Stuck on stupid

"Don't get stuck on stupid," warned Lt. Gen. Russel Honore to a reporter who persisted with questions about Hurricane Katrina during a press conference called to warn people about Hurricane Rita.

General Honore, Mayor Ray Nagin and Vice Admiral Thad Allen were meeting with reporters for the express purpose of getting out the word that people needed to evacuate from the area, that the Mayor's plan to bring people back into New Orleans was suspended, that busses were assembled to carry folks to safety.

When the reporter persisted, the General barked again, "Now, see, you are stuck on stupid! We are here to talk about where we are going — we need your help here and now to get the word out to people now; there will be plenty of time later to talk about where we've been!" [I paraphrase]

George Bush stood at a podium in front of a lovely cathedral to promise, "We will do whatever it takes" to rebuild New Orleans. Never mind that he has seized the opportunity to set aside wage, affirmative action and environmental regulations: he has promised billions of dollars for the effort.

This week, pressed to tell where the money would come from, the President has insisted that he will not increase taxes, will impose no new taxes, will pursue his tax cut agenda, and will veto any effort by Congress to delay implementation of the horrendously expensive and mostly unworkable Medicare prescription drug program. He sees no need to modify his agenda. But he will do "whatever it takes" to provide for "the good folks" of the Gulf Coast.

Stuck on stupid.