Katrina Coverage

Shortly after noon on Wednesday, Aug 31, Karl Rove used Senator David Vitter to convey a message to governor Kathleen Blanco: she should announce that she's voluntarily turned control of the evacuation of New Orleans over to the feds, and she should:
explore legal options to impose martial law "or as close as we can get," […]

Monday 8/29, early morning: hurricane strikes
Monday 8/29, later that morning: Fox might have broadcast news of the break(s)
Monday 8/29, early afternoon: breaches reported to NO authorities [1]
Monday 8/29, 6pm : confirmed in a summary distributed by the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness [1]
Monday 8/29, "later in the day" : Blanco finds out […]

The LAT offers "Image Problem Is Costing Louisiana" about how not too many DC politicians want to go out of their way for LA because of LA's reputation and because of Sen. Mary Landrieu's "in-your-face approach":
After battling in Congress for months to get more federal money for their hurricane-ravaged state, some Louisiana officials have come […]

On Friday Dec 2, LA began the release of 100,000 pages of internal documents on Katrina. These were released to Congress, but so far they are not publicly available on the web. To gain access you must file a public records request with the state, as described here. I've emailed such a request, but since […]

On tonight's 60 Minutes, "natural disaster expert" Prof. Tim Kusky of the Earth Sciences Department at St. Louis University will advocate a "gradual pull-out from the city". He says that in 90 years:
“New Orleans is going to be 15 to 18 feet below sea level, sitting off the coast of North America surrounded by a […]

But, isn't accusing her of race-baiting in itself race-baiting? I seem to have misplaced my PC guide:
Gov. Kathleen Blanco engaged in the "the lowest form of racial baiting" when she suggested last week that a lawsuit filed against her by the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus was a ploy to protect controversial programs in the state […]

When asked about this, she said:
"Watch my results" and then she walked off.
And:
The magazine quotes pollster Bernie Pinsonat who describes Blanco as appearing "dazed and confused" after Hurricane Katrina. Time hits blanco for slowness in calling a special legislative session, and slowness in appointing a recovery commission.
At the bottom with Blanco is Ohio governor Bob […]

From this:
With most of its residents living in storm-imposed exile across the country, hundreds of polling places destroyed and a scarcity of election workers, New Orleans is an election planner's nightmare.
But in three months, the ghostly city is scheduled to elect a mayor, sheriff and the entire City Council.
State and local election officials say a […]

Nagin implores residents to return, rebuild
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's top adviser on rebuilding Louisiana after this year's hurricanes said Monday that Blanco and the commission she appointed to oversee recovery planning "will continue to make sure the state's most important city is front and center in the recovery process."
Andy Kopplin, formerly Blanco's chief of staff and […]

From this:
Gov. Kathleen Blanco's plan to trim more than $500 million from the state budget through cuts and spending freezes got a chilly reception Monday from legislators, some of whom questioned whether certain programs were being unfairly targeted.
But Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc said more cuts might be forthcoming as legislators try to close […]