Grasping Reality on TypePad, by Brad DeLong

David Frum approvingly relays a message from "a reader":

David Frum's Diary on National Review Online: More Katerina ... A reader writes:

Kathleen Blanco wants the MONEY, but she doesn't want the accountability. Rather than federalizing the Guard (at which point blaming the administration would become completely legitimate), she wants to keep the control herself while pointing the finger. As far as I'm concerned, she joins the parade of Southern governors who declined to federalize the National Guard to defend or help black people. A bit harsh, perhaps, but so are many of the things being said about Bush and Chertoff.

The levees are a project of national importance, and there is clearly a federal role there. But does Louisiana or Jefferson Parish have no role in its own preservation? The comments yesterday from the head of Jefferson Parish about bureaucracy killing people have several grains of truth, but when he says 'get me another idiot' to run FEMA, I want to say, 'and what did you do about preparations?' Maybe Hastert is right. Maybe we shouldn't rebuild part of New Orleans, or simply say that people who choose to build in those parts need to have flood insurance -- and permit the banks to refuse to lend money to people without flood insurance without provoking an investigation by the Federal Reserve.

If Kathleen Blanco is going to play politics by hiring Cllinton's FEMA director, then do Republicans not get to respond? I think the press is pretty aware of the D and R affiliations here, too. Otherwise, we'd be seeing a lot more positive coverage of Haley Barbour.

Jim MacDonald relays a rather different message from somebody else:

Making Light: Today's Lesson:

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Jesus, saying, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus said unto the lawyer, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"

And the lawyer answering said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."

And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

But the lawyer, wishing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"

And Jesus answering said:

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, "Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

And the lawyer said, "He that shewed mercy on him."

Then said Jesus unto him, "Go, and do thou likewise."