Timeline to Hell

Think Progress offers an instructive timeline on the Katrina disaster and the responses of FEMA and BushCo.

Left, Bush takes time for a photo-op with Sen. McCain and his birthday cake near Phoenix on the morning New Orleans Mayor Nagin reports water is flowing over the levees in New Orleans. That same morning, Bush spoke with Homeland Security director Michael Chernoff about immigration and gave a speech on Medicare.

When you're finished with that, you can consider the sobering account of the Bush record by the numbers recently compiled by the Democratic Policy Committee on everything from the Iraq War to Homeland Security to Veterans.

Another good piece to contemplate is provided by Reasononline in "The Deadly Bigotry of Low Expectations? Did the rumor mill help kill Katrina victims?" Remember those shots at the helicopter that kept relief from hospital workers and patients? According to the FAA, it didn't happen. Remember those rapes in the Superdome? According to New Orleans Police superintendent Edwin Compass, there were none. Remember when journalists sought documentation and confirmation about rumors before printing or airing them? Not in today's media circus.

Local blog NM Politics: Cutting Through the Clutter has an intriguing item about Rep. Heather Wilson's husband getting a $100,000 contract with FEMA. He's "an attorney who works on personal injury suits on behalf of insurance companies." Wow.

Finally, an article in the New Mexican focuses on Sen. Domenici's role in the budget cutting for New Orleans flood control measures, as well as statements from Senator Bingaman and Rep. Udall on Katrina and its aftermath.