Both Salon and the LA Times have published great pieces about how Bush's initial response to Hurricane Katrina underscores his inherent heartlessness. (By the way, EL Doctorow wrote a powerful essay on the subject of Bush's lack of caring last year. It's very much worth reading--thanks to my mom for sharing the piece with me!)

Over at Common Dreams, CODEPINK-er Linda Milazzo explores how this hurricane has brought us together as Americans. The Red State/Blue State distinctions no longer matter. We are all Americans. More importantly, we are all human beings, and we need to do what we can to support one another during catastrophic times.

As I mentioned in a Comment below, I have decided to send my financial support to Mercy Corps. The Red Cross is such an important organization, and they are doing such vital work now during the aftermath of Katrina, but after they bungled the 9/11 funds so badly, I have trouble trusting that my dollars are going to be used properly. At Mercy Corps, 92% of donations go directly to aid. There are a lot of other wonderful organizations out there, too; you can find a list here.