The people of San Antonio have been doing an impressive job dealing with the fallout of Hurricane Rita. While their city was spared the hurricane’s devastating effects, San Antonio residents have been doing their part to help those less fortunate. Shelters have been set up across the city for those who were forced to evacuate their homes in Houston, Galveston and Louisiana. Donation stations have also been set-up across the city for people to contribute to the recovery efforts.

When I was driving across the city I even heard local radio personalities hard at work. One station had their news reporter traveling the state reporting on gas stations that were gouging prices in response to Hurricane Rita. The station was encouraging its listeners to do the same. Those who called into the station could pass along information that the radio station would deliver to authorities that are immediately responding to complaints of price gouging.

President Bush just landed in San Antonio where he appeared with Mayor Phil Hardberger to discuss Hurricane Rita recovery efforts. Upon landing in Air Force One, President Bush said:

“The country and the world has seen the great compassion of the Texas people after Hurricane Katrina. Over 300,000 people moved east to west, and they found home here in Texas. And the city of San Antonio, Mr. Mayor, and Judge, was -- really rose up with great compassion. And I cannot thank you enough, and the people of this city enough, for providing safe haven for people whose lives were turned upside down by this terrific storm. And it made me so proud to be from the state of Texas, to see the Texans rise to the occasion.”

“Houses of worship and community groups and individuals who love their neighbor like they'd like to be loved themselves.”

“We're now dealing with another storm, and the state of Texas is prepared for and is now responding to the storm that's affecting East Texas. I briefed today up in Colorado about the federal government's response to the storm, and then went to Austin to be briefed by the state officials, to make sure that we're working in concert with the state. And then tomorrow morning General Clark is going to come over and brief me once again about how the federal government is helping the state of Texas and Louisiana recover. But at any rate, it's good to be back here. I'm proud of my fellow Texans, and I'm proud of the people of the San Antonio.”

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay also spoke with the Buzz today from the Texas Department of Public Safety. I started by asking Congressmen DeLay how he feels the response to Hurricane Rita has been so far:

“I think the response has been pretty spectacular in Texas. I can’t speak for Louisiana because I haven’t been there myself. But here in Texas, local, state and federal officials did exactly what they were trained to do.”

Up and down the Texas highway leading to Houston there are road-warning signs discouraging residents from returning. I asked DeLay when he thinks residents will be able to return to their homes:

“People will really start to be able to return tomorrow, though I think quite a few have started already.”

There is an ongoing debate within the Republican Party as to how to best response to the financial costs for the recovery effort after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Many Washington politicians from both parties have proposed massive spending on the relief effort. But DeLay doesn’t necessarily think this is the best route:

“My first feeling is to get the facts. Many who are claiming there is going to be a $200 billion price tag for Hurricane Katrina relief are just wrong. On top of that, private charities and local authorities are already spending great amounts of money on the relief effort.”

“At the same time, you have to respond appropriately to a disaster. And that is exactly what this is. But cutting from essential programs is not the answer. We need to continue to focus on growing the economy. Those who are advocating a rollback of the Medicare bill are the same ones who opposed it in the first place. John McCain has been advocating that we throw out the Highway Bill. That took us two years to complete. I don’t agree with him on his plan there. He was already voted against the Highway Bill, so I think you have to look at the facts.”

“We are looking at reconciliation and entitlement reform for the first time since 1997. We’ve already passed $35 billion in savings. And that’s real savings, not just slowing the cost of growth. We’ve cut 98 programs through discretionary spending. Right now, the deficit is 2.7% of the GDP. Overall spending is the lowest it’s been since Ford, Carter, Reagan or Bush 41. I don’t mention Clinton. That’s because the Republican Party was in charge then and we pushed through a lot of savings. It’s not as if we aren’t already constantly looking for ways to cut the fat in government.”

Texas Senator John Cornyn took a moment from his schedule today to speak with The Buzz at the Texas Department of Public Safety. I asked Senator Cornyn how he feels about the response so far to Hurricane Rita:

“I think the response has been pretty darn good. Washington DC is the kind of place where we have world-class finger pointing and love to place blame. Thankfully, we have professional people on the ground here solving problems on a real-time basis.”

