Pentagon Response to Katrina Based on Nonexistent “Dodged a Bullet” Headline
Pentagon Response to Katrina Based on Nonexistent “Dodged a Bullet” Headline
Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers just wrapped up a live press conference with Sec. Rumsfeld on the Defense Department’s response to Katrina.
Myers repeated Michael Chertoff’s debunked claim that newpapers on Tuesday had said, “New Orleans Dodged a Bullet.” But then he went a step further — Myers claimed that “most of the papers” carried that headline on Tuesday, and that the Defense Department’s response to Katrina was developed with “those words…in our minds”:
The headline, of course, in most of the papers on Tuesday — “New Orleans Dodged a Bullet,” or words to that effect. At that time, when those words were in our minds, we started working issues before we were asked, and on Tuesday, at the direction of the secretary and the deputy secretary, we went to each of the services. I called each of the chiefs of the services. One-by-one I called them and said, we don’t know what we will be asked for yet. The levees and the floodwalls had just broken and we know some of what will be asked because we had some requests for assistance already. There is probably going to be more.
Too bad Gen. Myers never received a copy of Tuesday’s Times-Picayune. The banner headline that morning: “CATASTROPHIC: Storm Surge Swamps 9th Ward, St. Bernard; Lakeview Levee Breach Threatens to Inundate City.”
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Lord knows I think the feds handled this (Katrina) poorly and my rants last week were directed mostly at the feds but when does this bitch Nagin get his feet held to the fire? All the guy has done is whine and boob and go on national talk shows to bitch about what a rotten job the feds have done. Everytime he opens his mouth he throws fuel on the fire. He has upgraded his death total so many times that it now stands at 10,000 people. He waited until 24 hours pre-strike to call for evacuation. He let dozens and dozens of school busses sit idle when they could have been used to haul those willing to leave, even to Baton Rouge, to weather the storm. The guy has not taken one iota of responsibility for the cluster fuck happening in his city. Even Bush has come out and said that the situation was handled badly. What’s Nagin’s excuse?
Then there’s Governor Blanco. She refused federal help 24-48 pre storm. She refused help 24 hours post storm but all the sudden 48 hours post storm rolls around and the feds are bastards for not knowing they should magically appear at this juncture in time? If anything, Blanco’s more to blame than Nagin. Nagin’s resources were totally wiped out post storm, what about Blanco? The whole fucking state wasn’t taken out. The bitch is just looking to pass the buck. Unfortunately many people are buying into it…
Lastly, major props to New York’s finest. When 9/11 happened many off duty NYPD & FDNY rushed to help. New Orleans’ finest? They abandoned their post, joined in the looting or offed themselves. Nice… I sincerely hope that Salt Lake’s finest aren’t just as big bitches.
Yeah, the feds hold some blame here but I’m thinking there’s a lot more to go around.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:13 pmLies, damn lies, and FEMA Press Conferences…
September 6th, 2005 at 3:19 pmMyers went on to say, that things were pretty much resolved in the Superdome and N.O. on Friday.
1:00 p.m. and the first damn convoy passes the Superdome and hours later the supplies are passed out.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:20 pm[…] Lies have a tendency to do that to me. […]
September 6th, 2005 at 3:20 pmMyers went on to say, that things were pretty much resolved in the Superdome and N.O. on Friday.
1:00 p.m. and the first damn convoy passes the Superdome and hours later the supplies are passed out.
I don’t know if this is posting, I am sorry if this is a multple post.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:21 pmIf Myer and Rummy loose creditibility here with proven lies, what about their lies about Iraq?
September 6th, 2005 at 3:24 pmTruly amazing, the one party government of America gets it’s information from newspapers. No wonder they have failed at every level every time. The president doesn’t read them, but all his appointees use them as their sole source. The rot, the horror, the sadness of it all.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:26 pmHell, you guys could care less what went wrong on all levels or what needs to be done to fix it. Just as long as you can blame the current administration… it’s all godd.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:28 pmCheck out newseum.org for jpeg images of a huge number of front pages from newspapers from around the world from last Tuesday.
Nary a dodged bullet in the lot.
