Daily Show Does Katrina

Screengrab above from Aaron Barnhart's TVBarn.com, where he writes that "The Daily Show" -- back Tuesday after a week hiatus (and what an unfortunate week to take off) -- was, as usual, in top form as it finally tackled Hurricane Katrina.

Notes Aaron:

I've posted above the checklist graphic from Ed Helms' segment, which was one long extended and very funny riff about the massive federal effort being waged right now to save ... this president. At one point, talking about the herculean resources being thrown at this effort to save ... this president, Helms put up the list, noting that experts kept track of the disasters striking the Bush Administration by naming them alphabetically.

Aaron's also the first person I've seen to really question the hot talking point of the moment on the right. He calls it the "Magic School Bus theory" -- that somehow, had New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin dispatched the 350 school buses at his disposal before the hurricane, that crisis would have been averted.

He writes:

This theory only works if you suffer from short term memory loss and forget (a) that with Katrina bearing down on New Orleans, tens of thousands of residents were refusing to leave, and (b) that the actual tragedy came when the levees were breached, something that the federal government -- and only the federal government -- could have done something about ahead of time, and (c) once the levees did break, city officials were everywhere, they worked efficiently and effectively, and FEMA let them down.

Also, (d) there were 350 school buses. An average of 10-20 people, plus possessions, could have boarded each bus. That wouldn't have even saved "20,000 lives," as Fred Barnes claimed ... and that assumes residents of the Ninth Ward would have agreed to evacuate.

MEANWHILE, color Salon's Eric Boehlert unimpressed over the news media's supposed newfound backspine.

Also, for a local angle, check out this L.A. Times piece on one man's grueling 10-day journey to escape New Orleans and make it to his aunt's house in Moreno Valley.