No posts yesterday in part because I am so frustrated and saddened by hurricane Rita. The timing of another impending disaster is uncanny. It will likely break many hearts and it detracts from these important issues: Bush, his disastrous invasion of Iraq and the protest in Washington on Saturday. May the hurricane pass with minimal impact. Fortunately it has weakened to a catagory 4. May we use these disasters to address the importance of global warming. Photo is courtesy of NASA.

Keeping true to his style as a coward, W won't be in Washington on Saturday.

"Bush is prepositioning himself in the Texas area on Saturday, after traveling first to Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. The excuse is a two-day "thank you" tour of states that have taken in large numbers of Katrina evacuees. But it could easily turn into a Rita disaster tour, if the worst projections come true. The critical question remains where he'll spend Saturday night. Given his druthers, Bush would much prefer to spend the night at his ranch in Crawford. The downside: it reminds the world how he spent so long on vacation before Katrina struck. The upside: he'll be close to Houston after Rita passes through. One thing seems sure: as Cindy Sheehan and antiwar protestors take to the streets in Washington this weekend, Bush won't be at the White House."