Myers new nickname, btw, is Quag.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:28 pm36 years ago my hometown flooded. I, along with the rest of my family, were out of our house and home for over six weeks. We had to depend upon relatives and friends for help. 12,000 others were in the same boat.
That’s just the way things are. I should have blamed Nixon.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:29 pmObviously not one of these guys actually reads a newspaper or a news wire - or gets an immediate briefing of events “on the ground.”
September 6th, 2005 at 3:30 pmThey don’t have staff to provide up-to-the-moment news?
They rely on the blather that passes between them for the basis of their “informed” comments. They are, to a man, out to preserve and protect “Numero uno,” and that’s it.
Myers honed his skill at the numerous Iraq press conferences. Damn! these guys are all skilled at lies, lies, outright lies, repeated frequently so that the average guy can’t recall anything except that the guy in uniform with all the brass said it so it was “authoritative.”
We are all in trouble with this team.
“That’s just the way things are. I should have blamed Nixon.”
You would have gotten a new house and probably a million dollars out of the deal.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:30 pm36 years later, no improvements have been made.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:32 pmThe president needs improved intelligence (double-entredre) among those who read the newspapers for him. “No need to worry CIC, newspapers say you can continue on your vacation.”
Something tells me these generals were left behind at school.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:33 pmhttp://stormtrack.blogspot.com/ 2005_08_01_stormtrack_archive.html
“It seems like a miracle at the moment, but New Orleans has been spared the worst of the storm. Reports indicate damage at the Superdome and the city pumps are down. However, the levies seem to be holding. It is still too early to tell whether they will breach, but so far the situation looks a lot better than it could have been.”
“It seems that we may not know until tomorrow morning how bad things are there. Just because New Orleans dodged the bullet on this one, does not mean everyone escaped unharmed. A Category 5 hurricane does not just go away.”
September 6th, 2005 at 3:33 pm#15
You’re joking right? I wouldn’t consider a blogspot Storm Tracker as being a major newspaper.
And your posting makes absolutely no since considering that just a little over 4 hours later, Storm Tracker posted this “Just because New Orleans dodged the bullet on this one, does not mean everyone escaped unharmed.”
Then, 7 hours later, Storm Tracker posted this “Now that reports are finally streaming in, it is time to document the damage.”
So, in a matter of 11 hours, Storm Tracker went from “New Orleans dodged a bullet” to “Holy Shit!”
September 6th, 2005 at 3:45 pm#1 - Mark
You got it all so wrong pal I am not going to try and correct it in this post except to say there your remarks from the first paragraph on down are bullshit.
One thing. The mayor Nagin. What could he do? He was in the hell hole himself. All he could do was watch the water rise, and you knonw it.
Your facts on the gov are all wrong and you should check them before you make an idiotic post like that.
Like the entire bush administration, you have not reached puberty as yet.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:48 pmRon Fish
You’re talking out of the two sides of the slit you cal a mouth. Blame Nixon?, the GOP is the mistress bitch of blame. Hell, we still hear Clinton blame, blame the democrats, blame Johnson, blame FDR. Go the hospital and have them stitch that slit shut before you choke on your own GOP puke.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:51 pmHOW ARE REPORTERS NOT ATTACKING THEM FOR LYING???
Why are they not being shouted down for their lies?
HOW ARE THEY BEING ALLOWED TO SAY THESE THINGS???
September 6th, 2005 at 3:52 pmRemember, 9/11 changed everything. Go into any DoD (hell, Federal government)facility and you will see at least one TV turned to Faux News or CNN so that the commanders have the latest information before it can come through official channels. This is what our government has become–leadership via the tube. We all know that the media gets it perfectly right every time from the first instant. Yea, right.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:53 pmI woke up on Tuesday & turned on the TV to hear Brian Williams say, there has been an ominous turn overnight, the 17th St. Levee has been breached and water is pouring into New Orleans.
My mother & I looked at each other in horror.
Doesn’t anyone in government own one of them new-fangled things called a television?
