A Party That Can't Handle a Crisis

Democrats have been willing, eager even, to criticize The White House's response to Hurricane Katrina.

Ironically, however, it seems to me that -- whatever the shortcomings of the Republican-led administration -- the Democrats are demonstrating that they are even less equipped to handle such a crisis.

Take, for example, this account of a briefing conducted by Homeland Security head Chertoff for lawmakers. Apparently, some of the Democrats were so "upset" by what he said that they stalked out of the meeting. Among the "upsetting" remarks was the observation that a certain amount of resources triage was in order, and the hard-headed assessment that although conditions in the Superdome were "appalling", the first order of business had to be rescuing those facing imminent death.

Such statements aren't pretty. But in times of crisis, they may be the truth. And if anything is appalling (besides the condition of the Gulf Coast), it's that the Democrats apparently can't be spoken to like adults able to understand an approach that's rational, even if it doesn't "feel good." Talk about a bunch of hyperemotional children -- these certainly aren't the type of people one wants at the helm during a major national crisis.

But the left's political response is as deficient as its rational one. Before the bodies are even removed from the streets of New Orleans, Move-On.org plans a march on The White House to "demand accountability." According to the press release, it seems that there is no recognition of a local or state role in disaster relief.

And their political demands conflict with cold, hard reality as even this ABC report acknowledges:

But experts say when natural disasters strike, it is the primary responsibility of state and local governments — not the federal government — to respond.

The new meme seems to be that the feds were "slow to take control" from an obviously incompetent state and local bureaucracy. Well, darned if you do, darned if you don't. Imagine the cries of racism and sexism if President Bush had steamrollered Louisiana's female governor and New Orleans' Africa-American mayor.

Judging from a recent Gallup poll, Americans are showing their usual good sense -- only 13% blame President Bush for the problematic response to Hurricane Katrina. And the left will only marginalize itself further by trying to convince everyone to hold President Bush personally responsible.

Once more the Democrats are demonstrating that, while they may be immensely serious about trying to regain power, they're deeply unserious about actually governing.