How the press found its guts (aka Ball 1)

Once upon a time an administration bungled a post-war occupation resulting in social chaos and death. When the 4th estate started asking hard questions they were accused of treason. Criticizing a war president is bad.

Once upon another time the same administration bungled a post-hurricane occupation resulting in social chaos and death.

But here's the important difference: it's open season on emergency managers up to and including the highest level of the executive branch because a hurricane doesn't have the get-out-of-impeachment-free card that a war has.

Watch CNN and prepare to be amazed. I even heard conservative Paula Zahn stick it to Michael Chertoff last night when he admitted ignorance of the New Orleans convention center situation until sometime yesterday when it was too late for a lot of people.