When it comes to the financial costs associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Senator Cornyn said:

“Put me down as worried. I support the across the board cuts that were proposed by Senator Grassley. The problem is, we have a Congress that talks an awful lot about cutting programs and government waste. But when it comes to cutting those specific programs, in the end, nothing happens. What we don’t need is putting all the costs for this at the federal level. The taxpayer doesn’t need to be playing the role of all the king’s horses and all the king’s men putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

“A lot of these costs can be handled through private enterprise. I support President Bush’s idea of urban homesteading.”

Finally, I asked Senator Cornyn how Texas voters have responded in the first day of Hurricane Rita’s aftermath:

“I think there has been a collective sigh of relief. Though we’re concerned about the damage, I think most people are quite relieved that it has been a lot less damaging they it could have been. But there are still a lot of concerns about school finance issues and of course, gas prices. But Texans are a pretty hearty people. They are resourceful and will find a way through this.”

I'm at the Texas Department of public safety where President Bush just finished meeting with Rick Perry and local officials. Also in attendance were Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Cornyn, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff. The President spent about an hour meeting with officials to discuss the response to Hurricane Rita.

Tom DeLay is back in Sugar Land, Texas helping to coordinate the response to Rita. He is working to coordinate response efforts between state and local officials, including Governor Rick Perry, Houston Mayor Bill White and the Houston-area Congressional delegation.

I will be heading out to Austin this afternoon, where Texas Governor Rick Perry is coordinating the response to Hurricane Rita. I'll be on the ground taking pictures and gathering reports. Not sure what my ability will be to post with regularity this afternoon. Check back throughout the day for updates and reports from on the scene of Hurricane Rita's aftermath.

From President Bush's radio address this morning on responding to Hurricane Rita:

"This weekend I will visit U.S. Northern Command in Colorado where we're monitoring Hurricane Rita. As the hurricane continues along its destructive path, the American people can know courageous and dedicated men and women are responding to our citizens in need. We are marshaling resources of the federal government to save lives and property, and bring comfort to those who have evacuated because of this storm."

"Over the past week, federal, state and local governments have been closely coordinating their efforts for Hurricane Rita. The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA prepositioned food, water, ice, and emergency response teams, and helped with the evacuations in Texas and Louisiana. Military assets were also prepositioned so they could be deployed immediately after the storm passes."

"At this moment, the following Navy ships are in the region: the Iwo Jima, the Shreveport, the Tortuga, the Grapple, the Patuxent, and the Comfort. The Texas National Guard has activated its Guardsmen, nearly 3,500 so far, with more on call if they are needed. Coast Guard cutters, aircraft and helicopters are in place, ready to rescue, evacuate, and relocate civilians trapped by the storm. And additional Coast Guard air crews and aircraft are now arriving from around the country."

"We've also organized and identified civilian volunteers, including more than 200 doctors and more than 400 registered nurses. The American Red Cross is prepared to deliver hundreds of thousands of meals a day. Our government is taking every step possible to protect life and bring comfort to those affected."

President Bush visited FEMA headquarters in Washington this afternoon and delivered an updated on how the federal government is preparing for Hurricane Rita. From the president’s remarks:

"I'm going down to San Antonio to see the pre-positioned assets, understand the relationship -- or that the federal government's role is to support state and local governments. I want to watch that happen. Then I'm going to go out to our NORTHCOM headquarters to watch the interface between our United States military, and again the state and local authorities. Our job is to assist -- prepare for and assist the state and local people to save lives and to help these people get back on their feet."

"Again, I want to thank the people here in Washington who are working with the folks in the -- out in the field to do everything they possibly can to prepare for this second big storm that's coming into the Gulf of Mexico."

I’ve landed in Texas and am awaiting Rita’s arrival. Posting may be light for the rest of today as I get myself situated and look for news to bring your way. But continue to check throughout the weekend – I’ll be posting pictures and reports from on the scene.

