[The administration, he said, has tried to rebound from the widespread criticism of initial recovery efforts with a stepped-up federal response and regular visits to the Gulf region.] The president has been all over the map there to help out and commit the government's full resources and the expectation was it would have people talking again about his compassionate conservatism, ... But it just hasn't worked out. |
After 40 years, the verdict is still out. |
Any spate of news stories from now on about corruption in contracts, etc., will hurt - people will resist a major taxpayers' commitment if they think much of it will be wasted or lining the pockets of miscreants, ... That perception, unfortunately, has been reinforced by the delegation request, which editorials have called 'Louisiana looting.' The delegation needs to change its tone and strategy when it comes to getting aid. The other danger is that over time, as other disasters occur, aid becomes zero sum. |
Before election night or the next morning, I would have said the chances for a rematch are zero, that the loser would be quickly forgotten. But we're in a different world now. |
giving aid and comfort to their adversaries. |
He's putting a marker down that an awful lot of his colleagues have been unwilling to do. |
I don't expect a lot that are forced by the president. |
I think he's going to fall back on what he didn't want to do, what he swore he wouldn't do, but almost all second-term presidents do, which is being in a kind of caretaker status. |
I'm happy to place the lion's share of the blame for this on FEMA and the feds. But I think a substantial dollop of the blame goes to the state and local level, and he deserves his share of that. |
It strikes an emotional chord. |
It turns out to be more important than we thought, ... We're at a stage now in the modern media where everything is so fragmented that the only things that bring us together in the public square are tragedies or disasters .. We look for someone to reassure us of a common purpose. |
It's been an awful time for Republicans. |
It's not in the backs of their minds about Jim Wright, it's in the front of their minds, ... They see the parallel here and they want to be sure this doesn't happen. |
It's not what you really want at a time when the public is not very happy with you. |
Off-term elections are more idiosyncratic, but they're affected by the larger political environment. You do have some demoralization among Republicans and that can mean a lower turnout. ... It's been an awful time for Republicans. |