This from the Houston Chronicle‘s blog: DeLay to evacuees: ‘Is this kind of fun?’ U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s visit to Reliant Park this morning offered him a glimpse of what it’s like to be living in shelter. While on the tour with top administration officials from Washington, including U.S.

FEMA Chief Michael Brown is reportedly being relieved of his duties. It’s about damned time. And there should be criminal charges for the incompetence of his office and others higher in command. I just had lunch here in Washington, where life hums on along like normal.

There are terrific video links up now of the speakers and panels at the major forum now underway in Washington: Terrorism, Security and America’s Purpose. The conference will be on C-Span live much of the day today (Wednesday) and when not live — it is being taped and will air later.

Our big conference on terrorism — Terrorism Security and America’s Purpose — starts today at 9 a.m. and will be live on C-Span for those who care to watch. We will also have live, real-time web-casting at the conference website, www.AmericasPurpose.org.

This is Ted Kennedy‘s statement last night on the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist: This is a time of great loss for our nation. Vicki and I join the nation in mourning the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist and we hold his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.

Just posted this at TPM Cafe. We ought to be helping out all those impacted by Katrina ourselves, and should be grateful for the international concern and support offered — even from Japan. But $200k in cash? Pretty pathetic.

Chief Justice Renquist dies last night. Judge John Roberts’ Supreme Court appointment hearings begin Tuesday (but may now be delayed).

There will be live web-cast of the Terrorism, Security and America’s Purpose conference on this website all day and evening Tuesday next week — and most of the day on Wednesday. C-Span has just informed us that they will be airing the conference all day Tuesday live — but we will hear tomorrow about Wednesday….

I am beyond disgusted by Pat Robertson and have been for years. Josh Marshall posts two items — here and here — on Robertson that just further reinforce everything I disdain about the man. I have an admission to make about this reprehensible fraud.

This is an important article that suggests that while hurricanes may not be preventable, there is much that should have been done to protect infrastructure and lives in the Gulf Coast states that was preempted by other priorities the Bush administration had.