I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HABIT of opening blog posts with the sentence, "I don't believe this." Because when it comes to the Bush administration's response to the Gulf Coast disaster, I am coming to believe that I really can believe anything that is inhuman, stupid, and totally lacking in common sense. Like the fact that two Navy helicopter pilots and their crews were reprimanded by their superior officers because, instead of following their assigned orders to deliver food and water to military installations along the Gulf Coast and return to base, the pilots completed their assigned mission and then, on their way back to base, rescued 110 hurricane victims.

The next morning ... the two crews were called to a meeting with Commander Holdener, who said he told them that while helping civilians was laudable, the lengthy rescue effort was an unacceptable diversion from their main mission of delivering supplies. With only two helicopters available at Pensacola to deliver supplies, the base did not have enough to allow pilots to go on prolonged search and rescue operations.

"We all want to be the guys who rescue people," Commander Holdener said. "But they were told we have other missions we have to do right now and that is not the priority."

Think about that for a minute. Rescuing women and children stranded on rooftops is not the priority. Delivering supplies to Stennis Space Center is the priority.

Gary Farber says, "RESCUE ME, even if you have to break orders; that's what I'd be grateful for."

Amen, brother. I second that emotion.