As Katrina Struck, Bush Vacationed
As Katrina Struck, Bush Vacationed
In 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked a major hurricane strike on New Orleans as “among the three likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country,” directly behind a terrorist strike on New York City.
Yesterday, disaster struck. And even as one of the strongest storms in recorded history rocked the Gulf Coast, President Bush decided to continue his vacation, visiting the Pueblo El Mirage RV and Golf Resort in El Mirage, Ariz., to hawk his Medicare drug benefit plan. (Bush will spend one more night in Crawford tonight before flying back to Washington.)
What Bush saw in El Mirage: The majestic beauty of the El Pueblo Mirage RV and Golf Resort
What Bush missed in New Orleans: The scarred façade of the Hyatt Regency Hotel
What Bush saw: Guests at Pueblo El Mirage showing off their bikes
What Bush missed: Leonard T. Harris, Sr. walking his bike through the gaping hole where his kitchen used to be
What Bush saw: At El Pueblo Mirage, guests relax on the luxurious greens
What Bush missed: In Louisiana, residents dig themselves out from under the trees
What Bush saw: At El Pueblo Mirage, the waterfront brushes up against the 12th hole
What Bush missed: In New Orleans, the waterfront brushes up against the front door
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…..he was running from Cindy Sheehan!
August 30th, 2005 at 4:26 pmI saw on the news this morning footage of a man crying because he couldn’t hold his wife in the current. The woman interviewing him was also crying because of the things he was saying. I almost cried. If I were not running late for work I would have.
Bush is a piece of sh*t.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:26 pmThe water is rising around the superdome. THere’s no air conditioning, the sewer system has stopped, toilets are overflowing, I heard a man jumped to his death inside the Superdome from a second floor tier.
When are they going to evacuate these people. Soon it will be nightfall.
CNN has the Governor of Mississippi incapable of leading, talking about how the generators in the SuperDome can only deliver enough to power the lights, and those generators are failing.
Meanwhile….
August 30th, 2005 at 4:26 pmCheck out Wonkette. McClellan ADMITS that Bush really can’t do proper President work from Crawford. All this time they insisted that he could do anything in Crawford as easily as D.C. Now, flip-flop! Bush really can’t get as much work done on vacation, can he?
August 30th, 2005 at 4:28 pmWhere is FEMA? Fema spokesman says they’re are moving in light-building teams – meaning if one or two buildings are in jeopardy, the teams can go in and assess.
The downtown area, french quarter, superdome, are becoming encircled with water. St. Bernard’s parish to the east of downtown is almost completely under water.
Meanwhile FOX news discusses with a Pentagon spokesperson whether a 2-star or a 3-star general will head up rescue operations.
Meanwhile – New ORleans drowns
August 30th, 2005 at 4:30 pmWolf Blitzer CNN just had a representative from St bernard’s parish on the phone. The man started accusing the Army Corps of Engineers of ignoring the protests of St Bernards Parish citizens for 10 years who wanted the corps to get rid of canal that runs from Lake Pontchartrain to the mississippi river alongside New ORleans. THe canal was basically a convenienced canal for boaters to get from the lake to the river. And now that is where the levees have been breached and water is flowing into the city. So the man was basically saying the Army corps of engineers and the feds are responsible for the current flooding in New Orleans occurring after the storm has passed.
Of course, Wolf immediately stopped this man from saying anythign more, cut him off and went to another reporter.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:36 pmJust heard they are evacuating the Superdome.
Beautiful montage, nico, btw.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:37 pmdonate directly 1800-Help-Now
August 30th, 2005 at 4:39 pmI’m watching CNN – it says the LA governor has said the rescue centers need to be evacuated. but they’re not doing it yet.
Meanwhile all the new media – cnn, fox, msnbc, bend over backwards to keep touting how Bush is concerned. The Fema guy puts his hand on his chest and talks about how concerned he is.
But where is someone doing anything. The COast Guard appears to be doing an incredible job of rescuing people from St Bernards parish rooftops.
OTher than that, people are grandstanding, politiking, protecting Bush, while New Orleans drowns
August 30th, 2005 at 4:41 pmMSNBC reporting that President BUsh is asking people to call the Red Cross and give money and call an 800 number to vollunteer.
Meanwhile, New Orleans sinks
I’m ashamed of the US government now.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:44 pmComplete failure to respond to reality.
Billions stolen in Iraq
ANd they’re paralyzed in New Orleans. ALl those good white men, and all those blond CNN, MSNBC, and FOX news reporters babblling on and on about mildew and casinos and is the money protected, and what’s the price of oil now, meanwhile New ORleans sinks.
Let me get this straight…
In 2001, Bush received a Report entitled “Bin Laden determined to strike in US”. In 2001, Bin Laden struck in the US.
In 2001, Bush received a report that “ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country. The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City.” In 2005, a Hurricane hit New Orleans and has done a lot to destroy it.
Either the FEMA report is the most damaging one (I’ll avoid San Francisco now thank you) or there are other reports that Bush received in 2001 that he has done nothing about that are going to scare the hell out of me when I find out what was said, and what happened.
Z.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:45 pmA friend of mine is a FEMA manager, and although we have argued heatedly about his conservative political views(and he is relatively moderate), i have a deep and profound respect for him and his associates in FEMA. There are numerous issues that happen in floods that make it very dangerous to move around in those areas. If you have looked at some of the helicopter shots today you will seek surfaces of water and where water has been that represent oil, gas, and other lighter than water fluids. These are toxic to breathe, toxic to touch, toxic to living cells, and can ignite. Teams of rescue workers first job is to remove people from those areas. Then they go in for the animals(there are thousands trapped), then they go and evaluate the damage and plan for cleanup. FEMA already had arranged for groups and teams to move into the region prior to the incident, as locals from up here in the Northwest were leaving for Houston on Saturday.
A huge part of the problem now is that more than 30% of LA and MS national guard troops are in Iraq. When nearly one out of three rescue workers and all their support infrastructure are 7000 miles away it is hard to find the personnel to do the job that they were trained to do. I am however surprised that Bush isn’t visiting his good buddy Haley, for i am sure if this had been Florida he would have been in every photo op with Jed that could be arranged and packaged. I guess Rove feels there is no benefit from being seen in the region.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:47 pmYeah – there’s an oil rig that got loose and was pushed up river to where it’s lodged under a bridge.
Other rigs are floating about. Some are secure. ANd New Orleans handles about 40% of oil refining and importation.
So much for homeland security.
But hey – BushCo gets rich as do the Saudis on higher gas prices.
I heard CITGO was offering gas at reduced prices to hospitals, but Pat Robertson wants to off him.
August 30th, 2005 at 4:49 pmI can’t avoid SF, nor would I want to. I work right across the bay in Oakland.
2 down, 1 to go. Guess I should check to make sure my insurance is paid up….
August 30th, 2005 at 4:55 pmThe utter failure of white men who are in control of govt, fema, army corps of engineers, to handle this situation. I only point out the racial aspect because I’m white and I’m sick to death of white men and their enabling women driving this country into the ground because they can’t deal with reality. They want to live in a fairy tale land of jesus, SUVs, Iraq war, tax cuts for the rich, the rapture, prayin g to God instead of doing something …
Meanwhile… reality intrudes and people are dying in New Orleans from a lack of action and intelligence
August 30th, 2005 at 5:02 pmCORONADO, Calif., Aug. 30 — President Bush decided today to cut short his month-long vacation and return to Washington to oversee the federal government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, which cut a swath of devastation across the Gulf Coast states, killing dozens of people and leaving tens of thousands dislocated or without power.
Just stop bashing the man folks, its just not getting you anywhere. Besides, you really need to keep up on current events.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:03 pmRed
August 30th, 2005 at 5:05 pmShut up. I’ll bash all i want cause i pay the taxes and that ahole in the white house is an incompetent fool
But Red, when we brought up his chronic vacation-going before, Bush insisted he could do anything from his ranch that he could do in D.C. It’s not a vacation, he insisted. It’s amazing what you could do with faxes. He works better away from D.C.
Well now that was all horse sh** wasn’t it?
August 30th, 2005 at 5:07 pmRed
August 30th, 2005 at 5:09 pmin fact i think i’ll bash some more.
Bush was awol from the air national guard.
Bush was arrested for drug possession while awol from the air national guard.
Bush’s granddaddy Prescott was a nazi supporter – gave money to Hitler ss in the 1930s to bolster hitler’s political strength
Bush used imminent domain to seize property of legal landowners for his baseball team in Dallas, which he didn’t even have the money to invest in, it was all given to him
Harken oil – Bush was on the board of directors, but he didn’t understand what was going on, but somehow he knew to sell his shares, which were purchased for him by Saudi royal family business partners, just before Harken oil went out of business.
His brother Neil did the same thing in Denver with Silverado savings. Didn’t understan d how to read a balance sheet he said, but he was on the board of directors. Too bad the bank failed after giving unsecured loans to Bush family politicos.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:11 pmBush Canceling Vacation to Focus on Katrina
It’s looking like hundreds of people dead from Hurricane Katrina, so Bush is taking the unprecedented step of leaving vacation early to handle the crisis. No word on if Cindy Sheehan & he will be teaming up to help with the sandbags.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:13 pmHandle the crisis?
August 30th, 2005 at 5:14 pmBush isn’t handling the crisis. Maybe he’s handling his manhood, or lack thereof. But all he’s doing is flyhing to DC and hiding in the WH behind his lover in chief, Karl Rove
It’s entirely possible that Bush was still trying to finish that book about the goat when Katrina hit, and that delayed him. It’s understandable.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:16 pmThe bottom line for the Bush gang is: “I got mine, Screw you!”….remember he said…”Not all poor people are criminals”….does that mean just most of them???
August 30th, 2005 at 5:20 pmhttp://www.veteransforpeace.org/impeachment/petition2.htm
Jack Cafferty (CNN) who was a NY local reporter 30 years ago, just asked Wolf Blitzer, “where’s President BUsh, is he still on vacation.” Wolf said Bush was ending his vacation. And Jack said “That would be a good idea.”
Second moment of reality to pierce the thick fog of media
The first moment was the interview with the mayor of New Orleans. I watched it on the internet. The major media didn’t carry it. He laid it out honestly and soberly. There aren’t many like him around.
The media fools babble on about things they don’t understand, waving pompoms for Bush, covering over the obvious failure of response.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:22 pmThe fact that he is taking a month long vaction in the first place tends to piss people off a little. By the way the article quoted by Red is a little misleading he is not returning to DC until tomorrow (wednesday). The hurricane wreaked havoc yesterday, the Gulf Coast is under water today, but tomorrow is the soonest he can get back to DC. NICE!
August 30th, 2005 at 5:24 pmOf all the petty, sophomoric snipes. I’m surprised you didn’t fault the President for avoiding the Gulfport area, too (that’s Gulfport, Mississippi, in case you don’t have a map of the area).
Of course, you fail to mention that President Bush declared a national disaster BEFORE Katrina even struck – possibly the first such declaration ever to precede the disaster to which it referred. This had the effect of getting the FEMA apparatus moving that much sooner to aid the storm victims.
By now I feel really guilty. The weather outside is beautiful, and I’m not suffering enough to satisfy Nico.
By the way, Nico, when was your last trip to the Crescent City?
August 30th, 2005 at 5:29 pmYeah – and what good did that do – declaring a national disaster, without committing any assets -except try to save his political ass
August 30th, 2005 at 5:31 pmBush Flip-Flops on Vacationing During Disaster
AP: President Bush will cut short his vacation to return to Washington on Wednesday, two days earlier than planned, to help monitor federal efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, the White House said Tuesday. ”We have got a lot of work to d…
August 30th, 2005 at 5:31 pmFema apparatus moving? where did they move to? cause it seems to me that there are 20,000+ people stranded in the superdome without bathrooms, air, water – but as long as Bush covered himself that’s all that matters.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:32 pmAnd Blue State Red
August 30th, 2005 at 5:33 pmWhen you say petty sophomoric, you must be describing the Prez
Hey blue state red
August 30th, 2005 at 5:34 pmNext you’re going to say that the people in the SuperDome have themselves to blame for the debacle they face – blame it on the victim – but NEVER blame it on der fuehrer Bush
Blue State Red: Bush needs to ACT Presidential. It’s what President’s do during a disaster. You cancel all the fluff events – you don’t get pictured with a CAKE, you don’t get pictued with a GUITAR, you put on the grim “we’ll get through this” act. Being President is 50% facade – be the Facade Bush!
August 30th, 2005 at 5:37 pmMSNBC is reporting on a baptist preacher
Oh I’m so glad to see that a Baptist faith ministry has sent 100 people to somewhere in La. and they are holding a faith circle, holding hands, and people are applauding them.
I always feel secure when Baptists display their faith and people applaud, even whwen it’s far far away from the disaster area.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:39 pmACT Presidential?
August 30th, 2005 at 5:40 pmBush needs to act like a human being. But I don’t think he can. He doesn’t know how any more. His mother Bar and his terrific father took care of that.
Our compassionate conservatism advovate disgusting. He is a coward. He is a liar. He is phony. He is a bully. He is the worst president in history. I know what makes him cry — his guilt occasionally overcomes him. I can’t believe he is my president, I am so embarrassed.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:43 pmMy bad — advocate.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:44 pmToo bad we can’t airlift Bush into the middle of the SuperDome and have the 20,000 there descend on him. He could raise his hands up in a Jesus like position.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:45 pmSo, they’re clearing out the evacuation centers. Where are these people supposed to be going? Maybe they can set up camp at the Crawford ranch, seems it’s mostly vacant and the brush is cleared.
Man, I’m glad I cleared out of Louisiana 20 years ago — after three hurricanes (little ones)in one summer. The ground is squishy on a normal day. They’re going to have that water for a LONG time. I preferred the quakes in California! Not that I’m there anymore either. Sigh…
August 30th, 2005 at 5:50 pmSome images to accompany that last comment
Jesus inside the ThunderDome. The crowds tearing at him, desparate for water, air, life.
Bush lifting his eyes beatifically trying to mouthe something. But he can’t remember anything.
His mind goes blank.
All he can think of is why when he turned the bike handles left the wheels slipped on that log and lance armstrong passed him by.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:52 pmThey are not clearing out the rescue centers.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:52 pm#4 – it’s priceless.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:52 pmA month ago, he could do anything and everything from Crawford. Today he has to get to DC to oversee the disaster. D’ya think he’s getting too much criticism – like Nero. And like Nero he is a feckless, foolish flunky.
bush doesn’t give a rats azz about anyone sans his buddies and that includes bin laden. I bet he is making sure those oil rigs are getting first rate attention.
August 30th, 2005 at 5:55 pmKeep ‘em coming cmw — I’m with you!
August 30th, 2005 at 5:58 pmfor all the numbnutz on this blog
they are NOT clearing out the rescue centers
The brillian gov of LA has said they should clear out the rescue centers
BUT AS DARK APPROACHES AND THE WATERS RISE AROUND THE SUPERDOME, NO ONE IS BEING EVACUATED
August 30th, 2005 at 5:59 pmHere a flip flop . Bush leave for 5 week vacation
Then Cindy Sheean shows up at his door.
bush starts running like all addicts do when they are caught.
W.H. mr bush isn’t on vacation we’re remodeling the West Wing. He can do the same amount of work in Crawford as D.C.
Katrina hits our people in the South .bush ’s W.H. states “president bush is canceling his vacation.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:00 pmBobby
August 30th, 2005 at 6:01 pmThe stupidity of the authorities and BUsh is only superceded by their arrogance and insulation. THe mayor of New Orleans excepted.
#46 – Thanks for your illuminating comment.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:02 pmAww, don’t be so hard on Bushie — he is cutting his golfing/fishing/biking vacation short by two whole days — after all, this isn’t the first time — recall that he went at midnight not long ago to sign the Terri Schiavo executive order.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:04 pmCNN just reported that looting is widespread in New Orleans. Widespread? That’s absurd. Most streets are impassible. Earlier today there was looting on Canal street. But widespread?
See when white women try to bolster their ignorant white men, they will say anything.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:05 pm(I am white so don’t bother to attack me for racist remarks. I’m just sick of the major media talking heads being white bobbing heads who say moronic things to protect their bosses asses and the Pres)
Quick, get the film crews organized! You can bet that in the next few days Bush will be down there passing out blankets and water and getting in the way like he did in Florida just before the election. Only a real asshole would use a disaster like this to raise his crummy poll numbers.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:13 pmI just wish Kerry was in Washington now, so none of this evil weather would have ever happened. He would have built a giant wall to keep all the floods at bay in New Orleans and Biloxi and Mobile, and he would have taxed all the rich bastards who were able to escape to pay for that blessed wall.
Damn you, George W. Bush!
August 30th, 2005 at 6:14 pmWhat I like is the contra flow of terms being parried about by msm
“There were mandatory evacuation orders” but “some couldn’t comply”
Well – if there’s mandatory evacuation doesn’t that mean mandatory – except there was no police force of military to enforce the mandatory evacs, cause they are gone to Iraq, or the money has gone to rich tax cuts.
So the authorities declared mandatory evacuations but left helpless people to fend for themselves.
There was NO mandatoryh evacuation. Mandatory means you are evacuated out. That did NOT happen.
But the scene is being set slowly, surreptiiously by msm, to blame the victims, and protect Bush’ asses
August 30th, 2005 at 6:18 pmI just want the number of National Guard Troops deployed for Hurricane Andrew when that disaster happened. And I’d like to compare the numbers. Looting in Baghdad and total chaos ensued. Will the same thing happen because not enough troops committed to maintain control and help rehab? Just wondering. Bush is such a coward and a fool.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:20 pmCould a Russian spy who was elected as our President do a job that was as bad as bush is doing? Nobody could have done as awful a job as george w….no one. Even people with the worst of motives…..like the boy george.
Yeah Eric
August 30th, 2005 at 6:20 pmTOo bad we still don’t have slaves who could have built those walls, oh except we do, what are the statistics now for the poor in America?
Spare the intelligent your bilious stupidities
Oh yeah, CNN, MSNBC, and FOX fell over themselves to display national guard activated statistics. Meaningless numbers meant to assuage the stupid.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:22 pmThere’s a suit on CNN now – a white suit – talking about “speaking to opportunities” and “offices in Florida loooking at those opportunites”
Oh the calming effect of white males in red power ties and suits saying absolutely nothing
August 30th, 2005 at 6:24 pmBrian Williams – NBC News “..we’ll take you tonight and show you some of the depths of humanity…”
presumably he means the looting.
OF course he’s not referring to Bush’s behavior. No
Instead we’ll see black people pushing shopping carts on Canal street
The depths of human behavior
Of course the slaughter of innocents in Iraq and the stranding of thousands in New Orleans isn’t the depths. It’s the height of human behavior
Screw Brian Williams
August 30th, 2005 at 6:31 pmWow…I’ve been following the comments here for a little while and even posted a couple of my own. While I agree Bush is an idiot Eric (#52) has a point that seems to have been missed. Granted Bush’s choice for photo ops today were less than stellar choices. However, it’s not like he could have prevented the hurricane. I think that’s Eric was hinting at….it’s called perspective.
CMW – I was with you in the beginning…then after comment #5 you veered off into some crazy territory and now it just seems like ranting. Maybe it’s time to take a break. Step away from the computer, get some air, deep breaths…something or you’re going to blow a gasket.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:39 pm#59
You think i’m crazy! You are crazy. You step away from reality, cause you can’t take it.
The reality is the Prez left New Orleans high and dry. There’d been warnings for days about 20 ft flood. Nothing done. Mandatory evac. That was a fake. Now blame the victims.
August 30th, 2005 at 6:43 pmNew Orleans. The next Baghdad. No water, no electricity, no sewage. But they’re mostly Black Folk so nobody cares. Patrol Canal street with semi-automatics to protect the goods. Forget that 20000 have no water or bathrooms in the SuperDome. Doesn’t matter. Just protect the goods that will be under water soon. Shoot to kill if you have to to protect the goods from the poor. Don’t you just luv white america. (I’m white by the way)
August 30th, 2005 at 6:51 pmAnd Moveler
August 30th, 2005 at 6:58 pmI’ve been around too long, seen too much to blow a gasket. Maybe you need to watch, listen, and learn instead of trying to weigh who’s the good guy and who’s the gad guy too soon. You don’t want to come in on the wrong side now do you? Someday you’ll be able to think for yourself, if you’re lucky.
Two days before the hurricane was to hit the Gulf coast, the President sat,was he watching the news? They were predicting a very bad situation, and he sat and sat. Now that the that part of the country is in shambles he decideds to go to the White house, to do what for the poor and homeless , too late. To rebuild on a floodplain is a bad plan as was his war in Iraq.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:03 pmI would love to know what Clinton was up to on the night that a major hurricane struck during his watch. Probably getting a royal BJ in the Oval Office.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:06 pmMichael that is the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long long time.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:09 pmMichael Derravo
August 30th, 2005 at 7:12 pmMaybe you were giving him that bj – go screw yourself while you’re at it.
They need to do something to evacuate the people from the superdome. They need to do something. They don’t know how to do anything apparently. Except the coast guard. Everyone else seems to only be able to stand aroudn talking, and talking, and talking. All those blond heads with lots of makeup on msn talking and talking and talking about the depths of humanity as poor people struggle to survive.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:14 pmHey Michael Devarro
August 30th, 2005 at 7:17 pmI understand you do windows.
This is the type of thing that we used to have plenty of national guard to respond to. Now they are in iraq fighting the evildoers…
August 30th, 2005 at 7:18 pmthat’s right nuterrolhippy
and now they just stand around muttering about the depths of humanity looting to get some food
I wish they could put bush et al inside the superdome and make them take a shit in an overflowing toilet. And when they started vomiting, stick their head in the toilet, ala abu graib.
A guy jumped from the second tier of the superdome this afternoon – that’s inside the superdome. He was playing a game of dominos and calmly got up from the table and told the people below him to move out of the way, and he jumped to his death.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:22 pmCome on Michael Devarro
August 30th, 2005 at 7:29 pmDon’t you have something witty and anti-clinton to say about sticking bush’s head in an overflowing toilet in the superdome. I’d like to stick clinton’s head in there too.
Re: 40 by CMW
August 30th, 2005 at 7:42 pmW’s mind can’t go blank. A done thing is a done thing.
On a different note, everyone should get out their checkbooks (myself included) and start sending money to the Red Cross. They recently announced that they are going to be evacuating the entire city – even those who couldn’t leave, like those in the Superdome. I lived in the city for three years; it’s unfathomable that it’s been leveled by this hurricane.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:45 pmYou can go to earthside.com to see what W did today. God help us all.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:48 pmRe: Scott Cunningham
August 30th, 2005 at 7:51 pmI sent my donation via VISA – link to their site is http://www.redcross.org/. They seem to get an extra hack via that route and it’s a bit quicker.
Chris Matthews Hardball – he’s interviewing someone from govt? and he’s asking him how they will evacuate 20000 from superdome. the male voice waffles and says they will evaluate needs in and around dome. So they are pretending to be evacuating the superdome, when they are really just evacuating people from homes and bringing them to the superdome.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:52 pmit’s an amazing job of bait and switch going on with people’s lives, health and sanity.
