Suppose Katrina had been a terrorist attack

[bustarbusto]

Obviously, it's not. Scenario-wise, however, it seems that it would be a fairly simple matter for a few Oklahoma-city style bombs to blow similar holes in the levees. The main difference, apart from the fact that the devastation would be a good deal more localized, is that there would be no warning, no (partial) evacuation. The resultant flooding, however, would likely be nearly as dramatic. Er, Homeland Security? Anyone home?

For all the interminable war-on-terror rhetoric, this administration scores a zero for preparedness. Less than zero. (And that's not even mentioning the drastic cuts for first-responders, the absent National Guard, the gouging of major cities in the latest budget, the policies designed to increase oil dependence and global warming, etc. etc. etc.)

Bush does, however, win a tinfoil star of merit for successfully biking around Crawford with his thumb up his ass.

[On the Road]

1. Bringing FEMA Under Homeland Security

and doing a massive untested reorganization (largely for show and for greater centralized control) seems to have had a terrible effect on response time and coordination. It doesn't help that the head of FEMA is a political appointment with no relevant experience.

So I would have to agree -- less than zero.