Thanks for the links, Lindsay.

What do you expect from this administration. “Brownie heck of a job” Same old same old. When you gut government services you put people’s lives at risk and this administration has done a great job of screwing up everything! Remember when FEMA always came to the rescue??? Thank you George W Bush and Dick(head) Cheney!!

It’s sadly typical. They love to plan elaborate “security” schemes to keep the media out. Plans to rescue the people who need help? Not so much.

That’s 51 fundamentals in Republic speak.

Thanks Lesley, I appreciate your posts very much.

Ironic that civilians need to use satellite images to get news about their fellow neighbors. weird.

what about damage to off-shore oil rigs? I’ve heard nothing, one way or the other, s to whether there was damage, or spillage, from them.

What do you expect when people refuse to leave. This isn’t New Orleans.

Mostly missed

That’s because with BushCo and the Rs (a seriously bad band), it’s ALL and ONLY about the image.

By their definitions, if it appears they are doing something, then de facto they ARE doing somethings. Even if no one actually receives any benefit from their actions.

There has to be more people reported missing.

hmmm – kind of good news/bad news, isn’t it?

I’ve seen the results of oil-spills, and it’s atrocious. But had one occurred, it sure would have served as a powerful counter-argument to “Drill Baby Drill”.

Amazing. They’re treating disaster response just the way they manage Iraq. If you seriously suck at what you’re doing, make sure there are no witnesses. Nobody died if nobody reported it. I fucking hate republicans.

BT has Biden whacking R’s upstairs.

Not to worry: Chertoff is showing up. Isn’t that comforting. Heckava job, here.

Striking is the new beach line and the width of the gulf beach. Clearly the first two rows of houses were removed. Another longer video I saw showed massive destruction. If fewer than 100 fatalities, then those who stayed were very lucky.

You’d think that FEMA could do better on Bush’s home turf, but this is that administration. Of course, the best government is no government (isn’t that their mantra?).

I feel for the folks there, nasty climate to be without AC….

DHS wasted $15 billion on 11 failed contracts.

Chertoff is Skeletor. He looks like the Crypt-Keeper. Doessn’t he instill Faith and Honesty?

KTRK gets Rick Perry to admit he’s just a puppet.

Like defining “success” in Baghdad, Mr. Bush has decided (since Mr. Cheney doesn’t do touchy-feeling things like manage the federal response to national disasters, even when asked by his boss to do so) to declare victory and quit the field.

That Bushie needs to keep photographers and our weak-tea press away from the hurricane’s wreckage, as if it were coffins returning from Iraq, is a strong indicator that the wreckage, death toll and task of recovery are far greater than the reality admitted into Bush’s Bubble.

Why isn’t such an unprecedented ban a bigger story? Why does the press accept it without 24/7 whining, complaining and banging at the WH doors? Where are the interviews of DHS personnel, Cheney, Bush? Where are we?

jennikwade’s photostream rocks. Lots of good quality aerials of the Hurricane’s impact.

So what’s the real difference between the way the Bush Regime is handling the public’s right to know about Ike and the way Burma handled things last year? Bush and Cheney have turned the U.S. into a banana republic, complete with corrupt militaristic morons in charge of every department.

With the melt down in our financial markets and government takeover and bailouts (insurance companies included) and following too close on the Bush Administrations failure with Katrina and 50 days to go before the election the need to control information that would have a negative impact on the Republican’s campaigns seems to be a good reason to keep the press away.

The press needs to do its job.

Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It’s the 1st Amendment for a reason.

This was commented over at EW’s this morning, it is chilling if not horrific. Although it is hearsay, it speaks as to why no news is being allowed from the area, if it is true.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake……ment-99916

Thanks for the update Lindsay. Not so sure there is a nefarious, or particularly new thing here, though. If they are still doing rescue or recovering bodies, they do restrict areas in which they are working. I don’t know if they always have done it, I do remember they did it during Hurricane Opal (late 1990s).

Some of you folks might not understand the we have (Americans)censorship program that awes the old Russian KGB. I’m an information expert. Yes, I have two degrees. I’ve long noted the absence of certain types information long after events. Whenever the press are not allowed to go where they want, we have censorship. It’s been going on for a while and it’s getting worse. This is why I advocate taking control of government with sometime forceful means because some elected officials are getting out of control.