Q: (R. Neal for Facing South): What are the challenges facing Tennessee’s Democratic nominee for United States Senate in a state that voted overwhelmingly for Bush in 2004 and hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Al Gore in 1990?

A: (Sen. Kurita): First, I would point out that I have been repeatedly re-elected in a swing district that voted 61% for Bush. I won 62% and 57% of the vote in my last two elections. There’s a new report that labels Clarksville the most conservative city in Tennessee – but they’ve got a solid Democrat representing them in the state Senate.

My record and reputation appeal to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. In my last election, I won every precinct but one. The challenge is to work hard and get your message out to voters. I know how to work hard, I know how to fight hard, and I know how to win.

Q: What are the most important issues affecting Tennessee that our next Senator should focus on in Washington?

A: Two issues that impact Tennessee and all of America are health care and energy policy.

As a registered nurse who would be the only nurse in the U.S. Senate if elected, I’m prepared to tackle health care policy. We need a health care delivery system that works. We need to use our technology and our ingenuity to make health care more accessible and more affordable.

Everyone thinks about energy policy when they go to the gas pump and pay nearly three dollars a gallon to fill up. We need an energy policy that conserves our resources and reduces our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Developing biodiesel, ethanol, wind power, and other energy alternatives means more jobs for American workers, better prices for American consumers, and a cleaner environment for all of us.

Q: How does running a statewide campaign differ from running a local or district-wide campaign?

A: Running a statewide campaign is a huge undertaking. But my approach is the same – work as hard as I can and meet as many people as I can to get my message out.
The biggest difference is the amount of money you have to raise. Our campaign is on track to have the money we need to compete and win.

Q: You have been running campaign advertisements on several major blogs. Have these been effective? Do you see blogs as a major force in future elections? Must a campaign have an “internet strategy” to be successful? Do you believe blogs should be regulated similar to political action groups as has been proposed by the FEC?

A: Our blog ads have been surprisingly effective. We’ve raised money from 22 states since we started our online advertising effort.

The internet is an integral part of a campaign. A candidate can no longer just have a “brochure” website that simply has nice pictures and a few words. The internet can be used for voter outreach, fundraising, field work, and so much more.

The FEC should NOT be regulating blog content similar to political action groups. Bloggers are like modern-day pamphleteers. They cover the stories the mainstream media sometimes misses. And blog coverage is often more in-depth. It’s refreshing to read the news in that format – a format that allows for feedback and for open exchange of ideas. That’s what free speech in America is all about.

Q: What is the secret of your success as a popular Democratic State Senator from a primarily Republican district?

A: I’m a straight shooter. When I tell you my position, that’s my position. I don’t sugar-coat and I don’t avoid tough questions.

There isn’t any secret to my success. It’s all about hard work. I’m a wife, a mother, and a registered nurse. I raised three children while running a small business. I’ve worked the night shift and I’ve punched a time clock. I know what it means to work for everything you have. That’s the attitude I bring to my work in public office, and that’s the attitude I’ll bring to the U.S. Senate.

Q: How can progressive candidates appeal to independent and moderate conservative voters? What is your advice to other Democrats in the South seeking statewide or national office?

A: I find voters respond favorably to someone who shoots straight. I’ve gained a lot of support from people who identify themselves as either to the left or to the right of me. They tell me they support me because they know where I stand and my position doesn’t change with the political winds.

Her comments about internet advertising and organizing are interesting. Candidates saw the power of the internet as a grassroots organizing and fundraising vehicle in the last election. Smart politicians have figured out that the internet, and now blogs, are increasingly effective tools.

Sen. Kurita believes that hard work, getting out your message, and being direct and consistent are important for Democrats seeking office in the South. I’m just guessing, but it’s likely that being a fiscal conservative helps, too, and an NRA endorsement probably doesn’t hurt.

The Democratic primary will be interesting to watch. Will Tennessee Democrats favor a more "liberal" candidate such as Harold Ford Jr. or a more "moderate" candidate such as Kurita? Although neither of those labels really means much in a state where "liberal" would be considered slightly right of center in a Blue State.

Either way, the general election will be a good test to see if Democrats are able to leverage growing dissatisfaction among moderates and even some conservatives with “business as usual” in Washington to claim a Senate seat for the “D”s.