Im sorry but this is not how leader should act when there are dead bodies in canals in New Orleans. God help us all.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:52 pmSimmer down CMW I’m on your side, you just don’t realize it, your too busy personally attacking everyone. You seriously don’t find anything wrong with comment #?? I was going to cite the comment in which you referred to Bush doing something while looking at a goat but that comment seems to have been removed.
All I’m saying is that Bush is certainly and with out a doubt to blame for many many things just not every single thing. Don’t forget I was with ya and agree with most of what your saying here…I’m on your side remember. However, when rational discussion turns into personal attacks you loose your credibility.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:53 pmIf you give to red cross, do you know where it’s going? i don’t trust anyone any more. Why wasn’t the red cross in the superdome? where is the red cross located?
August 30th, 2005 at 7:53 pmmoveler
you are like the apologists for vietnam and the holocaust. I’m not attacking anyone except Bush and maybe you for being so “nice” and “good” and “correct”
Get lost. In that one I said maybe Bush was masterbating.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:55 pmMaybe they’ll remove me entirely. TIll them I’ll keep speaking the truth, cause the bs you want to hear is too sickening at this point. Get real or get lost.
I’ll have you know that George successfully avoided ALL water hazards on the El Pueblo Mirage golf course yesterday.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:56 pmand mooveler
August 30th, 2005 at 7:58 pmyou’re the one making personal attacks – with your “calm down”
go ahead, put me down, try to silence me, you won’t succeed
the truth is the msm is white controlled bs, with lots of heavily made up women defending ignoramus men, while people of color drown in New Orleans and die in Iraq. This country is sickening.
And if you want a “nice” calm discussion – too bad – i won’t comply – the time for “niceness” is over
Re: 76 by CMW -You can state where it goes to, I said “Hurricane Katrina relief”.
August 30th, 2005 at 7:59 pmIn fact moveler
August 30th, 2005 at 8:01 pmnow that i think of it, the quote of mine you say they deleted was about Bush masturbating to the book about the goat. I wonder why they would delete a comment about Bush masturbating. Maybe it’s against the law to say that. I don’t know but one would think that saying Bush masturbated would be a perfectly acceptable thing to say, but maybe saying the President of the United States masturbated is a really “bad” thing to do. What do you think? Or maybe it’s only bad to say that if you say he masturbated while watching films of people drowning. I don’t know. I’m asking you. SInce you seem to be an arbiter of good taste.
And I rest my case…Thanks CMW for proving my point.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:10 pmI sure hope this doesn’t become political….
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president will chair a meeting Wednesday of a White House task force set up to coordinate the federal response and relief effort.
“We have a lot of work to do,” the president said of the storm FEMA director Michael Brown has termed catastrophic.
“This hurricane has caused devastation over a wide area,” Brown said.
Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record) urged the president to visit the damaged region.
“Mr. President, the people of Mississippi are flat on their backs. They’re going to need your help,” Lott said in a call to Bush. “I urge you to come to Mississippi. Your visit would be very good for the morale of Mississippians who are hurting right now.”
You know, his immediate reaction to this sudden and unannounded storm is what leaders are all about. No sir, this prez isn’t letting this tragedy go without working it for all it’s worth. “Iraq, hell, we got bigger problems in the ol’ US o’ A!”
August 30th, 2005 at 8:11 pmHoly crap. They cannot fix the break in the levee at 17th street and Canal. For those who haven’t been following, the levee has a 200 foot breach in it, and Lake Pontachartrain is pouring into the city. If they cannot fix the leak, then the water level inside New Orleans will not stop rising until it is level with the Lake. Here is the latest from Mayor Ray Nagin:
“Mayor Ray Nagin has announced that the attempt to plug a breach in the
17th Street canal at the Hammond Highway bridge has failed and the
rising water is about to overwhelm the pumps on that canal.
The result is that water will begin rising rapidly again, and could
reach as high as 3 feet above sea level. In New Orleans and Jefferson
Parish, that means floodwaters could rise as high as 15 feet in the next
few hours. Nagin urged residents to try to find higher ground as soon as possible.”
This will not stop.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:14 pmWith all of his vacationing, he’ll have to go back to work to get some much needed rest.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:16 pmRe: My entry 73
August 30th, 2005 at 8:18 pmAny credit card will do. My appologies to American Express, MC and Discovery.
The French Quarter is now flooding. See
“French Quarter flooding
August 30th, 2005 at 8:24 pmWe have received reports from NOLA.com readers that the French Quarter is flooding. One reader report came from the corner of Bourbon Street and Royal Street. FoxNews is also reporting now that flood waters have entered the historic area of New Orleans, which was spared much of the initial flooding from Hurricane Katrina.”
“the truth is the msm is white controlled bs, with lots of heavily made up women defending ignoramus men, while people of color drown in New Orleans and die in Iraq. This country is sickening.”
Hey, Nico – the idea that this site can pass itself off as a forum for serious “progressive” debate is completely destroyed by people like cmw. C’mon, do your job and ditch this racist sexist maniac. He/she is even attacking the libs here.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:31 pmRe: Scott Cunningham –
August 30th, 2005 at 8:32 pmThe French Quarter is now flooding.
One word: sheet! Grams would not let me say the obvious word.
The (W) stands for three things; 1)Worst President Ever , 2)War criminal , 3)Worthless piece of excrement (had to refrain myself here).I was born in the Crescent City and still live in La.,and it breaks my heart to see the devastation caused by Katrina. What a testament to global warming. Now King George wants to show some compassion ? Stay away from Louisiana,W. No one buys into your B.S. down here anymore.
August 30th, 2005 at 8:50 pmRe: 90 by C
August 30th, 2005 at 9:42 pmNo the correct term is lemmings.
Re: 91 by me,
August 30th, 2005 at 9:51 pmTake that back, the first sheep to go over the cliff, dies – the last survives – cushioned by the bodies of the leaders. I only wish war progressed in a simular fashion.
comment 91: I suspect that the conservative “trolls” you abhor so much are busy following the tragedy of New Orleans, rather than seeing it as merely a means to one’s own political ends, such as is all you seem capable of. You piece of crap! Can’t you just put the political pandering aside for a day, and just focus on the actual city, rather than using it for your own ideological posturing?!
August 30th, 2005 at 10:04 pmI can’t wait for the next natural disaster so prices on everything can increase again. Bring it on. America fiddles with a losing war while all 50 states become one huge shithole.
It don’t get no better than this.
Bush should stay on vacation all year long, I would feel more secure.
August 30th, 2005 at 10:06 pmUnbelieveable, the trolls here and on other message boards, who will sell their very souls to defend Bush playing golf, and eating cake, and learning how to play guitar with a country musician, INSTEAD of acting like an adult, and giving support to the hurricane victims. I guess Bush’s biggest supporters are as non-compassionate/sociopathic as Bush, and yet, I can’t quite figure out what on earth Bush has done for these people that he hasn’t done for the remaining MAJORITY of the country who think Bush is a miserable failure. It’s like believing the Bible, I just can’t wrap my mind around it.
August 30th, 2005 at 10:10 pmI heard through a friend of a friend that even some secret service agents stationed at Crawford were getting sick of the President’s 5-week vacation. Apparently, he’s hardly working at all — he’s spending all his time cutting brush and burning leaves.
August 30th, 2005 at 10:21 pmScott Cunningham – Actually, Bush was ignoring LA & MI, sent Scott McClellen and Scott’s bro. to look after it. But Ron is right, W should take a 40 month impeachment vacation with Dick. It would certainly be the best course for the nation.
August 30th, 2005 at 10:24 pmDo you think the people of Louisiana would rather have their Natioanl Guard to assit with rescues and security right now?
Well, take a guess where they are right now? You got it!
According to Defense Department documents that show “a cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized,†a total of 4,109 Louisiana Reserve and Guard troops are currently serving in Iraq.
I’m sure their families and the people in New Orleans would give anything to have them home right now.
Nice job – “Shrub”!
August 30th, 2005 at 10:42 pmMaybe if they keep looking another 100 years they might find some WMDs- all the while, New ORleans drowns!
I can’t beleive what I am reading. This is all Bush’s fault. I didn’t know our President had god-like powers. While you liberals sit in your own pink and purple world, passing judgement. You fail to see that your heros,like Moore and Sheen and Franken have made no overtures to the hurricane victims. Martin Sheen went to Texas to meet with Cindy in a sick effort to trump the media coverage of the Hurricane back her. On the Air America Radio web sight the Hurricane is only mentioned twice. Who knows what Moore is doing. Probably making a silly movie trying to prove Bush paid off God and had Him send Katrina to ensure the Saudi’s made more oil money, buy interviewing the ghost of Elvis. You people make me sick. Next time I put my life on the line for this country, I want it know that I do it because of you. You should be happy you live in America. In almost any other country your freedom of speech would be taken away. If you don’t like America go some where else. WE AMERICANS WON’T MISS YOU!!!!!!!!
August 30th, 2005 at 10:42 pmBrandon, go on out there and join one of the branches of the US armed services. There is nothing stopping you. Stop blogging and start firing.
Let me know when you arrive in Iraq. get going, soldier.
Bush sits on his hands and really does do nothing. Now, go back to sleep.
August 30th, 2005 at 10:47 pmNO ONE is claiming Bush “caused” this tragedy.
We are all saying that instead of acting like a real President (i.e. a leader)- he was off on vacation, taking guitar lessons from country music stars, and giving canned speeches trying to resurrect his plummeting poll numbers. In other words, he was acting only in his own self-interest (yet again)rather than stepping up and getting some real assistance to these poor souls along the Gulf coast.
Plus, our Nation’s “first line of defense” in times of disaster like this is not available to assist in its full capacity since they are bogged down in an unjust, unjustifiable war of choice, half a world away.
BTW the Brandon…. “web sight”… nice!
August 30th, 2005 at 10:52 pmGood post Rick
August 30th, 2005 at 10:59 pmSorry Rick, I meant “Site” Thanks for correcting me. Why don’t you spell check everybody else. FEMA is all caps.
Ron I already have joined. I am a 12 year vet who has been to Iraq. I was stationed in Kuwait from Nov 2002-Mar 2003, when I repositioned to Iraq through Nov of 2003. Now I am a Military Instructor on a controled tour other wise I would have been back.
P.S. I am awake I have a job.
BTW…I will assume from the lack of response you feel the same way I do about the fake-liberal heros of our day.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:10 pmRe: 93 by scott cunningham
I sent $50 about 12 hours before you decided to open your check book and I am unemployed. As my bumber sticker says – Better a Bleeding Heart Than None at All.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:13 pmOh I get it, Mr. Bush should get a fleet of transport boats and lead a flotilla on a rescue mission to the superdome. You know I honestly pity you people who think that a president is responsible for everything. Once it is all over the president will likely take a helicopter tour of the devastation, he will meet with people, and he will speak encouraging words. The initial assessment is something that is historically done by the governor. The president released funds well in advance of the tragedy. It is sad that even a natural disaster must serve as a incitement of the president. Is there no end of your partisan banter?
August 30th, 2005 at 11:24 pmStaying the Course… (AWOL Again)
During the Vietnam War, George W. Bush was “absent withoutout official leave”, AWOL.
We’ve now seen his stubborn resolution and determination to “stay the course” in action one more time.
One time too many.
By failing to end his vacation earlier and take on the mantle of responsbility that is the role, responsibility, and mark of a true leader, George W. Bush was once again AWOL in a time of crisis.
Pass it on. Two words: “AWOL Again”
And while you’re at it, share this too:
The Battle for America
DailyKOS reports that George cut essential funds which may have helped mitigate the damages and tremendous losses. Do not ever forget that this mess may not have been this bad…and don’t let anyone else ever forget.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:29 pmIn these times of American hyper-partisanship, even the response to an act of God like hurricane Katrina is revealing.
For the full story, see:
“Hurricanes, Divine Retribution and the Right.”
August 30th, 2005 at 11:31 pm[...] • Via AmericaBlog, from Think Progress, a view of what Bush saw while he vacationed today vs. what actually happened. [...]
August 30th, 2005 at 11:32 pmRE: 3 by cmw
The SuperDome is in LA not Mississippi. The govenor of Mississippi has no authority to evac the SuperDome refugees. That would be the govenor of Louisiana who is incapable of leading. P.S. She’s a Democrat. Oops, get your facts straight before you lie for politic’s sake
August 30th, 2005 at 11:32 pm“He will speak encouraging words.” Wow. How Presidential, L. Albert. Perhaps he will put on a pair of duck-boots while he’s at it.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:33 pmRe: 106 by L. Albert Mathewson
August 30th, 2005 at 11:34 pmWoud be nice if he showed up in the area, but that would detract from rescue efforts as they keep a 300 mile radius air bubble around his presence. I’ve sat on the ground at many an airport while AF-1 shuffled through. What is really needed are National Guard troops to stem the looting and rescue people. Unfortunatly they and their equipment are in Iraq because somebody tried to shoot his daddy.
“Nero fiddled while Rome burned. George rode his bicycle. It was the best he could do.”
It’s a quote from a writer’s work-in-progress.
Looks like George was also playing a guitar. I wonder if he knows “Dueling Banjos”…?
August 30th, 2005 at 11:35 pmRE: 112 by Walt the Man
That “300 mile radius” is a bit off, but it served every president from Harry S. Truman on. Can’t blame Bush for that. Second, I won’t argue about the NG in Iraq, but their equipment is owned by the state. When the Guard Deploys, they use the equipment already staged it country. The equipment you are talking about is already in the places hit by the storm.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:50 pmI have an idea. Why don’t you shut off your computer and go offer yourselves for clean up duty.
BTW…Go on, slam Bush again about his vacation, I guess you are right, I mean he could have been in the Oval Office taking funds away from our intelligence agencies with an intern under the desk, and smoking a cigar.
interns under desk doesn’t get thousands killed or deplete treasurys
August 30th, 2005 at 11:55 pmHey L. Albert Mathewson:
Your pity is wasted here. Bush is up to his eyeballs in this scenario. He stood his ground. He got his war. He invited all his friends. They all stood and clapped and racked in their chips. There is a nice fat part for George W. Bush to play in this disaster. I don’t think Homeland Security has done shit. New Orleans is taking on aspects of Baghdad. 300 BILLION on Bush’s War of Choice L. Albert. Phooey on your pity. It’s dark and damned dangerous in The Big Muddy tonight. Save your pity for the folks dealing with that.
Courtesy of Daily Kos:
It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us.
— Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004
When flooding from a massive rainstorm in May 1995 killed six people, Congress authorized the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA.
Over the next 10 years, the Army Corps of Engineers, tasked with carrying out SELA, spent $430 million on shoring up levees and building pumping stations, with $50 million in local aid. But at least $250 million in crucial projects remained…
Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security — coming at the same time as federal tax cuts — was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars.
You think New Orleans was not shouting loud and often enough about this problem? It gets worse:
There was, at the same time, a growing recognition that more research was needed to see what New Orleans must do to protect itself from a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. But once again, the money was not there. As the Times-Picayune reported last Sept. 22:
That second study would take about four years to complete and would cost about $4 million, said Army Corps of Engineers project manager Al Naomi. About $300,000 in federal money was proposed for the 2005 fiscal-year budget, and the state had agreed to match that amount.
But the cost of the Iraq war forced the Bush administration to order the New Orleans district office not to begin any new studies, and the 2005 budget no longer includes the needed money, he said.
The Senate was seeking to restore some of the SELA funding cuts for 2006. But now it’s too late. One project that a contractor had been racing to finish this summer was a bridge and levee job right at the 17th Street Canal, site of the main breach.
August 30th, 2005 at 11:56 pmNo nutterolhippy it doesn’t but cutting funding to intelligence agencies does. Funny how you skipped that part of my comment. Proving once again you liberals need to take off your “blue” blockers.
August 31st, 2005 at 12:09 amso i guess “lack of funds” is how they knew about all those wmd’s being moved from location to location in iraq?
August 31st, 2005 at 12:21 amIf the stories coming out of the “Big Easy†turns out to be true and I have no doubt that it’s is true – then “w†the wonder boy and prick, along with his entire staff and administration has got to be impeached in mass and on the spot – their is no other way to put it.
If this prick can defer needed funds from a program that was designed to protect the American people – just to support the bush family’s little war which was designed to protect their personal oil interests – then just what other moneys has bush and company taken from “peter†to pay “paulâ€?
How safe are we as a whole?
What other “bets†have the wonder boy and his bud’s made at the future expense of the American people?
These are question that going to be ask loud and often in the days to come.
As far as I’m concerned the many people who will be found dead in the day and weeks ahead are nothing less than fatalities of the Iraq war and should be listed as such – which will most likely will put the fatalities numbers for the Iraq war closer to 3000 to 5000 American men and women!
Has the Republicans had enough of their beloved “w†yet?
Or in their minds is this just another “liberal†trick to make “w the prick†again look bad – believe me “liberals†don’t have to do a dame thing – ‘w the prick†has that will in hand and needs no additional help – his daddy must be really proud of his boy – the ass is so over his head – that it would be funny if their wasn’t that so many folks are getting killed!
Finally I never though that I would be so mad at the president of this country and that he the president would have done all that “w†has done to this county – that I would find no words – save a obscenity – to express my loss of respect for the man, his administration and the office under him – he has done the office and this county a grave injustice and should be impeached!
If the Republicans (the party in power) haven’t gotten it yet – then they too should face the people and the whole lot of them should be forced from office or better impeached them all!
I leave you with these words…
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
- Theodore Roosevelt
When the people fear their government, there is
August 31st, 2005 at 12:24 amtyranny; when the government fears the people, there
is liberty
-Thomas Jefferson
{Proving once again you liberals need to take off your “blue†blockers.}
ok…we’ll take off our “blueblockers” if you all will get off CODE RED…
August 31st, 2005 at 12:27 am“they” being two superpowers went off the intel they were given. Was it wrong? Yes. Why was it wrong and who is to blame is left up in the air. You blame Bush because he was President when it happened. I blame Clinton, because he cut the funding that could have provided better intel. Truth is you and I will never know the truth because everybody on both sides is hiding it or creating their own version of it. Fact remains if someone wants to hit us they will. Remember Clinton had his own non-UN sanctioned war, and we all remember what he did during Vietnam, went to Moscow and smoked dope without inhaling. As a Hippie isn’t that a waist of weed?
August 31st, 2005 at 12:32 amOur Nation is facing a crisis like no other crisis I have seen in my life time. Including 9-11.
Absolutely the media claimed KATRINA was not a major storm. The media again lied as FLORIDA and TEXAS was safe from KATRINA.
Lousiana and Mississipi are disposable to this administration. No, Bushie cannot control the weather but it sure does reek that the media downplayed this storm.
Of course, as expected the chickenhawks are blaming the victims. The chickenhawks need to leave the country immediately. We the non-chickenhawks look past the fact that these devastated states supporteds Bushie.
Global warming, nah, no such thing.
August 31st, 2005 at 12:36 amat least we know where clinton was in ‘68…we don’t seem to be able to find gdub and i don’t think it’s because of lack of funding
August 31st, 2005 at 12:37 amYou Bushie supporters are the most disgusting species known to man. You make me sick.
August 31st, 2005 at 12:39 amsusan..susan…breathe….deep….relax…
August 31st, 2005 at 12:41 amBreathing is something that Bushie would like to eliminate from our society nutterolhippy. Either be a part of the solution or leave the country is my motto.
votetoimpeach.org
August 31st, 2005 at 12:47 amThat piece of crap Barbara had and called a baby better just stay the hell out of New Orleans.
It’s a Dem. stronghold and the Secret Service wouldn’t be able to protect his sorry ass.
They’d take him down to the water and drown him in the filth, which would be fitting.
I think the LA officials are in utter shock, as are we all, looking at the miles and miles and miles of devastation. It’s brain overload and we here in LA are all suffering from it right now.
My daughter and son in law live and work in the French Quarter and are in SW LA safe with us. We are all having a hard time coping with the magnitude of this.
But one thing is certain, I DETEST Barbara’s piece of crap and everyting he stands for!
August 31st, 2005 at 12:50 amRE: 53 by cmw
“Manditory Evacuations” are not the same as “Manditory Drug Testing” No level of American government has the right to phyisically remove someone from their homes during times of Natural Disasters, no matter how much they think they should. If you go to tell someone their home won’t be safe when the storm hits and they tell you to go away, What do you next. Force them, no you note it and pray they survive so you can go get them later. On the other hand, your employer has every right to order a drug test (and in your case probably should)as grounds for hiring.
August 31st, 2005 at 12:54 amEverybody who stayed had the choice to stay in their home or go to a shelter. New Orleans, and Louisiana did all they could before the storm to save lives, and they continue to strive to save people. Why waist our time with this tyraid. Blame Bush if it makes you sleep better. But what have you done to comfort someone.
i’m not sure how to be a part of the solution…with fixed elections…corporate control..power mongering..greedy deceptions and such…what is a patriot to do?
August 31st, 2005 at 12:54 amRe: 114 by Samuri Penguin
I landed about 5 min. after Ford in NYC. Saw him pile into his limo on the tarmac – guess, I was in a Blackhawk – though it sure looked like a 727. Took off from Baltimore/Washington Friendly once and the pilot pointed out AF-1 to one side (Ike was on board). Boy those those eagle eyes! Can’t be sure about Truman, I was a little young then. Kennedy did not put a hold on Love field when he landed in Dallas and there was only about a twenty minute hold when Johnson took off – primarily out of respect – I was there.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:00 amwalt ..you must be older than me
August 31st, 2005 at 1:03 amand i remember when presidents were ask questions that they didn’t have the answers on paper in front of them before they were ask
August 31st, 2005 at 1:05 amTo nutterolhippy
August 31st, 2005 at 1:09 amMaybe – does 1941 ring a bell?
nutter, a patriot calls for the impeachment of Bushie. It’s that simple. He hates America (except Texas and Florida) and he needs to be out of office immediately.
I bet you and others here on this blog do not know that there is a law on the books that state that a President cannot be removed by election during a war. We will be at war in 08 for sure. This law (which I will find the link and post it) guarantees Bushie a third term if we are still in Iraq.
Impeachment is the only way out of this dictatorship. Look it up if you don’t believe me.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:11 am1941 huh..you are old..but i bet you remember where you were in the 60’s..
August 31st, 2005 at 1:13 amRe: Susan – 133
August 31st, 2005 at 1:15 amIsn” there an admendment that ovverrides this law?
susan..ther’s about as much chance of impeaching this guy as there is…oh..me getting to make out with angelina jolee…really what is a patriot to do?
August 31st, 2005 at 1:17 amTo nutterolhippy
Sure, I was doing logic design at a minor office machine company in upstate NY.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:22 amok….well we seem to know where everyone except gdud was..
