As I said previously, the President should have taken action immediately, the Governor and Mayor be damned. He would have been lionized by the American public and seen as a strong leader who wouldn't let red tape interfere with saving lives.
Overall, the federal government has done a magnificent job in responding to the largest natural disaster in American history. Unfortunately, the defining images may be those of the people in the Superdome, Convention Center, and on the overpasses waiting for help for days while a massive Federal relief force was sitting outside waiting for the bureaucrats to make a decison. General Honore cleaned up the mess in essentially one day once he was given the green light.
You can't unring a bell. There are plenty of people to blame with Blanco and Nagin at the top of the list. It is unfortunate that the WH, Chertoff, and Brown were not more attuned to the political impact of the events in NO on Wednesday and Thursday. 500 buses were sent to the Superdome on Wednesday, which was scarcely enough.
Absolutely agree. When it comes to the battle of perception, and even the wit to manage perceptions, the GOP will always lose. Bet on it.