OK, then.

American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is mounting the largest relief effort in its history. More than 200 emergency response vehicles (ERVs) and countless other Red Cross resources are en route or on the scene to provide hot meals, snacks, bottled water and distribute other much-needed relief supplies. In coordination with the Southern Baptists, preparations have been made to provide more than 500,000 hot meals to storm-weary residents each day.

Salvation Army: Salvation Army Divisional Commander Major Dalton Cunningham in Jackson Mississippi says 200 workers of the Salvation Army’s Incident Management Teams will be moving in 72 canteens that can feed 400,000 people a day and two 54-foot mobile kitchens that can feed an additional 20,000 people a day.

KATV News Little Rock: Both the Arkansas Red Cross and the National Guard are sending resources to help thousands of Katrina refugees in bordering cities. 90 to 100 Red Cross trucks will fill the parking lot Monday night. Some 2,000 Red Cross volunteers will depart Tuesday to help in the relief effort. The Arkansas National Guard is also sending Med Evac Helicopters for search and rescue and a few hundred combat engineers.

WRAL News Raleigh: North Carolina's Progress Energy is sending 500 workers to help restore power.

WLOX News Biloxi: 45 Georgia Power linemen from across South Georgia gathered in Albany Monday morning, getting ready to head toward affected parts of Mississippi. They were told to prepare to stay in the Hurricane zone at least two weeks.

News 14 Charlotte: Duke Power is sending up to 250 workers to the Gulf Coast to help restore power. Duke Power representatives say crews from the Gulf Coast states have provided relief to the Carolinas in the past, so now it is their turn to repay the favor.

Sheveport Times: The Krewe of Barkus & Meoux, along with the Humane Society and several local veterinarians organized a tent to shelter animals of those evacuees being housed at the American Red Cross shelter in the LSUS Health and Physical Education Building. "This is the first time we've had an animal shelter available to us," said Michelle Davidson with the northwest Louisiana chapter of the Red Cross. And that's a relief for both Davidson and the people she and Red Cross volunteers want to help.” That is often an obstacle for people to overcome when it comes to getting them to evacuate," she said. "Unfortunately, we can't accept animals (in Red Cross shelters)."

Noah's Wish Noah's Wish and other national and local animal welfare organizations will be in the affected areas to offer services for those animals that have been impacted by the disaster. [ed. note: Noah's Wish provides disaster relief for animals and pets and their owners, helps organize and train local animal welfare organizations and government agencies for disaster relief.]

It appears this will be one of the largest relief efforts in U.S. history. Consider helping out any way you can.

Army News Service:

More than 5,000 National Guard troops have been activated in four states to assist with recovery operations as 140-mph winds of Hurricane Katrina strike the Gulf Coast.

The Army Corps of Engineers is anticipating potential requirements to pump water out of New Orleans, much of which is below sea level and protected by a system of dikes, levees and pumps.

First U.S. Army activated its 24-hour Crisis Action Team Aug. 28 and sent defense coordinating elements to three states. These elements help U.S. Northern Command coordinate DoD support to civil authorities as requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

About 780 National Guard troops were called to state active duty in Florida to help distribute ice and water and to man Logistic Support Sites in Miami and Homestead, Fla. At least six Florida residents were reportedly killed in the storm and about half a million were without electric power.

Mississippi activated 853 National Guard troops and has staged them at Camp Shelby, Miss., for the recovery operation. The Soldiers are ready to perform debris removal, security and logistical support, officials said.

Alabama has activated about 160 National Guard troops who are helping sandbag critical coastal areas and have prepositioned generators and trucks for the hurricane recovery operation. The Alabama National Guard activated its Emergency Operations Center in Mobile with support from the 711th Signal Battalion and the 226th Area Support Group, state officials said. They said Army and Air National Guard troops are also monitoring the hurricane and emergency response operations from the Guard’s Joint Operations Center in Montgomery.

"Right now [ed. note: yesterday], First Army is leaning forward and planning for any number of needs the states may have once this hurricane hits," said Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré, commanding general, First U.S. Army. "I have been in contact with each of the state’s adjutant generals and assured them that First Army is ready to help."

"One of the things we learned last year with the series of hurricanes that passed through Florida, was the need for satellite communications," said Col. James Hickey, chief of staff, First U.S. Army. "This storm will likely take out some key communications nodes and cell phones and land lines may not work for some time."

