21Sep Texas Watch: Hurricane Ike was a chance for Bush to show softer side

WASHINGTON – One lesson the Bush administration learned the hard way after Hurricane Katrina is that when disaster strikes, the public expects a personal touch – a show of empathy, engagement and oversight.

That made President Bush’s visit to Houston and Galveston last week predictable but also a bit odd, in that Mr. Bush didn’t carve out any time to meet with evacuees, or folks who’d lost homes or businesses in Hurricane Ike. His three-hour visit included official briefings and an aerial tour of Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston.

“When you’re president of a 300 million-person country, I guess there’s a lot of things you could be doing,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who accompanied Mr. Bush to Texas.

He said the president faced a balancing act. Even without any encounters with storm victims, the senator said on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base, “it sends a loud message that he would come.”

FEMA administrator Dave Paulison said the president has a nice touch that helps people overcome shock and anger.

“He is very good in doing those things. I’ve seen him do it a lot of times – hug people, talk to them, encourage them,” said Mr. Paulison.

The consoler in chief did hold hands with Galveston’s mayor as they walked to his helicopter from her emergency operations center. That was about it for the emoting, though the trip had other goals.