President Nero

I'm thinking of another leader, who sat and fiddled while Rome burned. Bush finally decided it might be a good idea to cut short his vacation, a day into this terrible tragedy. I happened to catch the amazing exchange between Jack Cafferty and Wolf Blitzer today on CNN:

Cafferty: You have to wonder, watching these pictures, and listening to these accounts, if we'll ever see the city of New Orleans as we all remember the Big Easy. Where's President Bush? Is he still on vacation?

Blitzer: He's cut short his vacation. He's coming back to Washington tomorrow.

Cafferty: Well, that would be a good idea. He was out in San Diego, I think, at a Naval air station giving a speech on Japan and the war in Iraq today. Based on his approval rating in the latest polls, my guess is getting back to work might not be a terrible idea....

You don't usually hear frustration and outrage on news shows, and I must say it came as welcome relief. With Cafferty ranting, I didn't feel so alone.

President Nero. That's what we should call him from now on. He could hardly care less, although I'm sure his handlers are prepping him for some teary-eyed show to come. But history books will record that, once again, when America was under attack - this time from nature - our president proved he's one of the world's worst leaders. Even the mayor of New Orleans at least called upon the nation for prayers. You'd think Christianity-waving Bush might have at least thought of that one. But no. Golf was more important than assuring a worried nation.

It's not like the damage is isolated, either. Gas prices are soaring. The fragile economy is hanging by a thread. And National Guard members from Louisiana are far away, battling in Iraq. Just where they're needed most, right?

There's a horrific irony in nature reminding us what we are doing in Iraq. We are the natural disaster there, displacing people from their homes, demolishing places of work, creating medical havoc. I hope the right wingers wake up and smell the karma brewing.