Dressed for Success, Primed for Failure

I don't think we've yet grasped the magnitude of the damage that followed this cavalier attitude. There are now estimates that half of New Orleans residents will never return to their ruined metropolis. The city government is going to shrink to a fraction of its previous size. For all the photo ops and vows to rebuild, it now looks like Katrina has permanently wiped out half of a major American city, if population is a measure of a city's vitality.

Brownie should have plenty of time to work on his wardrobe now. Did the guy ever apologize? No, he went before a congressional committee and said it was other people's fault.

He belongs in the hall of fame for bureaucratic inaction.

Meanwhile, did I. Lewis use a courthouse appearance to speak to the public yesterday? No.

"I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, pleaded not guilty today in U.S. District Court to felony charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and presenting false information to a federal agent," reports the Los Angeles Times .

Instead, Scooter had his lawyer Ted Wells say a few words:

"Mr. Libby has pleaded not guilty to each and every count in the indictment. In pleading not guilty, he has declared to the world that he is innocent. He has declared that he intends to fight the charges in the indictment, and he has declared he intends to clear his good name."

Wells then said Libby would not fight the case in the press. I hate when that happens.

Says the New York Times : "The day's events dampened hopes among some Republicans for a quick resolution to a case that has already cast a long shadow over the White House. Immediately after the arraignment, Mr. Libby's lawyers sought to quell any speculation about a possible plea deal to resolve the politically volatile case."

Lots of buzz about this WashPost piece saying White House aides are debating whether Rove should stay on (number of named sources expressing this view: zero). And there will be even more over this poll which has Bush down to 39 percent:

"For the first time in his presidency, a majority of Americans question the integrity of President Bush, and growing doubts about his leadership have left him with record negative ratings on the economy, Iraq and even the war on terrorism, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

One bright spot, on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito Jr.: "Half of Americans say he should be confirmed by the Senate and fewer than a third view him as too conservative, the poll found."