And since things can get more complicated

William Rehnquist died overnight.

Why, why, why? (Corrected)

Many of you have seen it since I tried and failed to post it yesterday but here it is again: DailyKos has a list of offers of aid which were refused (see Chicago) or delayed (see various foreign countries whose offers had to wait for Condi to finish theater-going and shoe-shopping before being deemed worthy of consideration). Thanks cleolinda for the heads-up. Also, who posted the narrative by one of the members of the Neville family?

Tobias Buckell has info on sending books to the Astrodome.

purebloodgryff has a narrative from on the ground and E&P also has a personal account from a volunteer who went to help at the Astrodome. They also have a call from the editors of NO's Times-Picayune for the resignation of Michael Brown (Dir-FEMA (Incompetent)). Andrew Sullivan concurs.

He, of all people should have the power to bring the USS Bataan into the fight against the spectre of death that is assaulting those left in New Orleans. They can make water. They have speedboats and zodiacs. My God, we here in South Florida know that if the streets are flooded, you can get around and get out on jetskis and zodiacs. I guess Michael Brown, who gets his news from newspapers (why is there any ranking official in government at this point bereft of a blackberry?) doesn't know that.

How does he not know this? Jeb Bush knows - why isn't he advising his brother to utilize all reasonable methods of accomplishing the goal of getting everyone out?

For a good syndication-feed of updates here on lj, friend dailykos.

Two fundraising reminders:
TheHungerSite is donating to help the displaced each time someone clicks their button.

And I am already set to donate almost $200 to the Red Cross per my pledge to donate for each entry edited or created. I'll be donating via my husband's firm, who will match all contributions up to the first thousand dollars, so the Red Cross will now be getting at least four hundred dollars, and I'll be continuing the pledge for the rest of the week.

(no subject)

wonkette will break your heart with her transcript of the interview with Jefferson Parrish president Aaron Broussard.

Have a tissue handy.

I know my conlaw. I know the president can't be sued for decisions he makes, or doesn't make, in "doing" "his job" - same for lower-level officials. And we don't have a parliament so we can't do a vote of no confidence. And he's never going to ask for resignations from the schmucks "running" FEMA and Homeland Security. But criminal charges may be appropriate - negligent homicide certainly at a minimum covers the deaths of anyone who died because the head of FEMA didn't bother to read wire reports out of Louisiana last Monday. That's his damned job; why didn't he do it?