August 31st, 2005 at 1:24 amSusan, I understand you are upset, but let us not get ahead of ourselves.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:31 amFirst the media in no way down played the size of this storm. For 5 days before it hit the media was saying it was going to hit as a Cat 5(that’s as big as they get) Experts laid out everything to expect. I live in Florida and we prayed just as hard as Louisiana to have this storm die and pass over all of us. Noone hid the catastrophic events of Katrina.
Second, The Constitution of the United States limits the time a person can be President. I guarantee Bush will only serve two terms. If he even tries to serve more you will have many who will draw the line (including me) Unless the Constitution is amended it can’t and won’t happen.
Next Walt-the-Man
I have provided protection for two Presidents and the closing of the airspace in recent history is due to increased air travel. More planes fly through Love Field now than in the 60’s. I remember doing airport duty for Clinton and the airport in Detroit was closed for three hours before he arrived and when he left. I know I drove the runway before he landed looking for IEDs. BTW…Truman was president when the Air Force seperated from the Arny and The 1st AF-1 was given to him.
To nutterolhippy,
August 31st, 2005 at 1:31 amRe: 136
Yo could try Susan – OOPS – Susan is my sister’s name.
Walt and Nutterolhippie,
August 31st, 2005 at 1:33 amI wasn’t around in the 60’s, but if I was I am sure I would know where I was.
Thanks for the fun everyone see ya
August 31st, 2005 at 1:34 amwalt..are you trying to fix me up with your sister?…does she look like angelina jolee?…it’s ok if she doesn’t cause i’m sure no brad pit..she didn’t vote for bush did she?..
August 31st, 2005 at 1:37 amTo nutterolhippy,
August 31st, 2005 at 1:45 amSorry, she’s married and she did not vote for Bush.
Old fart that I am I’m headed for the sack. I have an unmarried aunt who is only 98 years old. Can’t hear and can hardly see -the perfect spouse. Smart as a whip though.
nutter, if you don’t want to be a part of the solution and you are too weak to demand impeachment then you are part of the problem. Where the hell have you been? The impeachment movement is getting stronger than ever. September is packed with rally’s calling for impeachment. I guess you’ll tell me that Nixon resigned because he was tired. Not!
WalttheMan, I am having trouble accessing the law right now. I just heard about it today. I thought Bushies goal was to stack the Supreme Court to ammend the constitution to allow him a third term but Bushie is sneaky and he has an agenda for sure. I’m still looking for the link. Will provide when I find it.
August 31st, 2005 at 1:47 amCMW: You cannot generalize about people by race: For example, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education has sold out white learning disabled public school students for years, and everyone I have dealt with in that office is BLACK. THe point: There are corrupt, unsatiably greedy, people of ALL races at ALL levels of government. The problem is the electoral system that lobbs corrupt people into government: fix that, you fix most national and local problems. Though I have to concede on the point of white-dominated newsreporting and white-dominated government: Though I have been fascinated by the glimpse into the serious problems of character in white people of privilege in high relief in this administration —all of these very trashy, overstuffed piggy whites —the minority lickspittles that serve them in government are no better, and just as evil.
August 31st, 2005 at 6:34 amPut differently, there are murderous, backstabbing, corrupt people of all races throughout our local, state and federal government agencies and offices, and if the learning curve does not go up faster and more radically, our country — its institutions and its people— will continue its retrograde cultural, political and economic descent toward what Europe was before the French Revolution and the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.
August 31st, 2005 at 6:42 amFrom “Seinfeld” It’s the summer of George, where George does what he wants, where he wants, when he wants. No time for natural disasters, though he is keeping an eye on the oil wells and refineries.
August 31st, 2005 at 8:43 amGreat post by #115 burro. Will not be reported in the MSM most likely. All true.
August 31st, 2005 at 9:00 am“I blame Clinton, because he cut the funding that could have provided better intel. ”
Samuri Penguin — how much “better intel” do you need than memos stating that Bin Laden determined to strike in the U.S. using airplanes??
Pull your head out of your ass and admit you are wrong and Bush is a Category Six disaster for the U.S. and the world.
He was on one of his many month-long vacas in hellhole, Texas when the perfectly good intel came in and he ignored it. In fact, Clinton told him the number one priority was terrorism on US soil….and one of the first things Bush ignored coming ILLEGITIMATELY into office was the BIPARTISAN Hart-Rudman bill worked on by Clinton and Gore to PROTECT AMERICANS on our own soil.
So by defending this treasonous son of another Bush you are dissing your OWN responsible members of what used to be the Republican party. And signing on as a corporate butt-boy for Cheney and Halliburton and Bush and Carlyle.
Why? What do you get out of it?
There never would’ve been a successful assault on the twin towers had Gore assumed his rightful Presidency…and even if you insist there would’ve you have to admit he would not be French-kissing Saudi princes and attacking Iraqis when it was Saudis not Iraqis on the planes.
What kind of “intel” does it take to soul-kiss terrorists and attack an innocent people?
Let’s hear again how it’s Clinton’s fault that Bush ignored bipartisan antiterrorism bills and detailed warnings abouot attacks with airplanes? And how fondling Saudi princes and attacking innocent countries was the proper response?
August 31st, 2005 at 9:44 amYou people make me sick. You don’t give a rat’s ass about this tragedy. You just see it as another opportunity to slam Bush. Bleeding heart my ass. You’re a bunch of self-righteous assholes as far as I can tell. There’s a time and a place for politicking but this is not it.
August 31st, 2005 at 9:54 amYou need to get a grip, Scott, calling everyone you disagree with assholes. Speaking of assholes, asshole, you are starting to sound like Sean Hannity.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:00 amBoy that 300 billion would come in handy now..
August 31st, 2005 at 10:04 amFunny…. I agree with Scott. What are you doing?
August 31st, 2005 at 10:08 amtoo bad that thousands of louisana and mississippi national guard are in iraq right now..
August 31st, 2005 at 10:18 amIn case you missed the point of this article, the focus is on Bush’s response (or lack of) to the Katrina disaster. If you want to see the awful aftermath, turn on TV and watch network news, if you want warm and fuzzy responses by the government, to to Fox News. If, however, you are questioning the delayed, late response by a vacationing, self-involved national leader who nows sees a chance for a photo opportunity to help himself in the polls, then this is one place for discussion. And, yes, assholes are welcome to contribute.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:26 amHas this administration set bad example for looters or what?
August 31st, 2005 at 10:35 amToo bad bush is not in Iraq right now
August 31st, 2005 at 10:45 amSome things that offended me:
1) Mainstream media before the hurricane talking crap about those who are left in the city as if they didn’t drive away and evacuate. Their complete ignorance of those who were in nursing homes, hospitals, old age homes, those who don’t have a car, those who can’t afford any other transportation etc
2) Mississippi governor comparing this natural disaster to Hiroshima. Compare this to the Tsunami, but PLEASE not to the wilful dropping of a nuclear bomb on a city!
August 31st, 2005 at 10:46 am“Missing the personnel is the big thing in this particular event. We need our people,” said Lt. Andy Thaggard, a spokesman for the Mississippi National Guard, which has a brigade of more than 4,000 troops in central Iraq. Louisiana also has about 3,000 Guard troops in Baghdad.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083002162_pf.html
August 31st, 2005 at 10:54 amHow about the over 600 dead in Iraq. The citizens of Iraq are awfully jumpy, literly.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:55 amAnd while Katrina hits New Orleans, our fearless president eats cake with McCain. GOD SAVE THE KING!
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050829/ids_photos_ts/r3345646180.jpg
August 31st, 2005 at 11:02 amQuit attacking His Highness the PRESIDENT…! He at least strummed his guitar in memory of the floating bodies in the Mississippi delta. And he’s not smiling, it’s actually wincing from pain…
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050830/480/capm10108301730
August 31st, 2005 at 11:05 amwhen george was hiding in the national guard in the 60’s’ the guard stayed here in the u.s…that’s why he was in the national guard..they have always been first responders to disaters..here…this nation..
August 31st, 2005 at 11:22 ami
August 31st, 2005 at 11:25 amthe local press here in st louis is talking about coffe prices shooting up because of warehouses full of coffee being under water…looks like we might have to liberate the people of columbia….give them christianity…..and take there beans..
To the political scientists: What can we all do to get these criminals and traitors out of office, and prevent them from ever returning? Start a Labor Party?????
August 31st, 2005 at 11:48 amWhat can we all do to get these criminals and traitors out of office, and prevent them from ever returning?
People have been asking that question since the invention of government. So far, a satisfactory answer is lacking.
August 31st, 2005 at 11:53 amRe:151, Scott,
August 31st, 2005 at 12:08 pmWhen people are passionate about something they speak with deep emotion. I’m sure everyone here feels the heartbreak left by Katrina. Many have donated and many have prayed. The thing is when these things happen, we feel powerless, and against nature we often are, so we try to make sense of it by asking ourselves if there is something we could have done to prevent it. Placing blame is just human nature, If you trip and fall, don’t you look back to see what tripped you? And when you watch the news, a lot of the coverage is about the price of gas and the cost in billions, and you find yourself back to politics. It’s a natural progression.
People here are passionate and I thank God for passionate people. They keep the blood flowing to our brains! Our brains, hearts and spirits all work furiously and then you have this: a good discussion that covers all sides. Isn’t that why we’re here, Scott? To share, to rant, to find kindred spirits so that we know we are not alone. Personally, i think W is the Anti-American. He personifies a greedy, arrogant, selfish, prejudiced, corrupt corporate honcho who will forever amaze historians as they ask, “How did the American people manage to select as their president the stupidest man on Earth?” But that’s just me.
Re: 168
August 31st, 2005 at 12:42 pmIsn’t Dan Qualye still alive?
Most excellent analysis of the day–AlwaysHope. I’m pretty sure the people in Iraq don’t care about the dead, soon to be bloated Americans floating in The Big Muddy, and I’m equally sure the entire population of the Gulf Coast doesn’t care a whit about floating,bloating Iraquis-in-the-Tigris! Even-Steven, cosmically speaking!
August 31st, 2005 at 1:12 pmFrom Good Will Hunting (1997) when Will was being interviewed by the NSA – how profound:
Will: Why shouldn’t I work for the N.S.A.? That’s a tough one, but I’ll give it a shot. Say I’m working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. So I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I’m real happy with myself, ’cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never had a problem with get killed.
Now the politicians are sayin’, Send in the marines to secure the area ’cause they don’t give a shit. It won’t be their kid over there, gettin’ shot. Just like it wasn’t them when their number was called, ’cause they were pullin’ a tour in the National Guard.
It’ll be some guy from Southie takin’ shrapnel in the ass. And he comes home to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job, ’cause he’ll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks.
Meanwhile my buddy from Southie realizes the only reason he was over there was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And of course the oil companies used the skirmish to scare up oil prices so they could turn a quick buck. A cute little ancillary benefit for them but it ain’t helping my buddy at $2.50 a gallon.
And naturally they’re takin’ their sweet time bringin’ the oil back, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain’t too long ’til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So my buddy’s out of work and he can’t afford to drive, so he’s got to walk to the job interviews, which sucks ’cause the schrapnel in his ass is givin’ him chronic hemorroids. And meanwhile he’s starvin’ ’cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat the only blue plate special they’re servin’ is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what do I think? I’m holdin’ out for somethin’ better.
Why not just shoot my buddy, take his job and give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president.
http://www.reelwavs.com/movies/good_will_hunting/
August 31st, 2005 at 2:04 pmOur Nation Is In Great Danger:
In the wake of this disaster, we are all bearing witness to the competence of our nation’s institutional response. I am afraid that this response is less helpful than it is indicative of the gross incompetence and arrogance of our President’s agenda. Further, those private institutions that have received great benefit over the past six years are serving to remove their facade of charity and compassion by their meager offerings to this devastated landscape.
The immense consequence of the President’s quest to cut funding to FEMA coupled with his complete disregard for any tangible plan for emergency preparedness will now be experienced by our entire nation. Yet, there is no mention of it thus far in the mainstream.
The President in his great narcissism has not walked a single yard of this broken soil since the storm has passed. As people scrambled upward in their homes to save their very lives, the President opted to enjoy a sliver of sweetly frosted cake on a sunny tarmac and attend a town hall meeting to discuss matters of no relevance to the immediate crisis.
While the Coast Guard worked to chop holes out of roofs to save men and women in their potential last moments, the President opted to commemorate Japan’s surrender, strumming a guitar with a boyish posture.
His only attempt to console a wounded region was to credit himself for offering federal relief and a few drops of oil, which would have been released had he drowned in an attic himself.
His benefactors, the huge companies that have been granted billions of dollars in tax relief, have begun responding to this tragedy by offering the equivalent of pocket lint to the effort. It seems that billions upon billions of dollars in annual revenue only merit an average of $1 million in relief from companies such as Wal-Mart, GM, and various oil companies, a stark reflection of the horrid decadence of all who have benefited from the President and his contempt for the citizens of this nation.
Many of our representatives will hold their tongues about the deplorable state of our nation as a result of the incompetence, distain, and complete separation from reality the President and his constituency has shown. However, I have great hope that at the very least, the greater nation and in its vast diversity will at last face the reality of what this despicable administration has done to us all.
It is difficult for the typical American to imagine that our nation can be so devastated that things such as revolt, violence and even revolution could reach their doorstep. I believe that a huge component of our national culture is a certain sense of insulation from the horrific chaos we witness around the globe and in the third world. But here we are, on the brink.
Be warned.
Be warned that the immediate future for all of us will be difficult. Be warned that the system of control established by the President will be thrust upon us with great intensity; not for the purpose of stabilizing the unrest of our nation; but for the sake of maintaining the fruits of his sinister actions thus far.
It will not be discussed over the next few weeks, but a national crisis is coming. As a direct result of the actions of the great narcissist, we will all be subjected to the ramifications in his place.
There will be national fuel shortages. There will be acts of violence and desperation as the availability of certain “luxuries†is taken away from us. There will be martial law. There will be Martial law for no legitimate reason other than keeping the voice of America silent. There will be massive layoffs.
There will be hopelessness.
The President does not have the integrity to persuade the American people to make personal sacrifices to serve the greater good. His constituents know this. And so, he will try to control all of us from above, choosing who must sacrifice and who may not. Although he has no voice, he has power and will use it covertly to suit his whims.
If there was ever a time for us to get up and fight to save our nation, that time is now.
First, I urge all of you to look around your homes and scrounge up any amount of loose money, clothing, and essentials and donate them. Go to your local Red Cross or the Salvation Army with your offerings. While you are there, please give blood if you have the ability. Do whatever you can to help. Every penny, every blanket, every spare room that can hold someone counts. I am not wealthy either, but I am going to do what I can.
Secondly, as the situation improves for the people of the south, please do whatever you can to send the message to your government that you demand the removal of this President and his administration. It is time that he suffers an inkling of the consequence for his arrogance.
I fear that if he remains in office, our nation will not have the opportunity to heal itself in our lifetime, if ever. Whatever you feel about these words, please do not ignore the logical conclusions we can draw from this cancer on our nation. For, we are beginning to witness them at this very moment.
August 31st, 2005 at 2:14 pmhttp://www.wwltv.com/
Since the national networks only show a half hour of this disaster per night, I have been watching live on the internet this New Orleans television station. They are broadcasting from LSU, planning ahead as they have been their, in Baton Rouge, since Monday.
I do hope the president stays in Washington and does not spend more of our money traveling to New Orleans. The powers to be in New Orleans do not need to have to worry about all the stuff that has to happen when the president comes visiting.
August 31st, 2005 at 2:15 pmThey aren’t looting! They are just celebrating freedom’s messiness, like they did in Bagdad. Let them take a few vases, it will be ok!
Here’s something fun to ponder. When Andrew hit, they hand thousands of mobile homes set up for refugees in a matter of days.
This time, they are trying to make people live in a SPORTS Stadium, clearly unsuited for any return to normality or life, or even a tolerable life.
Where the hell are the mobile homes?
August 31st, 2005 at 2:38 pmimpeach
August 31st, 2005 at 2:39 pmSend in the Navy ships.Send in any ships.
August 31st, 2005 at 2:57 pmWhat a loser we have for a President.
Bush took time to fly over New Orleans on his way back to Washington. Well… It was on his way – and now he won’t have to make a ’special’ trip in a couple days.
Bush is s*iting his pants now – wondering what to do…
August 31st, 2005 at 2:59 pmA navy ship is on the way from Norfolk carring supplies such as food and water. However, after reading the about the looting (http://www.wwltv.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/katrina/stories/083105ccwcKatrinaLooters.109d9813.html) they need more then supplies…
so sad…
August 31st, 2005 at 3:13 pmBush’s Revolving Door for Reasons He Caused the Nightmare Iraq Adds a New One: Says US must prevent oil fields from falling into hands of terrorists. Aren’t those the terrorists that he created by invading Iraq? Oh, Well, At Least He’s Getting Closer to the Truth, OIL! 8/31
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/08/31/bush_gives_new_reason_for_iraq_war/
http://www.buzzflash.com/
August 31st, 2005 at 3:13 pmSusi – Aren’t there two t’s in spitting?
August 31st, 2005 at 3:31 pmJohn – The founding fathers had no concept of a two party system where a single party would control control all three branches of government – otherwise they would have set up a condition that no single political bloc could control more than 1/3 of the house or senate. As it is now – impeachment is not an option, even when the president and vice president are demented.
NOT A SINGLE DROP OF BLOOD FOR A SINGLE DROP OF OIL. OH YEAH–GET A LOAD OF THE DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY’S LATEST PRONOUNCEMENTS TODAY—”WE ARE SUSPENDING ALL EPA REGULATIONS IN ALL 50 STATES REGARDING AIR QUALITY-TO ALLOW THE PRODUCTION OF GASOLINE AND DIESEL–THROUGH SEPT.15″. How much does anyone out there wanna bet it lasts “a little longer” than they announced today, huh?
August 31st, 2005 at 3:37 pmMay be a 2×4 across his rear end(or head)like you do with a stupid horse.Instead of impeachment, he needs to take some action, any action is bettet than sitting on his hands waiting for the next photo op
August 31st, 2005 at 3:49 pmBush to Rove as they fly over the floods:
“Karl look down there, isn’t that awesome? Boy if we could warm up the Indian Ocean with a few hundred nukes, we could have one hell of a monsoon – maybe get rid of all them A-ribs. Bring me my pretzels and my crash helmet please, MEDIC.”
August 31st, 2005 at 3:57 pmRe: 181
August 31st, 2005 at 4:00 pmAny blow to W’s head would have no effect.
When Louisiana and New Orleans governments request funding for strengthening hurrican and flood control, the Bush and GOP Congress refused for budgetary reasons and greatly reduced the funding.
August 31st, 2005 at 4:03 pmThe budget was eatten up by his Iraq War.
Now, we see the results for his war on our coffers to repair our domestic security, economy and infrastructure. I hope the press will remind us that Bush skimped on strengthening Gulf flood control which would have been less costly that the disaster we have now.
DEWEY – you’re right on!
August 31st, 2005 at 4:06 pmIt makes me sick to see his lack of true concern for his brothers and sisters in pain and loss. If they were rich white folks, he’d be all over it.
August 31st, 2005 at 4:13 pmJim -Are you using bro’s and sis’s in the religious sense? If so, I agree.
August 31st, 2005 at 4:17 pmsing to the beverly hillbilly song
August 31st, 2005 at 4:25 pmlet me tell ya all a story bout a man named bush
when there is trouble he gets in quite a rush
for the vietnam war he decided he should flee
his daddy said “the guard is the place you oughta be”
{booze..girls…coke..}
well the alabama guard don’t remember him there
neither does texas hell he wasn’t anywhere
until the war was over he was nowhere to be found
then daddy gave him a company he ran it in the ground
[booze...girls...coke]
so they gave him a baseball team but they could only lose
he’d sit with his feet up pick his nose and snooze
george and barbara shook their heads he’s such a waste of space
i know! let’s give him texas keep him out of our face
[booze...laura..jesus...]
i’m sorry folks i know that this song is really bad
even worse the ending is really really sad
georgie boy is now in charge and to war we had to go
pro lifers said to smitherines iraq we have to blow
[ for the oil...texas tea..]
at least queers can’t get married finally we’re safe
the billionaires got tax breaks thank god it’s not too late
and global warming’s just a scam’ an evildoers plot
the democrats are silent..they’ve all become trent lott
etc.etc..
Re: 188 – nutterolhippy
August 31st, 2005 at 4:46 pmRichie’s brother is going to hit you on that one.
Richie’s brother?
August 31st, 2005 at 4:54 pmHappy Days – Cunningham, the Fonz
August 31st, 2005 at 4:56 pmOn my fortne cookie today – There is absolutely no substitude for a genuine lack of preparation – isn’t this a perfect description of the quagmire (what you get when a disaster in the making is made) that we face on all fronts? Domestic, financial, defense and international.
August 31st, 2005 at 5:25 pmperhaps walt..but we have protected the sanctity of marriage
August 31st, 2005 at 5:38 pmMaybe Mr. Bush will offer to bring the manufacturing sector of the economy back from overseas to the Gulf region, on condition that the survivors dispossed of their jobs and homes accept the same working conditions
August 31st, 2005 at 6:05 pmenjoyed by those working for American corporations in Asia.
Is that what a “compassionate conservative” president does?
August 31st, 2005 at 6:06 pmOur government – from top to bottom – is a reflection of the man at the top. With the Incompetent In Chief in charge – What do you expect? You generally get the government you deserve.
If as a nation we are going to recover our heritage,and our self respect, people need to get off their butts, get organized, cleanse the majority of the members of Congress and then IMPEACH BUSH!!!
August 31st, 2005 at 6:15 pmOnce again the most vulnerable- the elderly, poor and disabled- are being sacrificed. Obviously this was not a mandatory evacuation- if it were, planes, buses and boats would have been sent to pick up those unable to leave by car. As a mother with a disability and in constant pain, a husband who is blind, and two children, I am devastated thinking of the sheer misery of those in the Superdome. Why have the Navy boats in Pascagoula not been deployed? Why are there not carrier airplanes taking people to those boats?
August 31st, 2005 at 6:25 pmJanna Nelson
flashman -
you make it sound sooooo simple…
But your right, we need to do more then add our comments on these blogs. Now, what to do??? I voted, but that didn’t make a difference!
August 31st, 2005 at 6:29 pmW’s priorities from most important to last are:
August 31st, 2005 at 6:57 pmW
Cutting up brush
Cheney
Rove
Barb
Poppy
His dogs
Laura and the twins
Rumsfeld
The United States of America
Americans
Truth
perhaps walt, but we saved the sanctity of marriage
August 31st, 2005 at 6:59 pmBuy Blue.
Loot Red.
Eat Republicans.
August 31st, 2005 at 8:01 pmI was listening to Msnbc and that brain dead Nora O’Donnell said that Bush was rushing back to Washington today because of the situation. I the idiot had at least read the papers the last few days he would have known he is a little late. but no he had to go off and give a political speech yesterday – it was more important. Please when will the pepole see he should be impeached for not doing his job.
