Katrina update and more

Jeff Suppan picked up his 13th win in the Marlins game as the Cards won 10-5 with a rain delay.

Evan Bayh stumps in South Carolina. He also agreed to be there with John Warner when John Roberts goes through confirmation hearings.

Bayh says he knows South Carolina, which is the third contest after Iowa and New Hampshire, could play a big role in securing the Democratic nomination.

The former Indiana governor rallied top Democrats at a reception honoring past and present party leaders in the South Carolina congressional delegation, telling them he know what it will take for Democrats to win back control.

He said Indiana has a lot in common with South Carolina, including "the values in our respective states and the economic challenges that we face and of course as Democrats it's always a little up hill in places like South Carolina and Indiana. I think that might give us a special kinship as well."

In breaking news, Harry Connick, Jr. has returned home to New Orleans to help. The Superdome evacuation has been put on hold thanks to people shooting at military helicopters. I'm looking at video on MSNBC right now and nothing looks good. This is our worst natural disaster. Why are people looting when they should get to higher ground and get out of New Orleans. The search and rescue is becoming law and order.

In Fletcher news, six lawmakers are seeking a full report.

The grand jury report, they said, should then be considered by the bipartisan leadership of the House to determine whether the governor's conduct justifies consideration for impeachment.

"The public needs to be told the truth," Sen. Ernesto Scorsone of Lexington said in a news conference. Joining him were Sen. Julian Carroll of Frankfort, Rep. Kathy Stein of Lexington and Louisville Reps. Darryl Owens, Jim Wayne and Mary Lou Marzian.

The six stopped short of calling for Fletcher's resignation, saying facts should be gathered now.

They were critical of the Republican governor's decision earlier this week to issue blanket pardons to nine current or former officials indicted on charges of violating state personnel laws.

Assistant Attorney General Scott Crawford-Sutherland, who is working with the grand jury, has said the panel will continue its investigation despite Fletcher's pardons.

The Democratic lawmakers yesterday also criticized Fletcher for refusing this week to testify before the grand jury by invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

"Fletcher can't claim to be accountable and take the Fifth at the same time," Scorsone said.

Crisis management is now beginning in DC for New Orleans. However, part of the levee failure appears to be the fault of the administration as they took funding for FEMA and dropped it off at the Pentagon's mailbox for Iraq. Not cool. The levees were not high enough for the storm surge. As a result, they broke. However, this does not mean you blame the president for the actual hurricane itself. However, he should be blamed for cutting FEMA's funding and not cutting his vacation short on Sunday.

Yes, my thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Trent Lott. His Pascagoula was destroyed by the storm surge and high winds. This will take a long time to clean up.

Lott's press secretary, Susan Irby, said Lott and his wife were driving to Pascagoula yesterday to search for personal effects that may have survived the storm. "He's among the many who have losses, and it has been a very emotional thing," she said.

Among those was Democratic Rep. Gene Taylor, whose district includes Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and other devastated areas of southern Mississippi. Taylor's home in Bay St. Louis, to the west of Gulfport, was destroyed.

Taylor's press secretary, Courtney Littig, said Taylor and his son reached the site by flat-bottom boat Tuesday to confirm that his home had been leveled.

Other lawmakers were still unsure how their homes had fared. Rep. William L. Jefferson (D-La.), who represents an area on the eastern side of New Orleans, left with his family before Katrina hit and has not been able to get back.

Spokeswoman Melanie Roussell said that Jefferson lives on a natural levee that did not have flooding problems before, but that it was "most likely" it had suffered damage this time.

Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) sought refuge with his family in Baton Rouge and has not been able to check on the condition of his house in a New Orleans suburb, his office said.

Just like after 9/11, we have to unite to help our American brothers and sisters in the south. Other countries are coming to our aid.

The latest Coldplay CD has inspired one popular boy band singer named Justin Timberlake to change his musical direction.

The singer has spent hours trying to learn their latest single "Fix You," and wants to try his hand at writing some Coldplay-style tracks of his own.

He says, "It's completely inspiring. I love that record and I'm still trying to learn it.

A source adds, "Justin's started working on his new album and has a track which is piano-led and very Coldplay-like.

It is a good album but that's the least of our worries right now.