Politicizing of tragedy...

I'm getting really sick of BOTH sides using the tragedy in Louisiana for political gain.

There is no end to the number of liberal bloggers who want to posit that if it weren't for Bush, this wouldn't have happened. Even assuming there's a GERM of truth to the idea that without global warming there'd have been less energy and the storm would have been weaker, it ignores the fact that even if Bush were the most eco friendly President we've ever had, the 5 years he's been in office would have made little difference. Is it a good FUTURE argument for more concern for Kyoto? Perhaps. But to lay this at Bush's feet for this is absurd.

Another liberal argument is that Bush's diversion of resources to Iraq has made this work, including being the first President to close the traditional rich-kid loophole of joining the National Guard to avoid going over to war. Again, perhaps true. Certainly there are a lot of good indications that the reduction of funding for Army Corps of Engineers, the levee rebuilding, and taking the national guard troops away may have made things worse, but even if so, now isn't the time to be pointing fingers. Now is the time to be solving problems, sending aid, helping out. We can point fingers when there aren't people dying.

On the other hand... President Bush’s quote, “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees” is patently absurd. FEMA listed it as one of the most likely disasters facing our country in 2001 (one of the other two came true only months after the report was released, an attack on New York City). And knowing that this disaster was occurring, I think having a photo op showing Bush grinning and jamming on guitar was ill timed to say the least. Nero fiddling, anyone?

There is plenty of time for photo ops and finger pointing later. Right now, think about the hundreds, thousands, by some estimates tens of thousands of people who are dead or will be by the time this is over.

Liam.