August 31st, 2005 at 9:19 pmRE:171 by Andrew
August 31st, 2005 at 9:21 pmDOOM! DOOM! DOOM! So says the prophet. You watch too much daytime time. The American Republic is going to fall and evolve and rise again. That is natural. All civilizations from the beginning of time have. Bush has only a small part in that. As jerks like us who sit and type angry quips on a stupid blog while babies are starving in NO. I just stopped by to say bye to my favorite liberal yucksters. I took leave from work and am going to Mississippi to help clean-up. Maybe some of you gloomy guses should consider it. It is easy to blame someone else when you are sitting in your own dry, cool home. Playing on your computer and drinking a juice box. Put your muscle, time, or money where your mouth(fingers)is and prove you are better than Bush by getting involved. Sacrafice something for someone else then complain.
Katrina and Gaza: is God speaking
in New Orleans?
“This is what YHVH says, who gives the sun to be a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars to be a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar; YHVH of Armies is His name” (Jer.31:35)
The past two weeks have seen Israel withdraw from Gaza as a result of (among other things) American policy and pressure. In previous newsletters we have quoted US State Department and Presidential statements to that effect.
The rushing onset of Hurricane Katrina is shocking and ominous. Check out http://www.stratfor.com’s breaking article “The Geopolitics of Katrina” for the potential strategic damage that could be caused to the US and global economy and petroleum industry as a result of this hurricane. The Port of Southern Louisiana is the USA’s largest port and the fifth largest in the world in terms of tonnage. It is America’s key port for grain export. Approximately 25% of U.S. produced crude oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico.
Consider Bill Koenig’s web site http://www.watch.org and his book “Eye to Eye – Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel” which charts the uncanny connection between USA attempts to pressure Israel into shrinking its borders, and nearly simultaneous natural disasters in America.
We ask you to consider God’s hand in present events. Genesis 12:3 is a prophetic promise that says that God will curse the one who speaks curses Israel.
What happens in Israel affects the rest of the world, and how any country treats Israel has a lot to do with how God treats that country. We are praying, deeply concerned and grieved about the onset of Katrina.
Here are some appalling parallels that need to be considered as we all pray into this situation.
* Recent comments over the past hours on the FOX NEWS Channel eerily parallel what has just happened in Gaza. One commentator referred to the inhabitants of New Orleans and said, “It must be an emotional experience to walk away from their houses and not know if they will be able to live in them again.” That is exactly what has transpired here this past week for Gaza’s Jewish population.
* Another commentator said that most of all the wooden structures in New Orleans will be destroyed. Nearly all of the structures in Gaza’s Jewish communities and farms have been destroyed.
* Ivor Van Heeden, deputy director of Louisiana State University’s Hurricane Center, recently said on FOX that there is a high probability that the hurricane will loosen many of the coffins in New Orleans and that corpses will be loosened and moved from their resting places. One of the three top items on Israel’s news tonight was the forced removal of Jewish graves from the Gaza Strip and the transportation of the corpses for reburial in other parts of Israel.
* Whereas Gaza was placed under a state of emergency as its 8,000 residents were evacuated, now New Orleans has been given orders for a mandatory evacuation of nearly 500,000 people.
* Whereas many Israeli Jews from Gaza are in temporary refugee camps and tent cities, there is talk of up to one million refugees needing to be settled in temporary camps in the Louisiana and Mississippi area.
It seems that the US and Israel are joined together this week by some measure of tragedy. We grieve for this, and especially for the apparent links between these two events.
Pray for America’s leadership, that their spiritual eyes and ears may be attentive to the God of Israel who stirs up the waves so that they roar. Let us not shut our ears if He is speaking. And let us handle with respect the people whom He has chosen as the apple of His eye.
August 31st, 2005 at 9:25 pmTo 203:
Although your opinion is noted and appreciated, I stand by mine.
August 31st, 2005 at 9:50 pm#170 witcheswood — when I recently saw that movie again, I saw it was very prescient – it blew me away.
August 31st, 2005 at 10:16 pm#171 andrew — very well said.
to 205: NO YOU MORONS–THAT’S NOT GOD SPEAKING–IT’S RUPERT MURDOCH! Don’t you think considering ANY people to be”the apple of God’s eye” is a formula for disaster all by itself? Apparently not. But it is!
August 31st, 2005 at 10:28 pmto 204….sounds a litle self rightious….sorry ..are we not all gods children?……equal?..
August 31st, 2005 at 11:34 pmlittle not litle
August 31st, 2005 at 11:35 pmWhile I respect the urge to comprehend and find some reasons for tragedy, I think that invoking god is a major way we get distance from facing the ‘what is.’ Life is hard, and if people have something that helps them get through the night that is a good thing. But I have seen how bringing god into the picture is a great way to not take responsibility for the human-caused problems..Theorizing big picture concepts can be a very effective way to get emotional distance from the void and pain, and sometimes that is a good thing. But too much reliance on that way of being in the world just adds to the everyday disconnection from ourselves and others- a disconnection from life and the inescapeable web of interdepence with all living beings, including the earth.
I agree- what do we do? everyone, right where we are in our daily life can make a difference just by really seeing another human and making contact. the myth of self-reliance and isolation is destructive and, with disconnection and staying in our heads is at the root
of the harm we cause in the world.
I hate it that my body is not capable of going to the areas and helping with those very basic needs for cleanup. Contributing money doesn’t feel like enough. So, I am refocusing on the many ways I can reach out and create connections in my daily life. People need the strength and healing that comes when we forge stronger connections and community.
I am also planning a series of benefit concerts in Atlanta, with musicians who play music from and by musicians from New Orleans. The raw, exuberant sounds that came out of NOLA in the early 1900’s is a testament to the power of the human spirit. These musicians cam from brutal existences, suffering poverty and the killing effects of racism. Yet, somehow, they found the courage and strength to give others their gifts- a music that is a beacon in the darkness, a carthartic expression of the pain of loss and bad treatment, the exuberance that still somehow bubbles up and flows over despite tragedy, the awesome sound created when musicians took risks, played with others. I need to celebrate that spirit and celebrate the immeasurable ways that New Orleans musicians and music has kept me going sometimes.
I am amazed and awed by the tremdous efforts of so many, and cannot begin to comprehend the complexity of the rescue and clean up efforts. I can feel deep gratitude for these people and at the same time engage in critical thinking about the administration (Bush’) response. This president and his advisors are masters at putting out messages that make people shut up. It is a huge reason for the distressing silnece of democrats in the congress. The current message (something very similar has been drilled into us about iraq) is this:
“This is a time for unity and a united front. Criticism at this time is _________ (fill in the blank- unpatriotic, disloyal, obstructionist, etc.)
This incredibly anti-intellectual message is a crude, but apparently very effective tool to control actions and silence even the most thoughtful, nonthreatening words of questioning and disagreement. It also results in a false unity, with fault lines. In a true democracy constant dialogue with other leaders and the people who have dissenting perspectives is essential to a vital,responsive government.
And the idea that debate about how the president has behaved and expressing concerns about his ability to think and act quickly and decisively in ANY WAY takes away from feelings of appreciation for those involved in the massive efforts is insulting to the intelligence.
jkn
September 1st, 2005 at 2:34 am[...] Update 2: From The Houston Chronicle via : ThinkProgress [In early 2001] the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country. The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City. [...]
September 1st, 2005 at 6:30 amAndrew writes: “If as a nation we are going to recover our heritage,and our self respect, people need to get off their butts, get organized, cleanse the majority of the members of Congress and then IMPEACH BUSH!!!”
Without an effective method, we are going nowhere with the intention of cleansing the government of the corrupt interests that have bought it up to dismantle democracy for no other reason than to maximize their own profits.
It is all well and good to tell people to “get off their butts” –that in fact is a valid point. However, what methods remain to ethical progressives for countering
September 1st, 2005 at 8:31 amthe methods of the immoral people they need to dislodge from positions of power? How to organize and be heard effectively is the major problem
for ethical progressives , for whom an effective plan to return the government to the people remains to be defined. One idea is to form a third party–Perhaps called the “Labor Party” and figure out a means to be heard by all voters.
To “organize” effectively (what does effective organization of popular opinion mean, and practically require?) in order to impeach Bush and remove the grasp of the military industrial complex and other insidious influences from our government), perhaps the Bush people know something we don’t know about gaining power and influence: The question is, can (should, is it requisite to recapturing the country of unmanipulated economy and civil justice) that progressives in the United States adopt some of the criminal, illegal, and borderline-illegal Bush office-capturing ruses, spin methods, and quid pro quo horsetrading in Congress?
Besides suppressing the vote, jamming phone lines,methodically smearing even political opponents who served their country bravely iin the military, instituting criminal methods of misreporting Kerry votes as Bush votes, forming and utilizing media monopolies owned by corporations that profit from war and a deviant form of “laissez-faire” such as the Carlyle Group and G.E., sending a free video to at least 300,000 churches. depicting Mr. Bush as a Christ-like figure, and putting forth the red-herring so-called “cultural issues” that brought Bush-voters to the polls in droves to vote against their own interests— (”pro-life” and voting to save heterosexual marriage from homosexual unions), and the like—- Let’s hear some ideas.
You’d have to use methods that rendered these corporations ineffective.
September 1st, 2005 at 8:39 amAddressing the complaint that knocking Bush has nothing to do with Katrina:
September 1st, 2005 at 9:26 amEven if global warming were shown not responsible for the intensity of Katrina, (and Congress has enacted no bill to reduce emissions contributing to global warming even as a precautionary measure), it is indisputable that funds diverted into the pockets of Bush’s corporate campaign contributors and war profiteers who advanced (but are not paying for) this illegal and immoral war on a country that did not attack us, has diverted money critical to public works projects, such as that which would have saved scores of lives lost to Katrina, where it has been for at least a decade known that money was needed to shore the levees and obstruct the channel that conducted the deadly waters into highly populated areas in Louisiana.
I am speechless.
September 1st, 2005 at 10:23 amI think the answer is simply the truth. Remember when Poindexter and the pentagon tried to install Big Brother? As soon as it was aired to the public, it disappeared from view, just like Rummy’s Office of Special Planning.
September 1st, 2005 at 12:04 pmThere are probably a hundred insidious little deals that haven’t been exposed but would wilt under any scrutiny whatsoever. Any investigation of the people now in charge of our air and water quality and our environment and our national parks and forests would make the agenda clear and make Americans shudder. Before we can get off our butts we need to pull our heads out of the sand and open our eyes. Democrats need to shout the truth loudly so that it can be heard above the din of propaganda. They need to pull on every little thread they find. We need to turn on all the lights now because it has been shown to work. They will run like cockroaches from the light and then we don’t have to worry about fumigating, just leave the lights on.
I disagree ssg, Bush needs to take responsibility for lack of leadership during a time of criss. At a minimum instead of a 5 minute bullshit press conference he should have addresed the nation during primetime and at least showed some true compassion to the hurt and pain that the victims of Hurricane Katrina are feeling.
If I had the resources I would rent a helicopter with a loudspeaker and let the people who have been stranded on the freeway for 5 days with no food or water that the have not been forgotten.
If this is the best we can do as a nation in a major disaster….God Bless Us.
September 1st, 2005 at 12:24 pmWhy weren’t ships sent right away? Why weren’t trucks full of food and water already waiting in the northern parts of the effected states? Why didn’t they send buses to get people out days before it happened? We all knew it was coming. I just don’t get it. I heard on the news that “more National Guard will be sent to help with search and rescue as early as this weekend”
September 1st, 2005 at 1:18 pmEARLY!!!!!! I couldn’t believe my ears! Why aren’t they there now? Somebody please tell me how we didn’t get things moving days before Katrina hit. And isn’t it eerie that Bush said we couldn’t have seen this coming? I could hear Condi Rice saying ” We couldn’t have anticipated planes flying into buildings”. Gave me the creeps. There is absolutely no point in asking those people to do anything in August no matter how many lives may be lost.
This is pathetic. As usual liberals let their emotions rule their politics. Your logic doesn’t even make sense. Hurricane Katrina devastates the gulf coast and this is somehow related to George Bush?! Oh and of course the barbaric display in the Supderdome is his fault as well, I guess if he were to drop everything and personally show up this would all change? This post is absolutely absurd. Not only is it impossible for him to predict the future and know that this would be an unprecedented crisis (no one was whining to have him visit when Florida got pummeled last year), but even if he could, what difference would him being there -REALLY- make? It would be completely illogical.
September 1st, 2005 at 1:51 pmGod I’m -SO- sick of hearing you liberals whine, shoving your bleeding hearts in everyone’s face and complaining about things the way they are, yet rarely offering any suitable alternatives. Go ahead and call me a little fascist and tell me how I’m buying the lie, I don’t care anymore. The loony left’s sensational clutches on America has been fading for years, pretty soon no one’s going to be listening to a word you say.
I really don’t think it’s necessary to call me pathetic or loony although at times I’m sure I am both. I am emotional because I care.You certainly have a right to disagree with me but I never suggested bush was able to predict the future nor did I say he caused the hurricane. The meteorologists predicted the hurricane and we all watched it slowly aim at New Orleans. Bush could have reacted faster and done more to fund the projects recommended by the Army Corp of Engineers. Americans will now help each other pick up the pieces because that’s what we do. I respect your support for our president,Koyaanisquatsi, and I hope you respect my right to oppose his policies and refuse to believe his lies. And I think there’s one thing you and I can agree on: All of us who can sit here in the comfort of our homes spouting our opinions freely,
September 1st, 2005 at 2:20 pmshould thank God.
220: I think you are missing the point. Although you may feel that my assertions or the assertions of others who have posted to this article may not be readily understood by you, I assure you that it is not a collection of nonsensical or “bleeding heart [ed]” gripes.
Please be more specific about your accusations and we will do our best to address them one by one.
My overall response to your post is this:
As this post started on August 30, and it is now September 1, even you must have an inkling of the complete absence of a dignified or tangible federal response. I cannot speak for others who have shared their opinion on this post; however, I found it as reprehensible as i did it horribly predictable.
In the future, please lessen your generalizations and slander as I, like you, am an individual. Further, please bring more examples to the table should you wish to debate. It is helpful in creating a discourse rather than a fight.
Thanks!
September 1st, 2005 at 2:30 pm#220 Maybe when you realize that it’s the FACTS that come out that drive our emotions to REACT to Bush’s ineptness, you’ll understand why liberals care about their fellow Americans. See facts below of why Bush is partially to blame for this catastrophe:
Money To Repair Breached Levees Was Diverted to Iraq War
“It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us. — Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004.
In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for levees around Lake Pontchartrain. Those levees are now breached, and the city of New Orleans is inundated.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9148526/site/newsweek/page/2/
Hurricane Politics
As Katrina forced President Bush to cut short his vacation, the White House is facing a perfect storm of trouble at home and abroad.
Then there’s the speed of the Bush administration’s response to such disasters. Just one week ago the White House declared that a major disaster existed in Louisiana, specifically most of the areas (such as Jefferson Parish) that are now under water. Was the White House psychic about the disaster ahead? Not exactly. In fact the major disaster referred to Tropical Storm Cindy, which struck the state a full seven weeks earlier. That announcement triggered federal aid for the stricken areas, where the clean-up had been on hold for almost two months while the White House chewed things over.
Now, faced with a far bigger and deadlier disaster, the Bush administration faces at least two difficult questions: Was it ready to deal with the long-predicted flooding of New Orleans? And is it ready to deal with the long-predicted terrorist attack that might some day strike another of our big cities?
Is Bush Feeling Anti-War Heat?
As negative public sentiment grows about the war in Iraq, President Bush is working harder to convince Americans to stay the course.
More…
• Crawford’s Hot, Heated Summer
The White House promised that President Bush’s Texas vacation would be busy. But they might have wished for a little less activity around the ranch.
• What Happened to Fiscal Discipline?
September 1st, 2005 at 2:46 pmWhatever happened to the presidential promise to impose stricter spending limits? Plus, critters in Crawford.
AlwaysHope, my post was not in reference to you. It was in reference to the article itself – sorry I should have specified.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:28 pmRe: 220 here’s a story to answer your question as to whether it might make a difference if Bush showed up personally. It concerns another George W.:
September 1st, 2005 at 3:40 pmIn 1794, the Whiskey Rebellion was threatening to break apart the nation. The government had imposed a tax on whiskey and it had to be enforced, but the people in western pennsylvania had tarred and feathered a revenue agent, burned down the home of another and the violence was escalating and spreading.
George Washington decided he had to send an army to establish order. He gathered 12,000 troops and at age 62 and with a bad back he set out. When word got out that Washington himself was leading the army, support for the rebels dried up and they disbanded. After two weeks with the army and finding no rebels, washington returned to the capital. The army went forward and did arrest 20 men, two of whom were convicted, and Washington promptly pardoned both.
Did it make a difference that he led the army himself?
Well, as history shows, it sure didn’t hurt.
And it wouldn’t have hurt W to take on Katrina directly. To cancel his plans to learn to play guitar and go to Louisiana to lead the efforts of the national guard to rescue those who had no means of escape. I’m sure some of his friends could have provided him with a swift boat. What a photo-op that would be! W on a swift boat rescuing African Americans! He could live off that for the rest of his political life. Instead he calls for people who have no way to hear him, to be patient. It is after all “hard work”.
Now get off your butts, quit blaming any one person or political party, and go volunteer at your local churches, Salvation Army or Red Cross. We are Americans and this has been a disaster waiting to happen for 70 years. Get busy helping, send money and volunteer.
New Orleans Facing Environmental Disaster
By MATT CRENSON
AP National Writer
August 29, 2005
As Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on Monday, experts said it could turn one of America’s most charming cities into a vast cesspool tainted with toxic chemicals, human waste and even coffins released by floodwaters from the city’s legendary cemeteries.
Experts have warned for years that the levees and pumps that usually keep New Orleans dry have no chance against a direct hit by a Category 5 storm.
That’s exactly what Katrina was as it churned toward the city. With top winds of 160 mph and the power to lift sea level by as much as 28 feet above normal, the storm threatened an environmental disaster of biblical proportions, one that could leave more than 1 million people homeless.
“All indications are that this is absolutely worst-case scenario,” Ivor van Heerden, deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center, said Sunday afternoon.
The center’s latest computer simulations indicate that by Tuesday, vast swaths of New Orleans could be under water up to 30 feet deep. In the French Quarter, the water could reach 20 feet, easily submerging the district’s iconic cast-iron balconies and bars.
Estimates predict that 60 percent to 80 percent of the city’s houses will be destroyed by wind. With the flood damage, most of the people who live in and around New Orleans could be homeless.
“We’re talking about in essence having _ in the continental United States _ having a refugee camp of a million people,” van Heerden said.
Aside from Hurricane Andrew, which struck Miami in 1992, forecasters have no experience with Category 5 hurricanes hitting densely populated areas.
“Hurricanes rarely sustain such extreme winds for much time. However we see no obvious large-scale effects to cause a substantial weakening the system and it is expected that the hurricane will be of Category 4 or 5 intensity when it reaches the coast,” National Hurricane Center meteorologist Richard Pasch said.
As they raced to put meteorological instruments in Katrina’s path Sunday, wind engineers had little idea what their equipment would record.
“We haven’t seen something this big since we started the program,” said Kurt Gurley, a University of Florida engineering professor. He works for the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program, which is in its seventh year of making detailed measurements of hurricane wind conditions using a set of mobile weather stations.
Experts have warned about New Orleans’ vulnerability for years, chiefly because Louisiana has lost more than a million acres of coastal wetlands in the past seven decades. The vast patchwork of swamps and bayous south of the city serves as a buffer, partially absorbing the surge of water that a hurricane pushes ashore.
Experts have also warned that the ring of high levees around New Orleans, designed to protect the city from floodwaters coming down the Mississippi, will only make things worse in a powerful hurricane. Katrina is expected to push a 28-foot storm surge against the levees. Even if they hold, water will pour over their tops and begin filling the city as if it were a sinking canoe.
After the storm passes, the water will have nowhere to go.
In a few days, van Heerden predicts, emergency management officials are going to be wondering how to handle a giant stagnant pond contaminated with building debris, coffins, sewage and other hazardous materials.
“We’re talking about an incredible environmental disaster,” van Heerden said.
He puts much of the blame for New Orleans’ dire situation on the very levee system that is designed to protect southern Louisiana from Mississippi River floods.
Before the levees were built, the river would top its banks during floods and wash through a maze of bayous and swamps, dropping fine-grained silt that nourished plants and kept the land just above sea level.
The levees “have literally starved our wetlands to death” by directing all of that precious silt out into the Gulf of Mexico, van Heerden said.
It has been 40 years since New Orleans faced a hurricane even comparable to Katrina. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy, a Category 3 storm, submerged some parts of the city to a depth of seven feet.
Since then, the Big Easy has had nothing but near misses. In 1998, Hurricane Georges headed straight for New Orleans, then swerved at the last minute to strike Mississippi and Alabama. Hurricane Lili blew herself out at the mouth of the Mississippi in 2002. And last year’s Hurricane Ivan obligingly curved to the east as it came ashore, barely grazing a grateful city.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:46 pmRE: 224
September 1st, 2005 at 3:51 pmYou mean I’m arguing with you for no apparent reason?
I AM pathetic!
RE: 226 Have you got any truth that doesn’t huurt?
September 1st, 2005 at 4:03 pmRE:225 Can you imagine how much rescue and help has to stop if and when the President goes to that area? It is best if he stays away. He is doing what he needs to. Staying away and designating. He can go when everyone is out. And by the way, he still runs the country from Crawford!!! He does not have to be in DC. He did declare New orleans and the Gulf Coast a disaster area before Katrina hit. Pray for him. he has a hard job. He is criticized whatever he does.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:07 pm“get off your butt” sounds like “just do it” like “just say no.” sometimes it can be that simple- i don’t really need to waste time thinking about all the daily life chores and routines i need to do.
in life’s more demanding situations i do not find simplistic exhortations motivating. actually, i resent them, it brings out my rebellious side.
yes, it is imperative for anyone who cares about the incredible suffering and disenfranchisement of marginalized people, the reckless disregard for human life and the destruction and wastefulness of all kinds of resources, to find ways to make a difference. A tremendous frustration exists for so many who want to do something but have no clear sense of direction. so many give into this frustration and give into the luxury of despair. any form of right/wrong, black/white, self-help style of social/political answers may temporarily give a sense of reassurance, but are empty in the long run.
our western sense of entitlement leads us to expect easy answers, and we are in a serious anti-intellectual period that confronts expression of critical thinking with ridicule. and, if we let this defeat us, or we resort to the same judgemental and/or simplistic tactics, we are complicit with a corrupt, bankrupt and life-killing system.
