The Blame Game Starts

That highly qualified horse show organiser and ex-head of FEMA, Michael Brown, said yesterday that he was not at fault for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina, but the fact that Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Blanco were not talking to each other. That Louisiana was 'dysfunctional'!

He's even turning on his old mentor and job provider, President Bush, saying he told him and his staff the Katrina was 'going to be a big one!' I presume that's FEMA tech speak for a town-busting mega-storm liable to kill lots of people and destroy lots of property. I'll remember that in future - category five hurricanes are 'big ones' - or was he talking about what Bush did on the UN toilet that day?

I don't know, I'm just an old country Brit, stuck for the next 4 years with Blair and the constant talk of when Brown takes over.

One final note on New Orleans, the second casualty, after Brown, has been taken. Police Chief, Eddie Compass has resigned. Personal reasons were quoted, but it does look as if he was asked after it emerged that 15% of the force did not turn up to work after the hurricane had struck. This whole thing is going to get very messy!

Finally, Britain's second right of centre party, the Conservatives (Labour, or as Blair calls it -Noo Labour is the first right of centre party) has decided to go with the same, failed mechanism in electing a party leader as before. How can a party that can't get its own house in order ever expect to lead the country. Come on Charles Kennedy, seize the moment, get the message across that the Liberal Democrats are now the only true Social Democratic party in the UK and you will be flying!