Pinpointing the Problem:

Clearly putting a "Mission Accomplished" on a aircraft carrier was a mistake. It sent the wrong message. We were trying to say something differently, but, nevertheless, it conveyed a different message. Obviously, some of my rhetoric has been a mistake. I've thought long and hard about Katrina. You know, could I have done something differently. Like, land Air Force One in either New Orleans or Baton Rouge. The problem with that and, uh, is that...umm...law enforcement would have been pulled away from the mission. And then your questions, I suspect, would have been, "How could you possibly have flown Air Force One into Baton Rouge and police officers that were needed, uh, to expedite traffic out of New Orleans were taken off the task to look after you?"

- President George W. Bush

I just thought it would be of benefit for people to see this portion of his valedictory press conference transcribed. It resonates slightly different would you look at the rhetoric and structure of the statement. This all despite the fact that President revealed during this press conference that there is "no such thing as short term history."

InDigest is seeking submissions focused on Hurricane Katrina

InDigest (indigestmag.com), a literary magazine that seeks to create a dialogue about and between the arts, is interested in submissions focused on Hurricane Katrina. Why Katrina? Why now? We at InDigest were extremely troubled by the politicizing of events surrounding Hurricane Gustav—the photo ops, the self-serving talk of doing good for others, et al.—while people affected by Katrina are still living in FEMA trailers three years after Katrina hit. We feel that, unlike another national tragedy—9/11—Katrina has been dismissed, forgotten. We have our own opinions about why, but we seek artists’ and writers’ response to this national scar.

Please refer to indigestmag.com/submit.htm for guidelines to submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, and music. Submissions can be sent to indigestsubmit@gmail.com.