A lot of folks are scratching their heads over a comment President Obama made to Bret Baier about the infamous “Louisiana Purchase”:

That provision, which I think should remain in, said that if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe, that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help. Louisiana, obviously, went through Katrina, and they’re still trying to deal with the enormous challenges that were faced because of that. . . . It also affects Hawaii, which went through an earthquake.

A lot of bloggers are asking, “What earthquake?”

The folks at Media Matters for America think it’s an open-and-shut case: “In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Hawaii on October 15, 2006.”

But there’s a catch. Yes, that was a pretty powerful earthquake, but judging from press accounts, thankfully injuries were pretty minor. USA Today: “No deaths or serious injuries were reported.” The FEMA report from two days afterward makes no mention of injuries or problems at medical facilities. When Bush declared the event a federal disaster, Fox News reported, “No deaths or serious injuries were reported, and the damage appeared to be scattered, allowing most tourists and residents to resume life as normal.”

Katrina’s impact on Louisiana’s health-care system and the health problems of its residents is pretty clear and straightforward; by no stretch of the imagination did the quake overwhelm Hawaiian health-care facilities. Comparing this earthquake to Katrina seems rather absurd; life returned to normal in most of Hawaii within a few days, compared to the years of rebuilding necessary in certain parts of Louisiana.