Good for you Mr. Bush! You're back on the job now, after a month-long summer vacation, and you and your administration honchos are finally responding to the catastrophe in Louisiana and the Gulf States. More importantly for you, you've circled the political wagons and your your expert, finely tuned spin machine is running full-throttle, doing what it does so well: blaming others and denying that you made mistakes (as I recall through two campaigns for President you refused to admit that you make mistakes, and your abysmal performance as President and Commander in Chief during the worst catastrophe in America's history is no different - you're clearly saying 'no mistakes made here').
Based on news stories, I see that Bush Administration 'underlings' are being saddled with blame for your current troubles. Convenient, that way you don't have to accept blame, and your perfect record of never having made a mistake continues. Someone else can take the fall, never mind that you are America's President, and whether you agree with this notion or not: The buck stops with you, you're the President, Mr. Bush. Silly me, I always thought that admitting ones' mistakes and rectifying them is sign of character. We share a difference of oinion on that point.
Worse that that, Bush Administration officials are already deflecting criticism and shifting blame to the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana for the chaos and suffering the befell New Orleans this week in the aftermath of the Hurricane and the levee breaches. That's rich. Sure, the Mayor and the Governor made mistakes during the evacuation of New Orleans. And yes there's plenty of blame to go around. But, Mr. Bush, the Federel Government is the Big Dog in this crisis of catastrophic proportions. It's ludicrous to even go down that road. You could have had U.S. troops, aircraft, food, water, etc. etc. etc. on the ground the day after the Hurricane, and the breach of the levees (not five days later). It's pretty lame to blame the City of New Orleands and the State of Louisiana, when you possess the keys our vast kingdom called the United States, rich, talented, blessed as it is.
If I sound a little digusted, and upset, Mr. Bush, you're right. I am. I want you to 'do right' by the people of Louisiana and the other suffering Gulf States. Equally important, I want you and the top dogs in your admnistration to figure out what went wrong, now, not two years from now. I know you'd like to sweep your Administration's performance under the rug, but it's not going to go away, not easily anyway. Keep in mind, we're just at the start of the 2005 hurricane season - as many as a half-dozen more hurricanes are projected for 2005. What happened in Louisiana and the Gulf States could happen again, in weeks to come to other unfortunate victims in other states. It's sobering, isn't it, Mr. Bush?
All I can say tonight is, I hope you and your folks are up to the job. Americans, and people around the world, can't help but wonder after watching the needless suffering in New Orleans and the Gulf States this week.
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