Bush may be overcorrecting on Katrina
How much empathy is too much? Republican insiders are wondering if President Bush might be overdoing his visits to the hurricane-ravaged Gulf states and causing himself more political problems in the process.
This week, Bush made his 10th tour of the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina, stopping in New Orleans and Gautier, Miss., and he conveyed a sense that he felt the pain of the many victims of the storm. At the same time, Bush's visit again reminded voters of his administration's slow response to the hurricane last summer, which raised questions about his competence in a crisis, according to the polls. In the past 24 hours, he has been widely shown on television and in newspaper photographs walking amid piles of debris and abandoned houses that were destroyed by Katrina.
One Bush ally described it as a "damned if you do, damned it you don't" situation for the president, who wants to demonstrate his concern but doesn't want to call attention to the foul-ups of last summer.
There was another problem. While on the trip, Bush called on the Republican-controlled Congress to restore the full $4.2 billion he requested for grants to help Louisiana residents rebuild their homes or relocate. Congress is moving to spend that money not only in Louisiana but in other states affected by Katrina. This issue illustrated again the divide between Bush and congressional Republicans, who have been straying from the White House on some issues, notably the Dubai seaports deal.
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