WTF!?!?!?!?

Halliburton hired for storm cleanup Because, apparently, the administration needs more questions about the handling of Hurricane Katrina.

Transport and other logistics problems are holding up some of the mass of humanitarian aid European countries have offered to the victims of hurricane Katrina, an EU official said. A Swedish plane laden with aid was waiting to take off but had not got U.S. approval to enter the United States. High-speed pumps offered by Germany had arrived but Helfferich said unspecified 'coordination problems' in the United States had prevented them from being deployed so far. Michael Sandberg/U.S. Navy/Reuters

MEANWHILE: White House Enacts a Plan to Ease Political Damage

Mr. Rove (focusing, on the important issues at hand) had told administration officials not to respond to Democratic attacks on Mr. Bush's handling of the hurricane in the belief that the president was in a weak moment and that the administration should not appear to be seen now as being blatantly political. All the while moving the blame for the slow response to Louisiana state officials (Democrats).
I do believe that the state and local govornment's were over whelmed, I suspect they were not as prepared as they should have been. But I can't help remembering this year, President George W. Bush and Congress cut the New Orleans Corps district's budget by $71 million. More

Speaking of blame. The Military personnel I have talked to blame their Commander in Chief for lack of mobilization. Even before the hurricane hit, Bush declared New Orleans and the Gulf Coast a federal disaster area, anticipating a catastrophe. We sat there this weekend puzzling over why National Guard units weren't put on alert then. Gee they have to practice preparedness and get paid anyway. Why not just do their weekend-warrior-ing that weekend? If they weren't needed than it is good practice to be put on alert. But they were, and could have been there, with supplies and aid, in less than 12 hours.

Now for the good news...
While the city's human population suffered enormously, its famous Audubon Zoo managed to take good care of its charges. Only three of its 1,400 animals died, officials said, adding that they had PLANNED FOR YEARS for a catastrophic storm.