Give us a wink and make me think of you
Journalists everywhere are describing Hurricane Rita as Bush's, or FEMA's, or Homeland Security's, chance for redemption. This, for example: "Stung by criticism that it was slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration on Thursday sought to portray itself as engaged and in control as a powerful new storm bore down on the Gulf Coast." Who really thinks this "second chance" is indicative of anything?
Seems to me, Rove and the protégés shouldn't be let off so easily. This time, mayors from Florida to Texas took the threat seriously. Evacuees fled days in advance. Television exhorted caution and exalted paranoia 24/7. Where's the leadership in blowing with the wind?
If I toss a football at you when you're staring right at me, but it bounces off your nose, you probably won't get picked for the NFL draft. If I toss it to you again moments later, will your second reaction make you a quarterback?
Let a year or two go by. Watch a few Category 5's downgrade to drizzles before landfall. Rebuild Biloxi and a whole coastline of particleboard McMansions on stilts. Then, when we're nicely complacent, bring on an Isaac or Floyd or Katrina. That's when we'll know who really learned something from Katrina.
Lovely Rita tells us nothing.