National Guard Van Lines

From the "Well, OF COURSE he did!" Department, the Anchoress and Cap'n Ed bring us this remarkably expected post-script to the Katrina aftermath in the Big, Soggy Easy:

Military sources tells ABC News that William Jefferson, an eight-term Democratic congressman, asked the National Guard that night to take him on a tour of the flooded portions of his congressional district. A 5-ton military truck and a half dozen military police were dispatched.

Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider of the Louisiana National Guard tells ABC News that during the tour, Jefferson asked that the truck take him to his home on Marengo Street, in the affluent uptown neighborhood in his congressional district. According to Schneider, this was not part of Jefferson's initial request....

The water reached to the third step of Jefferson's house, a military source familiar with the incident told ABC News, and the vehicle pulled up onto Jefferson's front lawn so he wouldn't have to walk in the water. Jefferson went into the house alone, the source says, while the soldiers waited on the porch for about an hour.

Finally, according to the source, Jefferson emerged with a laptop computer, three suitcases, and a box about the size of a small refrigerator, which the enlisted men loaded up into the truck....

You can just see this coming, can't you?

The Louisiana National Guard tells ABC News the truck became stuck as it waited for Jefferson to retrieve his belongings.

The soldiers signaled to helicopters in the air for aid. Military sources say a Coast Guard helicopter pilot saw the signal and flew to Jefferson’s home. The chopper was already carrying four rescued New Orleans residents at the time.

A rescue diver descended from the helicopter, but the congressman decided against going up in the helicopter, sources say. The pilot sent the diver down again, but Jefferson again declined to go up the helicopter.

After spending approximately 45 minutes with Jefferson, the helicopter went on to rescue three additional New Orleans residents before it ran low on fuel and was forced to end its mission.

Jefferson...Landrieu...Blanco...Nagin...I'm beginning to notice a pattern here.

But then again, George Bush has taken responsibility for all of this, so it's really his fault. He was probably threatening to blow up another levee and target the floodwaters solely at New Orleans' remaining African-American residents if Jefferson didn't do his damndest to hinder federal rescue efforts.

I wonder if he got rewarded for his efforts with a bigger piece of the relief boodle for his district....