Road Trip

With looters evacuated, floodwaters receding, Mike Brown shipped back to Washington (note: as I started to pen this blog entry, Brown resigned from FEMA) and fewer dead bodies than expected, Bush returned today to NO and actually toured the city. It seemed more like a trip through Universal Studios than an assessment of a damaged city, with the neat, camouflaged vehicle with an open deck on the top and multiple tour guides, but at least he toodled around the city.

Bush arrived in the LA area yesterday, taking time to meet with New York firefighters who were first responders. Is it just me, or were those first responders posing for Bush photo-ops too squeaky clean? I imagine that the first responder base camp has a bit more of the amenities that make life more enjoyable, like ways to wash up, but still. They looked so damn clean. So did the few evacuees that Bush posed with today.

He even stayed in the city, parking right next to the Riverfront Convention Center. Alright, he was bunked aboard the Iwo Jima, which is an amphibious assault ship, but it’s the thought that counts.

My favorite Bushism from the tour today:
"I can assure people ... that this recovery is going to be comprehensive. The rescue efforts were comprehensive, and the recovery will be comprehensive."

Mr. Bush, you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. (Thanks Inigo Montoya for the inspiration.)