Tomorrow morning I’m flying back to Texas. I’ll be reporting throughout the weekend and early next week on Hurricane Rita. I’ll be speaking with members of Congress on the scene, local officials and the actual people on the ground.

Stay tuned over the weekend, as I’ll be posting both reports and pictures throughout the day.

In terms of how FEMA is preparing for Hurricane Rita, the Washington Post reports,
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency positioned 45 truckloads of water and ice and 25 truckloads of Meals Ready to Eat at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. More than 400 medical workers and 14 urban search-and-rescue teams, comprising 744 people, have been stationed in Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth. 'The most important thing that we're doing is work with the Department of Defense to use their assets up front before the storm instead of waiting until after the storm lands,' said acting FEMA Director R. David Paulison."

In addition to President Bush’s declaration of a state of emergency in Louisiana and Texas, the Homeland Security Department has declared Rita an “incident of national significance.” As the AP reports, the move allowed Homeland Security to begin, “officially releasing a quick and massive federal response to the destruction now expected to exceed state and local capabilities. The storm was expected to strike the Texas coast by early Saturday. Such a federal designation for Katrina was not triggered until a day after that storm hit three weeks ago.”

President Bush has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Texas in advance of Hurricane Rita. He has also spoken with Governors Kathleen Blanco and Rick Perry to discuss hurricane preparations.

In addition, FEMA Director David Paulison said, “We're going to make sure this time, to make sure we have all those resources available,"

Reliapundit has one idea for making potentially good use of the Kelo decision- Use it to rebuild New Orleans:

"Vast tracts of fouled … New Orleans property should be bought by a federal government trust - (overseen by the likes of Paul Volker and Colin Powell and Rudy Giuliani and Tommy Franks and Mario Cuomo and Paul Ueberroth and real estate developers Hovnanian, Trump and Rudin)."

"Then -- after a master plan is developed, with new state of the art utility, port, and communications infrastructure mapped out and financed by the commission -- neighborhoods should be put up for competitive bidding by private developers."

"The private developers would submit master plans of their neighborhood redevelopment - which would have to conform to the federal master plan for the overall city and the neighborhood. And their redevelopment plans would have to conform to historical architectural standards set up by the commission to protect the character of the city."

Me: I think this idea has one point of merit. Thousands of residents do not plan on returning to New Orleans. I still haven’t heard what will become of their properties. First, you have to assume some of those not returning owned their property and were not renting. Second, if they owned property and do not plan to return, this would open up the possibility of their property being purchased and developed. The same goes for commerical and other residential property owners who do not want to rebuild. But I still don’t think the local, state or federal government needs to facilitate this. They will already be providing aid and compensation to flood victims. Perhaps another reason a Colin Powell or Rudy Giuliani type oversight figure could be helpful?

Committee attendance has been pretty light this morning. Ranking member Pat Leahy is preparing to speak on John Roberts before the full Senate, so he is not in attendance. The only Democrat to appear so far has been Joe Biden, who entered the meeting late and had to leave immediately after asking his first and only question. On the GOP side, Chairman Arlen Specter is the only Republican who has been in attendance the entire time. Jon Kyl is now in attendance, as is Chuck Grassley.

However, just like with yesterday’s hearing, the public seating section is full and the backflow is at its capacity as well.

In his statement this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Congressman Curt Weldon said:

“I have never alleged any wrong doing, conspiracy or cover-up. However, I have been bewildered by the response to Able Danger – both by the 9-11 Commission and the Pentagon.”

“Fundamental questions need to be answered: Why was Able Danger a historically insignificant event even thought we knew that Al Qaeda was responsible for the1993 Bombing on World Trade Center, the Khobar Towers, the Embassy Bombings in Africa, the USS Cole? Who ordered the destruction of 2.5 terabytes of data about Al Qaeda and why? And why wasn’t the customer at SOCOM ever consulted or briefed? Who stopped the meetings between the FBI and Able Danger personnel in September 2000 and why? What was the extent of the 3-hour brief provided to General Shelton in January 2001 regarding Able Danger? Why did the 9/11 Commission change their response several times when queried about Able Danger and attempt to spin Able Danger based on misinformation? Why have threats been made to Able Danger witnesses who were simply telling their stories?”

