I finally got to see Bush’s interview with Diane Sawyer last night. He says this isn’t about Democrats or Republicans, and he’s right. It’s about leadership. If Bill Clinton was the president right now, and this was going on, I’d be blasting him left and right as well, I promise you.

That said, when the lid was about to blow off Three Mile Island, Jimmy Carter said, “I don’t care… I’m going.” That was all it took to calm a frightened city. People still talk about it today, that here was the president in the middle of this crisis.

So where are you today, Mr. Bush? Another flyover? That’s what I heard. You should’ve been there days ago, Mr. Bush. Standing in the rubble, just like you did on 9/11. People laud you for your leadership. You have been completely and totally inept, just like the rest of the politicians — ALL of them — in Washington. I could vomit listening to Mary Landrieu go on and on about how grateful she was to all the people in Washington, and what tremendous leadership there is there. Senator, there are people dying in your state, not because they were hit by a hurricane, but because they don’t have food and water FIVE DAYS after the disaster. Who could possibly float the idea that this is acceptable???

Today on the way in to work I was flipping the radio between Jerry Springer and John Gambling, and there are numerous reports that Carnival Cruise Lines offered to send three ships to NO to pick up refugees, and they were refused by FEMA. 350 hazmat emergency personnel are in Kansas City, offering their help, and FEMA has not released them yet.

What the hell is happening to our country? Is this what happens when the US hasn’t allocated enough money to rescue organizations and drills as a result of tax cuts? Is this what happens when those who are supposed to be on standby to protect us from these sorts of things (the National Guard) are instead deployed overseas where they’re not supposed to be?

These people in Louisiana, who are watching themselves die because of no food or water, believe no one cares about them. They obviously don’t see the television or hear the radio and hear how outraged this country is that no one is doing anything about this. They think they are alone. What a horrible feeling that must be — beyond words… They have been totally abandoned, and the world is watching how we treat our own, and they’re sure to start asking questions, and rightfully so.

Politicians on both sides have been completely and totally incompetent on this. Where are our leaders? There certainly don’t seem to be any from the government.

God help us if something like this happens in any other major city. If we can’t save a city of 500,000 people, what happens if a larger city suffers an environmental disaster? There’s going to have to be some reckoning for this, because we pay government to help us in our time of need and to protect us. Otherwise, what’s the point? We might as well be anarchists. Scary shit. I guess if something happens here in NY, we’re all on our own.

What kind of a country are we that we would allow this to happen in our own homeland?