Republican presidential candidate John McCain took stock of still-hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans on Thursday and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed his plane at the nearest Air Force base, drawing a sharp contrast to President Bush's handling of the tragedy.

McCain called the response to Katrina "a perfect storm" of mismanagement by federal, state and local governments.

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"Never again, never again, will a disaster of this nature be handled in the disgraceful way it was handled," McCain declared.

He made the same pledge over and over during the day: "I promise you, never again."

7AM CDT — KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]

7:30 AM CDT — BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED OF THE LEVEE BREACH

8AM CDT — MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE

11:13 AM CDT - WHITE HOUSE CIRCULATES INTERNAL MEMO ABOUT LEVEE BREACH

MORNING — BROWN WARNS BUSH ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DEVASTATION OF KATRINA

MORNING — MAYFIELD WARNS BUSH ABOUT THE TOPPING OF THE LEVEES

MORNING — BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION

11AM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE

LATE MORNING — LEVEE BREACHED

11AM CDT — BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT

4:30PM CDT — BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT

8PM CDT — RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME

8PM CDT — GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH

LATE PM — BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO’S REQUESTS

"There are tough choices that are going to have to be made," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "We're going to have to cut unnecessary spending elsewhere in the budget to offset some of the cost with Katrina."

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McCain called on Bush to undo the Medicare prescription drug law, while a number of lawmakers said the costly benefit should at least be postponed from its January starting date.