Tomorrow (according to Raw Story) the NY Times will be front-paging a story on the unmitigated chaos that is expected at our nation's polling places on election day. I'm not going to link to either source - you can read the NYT when it gets posted there.  But the money quote is this:  "One of the key problems officials are struggling with, Urbina writes, is "a chronic shortage of poll workers, many of them retirees uncomfortable with new technology..."

Forget the debate over techie senior citizens, check below for what YOU can do to help prevent disaster.

ABC is really milking the Foley scandal for all they're worth.  Now they are claiming that they have IMs showing that Foley "interrupted a vote on the floor of the House in 2003 to engage in Internet sex with a high school student"  I feel as though I've followed Alice down the rabbit hole - is this REALLY being reported on national news?

(no mention yet of anyone else caught in the net)

http://blogs.abcnews.com/...

Update: Don't forget to check out the comments on the ABCNews page - the outrage is rising. Excerpts from the article below:

I just received an email from Governor Howard Dean, and once again I am struck by the sheer class this man exhibits.  In a very short message, sans any appeal for fundraising or other political action, Gov Dean offers a remembrance to those whose lives were changed on this day five years ago.  Succinct, poignant and Gettysburg Address eloquent.

Once again, Howard Dean truly speaks for me.

The text below:

Kris Kristofferson did a concert up here in Albany NY last spring that had me in tears, and now I find (courtesy of Raw Story) his music video "In the News".  Listen, watch, take it to heart, and carry the message:

"Don't blame God, I swear to God I heard him say
Not in my name, not on my ground
I want nothing but the ending of this war
No more killing, or it's over
And the mystery won't matter anymore."

Kristofferson puts the religious left to music - bless him!

Its not a Challupa (or however you spell it) but I think we really, really need to take care about participating in the stampede to raise a ruckus about the ports management contracts.  When Faux News and Frist and the entire Republican horde rush to "attack" the administration, its time to step back and question what the strategy is here.  

I'm astounded that so many here at KOS are following the media in framing the discussion of the Alito filibuster in terms of winning and losing.  Chris Matthews et al are confused that our senators would actually take a stand on something, and the pundits can only decry the foolishness, declaring that Democratic senators in purple states could be at risk this fall because of the filibuster.

More...

Lou Dobbs just set up a teaser to the next segment (6:30est on CNN) promising to talk about Able Danger, and describing it as possibly bigger than Watergate.  Its amazing what a modest electoral victory will do for our talking heads.  This is a heads up, not an extended discussion - I'm hoping pepople more knowledgeable than I can get to see this and comment on its accuracy. (Currently talking about the attack in Jordan)

You have to applaud when they're genuinely snarky -

And sometimes Anderson Cooper does get it right.  Tonight while discussing Harriet Miers' letters to Bush:  "No word yet on whether she uses little heart balloons to dot her i's."

No, this is not an important diary, but I did want to share a good moment.  Looks like nobody likes Miers...except possibly Democratic senators????

I confess, I'm having trouble coping with what I'm seeing on the news - the magnitude of this disaster makes the New Orleans evacuation appear to be an exercise in efficency.  People have been on the road for 12, 14, 15 hours and they've moved maybe, if they were lucky, 60 miles?  Running out of gas, presumably also water, food and patience.  (And since this is Texas, a large number of them are probably armed and potentially dangerous - snark, but one can hardly blame them.)

I remember watching the NOLA evac and thinking that they were smart about it, at least in getting the CARS out....more below

I've seen several diaries over the past few days concerning the plight of the animals after Katrina.  I won't argue the merits of rescuing animals versus rescuing people versus gathering bodies, or working to re-unite families - ALL of these things are important, and hopefully we all do what we can in our own areas of expertise.  If you're a doctor, for heavens sake help the people.  If you're a computer geek then work on the data bases and communications things.

Helping the lost, stranded or sheltered pets is also a significant contribution to the human victims.  How to get in the trenches below the fold -

 

They're doing it again.  Criticism of the response to Katrina is being twisted into criticism of the National Guard.  First we're accused of endangering the troops in Iraq, now we're demoralilzing the Guard.  How can we deflect/deflate this?

The only suggestion I can come up with is to celebrate the heroism of the good people who are going into a fetid environment where they will come face to face with unimaginable horrors.  The recently arrived National Guard troops from all over the country, and the soon-to-arrive active duty troops DO need our active, vocal support.  Thoughts and ideas?

CNN just aired an extended radio interview with Mayor Nagin, who was pulling no punches.

Torrent of Interview

 As he put it, "I'm pissed!"  He asked for Federal troops 2 days ago.  He wants (a) a moratorium on press conferences from ANYONE until he sees some boots on the ground.  (b)  For the citizens of this country to call and write and harrass our politicians until they produce some action.  

The call to action is here - to paraphrase:  he needs troops, people are dying as we speak, we didn't ask for permission before going into Iraq, we didn't hesitate to send troops into NY on 9/11, so why do we not have troops in NO NOW?  Don't tell me they're on the way, they should be here.  Don't think too small.  CALL, WRITE, EMAIL.... flood the federal and state officials demanding immediate action.  

Update [2005-9-2 7:2:44 by Truth or Dare]:"This is a national disaster. Get every goddmaned Greyhound bus in the country and get their asses down here!"

Update [2005-9-2 7:9:11 by Truth or Dare]: Congressional Contacts

Nothing profound to say - just catch Countdown on MSNBC if you can - they have video and a reporter talking about the people in the colliseum - rough transcript on the fly: These people did as they were told, they went to the convention center as they were told, and nobody has shown up to help them.  They are dying in their chairs, they are law-abiding citizens who have been left behind, they are not dangerous, you don't need to bring guns, just get them some water and food.  Its not usafe to come in and help these people!....this is the reporter speaking!

In some sense this is obvious, but occasionally we need reminding of the simple things. What if the rush to appoint a new member of the Supreme Court is NOT to take attention from RoveGate, but rather to pad the court in anticipation of legal proceedings against members of the administration? This could be the REAL connection between Rove and the rush to find a nominee.

Anthony J. Sebok, a Professor at Brooklyn Law School, has part one of an article on Findlaw going into the details of a possible civil suit by Valerie Plame.

(More below)

At some point fairly early in the investigation, Bush stated the it would be very difficult to find the leaker and he doubted we would ever know who was responsible. (Can someone help me find the source for this?)

After Cooper's revelations, we now know that Rove and Libby, at the very least, were actively involved in leaking the identity of a CIA operative.

Bush yesterday: 'If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration.'

It would appear that Bush has thrown down the gauntlet to Fitzgerald and everyone else with any degree of true patriotism.

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First the WaPo does a really good six page bio of Howard Dean (see diary here). And now the Atlanta Journal Constitution publishes an article exposing the dirty underwear of the Dems in Washington who have been undermining Dean.

Dean slam at GOP puts Democrats in tricky spot

The AJC article is worth reading altho it doesn't really contain anything new. The interesting point is that here's another story that puts Dean in a positive light. What's going on with our press? Maybe the Plame affair is having repercussions? Oh happy, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!