Based on that assessment, First Army is identifying satellite phones and other military communications assets that do not rely on local infrastructure. Food, water and ice are also key resources and the military is planning to help with quick distribution of those supplies in the aftermath of the storm.

Other possible requirements include helicopter support for evacuation, emergency supplies and damage assessments; medical personnel, supplies and equipment to include sanitation expertise; transportation units with the capability to ford high water; watercraft assets for coastal areas; and construction, bridging and utility engineer units.

U.S. Navy:

The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and other U.S. Navy assets are making preparations to provide assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, if needed. Bataan is currently underway in the Gulf of Mexico and standing by to provide assistance as needed in hurricane-affected areas.

Based in Norfolk, Bataan is underway for previously scheduled operations, and will remain in the vicinity of impacted areas until otherwise directed. If called upon, Bataan brings unique humanitarian capabilities to the scene. [ed. note: the Bataan has a 600 bed hospital on board.]

Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Fifteen (HM-15) embarked three MH-53E helicopters in preparation for possible relief efforts along the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The MH-53E Sea Dragon is capable of carrying 55 passengers and 16 tons of cargo 50 nautical miles.

U.S. Coast Guard:

More than 40 Coast Guard aircraft from units along the entire eastern seaboard, along with more than 30 small boats, patrol boats and cutters, are positioning themselves in staging areas around the projected impact area - from Jacksonville, Fla., to Houston - making preparations to conduct immediate post-hurricane search, rescue and humanitarian aid operations, waterway impact assessments and waterway reconstitution operations.

[ed. note: the U.S. Coast Guard has set up a news and information website with rescue reports and photos.]

From the Shreveport Times:

As Hurricane Katrina surged past New Orleans, Louisiana mobilized its soldiers to help, as did Mississippi, Alabama and other southern states. Despite prominent roles in the War on Terror, the states report more than the 50 percent strength mandated for homeland missions. Louisiana has 65 percent of its troops available for state missions; Mississippi, 60 percent; Alabama, 77 percent; and Florida, 74 percent, Guard officials said.

[..]

The Louisiana National Guard had called almost 3,500 of its members to state active duty as of 7 a.m. Monday to help with missions that ranged from aiding law enforcement agencies with traffic control and security to conducting searches and rescues and providing generator support. Guard members conducted security and screening at the emergency shelter at the New Orleans Superdome, and elsewhere helped state police with evacuations.

Some have expressed concern that the National Guard might be spread too thin because of deployments to Iraq. According to the report from the Shreveport Times above, officials say they have sufficient personnel to aid in the recovery efforts. At any rate, these folks have a tough job ahead of them for the next days and weeks, and Gulf Coast residents will be grateful for their assistance.

FEMA’s emergency teams and resources are being deployed and configured for coordinated response to Hurricane Katrina. This includes pre-staging critical commodities such as ice, water, meals, and tarps in various strategic locations to be made available to residents of affected areas.

FEMA’s Hurricane Liaison Team is onsite and working closely with the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla.

FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center and Regional Response Coordination Centers in Atlanta, Ga., and Denton, Texas, are operating around the clock, coordinating the prepositioning of assets and responding to state requests for assistance.

FEMA has deployed a National Emergency Response Team to Louisiana with a coordination cell positioned at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, four Advance Emergency Response Teams have been deployed to locations in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The teams include federal liaisons who work directly within county emergency operations centers to respond to critical needs as they are identified by local officials and prioritized by the state.

Rapid Needs Assessment teams have been prestaged in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Nine Urban Search and Rescue task forces and incident support teams have been deployed. The task forces are from Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri.

Thirty-one teams from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) have been deployed to staging areas in Anniston, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans, including 23 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams. The teams bring truckloads of medical equipment and supplies with them and are trained to handle trauma, pediatrics, surgery and mental health problems. Two Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams are also included as part of NDMS assets deployed, which are able to support and rescue pets, and provide any needed veterinary medical care for rescue dogs.

Voluntary agencies, important partners in disasters, are prepared to augment local government services with shelters, mobile feeding units, water and clean-up supplies.

FEMA has 500 trucks of ice, 500 trucks of water and 350 trucks of meals ready to eat (MREs) available for distribution over the next 10 days.

