McClellan Misleads on “Early” Disaster Declaration
McClellan Misleads on “Early” Disaster Declaration
To deflect criticism of its preparation for Hurricane Katrina, the White House is now pointing to the fact that President Bush declared a disaster area in southern Louisiana last Tuesday as evidence of early preparations. Here’s Scott McClellan from today’s press briefing:
In terms of the hurricane itself, remember we took a number of steps prior to the hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast region. The president issued disaster declarations for the states in the region prior to the hurricane hitting shore. That enabled FEMA to fully mobilize all the resources needed to preposition assets.
The Bush administration should not be bragging about last Tuesday’s disaster declaration. As Newsweek reported this morning, it had nothing to do with Hurricane Katrina:
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.
An Associated Press report from last week confirms Newsweek’s version of the story:
President Bush declared parts of the state hit by Tropical Storm Cindy a disaster Tuesday, paving the way for five south Louisiana parishes to seek federal funds to help with repairs.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco had requested the presidential disaster declaration to get federal help for the $5.4 million cost of cleaning up from Tropical Storm Cindy.
Tellingly, Hurricane Katrina isn’t mentioned in the AP piece.
UPDATE: McClellan’s statement was incorrect. Bush did not issue “disaster declarations” for the region in anticipation of Katrina. Bush did, however, issue an “emergency declaration” for the area on Saturday.
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Good work, Newsweek and Nico.
The WORST part in McClellan’s briefing to me was when someone asked him, [paraphrasing]
Reporter: “Do we have zero tolerance for looters who are starving and are just breaking into well-insured grocery stores for bread and water?”
Scottie answered essentially: “Yes, wait for the aid to come and if it doesn’t, drop dead” or words to that effect.
Truly chilling.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:19 pmThe scrambling for cover under rocks has begun. Keep kicking these rocks over Nico. I’m sure the American people are ready to kick salt on these slugs.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:19 pmBush did declare state of emergency in regard to Katrina, didn’t he? An empty warning before the hurricane hit? That’s how I heard it.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:27 pmBrian
No, ehm, that was in regard to the tropical strom that hit a couple of weeks ago. Their lies are even getting desperate.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:29 pmObviously, Bush made sure the levees would break and then redirected the storm to hit New Orleans. This was Rove’s plan to deflect attention from Plamegate and the growing protests of the oil grab in Iraq.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:32 pm[...] McClellan Misleads on “Early†Emergency Declaration [...]
September 1st, 2005 at 3:32 pmBrian, Bush spoke about Bin Laden grabbing Iraqi oil fields on Sunday. Who will take ANYTHING he says seriously?
September 1st, 2005 at 3:33 pmI don’t mean Bush specifically. Washington did say something about Katrina, though. Did I hear it wrong? Bear in mind this thread is based on a very critical article.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:38 pmUnreal…they try to make themselves look good now for dragging ass before. I wonder who got the gold star on their report for coming up with this one…childish bafoons and liars.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:40 pm“buffoons”…sry
September 1st, 2005 at 3:41 pmCompletely off thread – Hey if anyone wants to see a good melt down, go over to redstate and read this thread. They’ve already booted a few contributors cause they don’t like bush being held accountable there (what twits they can be).
I can’t post there anymore, but it’s nice to see that they have insurrections on some issues.
Back to your regularly scheduled thread….
September 1st, 2005 at 3:43 pmBrian,
September 1st, 2005 at 3:47 pmThought I heard the the same. Bad info?
I’ve been following Bush’s vacation news around the west so let me get this straight: Katrina is not just a tropical storm any longer?
September 1st, 2005 at 3:51 pmAs Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff explains, it’s all the fault of the folks in New Orleans:
The critical thing [inside New Orleans] was to get people out [of there] before the disaster. Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part.”
September 1st, 2005 at 3:54 pm#8 – Brian,
But McClellan did say “The president issued disaster declarations for the states in the region prior to the hurricane hitting shore”. That’s untrue.
But the MAIN POINT is that FEMA did NOT mobilize. Click on the link below and search for the string “Clinton”, and read that paragraph.
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12528233.htm
September 1st, 2005 at 3:55 pmHave another one, sixpack.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:58 pmIf Bush had declared for Katrina, and not for cleanup of Cindy(ironies about here don’t they), then the US military would have had a presence on scene. It took two full days to begin to send ships from VA. If Bush had made the emergency order those ships would have been moving. The hospital ship that is in Baltimore is another strange story. It seems that that ship has been the scene of much of the treatment of Iraq and Afghan military wounded who are kept away from the spotlight. They first have to get them offloaded and sent to other hospitals before they can leave port. More of the same distortions and lies trying to politically cover up their failings in managing the US government for the people. Even the most conservative of corporations would have fired this management ages ago.