September 6th, 2005 at 3:54 pmMark, there is a lot of truth in your post. However, keep in mind that the whining at the state and civic level will soon be drowned out by the Republican smear machine. These Dems have to make their cases heard now because pretty soon they will be the ones with their feet to the fire. It’s already happening with the WP and Newsweek reporting false claims against the Governor. In a few weeks, the Democrats will be considered fully guilty and Bush’s crew with come out smelling like roses. Always happens. Hitchens, O’Reilly, the Washington press, the rest of Fox News, CNN, all those guys, will be all over Blanco and Nagin. So, hold on Mark, you will have the justice you demand but at a cost of the truth and integrity. It’s going to be brutal.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:55 pmLet’s now forget what has and contiues to work for this administration…lie, lie, lie and when or if confronted about the lie….they lie. Most Americans believe the first lie, so there is no point in changing the line. Hey, it works…. how many times has someone in a federal branch of government come out with the truth and within 24 hours reappears and says it was all a misunderstanding and then repeates the administration lie? All the time! Don’t expect changes in the game plan at this point. Every agency involved will lie to protect the prezident’s ass.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:00 pm#1 Mark,
September 6th, 2005 at 4:01 pmThanks for making all Der Learder’s Mind Control talking points so clear today. I can put this to bed now that we have the always true and insightful military assessment from Rummy and club. The only one we haven’t heard from is uncle Dick. Is he still alive? Uncharateristic of him not serve up some half-truth spin on the issue. I’m sure Nagin and Blanco had terrorist ties. Maybe they will find the Iraq WMD after the flood draining.
EasyRider wrote: “If Myer and Rummy loose creditibility here with proven lies, what about their lies about Iraq?”
You could go back even futher when Rummy and his Leo Strauss buddies (including Wolfowitz) started the NeoCons and decided that Leo was right, what the US needed to get rid of Liberals and thier policies. The best way to do this was through fear. So, Rummy got his buds (the NeoCons) a committee to view all the CIA info regarding the Russians. This group (Team B if I recall correctly) decided that you couldn’t see the Russian technology that was ready to demolish the states because it was so new and couldn’t be detected. The CIA thought it was BS what this group came up with. But, they succeeded in spreading the fear. Sounds a bit like the Iraq WMD was a complete repeat of that episode. They lied and lied about what the Russians were doing - they really didn’t know. The result was many news conferences with the same tone as was for Iraq “They are coming to kill us … soon”
Bunch of bastards.
P.S. I was formerly known as Athiest and having seen the movie “What the bleep do we know” I have changed my mind about God. He is there, He just isn’t connected to the Bible or any other written text that man has produced. He is in all of us, you just have to realize it and make your reality knowing this. This movie is a must see.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:04 pm#1 - “Mark” - Blame the mayor but how dare you insult New Orleans’ policemen…!! Where are you posting this from, North Korea? You’re clearly un-American.
Then again you could be a wingnut who will defend Bush and the cronies he appointed to FEMA for anything they do and blame policemen any chance you get. For shame….
September 6th, 2005 at 4:07 pmSpeaking of bullets, when I saw pappy come out to help spin this disaster I had to do a little mental calculation.
I think that Bush II has now killed more people than Bush I.
Bush I is still at it, what with selling arms that are killing people, but I think W has him beat.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ eandp/ news/ article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054805
http://www.hereinreality.com/familyvalues.html
http://www.texas-on-line.com/graphic/georgebush.htm
September 6th, 2005 at 4:08 pmI think one of the things that amazes is how these people - any of them - apparently don’t watch any television news. Watching of course does not indicate accepting completely at face value (because as Barbara Bush says - it’s skewered, ya know) - but Jesus Christ! watch to see what’s going on somewhere.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:10 pmThe governor of LA declared a state of emergency, that opens the door for federal aid on Saturday BEFORE the storm. we are going to hear a lot of lies
September 6th, 2005 at 4:11 pmabout the locals. check out the facts on this one.
