Think Progress asks some equally profound questions regarding Bush's CNN photo op here. My additional observations:

• Remember watching Wag the Dog? This time the disaster is real and the movie around it is badly directed.
  
  
• Does anyone remember that there are people incredibly desperate there while we are arguing and posing?

A picture really does speak a thousand words. I wonder if Ojos will be used in the future to create politically driven photo essays like this?

We had a conversation in the office yesterday about how, if we were launched, we could help out. Ideas about helping people locate their loved ones through face recognition of survivor photographs (logistically difficult since communications are pretty sparse in the damaged areas - the national news could do a better job with their broadcasting), fundraising (happening at Flickr now) and giving a platform for bloggers to create (during and post-) photoessays.

Loads of online services are getting creative in their relief efforts. If only we could find a way to bring the people at the Convention Centre in New Orleans water and food.