“Our investigation revealed that Katrina was a national failure, an abdication of the most solemn obligation to provide for the common welfare.”

If that acidic assessment came from Democrats, it could easily be dismissed as partisan sniping. But in fact, the investigation was conducted by 11 House Republicans, headed by Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia. As one well-placed Democrat told us, Davis was saying similar things about the president in private two years ago, but now feels free to say them publicly.