We have to persist in searching for workable solutions. and they will only be workable if we persist together and learn to open our ears to divergent perspectives, regardless of being on the right or left.
it is and has always been critical for people who want a more humane world to organize and strategize. a true democracy where all people have access to the basic freedoms proclaimed in our declaration of independence reuqires much greater commitment, education and involvement than i think the vast majority of us understand. it also requires an ability to have real dialogue, not this gratuitous name-calling and verbal bullying that passes for debate and to which we have become more and more tolerant of, to the point where we let ourselves be violated and stand by while others are savaged. this increased acceptance of a loss of dignity and respect contributes to a diminishing appreciation of the worth of human beings. we become complacent about the many ways we allow ourselves to be violated, and the thoughtless and intentional ways we violate others, justifying it in twisted and various ways.
then, we are ripe to be violated by employers, the government, abusive relationships. we lose our sense of outrage and become numb.
when tragedy strikes, when we realize that any one of us are vulnerable to events out of our control that can cause us to experience loss and suffering, we wake up, and say, ‘how did this happen?’
it has happened over and over, for a very long time, and will continue to happen until massive numbers of us look at each other and say: “hey, i recognize you- you are human, like me, we share vulnerability that we need not be ashamed of, we can help each other- as a metter of fact, that is the only way we are going to get out of this, is by giving and receiving help.”
this time can be an opportunity for people to start rebuilding in many ways. but if there is going to be real positive change we have to throw out broken and splintered tools, share constructive tools, teach each other skills, learn to say- oops, i screwed up- can you show me how to do this? and we will have to work harder than we ever knew we could. but we have models and teachers who gave their lives and gifts so we caould come as far as we have, and that cannot be taken away from us.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:08 pmit is not enough to work hard. we have to learn how to play together, be gentle and forgiving with ourselves and each other, learn to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves so seriously. learn that we grow when we stretch ourselves and reach beyond our selves. and when we take the risks necessary for growht, it is inevitable we will fail. so what? we get up, help each other up, and start again. learn to recognize and celebrate small victories so we do not get burned out and give up, or become lazy and co-opted by the breathtakingly cynical and arrogant system that is currently in power.
Dear Jack,
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had just a little bit more justice in this world of ours.
CNN is doing wonderful coverage on New Orleans, and your comments are the best of all.
Bush is such a jackass. How dare he even mention Gulf Oil rigs a time when people are suffereing so dreadfully.
Best Wishes,
Nora C. Wertz
September 1st, 2005 at 4:48 pmRE:230 maybe it is “just get Mental help” Good Grief!!!! What did you say??? I’m going to work and pay taxes
September 1st, 2005 at 5:03 pmI love to debate. But i need to ask some questions first.
1. I find it hard to believe that this mysterious 2001 “memo” just showed up when W was elected. When did this study on the worst possible events facing the US begin? Is this report something that is produced for all new Presidents? Could it be a report of things the previous administration failed to take care of before leaving?
2. Does anyone know who is charge of the National Guard for domestic crisis?
3. What year were the current levees upgraded to “withstand a Cat 3 hurricane?”
4. The cuts that were made, were they monies already alotted to New Orleans or for public works in general nation wide.
5. If the authorities had pre-positioned aftermath support and the storm had move further east would they have be lambased for putting them in the wrong place?
I am a citizen of Florida, and i will admit, i did what a lot of people did. I watched the storm grow and prayed it would miss me. When word finally came down, 30 hrs before it hit, that it would “most likley” hit New Orleans, I prayed for people in New Orleans. Yes, deep inside there is a very human part of me that is saying “wow, I glad that isn’t me.” I take no joy or pride in say that, but it is true non-the-less. My point is we are all human. Subject to the same emotions, the same bad decisions, the same sense of survival. It all comes down to what we are able to excuse and what we all able to forgive.
September 1st, 2005 at 7:25 pmP.S. – I will bet there were very few athiests in New Orleans on 29 August 2005.
People are dying 3 full days after the hurricane of insulin shock! I hope hell has a special place for people like George W. Bush!
September 1st, 2005 at 9:33 pmI guess you are a democrat and a liberal
Would you like to blame Bush for the weather
Maybe he should have been in the White house
getting a BJ
You are a typical liberal
September 1st, 2005 at 9:33 pmDoes noone want to have a debate? Is there any one on any side who whats to discuss issues, our are you all here solely to insult one another?
September 1st, 2005 at 9:39 pmI am defending the President
Do you want to debate that
The fact that the president is on vacation
does not require him to be in the WhiteHouse
to fulfil his obligations
If you need a lsit of where Clinton was on each of
his vacations and what was happening elsewhere is also
Public record
I think if you need to attack the President
at least use some valid and pertinent offerings
This is a bad attack
September 1st, 2005 at 9:57 pmIt could have been donne right but liberal bias
again has spoken
Just one added comment
I am a Democrat
I am a moderate also
It is when we get so liberal that we attack for
just the reason of hate that we weaken our party
It is Ok to attack Bush on his policies
He has many that I do not like but just attacking for any reason only cause us harm
That is why he won because we sometimes loose our focus
September 1st, 2005 at 10:08 pmI am just saying I have asked 5 valid questions and it seems no one really knows the answers. Everyone “should” want to know all the facts before they condemn anyone whether they like the person or not. I for one am not defending or attacking anyone at this point. I know what the Liberals say and I know what the Conservatives say. And I know that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle but no one seems to want to get to the truth, just their personal version.
September 1st, 2005 at 10:16 pmThis web site is called Think Progress. As I read the myriad of comments it seems many are not thinking and no progress is being made.
September 1st, 2005 at 10:17 pmOk,
How about this one:
All of you reading this who believe in evolution are WRONG!!! Look at New Orleans. We are devolving!!! Man is becoming more and more like animals every day.
Somebody explain 10 rapes and 5 murders in the Superdome. A Guard member was shot in the leg. On top of that it is now clear some (yes, just a few) who stayed in New Orleans stayed only to loot and pillage.
Who are you going to blame for that. Rember Hilary said it takes a villiage. So all of us are to blame for not sharing love with our children, and teaching them others matter before ourselves. Banter back and forth about “he did this and he didn’t do this.” The fact remains good people are in inhuman conditions and animals are being so inhuman that rescue efforts are slowed by gun weilding thugs.
Stick that in your political pipes and smoke it.
September 1st, 2005 at 10:37 pmYou are on to it you all see, we need my grandmother cause in her day she knew how to get people helping ,with the Salvation Army, she was the top of that org, yet she made pies and in the worst of 1930 her family always feed people, and I know what you are thinking, no my grandmother knew had to help people she helped them her whole life, and she knew how to get people together and get them going, she was with hospitals, on Childerns here in seattle, what I was hoping for today when bush came on and they said that clinton and his dad where going to help, I thought thank god now these men can help, yet the tv didnt even listen to them or hear what to do, whats wrong here is alot, how is it that these reporters on cnn and they are talking about problems that could be solved yet cnn doest do what they should and give information to them , then they could give it to all the support that dosent know what to do, because they say they have no radios, it sounds like we need to get others to do it, is there no one in charge here? Why cant these guys listen to a radio, and then have a post that tells them what to do, to think we are so unprepared, to see whats happening, and the tv just goes on and on, and when you look for news you dont get any real time help, its so wrong, are they all talking heads? they show all these terrible things, why are they doing this wasting time like its a story, they should be using the air waves to give real time information, in real time, to help. and it would, all the same pictures, old ones, when this is now, its sick and it scares me , that we are watching it get worse, knowing that it could but now its so bad ,
September 1st, 2005 at 10:45 pmThese criminals in New Orleans are just making it worse for the thousands who what to get out in peace. Why would or should anyone want to take these people anywhere, you never know what you are getting. Is this guy I aM tring to help going to shoot me for my car. The good are being overlooked because of the bad and the ulgy. They shot a cop in face for Christ’s sake. The police can’t shoot back imagine what the ACLU would say. “Shooting poor victims of the worst natural disaster ever on our shores.” Insanity and anarchy are ruling in New Orleans.
September 1st, 2005 at 11:16 pmtoo bad so much of the natioal guard is in iraq protecting the oil fields instead of here responding to national disater
September 1st, 2005 at 11:32 pm30,000 National Guard on scene and thousands of Active Duty on their way to include 2 Aircraft Carriers and a Hospital ship it’s shabby.
Since no one answered my questions, I guess I will get the facts straight.
1. For what ever reason, in 2000-2001 FEMA wrote a report about what the U.S. could face. Looking at the time line it must have either been at the request of then President Clinton, or someone was tring to tell the “new guy” what to be aware of.
2. During Times of Natural Disasters, the individual states retain control of their guard units. The only time the president has control is when they are called up on active duty.
3. The last Cat 3 Hurricane or higher in or near New Orleans was in 1992, a little guy named Andrew. However, the levee system was built in response to Hurricane Camille in 1969. Since that time, no less than three cat 3 or higher hit in or near New Orleans. These are FiFi ‘74, Elena ‘85, and Andrew ‘92. 12 Tropical Storms, 2 Cat1’s, and 1 Cat2 also all hit in or near New Orleans.
4. The monies in question were apportioned the the Army Corps of Engineers specifically for the New Orleans Levee system. Prior to 2004 over half of the funds had been spent on the levee system. In 2004 Bush diverted funds from the national budget for Iraq AND Homeland Security, included were the remaining 250 million dollars in the New Orleans project.
5. Yes, if the storm had moved somewhere else supplies pre-positioned in Louisana would have envoked the same wrath we see now.
OK, let us think on our own. No, vomitting of celeb opinions.
1. The U.S. has known that a hurricane in New Orleans would be a problem since at least 1969, a terrorist attack had already happened in 1996, and who doesn’t know San Fransico has earthquakes? This just means that several presidents had this information and did little or nothing to find ways to fix these “possibilites.” Sighting a report in 2001 could also mean FEMA was letting Bush know what previous adminsitrations failed to address.
2. Pre-positioning of the National Guard was the job of the Govenor of Louisana. That is the Guard Charter. Remember they were there before the storm, while thousands poured into the SuperDome. If they were slow to react it is because of the leadership of the State, not the Nation.
3. Back in 1965 when Hurricane Betsy came through many decided something should be done to protect the city for floods. In ‘69, Camille convinced folks that the protection should be improved to protect from Cat 3 hurricanes. The powers that be had 36 years to fix the levee system or at least up grade the protection to cover Cat 5 hurricanes. this leads to #4.
4. If over half of the funds allocatted to the Army Corps of Engineers had been used before the Bush budget revision. What in the hell did they spend the money onform 1995-2004. Almost one full decade of work and hundreds of millions dollars spent for what?
5. Some blame others because they feel as if their own lives are lacking control. To pin the blame any blame on someone else, makes them feel better.
I support our President because right know dissention is only self-serving. It does not help the situation in New Orleans. Why did he wait to send the Navy in? Because he was doing what a president does when a State has authority. He let them handle it. The second it became clear the state and local leaders could not handle the situation, (no fault is meant to be given, the task is daunting to say the least.)he moved in with the Nations services. Why are the Military keeping the peace? It is illegal for the U.S. Military to enforce laws or apprehend civilians. A little thing called Posse Comitatus act. Congress must grant him the power to lay this aside temporarily. He had to call Congress back from Vacation to get them to release funds for clean-up.
September 2nd, 2005 at 12:29 amBefore the storm he did what he could to help. He declared the area a national disaster area before the storm hit to lessen the amount of time it would take to release funds.
This President, whether you like him or not, has had a tough term in office. To think he did all this to himself knowingly is as stupid as you claim he is. Impeachment is possible, but you have to have criminal charges. I know a lot of think there are, but don’t spout others opinion. Name one documented, proven illegal action. Remember I said proven. Facts not opinion. Impeachment probably won’t happen. In 2008 we will all have a chance to express our feelings. Both of the major parties will have to nominate a new guy. I hope and pray that the American Citizens will have a better choice then just the lesser of two evils.
There now progress has been made. Agree or disagree as you will, but please be civil. Personal attacks don’t solve anything. let us talk to each other as if we care about on another. After all, I may be your neighbor and you may need me some day.
Where were all the helpful, compassionate southern Bible belted spiritual Christians & Jews & Muslims opening their religious buildings, homes, etc., BEFORE Hurricane Katrina struck?
Where were all the school buses, city buses (no one was going to school or work, were they?) to take the poor out of the area?
Where were the open arms of all the religious communities and their churches and synagogues and mosques and temples for these poor people?
“Blessed Are The Poor.”
September 2nd, 2005 at 1:02 amSomes churches have answered this call, though I will admit not nearly enough. I can’t answer about the synagogues. As for mosques only muslims can enter those.
September 2nd, 2005 at 1:15 amI can not belive how this turnig in to a blaming game rather than focusing on the poor victum who are in a horrible waiting game. The cause of the tradgy – a kat 4 storm that even if bush gave more leeve funding, there would have been the same damage. To show the true power of Katrine, the only thing left of the causeway across the lake was the bridge supports, road sections were riped of like sheets of paper. That just shows the power of water and 170 mph winds combined. Least we pour a 30 ft tall concrete wall around the whole city, I slow-moving strong hurrican would have and did flood the city.
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:01 amI really wonder what the diehard “Re-dumblicans” think of their President “Rove/Bush”. Let’s be real here people, Rove is the puppetmaster that’s pulling that babbling bastard Bush’s strings. I hope the “Re-dumblicans” that put them into office are happy. ROVE/BUSH HAS SET THIS COUNTRY BACK 20 YEARS ALMOST OVERNIGHT!!
September 2nd, 2005 at 8:23 amanyone have a link to the 2001 FEMA report mentioned at top of page?
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:10 amOkay, Bush said himself that the response was inadequate. And let’s face it, we have all seen the faces and the color of those faces. This is about race and poverty and prejudice and callousness. We have to face that fact, admit it is unacceptable and outline the measures that will be taken. Already, people like Mike Brown (dir. of FEMA) are saying “Those who are stranded CHOSE not to evacuate.” They are beginning to blame the victims in order to save their asses. This can’t be allowed. Our country and our president screwed up. Okay, that’s a fact. Now, we need to take a hard look at all those faces, accept the blame for the deaths of babies and the elderly and vow to never ever let this happen again. We screwed up, we didn’t take care of the most vulnerable and we should be ashamed. No excuses. We should now debate very seriously just how prepared we must be and what steps will get us there. Homeland Security has failed us because it, like everything else in this administration, is underfunded and managed by unqualified partisan hacks. NO DAMN EXCUSES! Let’s just face reality, roll up our sleeves and fix this crap. We should all be outraged that we have seen TV reporters and celebrities at the Convention Center talking to people who have been without water for 4 or 5 days. They can get there but the Guard can’t? It is maddening. Here’s a new catch phrase for Bush: “I see dead people”.
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:13 pmHere is an excerpt on whether New Orleans should be rebuilt which is NOT taken out of context from another “Re-dumblican”. House Speaker Dennis Hastert stated in the Chicago Daily Herald on Thursday:
“It doesn’t make sense to me,” “And it’s a question that certainly we should ask.”
The Illinois Republican’s comments drew an immediate rebuke from Louisiana officials.
“That’s like saying we should shut down Los Angeles because it’s built in an earthquake zone,†former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., said. “Or like saying that after the Great Chicago fire of 1871, the U.S. government should have just abandoned the city.â€
Hastert said that he supports an emergency bailout, but raised questions about a long-term rebuilding effort. As the most powerful voice in the Republican-controlled House, Hastert is in a position to block any legislation that he opposes.
“We help replace, we help relieve disaster,” Hastert said. “But I think federal insurance and everything that goes along with it… we ought to take a second look at that.”
Hastert, the same man who made this statement in his acceptance speech as House Speaker in January 1999,
“Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. They can be found in an environment in which we trust one another’s word; where we generate heat and passion, but where we recognize that each member is equally important to our overall mission of improving the life of the American people.”
The statement above can be found here:
http://www.house.gov/hastert/bio.shtml
He wants to give minimum relief aid to our own American People and then cut-and-run, not rebuild. How is that improving the life of the American People?
Imagine if the Hurricane Katrina tragedy happend to YOUR State, YOUR Town, YOUR Family!!
Close your eyes for a minute
Imagine if we had HIM for a President….
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:28 pmThis whole thing is maddening, we act like the disaster site is Africa. “Oh well, a bunch of black people are homeless.” I am ashamed to call this America for the first time in my life, well for the last almost 6 years anyway. There is no excuse, my dog would have had a better response time than this, and you could understand him better too. Shame on this country for being so nieve, and same on us for letting them be. I am a white woman planning to run for the senate someday and God help me if I ever could let this happen, this is AMERICA.
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:38 pmHere is a challenge to all of you that are unhappy that Bush kept to his routine – why don’t you stop what you are doing and come down here to Houston to help us with all of these poor people. Yeah, you,if you feel so bad for them, disrupt your life and come help. Don’t just ship off some food and clothes – get off your butt and come down here and help.
It is going to be Texas schools, facilities, taxes, law enforement, etc. that will helping these poor people while you sit back and bitch about Bush.
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:38 pmIt is very interesting that on Monday, August 29, the same day that Katrina hit, the new poverty report and the SAT scores came out. Despite economic growth last year, 1.1 million more Americans slipped into poverty in 2004; household incomes stagnated and earnings fell and it is the first time on record that household incomes failed to increase for five straight years. SAT scores continue to indicate great disparity between white students and black and Hispanic students. Both reports indicate systemic problems made worse by ineffectual policies and inadequate funding. Also on that day, New Orleans, a city with a 25% poverty rate, was decimated by Nature and, again, Washington’s failure to heed Lousiana’s urgent warning about the need for better hurricane protection exacerbated the situation and its unimaginable aftermath.
The current administration has sent out constant messages, with words and actions, that encourage a deepening alienation and negative attitudes about marginalized groups. This systemic cultivation of fear of difference all of us. This President has shown disregard and disdain for human life and liberty in domestic and foreign policy, and has been shockingly irresponsible in financial management. This most recent tragedy has been and will continue to be worsened by the Federal Government’s actions and its inaction in effectively addressing major social and economic problems, letting them worsen and become entrenched. Maybe, as the complacent and the ‘i got mine’ attitude of many in the middle class will be shaken as they see people across class lines, some who are experiencing true hunger and despair for the first time in their lives,this will be a wake up call that it is time for each of us to become more involved and educated about decisions that affect quality of life. Policies that hurt people need to be questioned before decisions are made that will just continue the sort of arrogance and willingness to see people as expendable mindset into the future.
I do not know where bush thinks ‘all the money it takes’ is going to come from considering the reckless, seemingly unending flow of money to iraq. other ways the iraq issue directly affects this situation is:
40% of the national guards equipment is in iraq.
there may be enough ng in the country, but one reason the response is so slow is the distance they have to travel.
what if, anytime in the foreseeable future, we have another 9/11? will bush still say we have enough?
September 2nd, 2005 at 3:50 pmGreat point by Nola, Let face it, even if Bush would have done anything about that report everybody refers to, 9/11 struck and people would have thought it stupid to move recources from terrism to flood control. Bush is in a cituation where he is damed if he does and damed if he doesnt. The porblem wil the city was a problem that should have been dealted with 10 to 20 years ago. Not likely much could have been done last 3 years. The resuse cituation, half million poeple evacuated on sun/mon and had to be dealed with, Levees broke mid day tues. That would have real smart to have resoures in the wake of the floodind as many on you think. Then 30,000 showed up at the super dome along with poeple everywhere in roofs. Then along about tues wed poeple showed up at the convention center. Get the point half a mil poeple had to be tended to and in order to do so it taked time (days to get nation guard troops hellicopers plane fuel man power medical to the cite. Considering that they really conldnt eneter the city till late tues wed, taking two days to get all that operation going is pretty good. After all we cant teleport poeple and supplied instantaniously
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:00 pmYou said quite a bit
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:02 pmand than again said nothing.
Congratulations.
By the way lets just keep playing the what if game. How studid, what if nucelar bomb hit what if 9. earth quake hit LA. Lets just deal with the current cituation. Quit making assumtions, I doubt any of you have insidr knowage on there inside or currrent working conditions on military. Lets face it your just getting your info from Wolf Blizer. I dont think he is a milliary expert by any means.
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:09 pmWhat new things have you liberals come up with beside blaming Bush for everything, I simply said it takes days to get materials from one side of the county to the other, Please explain how you could have gotten it to gather sooner. Come on, Getting togather a network to take care half a million poeple in any less that two or three days given all this mess, give me a break.
September 2nd, 2005 at 4:19 pmVACATION ACCOMPLISHED!!!
September 2nd, 2005 at 5:03 pmFinally!!! Bush’s bunch is responding to the horror of New Orleans and the surrounding area. How many people have died in the time it took for this administration to get their act together. Unbelievable! It terrifies me that these are the people responsible for running this country. 2008 can’t come soon enough—We’ve got to sweep these people out of office and find someone who actually has a clue!
September 2nd, 2005 at 5:41 pmAre the Americans who voted Bush into office starting to realize yet what a horrible mistake they have made. He has made it quite clear to anyone who cares to acknowledge it that his actions are not in the best interests of the country that he supposeedly leads. His response time to Katrina is nothing less than deplorable. I love my country but at this point I truly, for the first time in my life am in fear of our government. George W. Bush is out of control. I have never wished time away but I for one cannot wait until that man is out of office. I am 48 years old and never in my history have I ever had such negative feelings about our countries President. All I can say is God Bless and Help the victims of Katrina, because the U.S. government seems to be happy to stand by while more people perish.
September 2nd, 2005 at 6:20 pmI voted for Bush I dont admit to making a mistake. Why in the hell does the reponsibliy not lie with the black mayor in a excaution plan for a city that lies below sea level. I my opintion the manditory evacuation was issue way to late and there was no evacuation plan for the inner city or an inadaquate one. After all it is up to the city and the state to come up with such a plan. Also, i dont think that people relize the amout of a support system that is required to take care of 500000 evacuees and the distants the materials come for and the time it taked to get here. All this considering that we really didnt have much of evaulation of the cituation until mid day tues when levee broke. My Question to everyone is how what you would have done. different considering the time it takes to get everything togather. And how much of the blame lies on the mayor.
September 2nd, 2005 at 6:43 pmOk, it turns out these levee’s were built to protect from a Cat 3 Hurricane. Turns out they withstood the wind fury of a Cat 4. Wait…what then caused the flood? I am glad you asked. It seems the only mistake the brilliant engineers made was they didn’t make them high enough. What do you mean? Well, the only thing that wasn’t as expected was the amount of water a.k.a. rain, the storm dumped on the city due to it’s slow forward speed. As memory serves, the storm hit monday morning, and passed with in twenty four hours. The levees didn’t brake until Tuesday afternoon. See the higher levels of water began to pour over the levee in five places not the the whole system. This disproportionate amount of square footage was not able to hold the pressure of so much water. Remember 1 cubic foot of water weighs approx.64 lbs. So the levee gave way in these five relatively small places (small when compaired to the whole length of the system overall.) The water began to over top the levee late Monday, early Tuesday. It continued to hold for hours of constant pressure until the amount was too great. Interesting fact some who left for the storm where able to make it back to the city before the levees broke.
Now does anyone know why the Mayor of New Orleans made sneaky deals to spirit famous people caught in the flood out.
I surmise that the local and state assets were being misused by scared politicians who knew they could pull the race card and blame the feds in the end and no one would be the wiser. A group of tourist stuck in the city who payed 25,000 dollars to hire buses, had the buses comendered by the New Orleans police at gun point to get special families out of the city.
