Considering how the media exploited Katrina “to talk about Iraq without talking about Iraq” to “damage Bush politically for a long, long time” as Mickey Kaus wrote in September 2005, there’s a fascinating sense of schadenfreude in this story. In late summer of 2005 Kanye West was first dubbed by Time magazine as “the smartest man in pop music” and two weeks later then blurted into an open microphone during a fundraiser telethon for victims of Hurricane Katrina on NBC that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

Today, West was arrested at LAX:

Hip-hop star Kanye West has been arrested in Los Angeles on charges of felony vandalism after a heated confrontation with photographers at the city’s international airport.

West was taken into custody at LAX airport on Thursday after a photographer’s camera was reportedly smashed to the ground during the struggle.

According to celebrity website TMZ.com, a still photographer was attempting to take pictures of the rapper at the American Airlines terminal when he was confronted by the star.

According to a TMZ videographer, “West rushed the (photographer) and grabbed his camera. A struggle ensued and the still guy was screaming, ‘Police, help!’”

The website reports West took the camera and threw it to the ground, breaking it into pieces.

The videographer reportedly approached West with his camera rolling when the rapper’s bodyguard walked up to him, demanding he hand over the camera.

West’s assistant allegedly intervened, grabbing the equipment and smashing it to the ground.

West was reportedly stopped by police before reaching security checkpoints in an attempt to board his plane after the confrontation.

He was allegedly restrained by authorities during the initial police investigation, when he discovered the incident had been recorded, shouting, “Give me the f**king videotape.”

West and his assistant are being held on $20,000 bail.

Video here.

Incidentally, “Give me the f**king videotape” seems to be quite a timely catchphrase at the moment.