I wonder why NBC Nightly hasn't seen fit to cover the race for Louisiana's storm-ravaged 2nd District. That would be far more interesting than the races NBC regularly covered before the election and the political news it has been airing lately. I mean, while sometimes it can be fun to speculate about Hillary, Barack, et.al., I'm not ready to seriously think about 2008 yet (which seems to be all NBC Nightly has been covering anymore.) It seems as if 2008 will be covered so much before 2008, that by the time 2008 actually rolls around, people will be sick of it. Back to Louisiana--the USA today article on the Jefferson/Carter race you linked to was first-rate--there should be broadcast news on this, too. It bugs me to think that someone at NBC Nightly seems to have arbitrarily decided to keep post-Katrina coverage to a minimum even though except for this run-off and a dispute or 2, 2006's election is basically over.

Olivia. When I heard about the vanished $993,000,000 FEMA money last night, I thought of you. If the taxpayers had given it to you, there would be a lot less agony on the Gulf Coast tonight. Keep hammering away, woman.

Steve--there's a lot more going on regarding FEMA than the vanished money you mention. Over the weekend CNN aired a report about the serious rat problem in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. The rats have even been getting into FEMA trailers. And this morning, I read 2 articles about FEMA that have me tempted to compare FEMA bureaucrats and members of the Bush Administration to rats. According to the first article, FEMA is appealing a court order that housing aid that had been cut off to homeless Katrina survivors be restored--and this aid cut-off is backed by the Bush Administration. The second article was in the New York Times and detailed how precarious and uncertain life is for those in FEMA trailers. It told the story of one woman in Baker, Louisiana, who came home from church one day to find that people had moved into her trailer and changed the locks. Her meager possessions could not be found but turned up later in storage. The people who had moved in were about to be bounced from their trailer because the trailer park they'd been living in was going to close in April. Then there was the story of a couple in Austin, Texas, who were haggling with FEMA over whether or not they were eligible for housing assistance. They were desperate because they were expecting a baby--and when the woman was in the hospital after having given birth, she was on the phone to their lawyer and a caseworker. Not only is it unconscionable that the Bush Administration has been treating Americans in need in this manner, (In fact, I imagine they would be getting far better treatment were they disaster survivors overseas) it is even more shameful that NBC Nightly has not shone the spotlight on what has been going on. As long as broadcast news remains silent about what is going on, the Bush Administration will feel free to go on its merry way running roughshod over Katrina and Rita survivors who need help.

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