Accountability Moment

Remember the destruction of New Orleans, that little event that George Bush pretty much left out of the State Of The Union address? Remember the "we didn't know how bad it was" defense?

"Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning (Aug. 30th) picking up newspapers and I saw headlines, 'New Orleans Dodged the Bullet.' Because if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, "Meet the Press," Sept. 4, 2005

From today's New York Times:

"FYI from FEMA," said an e-mail message from the agency's public affairs staff describing the helicopter flight, sent Monday night(Aug.29th) at 9:27 to the chief of staff of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and recently unearthed by investigators. Conditions, the message said, "are far more serious than media reports are currently reflecting. Finding extensive flooding and more stranded people than they had thought — also a number of fires."

They knew. But of course we knew that.

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." –President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005