There's a thin line between political commentary and cynical griping. This post crosses it. Has Mrs. Bush not flagellated herself sufficiently enough for you for the hurricane that was so obviously HER fault? C'mon.

Bill Clinton was recently in the area as well, giving a commencement speech at my alma mater. I don't remember you posting any complaints about his failure to save the city single-handedly, or visiting every victim and refugee personally.

In all fairness, I think that FEMA has done more than enough in the case of the woman profiled by the Washington Post article. Their assistance was never intended to be permanent, merely to tide people over while they recovered from the hurricane. I believe that, at least in that case, they have done their duty.

This isn't to say that the family is allowed to claim additional assistance -- or that they don't. I don't know, and I would say that without more to go on than the article, nobody else knows either. But I will say that FEMA shouldn't be responsible for their ongoing care a year or more after the fact.

Laura's visit is nothing more than window dressing and politicization of the plight of poor New Orleanians. Will Lady Laura have her white gloves on all the while so nothing of the real world will come into contact with her Bushie hands.

Laura is going just to shore up her husbands failure at one more thing in his life and unfortunately so for the citizens of New Orleans and of America.

Slime spreads, ad nauseam etc...

Speaking from Austin, please don't give her any ideas!

But thanks for calling attention to the Austin Katrina victims. Many people trying to help are sending aid to New Orleans, but that's not where most of the refugees are.

Here's a couple of sites to get you started if you're interested in helping:

Central Texas Red Cross

http://www.centex.redcross.org/

Austin Public Library

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/katrina.htm

(They're offering services including computer time. This page also has a long list of links for helping out.)

Hurricane Relief in Austin

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/help/offer_help.htm

(This has news and updates as well as some links for help.)

United Way Capital Area

http://www.unitedwaycapitalarea.org/newsandevents/2005/0905_katrina_release.cfm

(This page lists everything they've been doing and how to help.)

Thanks, everybody!

I thought Laura Bush was the Kommissar of AntiGang activity? Hmm maybe that job went the way of every other intiative ever uttered by Lord Primate...down the crapper quietly.

Re: "Mrs. Bush, after New Orleans, why not stop by Austin, Texas, to meet with a few of the thousands of displaced Katrina victims from New Orleans..."

Yes, buy you're forgetting another Mrs. Bush has made clear for us that their move to Austin "has worked out very well for them".

Why should the current First Lady think otherwise?

The levees are not fixed, money has been skimmed, the city played games that delayed rebuilding, and the congressional report out this week is a stunning indictment of FEMA, Homeland Security, the Orleans Levee board (majority Republican, but with significant Democratic representation) and the Louisiana statehouse (also mainly Republican, with bluedog Democrats). Laura Bush is going there to take attention away from that report.

My mother is a Katrina survivor, and most of my family was down there. Unless Bush is going to work on a levee, I don't want to hear about her, or any other politician, going down there. They fly in, do nothing, and fly out. We are rebuilding our house ouselves, without FEMA aid. We had flood insurance, as well as other insurance, and collecting has been a nightmare. We have not seen had any of the charity aid.

I'm in the generation of college graduates who had to leave the city to find work, because political corruption drove most of the businesses away. My heart is still there. The Katrina experience made me cynical of the media, and reinforced my cynicism about both parties. If Laura Bush is going down there, it's to find a way to grab money or attention. It's not to help.

....but I think it would be better if she donned a Tyvek suit and respirator and went looking for nine-month old corpses in the 9th ward, instead of schmoozing with the upper crust at some garden party. Or, maybe, fill some sandbags for a photo op, since the levees and floodwalls won't be ready for the season and the pumping capacity is so for from being restored that a heavy rain will flood parts of the city. Or, how about posing for laughs as a bus driver, poised to ferry citizens out for an evacuation (though they won't release the location of any shelters to the public - it's a secret, you know - 9/11, Homeland Security!)... she could hold an upside-down map for yuks! - what a kidder!

This Administration has no shame....well, take a chill pill, Laura...I hear that they're your favorite. As for me, I'll take care of myself, just like I did during Katrina. By the way, if I evacute to Washington, can I stay in the Lincoln bedroom (Kenny Boy won't be there, will he)?

You are doing a heck of a job Browny, ehh Laura.