AMERICAblog hires on-the-scene hurricane correspondent. If you can donate to help pay his way, that'd be great DONE!

UPDATE: You guys rock, we received a bit over $1500 before I could pull the plug on the donations. That will be more than enough for Kyle to live AND to use some of the extra money to help folks directly on the ground (any extra he can donate to hurricane relief). Thank you SO much. I knew I could count on you guys, you totally rock :-) JOHN
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In order to give you guys the best possible coverage of the hurricane relief effort, AMERICAblog has hired Kyle Shank of AmIPatriotic.com to be our special hurricane Katrina correspondent, on the scene, starting today.

Kyle is on a plane as I write this, headed for Baton Rouge, where he will join up with Bob Brigham of Swing State Project and Macon Phillips of Blue State Digital in their efforts to report on the region AND help provide their own technical brand of hurricane relief (such as the computer project in the post below).

Why do this?

Because we cannot trust the Bush administration on anything they say about this hurricane. We are still seeing hourly horror stories about relief not making it, foreign offers of help being delayed, people on the ground not getting the support they need, military recruiters supposedly using the disaster as an opportunity to recruit, and more. Perhaps most importantly, FEMA is now not letting the media take pictures of bodies, apparently so that FEMA can hide the real death toll (and real horror) in an effort to help the Bush administration.

AMERICAblog, and all the liberal blogs, have done a great job holding the Bush administration accountable for its lies and its failures. Just imagine what we can do with our own correspondent on the ground. Our correspondent will be getting those stories and more and he won't have to worry about FEMA censoring him.

Please help us pay for Kyle's trip

I've promised Kyle I'd pay his airfare (a bit over $400) and expenses for the 6 days he's down there - he is NOT taking a salary. As they're sleeping in their rent-a-car and eating PB&J sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I doubt his expenses will be too outrageous (apparently the folks already on the scene, Bob and Macon, haven't even had the chance to shower in a week). So, I figure a good additional $600 should hold Kyle over fine for food, any lodging they might need, emergency supplies, etc. (Bob and Macon have already been spending some of their money buying supplies for destitute people they're finding, so I suspect Kyle will be spending some of his funds on that as well). In any case, $600 additional will let him survive, report on the area, and hopefully help some people in need.

I have already promised Kyle $1000 total to pay for his trip, and I will donate that $1000 from the next $1000 that is donated to this blog starting now (and if the donations don't come in, I'll be paying him myself).

If you'd like to help finance Kyle's trip, please just click the "Make a donation" button at the top of the blog and, as I said, I'll give the first $1000 to Kyle (and I'll alert you when we've reached it, so you don't keep donating thinking you're helping Kyle's trip.) I'm sorry, but mailing in donations is too much trouble for financing Kyle's trip, it will take too long - we have to rely on PayPal for the moment, as much of a pain as it is.

Thanks in advance. I really think this will be a fascinating opportunity, and hope you agree.

JOHN