September 1st, 2005 at 3:58 pmWhite House asks coastal residents to heed hurricane warnings
August 27, 2005
CRAWFORD, Texas — President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana today because of the approach of Hurricane Katrina and his spokesman urged residents along the coast to heed authorities’ advice to evacuate.
Bush, vacationing at his ranch, was being regularly updated about the storm, which is expected to hit land early Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency continue to coordinate with state authorities in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, and have prepositioned supplies in areas expected to be affected, he said.
The president’s emergency declaration authorizes the FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance in a number of Louisiana parishes, or counties.
Authorities told residents of low-lying coastal communities to head for higher ground. The storm was expected to strengthen as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and could become a Category 4 hurricane with wind of at least 131 mph.
“We urge residents in the areas that could be impacted to follow the recommendations of local authorities,†McClellan said.
©The Shreveport Times
September 1st, 2005 at 4:03 pmAugust 27, 2005
“Bush did declare state of emergency in regard to Katrina, didn’t he? An empty warning before the hurricane hit? That’s how I heard it.”
Brian, Bush spoke on Sunday about Katrina. He did not declare the area a disaster then because it was already declared as such.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:05 pmHow hardened is the BushCo heart? Check this out. The Senate is meeting in a special session tonight to appropriate monies for emergency services.
Will the money be tracable? No. Who benefits? Well, they’re moving the refugees out of the Superdome to, wait for it… you won’t believe it… of all the places in the US that could work… where do you think the refugess are being shipped to?… the Astrodome in Houston.
OK for the slow trolls in the corner, who has good friends in Houston? If the appropriated monies are untraceable, who’s pocket do you think this will end up in? Who’s buddies will be providing “services” to the refugees? Which entities will be posting unexplained huge profits over the next six months?
What? Don’t think that BushCo is cold hearted enough to pocket more for he and his close friends from the now plundered public treasury? Think again.
These are sick and evil times. Impeach Bush. NOW!
September 1st, 2005 at 4:09 pm10-4, Nico.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Bush belongs in prison.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:12 pmScary thought people – had Bush gotten his way late last year, we’d have Bernard Kerik in charge of clean-up.
Even so, the neglect of FEMA and all the rest of the corner-cutting and cronyism in respect of disaster-recovery planning now becoming evident… at what point does criminal negligence come into play?
September 1st, 2005 at 4:28 pmThe declaration was made on Saturday. Link.
Now will someone please ask why these supplies are still not reaching the people in New Orleans?
September 1st, 2005 at 4:34 pmDid anyone see Jack Cafferty on CNN? He ROCKED!! He expressed his outrage over the (lack of) federal response, and had the guts to report that of all the many emails he’d received, not ONE was satisfied with the response. Hope this will wake the other MSM out of their neocon cheerleading comas.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:52 pmYes, Brian, Bush does belong in prison. I hope we live to see him go there.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:54 pm#20 JCGofW
I was also suspicious of the transfer to the Houston Astrodome — then I thought it was because it is probably the closest facility — but now you add a bit more suspicion to my already huge distrust of this government.
An emergency declaration was made saturday. McClellan said the present declared a “disaster declaration” in advance of the hurricane. That’s wrong. The disaster declaration was made over a week ago in response to a different storm. On saturday Bush made an “emergency declaration.”
September 1st, 2005 at 4:54 pm#26 – the problem might not be with when the emergency was declared. The fact is, Bush did indeed declare the situation a disaster in a somewhat timely manner.
The problem here is that NOBODY WAS MOBILIZED after the declaration was made.
Where are the military landing craft bringing supplies and hauling out refugees? Where are the airdropped food supplies? Where is the public announcement from WalMart that they are opening their stores in New Orleans _as their gift_ to the people in the area to help ease the suffering?
September 1st, 2005 at 4:59 pmLook back at Bush an the crisis gathered: He sits on his ranch. Over and over, his government issues dire warnings of the hurricane that is coming. The mayor of New Orleans starts the evacuation. Bush sits there, still on vacation. The storm strikes. Still he sits there. Then he acts. What does he do? He extends a helping hand to the oil industry, releasing some oil from the reserves and cutting pollution control. But the price of gas to even higher levels. The industry need more profits. Only in America can an industrial giant get away with saying there’s a shortage when they’re swimming in surplus. And Bush? For him, it’s one more payoff to his campaign contributors.
And the people of New Orleans? They sit on the baking rooftops and sidewalks. No water. No food. No help.
