@Hengis, ?

Very well said sir, very well said.
@Space,
I am afraid that your interpretations are once again not in line with the facts. What you are quoting is the spin that was placed on the situation after the Bush administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and FEMA were humiliated over thier unbelievable bungling of the hurricane Katrina disaster.
The federal government called the governor of Louisiana after the hurricane hit, and was told that they didn't need to come, and then two days later the governor is back on the phone with the federal government and it is suddenly the federal government's fault. ?The American government is set up that the city government responds first, if more help is needed then the state, and then the federal governments get involved. ?Sadly, this is not well known and is heading down the tubes because people are being taught that it is the federal government's responsibility to take care of them (which it is, to a degree, but today it is being taken way out of porportion).
Not only did the federal government NOT call the governor of Louisiana, she called them and asked for ALL AVAILABLE HELP. They didn't send fire rescue, search and recover assistance, and would not allow the FNS or the Corp of Engineers to bring food and water into the area because she didn't ask for those resources specifically through the proper channels. This was repeated on air multiple times by both Brown and Chertoff before the Spin Doctors of the Republican party got a hold of it. This is exactly my point when I say that George W. Bush surrounds himself with incompetents, if this fiasco has not shown that I don't know what ever could.
The heroes here are the military leaders such as Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who used their skill and training to take control of a horrific situation and help the people who needed help. The men and women of; the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments, the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army, and all of the loaned officers from accross the coutry are who saved this situation.
While I agree that the first line of help is the city, county and state governments, when a disaster of this proportion hits an area in your own country, that is NOT the time to be playing politics, it's the time to get off your arse and take care of business. You sort out the rest when the people are safe, and fed, and have shelter.
T