Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters writes:

When the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration announced on May 22 its forecast of a very active hurricane season for 2006, the press went absolutely gaga reporting it. In fact, an unaudited LexisNexis search of the word “hurricane” on that day yielded more than 1,300 results, with 61 coming from the broadcast networks and cable news outlets alone.

Read the press release here.

HUME: Georgia Democrat Cynthia McKinney was asked to leave her seat in the Chamber for a different reason, because it was reserved for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. The unpredictable McKinney, who you may recall lost her House seat in 2002 after she said that President Bush had prior knowledge of the 9/11 plot, staked out a prime position of the second row, but was forced to moved back when Reid arrived.

Where is the outrage from the race baiter of all race baiters, Oliver Willis? He is usually on top of this type of blatant racism, when he says it occurs on the other side of the aisle.

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On Tuesday Wilma is supposed to ‘collide’ with the little Hurricane above Cuba. The outcome of that will be interesting to see.

The Storm Track has up to date information on where Wilma is and where she’s heading.

Accuweather has maps and predictions.

On Hardball [Only if You’re a Republican] tonight Chris Matthews discussed “no bid” contracts with Rep. Pete King® and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D). When questioned about Chertoff and the President taking Katrina seriously, King doesn’t take any crap from Chris:

(Transcript via Media Blog)

KING: As far as President Bush, it’s wrong for you to say he wasn’t caring, he certainly was caring. What he was not equipped for was to explain for the incompetency of the local officials or to explain the hysteria… to anticipate the hysteria of people like you in the media who go off the deep end. Let’s treat this with a little bit of rationality and a little bit of decency.

MATTHEWS: The fact is that most people trust the media on this story because the pictures of what was happening down there in New Orleans apparently got to them before they heard of any federal action.

KING: Chris you are totally distorting reality, and that’s the problem with you. You’re distorting reality. You’re on this story, you and MSNBC got carried away with this. You should all be ashamed of yourself. You’ve disgraced yourself and the media.

Can I get an Amen?

DOWNLOAD and view video here.

Bitter partisan Juan Williams attempts to make the case that people will forever associate George W. Bush with Hurricane Katrina. Brit Hume names a few deadly Hurricanes from the past and asks if anyone can name the Presidents during the time.

DOWNLOAD and view video here.

(via Drudge)

NEW YORK —This summer’s back to back superstorms are proof positive we have entered a new period of “global warming emergency,” artist/citizen Barbra Streisand warns.

Sorry, did I miss the news that Barbra Streisand became an environmental scientist?

Sure all of these hurricanes are due to recent global warming, but ….....

Sawyer did not remind Streisand that a Category 5 hurricane struck the Bahamas with 160 mph winds—when the singer was five years old, in 1947!

And when Streisand was 8 years old, a Cat 5 hurricane—named “Dog”—packing 185 mph churned-away in the Atlantic.

When she was 9, a Cat 5 storm named “Easy” ripped the seas with 160 mph sustained winds.

Streisand was 13 years old when “Janet” hit Mexico with 150 mph winds.

Streisand was celebrating her sweet sixteen as “Cleo” formed with 140 mph.

At 18, Streisand read news about “Donna” AND “Ethel”—both storms carried 140 mph winds and formed 9 days apart in 1960!

One year later, when Streisand was 19, it happened again: Two Category 5 storms scared the world: “Carla” and “Hattie!”

“Carla” maxed out at 175 mph winds the year Streisand made her television debut on “The Jack Paar Show.”

(via Riehl World View)

As of now, three weeks after Katrina hit, there are still hundreds of stranded and abandoned pets that are starving to death in their homes. A dedicated group of volunteers is doing their best to feed and water these animals and 2,000 others until better shelter arrangements can be made.

Ideally, they are asking for volunteers, not money. If you can possibly be of assistance, see contact information below.

PLEASE COME NOW we are DESPERATE for reliable people to assist in feeding and watering animals trapped in homes. We have thousands of animals still trapped WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER AFTER 3 WEEKS! We do not have enough rescuers to save them. Volunteers are stressed and overworked and heading home. We need as many people as are able to come down immediately with tents and sleeping bags. If you have a van, SUV, ryder truck, ETC. you’re expecially needed since you can ferry in supplies. Report to barn 5 when you arrive or go to the 6am meeting to be deployed with a rescue team. Just come, no need to respond to this email. THANK YOU PLEASE CROSS POST

There is an urgent need for volunteers to come for three day shifts in Louisiana to help starving dog and cat victims of hurricane Katrina. HSUS and other organizations need people to staff what is now the nations largest animal shelter. Which is in truth, nothing more than a makeshift facility with over 2,000 animals. We also need people to go into the city and feed and rescue thousands of starving animals. Volunteers need only report to: La Mar Dixon Center Command Center 9039 S. Saint Landry Road Gonzales, LA Anytime – Day or Night Be prepared for a chaotic situation. Bring a tent, sleeping bag or be prepared to sleep in your car. There is also an air conditioned area with cots. People that are physically fit and can enter New Orleans must bring sturdy shoes, long pants, sun visor or hat, crow bar and a utility knife. If you can just commit to a three day shift you will save more animals than we can express. Please come now! Just do it. This request is coming from: David Meyer Executive Director 1-800-save-a-pet.com Acting Feed & Rescue Commander HSUS at La Mar Dixon

Please go to Riehl World View to see how you can help.

(via Generation Why?)

courtesy: Mayor Bill White

courtesy: Mayor Ray Nagin

(Image via Storm Track)

Storm Track has everything you need to know about Hurricane Rita.

Texas blogger Jason Smith has evacuation routes.

Malkin has a link roundup.

(via Radar Online)

YAHOO – “We know that there is going to be a period of time before help gets to you,” Paulison told reporters in Washington. “So you need to make sure you have your family’s plan in place, your evacuation plans in place. Make sure you have food, water, medicine, all the things you need to survive for a couple of days on your own.”

Democratic critics said the preparation for Rita seemed to exceed those for Katrina, and called anew for an independent panel to investigate why.

“It’s nice to have the Bush administration recognize the importance of a federal response to Rita, but why weren’t they proactively mobilizing and organizing like this for Katrina?” said Rebecca Kirszner, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

“These are the questions that need to be asked by an independent commission,” Kirszner said.

So now Bush is being yelled at for being ready? If the administration didn’t show the readiness that they are for Rita then the Democrats would be whining about that. Bush is damned if does and damned if he doesn’t.

To answer the question (bold text), the reason why there is a more federal response to Rita is BECAUSE OF KATRINA. Now we know what happens when the federal, STATE, AND CITY isn’t prepared for a Category 4+ Hurricane. To quote Gen. Honore, you are stuck on stupid.