Wouldn’t it be a stronger story if a celebrity visited a scene of death and destruction without his or her publicist in tow? A private visit, perhaps? Operation Assist is Paul Simon’s new initiative to help those in small towns whose lives were uprooted by Katrina. Oprah, through her publicist, called on the nation to apologize. (Why the nation and not the governmental laggards?) No matter. The image of her mired with the minions beats one of her shopping at Hermes. And let’s not forget about Sean Penn who was asked by Larry King this evening about his true motivation for being in New Orleans. The celebrity parade continues Friday with the cross-network concert telecast fundraiser for hurricane victims.