From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Six Years Later, Katrina Hall of Shame Still Stinks
Six years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit, it quickly became obvious that the Republican leadership, punditry, and religious cuckoos were going to behave very badly. While others were documenting the horrifying images that remain just as wince-worthy to this day, I decided to collect their words. Then I lined 'em up, put a virtual roof over them, and opened up the Hurricane Katrina Hall of Shame:
It's a collection of lies, callousness, stupidity, opportunism and spin---some of it jaw-droppingly bad---courtesy of Bush administration officials, cronies, Senators, Congressmembers and pundits over a period of three weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit.
It's one of my rare contributions to the history books that I think deserves to be aired out once a year, and if you're in a wincing mood, you'll find the complete list here.
There was plenty of criticism leveled at Democrats for how the BP disaster was handled in the Gulf of Mexico last year. But one thing you cannot accuse our side of is engaging in the kind of selfish, mean-spirited, thoughtless rhetoric of the kind conservatives engaged in during the aftermath of Katrina (and even, to a lesser extent, Irene). They just couldn't help themselves, and six years later they're still doing it on virtually any subject you care to name---right down to the top GOP presidential candidate openly wondering if the current occupant of the White House loves America sufficiently.
This year, with Irene having just scratched and clawed its way up the east coast, I want to dedicate a few of my Hall of Shame gems to House Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who insists we can't fund any damage-control efforts until we hack and slash equal amounts from elsewhere (excluding our military's guns and freedom bombs, of course). Here are a few instances of supreme sacrifice on the part of Republicans following Katrina's assault on the South:
"My earmarks are pretty important to that region."
---Republican Rep. Tom DeLay, saying he wouldn’t give up any pork earmarked for his district in order to help cleanup efforts in hurricane-stricken areas (9/21/05)
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"Kiss my ear! That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard!"
---Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), when asked if he’d return $223 million earmarked for the "bridge to nowhere." (9/19/05)
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"I saw [Republican Senator from Iowa] Chuck Grassley on CNBC looking like he swallowed a giant slug when the host gingerly asked him about his indoor rainforest."
--Atrios, on the refusal by Republicans to cancel some of their pork barrel projects in order to help pay for hurricane clean-up (9/21/05)
But the soul of the tea party---known back in '05 simply as "The Republican Base" before that label became toxic---may have out-ass'ed them all:
"Given the abysmal failure of state and local officials in Louisiana to plan adequately for or respond to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans, and given the long history of public corruption in Louisiana, I hope the House will refrain from directly appropriating any funds…to either the state of Louisiana or the city of New Orleans."
--Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado (9/7/05)
And, what the hell, since Dick Cheney is out with his new book, here's a memorable moment from the spring of 2006, when he went to survey the damage and got a taste of his own medicine from ER Dr. Ben Marble: "Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney!" Oh, such language. Tut tut.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Note: The Netroots Nation Fall Online Auction starts next month, and if you have some items you can part with (products or services), well, the more the merrier. Write up a brief description of your item(s), with photos if possible, and click here to send it along. Proceeds go toward helping offset the costs of the 2012 Netroots Nation convention in Providence next June 7-10. C&J has some cool stuff we'll be donating. Please note that if you win Barbie's Dream Unmanned Drone, you're responsible for both batteries (2,046 AAs) and ammunition.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til autumn: 24
Days `til the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown: 14
Year baby boomers started turning 65: 2011
Number of children currently living in homes where grandparents are identified as the head of household, a 6.3% increase from 2000: 5.8 million
Portion of American adults who are grandparents: 1-in-4
(Source: Census Bureau figures)
Texas's unemployment rate in, respectively, 2000 (when Rick Perry became governor) and 2011: 4.4%, 8.4%
Rank of Texas's unemployment rate among all 50 states: 27th
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Tuesday Words of Wisdom from the Right-wing Blogosphere:
DailyKos and similar lefty sites fly in the same circles as the carrion nesting at internet venues of the right like weasel zippers, only traveling in opposite directions. Eventually they will incinerate as their self-righteous arrogance carries them too close to the sun, or perhaps they will collide, entangling their wings, and crash to earth in a gruesome pile of beaks and feathers.
---"Jer" at Newsbusters
All together now: 1…2…3… Classy!
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Ooh Darla la!
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CHEERS to another week crashing at Obama's pad. After getting a bit sidelined late last week by Irene, the Keystone XL tar-sands oil Pipeline protestors are back in action this week. Another week, another sit-in. Yesterday Phil Radford of Greenpeace checked in with an update at the Greatest Orange Blog in the World:
For many Americans, Obama's promise to begin to move the United States away from its growing dependence on fossil fuels and address global warming was foremost among his promise of change. For many more, it was Obama's assurance that his Presidency would change a political system dominated by lobbyists and their narrow interests, instead of the public interest. President Obama's commitment on both of these promises---to the volunteers who knocked on doors, the young voters who elected him, and the country he leads---will be tested by his decision on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. … We'll see you at the White House.
