It's Gonna Cost a Bundle

I can see it now: W's greatest presidential legacy won't be his cluelessness, but how he left this nation destitute while he retired back to his Crawford ranch and summered in Kennebunkport. It's gonna make a great book. If any of us can afford to buy it.

Our days as the richest nation in the world may be numbered -- starting today when W announces his plan to spend around 200 BILLION dollars to re-build the Gulf Coast. That's as much as we have spent (to date) on the war in Iraq.

W is not the first Republican to try to buy his way out of trouble. Nixon broadly expanded the welfare program after the riots in Watts and Newark in an effort to stop urban unrest. Josh Marshall explains how W's plan to pass out more free money is calculated to satisfy the populace.

In the meantime, Slate warns the Democrats to be careful in handling the Katrina flap. Unfortunately, suburbanites don't want to hear about race and class -- they've got that covered with their McMansions and gated communities. They want to feel safe when they visit their local shopping mall. So, if the Dems want to win...

So much for focusing on the greater good.