Its about time. They should have been deployed the very first day:

National Guardsmen Pour Into New Orleans

By ALLEN G. BREED
Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Thousands of National Guardsmen with food, water and weapons streamed into the hurricane-ravaged city Friday to bring relief to the suffering multitudes and take back the streets from the looters and thugs. "The cavalry is and will continue to arrive," a Guardsman said.

The assurances came amid blistering criticism from the mayor and others who said the federal government was bungling the relief effort while people lay dying in the streets for lack of food, water or medicine.

In Washington, President Bush admitted "the results are not acceptable" and pledged to bolster the relief efforts with a personal trip to the Gulf Coast on Friday.

Bush Says Relief Results Not Acceptable

By JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, facing blistering criticism for his administration's response to Hurricane Katrina, said Friday "the results are not acceptable" and pledged to bolster relief efforts with a personal trip to the Gulf Coast.

"We'll get on top of this situation," Bush said, "and we're going to help the people that need help."

He spoke on the White House grounds just boarding his presidential helicopter, Marine One, with Homeland Security Department secretary Michael Chertoff to tour the region. The department, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been accused of responding sluggishly to the deadly hurricane.

"There's a lot of aid surging toward those who've been affected. Millions of gallons of water. Millions of tons of food. We're making progress about pulling people out of the Superdome," the president said.

For the first time, however, he stopped defending his administration's response and criticized it. "A lot of people are working hard to help those who've been affected. The results are not acceptable," he said. "I'm heading down there right now."