'Could this be America?'

When the Houston Chronicle runs a prominent analysis article highlighting the plight of New Orleans refugees who were stuck at the N.O. Convention Center last week and wonders "Could This Be America?" you know there are going to be some real political consequences for somebody. That's the same convention center that FEMA director Mike Brown said he didn't even know about until Thursday.

Meanwhile, at the shelter Bush visited yesterday:

"I can get the president to come here," said Tony Foster, an associate pastor who heads up the shelter, "but I can't get FEMA. Isn't that amazing? We can get the commander in chief, but not FEMA. We ask them, but they haven't shown up."

...

I ran into Terry Thompson, who left New Orleans before Katrina hit, in the parking lot. "It was good, you understand, wonderful for the president come here and see us," he said. "But it's not going to fix our problem. I'm waiting for FEMA to show up. It was way last week when the hurricane came. What about my house? What are they doing?"

That was yesterday -- more than a week after the hurricane hit, and after Bush himself had dropped in at the shelter (which, fortunately for those housed there, did not pack up and vanish after he left, unlike some other relief efforts which were apparently wholly staged for him).