The Mayor has to get on the radio and swear because he knows his argument is untenible. But if he makes it emotional enough people will buy his tripe. Some of his own police were caught on tape looting stores. The fact remains initial responsibility for disaster relief is on the shoulders of local authorities. During Ivan evacuations, the President did not tell me when to leave and when to come back. The local authorites did. The local authorities made sure looting was kept to a minimum. If the crisis is too much for the local authorities then FEMA reps make the call to the Federal Government. This is what happened here. Once the call was made, support and relief was on the way. We have not perfected teleportation as of yet, so it took a while to get it to the people who need it. But it came and the situation while far from perfect is become more tenible (I like that word)by the hour.
To answer the question asked about what Bush has ever done for me. Well, I am an E-5 in the U.S. Air Force. I have 5 kids and we are a single income family. Last year I made 28,000 dollars and mantained a private home. Bush has increased military pay to get a lot of us over the poverity level that Clinton kept us under and believe it or not Bush’s tax cuts help this low income family. I was transfered to Florida a year ago. Before that I was stationed in New Mexico. My income was so low that I qualified for free lunches. Point is my life has become eaiser with Bush in office. Why do I like him? In eight years do know how my salutes Clinton returned to his military guards on Marine 3 (the cool helicopter that picks him up) None zero zilch. He had no respect for the Military. Bush always salutes, once he was saluted but had his dog in his hands. After putting his frisky dog on the helicopter, he step out to return a salute to an amazed marine. In my job I am often called on to provide protection for the President. The Clinton’s resented us and made it clear to the Secret Service that they didn’t want to see us at all. I spent the 4th of July 2002 in Kennibunkport for a Bush Family Reunion. The President, his wife and his parents brought us barbeque while we stood post. I respect him because he respects me. I have been to Iraq and I will go again when sent. I have seen the faces of the people who want us there and returned fire on those who don’t. It is right for us to be there because of the torment Saddam unleashed on the citizens of Iraq. The insurgents are not Iraqis, they are foreign fighters who know if we are successful their Jihad will suffer a crushing defeat and it will be harder for them to keep themselves safe and get rational Muslims to buy their lies. Kind of like most of you. IF the truth is offered fairly (calling a spade a spade is important, but getting facts striaght is more important.) less Americans will buy your rough, dividing lies. Think Progress, starts with think, maybe some of you should do more of that and less vomitting of Al and Micheal’s opinion. Remember they are rich and they don’t care about you as much as you think. They care about ratings and profits. It is a lot harder to be President than a lousy comedian or a second rate movie maker.
September 2nd, 2005 at 8:51 pmThis is similar to the gerrymandering that happened during power shortage (extortion) in California. All left coasters were left without power! Coincidence? No frigging way! “Operation Ignore” the problem and then blame the Dem. Mayor of N.O. & Dem. Govenor in LA. These bastards are ruthless. Most of the press kiss Bush’s ass while this country has been robbed for the last 5 years.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:20 pmHomeland security is a total joke. I cry when I see the poor people of New Orleans suffer because we have a moron in the Whitehouse!
I am sick and tired of all the racist and anti-government rhetoric many of you liberals are spouting these days, including all the reporters I’ve seen on NBC. Do you actually think even a democratically controlled administration could have delivered relief to such a widespread disaster in any more timely a fashion? The federal government and FEMA respond to requests from state and local officials, who were apparantly too overwhelmed to respond to the tragedy themselves. Just the logistics of delivering supplies to so many places with roads, power, and communications out is mind boggling, and I have nothing but praise for the brave men and women who are responding, as well as those who are coordinating the response. It was also incredibly disheartening to hear the blatently racist comments from the black man on the concert for hurricane relief. That show of bigotry ruined what was a good hearted effort by a lot of other good meaning people. I really wish that all of you whiny, conspiracy-theory libs would take your heads out of your collective asses long enough to realize that no one, NO ONE, is standing by allowing suffering on any level.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:46 pmFine, you run for president and you take all the pressure. You loser, you would buckle and cry for your momma before the end of the first day. It takes more than any of you have to take responsibility for millions. Sorry, the Federal Government did not ignore left coast or New Orleans. As far the California electric problem the President did step in, it was the rest of the country who didn’t care. Remember the Ceral State (The land of fruits, flakes, and nuts) voted to dump your inept Dem Gov.
Lets not blame anyone, lets just help people. or at least pass a 9th grade civics class before you spew bull pooey about something you know nothing about. Learn the the truth instead of spitting bile morons in the glitz of Hollywood give you. Think Progress and quit being a puppet for jacka$$es who make money being jacka$$es. Al and Mike won’t save anyone! They are not messiah’s they are false prophets of lies.
I made my decisions about the levees and the storm and the response by reading much more than this insipid web site. I made my decision on Bush after weighing my life under Bush and my seeming life under Kerry. If you don’t like him vote in 2008 for whom ever you want, fine, that is how it works. You don’t like the electoral college fine get rid of it, but your public works money won’t go to Iraq or public works it will go to a big system to count each and every vote and even then you would gripe. Because you can’t fathom why so many people just don’t agree with you. You blame the Christians for being dumb and coming out in drove to vote. You scream democracy has been desicrated when have NO PROOF of voter fraud, on either side even though the accusations were made. You hate Rove fine hate him. he is not going anywhere. Right or wrong he did nothing illegal. even the guys who wrote the law say so. You hate Bush fine hate Bush I don’t care, but don’t for one second think you are more righteous than anyone else, because like me, you are on your computer when you could be in Louisana helping. As soon as you ressurect and arrest LBJ and his Cronies for the murder of JFK, or hold Louis Farakhan for the murder of Malcolm X, I will follow your paranoid conspiracy theories. Give it up you lost and if Bush has caused “ireperable” damage then why vote for anybody. By definition no one can repair it. Treason, I think not. Your arguement is week. You have listed no PROVABLE evidence just opinion. Can’t find him guilty with out proof. Finally, I am an American and you DO NOT SPEAK FOR ME WHEN YOU ACCUSE PRESIDENT BUSH OF TREASON.
September 2nd, 2005 at 9:59 pmComment #268 was addressed to Comment # 266.
September 2nd, 2005 at 10:01 pmHe’s taken a vacation, just like when 9/11 hit. That’s not exactly a sign of someone who gives a damn.
September 2nd, 2005 at 10:13 pmThe Bush on vaction comment is getting old. It would have been pretty darn stupid for Bush to show up even on thurs when the cituation was not fully stablized and when his presents would hinder rather that help. Besides, what difference does it make if he is there. It is nothing more that a photo op. I would say this no matter who is office. The fact, a plan was layed out on fri when the strom was on the way and lets face it, any president even Bush is a small part of the overall operation, sure he gives approval, but desision are made by experts in the administration as in past presidencies. The executive branch operates just fine regaurdless were the president is. And it is not like he was out of the country, however I do realize many here wished Texas wasnt a part the United States.
September 2nd, 2005 at 10:35 pmGreat question about the Red Cross. Just take a look at how much disaster loot they rake in, it’s all on http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/search.summary/orgid/3277.htm
Their 2004 revenue was $3,065,541,356.00. Their CEO was paid $450,000. They don’t have many fund-raising expenses, being a household name, and being showered with free publicity by Larry King and co. despite all the fuss over their handling of 9/11 donations. I always prefer to give locally. Until today I didn’t see the Red Cross or even the venerated Salvation Army on TV. There was good stuff from local churches, caring individuals, local police and firepeople, medical people, the Guard, etc. I guess the Red Cross is too busy counting the loot rolling in. I was able to find a way to donate the senior jazz men of Preservation Hall, my favorite place in NOLA.
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:26 pmIt’s so sad to see all that is happening in Louisiana and Mississippi and then see the leader of our country, just after touring the devastation, joking around about how he used to have good times in New Orleans…maybe too good of times. It makes me sad for our country that our president is cracking jokes in the same city where he’s supposed to be helping and people are literally dying in the streets.
September 2nd, 2005 at 11:51 pmI know I’m preaching to the choir with many of you, but feel free to pass this along from the dailykos.com.
Just in case you missed the amazing performance of the Republican leadership yesterday…
President George W. Bush said, “I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees.” Well, no one except the entire world and even Mr. Bill.
-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went shoe shopping on Fifth Avenue, but not before she played tennis and yukked it up at Spamalot.
-The Viceroy in charge of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff said “We’re much better prepared than we’ve ever been.” I’m not sure if that was before or after he reminded us that September is National Preparedness Month, so be sure to stock up on duct tape.
-The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Michael D. Brown leapt into action, mustering all the emergency disaster management skills he learned as a lawyer for the International Arabian Horse Association Legal Department (from which he was fired). His money quote: “Paula, the federal government did not even know about the Convention Center people until today.”
-The Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert said, eh, maybe we should just forget all about rebuilding New Orleans. Because it might cost money and stuff.
-The Pentagon, headed by Donald Rumsfeld, reassured America that, yes, the Country music hoedown with Clint Black on September 11th is still on, pard’ner! And maybe we’ll even break the record for the longest line dance.
-The head of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, sent out an email stressing that now—for God’s sake, people—NOW is the time when we must repeal that which is causing our country to go down the tubes: the estate tax.
-And Vice President Dick Cheney was still on vacation.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:02 amTruth Man
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:36 amhave you never laughed to ease your mourning. Congress had to be called back from vacation.
Uber-B!%& Pelosi complained that she didn’t think they would be called back.
The rest of your spew is taken out of context and spun left. All you have done is insult and point a finger but no has even attempted to debate the facts I have presented in this blog.
God told me to school you all in the truth. Truth Man… I think not.
CNN had the best coverage for the last few days. Yesterday it showed food & water delivery to the homeless in parts of Missisippi. CNN interviewed all the drivers and they discovered that they were all private owners who had drven down to the coastal areas with supplies. Most of them were from Florida. These people said they had to help their neighbors as a form of payback for all the help they received last year after 4 hurricanes. It was amazing as no FEMA people were on the job. One good Samaritan drove all the way from Orlando. Homeland Security could not organize a piss up (party) in a brewery!!! And of course nobody will get fired under GW Bush as they are more likely to receive a medal.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:38 amI cant belive i am saying this, but i agree with Truth Man. I think the government (Fema) has single handedly taken over with all the operations in New Orleans. Looking at a map if the city, there is a clear life line throngh the city – the 1-10 raised interstate that is not flooded. There are good non-goverment charities like operation blessing that are iching to get it. Maybe I am being speculative and there are some structual problems on the part of the 1-10 that is not submerged. This is our large inefficent government at work. Not to blame Bush, but lets all face it US federal goverment is ineffecicet no matter who is President.
September 3rd, 2005 at 1:14 amHey listen buckstem # 268 comment. You know nothing about what happened in CA during power extortion 2001.
September 3rd, 2005 at 1:17 amI live here and SDG&E people even admitted to the rip off and 5 more companies incl Enron were also involved. GW the moron got on TV and send it was a supply and demand problem when everybody here on the west coast knew it was all rigged because of deregulaation. During the crisis a lot of people were injured due to outages of traffic lights and businesses went bust due to 200% increases for pwr. CA was robbed of $50 to 60 billion dollars. New pwr contracts are the highest in the USA. This was Operation Ignore and screw the people and blame the Democrats at the helm. It really worked because the frigging press played along. Ken Lay of Enron even picked the FERC Chairman on a PBS documentary. Not one of these deregulation robbers have gone to jail since they are all GW’s best friends. California will never see a refund as the FERC is still working for the Corporations that robbed us.
I love the posts here.
I have learned that liberalism can ve a sickness.
Some people attack with emotion and hate .
Made up facts are used often.
When attacked with the truth only more lies are used.
September 3rd, 2005 at 4:26 amTo David Schlein: Such generalization about an entire group of diverse and mostly indisputable recitation of facts, reflects the mentality of the GOP
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:14 amthat has wormed its way into power through smear campaigns and lies.
Your comments are either more GOP dirt or delusional. There is not
even one constructive measure the GOP has taken for the working citizens of
this country. Not one. The Katrina victims could not afford to leave the flood zone because their jobs were exported out of the country by Mr. Bush’s
campaign contributors…and by some of the Democrat’s campaign contributors. Poor people depend heavily on the manufacturing sector, which Mr. Bush’s friends have largely outsourced. Recite (truthfully) even one constructive measure performed for the poor population of New Orleans: Your party delivered them death, destitution and desolation.
Mr. Schlein: Have you ever served the poor? Or are you one of the people who invests his entire being in lining his own pockets? If the latter, you should take your brain to county mental health, where you can receive the same quality of piss-poor “therapy” that the poor and disabled suffer.
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:20 amThe “Faith-Based-Initiative”offices in every federal department—a thinly-disguised bribery of church groups for votes—- instead of these governmental agencies’ honoring their mandates — explains the refusal of these federal
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:37 amdepartments to honor their mandates: had they done so, there would not be so many people slipping into poverty, having inferior and discriminatory public educatin services, poor medical care, massive job loss to overseas countries, and complete failure of FEMA to do their job. There is a pattern here.
To nwtexan: Bush had ample time before the disaster to appoint competent
people to FEMA and other agencies, instead of party hacks.
He didn’t even act to make sure the party hacks acted fast once he learned
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:44 amcatastrophe was possible…. Either to fund shoring of the levees, or when the hurricane landfall was imminent.
David schlein, then the president is a Liberal?
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:25 pmi am totally new to blogging and reading this blog last two days has been an eye-opener. it reminds a lot of junior high, a few people trying to express some passionate and critical thinking, with more people trying to drown it out with shouting and name calling. I don’t see the point, certainly actual communication and progressing dialogue seems to not be what blogs, this one anyway, are about. i guess that if you have the time and are angry enough, and do not have a productive place to put energy to work this is a better place to vent than getting drunk in a bar and hurting some one. ya’ll have fun, now.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:45 pmTo fix all the leeves against a cat 4 strom would have taken far more that 4 years. So that arguement is just plaian stupid. Lets face it preventing the damange was imposible in the short time before the storm. And of you are going to blame someone, blame lies on past adimistrations. Clinton back to Carter and everyone in between, that is were signifcant porgress could have been made to realy fix the problem. The key question is why ar so many left behide. I fault the mayor and city aministration of that. Come on not issuing a excaution order till mid day sunday. That is irresponislbe. Mississippi and alabama starting tell there folks to get out starting friday. It was obvious the difference in planing between the different states. New Orleans have been spared so many times the just assumed they would me spared again. Alambama and Mississippi knew better.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:50 pmFace it, whether wingnut or moonbat, the President has taken the most vacations of any other in 40 years.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:54 pmThe Netherlands are saying that the levees needed to be 10 times the strength they were.
Funds were timely asked for to bring the levees up to standard, and not forthcoming from the Bush administration(s).
September 3rd, 2005 at 1:46 pmCommit 288, Do you really think that the strom wall in the nethertlands was built in in 5 or even 10 yrs. Try a constant and ongoing effort over the span of 50 or more years. Plus they dont lie below sea level and they dont have a 30 mile wide lake to contend with as well. Lets face it if you are going to say Bush failed, them every adminstation til the 60’s failed on this project, yes even the democratic ones.
September 3rd, 2005 at 2:08 pmReply to 289: nwtexan you are another spin doctor for the righties. Read real facts: approximately 27 percent of the Netherlands is actually below sea level. This area is home to over 60 percent of the country’s population of 15.8 million people. The Netherlands, which is approximately the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, average elevation of 11 meters (36 feet). The Netherlands ties Lemmefjord, Denmark for claim to the lowest point in Western Europe – Prince Alexander Polder lies at 23 feet (7 meters) below sea level.
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:20 pmEverybody knows that funding for the levees was stopped in 2003 due to costs from the Iraq war. And of course during 2002 the rich had to get their tax breaks. It’s all crazy economics and now look at the national debt. GW has no care for the little people. He works for his corporate friends while the average income has not risen for the last 5 years. 30 million below the poverty line in USA . USA is the greatest nation on Earth but poverty is out of control.
nwtexan stop kissing GW’s ass & get some real facts.
Their levees are 50 foot tall, the possibly that 30 ft could have been added and reenforced in bush’s term is imposible.
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:45 pmI will admit the debt is way to high. I fact the I think the federal budget should be cut 1 percent per year till the debt is elimiated. Also the balance budget amendment ment was offered and we all know what clintion thought of that. The main cause if the national debt is funding social programs which have been in place since LBJ. Unless the social programs are redused or cut there will be no signifacant change in the debt.
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:56 pmI dont mean to sound un caring, but every single cabnet budget wound have to be cut by atleast 1 percent or more. Not only social progam but military. More money for the salaries-great. But more money being thrown away on ceritn millitaty aircraft-that is a waste of money. 5 live close to two military/weapons type places- pantex and I new bell helecopter plant that is making the opsy. The amount of money wasted here on miliatary is way to high. I am sure this is not a issolates region of so much waste. Final point, if we all look at this objectivly I think the the blame lies some on the current administration and on the city and state officals for lack of preparedness and recue. Futhermore with regaurd to the levees that problem is a problem that bush could not have anything about. It would take 10 yrs to engineer and inpliment a soltion ot make them with stand anythng above a cat 3 strom. You cant just pile dirt on it and call it good.
September 3rd, 2005 at 4:31 pmPlease read the BBC report below from journalist Matt Wells. He tells the news the way it really happened unlike most of the fat liars contolling our media. You will never hear the whole truth from our Corporate controlled media.
New Orleans crisis shames Americans
By Matt Wells
BBC News, Los Angeles
At the end of an unforgettable week, one broadcaster on Friday bitterly encapsulated the sense of burning shame and anger that many American citizens are feeling.
Flood victims were left virtually to their own devices for days
The only difference between the chaos of New Orleans and a Third World disaster operation, he said, was that a foreign dictator would have responded better.
It has been a profoundly shocking experience for many across this vast country who, for the large part, believe the home-spun myth about the invulnerability of the American Dream.
The party in power in Washington is always happy to convey the impression of 50 states moving forward together in social and economic harmony towards a bigger and better America.
That is what presidential campaigning is all about.
But what the devastating consequences of Katrina have shown – along with the response to it – is that for too long now, the fabric of this complex and overstretched country, especially in states like Louisiana and Mississippi, has been neglected and ignored.
Borrowed time
The fitting metaphors relating to the New Orleans debacle are almost too numerous to mention.
First there was an extraordinary complacency, mixed together with what seemed like over-reaction, before the storm.
The city’s hurricane shelters grew increasingly filthy and crime-ridden
A genuinely heroic mayor orders a total evacuation of the city the day before Katrina arrives, knowing that for decades now, New Orleans has been living on borrowed time.
The National Guard and federal emergency personnel stay tucked up at home.
The havoc of Katrina had been predicted countless times on a local and federal level – even to the point where it was acknowledged that tens of thousands of the poorest residents would not be able to leave the city in advance.
No official plan was ever put in place for them.
Abandoned to the elements
The famous levees that were breached could have been strengthened and raised at what now seems like a trifling cost of a few billion dollars.
The Bush administration, together with Congress, cut the budgets for flood protection and army engineers, while local politicians failed to generate any enthusiasm for local tax increases.
Too often in the so-called “New South”, they still look positively 19th Century
New Orleans partied-on just hoping for the best, abandoned by anyone in national authority who could have put the money into really protecting the city.
Meanwhile, the poorest were similarly abandoned, as the horrifying images and stories from the Superdome and Convention Center prove.
The truth was simple and apparent to all. If journalists were there with cameras beaming the suffering live across America, where were the officers and troops?
The neglect that meant it took five days to get water, food, and medical care to thousands of mainly orderly African-American citizens desperately sheltering in huge downtown buildings of their native city, has been going on historically, for as long as the inadequate levees have been there.
Divided city
I should make a confession at this point: I have been to New Orleans on assignment three times in as many years, and I was smitten by the Big Easy, with its unique charms and temperament.
But behind the elegant intoxicants of the French Quarter, it was clearly a city grotesquely divided on several levels. It has twice the national average poverty rate.
The government approach to such deprivation looked more like thoughtless containment than anything else.
It will be many weeks before the flood waters are cleared
The nightly shootings and drugs-related homicides of recent years pointed to a small but vicious culture of largely black-on-black crime that everyone knew existed, but no-one seemed to have any real answers for.
Again, no-one wanted to pick up the bill or deal with the realities of race relations in the 21st Century.
Too often in the so-called “New South”, they still look positively 19th Century.
“Shoot the looters” is good rhetoric, but no lasting solution.
Uneasy paradox
It is astonishing to me that so many Americans seem shocked by the existence of such concentrated poverty and social neglect in their own country.
In the workout room of the condo where I am currently staying in the affluent LA neighbourhood of Santa Monica, an executive and his personal trainer ignored the anguished television reports blaring above their heads on Friday evening.
Either they did not care, or it was somehow too painful to discuss.
When President Bush told “Good Morning America” on Thursday morning that nobody could have “anticipated” the breach of the New Orleans levees, it pointed to not only a remote leader in denial, but a whole political class.
The uneasy paradox which so many live with in this country – of being first-and-foremost rugged individuals, out to plunder what they can and paying as little tax as they can get away with, while at the same time believing that America is a robust, model society – has reached a crisis point this week.
Will there be real investment, or just more buck-passing between federal agencies and states?
The country has to choose whether it wants to rebuild the levees and destroyed communities, with no expense spared for the future – or once again brush off that responsibility, and blame the other guy.
September 3rd, 2005 at 5:52 pmAll Americans must now come to terms with the fact that none of us, be you black, white, rich, or poor are now safe. We cannot as a country depend on the current administaration for support or protection. “Liberals” didn’t cause this. “Cindy Sheehan” isn’t to blame. The president and his administration is to blame for their obvious neglect and cruelty. In the aftermath of this devastion and complete failure of our government to respond for (what was it, you say 5?) days, we have no choice but to face the fact that the entire world, including it’s terrorists, now know that we are beyond weakness. Your president (or, at least, certianly not mine) is incapable of protecting any of you…..but what does he care? Now “they” are trying to blame the state governments for this, but I ask you, if it isn’t the responsibility of the national government to protect it’s citizens, then what the hell is the point of having a national government? I hear he’s got a ranch in Texas, and just how many of our now homeless and starving American citizens are staying there? I’m sure a “Good ol’Boy” such as he could find some suitable work for them.
September 3rd, 2005 at 9:20 pmnwtexan, please visit some civil engineering Web sites to learn what structural
September 3rd, 2005 at 11:22 pmreinforcements and materials are required to keep a levee from bursting…, and you will see that the height of a levee is not what caused the levee holding back Lake Pontchartrain, because the lake was held back by lesser hurricanes.
The administration was warned that it would not hold in a stronger hurricane,
but they decided that human life was not important. Period. Unless it was their own.