Then Bush acts again. He is decisive. On Wednesday, he gets in his plane and flies—flies real low, okay?—over the devastation. And then he goes to Washington and, as the papers say, “mobilizes†the rescue effort. He says: “It is so devastating that it is hard to describe it. Nine-eleven was a manmade attack. This was a natural disaster.
“New Orleans is more devastated than New York— and just physically devastated as is the coast of Mississippi, so we’ve got a lot of work to do and we’ll get it done.â€
How would he know? Bush was sitting in a bunker under a cornfield on 9-11 while New York organized its own rescue.
He would not go to New York on that day. And now the best he can do is look out the window of his plane at the hurricane. His government says he’d like to visit—maybe even tomorrow—but the White House wants to make sure the president doesn’t impede the rescue effort.
So he sits in the White House while the people he governs, the people of the South, die in the heat because they can’t get a glass of water in the wealthiest country of the world. No wonder there are looters.
The president mocks us all.
September 1st, 2005 at 4:59 pm#11 wow that is some real meltdown action over at redstate.org they’re pulling out all the talking points to defend their man at all costs. I like this one:
Show me the part in the Constitution where the President is supposed to deal with hurricanes.
Isn’t that a kick? Yes, redstate.org, the president shouldn’t be dealing with hurricanes, it’s a local and state issue. Brilliant.
And they’re kicking off anyone who makes a valid point.
September 1st, 2005 at 5:23 pmI see a flow of blue taking the red out…yeah…
September 1st, 2005 at 5:40 pmFreedom of Speech…I will fight for it till my last breath.
Re my post #24, crooks and liars has video of Jack Cafferty blasting the administration.
September 1st, 2005 at 6:11 pmBout time for Bush and Laura to hit the Larry King show again, where they can get a pass.
September 1st, 2005 at 7:43 pmCnn, Fox News, and all other media personnel seem to move in and out of the ravished area’s rather easily. Why can’t the goverment do it as well. People are suffering by the multitudes. But Fema can’t even get them the basic essentials for life…..food & water. People are going to die just from the lack of clean drinking water. This country can rush aid to the tsunami victims in Indonesia, spend a billion dollars a day to fund a war in Iraq. But when it comes to your own citizens, who have suffered the worst calamity this country has ever seen. It’s a disgrace Mr.Bush for you to call on your own father and former “President Clinton” for help
September 2nd, 2005 at 1:05 amI cannot express the gutwrenching feelings I have towards this administration and the overwhelming thought that this lack of leadership shall also go unpunished. As the citizens of this country fight for their lives this President does nothing….
September 2nd, 2005 at 2:59 amsigh …
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/12494800.htm
Posted on Sat, Aug. 27, 2005
M O R E N E W S F R O M topix.net
• George Bush
• US News
Bush declares emergency in Louisiana
Associated Press
CRAWFORD, Texas – President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana on Saturday because of the approach of Hurricane Katrina and his spokesman urged residents along the coast to heed authorities’ advice to evacuate.
Bush, vacationing at his ranch, was being regularly updated about the storm, which is expected to hit land early Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency continue to coordinate with state authorities in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, and have prepositioned supplies in areas expected to be affected, he said.
September 3rd, 2005 at 3:31 pmAll I hear on talk radio and fox news is “Dont blame the president” …WHY NOT?…If you or I mismanaged our job as badly as this….we’d be fired.
September 3rd, 2005 at 4:28 pmHe isn’t King …he’s our employee and he has failed.
How long do we have to pretend that he’s smart, truthful, competent, or caring of the common people.
As we speak the stepford congress is getting ready to
pass another tax cut for the very wealthy even in the face of this new catastrophy.
once again he has disgraced us in front of the entire world.
He should be fired.
Thankyou Michael Moore…Bill Mahr…..Jon Stewart…
Al Franken…Jim Hightower…Jesse Jackson ….Molly Ivans…Cindy Sheehan and the wonderful legitimate press who exposed the callousness and ineptness of this administration just by telling the truth.
I am in awe of your courage .
courage
Talk about lies, how do you justify the fact that you intentionally misquote a press release and then portray it to be the truth. In the press release McClellan clearly said “emergency declarations”, not “disaster declarations”. If you do not beleive it, read it for yourself http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050901-2.html . Your “UPDATE: McClellan’s statement was incorrect.”, should read “UPDATE: I totally lied about McClellan’s statement”. Emergency Aid Authorized For Hurricane Katrina Emergency Response In Louisiana, Release Date: August 27, 2005, Release Number: HQ-05-169, This can be found here. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18447 .. If your fighting against “Braindead Media”, start with yourself. Don’t tell lies!
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