The lesson of Katrina? When expensive real estate is burning and the Republican celebrity governor of the wealthiest state in the union calls, get the president on a plane and make him walk around the disaster zone the same day it’s going down. Also: burnish FEMA’s reputation for incompetence by staging a fake news conference where FEMA staff pose as journalists, lobbing Deputy Director Harvey Johnson questions like: “Are you happy with FEMA’s response to the wildfires?” Helluva job, Harvey!

Sad to say that some of the only direct contact a lot of Americans will have with their government is when they get pulled over for speeding and on the day their neighborhood burns or drowns and these guys come to the “rescue.”

The Washington Post first reported Fema’s stage show yesterday. The Times ran a tiny piece on page ten or something today. No disciplinary action against Johnson and his staff of actors was reported. “They won’t do that again,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.