Gee. What A Surprise

First, the context. NYTimes (01.23.06), via The Washington Monthly:

"The White House was told in the hours before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans that the city would probably soon be inundated with floodwater, forcing the long-term relocation of hundreds of thousands of people, documents to be released Tuesday by Senate investigators show. The internal department documents, which were forwarded to the White House, contradict statements by President Bush and the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, that no one expected the storm protection system in New Orleans to be breached." White House Was Told Hurricane Posed Danger

"'I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees,' Mr. Bush said in a television interview on Sept. 1." And now this. NYTimes (01.24.06):

"The Bush administration, citing the confidentiality of executive branch communications, said Tuesday that it did not plan to turn over certain documents about Hurricane Katrina or make senior White House officials available for sworn testimony before two Congressional committees investigating the storm response." White House Declines to Provide Storm Papers

"'The White House and the administration are cooperating with both the House and Senate,' [White House spokesman Trent ] Duffy said. 'But we have also maintained the president's ability to get advice and have conversations with his top advisers that remain confidential.'" What are they covering up this time? Oh and by the way, earlier this week, the White House "formally notified Representative Richard H. Baker, Republican of Louisiana, that it would not support his legislation creating a federally financed reconstruction program for the state that would bail out homeowners and mortgage lenders. Many Louisiana officials consider the bill crucial to recovery, but administration officials said the state would have to use community development money appropriated by Congress."