Dudley Did Right

Why couldn't FEMA? This is downright laughable! The Canadian Mounted Police can show up on horses but not our own government.

Just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans and only a 15-minute drive from Bourbon Street, the parish received no U.S. government assistance for almost a week after Hurricane Katrina struck.

The 6,000 residents stranded in its mix of marshland, oil refineries, blighted houses and sprawling new subdivisions were left to fend for themselves, including 34 people who died in a nursing home here.

'I guess nobody knew we were here,' said St. Bernard Parish Councilwoman Judy Hoffmeister, who on Wednesday recalled being trapped on the roof of a building, awaiting rescue, on the night of the storm. 'Why wouldn't somebody say, 'Where's St. Bernard?' '

At first, the only rescuers on hand were the residents and officials of St. Bernard Parish. Two days after Katrina hit, a team of Canadian Mounties from Vancouver showed up to help, and a sprinkling of officials from neighboring parishes paid visits, but it would be days before there was any sign of assistance from the U.S. government.

'I'm saying, where's the Department of Defense?' said parish Sheriff Jack Stephens. 'The Canadians can show up, but the Department of Defense can't get to St. Bernard Parish?'

Dubya has a whole lot of 'splainin' to do tonight. I'm sure someone will write him a really nice speech. But no matter what he says, the damage has been done.