner of Robert E. Lee Blvd and Canal Blvd. The SE corner at water as high as 10 ft. The NW corner in almost 0 ft.As the say in real estate; … [Read more...] about A Webguide To New Orleans Floodwaters

I'm going back to the lovely Carleton College this Saturday. Since it's been awhile since I left, I'm going have to think extra hard to avoid any of those infamous faux pas that plague college students. So, note to self: Don't invite my female Professors to keggers. … [Read more...] about Restarting School

Don't you just love American politics? Katrina may have killed over 10,000 people, a major city has been almost completely evacuated, and much of the Gulf Coast lies flattened or in ruins, but both parties in Washington are jockeying to benefit from the partisan blame game: As a day of dueling speeches and news conferences made clear yesterday, the two parties will battle … [Read more...] about Spinning tragedy: Hurricane Katrina and the shamelessness of politics

Oliver Willis has the list of the 11 GOP representatives who are a bit too keen on the drowning part. All 11 voted against sending an aid package to Katrina victims: Rep. Joe Barton - TX Jeff Flake - AZ Virginia Foxx - NC Scott Garrett - NJ John Hostettler - IN Steve King - IA Butch Otter - ID Ron Paul - TX James Sensenbrenner - WI Tom Tancredo - CO Lynn Westmoreland … [Read more...] about Remember That Norquist Quote About Shrinking the Federal Government Until It Can Be Drowned in a Bathtub?

Whatever you think of Roberts — and I, personally, have warmed to him over time, whatever my seemingly unbridgeable differences with his conservative politics and anti-judiciary biases — there's absolutely no need to turn his confirmation battle into a slur campaign. Yet that is precisely what the irrepressibly left-wing MoveOn.org is set to do, and in a … [Read more...] about The anti-Roberts campaign: Desperate measures on the left

Why are the poor poor, and are we justified in doing anything about it? How do liberals and conservatives view the question, and what are the limitations? Moving beyond the dualism of bad luck and lack of pluck (guess what category three is?), I explore the question at The Debate Link. Armchair Capitalists (a highly underrated blog) and Angry Bear get credit for provoking the … [Read more...] about Luck, Pluck, or Just Plain…

...until I had an epiphany today: No one is allowed to question the masks. … [Read more...] about I did not understand…

There is a slew of new polling available this morning, none of which shows an American public particularly happy with the actions of the Bush administration. To begin with, the latest survey from Zogby finds: President Bush’s job approval rating took a hit in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, dropping to a historic low of 41%, a new Zogby America poll reveals. The same survey … [Read more...] about Bush Approval Still Stuck in the Low 40s

Let's face it: Hurricane Katrina now seems to be the quintessential 21st century disaster. A brutal hurricane whose victims are given for relief...$2,000 debit cards. So much political finger pointing that the saying "it's not polite to point" is now absolutely passe (why should the kiddies not point when all the supposed adults are doing it?). A debate over whether banning … [Read more...] about Katrina: Debit Cards, Death Photos And Political Polarization

On Tuesday, co-blogger David Schraub posted on Alan Dershowitz's scathing indictment of William Rehnquist, just days after the chief justice's death from thyroid cancer. (I'd call it a eulogy, but then it must be considered one of the nastiest of all time.) I've got my own take on Dershowitz's remarks -- click here. However much I may agree (or disagree) with Dershowitz's … [Read more...] about Judging Rehnquist, Part II

Yesterday, Joe posted on the incredible -- and, if true, truly scary -- exchange between President Bush and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Here's some commentary which I wrote a short time ago at The Reaction (where I've got more Katrina coverage, and some great photos, to complement all of our posts here at TMV): It's hard to know what to believe sometimes, but is it so … [Read more...] about Bush to Pelosi: “What didn’t go right?”