BREAKING: America under threat from 2 enemies:
Iran threatens to attack the U.S. with oil:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 1/ hi/ world/ americas/ 4218986.stm
Castro readying army of 1,100 to invade the U.S.:
September 6th, 2005 at 4:18 pmhttp://www.cnn.com/ 2005/ WEATHER/ 09/ 03/ katrina.castro
#1 - unbelievable … do you not read the news? the canard that Blanco refused help has been refuted even by the Washington Post, itself (which originally reported the story) …
as for Nagin and the school buses - where was he supposed to go? and, assuming that there were 200-ish busses and each could hold about 100 people, that’s only 20,000 people. now, that would be better than NONE, but where, exactly, was he to take them? he did his job as mayor by designating a place of refuge - the feds dropped the ball by not reaching out to help them.
not to mention, there have been TOO many stories out over the weekend of how FEMA and Homeland Security actually *hampered* efforts
- prevented WalMart trucks from distributing food and water
- confiscated generators
- cut communication lines
- prevented the Canadian air force from helping airlift people off rooftops
- prevented the RED FRICKIN CROSS from entering the city and helping because “it might encourage people to stay rather than evacuate”
… and you bitch and moan about Nagin???
September 6th, 2005 at 4:21 pmAnother admission of total incompetence.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:21 pmRun ‘em all down the frikkin’ road.
Maybe they could get a job crabbin’ in the North Sea … as the bait.
The hard work of keeping America safe(r). Brown & possibly Chertof will be sacrificed. It is all PR at this point.
I believe there will be a three pronged campaign; 1) the presidential commission (with a simultaneous quashing of any Democratic/Congressional investigations) 2) continued “leaking” of Louisiana State Democratic short comings 3) and ultimately a bloodletting of “officials once removed from the administration”.
There, we should all feel safe(r).
I guess I should add #4 float “a body” of excuses until one floats.
PS. Why didn’t FEMA & Joint Chiefs have someone on the ground with a radio to get first hand information? Is this why our Men & Women in Iraq are getting hit so hard, the Joint Chiefs rely only on press reports?
September 6th, 2005 at 4:21 pmHell, they just found out last week that junior invaded Iraq.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:24 pmThere was Rumsfeld’s claim, too, that one reason the response took so long is that “they” (FEMA? National Guard? the military?) had to evacuate rescue supplies from the path of the hurricane and it takes time to get them back to where they were.
He said he was repeating a point General Russel Honore made in a press conference on Sunday. That’s one of the dumbest excuses I’ve heard this week.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:25 pmThe vultures of the venomous left are attacking on two fronts, first that the president didn’t do what the incompetent mayor of New Orleans and the pouty governor of Louisiana should have done, and didn’t, in the early hours after Katrina loosed the deluge on the city that care and good judgment forgot. Ray Nagin, the mayor, ordered a “mandatory” evacuation a day late, but kept the city’s 2,000 school buses parked and locked in neat rows when there was still time to take the refugees to higher ground. The bright-yellow buses sit ruined now in four feet of dirty water. Then the governor, Kathleen Blanco, resisted early pleas to declare martial law, and her dithering opened the way for looters, rapists and killers to make New Orleans an unholy hell. Gov. Haley Barbour did not hesitate in neighboring Mississippi, and looters, rapists and killers have not turned the streets of Gulfport and Biloxi into killing fields.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:27 pm#30 Bush issued a disaster declaration for the states of Louisianna, Mississppi & Alabama on August 28th. All it means is that Nagin was requesting federal aid, primarily in the form of money and Bush approved it.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:27 pmThe hard work of keeping America safe(r). Brown & possibly Chertof will be sacrificed. It is all PR at this point.
I believe there will be a three pronged campaign; 1) the presidential commission (with a simultaneous quashing of any Democratic/Congressional investigations) 2) continued “leaking†of Louisiana State Democratic short comings 3) and ultimately a bloodletting of “officials once removed from the administrationâ€.
There, we should all feel safe(r).
I guess I should add #4 float “a body†of excuses until one floats.
Alright, #5 Yellow school buses on a “up or down” vote
PS. Why didn’t FEMA & Joint Chiefs have someone on the ground with a radio to get first hand information? Is this why our Men & Women in Iraq are getting hit so hard, the Joint Chiefs rely only on press reports?
September 6th, 2005 at 4:32 pmNot totally important in this environment, but Gilligan passed away today at 70. Compard to W, he was a genius.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:33 pmTrolls get to your “Yellow” bus stop, before you’re drowned in the NO bathtub.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:35 pmSo when did the “dodged a bullet” headline appear? I recall seeing it too, but I think it was several days before landfall, when they were predicting it was going to go east….