“As it stands now, the 9/11 story has not been fully examined and told. The families of the victims and the American people deserve answers and we must not stop until we get them.”

The Able Danger hearing has just begun before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Congressman Curt Weldon is the first witness to appear before the committee. Arlen Specter is going through his introduction of Weldon right now and is reassuring committee members and those in attendance that no classified information will be revealed.

During our phone conversation I asked Jerry Kilgore to describe the level of support he is receiving from state and national Republicans.

“President Bush has been very supportive. He’s come down here to help raise money. The vice president has been down here as well. George Allen has been a tremendous ally. And John Warner, who my family is close to, has been very supportive as well.”

Kilgore got his start in politics working on grassroots campaigning in the late 70’s and early 80’s. And he plans to use that experience to help get out the conservative vote during the final weeks of the campaign. “My first experience was working on President Reagan’s presidential campaign. I’m going to use a strategy that’s very similar to George Bush’s in Ohio during the 2004 campaign. I’ve been working with the RNC on micro targeting blocks of voters. We’ve also been working on absentee balloting. The more we can discuss conservative issues with the voters, the more they will see the differences between Tim Kaine and me. I hope that national conservatives will see the importance of this race as well. The DNC has already put $1.5 million into this race to support Tim Kaine. The MoveOn people are down here at festivals and parades trying to garner liberal support. If we can get that kind of support from a national conservative audience that would be very helpful.”

What’s more, Kilgore points out Kaine is accepting this help from the far left while trying to maintain his desired image as a centrist Democrat. “He’s Howard Dean’s great Southern experiment. Democrats are seeing if this sort of campaign works for them and if they can take it to the national level in 2006. Tim Kaine has accepted help from all these groups but then tries to distance himself from them. You don’t see any mention of Howard Dean or MoveOn on his website or from his campaign.”

Kilgore adds that during their recent debate, Kaine tried to sidestep a question regarding whether he would support Hillary Clinton for president in 2008. So, I decided to see if Kilgore himself wanted to sidestep the 2008 question. As it turns out, his preference, much like his supporters, are crystal clear.

“George Allen is my preference. I think he’d make a phenomenal president. If he chooses to run, whatever he needs me to do, I’ll do.”

In the meantime, Jerry Kilgore has an election to run. He has a plan in place, support from conservatives and momentum appears to be on his side. In 49 days, we’ll know for sure.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to speak with Jerry Kilgore, who is running to be the next Governor of Virginia. Kilgore has been consistently leading Democrat opponent/Lieutenant Governor Tim Kaine in the polls, but it’s a close race nonetheless.

Tim Kaine has tried portraying himself to voters as the next Mark Warner, aka a moderate Democrat. However, Kaine has received an “F” rating from the NRA, opposes the death penalty and has described himself as a “proud liberal.”

As Jerry Kilgore told me, “This is the most philosophically different race in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as opposed to most gubernatorial races where Democrats will offer up a more middle of the road candidate.”

I asked Kilgore on what areas of Kaine’s record he will focus during the campaign’s final 49 days. “His is against the death penalty and favors gun control. Not only did he receive an ‘F’ rating from the NRA, but he used taxpayer money to bus in supporters to the Million Mom March. I’ll be focusing on the issue of taxes as well and of course transportation issues and illegal immigration.”

Kilgore points out that Kaine’s record on illegal immigration runs in opposition to the views held not just by most Virginians, but by most Americans. “I’m more along the lines of Governors Napolitano and Richardson who realize there is a real problem here with security and jobs that needs to be addressed. Meanwhile, Tim Kaine has supported day labor sites and wants to avoid the issue.”

During the hearing, Orrin Hatch discussed the idea of creating state ombudsmen to oversee eminent domain issues. Utah has such an ombudsman, who received credit from both from eminent domain defenders like Columbia University law professor Thomas Merrill and critics such as George Mason law professor Steven Eagle. The notion is that such an ombudsman would oversee eminent domain cases to ensure that they rise to an acceptable standard of “public good” before being enacted.

