Katrina Casualty Count

Katrina Death Toll as of Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005 -- 816, with 579 in Louisiana.

To paraphrase Joe Stalin, "A single death is a tragedy; ten thousand deaths is a statistic."

(His actual quote was that "a million deaths is a statistic.")

Since the MainStreamMedia seemed hellbent on predicting over 10,000 deaths in New Orleans alone from Katrina, it seems only prudent that the Blogosphere keep track of how well the MSM prediction is bearing out.

Using Rush's template that liberals and the elite media love bad news, perhaps the MSM prediction was merely a projection of their eager desire to have a massive death count, the more blame to pin on George W. Bush. But if the 10,000 deaths do not materialize -- and we pray to God in Heaven that they will not -- perhaps the American public should demand that the public officials and their abettors in the media be more careful with their predictions in the future.

One death is a tragedy. Eight-hundred sixteen deaths is that many times greater. But it's not 10,000. Not yet, at least, and with each passing day it seems less likely the total will get there.