Bush tends to his base

In Alabama today:

The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of [Senator] Trent Lott's [2nd] house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch. (Laughter.)

There is a recurring element to Dubya's remarks on the Hurricane -- that the nation ends up better off as a result. It's like the Right's Epiphany model of 9/11.

Dubya finished as follows:

I got a feel for it when I flew over before. It -- for those who have not -- trying to conceive what we're talking about, it's as if the entire Gulf Coast were obliterated by a -- the worst kind of weapon you can imagine.

The smoking gun was a really really big cloud.