Katrina By The Numbers

Over at Think Progress, they've taken a look at just how well the media has tackled the elephant in the room:

By the Numbers: In Katrina’s Wake, Race and Class Largely Ignored

“That’s the big elephant in the room: the race and economic class of most of the victims, which the media hasn’t discussed much at all.”– Jack Cafferty, CNN, 9/1/05

ThinkProgress has conducted a review of transcripts from the three major cable news networks over a full week — Saturday, Auguest 28 to Saturday, September 3 — for coverage of the race and class issues exposed in Katrina’s wake. The data demonstrates clearly that all three networks are still, to a greater or lesser extent, ignoring the “elephant in the room.”

The Findings, By the Numbers

Over at My Left Wing, teacherken has posted (crossposted at Kos) a diary about Katrina's effects on education and No Child Left Behind, based on an article at Huffington Post. This is a must-read:

Hurricane Katrina is being used to make schools “fail.” That is the only conclusion one can draw from the decision of Secretary Spellings that the children dislocated by Hurricane Katrina will still have to sit for the tests required under No Child Left Behind.

Look, Margaret Spellings is no more qualified than I am to be Secretary of Education but even I understand that these children's needs are greater than keeping NCLB on track. Apparently she feels more duty-bound to NCLB than to the children.

Jesse Lee over at DCCC catches Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr. in a lie.

And Howard weighs in about the Estate Tax vote.