Everyone on the witness panel and in particular on the Judiciary Committee seems to agree that there are instances where the use of eminent domain is justified. As Merrill pointed out, city planners may need to exercise this power when creating new levees in cities like New Orleans. Granted, there are some critics who feel local, state or federal governments should have no such power. But the vast majority of people likely agree that the solution is not in removing eminent domain in its entirety but rather finding a commonsense solution that seeks to limit its scope and that requires a greater degree of fairness in its application.

In the interests of fairness, it’s worth noting not everyone at today’s committee was there to criticize the Kelo decision. Out of the seven individuals who delivered testimony, the Judiciary Committee allowed two witnesses who believe the negative reaction to the Kelo decision has been disproportionate to its actual ramifications. One such witness was Hartford, Connecticut Mayor Eddie Perez.

Appearing on behalf of the National League of Cities, Perez told the committee:

“Once we get past the hype, two important points stand out. First, eminent domain is a powerful economic development tool used sparingly that helps cities create jobs, grow business and strengthen neighborhoods. No locally-elected official whom I know would use eminent domain to undermine the integrity of or confidence in homeownership in his or her community. For urban America and communities of color, in particular, homeownership is the ticket to the American Dream. Second, if Congress were to pass legislation to hamstring state and local governments from using eminent domain, in some of our poorest communities I believe that we would have fewer people becoming homeowners, which means fewer participants in the Administration’s concept of an ‘ownership society.’”

“The Supreme Court’s decision opened rather than settled the debate on the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes. It touched a raw nerve for most people about the boundaries between property rights of individuals and the authority of government. From the resulting fury, however, the Court’s opinion creates opportunities like this morning’s hearing for municipalities to contribute to a necessary national discussion about eminent domain.”

For anyone note familiar, Susette Kelo is the lead plaintiff in the recent Supreme Court decision, Kelo vs. City of New London. Kelo purchased a Victorian home in Fort Trumball Connecticut in 1997. After making “significant improvements” to the home, the New London Development Corporation announced its decision in 2000 to exercise their power of eminent domain, which compelled Kelo and her family to leave their home. Though she lost her case before the Court, Kelo remains an advocate for changing eminent domain policy.

Ms. Kelo told the committee:

“I sincerely hope that Congress will do what judges and local legislators so far have refused to do for me and thousands of people like me across the nation: protect our homes under a plain reading of the U.S. Constitution. Federal lawmakers should pass legislation that will withhold federal development funding for cities that abuse eminent domain for private development – such as the one that could take my home, which received $2 million in federal funds. What we have now at the local, state and federal level amounts to “government by the highest bidder,’ and that has got to stop.”

Even though Pat Leahy was the only Democrat in attendance this morning, he offered his support for placing restrictions on Kelo. Leahy told the committee and Susette Kelo, “Ms. Kelo, I am one of probably millions of Americans who were distressed when we learned your story and who are concerned about what happened to you. I intend to work with others on this Committee to fashion some solutions – some better, fairer, and more sensible ways for local governments to use, and not use, the significant powers they have over property owners.”

As most of you probably already know, Cindy Sheehan is coming to Washington DC this weekend to participate in a large anti-Bush, anti-Iraq protest on the National Mall.

What you may not know is that several groups who support our president and the liberation of Iraq are organizing counter protests for this weekend as well. One of those groups is Red State, who has put up a site addressing the issue. If you are going to be in Washington this weekend, or want to offer your support, check out this link to find out more information. I’ll be there covering both sides of this issue.

I just returned from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing “Investigating Taking of Homes and other Private Property” in response to the Supreme Court’s Kelo decision.

The seven rows of public seating were filled to capacity, with virtually every free inch of backflow space taken up as well. The majority in attendance are opposed to the Kelo decision, as witnessed by their “Hands off My Home” t-shirts. Six Republican from the committee were in attendance, including Chairman Arlen Specter, Orrin Hatch, Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions, John Cornyn and Sam Brownback. The only Democrat in attendance was ranking member Pat Leahy.

