Bush's snub of the NAACP proves just how petty he really is.

[shinerbock]

I agree with you. I do think, however, that it is difficult to become a statesman in American politics. The political arena is so divided that one must try and balance his base, listen to the people, and handle the opposition all at once. I think that sometime in the semi-near future we will have leader capable of this. I believe the way to do it would be in the manner of Ronald Reagan...even when times were rough, he reached out to Americans to the degree that his opposition was forced to listen and work with him.

To the previous post: The NAACP is like any other special interest group. The "represent" an extremely broad group of people, but are also undermined by other interests. Like any special interest, they have the extreme of their group they must appeal to. Just as the Christian Coalition has to appease the extreme right evangelical crowd, the NAACP is often forced to go far to the left, to the Al Sharpton "interject race into every issue" crowd. Thus, while they in some manner represent black people as a group, they are not all encompassing. Just as the Christian Coalition only fully represents a percentage of Christians, the NAACP only does so for a percentage of black Americans...In regard to Katrina, of course the city and state can't handle a disaster like that, they've never had the real life experience to do so. Similarly, the administration had never experienced this, and was thus unprepared to resolve the situation quickly. However, I dont really find fault with either. It is not the state nor the administration's job to bail out citizens in every situation. Unfortunately we live in a society where people lack the personal responsibility to handle situations for themselves. Having been a child during Hurricane Hugo, I assure you there was nothing that could have kept my father from getting us out of coastal S.C. You simply don't take chances, and shouldn't, especially in a place like New Orleans. If you can't catch a flight, pack up and drive. If you don't have a car, try and hitch a ride. If you can't catch a ride, you start walking north. I, like all Americans, felt awful for those stranded in New Orleans, and prayed for their safety. However, despite the circumstances, those who stayed made a decision, and the government should not be held responsible for the consequences of those decisions.