Some idea of what the future holds

For New Orleans, for Louisiana, for the country:

COMERIO: Well, I'm afraid the shock hasn't even begun to wear off yet. It is going to take months just to assess the damage, and years before New Orleans is inhabitable.

...OLBERMANN: You studied the earthquake in Kobe, Japan, and Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew in your book. And you've seen the outline on this thing. Give me the best and worst-case scenarios on just 10 percent of the population of New Orleans living back in New Orleans? What is the soonest? What's the latest?

COMERIO: I think the best case is that, within six months, people are starting to return to a few neighborhoods, to a few businesses being open and repairs being made.

The worst-case scenario is three to five years before anybody finds it inhabitable.

And politically? Well, Bush tried to change the subject today by nominating John Roberts as Chief Justice. It didn't work. How do you change the subject from rebuilding a city of 1 million from the ground up?