And here's an interesting fact. FEMA was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979:

When hazards associated with nuclear power plants and the transportation of hazardous substances were added to natural disasters, more than 100 federal agencies were involved in some aspect of disasters, hazards and emergencies. Many parallel programs and policies existed at the state and local level, compounding the complexity of federal disaster relief efforts. The National Governor's Association sought to decrease the many agencies with whom state and local governments were forced work. They asked President Jimmy Carter to centralize federal emergency functions.

President Carter's 1979 executive order merged many of the separate disaster-related responsibilities into a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Among other agencies, FEMA absorbed: the Federal Insurance Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, the Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration and the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD. Civil defense responsibilities were also transferred to the new agency from the Defense Department's Defense Civil Preparedness Agency.

FEMA: your tax dollars at work for progressive government in response to the needs of the people.

Biloxi Sun Herald: Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi Coast Monday with a force not seen since Camille 36 years ago, sweeping aside multimillion-dollar casinos, burying the beach highway and killing at least 50 people in Harrison County. [..] Before telephone contact was lost Monday morning, Hancock County officials reported that a foot of water swamped their Emergency Operations Center, which sits 30 feet above sea level. The back of the Hancock County courthouse, where the center is located, gave way. "Thirty-five people swam out of their Emergency Operations Center with life jackets on," said Christopher Cirillo, Harrison County’s Emergency Medical Services director. "We haven’t heard from them. The only person we can raise on the radio is the sheriff in his car."

Jackson Clarion Ledger: "Complete devastation," Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said after the eye of the storm had passed the area. [..] Much of the land south of I-10 was under water, while in some areas of north Biloxi and Gulfport, the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers had escaped their banks, leaving homes and business under 8 or more feet of water.

Jackson Clarion-Ledger: Harrison County EMA supervisor Connie Rockco, who found three bodies, said calls for help came throughout the storm, but emergency workers were powerless to help because of the winds and floodwaters. [..] "We have catastrophic damage on all levels," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said. [..] Although Katrina's winds weren't as forceful as Camille's, the hurricane caused waves to swell higher than Camille, reaching 28 feet on the Gulf Coast. As a result, some boats crashed into buildings, and others wound up on the Coast's busiest thoroughfare, U.S. 90, which was seven feet under water. [..] Spraggins said he saw the Copa casino "sitting in the parking lot of the Grand (Casino)" and that it would likely be months before casinos reopen.

Biloxi Sun Herald: Closing coast casinos costs Miss. $500,000 a day in tax revenue

New Orleans Times-Picayune: A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new .hurricane proof. Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina's fiercest winds were well north. The breach sent a churning sea of water from Lake Pontchartrain coursing across Lakeview and into Mid-City, Carrollton, Gentilly, City Park and neighborhoods farther south and east. [..] In Lakeview, the scene was surreal. A woman yelled to reporters from a rooftop, asking them to call her father and tell him she was OK, although fleeing to the roof of a two-story home hardly seemed to qualify.

NOLA Times-Picayune Tuesday Front Page (PDF, photos)

Yahoo News AP Photo Gallery

Like the "eccentric" uncle nobody talks about who goes on a bender that makes the local newspaper, racial tensions have recently escalated to front page news.

Blount County remains mostly segregated. Most of Blount County's relatively small minority population (2.9% black and 94.7% white compared to 16.4% black and 80.2% white statewide), resides in a small area within the city of Alcoa. Approx. 58% of the county’s black high school students attend Alcoa High School (30% black and 70% white), which is one of four high schools in the county. The others remain mostly white (Heritage High 98%, William Blount High 96%, and Maryville High 93% white enrollment).

Given those statistics, you’d think the recent racial tensions began in Alcoa.

You’d be wrong.

The problems surfaced at William Blount High School, a rural high school with an enrollment of 23 black students and over 1600 white students. In April of this year, 50 law enforcement officers descended on the school and put it in lockdown. According to school officials, “racially motivated threats” prompted the action.

As more details emerged, we learned that some black students had been targeted on a "hit list" and that a 15-year-old boy was arrested for threatening to bring a gun to school. The incidents occurred just before spring break, which helped calm the situation. But tensions remained when students returned to school.

