Separated at Birth?...

First, from This is London:

LONDON
06/09/05 - News section

Penn accuses Bush amid rescue chaos

The US government was accused of "criminal negligence" as hopes of finding survivors faded and the death toll from Hurricane Katrina continued to rise.

Holidaymakers returning to the UK spoke of the scale of the misery while one said leering police officers demanded young women flash their breasts in return for help.

Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who has been assisting rescue efforts in New Orleans, said the US government did not "seem to be inclined to help".

"We were pulling drowning people out of the water, it's the ultimate distress and human suffering ... dead bodies," he told GMTV. (emphasis added). (Read the rest here).

And now, as this man so eloquently says, The Rest of the story:

Sean Penn's rescue bid sinks
From correspondents in New Orleans
05sep05

EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.

The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.

When the boat's motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.

Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."

With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?" (emphasis added)

I've got three words to describe Mr. Penn's actions: Contrived, contrived, and oh-- did I say contrived? Sean Penn, just like so many of the out-of-touch of the Hollywood elite, continue to treat real life and death situations as no more than another P.R. photo op, or an opportunity to assuage their white limousine liberal guilt, and then have the gall to go on and criticize those who actually give a rip and are actually doing something about the problem. Somehow, in my heart of hearts, I think even Gilligan knew better than that.

hat tip to Mickey from Unto the Breach