Senator Cornyn was actually the first to testify before the committee, describing what he called an issue that has “brought together people across the ideological spectrum” in opposition to the Court’s decision. Cornyn noted, “I have received more phone calls and mail on this than decisions concerning the 10 Commandments.” Cornyn also noted his introduction of Senate Bill 1313, co-sponsored with Democrat Senator Bill Nelson and 28 co-sponsors, which seeks to limits Kelo’s reach.

John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jane Harman and Curt Weldon co-author an op-ed in today’s Washington Post calling for substantial improvements to first responder’s ability to communicate during a crisis. From 9/11 to Katrina, problems with cell-phone communication and other systems hampered the ability of first responders to coordinate rescue efforts. From the op-ed:

“With all the technology innovations of recent years, how is it that first responders, those we depend on when disaster strikes, are still unable to adequately communicate with each other during an emergency, while we are able to watch the crisis unfold on our television sets? It's because public officials have yet to get serious about developing and funding a safety communications system for all local, state and federal first responders. This reality became all too clear during the bungled response to Katrina.”

“The federal government needs to develop a comprehensive, interoperable emergency communications plan and set equipment standards, fund the purchase of emergency and interoperable communications equipment, and provide additional radio spectrum that will allow first responders to communicate over long distances using the same radio frequencies and equipment.”

President Bush today publicly questioned New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s plan for returning residents to New Orleans. Bush said he is concerned Hurricane Rita could add additional rainwater to the city. Bush said:

"We want this city to re-emerge. As I said, I can't imagine America without a vibrant New Orleans. It's just a matter of timing. We're cautious about encouraging people to return at this moment of history."

Bush added he has been warned that the added rainwater could cause the city’s levees to become breached again, "We have made our position loud and clear. The mayor is working hard. The mayor _ you know, he's got this dream about having a city up and running, and we share that dream. But we also want to be realistic about some of the hurdles and obstacles that we all confront in repopulating New Orleans."

Democrats on the Judiciary Committee spent last week questioning John Roberts over whether or not he would be an “ideologue” if appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Roberts repeatedly offered his assurance and evidence that he would interpret the law not seek to politicize it. However, some Democrats on the committee, including Dick Durbin, acknowledge they are playing politics with Roberts’ nomination. From the L.A. Times:

“For many Democrats, the decision is about much more than whether they believe Roberts is qualified to lead the Supreme Court. And it's about more than how their constituents and supporters want them to vote. It is about how to maximize their influence while in the minority, especially with a second seat vacant on the court.”

“Should they vote against Roberts to remind the White House that they still have enough votes to filibuster if they find the next nominee more of a conservative ideologue than Roberts appears to be? Or should they vote for Roberts so that they will appear more reasonable and less partisan if they decide to block the second nominee?”

"’That's a critical part of this conversation,’" said Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senate's No. 2 Democrat and a committee member. ‘We understand that this is the first of two vacancies on a court that's so evenly divided that one bad choice … could have an impact for a long time.’"

Appearing on Fox News Sunday yesterday, Lindsey Graham had high praise for John Roberts. In fact, Graham says Roberts may not just be a strong addition to the current Court, but may be the best ever:

“This guy is brilliant. America has seen one of the great legal minds in the history of the nation. He has acquitted himself well. If we use an objective test of qualifications, integrity and character in preparation for the job, he should get an overwhelming vote like Ginsberg and Scalia … I think he'll be an outstanding justice, maybe the best in the history of the country.”

President Bush will meet with Bill Frist, Harry Reid, Arlen Specter and Pat Leahy this Wednesday to discuss the Supreme Court replacement for Sandra Day O’Conner.

The Associcated Press says “possible replacements” include:

"Federal appellate judges Edith Clement, Edith Hollan Jones and Emilio Garza. Also mentioned have been judges J. Michael Luttig, Samuel A. Alito Jr., James Harvie Wilkinson III and Michael McConnell, lawyer Miguel Estrada, former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.”