President takes pains to prepare for Gustav

WASHINGTON — President Bush, faced with the prospect of a second monster hurricane striking the still-battered Gulf Coast on his watch, checked in with governors and federal officials Saturday to make sure Washington was doing all it can. He prepared for the possibility of travel to the region and designated two more states eligible for federal help ahead of Hurricane Gustav's landfall.

The president called state leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas in the early morning from the White House before heading out for a 90-minute bike ride, spokesman Scott Stanzel said. Those states are in the potential path of the hurricane, which has been cutting a deadly route through the Caribbean and picked up even more power Saturday, probably en route to a terrifying Category 5 designation.

Gustav crossed Cuba's western tip before moving into the Gulf of Mexico and could reach the U.S. by as early as Monday afternoon.

Just three years after Hurricane Katrina drowned New Orleans, a calamity from which the city still is not recovered, it appeared very likely to get slammed again, by at least tropical storm-force winds if not worse.

Bush also received regular updates from officials and aides about the storm's path and the government's preparations.

The president asked each governor if the federal government was providing the help they need and pledged "the full support" of his administration, Stanzel said.

Bush praised governors for mobilizing their states effectively to get ready.

"That doesn't mean that everything will be totally smooth," White House press secretary Dana Perino said. "We're facing what could be a very strong hurricane, possibly one of the largest and strongest to hit America since records began."

The Bush White House was badly burned by its fumbling response after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Bush's image as a strong leader has never entirely rebounded, even though he has labored to improve on the Katrina performance.

On Friday, Bush pre-emptively declared states of emergency for Louisiana and Texas; he added Mississippi and Alabama on Saturday. Such a move is rarely taken before a disaster hits. The declaration clears the way for federal aid to supplement state and local efforts and formalizes coordination. The administration did the same thing before Katrina struck.