So President Bush has finally made it to the scene -- only four days after the storm. Unfortunately, there was no "bullhorn moment" a la his post-9/11 tour of Ground Zero -- no stirring rhetoric. Indeed, his staged briefing with the governors of Alabama and Mississippi did not inspire confidence or hope in anyone -- except maybe Trent Lott.

And Lott's realtor. "The good news," said the president, "is that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubble of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's gong to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." Yes, he actually said that. Way to look on the bright side, Mr. President. "Fantastic!"

The president's sunny-side-up take on the Gulf Coast's Extreme Makeover came after Alabama Governor Bob Riley announced that he was launching "Operation Golden Rule." Uh, Governor... given what the authorities have been "doing unto" the beleaguered victims of Katrina, do you really think that's such a good idea? [...] Read it all at http://tinyurl.com/amgax


© Virginia Metze