Katrina seen as Green Acres

Today I was reading the excellent Sunday talkshow summary over at Liberal Oasis. It seems the designated spinner, Don Powell, was 'splainin' to us all that the Katrina reconstruction fund is really like a checking account. It's very simple why the money hasn't been spent on reconstruction over the past year. Why, those good subcontractors just haven't submitted their bills for payment yet, that's all. For some reason while reading this, an image washed into my mind.


Some of you may remember the old TV show, Green Acres. The city slicker Oliver Douglas could never understand the how and why of daily life in bucolic Green Acres.




Eustace Haney would come over and explain it to him, in a way certain to make a tidy profit for Mr. Haney. There was never anything for Mr. Douglas to worry about. It would all come out just fine, as long as everything was paid for in advance. You know how it is, Mr. Douglas.





Mr. Haney also helpfully tried to explain Arnold the pig's actions to the bemused Mr. Douglas. Arnold had to have things just so. Everyone in Green Acres exactly understood what Arnold wanted, except Mr. Douglas. And they understood why Arnold was so powerful in Green Acres. Mr. Douglas exclaimed when baffled, "What difference does it make what a pig thinks?"

But by the end of the show, Mr. Douglas would say "Oh for heaven's sake just get the job done" and pay whatever was needed to pacify Mr. Haney, Mr. Ziffel, and anyone else required.

So on our Sunday talkshow, we have Mr. Haney (oops I mean Mr. Powell) explaining to Mr. Douglas (oops I mean the audience) why it's really very simple. The pig (oops I mean the administration) will make everything just fine and everything is going just fine right now. Mr. Douglas (oops I mean the public) will just have to pay in advance and sit back and wait. Arnold will get everything taken care of in good time. Why are we having such a hard time understanding Arnold now that we're living in Green Acres?