"The Dems are going to mount a lights out, no-holds-barred effort to blame this on racism."
No doubt about that, considering the vast majority of those that could not or would not evacuate were black. The delay in response "looks" really bad.
Was it racism per se? I don't think so. IF, and that is a big IF, there was some sort of bigotry associated with the slow response. Then I would think it was more of a "social class" bigotry, not racism. Though I don't think that was the case either.
Going to what I consider to be a BIGGER question is what should be our (Federal) response to the rebuiding of New Orleans. Except for those things of strategic importance to the entire United States (the petroleum industry), we should not fund rebuilding this place.
It was folly all these years to keep New Orleans in its present location. A city below sea level that requires constant pumping to keep it from flooding? A city that artificially keeps a MAJOR river from changing its course in a delta? Not wise at all. If the residents want to rebuild, then do it on their dime not mine. By all means provide humanitarian relief to victums, but don't finance them to be victums again.