Less than twenty four hours after wind and rain stopped, the major networks, wire-services and newspapers were trotting out global-warming experts to show how the Bush administration's approach to the Kyoto Protocol had given birth to mega-storms like Katrina. Members of Congress went on the air to accuse George Bush of cutting funds for levee repair and maintenance -- thus precipitating the catastrophic failure of the walls holding back the water. Emergency preparedness experts from previous administrations pontificated that FEMA -- the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- had been undercut in the Bush reorganization of the Department of Homeland Security. The Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were provided with grandstands to accuse the Bush administration of racism in failing to protect New Orleans. In short -- just like the Global War on Terror -- all the news is bad -- and it's all the fault of George W. Bush.
In fact, the Katrina coverage has closely paralleled the way the war in Iraq has been reported. In March of 2003, there were more than 700 embedded correspondents who accompanied U.S. and coalition forces in the swift victory over Saddam. No matter what the political views of the person holding the camera or the network broadcasting the image -- the courage, compassion and decency of the American soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines sent into the fight was undeniable. As with Katrina, FOX News and the cable networks dominated the coverage.
But shortly after Saddam's statue crashed to the ground in Baghdad's Firdos Square, most of the cable camera crews came home and the mainstream media took over once again. Writing their stories and broadcasting from the balconies of air-conditioned hotels, "wiser heads" offered a different perspective on the war.
The war was all wrong, we were told. Iraqis who hated America were brought forth to describe how they were better off under Saddam. Terrorists who behead innocent hostages became "freedom fighters." And to prove that our troops really weren't "good," the potentates of the press beat Abu Ghraib like a rented mule for months. Once the cable cameras were gone, all the news was bad. New schools, clean water, more electricity, elections, a democratic constitution -- none of that matters. According to the "experts," every casualty is Bush's fault -- and the only answer is to get out now.
"Get out now," of course, was the message broadcast to the people in the path of both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It's a good plan when a potentially devastating storm is bearing down. It's a terrible idea once the maelstrom hits -- or in the midst of a war. Unfortunately, that seems to be the mainstream media's only message to President Bush.