Free Republic

Jefferson Parish's murder rate continued to spiral upward Friday night, after authorities logged a third killing within 24 hours, pushing the bloodshed to its highest level since 1980. The tally stood at 62 homicides in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, with the West Bank accounting for 43. The previous high for unincorporated Jefferson Parish was 50 murders logged in all of 1990, said Col. John Fortunato of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Friday night's violence, which brought Sheriff Harry Lee to the scene in Terrytown, came more than 24 hours after two men were cut down in a Harvey neighborhood Thursday night.

Every time I criticize President Bush for his administration's woefully inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, especially during those critical first few days, I hear from suddenly compassionate conservatives who say it's not right to play politics with a disaster. Besides, do I really think Al Gore or John Kerry would have done a better job? Maybe and yes, in that order. As for Bill Clinton, even fair-minded Republicans would have to acknowledge that he would have been more impressive than Bush in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. I've also yet to hear from one conservative arguing that Bush's finest moments...