Hurricane George Measures a Category 10

Of all the gross incompetence shown by The Commandant of Failure, the KatRita disaster was surely the ugliest. While Brownie was busy demonstrating his vast command of equine reproduction and sartorial decision making, thousands died or ended up homeless. The investigations into the disaster have dissolved into a miasma of inertia, with no political body seemingly able to do more than bring a blushing Brownie and a host of others to Capitol Hill to take their much deserved spankings.

In true Bushonian fashion, there have been no real attempts to hold anyone accountable. Brownie "resigned" and was rewarded with a job as a "disaster consultant" - something that he unfortunately has world-class credentials for. Michael "Skeletor" Chertoff still reigns over the Department of Homeland Security roost even though scathing reports on homeland security "progress" rewarded him with grades that would make a drunken frat boy blush - except of course, the one that lives in the White House. Last week it was revealed that the Corps of Engineers used levy inspections as an excuse to take a nice drive and go have lunch on the public dime. While they were chewing a nice prime rib the levies that were supposedly built to Cat 3 hurricane standards turned out to be weaker than designed and were already being undermined.

Meanwhile, the piles of rubble are still there. Residents of the storm-ravaged area make up a diaspora of the disadvantaged, scattered around the country and looking for permanent housing before FEMA cuts them off in February. Lives have not just been intterupted, but ruined in the process.

Unfortunately, BushCo has been able to depend on the short memories of the voting public. The new scandals of the day, from illegal spying to the Mess-in-Potamia (tip o'the hat to Jon Stewart) are front and center. This is what happens when you have an administration that has an unending string of serial failures to help them cover their well-apportioned asses. In effect, Dubya gets a pass on some issues because there are still more out there than we can comprehend. The effect on reasoned people is similar to that suffered by a homeowner in Biloxi. They stand in the middle of the rubble and look around hopelessly, trying to figure out where to start because the devastation is so total. Hurricane George has been no less than a Cat 10.

The political season has been just as bad as the just-ended hurricane season, but unlike the hurricane season we can't depend on the calendar to help stop the damage. Looking into 2006, there seem to be plenty of storm clouds on the horizon. We'd take cover, but we're still waiting for George to carry through on fixing the problems instead of taking his holiday - oops, excuse us - Christmas, back at the ranch.

Put some coal in the Cowboy's stockin', will ya?

Truth Told by Omnipotent Poobah, Friday, December 23, 2005