'Petraeus Report' will become a reality today

After a long Saturday night out on the Tulane frat-party scene in an attempt to investigate ALTL's Michael Cera rumors, I've recovered from all those Rock Star-vodkas and servings of Pike vat to make to work this AM, in plenty of time to get my Head Pelican on.

Of course, all the blogs and cable news networks will be buzzing about none other than the long awaited Petraeus testimony before Congress today. At last we have reached the day that so many of our favorite pols have been alluding to and the Loser Lobby of MoveOn.org leadership will more-likely-than-not ignore completely no matter what the content of the report. As the New York Times reported this weekend, the anti-war movement is now nothing short of a K Street-tapping lobby. There are many very wealthy people in this country who want us to lose the war.

General David Petraeus, the top commander of troops in Iraq, is likely to tell Congress today that while political instability in Iraq has not necessary been aided by the troop surge, there have been considerable military successes as a result of the surge. [WAFB]

My point is that whether Gen. Petraeus testifies that there is nothing but peace and harmony and democracy and equality for all in Iraq or that nothing has changed, the surge was a waste, and Bush should be impeached, the reaction of the anti-war lobbied liberals in Congress will be the same. This testimony means nothing to them. Almost as soon as it was announced that the surge would continue until Petraeus would report to Congress at the end of the summer (today) the Democrats began putting words into the General's mouth all summer long, saying that the surge wasn't working and that the war was lost.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how they all react after Gen. Petraeus reports. My "favorite" reaction, at least in terms of the Senate, will undoubtedly be that of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who always has something silly to say.

Rumormill

Overheard today at Paris Parker on Prytania, Michael Cera of Arrested Development and Superbad fame is allegedly a freshman at Tulane this year.

I call bullshit. A facebook search reveals nothing to that nature and the only time Cera's name and Tulane are linked together in a google search is when Cera is mentioned on a blog where a Tulane prof contributes.

Fluff Report

It's a beautiful Saturday, take your dog for a walk or lay out poolside and enjoy the day. So, here are some light stories to think about on this beautiful day:

- CILFs: Reps. Mary Bono (R-CA) and Connie Mack (R-FL) are engaged! [Scripps]

- Department of the Rich Keep Getting Richer: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) wins the lottery for the 3rd time. WTF! [YahooNews]



- Krystal Department: Would you kick this girl off the plane? Hooters waitress Kyla Ebbert was told her outfit was too inappropriate for Southwest Airlines by a male flight attendant. Yesterday, the 23 year-old college student appeared on The Today Show and modeled the outfit she was wearing at the time of the incident. I wonder if she was in the A, B, or C-cup boarding groups? [MSNBC]

Looking for something to do tonight or tomorrow?

Hit up One Eyed Jack's for "Twelfth Night...the drinking game."

One of ALTR's friends stars in it, and I intend to be there this weekend to see if helping him practice all those lines has paid off. And also hoping that there will be some hot men in tights on the stage. Click the the flyer below for more info.

Doors open at 6:30 pm, the show starts at 7. Tickets are $7 at the door, cash only. This is showing every Friday and Saturday night until the 28th of the month, so expect many more reminders over the next few weeks. One Eyed Jack's is located at 615 Toulouse (Toulouse & Chartres, that's 1 block off Decatur).



Presented by The Legitimate Theater Company.

whaaaaaat?

Somehow I missed the boat, but Sammy Kershaw is running for Lt. Governor. Whoa.

I only stumbled upon this with my random updating of the Secretary of State's Election Candidate Data Inquiry. Thanks, dangerblond!

Interesting indeed.

And who is this Andrew Gressett character who filed in District 5? More to come on that one...

Saints v. Colts, who?

Everyone is gearing up for the big game tonight. ALTL feels like a loner in her office building in her professional clothes while everyone else is rocking their Saints jerseys and other assorted black and gold. One associate proceeded to type the Who Dat cheer in an e-mail to me. All I can do until the work day is over is play Starship Saints.

In other news...

