In September, I emailed to friends the following account of President Bush's visit to San Diego during the Katrina disaster.
So, where was Nero . . . er, Bush, while the Gulf Coast was being hammered and flooded? Right here in perfect-weather Coronado CA, where the only storm on the president's horizon was an anti-Iraq-war demonstration by about 500 people. Full disclosure--I was among them.
A big point was made throughout August about the president's "working vacation," lest we imagine he was slacking. I don't think that included the manly brushclearing on his ranch. He did some fundraising speeches, certainly, and had barbeques with a dignitaries and staff members, and probably discussed issues with them as well.
But Cindy Sheehan was causing trouble about Iraq and his polls were suffering, so Mr. Bush flew in the comfort of Air Force One to Arizona (to talk about the crucial and time-sensitive matters of his Social Security plan and his discount drugs plan). Many photo ops with his arms around carefully chosen Republican senior citizens. Only the prescreened-for-political-correctness get to attend his speeches.
He arrived in Coronado about 5pm on Monday. In New Orleans, the levees had broken. He and Mrs. Bush enjoyed dinner and the presidential suite at the Hotel del Coronado, where security arrangements had been going on all day. I know this because I walked over there and hung around to watch. You have never seen so many police, Secret Service, protective lineup of busses, etc. Our tax money in action! Mind you, I want the president to be safe. I also want him not to use our money to make self-serving political speeches.
That evening, 5-600 candle-carrying protesters assembled on the sidewalk by the beach just outside the hotel property, within view of the suite windows. A young man played Taps flawlessly as the sun went down. We sang God America, Amazing Grace, and We Shall Overcome. About 50 pro-Bush people (a large number of them teenage males) with pre-fab signs shrieked at us about causing the death of troops. Pretty soon, the police drew up squad cars in front of them, and the mounted police bookended them. Apparently there were fears they'd cause problems. Lots of media there. I was interviewed and one of my soundbites made the local news that night. <g> The pro-war people tried to shout down our songs by cheering for Bush, the troops, and . . . this was verified . . . Halliburton.
The next morning, the presidential procession made its way to North Island Naval Air Station for a time-sensitive speech commemorating the surrender of Japan nearly sixty years ago, the point being to show that World War II and the Iraq war have lots in common. Because a previous San Diego speech had him fly onto an aircraft carrier with its Mission Accomplished banner, the speech setup was such that the carriers anchored at NAS could not be seen. No reminders of that embarrassing incident allowed within camera range. Many photo ops followed, with Bush's arm around World War II vets (hastily rounded up and brought to the speech), with his arms around a guitar, etc.
Next, the procession went to Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, where Bush was to meet with--I love this--medical personnel who had been among those sent to help the tsunami victims in Indonesia. Meantime, New Orleans is in chaos. We heard Bush was to visit troops injured in Iraq as well. Ultimately, he left the hospital about an hour and a half earlier than expected, returned to Air Force One, and flew to the Gulf Coa . . . no. To his ranch.
Honestly, I think having political officials strutting in the vicinity of a crisis zone (while rescue helicopters are grounded for security reasons) is a waste of time and resources, but others feel it's important for them to make an appearance. Bush did eventually get to New Orleans, but some of his remarks there, about fun times on Bourbon Street and rebuilding Trent Lott's house, were spectacularly inappropriate.
My favorite press comment came from a reporter watching Dick Cheney trying to avoid stepping in mud. The reporter contrasted Laura Bush's warm, personal, close-to-the-people appearances with those of Mr. Cheney, saying that throughout his tour, the veep had an expression on his face that said, "Anybody here got a pet they need euthanized?"
What I'd to see is a photo-op of the very rich Mr. Cheney writing a seven- (or eight-) figure check to the Red Cross.