I hope this makes up for posting that LA Times story, but my friend Leonard is well deserving of a MacArthur Grant: [link]

you don't sound like a Bush apologist. you might want to see a Dr. about the bug up your butt, that might lead to an infection.

Can I say something HORRIBLY partisan? Seriously. Extremely partisan.

I'm so glad that Bush tapped Clinton to help with fundraising efforts.

Because Bush is incapable of appearing to be a serious person with a handle on this shit, to me. And people need comfort, and Clinton is good at that. He's good at conveying a message of hope, and when I hear him speak I get this sort of warm blanket feeling that things will be okay, that someone with a heart as big as all outdoors and a brain filled with reason and understanding has just taken charge.

And that may be kneejerk or whatever, but in my world, the guy just radiates calm self-assuredness and empathy.

Bush is incapable of it unless it is written and rehearsed several times, and even then it's sketchy. I really wanted the guy to come through, and be comforting to the nation. But then, he just seemed smug, defensive, and unserious.

And that is my extremely partisan thingy.

I am a moderate Democrat, but I know too many thoughtful and good conservatives and Republicans not to stick up for them sometimes.

I'm more liberal of a Democrat than moderate, but yes on the thoughtful conservatives and Republicans. They exist, yeah.

my friend Leonard is well deserving of a MacArthur Grant: [link]

This made me snort water up my nose:

Do not steal a policeman's badge, hat, and squad car and then drive around the French Quarter blaring the sirens and yelling "WHOOT! WHOOT! I AM THE MAYOR OF AQUATOWN, OBEY MY COMMANDS!". Sure, it would be funny, but it is wrong.

I'll agree with you Allyson - I'd rather see Bush call in Clinton to help with those aspects of the disaster that he will be more effective responding to than go it alone and twist in the wind, regardless of how personally satisfying the latter outcome might be. What's most important is doing the best job possible to get help to the hurricane refugees.

Even calling on his geriatric father for help is comforting in a way. Whatever I may have thought about George H. Bush's degree of connection to the common man, I never supposed that he was anything less than brilliant and highly capable.

I know I sound like a Bush apologist, I'm really not, I swear.

Nah, you're just what msbelle 'accused' you of. And you take the time to post. Which I appreciate.

In light of how distressingly slow and clunky the evac is going, I'm thinking I ought go learn how to make fire with sticks and squeeze water from stones and live off urban vegetation now. Uhg. Well, if I lived in a disaster-prone area, anyway.

see, Allyson, that doesn't even sound partisan to me. That sounds like your opinion on two men. Partisan would be more like:

I am glad he tapped Clinton for teh fundraising, because no Republican is capable of having emotions and comforting people.

Bush is incapable of it unless it is written and rehearsed several times, and even then it's sketchy.

C'mon, Bush apparently thinks the appropriate response is a well-reported clenching of his fist and saying something to the effect that it must be doubly hard to be down in the water. Really? As hard as it is to be rich, white, silver-spooned, and the President of the United States, it's all of twice as hard to be poor, black, cut off from basic human needs, and living in an anarchic swamp? Man, now that's hard.

I think the Daddy Bush + Clinton combo is brilliant, and I'm sure they'll be doing all of this kind of thing for the foreseeable future.