Not So Fast, Good Partner

Saw this brief but interesting piece in today's Northeast Mississippi Journal. Seems even "go to guy" Governor Barbour is getting snubbed by the Bush administration. Now Haley's still spinning on their behalf, but even he is starting to see what the Bush "response" to Katrina truly entails.

Barbour and Mississippi's congressional delegation continue to work to obtain federal funds to help about 35,000 people who either lost their homes or whose homes sustained extensive damage from the storm surge. Insurance companies say their policies do not cover the damage, although Attorney General Jim Hood of Houston is challenging that assertion in court.

Barbour gave an update on his trip to Washington, D.C., late last week where he met with Donald Powell, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., whom President Bush appointed to work with the states on the recovery effort. [...]

[...] Bush has not included the financial help in his recovery package, although the governor said he believes strong bipartisan support exists in Congress for the proposal. Barbour said he will continue to work to convince the Bush administration to change its mind.

On that note, I'd like to also recommend to y'all the the new Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, being run out of the Institute for Southern Studies (the same good people who bring you Facing South). The launch of this site and the effort it represents is good news indeed for all who care about what happens with regard to reconstruction from here on out.