September 6th, 2005 at 4:37 pm#39 - Ah damn. Little Buddy is gone! At least he tried to help.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:39 pmreplying to myself: exactly one headline on Aug 29 “Big Easy dodges Bullet” acc. to Google News
September 6th, 2005 at 4:41 pmRe: 43
September 6th, 2005 at 4:47 pmSo the big easy dodged the bullet only to be hit by the falling safe.
#43
Isn’t it funny (not really) that the first line of the AP story is
“Hurricane Katrina plowed into this below-sea-level city Monday with shrieking, 145-mph winds and blinding rain that submerged entire neighborhoods up to the rooflines and peeled away part of the Superdome, where thousands of people had taken shelter.”
How can that be considered “Big easy dodges bullet” That reporter needs to be fired.
September 6th, 2005 at 5:04 pmDo a Google search for:
“Hurricane Katrina plowed into this below-sea-level city Monday with shrieking, 145-mph winds and blinding rain that submerged entire neighborhoods up to the rooflines and peeled away part of the Superdome, where thousands of people had taken shelter.”
And you will see that every other newspaper went with the headline “Hurricane Katrina plows into New Orleans”
Hmmmmmm. Why is that?
September 6th, 2005 at 5:06 pmCHRIS - “Then the governor, Kathleen Blanco, resisted early pleas to declare martial law, and her dithering opened the way for looters, “
There is still no martial law. Simply declaring martial law would do nothing unless accompanied by boots on the ground. The boots did not get there in any significant numbers until Friday.
September 6th, 2005 at 5:16 pmThe Pentagon also should have re-read a document signed by, among others, Donald Rumsfeld; the National Response Plan December,2004 has a “Proactive Response” section on pp.43-44. In essence it says in case of national emergency the federal government should expedite relief even if not specifically requested by state or local governments. I found this document at http://www.dhs.gov under “DHS Organization”.
September 6th, 2005 at 5:26 pmChris,
You missed so many points that of course your post was pointless. So you say that the big powerful federal government, knowing that a category 5 hurricane event was coming didn’t do anything to ensure the safety of the citizens of NewOrleans? Despite the department of homeland security that is supposed to monitor and prepare for security and destablization risks, they didn’t force those yellow busses off the lots? Are you saying that they didn’t even know these buses were sitting there, although they were tasked with assessing and coordinating large scaled disasters?
You keep pointing at a mayor and governor who had limited resources and authorities - and yet I don’t see a SINGLE comment about the negligence and incompetence at the federal level that is glaringly obvious to anyone who isn’t a selfish, greedy, self serving fat headed partisan like yourself… Get a clue!
September 6th, 2005 at 6:08 pmThis blame the victim is very indicative of those raised in abusive and alcoholic households. Folks on the right seem to need therapy and lithium more than any other government assistance…
September 6th, 2005 at 6:14 pmToo bad about Little Buddy.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:17 pmI think he was a brighter bulb than Mark at #1 though, who believes all the BS that the right spews, in their efforts to point their fingers, Eddie Haskell style, against everyone else.
The Governor requested Federal help on 8/26. Erroneous information has since been corrected in the press, but Fox probably didn’t cover it, so many rightwingers might not know it.
#51 LOL At least I’m not worse than Mr. Thurston Howell III waiting around thinking that someone else is going to do everything for me!! ;-)
September 6th, 2005 at 6:30 pm#52
Thurston Howell III was a rich, self serving, screw everyone but myself, republican you moron.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:41 pmMark - you’ve nailed W.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:41 pmSpudge-Boy
September 6th, 2005 at 6:44 pmDon’t you mean schrew?
Heared and watched today the Katrina segment of the ARD 8pm newscast found at -it is in german -http://www.tagesschau.de/sendungen/0,,SPM7,00.html
that 40,000 people are missing.
Somebody please hunt and verify this number. It should NOT be hidden from the public and it shows just how negligent this administration is. Even if only it is 50% correct it is mind boggling.
September 6th, 2005 at 6:51 pmA quick google indicates that some early (and sadly erroneous) reports did suggest that New Orleans had “dodged a bullet”.
