Tension apparent as Bush visits Louisiana

From the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

BATON ROUGE, La. — Like estranged in-laws at a holiday gathering, President Bush and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco kept their distance as both toured a relief center for storm victims day. At their next stop, the Republican president kissed the Democratic governor on the cheek, but it wasn't clear whether they had made up.

State and federal officials are all facing public criticism for a slow response to the crisis. Behind the scenes, each suggests the other is to blame.

In front of the cameras during Bush's visit to the Gulf Coast states today, the president and Blanco said little to each other, focusing instead on thanking relief workers.

"I know I don't need to make any other introduction other than 'Mr. President,'" Blanco said tersely, turning the microphone over to Bush after praising emergency management officials during a stop with Bush at an emergency operations center.

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Down here in Louisiana, officials and rescue workers are openly mocking the Federal Government. Just a while ago I heard a Washington Parish official on the radio talking about all the progress they had made, but he went the extra mile to point out that FEMA had nothing to do with any of it. Nationally, Republican loyalists, including DHS Secretary Chertoff, have been trying to lay the blame for all the chaos on the locals. But we know better. Bush's FEMA fucked New Orleans. That's not going to be forgotten here for many years to come.

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