as i feared...and then some

It has long been my suspicion that President Bush chooses -- or has been chosen by -- an unfortunate group of associates.

The goings-on of the past week -- the federal government's shockingly dismal failure -- in the wake of hurricane Katrina blows right past my worst apprehensions about cronyism and deadly incompetence.

I don't often rely on other people's words in this space but Bob Schieffer and Keith Olberman have, quite simply, said it better than I can.

Yesterday Mr. Schieffer said:

"We have come through what may have been one of the worst weeks in America's history, a week in which government at every level failed the people it was created to serve. There is no purpose for government except to improve the lives of its citizens. Yet as scenes of horror that seemed to be coming from some Third World country flashed before us, official Washington was like a dog watching television. It saw the lights and images, but did not seem to comprehend their meaning or see any link to reality.

"As the floodwaters rose, local officials in New Orleans ordered the city evacuated. They might as well have told their citizens to fly to the moon. How do you evacuate when you don't have a car? No hint of intelligent design in any of this. This was just survival of the richest.

"By midweek a parade of Washington officials rushed before the cameras to urge patience. What good is patience to a mother who can't find food and water for a dehydrated child? Washington was coming out of an August vacation stupor and seemed unable to refocus on business or even think straight. Why else would Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert question aloud whether New Orleans should even be rebuilt? And when he was unable to get to Washington in time to vote on emergency aid funds, Hastert had an excuse only Washington could understand: He had to attend a fund-raiser back home.

"Since 9/11, Washington has spent years and untold billions reorganizing the government to deal with crises brought on by possible terrorist attacks. If this is the result, we had better start over."

Today, Keith Olberman had his turn.

Please: Get past the opening volley of angry sarcasm and heed the point of Mr. Olberman's rant on The "city" of Louisiana.