• Will Nagin run for governor? While we won't know until the end of the business day, atleast the mayor is "having great fun with this." What a tease, that Ray Ray. No one has seen his shiny head show up at the secretary of state's office yet, but there is still time. Speaking of, John Georges hasn't made his bid for the governor's throne official yet, either. Hmmm... [NOLA.com]
  
• While Senator Vitter has taken to rebuffing the comments that the calls for Senator Craig's resignation and not his own in a partisan double-standard, he has been featured in a DCC ad attacking the Republican Moral High Ground.
  
• More on the Larry Craig nonsense: Politico says Craig should not resign, but force the Senate to expel him. In the meantime, the American Land Rights Association has boycotted the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in their support for Craig.
  
• To top it all off, more young girls are killing themselves than ever before. [WWL]
  

Scruggs, like whoa

Dickie Scruggs is all over the place lately, as a confidential informant and working with whistle-blower, side-switchers from State Farm. But it's all for the greater good, right? I mean, he fought big tobacco!

I had no idea that he was Trent Lott's brother-in-law.

Rock on, Mississippi.

[h/t Iced Coffee and a Bagel]

gay gay gay

With all the gay tendencies being exhibited by the GOP lately what with the dirty online talk of Congressman Mark Foley and a male page, good ol' State Rep. Bob Allen offering to perform blow jobs in bathrooms, President of the Young Republicans Glenn Murphy, Jr. giving a hummer to a guy that was asleep, and of course the now infamous Senator Larry Craig.

Maybe the party should consider having the Republican National Convention or some leadership conference in New Orleans alongside Southern Decadence. That way no one can falsely accuse said party leaders of wrongful acts because, well, everyone is doing it. My first year I saw one dude tossing another's salad in the streets. If they want to stick with anonymity, then hell, wear some leather mask, as the leather daddies and their bitches are welcome.

Tucker Carlson and his other fag stomping buddies can work security at the strictly hetero bars. However, Michael Flory is not invited, to distance himself from the rampant gayness, he will again assault young girls, what with the long weekend and the incoming freshman girls having their first weekend in New Orleans sans parents. Special guest appearance by Senator David Vitter, who will lecture on diaper wearing, hookers, and how these are not gay. Maybe Senator Craig can be named some sort of Grand Marshall or VIP, after he resigns and/or comes out of the closet.

more Hurricane Katrina insurance matters...

5th Circuit rules for Nationwide in Katrina case. Take home message:

The company says its anti-concurrent causation provision works this way: If a policyholder has wind coverage and not flood insurance, then the company is not responsible for damage that comes from a combination of wind and water. A ruling that the clause is ambiguous could have been used against the company in lawsuits involving so-called "slab cases," in which a home was reduced to its foundation, Hartwig said.

As noted in a previous post, the federal court has also ruled that insurance companies are not liable for flood damage - the court did not distinguish between the flood as a result of the levees being overcome (water topping the levees) and the levees being breached (levees were broken and let water through). However, there is a pending case in the state court going to trial in September that may reverse the decision.

And although I am a bit belated in posting this, following the previous LA Citizens discussion, here is the link to their, uh, press release, if you will, confirming their extension of the prescription deadline to September 4 and the other details to go along with it.

Anyone who calls in sick to your office this AM has a Decadence hangover, there is no other explanation...

Since Southern Decadence will likely cause alot of "de-briefing" this weekend, here's a morning briefing:

● Where there's smoke, there's fire. At least this anti-HRC Republican hopes anyway. Some Asian-Americans are angry at the GOP for commenting on the fundraising Clinton scandal. [Politico]

● The NAACP challenges Secretary of State Jay Dardenne's voter purge. Only in Louisiana can dead people and Texans vote. That is, if the NAACP gets its way.[International Herald Tribune]

● It's Turd Blossom's last day in the White House. [WAFB]

● Oh, the irony. McCain qualifies for FEC welfare, interpreted by some as a desperate move. Ironically, this is of the same sort of election reform the senator pushed in the early years of the Bush administration. ALTR really hopes the man has some tricks up his sleeve...[Also from Politico]

● The Larry Craig interrogation tapes are ready for your consumption in a porno-frenzy we haven't seen since the Starr Report. Yes, you liberal sicko, I have a link for you: hear it at TSG. CNN played some of the tape's "greatest hits" over and over again this morning much to ALTR's chagrin during my morning primp session. Larry Craig might not be gay, but his boyfriend is. [MoJo]