There failures on all level. Locsl state and federal. On the local level were was no plan, where were the city sponsered selters how come the city didnt have them stocked or better yet where was there not a red cross presents there. Citizen should have been told this on fri where the shelter where insted of the mayor addressing thr city on sun night. The whole water cituation could have been solved by coming on eariler and telling poeple to store water and have caned goods. All the early intervention stuff could have been solved by a competent city administration. It seemed like the mayor and governer woke up on sunday evening and realized that oh crap we have a cat 4 strom commiing we better do something. The federal government did fail. They didnt have a plan either. And where was the red cross with all of there aid. The moved slowly and didnt act till morning, when the levee broke they realized they didnt have enough poeple so the had to call them in how got there as soon as they could it takes days to get across this country. With the levees be resonable the same concern was given for the last 10 yrs about the levees. In fact the levees around the lake, river and sea held out fine, it was only the canals that were added that had the breaks. More than likey they weren high enough water found a low piont, ran over and the eroded the soil supporting the concrete, and the leeve failed it sounds like a design problem to me, a design that bush had nothing to do with. You migh say to raise them. Raisin and supporting 130 miles of levees in 3 yrs (since the memo). The government contrator cant even redo a amarillo downtown town interchange in 6 yrs, go figture that one out. The levee problem should have been dealt with by pass admistrations. Lets face it New Orleans was a problem pervious budgets did not want to deal with because they didnt want to be blame for the cost. By the time it came to Bush it was to late to start and complete the work that needed to be done. I know you hate bush place blame on here it is due.
September 3rd, 2005 at 11:39 pmSusan (re:133),
“I bet you and others here on this blog do not know that there is a law on the books that state that a President cannot be removed by election during a war. We will be at war in 08 for sure. This law (which I will find the link and post it) guarantees Bushie a third term if we are still in Iraq.”
Can you point me to that particular law? My discussion group would be interested in that!
September 3rd, 2005 at 11:55 pmI wanted to see Bush wade through the fecal-infested waters of New Orleans for his photo-op. He could’ve patted the heads of the dead bodies floating by and reassured them that “help is on the way. I promise ya. heh.”
Wow, his approval rating would’ve shot out into deep, dark space–where his next vacation should be.
September 4th, 2005 at 12:52 amI think that the bigger picture in ALL of this is WHAT will happen to all the poor. NOW!!
Yes that have evacuated them out.
How will they re-gain their selves. Financially and emotionally? Who will fund this renewal??
What is the LONG term plan not the media plan.
It takes years to recover from homelessness, if one ever does.
This should teach us many things BUT it can’t because you can’t teach anyone unless they are willing to learn.
Take Vietnam for example….our wonderful government (ie thru VA hospitals) has tried to out live the worst that have agent orange…which our own governemnt used. (cause and effect) 40 years later they wait for them to die off. Before they will admit more or the truth!
Cut VA benefits for those that survived, war…
YES we all have issues. WAR is not the answer TALKING is United Nations just another way to put stupid in the middle of Dumb politics…
Take away everyones credit cards tomorrow….and I bet they understand the folks in New Orleans much better.
The poor get poorer, the working poor just try to get by and the rich (you know who you are) just get richer, let everyone pay there fair share….then we might believe you!
Our government could leran alot from some of our foreign neighbors..It’s called compassion.
This may not be the end of the world BUT it was the end of many poor folks worlds.
Fair housing for all…rates by your wages.
September 4th, 2005 at 9:35 amHuman kindness is not oldfashioned>>
God Bless us all because this WILL effect us all.
It was bad enough to have Bush one term, for those of you that voted him in a second time …having second thoughts ???
just want to say I am a shame of my own government; in the way they handled the people of new orleans. Where a camaras and news reporters could get throgh the u.s army could not. I was a flight engineer on a ch 47 helicopter for 12 years. We hall korean solders and landed in worst places than that everyday. And most of our leaders are trying to down play there actions; just be honest and say we messed up. And learn from it and make some changes in our government and policys. You might be able to explain one day, but 2 to 3 days no way the amercian peopla is not stupid.
September 4th, 2005 at 4:45 pmJust want to post my observations and rants…..
First – I live in Key West, FL. I have been through hurricanes from the time I was a kid. I’m now an Army veteran and police officer for our city.
In Key West, we have been “tweaking” our emergency op plans for years as we experience each new storm. We have had many dry and “wet” runs as well as Hurricane Georges several years ago. I’m sure this latest catastrophic storm will bring to light even more issues that have been overlooked or need improvement. Imagine what would have happened if Katrina would have gone a few miles further south after leaving the everglades! Both NOAA and keys residents were caught off guard – we never even went under a hurricane watch or warning yet experienced cat 1 force winds. We are an island that’s a three hour drive by car from the mainland to begin with. If we were hit by a cat 4, THEN I might buy the “we had trouble getting in there to help” excuse now being given by govt officials for not getting help the the coastal gulf.
EVACUATIONS:
In Key West, the TOURISTS/VISITORS are asked to leave well in advance of the residents. This is a good thing and works well for us as we USUALLY have a couple of days notice for watches/warnings. Remember we only have one road – New Orleans has many. This clears the roadways for the residents to leave. The visitors, thank God, usually do leave when asked. I heard in New Orleans visitors were given priority for transportation out even up to the last minute and I hope it’s an exageration. The hotels here close and order them out days prior to the storm. While they are leaving, the residents are boarding up and getting supplies for either their little home command posts or their caravan out of the area.
Next, the residents have to decide if they are going to leave. I just want to share my observations of what happens here so you can understand what threatened residents go through. As far as flooding, our water would wash over us and be gone (along with most of what’s in its path.) In New Orleans, I think too many people banked on the levees holding and beleived they’d be safe. For those of you who have never been through a hurricane/evacuation, you have to understand it is VERY hard to leave everything behind. This is especially true for lower income people who tend to not have as much of a network of family & friends outside of their town. They also do not have money or reliable vehicles in many cases (from their perspective this can be a deciding factor). Some of them have not even ever been outside of their immediate area – this can be very intimidating. Many people who stay are influenced by what their neighbors decide. Many elderly people do not have family to assist them in an evacuation and also feel that since their homes have survived other storms it is okay to “ride it out.” Beleive it or not, having a pet also causes people to stay and not evacuate. Our shelters on the mainland do not accept pets and hotels who accept them are hard to find in an evacuation situation. I just wanted to share that with those of you who might be blaming the victims who did not evacuate Katrina for their own fate.
Key West comes under watches and warnings more than almost any other area, sometimes several times a year. To evacuate you have to board-up and pack everything away indoors, decide what to take and leave (we take all our guns and ammo – a lesson learned from Andrew survivors and reinforced by Katrina’s aftermath), gather supplies for the road, fight lines at the gas station, ensure the elderly members of your family are taken out of the keys, leave work for several days and decide where on the mainland it is safest to go and when you should actually leave. We learned in 2004 that deciding where to go is very dificult, because these storms can hit anywhere in the state of Florida once they go by us. I’m sure the survivors of Katrina had to deal with similar situations; we’ve just had more practice at doing it.
I saw MANY people stay during Hurricane Georges when I was patroling. Many of them were poor people and elderly along with the usual ones who deem themselves “bullet proof.” We have buses that go to the mainland which people can take for free, but I now think we need to increase to availability and numbers of the buses. To fly out you have to make to decision to leave VERY early on. Flying out several times a year everytime there is a storm in the Atlantic would be expensive and just not practical. There are no shelters of last resort… officialy. This has to do with liability and the govt’s pipe dream that they wouldn’t be needed because everyone would leave. WE ALL KNOW THAT PEOPLE DO STAY! Imagine if the Superdome had not been opened!
Even though I am a policeman, my partner is disabled, so I evacuate. I hate it and it goes against everything in me that makes me a public servant. But, I have not been able to work out any other scenario since they changed the “rules” after Georges. There are NO shelters in the keys now and evacuation is madatory for officers who are not on duty. In otherwards, even for a weak hurricane those of us with exceptions have to leave. I don’t agree with this, and wish they would come up with a better plan. If a catastrophic storm hit Key West, I really don’t think most the officers, firfighters, EMTs, etc. would survive – our police station/EOC (where officers have to sleep on the floor) is only two stories high and untested.
GOVERNMENT:
There’s too much of it! FEMA is FEMA and should not be tangled up with Homeland Securtiy. It is also true that there are too many rules and protocols to be followed which hinder rescue and releif efforts. Disasters are fluid events that require strong central leadership to make decisions and alocate resources where needed in constanly changing situations. A Canadian rescue team was the first to reach one area in St. Bernards Parish – they hadn’t seen ANYONE from OUR government yet. Trucks full of releif supplies just sat in one area while people were without food and water – the FEMA rep was waiting for a phone call okaying it’s release. Comunications were totaly lacking in most areas after the storm, so situation/status reports weren’t getting to the people making decisions – ever heard of the Army Signal Corps…you know, those guys who rapidly deploy and establish sat coms on the battlefield. The Iraq war has definitely affected the guard’s and reg Army’s ability to respond. Anything to the contrary is crap! To say that they couldn’t get in there is an insult to anyone who has ever seen the capabilities of our military. Their manpower is lower and a lot of equipment and assets are overseas. I’ve seen enough rapid deployments and supply drops to know it’s not a matter of capability, but a matter of politics and poor decision making. And please don’t get me going about the President being on vacation after the storm and members of the fed gov blaming (imagine at a time like this!) the state and local authorities for the slow response. Those of you who have worked on the state and local level should know what it’s like trying to get federal response. You would have thought they would do better after the delayed response in assistance after Hurricane Andrew. Same thing, by the time help arrived it was chaos. What you are seeing on TV is not exagerated; we have received text messages from friends who are in Gulfport and more rural areas. The delay in getting help has resulted in many more deaths.
In the months to come the heroes will be sorted out from those elected officials who failed us, the people…the greatest nation on earth, right? In the meantime, please do everything you can wether it’s donating, offering your professional services or giving a family shelter. We’ll fix the big picture in due time. Maybe now the fog will lift from around those who beleived the hype and they’ll see things for what they realy are.
September 4th, 2005 at 6:52 pmI’m from New Orleans, currently in my seventh day of refuge from my home, which may be flooded, blown away or looted. And I’m one of the lucky ones, aren’t I?
I’ve been reading the posts here by those defending the president. I agree that he couldn’t have physically stopped the storm, he’s not the only one to blame in all of this and he, as one man, can’t do everything. No politician can.
But I challenge any one of the defenders of Dear Mr. Bush to give me a reason why, as that storm hit and the enormity of the situation became clear, he wasn’t glued to his desk and in constant contact with the military, FEMA, local New Orleans officials and anyone else who could have helped secure the city, send in supplies and/or start evacuating.
The President of the United States is sworn to protect and to serve the citizens of this nation. Now, if that were my watch, I’d sure as hell forego sleep and cancel all other appointments until one of the worst natural disasters in American history were under control. If Bush had continued making unrelated appearances after 9/11, he’d have been pilloried. This disaster is working out to be worse than 9/11, and yet the blindly Bush-loving sheep are trying to give him a free ride when it’s clear his priorities lie elsewhere. Cutting funding for those levees, which badly needed fortifying, is a prime example.
No, this isn’t about politics, it’s about competence and compassion for fellow human beings. If this were John Kerry or Bill Clinton, I’d be just as happy to rip them a new orifice for their mistakes in this.
Those of us from New Orleans lost our homes and our very existences this past week, and this country lost one of its great cities. We should all, Republican, Democrat, Independent, be calling for accountability.
Jason
September 4th, 2005 at 6:58 pmRE: 302
September 4th, 2005 at 8:50 pmJason, Regardless of my political views, I offer my deepest sympathy. I live on the Gulf Coast, and last year was hard, but nowhere near what you have to face. Are you in any need at this moment. Although the help I can realistically offer is small the offer stands. In all this quasi-political mumblings some of us forget the real world. I am sorry for doing that. I spent all day out fundraiseing because my three teens wanted to help. I wish I could do more. I wish I could offer more. Know that you will be in our prayers. I hope that doesn’t sound hollow, but I really believe in it. God Bless you and your family and friends.
Comment by David schlein: Exactly what do you conceive the job of FEMA and Homeland Security to be in the case of another 9/11 or of a Katrina-sized hurricane?
September 4th, 2005 at 9:20 pmAt least Bush can see. Apparently, Mayor Ray Nagin and Terry Ebbert, chief of New Orleans’ Office of Emergency Preparedness, can’t see past their own fat egos, to see close to 500 city-owned buses, now sitting in water, that could have been used to move multiple tens of thousands of citizens out of harm’s way before the hurricane made landfall, and to evacuate equal numbers of refugees from the Superdome and Convention Center after the flooding began. Instead, these ass-covering politicians extraordinaire choose to expend their supply of breathing air condemning FEMA for, of all things, not having enough buses in place to evacuate refugees from the Superdome and Convention Center. Had they not failed, in a morally inexcusable fashion, to follow their own emergency disaster evacuation plan, which specifically calls for so using those city-owned buses, they might not now have the blood of thousands on their hands.
Shameless f***-ups.
September 5th, 2005 at 7:11 pm[b]Bush faked levee repair for photo op yesterday[/b]
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/09/bush-faked-levee-repair-for-photo-op.html
[i]But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – deserve far better from their national government.[/i]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301653.html
[i]. . . “It’s such an irony I hate to say it, but we have less capability today than we did on September 11,” said a veteran FEMA official involved in the hurricane response. “[b]We are so much less than what we were in 2000,[/b]” added another senior FEMA official. “We’ve lost a lot of what we were able to do then.” . . .[/i]
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#076926
[i]Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Sunday that [b]officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA Director Mike Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, listened in on electronic briefings given by his staff in advance of Hurricane Katrina slamming Louisiana and Mississippi and were advised of the storm’s potential deadly effects.[/b]
Mayfield said the strength of the storm and the potential disaster it could bring were made clear during both the briefings and in formal advisories, which warned of a storm surge capable of overtopping levees in New Orleans and winds strong enough to blow out windows of high-rise buildings. He said the briefings included information on expected wind speed, storm surge, rainfall and the potential for tornados to accompany the storm as it came ashore.
[b]“We were briefing them way before landfall,†Mayfield said. “It’s not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped.[/b]
“I keep looking back to see if there was anything else we could have done, and I just don’t know what it would be,†he said.
Chertoff told reporters Saturday that government officials had not expected the damaging combination of a powerful hurricane levee breaches that flooded New Orleans.
Brown, Mayfield said, is a dedicated public servant.
“The question is why he couldn’t shake loose the resources that were needed,’’ he said.
Brown and Chertoff could not be reached for comment on Sunday
afternoon.
[b]In the days before Katrina hit, Mayfield said, his staff also briefed FEMA, which under the Department of Homeland Security, at FEMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., its Region 6 office in Dallas and the Region 4 office in Atlanta about the potential effects of the storm.
He said all of those briefings were logged in the hurricane center’s records.[/b]
And Mayfield said his staff also participated in the five-day “Hurricane Pam†exercise sponsored by FEMA and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in July 2004 that assumed a similar storm would hit the city.
FEMA’s own July 23, 2004, news release announcing the end of that exercise summed up the assumptions they used, which were eerily close to what Katrina delivered: “Hurricane Pam brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area. More than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal and volunteer organizations faced this scenario during a five-day exercise held this week at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge.
“The exercise used realistic weather and damage information developed by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the LSU Hurricane Center and other state and federal agencies to help officials develop joint response plans for a catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana.â€
That plan assumed such a hurricane would result in the opening of 1,000 evacuee shelters that would have to be staffed for 100 days, and a search and rescue operation using 800 people. The storm would create 30 million tons of debris, including 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste.
Mayfield said his concern now is that another named storm could hit either New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf coast, as September is the most active month of the annual hurricane season.
“This is like the fourth inning in a nine-inning ballgame,†he said. “We know that another one would cause extreme stress on the people who have been hurt by Katrina.â€[/i]
(Yahoo News has this article but their news articles die after 15 days.)
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=8&id=348096
[i][b]Warnings of New Orleans disaster ignored, funding slashed[/b]: experts
Saturday, September 3, 2005 at 07:13 JST
WASHINGTON — U.S. authorities ignored warnings that New Orleans was vulnerable to a hurricane nightmare and slashed funding that could have saved the city as spending on the war in Iraq soared, experts said Friday.
Four years ago the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned a major hurricane or flooding in the Big Easy was among the three catastrophes most likely to hit the United States, along with a terrorist attack on New York. . .
. . . “[b]This was a disaster waiting to happen[/b],” said John Rennie, editor-in-chief of US science and technology bible, Scientific American.
“[b]For years there has been a multitude of warnings that critical work on rebuilding the levees has been lagging and that the city was particularly vulnerable but these warnings effectively went unheeded,[/b]” he told AFP.
Rennie’s magazine warned in 2001 that a degradation of the city’s levee and pumping systems, new building developments and inadequate evacuation routes had put New Orleans at serious risk of a human catastrophe in which more than 250,000 people could be stranded and thousands killed. . .[/i]
September 5th, 2005 at 9:47 pm[b]Here is Bush’s ‘Commitment to Excellence’™ in selecting the right person for the job.[/b]
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year02/aug1_02.htm
[i]James Lee Witt has more than 25 years of experience in disaster and crisis management. He served as Director of FEMA from 1993-2001 and was the first FEMA Director to be elevated to the President’s cabinet. Under his leadership, Witt transformed FEMA into an effective customer oriented, disaster preparedness and response agency that provides hands-on assistance to those at risk, both before and after disaster strikes. FEMA is the federal agency responsible for evaluating and exercising the emergency response plans for the Radiological Emergency Preparedness program, which is responsible for the 103 commercial nuclear reactors across the country.
Prior to his FEMA appointment, Witt served as Director of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services and coordinated for the nuclear preparedness, response and evacuation capability for Arkansas 1 and 2 nuclear reactors. He also served as chairperson of the Arkansas State Nuclear Advisory Board while serving as County Judge, the chief elected official of Yell County. . .[/i]
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=100857
[i][b]The federal official in charge of the bungled New Orleans rescue was fired from his last private-sector job overseeing horse shows.
And before joining the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a deputy director in 2001, GOP activist Mike Brown had no significant experience that would have qualified him for the position.[/b]
The Oklahoman got the job through an old college friend who at the time was heading up FEMA.
The agency, run by Brown since 2003, is now at the center of a growing fury over the handling of the New Orleans disaster. . .[/i]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9179587/page/5/
[i]. . .President Bush could have “federalized” the National Guard in an instant. That’s what his father, President George H.W. Bush, did after the Los Angeles riots in 1992. Back then, the Justice Department sent Robert Mueller, a jut-jawed ex-Marine (who is now FBI director), to take charge, showing, in effect, that the cavalry had arrived. FEMA’s current head, Michael Brown, has appeared over his head and even a little clueless in news interviews. He is far from the sort of take-charge presence New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani conveyed after 9/11. . .
. . . Up to now, the Bush administration has not hesitated to sweep aside the opinions of lawyers on such matters as prisoners’ rights. But after Katrina, a strange paralysis set in. For days, Bush’s top advisers argued over legal niceties about who was in charge, according to three White House officials who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. Beginning early in the week, Justice Department lawyers presented arguments for federalizing the Guard, but Defense Department lawyers fretted about untrained 19-year-olds trying to enforce local laws, according to a senior law-enforcement official who requested anonymity citing the delicate nature of the discussions.
While Washington debated, the situation in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast deteriorated. . .[/i]
[b]Met by Despair, Not Violence: As they begin to patrol the chaotic city, troops are surprised by what they don’t find.[/b]
http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news3/latimes138.html
. . . Their mission, simply, is to turn New Orleans into a police state — to “regain the city,” 1st Sgt. John Jewell said.
The truck lurched through the streets, past buildings burning unabated and MPs in gun turrets. When they stopped to gear up for their arrival at the New Orleans Convention Center, where more than 15,000 people had been living in squalor since Katrina, these words echoed — for the first time, one would imagine — through the intersection of Poydras Avenue and Carondelet Street: “Lock and load!”
“Sixteen in the clip!” one Guardsman shouted, a common refrain used to indicate that rifles are fully loaded.
[b]But when they arrived, they did not find marauding mobs. They did not come under fire. They found people who had lost everything in the storm and, since then, their dignity[/b]. . .
. . . FEMA officials pleaded no contest. Bill Lokey, chief coordinator for FEMA, said agencies were simply overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge. “It’s the nature of the disaster,” he said. “This is far beyond anything we’ve ever done in this country. It’s beyond our immediate capabilities for sure.” . . .[/i]
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_09.html#076771
[i]. . . Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.
Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.
Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a “Today” show story Friday morning.
Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach. . .
. . . Mayor Ray Nagin did the right thing Sunday when he allowed those with no other alternative to seek shelter from the storm inside the Louisiana Superdome. We still don’t know what the death toll is, but one thing is certain: Had the Superdome not been opened, the city’s death toll would have been higher. The toll may even have been exponentially higher.
[b]It was clear to us by late morning Monday that many people inside the Superdome would not be returning home. It should have been clear to our government, Mr. President. So why weren’t they evacuated out of the city immediately? We learned seven years ago, when Hurricane Georges threatened, that the Dome isn’t suitable as a long-term shelter. So what did state and national officials think would happen to tens of thousands of people trapped inside with no air conditioning, overflowing toilets and dwindling amounts of food, water and other essentials?[/b]
State Rep. Karen Carter was right Friday when she said the city didn’t have but two urgent needs: “Buses! And gas!” Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired, Director Michael Brown especially.
In a nationally televised interview Thursday night, he said his agency hadn’t known until that day that thousands of storm victims were stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He gave another nationally televised interview the next morning and said, “We’ve provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they’ve gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day.”
[b]Lies don’t get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President.[/b]
Yet, when you met with Mr. Brown Friday morning, you told him, “You’re doing a heck of a job.”
That’s unbelievable.
There were thousands of people at the Convention Center because the riverfront is high ground. The fact that so many people had reached there on foot is proof that rescue vehicles could have gotten there, too. . .
[b]The Rebellion of the Talking Heads: Newscasters, sick of official lies and stonewalling, finally start snarling.[/b]
http://www.slate.com/id/2125581/?nav=tap3
http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/blamegame5.htm
[i]. . . Aaron Broussard, president of inundated Jefferson Parish, La., broke down in tears on NBC’s ”Meet the Press” as he chided officials. ”Nobody’s coming to get us,” Broussard said, his head sagging. ”The secretary has promised. Everybody’s promised. They’ve had press conferences. I’m sick of the press conferences. For God’s sake, shut up and send us somebody.”
In public statements and even more bluntly behind the scenes, Bush administration officials have questioned local efforts to rescue thousands of people who were stranded for days without food, water and shelter, resulting in death of an unknown number of Americans. The Bush administration says the death tolls will reach into the thousands by the time New Orleans is drained – and dispatched three top officials to survey the region.
”All that is still occurring, and people are now reducing it to politics and shifting it to the [b]blame game[/b]. It’s sad that human tragedy is being reduced to politics,” said Denise Bottcher, spokeswoman for Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D).
