Not My Job

Ever-anxious to shift the blame away from herself, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has again lashed out at FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina, this time for failing to remove the bodies of storm victims fast enough.

Governor Blanco is apparently upset that FEMA hasn't finalized a contract with the company it hired to remove the remains of those killed by the hurricane. "The dead deserve more respect than they've received," she observed.

Or course, one might argue that the dead deserved a governor who didn't jeopardize their lives by delaying a mandatory evacuation order, then botching the evacuation effort once it began. Excuse me, Madam Governor, but if you are so concerned about the loss of life, why didn't you make an effort to get your citizens out of harm's way, and fully implement state and local evacuation plans? Or, if that task was beyond your capabilities, why didn't you accept President Bush's offer, and turn things over to the feds before the situation became a crisis?

And finally, if you're really worried about removing the bodies of Katrina's victims, how about mobilizing some of your state resources? Surely you could spare a few state troopers or national guard troops for the effort. But that would mean taking some measure of responsibility for the debacle in your state, something you clearly don't intend to do.

For sheer, mindless arrogance and incompetence, has there ever been another governor who can match Kathleen Blanco?