atastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on

Politics has been called the art of compromise. Unfortunately, that means the art of mediocrity, too. Greatness is never accomplished by compromise, only through dedication to the ideal.

Politics in America today, no matter the party affiliation, is so far from ideal it's pathetic. Our leaders exhibit no drive to govern for the people as representatives, but govern to contain the people. And I'm not talking about the leaders of the party in power, but those on both sides.

It's especially difficult to talk about politics in today's world because of the incredible polarization and intolerence displayed by all sides. Politicians don't dialog, they accuse. Media pundits don't have debate, they scream at each other. With the crisis on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the true cost of the mediocrity of our leadership is apparent.

No, it's not the poor response that took five days to begin evacuating people stranded after the storms.

No, it's not the lack of security that allowed the lawlessness to grow more dangerous daily because our troops were not called in earlier.

No, it's not because the poor planning for a catastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on

eaders exhibit no drive to govern for the people as representatives, but govern to contain the people. And I'm not talking about the leaders of the party in power, but those on both sides.

It's especially difficult to talk about politics in today's world because of the incredible polarization and intolerence displayed by all sides. Politicians don't dialog, they accuse. Media pundits don't have debate, they scream at each other. With the crisis on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the true cost of the mediocrity of our leadership is apparent.

No, it's not the poor response that took five days to begin evacuating people stranded after the storms.

No, it's not the lack of security that allowed the lawlessness to grow more dangerous daily because our troops were not called in earlier.

No, it's not because the poor planning for a catastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on

tion and intolerence displayed by all sides. Politicians don't dialog, they accuse. Media pundits don't have debate, they scream at each other. With the crisis on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the true cost of the mediocrity of our leadership is apparent.

No, it's not the poor response that took five days to begin evacuating people stranded after the storms.

No, it's not the lack of security that allowed the lawlessness to grow more dangerous daily because our troops were not called in earlier.

No, it's not because the poor planning for a catastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on

s not the poor response that took five days to begin evacuating people stranded after the storms.

No, it's not the lack of security that allowed the lawlessness to grow more dangerous daily because our troops were not called in earlier.

No, it's not because the poor planning for a catastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on

atastrophic hurricane that would inevitably land on New Orleans doorstep and wipe out the below standard levies flooding a major American city.

It's the shameful way we've built a class of poor and disenfranchised people who remained faceless and hidden in this, the wealthiest country on Earth until they became the focus of a national nightmare.

That's the shame of politics. That's the cost of mediocrity tied to greed, special interests and corruption. The pictures of the poor and destitute stranded on rooftops and in front of the Superdome in New Orleans could have been taken in Somalia or Ethiopia or the Sudan.

This is America. We, a Christian nation, must hold to the Christian ideals so important to our growth as a great nation and so important in our compassion for those at home and abroad in need.

One of Jesus's most important teachings to his followers is chronicled multiple times in the New Testament, including here in The King James version in Luke 18:22:

"Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

And in 2 Corinthians 8:9:

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

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