Presidential response to tragedy in New Orleans

Re “The Crescent City blues,” Opinion, Sept. 1

After waxing lyrical about the superficial tourist-trap aspects of New Orleans, Howell Raines tears into President Bush for not exhibiting a Clintonian lip trembling, I-feel-your-pain “connection” to the hurricane victims. What a joke. This tragedy unfolded slowly -- TV reporters initially were reporting that New Orleans had dodged it again. The true scope of this thing is only now becoming evident. The president’s measured response was presidential enough for me, but then again, Bush-bashing is not my full-time job.

JOHN HEATH

Austin, Tex.

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Thanks for Raines’ excellent and deeply upsetting Op-Ed. I and others knew all that about the Bush regime. I fear our slavish press has far from pointed out Bush’s delay in responding to Katrina, and the fact that he advised people to stay in their homes until it was clear that doing so would prove catastrophic and, in many cases, fatal.

ELLEN CANTAROW

Medford, Mass.