The sad thing is, shrub had an chance to redeem his benighted

presidency.

Not in the eyes of people like me, he couldn't undo the harm done from invading Iraq, promoting torture, and suspending habeas corpus.

But even after the colossal failure of Katrina, he could have earned a measure of redemption for a large portion of America, by initiating and following through with an ambitious national project for the reconstruction of the region and the rehabilitation of its citizens and local economy. A "Manhattan Project" for reconstructing the region.

Unlike the trumped up propaganda campaign to trick the nation into war, the reasons and necessity for such a project are self evident. As I feel the reasons for any war we would enter into should be...

Then the Bush II administration would be remembered for its failures, but also for pulling the country together to help restore one of its most beloved and historic cities.

But instead, he gave a speech, made some promises, named Karl Rove, of all people, to head the reconstruction "effort" (how's that going, Karl? As well as OJ's search for the real killers?), and would now like to pretend the whole thing never happened...

the average joe for the benefit of the rich. Nothing is going to change that.

Demagogues gain and keep power through words, not actions.