Hyperbole watch

The coverage of the bridge collapse by the daily papers, particularly the Star Tribune, has been terrific. It's a prime example of why we need first-rate, adequately staffed daily newspapers. But some of the attempts to raise the significance of the event have gotten a little out of hand. Ruben Rosario declared it "our 9/11" in this morning's paper. Yeah, except 3,000 people died on 9/11. Nick Coleman compared it to Hurricane Katrina. Yeah, except an entire city was destroyed while the government looked on indifferently. This is a horrible tragedy for the people who died and their friends and families. For the rest of us it's mildly sad and inconvenient. The desire to claim our place on the national disaster landscape is kind of pathetic.