HURRICANE WATCH IN NOLA

I know it's hurricane season but it is rather eerie that almost exactly three years after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, another hurricane (this time, Gustav) is a Category 4, headed towards the same region, expected to make landfall early next week. (Evacuation orders are now in effect).

The timing is also ironic given that it coincides with the RNC and there are few more embarrassing reminders of the government's incompetence during the current GOP admin than the bungling of Katrina-related relief efforts. There's talk of them post-poning the RNC if things look really bad (which would be sound both ethically as well as politically) but either way, I wouldn't want to be Bush or Cheney trying to give a RNC keynote with the memory of 2005 haunting the proceedings.

It should remind us what's at stake here and why I am so confounded by the desire of people willing to vote for McCain/Palin as a way of "punishing" the Democratic party. To be honest, I'm not a huge Obama backer but I'd vote for any viable candidate that will deny the Republicans another term in office. It is morally unfathomable to me how anyone could stomach the idea of 4-8 more years of Bush/Cheney-style policies, politics and legislation. That is the toxic combination that failed the Gulf Coast so drastically three years ago and one can only hope that if the worst should happen with Gustav, at least the lessons of Katrina will push the response to be much more competent this time around.

BUT WAIT...

According to this story, if the storm does hit, McCain plans to give his keynote speech from the "devastation zone" in New Orleans:

"McCain made plans to travel to a threatened area of the Gulf Coast on Sunday, accompanied by his wife, Cindy, and running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. They planned to meet Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) in Jackson, Miss., aides said.

McCain was scheduled to deliver his acceptance speech Thursday but now>may do so from the devastation zone if the storm hits the U.S. coast with the ferocity feared by forecasters."

I'm a cynical guy but even I can't believe McCain would be this opportunistic (would he?) I'm inclined to think politico.com might be misstating this. Either that or McCain really is deciding to self-destruct his own campaign, blow-by-blow.

Our thoughts are with the residents of the Gulf and hoping that the only government officials who show up there are there to help rather than grandstanding.

--O.W.