With everything going on this week, I nearly forgot something.

One year ago on September 2nd, the GayPatriot blog was born. Our Sitemeter stats reflect a September 4th start date.. it took me two days to figure that out. Here was my first posting. I think the writing has gotten better. *laughing*

Thanks to all of the GP readers for your support, both moral and financial, during this very interesting year of my life.

I would like especially thank John (PatriotPartner) for his never-ending support and patience with me as I’ve discovered this new hobby of mine. Thanks also to PatriotMom for always being there… I see she has become an active participant lately!

And of course, I have to thank my partner-in-blog, Dan (GayPatriotWest). Thanks for everything Dan! And a special welcome and thank you to the newest member of our GayPatriot team, “Webmaster Jay.”

Thanks to VtheK, NorthDallasThirty, Christian Grantham, Rainbow Resistance, and the other “early adopters”.

Oh, and thanks to Chris Barron-Edwards for putting the blog on the map. *friendly dig*

Finally, I have been very lucky to have had the support of some of the blogosphere’s top movers-and-shakers, including Glenn Reynolds, Roger L. Simon, Stephen Green at Vodkapundit, BoiFromTroy, Tim Blair, Michelle Malkin, PoliPundit, DJ Drummond, Lorie Byrd, Patrick Ruffini, Jonah Goldberg at The Corner, Bridget and Dirty Harry at GOPVixen, Dean Esmay, and the guys at LittleGreenFootballs and Powerline as well as countless others!

One year down…. many more to follow…..

-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com

Michael at GayOrbit is keeping his posting front and center about sharing housing for gay and lesbian victims of Katrina.

Another option, if you have a spare room in your house in any part of the USA…. sign up at KatrinaHomes.org (now being run by the American Red Cross). I have emailed the administrator and suggested that a category for gays & lesbians be added. Just thought it might be a helpful suggestion.

If any of you know of friends/relatives who need a place to stay, please let me know and I’ll do my best to put them in touch with the right people.

-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com

“Dad…thanks for taking me to the dog park. Now where’s the food?”

“That looks like a liberal dog over there that needs a talkin’ to…”

“Put the damn camera away and pet me!”

Thanks to GP Reader Jennifer for this very interesting story. Tim Gill, featured in the article, gives a TON of money to Log Cabin Republicans, Human Rights Campaign, and other gay rights organizations. He and Republican Governor Bill Owen stood side-by-side at a press conference this week to raise money for the hurricane victims.

Red Cross Collects $4 Million from Coloradans – 9news.com

Software pioneer Tim Gill and his Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado was one of the million-dollar donors. To encourage small donors, Gill is offering to match individual donations from Coloradans up to $250 dollars through September 25th.

Gov. Bill Owens (R – Colorado) urged Coloradoans to take advantage of the offer. “Today, we’re not Republicans or Democrats. We’re standing together, shoulder to shoulder, as Americans eager to help Americans in need.”

LINK HERE for the video of the press conference.

Thanks Jennifer!!

-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com

I’ve asked Webmaster Jay to add Chris’ “Day By Day” Cartoon to the bottom of the page. How have I missed out on this?!?

Story confirmed by the Liberal Queen herself, The New York Times.

Law Officers, Overwhelmed, Are Quitting The Force – NYT

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 3 – Reeling from the chaos of this overwhelmed city, at least 200 New Orleans police officers have walked away from their jobs and two have committed suicide, police officials said on Saturday.

Some officers told their superiors they were leaving, police officials said. Others worked for a while and then stopped showing up. Still others, for reasons not always clear, never made it in after the storm.

The absences come during a period of extraordinary stress for the New Orleans Police Department. For nearly a week, many of its 1,500 members have had to work around the clock, trying to cope with flooding, an overwhelming crush of refugees, looters and occasional snipers.

New York’s police and firefighters ran into the World Trade Center and stayed at Ground Zero for weeks. New Orleans Police ran away from their duties and complain they have been working for five days straight.

There are many reasons. Here is one… hands-on leadership under fire versus covering your ass.

-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com

JunkYardBlog is doing a fine job exposing the New Orleans scandal. Buses used to take Democrats to the polls every election day sit under water today… meaning they were unused after Mayor Nagin issued his “mandatory” evacuation order last Sunday at President Bush’s urging.

Here is one section of the city with hundreds of unused buses.

And here is another.

Now the truth comes out further from, of all places, the Washington Post. Governor Blanco refused to hand over the evacuation to Federal authorities despite pleading from the Bush Administration. (Hat tip: VtheK)

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight [last] Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state’s emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. “Quite frankly, if they’d been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals,” said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

So the Governor and the Mayor were more concerned about who would be blamed in advance of the catastrophe rather than caring about using all resources available to save their citizens’ lives?? The ironic thing is that by refusing to allow the Feds in until Wednesday, instead of last Sunday, the truth is coming out and thousands of deaths are on the watch of Blanco and Nagin.

A senior administration official said that Bush has clear legal authority to federalize National Guard units to quell civil disturbances under the Insurrection Act and will continue to try to unify the chains of command that are split among the president, the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

Further, as I reported before, it was President Bush… not Blanco or Nagin… who had to demand the evacuation of New Orleans on Sunday.

I’m sure that the President and FEMA assumed that New Orleans and state officials would follow their own evacuation plans, especially since they refused Federal help on Sunday. And that they would use the buses to save lives that are normally used to make sure Democrats get to the polls on time every four years.

Blanco and Nagin should be impeached.

-Bruce (GayPatriot) – gaypatriot2004@aol.com