[b]Bush is trying to undo what many Republicans described as considerable damage to the White House inflicted by Bush’s crisis management.[/b] ”Almost every Republican I have spoken with is disappointed” in Bush’s performance, said William Kristol, a conservative columnist with close White House ties. . .[/i]
September 5th, 2005 at 9:48 pm[...] Bush played golf and guitar the day after Katrina hit. He waited three days to make a TV appearance and five days before visiting the disaster site. On Thursday, a New York Times editorial said, "nothing about the president’s demeanor yesterday – which seemed casual to the point of carelessness – suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis." [...]
September 6th, 2005 at 7:54 pmI just spoke with a neighbor that said the city should not be rebuilt, at least not with the sex and sin. I asked her if she has ever been there and she said no!
September 6th, 2005 at 8:27 pmI am from Louisiana and have a lot of friends from NO. There is a lot more to it than that. It is ashame there are so many close minded people.
What a real leader does!
http://www.nandotimes.com/nt/images/floyd/floyd40.html
U.S. President Bill Clinton said his administration was doing all it could to answer the threat from Hurricane Floyd off America’s Southeast coast during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jenny Shipley in Christchurch, New Zealand, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1999. Clinton is cutting his overseas trip by a day so he can return to Washington to deal with the pending hurricane. He and other Pacific Rim leaders were in New Zealand to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
September 7th, 2005 at 7:28 pmMoney To Repair Breached Levees Was Diverted to Iraq War
“It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us. — Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004.
In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for levees around Lake Pontchartrain. Those levees are now breached, and the city of New Orleans is inundated.
http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002331.html
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20050207/ai_n10176537
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9148526/site/newsweek/
Hurricane Politics
As Katrina forced President Bush to cut short his vacation, the White House is facing a perfect storm of trouble at home and abroad.
Then there’s the speed of the Bush administration’s response to such disasters. Just one week ago the White House declared that a major disaster existed in Louisiana, specifically most of the areas (such as Jefferson Parish) that are now under water. Was the White House psychic about the disaster ahead? Not exactly. In fact the major disaster referred to Tropical Storm Cindy, which struck the state a full seven weeks earlier. That announcement triggered federal aid for the stricken areas, where the clean-up had been on hold for almost two months while the White House chewed things over.
Now, faced with a far bigger and deadlier disaster, the Bush administration faces at least two difficult questions: Was it ready to deal with the long-predicted flooding of New Orleans? And is it ready to deal with the long-predicted terrorist attack that might some day strike another of our big cities?
September 7th, 2005 at 7:32 pmTimeline
Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana and requests troop assistance.
Saturday, Aug. 27: Gov. Blanco asks for federal state of emergency. A federal emergency is declared giving federal officials the authority to get involved.
Sunday, Aug. 28: Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. President Bush warned of Levee failure by National Hurricane Center. National Weather Service predicts area will be “uninhabitable” after Hurricane arrives. First reports of water toppling over the levee appear in local paper.
Monday, Aug. 29: Levee breaches and New Orleans begins to fill with water, Bush travels to Arizona and California to discuss Medicare. FEMA chief finally responds to federal emergency, dispatching employees but giving them two days to arrive on site.
Tuesday, Aug. 30: Mass looting reported, security shortage cited in New Orleans. Pentagon says that local authorities have adequate National Guard units to handle hurricane needs despite governor’s earlier request. Bush returns to Crawford for final day of vacation. TV coverage is around-the-clock Hurricane news.
Wednesday, Aug. 31: Tens of thousands trapped in New Orleans including at Convention Center and Superdome in “medieval” conditions. President Bush finally returns to Washington to establish a task force to coordinate federal response. Local authorities run out of food and water supplies.
Thursday, Sept. 1: New Orleans descends into anarchy. New Orleans Mayor issues a “Desperate SOS” to federal government. Bush claims nobody predicted the breach of the levees despite multiple warnings and his earlier briefing.
Friday, Sept. 2: Karl Rove begins Bush administration campaign to blame state and local officials—despite their repeated requests for help. Bush stages a photo-op—diverting Coast Guard helicopters and crew to act as backdrop for cameras. Levee repair work orchestrated for president’s visit and White House press corps.
Saturday, Sept. 3: Bush blames state and local officials. Senior administration official (possibly Rove) caught in a lie claiming Gov. Blanco had not declared a state of emergency or asked for help.
Monday, Sept. 5: New Orleans officials begin to collect their dead.
(Adapted from: Katrina Timeline, http://thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline/ )
September 7th, 2005 at 8:02 pm[...] Is Bush to blame? Yes! He should have put away the golf clubs long before Wednesday! But no, don’t do that. The poor and the black are the ones who didn’t vote for him! I also blame the mayor of New Orleans. We knew Katrina was coming. Why didn’t he prepare? The thousands of poor people without a way to evacuate could have been helped! [...]
September 8th, 2005 at 12:17 amThe Mayor of New Orleans was doing all he could under his power and screaming for help, but no help came. Because FEMA is now under Homeland Security and had it budget cut by Bush (unlike with Clinton where they were part of his cabinet and had immediate access to the President), the request has to go to the Pentagon, and then the Pentagon has to go through their red tape and then grant the request.
9/2 – Click Here to Hear New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on sister station WWL as heard on Air America.
http://www.airamericaradio.com/katrina/
The governor of Louisiana sent a letter to Bush on Aug. 28 asking for evacuation help for the pending hurricane, but Bush was on vacation, so he couldn’t respond.
http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf
FEMA (Federal Emergency Mgmt. Agency) – Fails Every Morning After – is supposed to facilitate evacation operations, but FEMA did not come, and when they finally did, they thought it was more imporant to secure the city than to give people food, water and supplies to live, so people died.
The mayor of New Orleans got the people to the Superdome, but then when FEMA took over, these people were stuck in the Superdome for 6 days without food, water, facilties or supplies — suffering, and left for dead!
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/04.html#a4783
The president of Jefferson Parish in New Orleans, Aaron Broussard: “We have been abandoned by our own country. Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of the worst storms ever to hit an American coast. But the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will go down as one of the worst abandonments of Americans on American soil ever in U.S. history. … Whoever is at the top of this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chainsawed off and we’ve got to start with some new leadership.”
The tear-filled eyes of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard as he was interviewed by Tim Russert on today’s Meet the Press:
Think Progress: …The guy who runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, “Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?†and he said, “Yeah, Mama, somebody’s coming to get you.†Somebody’s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody’s coming to get us. Nobody’s coming to get us… read on”
Tim didn’t follow up his incredible plea… The Booman Tribune has more on the segment…
September 8th, 2005 at 4:37 pmWhat I want to know is why doesn’t our so called President donate some of his own money to the Hurrican vitims?
Bush is asking for money from us the people of the United States, we are giving twice because of the money that is coming from our taxes for relief from the federal government.
It’s a disgrace how Bush handled the situation…it doesn’t matter if it was FEMA or State/Local Officials responsibility to ask for help after the storm, if he cared at all (which we all know he does not) as “Commander In Chief” he should have taken control and over rided everyone in order to provide help. If the Governor of LA had died in the floods would he have never help them because no one asked…
And for those of you who have praised Bush for leaving his vacation early to witness the devastation Bush did not do those people of New Orleans a favor…THAT WAS HIS CIVIC DUTY AS PRESIDENT
For those Clinton bashers….Remember Clinton may have lied but at least no one died.
September 8th, 2005 at 5:26 pmsorry I meant Hurricane Victims
September 8th, 2005 at 5:29 pmStop trying to blame others,devastation has happened… It can happen anywhere:We need as a country to pull together and help.If feel our goverment dropped the ball.Then we need to do more and work together to help!!!!!
September 9th, 2005 at 9:43 amMr Bush is the next Nixon ? think about it…
September 9th, 2005 at 9:38 pmSo all you people are complaining about the goverment. What have you done for the victims. We are the government its our job to do something. Each and everyone of us. Stop collecting your govy checks and take action.
September 12th, 2005 at 1:26 pmI have done my part in helping the victims I’m just wondering what Hitler (oh I meant Bush) has done himself other than observing the damage from the air afraid to come down and greet the victims himself because officials say they fear what type of reception he would receive afterwards which he goes to a home to a nice warm house (any one of his many which the victims now have none) with a hot bath and food to fill his stomach…he saw absolutely nothing wrong with the timeliness of the relief efforts or lack thereof and it wasn’t until he received slack and a decline in his approval rating did Bush FIANLLY step up to the plate and help those who were affected by the Hurricane if not for that would he have let all those people in New Orleans be left there to die…Makes you wonder if Bush is a modern day HITLER and if he had hoped for New Orleans to be our country’s Holocaust?
September 13th, 2005 at 3:19 pmDoes everyone complaining about Bush realize that he has lowered the poverty rate from the time Clinton was president from 13.7% to 12.7%. A full percentahe point!
Further, at the height of the Clinton presidency 196 billion dollars was spent for poverty related issues and groups. Last year Bush spent 328 billion dollars on the same poverty related groups.
Also, no one discusses that the 80% of the total rescues made in this crisis were for African Americans.
It’s about time that Bush hating takes a back seat to the tragedy in the Gulf.
September 14th, 2005 at 11:14 am#102 Brandon… It is because we LOVE America that we have to stand up when a President that we hired is running it into the ground. I love my country, I have served in the military and Bush is ruining my country!
September 14th, 2005 at 12:27 pmYOU ALL NEED TO QUIT HATING AND READ UP ON ALL OF WHAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAS DONE. QUIT GOING OFF OF WHAT YOU HEAR AND ACTUALLY READ ABOUT IT AND LEARN SOMETHING YOU ARE MISSING! HE IS DOING ALL THAT HE CAN!! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANY OF YOU HATERS DO ANY BETTER! HATERS LIKE YOU, ARE ONLY MAKING THIS WORLD WORSE. WHY CANT U JUST ACCEPT AND MOVE ON! IT WOULD MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE. QUIT PULLING CRAP OUT OF NO WHERE AND TURNING IT ALL AROUND. I GUESS THAT’S WHAT U DO BEST THOUGH! HATERS!!!!! HE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG! HE HAS ONLY TRIED HIS BEST!!BUT HE CANT OVIOUSLY PLEASE EVERY ONE!
September 15th, 2005 at 12:17 amit’s simple, F**K BUSH. he can’t do sh*t because he’s a dumbass.
September 15th, 2005 at 2:30 pmI’m sorry I didn’t realize that all he could do as President of the most affluent country in the world was to sit back while people were left to starve and die. What did he do? I’ll tell you what he did..he abandoned all those victims young, old, handicapped or healthy. How could we “Bush Haters” as you so eloquently stated make this world any worse…as our “leader” he should lead by example he had a blatant disregard for humans therefore I have a blantant disregard for him but he has done nothing wrong (and I say that sarcastically) and I’m only following his example therefore I am doing nothing wrong. #329 I couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you!
September 15th, 2005 at 6:08 pmRE: 328 WOW! What an apologist! It sounds to me like you think Bush can do no wrong. I am a weather/politics (& baseball) junkie. I have known about the dangers to New Orleans being partly below sea level for years. New Orleans planners asked for the money to try to help avert this disaster. $ denied by the Feds. Now it will cost them a good 600x what they were asking for. You would think that 4 years after 9/11, with massive funding to Homeland Security, that we had a state-of-the-art emergency response team. Nope, not when decision about this stuff is based on how politically juiced someone is, rather than competence. It is disgraceful that Mr. Brown was ever head of FEMA. The only thing more discraceful is that it took Bush so long to fire him. Once NATO takes over for us in Afghanistan who is going to look for Osama? O.J. has a lot of experience looking for murderers, maybe we can send him after our troops pull out. Cause we need them all in Iraq because….they had nothing to do with 9/11, er.. I mean cause of WMD, er..no that’s not it…cause W decided before he took office that we had to. Oh yea. Why shouldn’t you work for the NSA? (See Good Will Hunting.)
September 17th, 2005 at 1:43 amBack to Hurricanes…. I have been charting/following them for more than 30 years. We have never gone through the whole alphabet before (go to NHC site for upcoming names). We only have 6 names left & then will have to go to the Greek alphabet (alpha, beta,etc). I had to research it CAUSE IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED! Can you say global warming…If you think “the day after tomorrow” was nice fiction then you probably don’t want to know that I read about that theory a good 5 years before the movie. But at least the Texans get rich, and that is the only thing that seems to matter……
I can’t take it anymore!
OH YA – I almost forgot the last great nexus between New Orleans floods and politics! 1927, I think it was. The republicans in place at the time handled the crisis so badly that it was followed by a massive shift to the dems. I think I felt the pendulum just swoosh by me!
September 17th, 2005 at 1:53 am[...] Haven’t you heard, Will? Bush is still resting up after sacrificing two days of his five-week vacation to the last hurricane. [...]
September 22nd, 2005 at 4:05 pmYou want to blame a natural disaster and its effects on one man? While you are all sitting comfortably at the computor having time to write negative comments, has it ever occurred to you that your time could be better spent? I.E get out of your chair and find some answers, and solutions to the problem and do your part.
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:10 pmIt’s so easy to sit and complain, a monkey can do that.
Official Announcement:
The government today announced that it is changing its emblem from an Eagle to a CONDOM because it more accurately reflects the government’s political
stance. A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security
while you’re actually being screwed.
Damn, it just doesn’t get more accurate than that!
September 23rd, 2005 at 6:52 pmBecause of FEMA (under Bush) New Orleans residents (over 50,000) were left to die without food and water for 7 days in the Superdome (hundreds of babies, children, elderly and adults). There were stores in the next town where anyone could’ve been sent to get water and food, but nothing was ever brought to them. They locked these people in there and wouldn’t even let them walk to the next town themselves to get water and food to save their lives, and the lives of their babies, children and parents. Instead they guarded the bridge (the only way out of town) and wouldn’t let them pass so that they could get what they needed to save themselves!!
Walmart even tried to deliver water and FEMA sent it back, saying they didn’t need it.
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/09/04/worst-abandonments
Even Fox News couldn’t hide the truth.
Horror Show
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/02.html
Also, because of Republican Gretna Police Chief Arthur S. Lawson, Jr. ordered his officers to kill any black people that tried to cross the bridge that lead into Gretna. His officers shot at blacks or people in the company of blacks that tried to cross the bridge.
This was allowed by FEMA who should’ve put a stop to it because the Federal govt. takes over in evacuation emergencies. Local authorities can only request help and were told the cavalry’s coming everyday.
http://www.gretnasucks.com/
Also, because Bush put FEMA under Homeland Security, all requests had to go through the Pentagon (red tape) and they had to wait for the Pentagon to respond. Clinton had FEMA as part of his cabinet and they were given immediate access to the President!
September 23rd, 2005 at 7:09 pmsometimes i wonder how this world will all end one day ? are we ready to meet our God ? He will return one day and take all people that have there names in the Book of Life !!!! Are you ready, because he said in the end times there will be many hurricanes an storms, and many wars, it is out of our control what happens next, God is in control at all times an there is always a reason for all these disasters !!! Bush had nothing to do with this storm, if you would only use common sense and see the big picture.
September 25th, 2005 at 12:54 amThe Coming Storm…
As I watch the horror being played out before my very eyes in the Gulf Coast, and see the death and devastation on every side, I can’t help but think of the coming storm. No I’m not talking about a hurricane or even a tsunami, but rather The Great Tribulation. (Read Revelation chapter #6 & Daniel 9:24-27) Though Hurricane Katrina is the worst natural disaster in the USA in my 35 years (almost 36), it will pale in comparison to the devastation that will engulf Planet Earth during the last 3 ½ years of The Tribulation. Mankind has never before seen anything like this! In one hours time 1/3 of the earth and it’s inhabitants will be destroyed by fire. Using our current population as a guide (which is growing daily) there are 6,466,331,504 people on earth, that’s nearly 6.5 billion! That means in one hour’s time 2,155,443,835 people would be dead! Talk about disease and infections. Hundreds of thousand of others will die just trying to clean up the mess. As we saw in New Orleans the old human nature reared its ugly head and began raping, looting, stealing, and killing anyone in their path. However unlike today where God has His people and His Holy Spirit which indwells them still on earth, good, decency, and order eventually will prevail. But on that Great and Terrible Day there will be no Holy Spirit, there will be no Christian moral influence, there will be no decency and order. Instead it will be every man for himself survival of the fittest. I’m glad I will not be here to experience this horrible but inevitable event. Where will I be? Glad you ask. The only way to escape the Wrath to come is to become a child of God before it is eternally too late. The Bible teach that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No one can earn heaven because we are all sinners. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus is God’s only Perfect Sinless Son who died on the cross for all men. That’s right millions of souls now burning in Hell are the same souls Jesus died for at Calvary! Just like them He has died for you and I. Then on the third day He rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 people at one time after His resurrection. Now He is waiting for your answer will it be yes or no? The question of a lifetime is not who will I marry but rather where will I spend eternity? Our life is but a vapor it appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away. I have punched my ticket outta here. Please punch yours before the Great Tribulation begins, your life depends on it!
September 26th, 2005 at 9:56 amNo need to comment of the “Bush Haters” but thank you Scott for your imput on the coming storm. I just returned from Jefferson Perish helping out doing what I could…why can’t we just all come together help the churches and organizations that are REALLY doing something about the situation in LA. Lets not complain any longer…just come together…isn’t that what American is all about?
September 26th, 2005 at 4:20 pmWe are Bush Haters because we love our fellow man, while Bush’s God is the Almighty dollar because that’s what he worships. Why else would republicans give to the rich and take from the poor? Why is it more important for the rich to have stuff, then for a person to live in a home or a child be able to be fed?
What religion did you say you were – and what bible are reading from that says God is in control and doing all of this?!? Do you even go to church, or are you interpreting the bible of Scott?!?
Because it says that nowhere, and God gave us the free will to help our brothers and sisters, which the republicans only think that means the top 1% who are wealthy.
Yet, because of greed and power, and no accountability in the government (since repugs have all 3 branches), the Bush regime will do whatever it wants. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely!!
If you want to let crime and murder and hate happen all around without trying to stop it, then you have blood on your hands too!
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)
You are proof that a little knowledge is dangerous!!!
September 28th, 2005 at 4:08 pmIsn’t this terrible:
Bush Waives Saudi Trafficking Sanctions
…Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Washington’s closest Arab ally in the war on terrorism, for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers….read on
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bush_human_trafficking
Think Progress remembers: Just a year ago, we were told things would be different. President Bush, 7/16/04: Human trafficking is one of the worst offenses against human dignity. Our nation is determined to fight that crime abroad and at home.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/07/20040716-10.html
September 28th, 2005 at 5:24 pmWhat the hell did you expect him to do…..Pull out the Clinton magic vaccum (Monica) and suck Katrina out of the atmosphere. I live on the MS gulf coast and I think Pres Bush has done a great job. If you’re not done here then I guss it’s easy to second guess.
October 21st, 2005 at 5:32 pmHere its is Oct. 25, 2005 I live in Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana it has been 2 mos. im still not home still have no help from Fema, no trailer to live in so i can rebuild, went to my home site in Empire Louisiana, help we did’t even have fresh water or ice supplied to us since Katrina and that was 2 days ago
but i see a storm has hit Florida and Femma is JUMPING who Knew!
The news crew local and net work seem to just pass right over this area by-pass us i guess we don’t exist,well this is the area were the EYE of Katrina made landfall and it makes the rest of the damage look like Disney World
October 25th, 2005 at 10:05 pmFEMA/BUSH/FEDERAL IDIOTS
October 25th, 2005 at 10:13 pmPROMISES !
PROMISES ?
PROMISES :O(
backgamon and tournament and format
Rawson Algeria fogy academics solves,auction backgamon rules layout http://www.postagepaid.net/backgamon-rules-layout.html
December 28th, 2005 at 8:24 pmI am sick of so many ignorant critics who call Bush names and act as if they know what happens when you are President of the United States. So Bush should rush back to Washington… to do what exactly? You don’t think it’s possible he could fully handle his job by phone? Besides, there are plenty of other people in charge that could and should be blamed for dropping the ball here. So why don’t you people lay off Bush.
February 15th, 2006 at 5:55 pm[...] But whatever, let’s assume, that he really is this master inquistor they all say he is. His people are already claiming he was just off that day. But isn’t that worse? Aren’t they basically saying, “oh yeah, Bush is normally real into policy briefings, he’s just not that interested in preventing large scale death.” Well, we all space out a little the day before we go on vacation. [...]
March 2nd, 2006 at 11:17 pmAs you now know the NYT retracted the lie about Bush being on vacation when Katrina hit….this is a bogus lie…you site and story is fabrication to the fullest…you should be ashamed to purport such an outright LIE!
March 7th, 2006 at 9:09 amWhat is wrong with you people this is a bogus retarted site. If you can’t deal with our president. Too bad. Up here in michigan we love bush. So just move somewhere else. Where we don’t have to here you complain.
March 31st, 2006 at 4:50 pmThe trolls come late
April 6th, 2006 at 12:30 pm[...] Aside from a few rounds of the crowd clapping in agreement, she spoke uninterrupted and eloquently about giving a voice to the silenced, reclaiming responsible journalism, exposing systemic hypocrisy, and sharing your voice in a democracy. She wove a tapestry of the real world with real life stories, showing how corporate media has put a veil on the world for the American populous. She spoke of fathers losing their minds after learning their sons had been killed fighting in Iraq, of Cindy Sheehan giving voices to hundreds of thousands, of our “leaders” vacationing and shopping as New Orleans being destroyed, of Rumsfeld buying the property of a former slave owner that had earned the term Mount Misery, of Rosa Parks being a trained activist in a time of rampant and merciless racism, of mothers letting putting their sons’ dead bodies on the display to awaken the world to the destruction of war and racism, of moderate Muslims preaching community being profiled and – worse – arrested, held, deported, and tortured, of the importance of starting a movement that advocates for America reestablishing what we believe are its ideals. [...]
December 9th, 2006 at 12:39 amMy prayers are contiually with you. I realize that just as it was New Orleans it just as well could be me and my family, friends, and neighbors enduring this disaster without concern by principalities in high places because we live on the east coast of Myrtle Beach, SC. My heart aches as I continue to follow the news of slow progress (if any at all) regarding assistance, reconstruction, relocation, as well as the reinstatement of our people humanitarian rights that seems to have been blown away in this massive storm. Our church has done what we could and are still doing for the families that relocated to our area. It definitely is our heartfelt prayer and desire to do more if possible. We don’t have alot, (not a mega-church yet) but with God we do things we don’t see others do without a cost. But thanks be to God, He gave His Son Jesus to pay the cost for me. I encourage all who read this to don’t lose the one thing a storm nor a president can give you that is your FAITH and TRUST in the ALMIGHTY GOD. GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT ANY OF YOU BELLIEVE THAT!!!!!!
January 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 amWOW! this looks terrible!!! SO SAD!
February 11th, 2007 at 9:41 pmleg muscle pain…
The strawberry flavor was very good as well. So, while Muscle Milk may contain slightly more fat than low-fat high-carb products, our…
December 1st, 2008 at 12:28 am