What a Difference a Year--And Two Thirds More Electoral Votes--Makes

Another Salon piece--if you don't have an account, there's an ad you have to watch--but this one is very much worth reading.

Billmon points to it, and it follows up on his own observations re: the unusually different federal responses to hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

Oh, and I'd like to cite a couple more AmericaBlog posts: Aravosis links to this Herald Sun article detailing the activities of three students from Duke University who, on their own volition, made it down to New Orleans...and, using a two wheel drive Hyundai, rescued people on Magazine Street. That reminds me: last night one of the local reporters talked about how after each sweltering day at the I-10/Causeway staging area, he went back to LaPlace (an outer suburb) where some 50-60 buses were parked...sitting...waiting...not on the road.

Another link (subscription only) to The San Jose Mercury News, apparently has this horrible news: 22 people were found dead--they'd tied themselves together to a rope, hoping to collectively stay safe from the floodwaters. They didn't make it.

I'm (sadly) certain this won't be the only horrible news we're about to see.