The California Wildfires

Two things to update you on regarding the unfolding tragedy in California. First, it looks like at least some of the fires were started by arson. The cause of all of them (especially the original ones) is still under investigation, but a couple people trying to set copycat fires were arrested and another was killed by police. Rick Moran hits the nail on the head:

With all the furies in the world descending upon the people of Southern California, the idea that there are idiots out there who only want to make the situation worse by setting more fires in the bone dry brush is incomprehensible.

The second story is that it has apparently now become the norm to politicize natural disasters. I think we all remember the incessant sensationalism in the headlines after Katrina, telling of rampant looting, pillaging, raping, and murdering in the immediate aftermath...but little if any of it was true. However, that has not stopped the liberal elite and the MSM from hammering the failures home against Bush so much that they've become almost ingrained in the culture. When the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis earlier this summer, it took at least half a day before people started blaming Bush for the failure. This time, the thought of the victims didn't even last that long - with the wildfires still raging, fingers began pointing...at Bush, of course.

You know, it's amazing that Bush can be a dumb, hick, bumbling imbecile while at the same time wielding the power of nature in the form of hurricanes and firestorms to destroy large swaths of his own people's land and possessions. At least, that's what you have to believe if you listen to the MSM. The double standard is mind-boggling.

Some bright spots in the tragedy: Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who have not exactly been cozy -- seem to have forged a mutually beneficial bond. Schwarzenegger praised Bush for his fast response, which the White House hopes will help soften the sharp edges left after Katrina; Bush praised Schwarzenegger for taking decisive action, implying much better leadership than in Louisiana.

And, of course, we see the heroism of the normal, everyday American people - folks helping other folks, providing shelter, food, water, supplies, and encouragement during the toughest of times. That's what makes America great. Americans step up when the stakes are highest.

There's my two cents.