On What the White House Knew

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans President Bush and his advisors stated repeatedly that no one could have predicted that a Category-4 hurricane could breach the levees protecting the city, that no one could have predicted the flooding and the devestation the city suffered. Recently released documents prepared by the DepartmentContinue reading “On What the White House Knew”

On Evaluating President Bush

It’s hard to look at what’s happening in Louisiana and not think that we’ve seen a massive failure of the federal, state, and local governments in responding to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. It’s hard to understand how someone like the Secretary of Homeland Security can be so blithely clueless about people stranded inContinue reading “On Evaluating President Bush”

On Hurricane Katrina

At the risk of being insensitive… Is it cynical of me to wonder whether the President will visit storm-ravaged New Orleans anytime soon? He’s on his vacation, after all. He famously said that he “need[ed] to get on with his life.” The deaths of hundreds, the devastation of a city, would these prompt him toContinue reading “On Hurricane Katrina”