Even if the response hasn't been perfect, it's hard to claim that *nothing* is being done. Regardless of who's in charge, let's let them do their jobs... it's all we can do now.

My finger-pointing wasn't at the damage-control efforts now, but towards the bozos who thought they could make steep cuts to the corps of engineers to pay for our budgetary deficiencies in the "War on Terror". My post wasn't intended as a Bush-bash, though I do blame his uncontrolled expenditures for the cuts to begin with. The government wastes a lot of money on utter crap (yes including the Big Dig, but also $10 billion on highway expansion in Utah to encourage exurban sprawl - and don't even get me started on federal handouts to the energy industries). There are few areas in which I approve of federal spending. Securing New Orleans is one of them.

If we actually want to talk about Bush-bashing... here goes. When Republicans in Congress in the 90's called for fiscal responsibility, I applauded them (and was not a big Clinton fan, either). I was actually hopeful when Bush took office in 2000. But these past 5 years have been filled with a few disasters, some tough talk, mostly bad leadership, and plenty of excuses. Just because I prefer the pseudo-libertarian ideology of the Republican party to the largely-dead socialist mentality of the Democrats, doesn't mean I approve of how the Republican majority has abused power and weakened our nation.