Marine Takes Over Gulf Recovery

Federal officials still working on the Gulf Coast recovery effort may be in for a kick in the pants. On Friday, President Bush named retired Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas V. O’Dell Jr., to be the new coordinator of the effort, replacing Donald E. Powell, who stepped down last month.

O'Dell immediately told the New York Times that his main concern was freeing up the $44 billion of the $120.7 billion authorized by Congress for reconstruction that hasn't been spent yet.

“The challenge for me is to get it out of the clutches of the bureaucracy,” he said. “I’m a muddy-boots marine. I’m about getting things done.”