could hastert be right about something?

Hastert is asking a good question. i'm no expert, but offhand i'd say rebuilding NO in the same place makes about as much sense as building a house on top of a set of railroad tracks. nature always bats last. perhaps Hastert's question could be rephrased more gently as, "should we rebuild it somewhere else?" at the very least, i'm glad someone has the guts to open the debate.

House Speaker: Rebuilding N.O. doesn't make sense
Thursday, 2:55 p.m.

WASHINGTON - House Speaker Dennis Hastert dropped a bombshell on flood-ravaged New Orleans on Thursday by suggesting that it isn’t sensible to rebuild the city.

"It doesn't make sense to me," Hastert told the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago in editions published today. "And it's a question that certainly we should ask."
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The Illinois Republican’s comments drew an immediate rebuke from Louisiana officials.
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The speaker’s comments were in stark contrast to those delivered by President Bush during an appearance this morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“I want the people of New Orleans to know that after rescuing them and stabilizing the situation, there will be plans in place to help this great city get back on its feet,” Bush said. “There is no doubt in my mind that New Orleans is going to rise up again as a great city.”

Insurance industry executives estimated that claims from the storm could range up to $19 billion. Rebuilding the city, which is more than 80 percent submerged, could cost tens of billions of dollars more, experts projected.

Hastert questioned the wisdom of rebuilding a city below sea level that will continue to be in the path of powerful hurricanes.