Helluva job all right

Public figures are now talking openly about "thousands" dead in New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

For example, GOP Strategist Jack Burkman was on MSNBC's "Connected":

"I understand there are 10,000 people dead. It's terrible. It's tragic. But in a democracy of 300 million people, over years and years and years, these things happen."

I saw that on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," but found it on the web at LoadedMouth.

I suspect he's going to regret that comment.

LoadedMouth, as well as Atrios, had CNN's Jack Cafferty -- who was responding to today's GOP talking point. Lots of Republicans are refusing to play the "blame game":

Why are we talking about the "blame game" - there are thousands of people dead because government officials failed to do what they're supposed to be doing. That's criminal behavior. I mean, that's no game. There are people dead in the city of New Orleans and up and down the gulf coast because people charged with seeing to their welfare failed to do that.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin may have been the first to point out the likely fatality numbers.

With the fourth anniversary of 9/11 only days away, the inevitable comparisons have already started -- and they are going to become more prominent. The President hasn't yet found his bullhorn in this crisis. George W. Bush, September 1, 2005:

In Biloxi, Miss., he [Bush] complimented Michael Brown, director of FEMA. "Brownie, you're doing a helluva job."

Let's hope Katrina "changed everything" about emergency management's future.