Nobody could have anticipated...

It turns out that the image of an aloof, detached, and uninformed president going about business as usual as Katrina struck the Gulf Coast isn't accurate. New information reveals that he was aloof, detached, and informed.

In documents and video tapes obtained by the Associated Press, it is clear that FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the president were fully aware of the magnitude of the impending disaster. Even FEMA chief Michael Brown said "this is the big one."

As for Bush's remark on national television that "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees," the video clearly shows Max Mayfield from the National Hurricane Center saying "I don't think anyone can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not, but that's obviously a very, very grave concern."

Mayfield also said that the "greatest potential for large loss of life is still in the coastal areas from the storm surge," and warned that Katrina was similar to Hurricane Andrew in maximum intensity, but there was a big difference - Katrina was much larger.

Bush apparently asked no questions, and at the end of the briefing told state officials "we're prepared." He then continued his vacation at his Crawford ranch, only taking time out for a stump speech and photo op in California as people suffered and died at the Superdome and the Convention Center.

Watching Bush in the Katrina briefing video is reminiscent of his "deer in the headlights" reaction when he was told "the nation is under attack" on 9/11. One might imagine that a true leader, upon being told of an impending disaster of Katrina's magnitude, would have said "gas up the jet, we're going back to the White House to take command." Instead, our president doesn't seem to take his job very seriously at all.

These latest revelations don't add much to the debate about what went wrong, other than confirming the administration knew what was about to happen. But watching the video now is painful in retrospect. How many more lives could have been saved?

Bush's assurances after the briefing that "we're prepared" ring hollow now, and so does the promise he made while standing in the national spotlight at Jackson Square that the federal government would do "whatever it takes" to rebuild New Orleans.

That was six months and many empty promises ago. Once again, the nation waits patiently for some sign of leadership from this administration.