US conservatives round on Bush over Katrina aid pledges

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US conservatives round on Bush over Katrina aid pledges

· 'Shocking expansion of federal role' dismays right
· Doubts over wisdom of rebuilding New Orleans

Julian Borger in Washington
Saturday September 17, 2005
The Guardian


US president George Bush's promise to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf coast "higher and better" has triggered a wave of anxiety among conservatives in his own party, who are shocked at the expansion of the federal role in disaster relief.

Yesterday Mr Bush led the country in a day of prayer for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Washington's national cathedral, declaring: "The destruction of this hurricane was beyond any human power to control, but the restoration of broken communities and disrupted lives now rests in our hands." But his ambitious pledge the night before to lead "one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen" has dismayed many of his own followers.

The promise was made in a dramatic prime-time address to the nation from a floodlit Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans, where President Bush attempted to rebuild his credibility as a strong leader. In doing so, he apologised once more for the bungled, delayed response of the federal government.

"Four years after the frightening experience of September 11, Americans have every right to expect a more effective response in a time of emergency," he said, adding that he was personally "responsible for the problem, and for the solution".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1572300,00.html