As of this writing, the Weather Channel is reporting that Hurricane Gustav is heading towards the Gulf Coast at category 3 strength, and is expected to make landfall sometime Monday.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered all residents to evacuate the city. Just three years ago this weekend, New Orleans was under water while George W. Bush ate cake with John McCain.

Yeah, let them eat cake. Bush and McCain. Let them party while tens of thousands of poor New Orleaneans -- the "lucky" ones who survived -- ate MREs in the sweltering Superdome as the stadium's toilets overflowed. God bless America.

This year, however, it appears that the White House is trying to at least give the appearance that they give a damn. To that end, according to the Associated Press, the White House has announced that "President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will skip the Republican National Convention, which begins tomorrow, because of mounting concerns about Hurricane Gustav."

Mounting concerns? Where were those mounting concerns three years ago when Bush did his impersonation of Nero and fiddled (or, rather, played guitar) while New Orleans drowned?

Call me cynical, but I see this as nothing more than a PR ploy. It is too little, too late, and quite likely for the wrong reasons.

And I also cannot help but wonder if the Republicans encouraged Bush and Cheney to stay home, hoping that the less-informed sheep who watch the convention will forget that Bush, Cheney, McCain, et al, are one big oily family.

Out of sight, out of mind?

I hope not.