Numb and Number

Murph and Scaramouche both have the link to 25 Mind Numbingly Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath. My sister also sent the list to me by email. Stupid, indeed.

With DeLay and Babs, though, I think you begin to see the real issue with these folks--they're not merely stupid, but also have utter contempt for the poor...along with a bit of fear, perhaps, and, just as important, zero understanding. My guess is that neither Barbara Bush nor Tom DeLay has spoken to an honest-to-god poor person in a LONG time, which explains their awkward phraseology (and "awkward phraseology" is being awfully diplomatic). They're as insulated, and as isolated, from vast numbers of citizens as the Russian royal family was (maybe even more so--after all, the Romanovs had Rasputin hanging around).

Barbara Bush and Tom DeLay, though, are merely the most obvious--or oblivious, as it were. You can bet they aren't alone among that crowd.