US President Aids Evacuees Out of NOLA

Wow, this is amazing news. The President of the United States arranged to carry a group of elderly and infirm out of New Orleans and didn't want to take credit for it:

About 140 people - mostly elderly and infirm - arrived Saturday at McGhee Tyson Airport on a chartered mercy flight from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, welcomed to East Tennessee by a bright sun and a host of medical professionals straining at the reins to help their fellow human beings without regard to whether they were on the clock. The displaced hurricane victims came to Tennessee on a hastily arranged flight, accompanied by doctors and carrying whatever they had in boxes, bags or, in one case, an old suitcase tied up with rope.

OK, this is a bit of snark. Here's the bite--it was former Vice President Albert Gore, who in my mind is still the true winner of the 2000 election (and, in my heart of hearts, would have been easily reelected):

Former Vice President Al Gore arranged the flight and was on board, but he declined to take credit for the airlift, fearing it would be "politicized." [...] Spickard said Gore called him about 11 p.m. Friday to ask him to participate in the flight. "The jet was chartered," he said. "It was a private effort." Gore chartered the plane, but, Spickard said, "we'll decide who pays for it later." [...] Gore chose not to speak to the assembled media, but he was seen in a black T-shirt and jeans moving rapidly from one side of the plane to the other assisting with the off-loading operation.