I was tempted to soften on Bush. Then he put himself back in the news.

In 2006, an average of almost 100 motorists died daily in passenger vehicles and large trucks and on motorcycles.

Most significantly, fatalities of occupants of passenger vehicles—cars, SUVs, vans and pickups—continued a steady decline to 30,521, the lowest annual total since 1993...

according to the NHTSA.

May the Minneapolis toll stay comparatively low: under 20, or even 15 or less.

It's bad enough that lawyers are swarming the situation, looking for any deep pocket that can be linked, however peripherally, to the bridge:

Private contractors and the insurance companies that represent them could face hundreds of millions of dollars in legal claims arising from the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, attorneys familiar with such cases said Friday.

And the Bushes, both of them, made separate visits to the site while people were working after the accident. Conceivably the rescuers appreciated the visits, but in their place I'd be angry to be interrupted by rigamarole.

From a White House press release:

I'm here with the Secretary of Transportation, because our message to the Twin Cities is, we want to get this bridge rebuilt as quick as possible; that we understand this is a main artery of life here; that people count on this bridge and this highway system to get to work. There's a lot of paperwork involved with government. One of our jobs is to work with the Governor and the Mayor and the senators and the members of the Congress to cut through that paperwork, and to see if we can't get this bridge rebuilt in a way that not only expedites the flow of traffic, but in a way that can stand the test of time.

I make no promises on the timetable. I do promise that Mary Peters, the Secretary of Transportation, is going to be in charge of this project. I do promise she's going to listen to the local authorities to find out what the folks here need. I do promise that when she sees roadblocks and hurdles in the way of getting the job done, she'll do everything she can to eliminate them.

There's a lot of paperwork involved with government. Republican Bush states this as a given. Even Jimmy Carter did better. One of our jobs is to work with the Governor and the Mayor and the senators and the members of the Congress to cut through that paperwork,... The people who are responsible for the stifling unnecessary paperwork mug for the cameras as they offer to help with it. ...and to see if we can't get this bridge rebuilt in a way that etc. So the most powerful man in the world flies halfway across the continent and says he's going to "see if we can't get the bridge rebuilt." I do promise that Mary Peters, the Secretary of Transportation, is going to be in charge of this project. He puts the Secretary of Transportation in charge of building a single bridge in the upper Midwest. I do promise...I do promise...I do promise... None of these promises involves anything for which he is accountable.

Minnesota's Republican governor let it be known that he's open to a tax increase. Times are good, and Minnesota is a prosperous state. If a rainy-day fund hasn't been established for this kind of emergency, the political establishment is irresponsible, to put it as kindly as possible.

Naturally, Congress has gotten into the act.

More from Republican governor Pawlenty:

While the searchers continue their work, efforts are under way to build a replacement bridge. Congress and the President are expected to provide $250 million for a new structure. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty says that's appreciated, but there may be a need for more federal money.

"We view the 250 as a wonderful gesture and a very, very meaningful step. But we also may be asking them, will be asking them for additional help," Pawlenty said.

Bridge industry analysts say the cost of building a new Interstate-35W bridge could be as high as $350 million. During a news conference in the park by the old Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, Pawlenty said he wants the new bridge finished as quickly as possible. While the governor spoke a steady stream of people walked by to view what they could see of the collapsed bridge.

Hey, fiscally responsible Republican governor, maybe you won't need to raise taxes because you can get money from the federal government, in whose coffers it spontaneously materializes.

This wasn't Hurricane Katrina. Prosperous Minnesota has about 5 million people, 3 million of whom are in Minneapolis-St. Paul. $350M divided among 5M people comes to $70 each. Spread over say 20 years, that's hardly overwhelming even after interest is added. Although Minnesota has a AAA credit rating and the economic outlook was just upgraded from stable to positive, I don't want to be mean (in either sense) or doctrinaire. If the state asked the feds to cover the interest on a bond or for a no-interest loan, I wouldn't dismiss the idea out of hand. But when the federal government gives a blank check, the state has no incentive to control costs. (Maybe that's the point: the money may serve to increase the "role" of the federal government...in a civilian bridge.)

"The President protects you from other people's Congressmen."

"The Democrats are the mommy party and the Republicans are the daddy party."

Yeah, right.