I shouldn't be picking on Obama over this; I don't think many of the other candidates -- not the Democrats, certainly -- have an appreciation for federalism, either. But he has a habit of saying directly what others only hint at:
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday the country cannot fail New Orleans again and that as president, he would keep the city in mind every day.
``The words never again cannot be another empty phrase,'' he said in front of one of the few rebuilt houses he saw on a brief tour of the city's Gentilly Woods section. ``It cannot become another broken promise.''
Leave aside the wisdom of rebuilding in place a city below sea level -- lightning does, in fact, strike in the same place more than once, and so do hurricanes. It's not the federal government's job. There have been all kinds of stories about the rebuilding work done by charities and other private interests in New Orleans. What have the billions from the federal government done?