In the wake of these incidents, William Blount High officials were reassigned, and five black students filed an $11 million civil rights lawsuit against the school, former school officials, and the Blount Co. Board of Education. The lawsuit claims the students were "subjected to pervasive, racial harassment including repeatedly being referred to in racially derogatory terms, by the continued presence of hateful and racially demeaning slogans, by racially offensive gestures, symbols and acts, by being racially stereotyped by faculty and students, and by being subjected to continuing threats of and actual acts of violence."

Then, in May of this year a Hispanic grocery store was vandalized. According to police reports, the vandalism involved broken windows, a broken refrigeration unit that had its contents destroyed, and racist symbols spray painted on the building including WP ("white power"), swastikas, and Nazi SS symbols. Information provided by a Heritage High School resource officer resulted in the arrests of five youths aged from 18 to 21 who confessed to the vandalism.

Sensing that more trouble might be brewing, Maryville City School Board officials debated a change to Maryville High School policy for the upcoming school year. It seems the Maryville High sports teams are known as "The Rebels", and the school mascot is "Johnny Reb". I’ll give you three guesses as to the school’s official unofficial flag, and the first two guesses don’t count.

Perhaps mindful of the $11 million civil rights lawsuit over at William Blount High, proactive members of the school board recommended banning Maryville High’s flag (and if you guessed that it’s the Rebel Flag, a/k/a the Confederate Battle Flag, you guessed correctly) at school functions and sporting events.

Much drama ensued.

Presumably seeking cover from lawsuits claiming violation of First Amendment rights, the new policy was crafted as a "safety" measure, with the idea that all these Rebel Flags waving about at sporting events posed a public safety hazard (someone could get an eye put out!).

After a couple of public hearings and much debate, the school board voted this month (with one member opposing) to implement the new "safety policy" which bans among other things flags, banners, and "handheld signs and implements (e.g. poles, sticks and wires to support flags, banners or other such items)" at any school sponsored activity. The band’s color guard is exempt. The Rebel Flag is not referenced, but implicitly covered by the ban. The policy also addresses "fighting words" and other disruptive speech.

To everyone’s credit, supporters and opponents of the ban who attended public meetings and demonstrations were mostly civil and there have been no reports of violence or other unfortunate incidents. One must wonder, though, if this is the end of the latest chapter or the beginning of a new one.

We’ve all heard the arguments for preserving this Symbol of Pride in our Great Southern Heritage. The Confederate Flag is not a symbol of racism and hatred. It’s a symbol freedom and independence, and particularly freedom from the oppressive tyranny of a Federal government too big for its britches. Oh, yeah, and the Civil War was not about slavery. It was about States’ Rights. (Which presumably includes the state’s right to allow its citizens to own slaves.)

The controversy had received some national attention, and resulted in some strange bedfellows. In perhaps the most puzzling alliance, the former president of a local NAACP chapter in North Carolina joined with the Sons of the Confederacy to protest the ban. H.K. Edgerton (pictured above) staged a walk from Johnson City to Maryville carrying the Rebel Flag to protest the "cleansing of Southern history." He says that “students are being force-fed a whole system of propaganda that tells them Southern history is tainted by slavery and Confederate symbols are racist.”

I am amazed that we are still debating this in the 21st Century. It shouldn’t be at all surprising to me, though, living in a region where folks proudly hang paintings of Jeff Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest on their living room walls. We know there is still racism and hatred festering just under the surface, but we sometimes wonder how successive generations learn it. Hatred is not something you are born with. It is something you are taught. One can only conclude they are being taught at home. Consider these remarks from a recent letter to the local paper:

"Every time that the 'liberal pinko do-gooder' crowd starts pointing the finger of political correctness at the Rebel flag, they need to realize that there are actually three fingers of hypocrisy pointing back their way. In their liberal ‘enlightened’ crusade to rid the world of all things oppressive, they themselves become the fascists and oppressors.

These liberal fruitcakes need to practice what they preach or hit the road. I, for one, am tired of their irrational whining and reflex babbling.

The Maryville City School Board's recent actions concerning the Rebel flag are just the top of the proverbial iceberg of misrepresentation being carried out by our local governing bodies.

We, as Blount Countians and ultimately as Americans, have got to take back our local government from the heathen grip of the liberal minority's lawyers and the land developing racketeers before there's nothing left to uniquely call Blount County home.

Now is the time to honor our southern ancestry with a 'Volunteer' willingness to fight the good fight. Now is the time to 'Rebel' against the oppressiveness of the liberal minority and the racketeering practices of our local government officials."

(Although it would be disingenuous to suggest a correlation at this point, Blount County is also one of the most Republican counties in East Tennessee, which happens to be the most Republican region in the Red State of Tennessee. Blount County went 68% for Bush in 2004, v. 57% for the state at large. Blount County went 75% for U.S. Senator Dr. Bill Frist in 2000, 89% for popular Republican Congressman Jimmy Duncan, and 81% for Duncan again in 2004. Blount County’s state representatives and local elected officials are almost exclusively Republican.)

Clearly those who opposed the ban (and others such as the school board member who was surprised to learn that black students resent the Rebel Flag) do not represent the whole of Blount County. In fact, there are probably some less oblivious white people in Blount County who have actually talked to a black person at one time or another. But sadly this is old news to the "liberal pinko do-gooder crowd" in the South, where such drama plays out on all too frequent a basis.

Regardless, I hope for a day when we can finally put all this behind us. With all due respect to our collective Southern Heritage, some symbols of the old times here are best forgotten. And I’m not talking about biscuits and gravy, pecan pie, or Mint Juleps. Especially not the Mint Juleps.

OK, then.

Andrew produced a 17 foot storm surge on the Florida coast, and was responsible for 23 deaths and over $25 billion in damage in Florida and the Gulf Coast. It was classified as a Category 4 hurricane and was believed to be a Category 5 when it made landfall, but the nearest measuring station instruments were destroyed so this was based on NOAA estimates.

The Mrs. and I saw the damage around Homestead several months after Andrew came through. It was essentially leveled, how one might imagine the aftermath of a nuclear detonation. The only good to come out of it was a reexamination and strengthening of building codes.

Katrina reached Category 5 strength yesterday afternoon, but has weakened overnight to a Category 4 as the outer bands reached land. This is still an extremely dangerous storm, and if you’ve been following it you know that most of the Gulf Coast is under mandatory evacuation. There’s really nothing you can do to prepare for a storm of this magnitude except to get as far away inland as you can get.

As Katrina bears down on the Louisiana coast, New Orleans is at particular risk. Because most of the area is below sea level, the storm surge could cause extensive flood damage. A system of levees keeps the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain out, but Hurricane Betsy, a Category 4 storm that weakened to a Category 3 as it made landfall, hit New Orleans in 1965 causing Lake Pontchartrain to breach the levees. More work has been done since then to “hurricane proof” the levee system, but nobody knows what will happen with a storm of Katrina’s magnitude.

Camille, a deadly Category 5 storm, came close to New Orleans in 1969. It made landfall about 60 miles east in Mississippi, and generated a 28 foot storm surge. Officials fear that a direct hit by a Category 4 or 5 hurricane will cause catastrophic damage to New Orleans.

Many have criticized government and emergency management officials for “over-hyping” hurricane dangers, causing the public to become complacent. This is not the time for complacency. This is the real deal. Because no one can predict exactly where the storm will make landfall or what damage will result, officials must take all necessary precautions to protect life. Folks need to trust them and pay attention.

The Gulf Coast is starting to experience rains and high winds from the outer bands of Katrina as I write this at about 7:30 AM. Landfall is expected later in the day. We can only hope that it continues to weaken before the worst arrives. Our thoughts and prayers will be with the folks along the Gulf Coast today, and especially our Southern neighbors in the beautiful city of New Orleans.

UPDATE: It appears New Orleans was spared a direct hit, but there are reports of extensive wind damage and some flooding. Mississippi wasn't so lucky. The Biloxi/Gulfport area seems hardest hit. Governor Haley Barbour just held a press conference and reported widespread damage and flooding. He said it could take "years" to recover. National Guard units from around the South are responding to assist with search and rescue, recovery operations, and looting control. A National Guard officer said they would be "aggressive" with looters.

It will probably be days before the full extent of the damage is known, but it sounds like it will be pretty bad all along the Gulf Coast. Again our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors to the South. Consider helping out any way you can with charities and relief organizations who will be responding.