So you don't get confused by who's who, follow this handy guide: the protestors will be the ones outside the gate getting arrested, and the lobbyists will be the ones inside the gate getting their scotch and soda topped off.
CHEERS and JEERS to the day after the day after. Yesterday when we woke up the skies over Portland were a dazzling blue---not a cloud to be seen and the gentlest of breezes. I actually felt like saying, "Golly, Beav, it was just a crazy ol' dream!" Then we saw all the debris in our driveway…and the apocalyptic pics in the paper…and the footage from the morning news shows and the internet. I don't care what anyone says, that fucker was scary as hell and the media didn't overhype anything. (Here, have a souvenir photo, courtesy of NASA, for your scrapbook.) And while many areas didn't experience their worst-case scenarios, many did. The biggest shocker from the tropical storm was Vermont's worst flooding in 83 years. (That's something you typically don’t see in the same sentence: "Vermont" and "Tropical Storm.") How horrible watching a covered bridge just fold up like a suitcase and get carried away by the deluge in a matter of seconds. 40 people dead from Irene so far, and the overall cost of cleaning up will likely top $10 billion (stick a crowbar in your wallet, Congress...we're not in the mood to be dicked around with). That doesn’t even include Canada, which also got slammed. Memo to Santa: check those flashlight batteries!
CHEERS to "One ringy dingy...Two ringy dingy..." On August 30, 1963, a hotline was set up between Moscow and D.C. for the purpose of keeping the superpowers in constant contact during emergencies. I wonder if that Khrushchev aide is still running around Red Square looking for Amanda Hugginkiss.
CHEERS to jumping another hurdle. You all remember California's Proposition 8 ballot measure, right? It's the one whereby people voted to overturn the state's gay marriage law in 2008, but last summer a judge ruled it unconstitutional. That decision is on hold pending appeal, but there's a second battle going on, too: whether or not the actual video transcripts of the Prop. 8 trial should be released. Basically, the right-wingers want to keep them under wraps so that the public won’t see how badly they got shellacked in front of Judge Vaughn Walker's bench. Arguments for and against releasing the video were, um, argued yesterday. Adam Bink, Rick Jacobs and Ana Beatriz Cholo of the Courage Campaign had their Prop. 8 Trial Tracker revved up, and provided running commentary. The money quote:
Chad Griffin from AFER [American Foundation for Equal Rights] asks the key question, “What do they have to hide?”
When you're in your last throes of successful bigotry and fearmongering, as the right-wingers are these days? Everything.
JEERS to a waste of perfectly good paper and/or Kindle space. It's my understanding that a former Republican vice president is releasing a bamboozle-all book today. And y'know what? This is one of those days when I'm thankful that there are some things in this world that I don’t have to give a shit about. We now return you to our regularly scheduled Jedi kittens.
CHEERS to arms control...the early years. On August 30, 1146, European leaders outlawed the crossbow with the hope of ending wars. Everything went swell for 161 years until 1307, when William Tell's second shot pissed everyone off and led to the nuclear arms race. Smooth move, man. Thanks a lot.
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Five years ago in C&J: August 30, 2006
JEERS to the ever-shifting word of God. The Archbishop of Canterburiedhead has reversed course and now says the Church of England will not accept gay people unless they change their behavior: "I don't believe inclusion is a value in itself. ... We don't say `Come in and we ask no questions.'" Coming soon to a New Testament near you: a 10-page questionnaire called the Book of Screw You. (No cheating on the essay questions, kids---"He's" watching.)
CHEERS to the diminishing power of the shrill. Brit Hume's jowls aren't the only things that are sagging at FOX News. The network's ratings are taking a dive, too. That's what happens when your core audience literally dies of old age.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to penance in your pants. Bible theft has become a problem for the friars at a Franciscan monastery in Florence, Italy. And although there's a commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill," there's nothing that says you can't say this: "We pray to God that the thief is struck by a strong bout of the shits." I'm shocked...SHOCKED:
"It is not exactly clean language," one friar admitted, "but we couldn't put up with it any longer. The Lord and the faithful will understand."
To ensure their prayer would be effective, they spent some time observing and learning from a large group of assholes who never stop running. And the congressional Republicans were more than happy to oblige.
Enjoy your Tuesday. Here…restore your faith in humanity with a Copenhagen flash mob. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
“Bill in Portland Maine has been allowing users to cheer and jeer. Such actions have endangered national cultural safety.”
---Chinese Minister of Culture
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