His fault was not just giving kudos to “Brownie” during the “terrible days” or for not being fully engaged in the rebuilding of Louisiana, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast but his overall lack of leadership and his entire “spin”he put on funding of projects critical to the rebuild of a major area of the country.

Bush failed his promises he made in Jackson Square in September 2005.  He should have made the rebuild a major priority just as he made the rebuild of Iraq.  He did not. 

He constantly called money for the rebuild “pork” and “earmarks” and blocked funding.  Even Republicans such as John McCain, Fred Thompson and other GOP candidates who ran for President were critical of the Administration’s response and pledged “never again”.

It was incredible that Governor Jindal said in the same Jackson Barracks weeks ago (where the President will speak today) that the Governor was receiving no good answer from the Administration and from Congress concerning the reimbursement of the cost of the levee rebuild which up to that time would have forced us to make repayment over three years rather than 30.  It is shameful that the Democratic Delegation had to come to New Orleans this summer and remind the President that he had the power to extend the terms for the reimbursement under the WRDA Act.

Virtually every step of the way over the past three years President Bush has been an impediment to the recovery, not a leader.   Had the Democrats not taken over Congress two years ago, I believe the recovery would have been much slower since there would have been little inside pressure exerted on the POTUS.  All we have to do is remember his failures during the State of the Union speeches and realize how he failed to lead the charge or even mention Katrina or Rita other than giving the greatest tragedy in American history lip service--when he gave it lip at all.  We only have to remember the ten percent FEMA cost share his administration was forcing upon us post-Katrina, a bill authored by our own US Senator David Vitter. 

Every day, citizens in this region have had to fight the Administration for its fair share.  The broken levees were a federal failing.  The SBA, FEMA and so many federal agencies that interfaced with the recovery have been a joke.  It did not take a rocket scientist to realize that the money for the Road Home program came much too late, the money for the rebuild of New Orleans arrived two years after the Katrina, the state and the city were driving on fumes while billions in cold cash hit the streets of Iraq.  Nor can we forget the total unfairness of distribution of funds received by our neighbors who had much less damage and property or disruption of their respective lives.  Yes, as a FEMA representative said at a recent US Senate hearing concerning the supplies that went to other venues and not to the intended recipients that “mistakes were made”, those words represent the entire Bush Katrina rebuild plan.  Mistakes were made, and even worse, Bush demonized the local government officials and the Katrina victims during the past three years.  His focus has been on rebuilding Iraq, not New Orleans or Louisiana.   

The fault lies squarely at the foot of the President for not taking charge, for not taking the lead, for taking his eye off of the ball, and for failing to make the rebuild a top priority.

This history lesson does not mean there were not mistakes by our local officials.  We all know that Governor Blanco in her attempts to be super cautious with the Road Home program in the fear that the federal money would stop flowing was too heavy on the metal.  Her administration should have expedited whatever little money was available to hit the the streets of New Orleans to help rebuild small businesses and for rental recoveries.

Other local officials such as Mayor Nagin embarrassed New Orleans with his “statements” which has not helped at all.  Other acts of corruption further have put a bad taste in the mouths of honest local citizens and certainly in those individuals sniffing from afar.

Again, let me make sure I am very clear.  I do not want New to return to the city of the past where crime was more rampant, poverty was everywhere and the City was a third-world haven for misfits.  New Orleans can be rebuild bigger, better and much more beautiful.  As I have constantly stated for years, we can not afford to continue the failed policies of yesterday no matter the cause.  New Orleans was barely surviving then and to continue under-educating our youth, to maintain pockets of poverty and despair is demeaning to the city and to those who are its subjects.

But, in the overall scheme of things, the President set the tone for the recovery and it was either too busy, dead or the wrong number.    Without doubt, the past few months have been very helpful to have a Republican Governor leading the charge against a Republican administration arguing for fairness.  While Governor Jindal can be criticized in other areas of his young administration, very few can argue that as Governor, he has not led the state’s charge in many areas that interfaced with the Bush Administration where Governor Blanco could not because of party politics.    

Yes, President Bush did not create Katrina.  He just failed us when it hit.  No, he did not cause the looting.  No, he did not cause the Broussard flooding of Jefferson Parish east bank.  No, he did not cause the poverty and the misery existing prior to the storm.  He has a good heart.  But, he failed us for not quickly providing the necessary safety net, for not cutting through the red tape, for not funding when necessary, for calling legitimate projects “pork” and for playing politics by making Karl Rove the lead person during the initials days of the after the storm hit which caused the Blanco administration to wonder about the President’s intentions.

He failed to instill hope to those teetering on the brink of returning to Louisiana.  He failed to lead the charge in restoring the wetlands.  He failed to advocate Category-5 like levees which are needed when the next big one occurs.  He failed to adopt the Baker plan which would have expedited the home building recovery.  He failed to allow any information to be disclosed about his administration’s dealings with Katrina and called it “national security” privileges while Governor Blanco put approximately one hundred thousand documents on the Internet (many embarrassing) for the world to see her mistakes and her attempts.

Besides Iraq, Katrina will be President Bush’s greatest failure as President.  Let us be thankful and hopeful that the next President does not “stay the course” and puts recovery as a primary objective.  Again, we are talking about an important part of the red, white and blue.  When we cannot fairly take care of our own when we are responsible, the world takes note.  Yes, our citizens must be step up to the plate for what they can control.  But, the winds of Katrina took the control out of local officials and the feds failed in virtually every area of their respective responsibilities.  It has been a sorry three years and while President Bush has come around lately with help with Corps of engineering reimbursements, the Federal City project, some money for the coasts, over all, it has been exceedingly painful and a job done too little, too late and too unaccomplished.