Not being in their exact situation, I can't speak too eloquently, however...

The convention center is in an area without flooding. Why exactly are they needing to get rescued before people who are living on rooftops again? Surely there is one able-bodied person there who could walk to officials and bring assitance for those in need, but wow - this is pretty bad. Nobody has brought us water? Perhaps it's because they're actually taking care of folks with no easy means to get out of their situations?

The depth of human selflessness is eclipsed only by the depth of human selfishness.

Again, I'm not there and I realize that yes, there are thousands of tragic stories in NO, but I don't think that people who are able-bodied and not flooded are necessarily chief amongst them.

YMMV SPSFD

As for Bush being an idiot and to blame, I think you're a touch out of line. Our government is a bureaucracy - Bush put people in charge (FEMA/DoHS) of making things happen. The president is not given a wand to wave to make things happen. Next-day response to a lot of unknowns is somewhat unrealistic. Even in a country like ours, a relief effort this large needs to know what they're stepping in to and they need a plan.

As for a comparison, you're right. You can't compare NO to say, Gulfport. New Orleans still exists, even though it's flooded. Portions of Gulfport are just plain gone. Trying to compare LA to MS or AL is just ridiculous. All 3 states have massive areas of concern that need addressing. The media is just focusing on NO because it was their doomsday scenario, and people on rooftops make for better media than people with concrete slabs.

Sickening to be certain, but welcome to our society.