Sandy Berger was sentenced today to 100 hours community service and two years probation. He will also pay $6,905 to cover the administrative costs associated with his probation. (CNN)

In addition Sandy Berger must give up access to classified government materials for a three year period and pay a fine five times more than what prosecutors asked for.

Judge Deborah Robinson set the fine at $50,000 saying:

The court finds the fine is inadequate because it doesn’t reflect the seriousness of the offense.

(FOX News)

Please read both news stories. Note that CNN mentions nothing about the increase in the fine or why it was increased…

Welcome Blogs for Bush readers! Please look around…

I don’t have a transcript (anyone know where one might be?) but there were a couple questions yesterday from the press that seemed a little, well, off…

One reporter asked Mike Brown what he had to say about Nancy Pelosi’s call for his resignation and/or firing. He said that it was up to the President. A second reporter asked if he had submitted his resignation. He said that he serves at the pleasure of the President of the United States.

Then we get to what was really off:

A reporter asked him why Operation Blessing was on the FEMA list of approved charities on their website. Mr. Brown said that apparently, one of his staffers had checked it out and added it. The reporter then went on to say (paraphrase) : Operation Blessing is run by Pat Robertson, do you think it should be there?

It seems to me that the reporter was “suggesting” that because of Pat Robertson’s admittedly stupid remarks about Hugo Chavez, the charity, Operation Blessing, (on whose board Pat Robertson sits) should not be approved to assist in the relief effort.

In the words of General Honore, “That’s B.S.”

Pat Robertson is on the Board. That’s it. One member. That doesn’t disqualify the charity.

The About Us section (first graf):

Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Since 1978, Operation Blessing International has touched the lives of more than 179.7 million people in 96 countries and all 50 states, providing goods and services valued at more than $1.1 billion. Operation Blessing is governed by a national board of directors that includes founder M.G. “Pat” Robertson.

Greed in the face of adversity is a post I just found at the Jawa Report.

Planned Parenthood has a link on their main page that says “Help those affected by hurricane” but when you click the link, the page it takes you has the disclaimer:

Support Planned Parenthood and their patients during this time of great need. By clicking here, 100% of your tax-deductible contribution will go directly to helping Planned Parenthood affiliates and health centers in this region serve women and families who have nowhere else to turn.

(bold mine)

Further down it says “Click here to donate to Planned Parenthood’s Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. And you can send a check to Hurricane Katrina Relief, PPFA etc, etc.

Although their disclaimer is pretty prominent, Hurricane Relief should apply to everyone affected. They seem more interested in getting their clinics set back up instead of helping people get their lives set back up.