No one handled the Katrina disaster particularly well. But Ray Nagin was faced with a nearly impossible job to do, and he was completely handicapped without help from the higher levels of government.  The most effective thing he did was get on the radio with Garland Robinette and plead for help, which for many Americans crystallized how bad it actually was--that was a heartbreaking interview for me to listen to.

As for the buses, if Nagin said there was no one to drive them, I can take him at his word. "Chocolate City?" A tempest in a teapot.

I would certainly not call his actions criminal. I might say he handled the crisis ineffectively. But who among the nation's mayors would have been able to effectively deal with a disaster of that magnitude? Not to mention the aftermath, which is a civic challenge that is beyond the capacity of any one man to handle.

Regardless, Mayor Nagin made the right decision today to support Barack Obama, who will see to it that New Orleans finally gets the long overdue help that it sorely needs.