Behind George Bushâs hyper-happy photo-op in NOLA yesterday, there’s a disturbing message. I think he may have been laying the foundation for some upcoming bad news: they arenât going to bring the levees up to the level the city needs, nor is there going to be White House support for the Baker Bill.
Instead, Iâm guessing any new money coming out of this administration in the coming year or so will fund the next round of pre-emptive activity in the Middle East. (Iran’s looking good lately…)
Apparently acting before an event only applies to war, and this President simply does not care to be remembered for his domestic policies.
If Bush is pulling out his âHappy Happy Joy Joyâ? paint palette as a precursor to âTheyâre doin’ fine down there in New Orleans. Just fine!â?, then I think Eugene Robinsonâs Requiem for the Crescent City is appropriate. I donât think, though, that the blame can be laid at the feet of the BNOB proposal.
It doesn’t have to go this way. I hope I’m wrong.
Reading between the lines
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I’m with you on this one. I think Congress is going to send money to close off the outfall canals and call it a day. The president totally dodged questions about improved levees and Category 5 protection. So far, the only levee money he has endorsed is to just fix what we had before Katrina. In two years, all will be forgotten.
Peace,
Tim
This is not an acceptable outcome. The campaign of pressure in other cities all cross the nation has to continue. The President can’t be allowed to turn his back on most of a million Americans in the 23,000 square miles from Lake Charles to Alabama. If nothing else, they need to be shamed into it.