Storming on in Louisiana, Partying on in Tampa
Republicans and Racists Celebrate While Louisiana Floods

(New Orleans, LA) — Hurricane Isaac came ashore late Tuesday night, and while it is now a tropical storm, Isaac is still causing headaches for the region. Its slow-moving track means the headaches will linger.

The city of New Orleans appears to have been spared from catastrophic damage, though some flooding was reported. The flooding apparently was caused by flash flooding, not levee breaches.

Its suburbs, however, have not been so lucky. Neighborhoods in LaPlace and Slidell, which don't usually flood, are under water.

Braithwaite, located in Plaquemines Parish, experienced ten-foot high floodwaters as a storm surge overtopped its levees. The levees were not part of the $14.5 billion strengthening project undertaken in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which hit on August 29, 2005, seven years before Hurricane Isaac. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued, and 1900 out of its 2000 residents heeded the warning. The other 100, who chose to stay behind, were rescued yesterday as conditions deteriorated.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D-LA) instituted a curfew and warned that looters would face at least three years in prison.

"If you loot, you get an orange suit," Landrieu said.

"And you'll be legitimately raped to boot!" added a Landrieu spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Convention continued in earnest in Tampa, Florida, though the plight of those in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region seemed to be on the minds of many attendees and reporters.

Yahoo! News fired David Chalian, its Washington bureau chief, when he was caught on an open microphone saying presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA) and his wife, Ann, were "happy to have a party with black people drowning."

Yahoo! released a statement calling Chalian's remarks "inappropriate" and saying that they had apologized to the Romney campaign, Romney supporters, and others who were offended.

"What was so offensive?" asked a Romney spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In another allegedly racist incident, African-American camerawoman Patricia Carroll faced down two convention attendees as they pelted her with peanuts while saying, "This is how we feed animals."

The convention released a statement saying, "Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

"It was completely unbelievable that this occurred here and now," said a Republican spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I mean, just because the conference attendees are 90% white, that doesn't mean the other 10% should be taunted. Well, at least not here, and not on a keynote night."