Saturday morning brought heavy spring rains up and down the east coast, hampering search and rescue efforts in hurricane-torn towns and cities. The rains loosened debris in some areas, which released dead bodies buried under tons of wreckage. Corpses were floating like barges on a swift river. Rescue workers tried valiantly to retrieve the bodies, but were sometimes unable to get to them before the currents of rain water would dump the bodies into river beds or streams.
It had been a month since the hurricane struck St. Kitts, then traveled up the east coast to destroy city after city along the east coast of the United States. Even with hundreds of thousands of volunteers who had arrived from America's heartland, rescue efforts moved slowly amidst the broken buildings and decimated infrastructures. Retrieving, identifying, and disposing of dead bodies was the #1 priority. Many municipalities had ordered mass cremations as the most efficient and expeditious means of removing bodies before they became a health hazard. The stench of burning bodies was reminiscent of World War II death camps; fortunately, few survivors of Aushwitchz and similar German prisons were still alive to experience this freakish recollection.
At exactly 12:00 noon, Interim President Colin Powell stepped in front of the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. cameras and asked for America's attention. "Today is April 5, 2008," he begin solemnly. "Just one month ago I was sworn in as your interim President until formal elections can be held in November. We have made substantial progress in bringing our country back from the brink of total destruction. But much work still lies ahead of us in the next seven months before you - the people of this great nation - will elect new leadership. I realize that many communities are still dealing with the events of January 17; many more are trying to cope with the results of natural disasters that struck almost simultaneously last month. It has been a challenging time for America, but it is evident that our spirit and tenacity remains intact. God has given us the strength, courage, and determination to move on. We must not lose sight of the fact that America is still a great country, and can actually become greater and stronger as a result of what we have been through since the beginning of this year.
Communities, organizations, small groups of citizens, and small businesses have pulled together and pooled their resources to assist in the gargantuan effort of rescue and recovery, rebuilding and reformation of our nation. Perhaps never in our history has the United States seen such camaraderie and unity. Over the past fifty years, the Republican and Democratic parties lost sight of their missions and created a cesspool of hatred that divided us, pulled us apart, and virtually destroyed the concept of fairness and decency for which America stood. Members of O.U.T.R.A.G.E. recognized the inherent evil and corruption that had infested our political system and our federal government. They destroyed the cancer from within, and now we must never allow that cancer to spread again. Among us there are decent, humble, skilled people who should consider running for Congress in their districts...people who would never run before because they didn't want to be tainted by the stench and rupugnancy of politics. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. is maintaining the polling sites where millions of you cast your votes last March 4. Those sites will be used as operational facilities; if you wish to become a candidate in the November election, you can visit any of these facilities around the country and register your candidacy. The complex web of rules intricately designed by the Republican and Democratic parties will be eliminated. They were intended to make it difficult for candidates to run without the express favor and consent of our two major political parties. We now encourage anyone who believes they would qualify as a political candidate to register as such. We realize that Americans are still preoccupied with the events at hand, but it is not too early to begin thinking about the November elections. This is a challenging time for us all, requiring attention and focus on myriad crises, all at the same time. We cannot afford to lose sight, however, of our need for new political candidates. If you know of someone whom you believe might be an ideal candidate to help us become a true democracy and lead America into a new era of commonality and humility, we urge you to urge them to come forward. New blood, fresh ideas, and committed diligence to the tasks at hand are necessary. All O.U.T.R.A.G.E. field offices will be open during normal business hours during the day to assist candidates with registration. America needs strong leadership now, and will need strong leadership in the future. I urge you all to begin focusing on the November elections. It will be the most important event in our history since the days when the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence breathed life into our nation's body."