The post-hurricane speech Bush won't deliver

In his weekly radio address to the nation Saturday, President George W. Bush attempted to sanitize the blistering criticism from virtually all shades of the political spectrum that his administration had received for its handling of the tragic (and partly avoidable) Hurricane Katrina calamity. Words like "death," "chaos," "anarchy," "squalor," "incompetence" and "national disgrace" -- among the most descriptive and emotive ones uttered last week by thousands of people -- were omitted from the president's speech. So, I am offering here a straightforward address to the nation that President Bush could give next Saturday. This speech might restore his credibility as a leader: