Reuters: Good thing for Haiti Bush no longer president

It amazes me how deep and enduring is the Bush hatred in the media. Since no amount of mental gymnastics can link George Bush to the earthquake in Haiti, Reuters has to content itself with singing hallelujahs that Bush isn't around to handle the American relief efforts.

The administration urgently sought to show it had learned from the mistakes of Obama's predecessor, who was criticized for the initial U.S. response to a tsunami disaster in south Asia in 2004 and for his handling of Hurricane Katrina's onslaught on the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005.

The White House also took pains to show Obama was staying on top of events, in contrast to Bush, widely seen as detached as Katrina battered New Orleans for days more than five years ago.

So on top is Obama that he spent the whole day yesterday talking health care reform with Democratic cronies.

Actually, I don't recall any real criticism over the US response to the tsunami in 2004. Sure, other countries will always bitch that we don't do enough while they themselves do nothing, but we're used to that.

Haiti: Hell on earth

The situation in Haiti appears worse than anything anyone can imagine with the immediate death toll - that is, deaths caused by injuries sustained during the earthquake itself - possibly numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Even at the low end of those guesses - say 100,000 dead - that's a little over 1% of Haiti's total population of 9 million. For comparison purposes, the US would have to suffer 3.3 million dead from a single event to hit that percentage. And keep in mind that the ultimate death toll is likely to be much, much higher in the weeks and months that follow, thanks to disease and loss of medical care infrastructure.

Here's a link to Network for Good which has a pretty good round-up of charitable organizations from which you can choose to donate. And you will donate, won't you?