The good news

Americans have already donated more money in response to Katrina than for 9/11 and the Indonesian tsunami combined over a similar timeframe. To-date contributions total $404M which slighly edges the $402M combined total for 9/11 ($239M) and the tsunami ($163M). Surely, the coffers will continue to fill and the Bush Sr. / Clinton campaign will help push the totals ever-higher. For all of the acrimony over the government response, it certainly warms your heart to see Americans reaching out to aid their neighbors in this time of need.

Hat tip, Andrew Sullivan.