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Well, see, it's like this. Blanco knew the *levees* were intact, because they were. They were keeping the Mississippi and most of the Gulf of Mexico out of the New Orleans gumbo bowl.

GWBush and everyone at FEMA also knew the *levees* were intact, because they were.

What Blanco *found out* and Nagin *found out* and didn't bother to pass along up the line was that the *canal floodwalls* which kept Lake Pontchartrain out of the gumbo bowl were NOT intact. They weren't overtopped, either. They were breached, broken, undermined, compromised and useless. Not all, but some.

Now we know more of the story, 6 months later. I'm guilty of saying "levees" but meaning "canal floodwalls" so I'm certain GWB and FEMA are, too. We just have to know when to speak precisely to nawlinsians and when we can talk Texan to the Prez.

Dey's riverpeoples, we be cowpeoples. FEMA's gonna hafta pony up some extra $$ for interpreters next hurricane. That's what they like to call lagniappe.

What Blanco *found out* and Nagin *found out* and didn't bother to pass along up the line was that the *canal floodwalls* which kept Lake Pontchartrain out of the gumbo bowl were NOT intact.

The "canal flood-walls" were set into "levees". In fact... a concrete (or other) wall supported on one side by dirt is called a... wait for it... "levee".

There's a wall in there... but that's a levee breach.