Year: 2005

Some context from Wikipedia:

Most Chief Justices are nominated to the highest position on the Court without any previous experience on the Court; indeed many, like John Marshall and Earl Warren, without any experience in the entire United States Judiciary.

It remains true, however, according to WaPo,

sitting justices have been elevated to the top job on several occasions but it is was the first time an unconfirmed nominee, who formerly clerked for the outgoing chief justice no less, was named chief justice.

New and not-so-new. And doubtless a smart, time-buying move from the president/

CONFUCIUS HE SAY: Fire Michael Brown.

FIRE MICHAEL BROWN II: “If Mike Brown is left in place, it is more than saying he did a “heck of a job”, it means that by the standards of our times, a “heck of a job” means abject failure. We can do better, and we should force our leaders, no matter what their position is or party they belong to, to do better.” – restlessmania.

Barbara Bush has her Marie Antoinette moment: “And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this –this is working very well for them.” Personally, I still can’t sleep for anticipating Trent Lott’s “fantastic new porch.”

Jeff Jarvis adds his voice. If you’re a blogger – right, left or center – and have called for him to be fired, let me know. I’ll link.

The Times-Picayune joins the chorus.

The 2004 National Response Plan explicitly states that, at times of

any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions,

the federal government pre-empts local and state government in its responsibility to act quickly. After 9/11, the administration wisely dispensed with the formalities of deferring to local authorities (which, of course, in this case had already issued a state of emergency as early as August 26). The attempt by the spinners to blame this on the obviously overwhelmed and incompetent local authorities, doesn’t fit with the Bush administration’s own rules. Proof positive can be read here. Keep digging, Karl.

A Christian West Bank town is ransacked by a Muslim mob because of an inter-faith relationship.

The military was prepared to help before Katrina hit, according to NorthCom’s Lt Commander. All they needed was a presidential go-ahead. They didn’t get one.

His nomination of Roberts for Chief Justice seems like a strange gamble for me. Someone who has not yet been on the Court should now be leading it? I know there are precedents, but this strikes me as a way to buy time. I know the polls are showing limited damage to the president. But it is a given at times like this that people rally to their president. They haven’t. So Bush reaches for safety. Deeper down, the crisis is worse. We face a perilous few years. Bush has just given notice to al Qaeda and others that this country is utterly unprepared for a possible terrorist calamity; and the people of the country have at best luke-warm confidence in their commander-in-chief. I take no pleasure whatever in this scenario. We are both deepy divided and deeply demoralized about the effectiveness of American government. That’s not how you win a war.

He said Katrina’s impact on New Orleans’ levees was unexpected. The man who briefed him before Katrina hit says otherwise. Is Chertoff simply lying his way out of trouble?

Zarqawi gains control of a key town on the Syrian border.