Free Republic

NEW ORLEANS – Faced with the nation's costliest natural disaster, President Bush said Thursday the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast will be one of the largest reconstruction projects the world has ever seen and the federal government will cover most of the costs – estimated at $200 billion or beyond. "There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again," the president said in remarks prepared for an address to the nation. Bush committed the federal government to covering "the great majority of the costs" of rebuilding critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges,...