Delightful

Assuming it's true - and frankly I've got few reasons to believe it isn't - this report from the New York Times is pretty sick. Instead of figuring out how to fix the muddled federal reponse to Katrina and make darn sure something like it never happens again, the Bush Administration has been working for the last few days on a "plan ... to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina."

Shocking, I know.

"It orchestrated visits by cabinet members to the region, leading up to an extraordinary return visit by Mr. Bush planned for Monday, directed administration officials not to respond to attacks from Democrats on the relief efforts, and sought to move the blame for the slow response to Louisiana state officials, according to Republicans familiar with the White House plan.

The effort is being directed by Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, and his communications director, Dan Bartlett. It began late last week after Congressional Republicans called White House officials to register alarm about what they saw as a feeble response by Mr. Bush to the hurricane, according to Republican Congressional aides."

Those congressional Republicans were right - it was a feeble response. But instead of doing something about that response, the Administration is devoting time and energy to photo ops and blame-shifting. Just peachy.