President Bush has announced that he takes personal responsibility for the federal government’s delay in responding to the flooding in New Orleans. What does this mean? Are there any consequences to befall the man for his act of omission, or is this just another empty gesture we have come to expect from politicians? When a Japan Air Lines plane crashed a number of years ago, the president of the airline took responsibility for the mishap and resigned. Does George have any plans to follow this man’s example by resigning and letting the real president move into the oval office?

If one can take responsibility for catastrophes or other calamitous events without personally experiencing adverse consequences, can the rest of us do so as well? If so, I hereby take personal responsibility for the outcome of the Peloponnesian War, the fall of the Roman Empire, the French Reign of Terror, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Great Depression, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Now that it is known how powerful and influential I have been throughout the course of history, I shall await the many biographers who will be eager to write about me.

The Best of Butler Shaffer