Bush does the Gulf

Fresh off polls showing his popularity sinking in eastern parts of the South, Bush headed into even murkier waters today for his quick Disaster Tour of the Gulf. Given the state of rebuilding in the region, it shouldn't be surprising that he's walking into a storm of criticism, reports the Associated Press:

In Washington, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican who holds Bush's old job in Texas, said the federal government had turned its back on his state, which bore the brunt of Hurricane Rita. Perry said the government was being more generous to states hit by Katrina than to his, and he demanded an additional $2 billion in post-hurricane funding.

The governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama also are lobbying Congress for more money to pay for hurricane relief and rebuilding. Total hurricane-related spending on the region is approaching $100 billion.

In New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers is working to meet a June 1 deadline - the start of the year's hurricane season - to rebuild the city's flood protection system so it is as good or better than it was before Katrina.

Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, head of the Army Corps, said 100 of 169 miles of the city's damaged levees have been restored. But he acknowledged that won't prevent flooding in low-lying areas if a storm as powerful as Katrina slams the coast this year.

Just to drive that last point home -- the levees the Army Corps are building are for a Category 2 hurricane. Katrina was Cat 3, exploding to a Cat 5 when it funneled off the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (which is thankfully being closed).

Why are we three months away from hurricane season, but the federal government hasn't offered the money to protect New Orleans against a hurricane even weaker than Katrina? That seems like a good question for the visitng president.