To be accurate, he said the SECURITY situation in New Orleans was unacceptable. Gov. Blanco has still not agreed to federalize the area. The mayor is planning on sending his police to Las Vegas on R&R. You just can't make this stuff up.
Leroy, thanks for the reply to my post -- but I've still got a question about the context of our President's comments. I don't mean to be pedantic, it's just that I'm posted overseas and the most readily available news is via the BBC, which is not an unimpeachable source. This is how they reported the text of President Bush's broadcast speech of 3 September:
"I also met relief and rescue workers who are performing heroically in difficult circumstances. They've been working around the clock, risking their own lives to save the lives of others. Yet despite their best efforts, the magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable."
I don't read that to mean just the security situation--but maybe the quote has been mysteriously altered (won't be the first time I've seen that happen!)
And you're right, some of this stuff you just couldn't make up. My oldest nephew is a chopper pilot with the Coast Guard, stationed in Mobile, whose spent the week helping winch folks off rooftops, but I'm pretty sure no one is going to be sending him off for R&R in Vegas!