This is not to defend the horrendously inept response to the disaster but I think we can chalk this up more to stupidity than malevolence.
For instance, http://www.newschannel6.tv/ news/ default.asp?mode=shownews&id=8606
[. . .]
The city`s levee system appeared to hold off the surging Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco urged people Monday afternoon to stay put and not try to return home while the damage is assessed.
Blanco said boats were sent to help more than 100 people who were stranded on rooftops by high floodwaters.
There have been reports that water is nine to ten feet deep in some places.
Governor Blanco urged people in her state to help one another and to pray for their neighbors in Mississippi, which took more of a direct hit. Katrina`s turn away from New Orleans made things worse for the Mississippi coastal towns of Biloxi and Gulfport.
[MORE]
I believe in being critical of the “administration” but I think our criticism should be congruent with the facts.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:05 pmAnother one of numerous reports that New Orleans got lucky again. The AP on 8/29/05
Calling it a once-in-a-lifetime storm, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had issued a mandatory evacuation order as Katrina drew near. But the doomsday vision of hurricane waters spilling over levees and swamping the city in a toxic soup of refinery chemicals, sewage and human bodies never materialized.
Forecasters said New Orleans — which has not been hit directly by a major storm since Category 3 Hurricane Betsy struck in 1965 — got lucky again.
http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/newsrelated/katrinaswamps.htm
September 6th, 2005 at 7:12 pmSteve,
I was overseas when this happened, and I saw a CNN report that said New Orleans had dodged a bullet. But it’s not CNN’s responsibility to handle disasters, it’s FEMA. FEMA should be the SOURCE of this information - not its recipient. If they couldn’t get off their butts when the dam broke and do something - then that’s incompetence on their part, pure and simple, irrespective of ANY news report. Besides - this administration PRIDES itself on not listening to the news, or reading the papers - why the sudden change of religion when it suits them? Because they’re desperate to scapegoat - and a new victim is displayed daily to avoid the blame hit squarely where it belongs…
September 6th, 2005 at 7:19 pm#53 Sheesh, such hostility! Is this what trying to keep up with the self-portrayed image that you’re better than everyone around you does to one? LOL If it will help you feel better I’ll let you think you’re better than me… there, feel any better? ;-)
Everyone seems to totally have missed my point that I think the federal govt. screwed this up. I admit this, said so in my original post and I am upset that many people were/are left stranded for numerous days. For whatever reason you all have glossed right over this and gone onto what affronts your sensibilities most… the feds are not solely to blame.
I was simply pointing out, and what many here seem to ignore, that local and state officials have equally screwed up. For many of you this translates into my “sticking up” for the feds which translates into I’m a Bushie which translates into I must be an idiot. Do I have the chain of logic correct so far? In any case, I’ll say it again. THE FEDS SCREWED UP. SO DID BLANCO AND NAGIN. WHEN WILL LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIALS ALSO BE HELD ACOUNTABLE FOR THEIR GAFFES?
Secondly, I went back and checked into the WA Post claim that Blanco refused fed help and you were absolutely correct. The WA Post retracted their previous story attributing their erroneous information to a Whitehouse official and now only Newsweek has a similar story that they have yet to change their tune on. It would appear that I was wrong on this point. See, it’s not so hard to admit that sometimes your wrong. Some of you should try it once in a while…
I still stand by my thinking that LA, as a state, was woefully unprepared to deal with this and not just because it was a catastrophe of a magnitude not yet experienced. They knew this might someday be a possibility. Hopefully a hard lesson was learned and in the event that another catastrophe hits we will all be better prepared.
With that said I am under no illusion that I should expect to get any immediate help in the event of a major catastrophe and will take steps to help myself and my family. Sometimes shit just happens and there’s no one to blame.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:31 pmRyan:
As I said, I wasn’t excusing the miserable failure of all concerned (there are gigantic helpings of blame to go around) but to leaven the rhetoric with some actual information (heaven forbid!).
Bear in mind that, given the fact that communications were in complete disarray, CNN may have been the only source of semi-authoritative information for some period of time. I’m in contact with a well known, media savvy blogger who has a house in New Orleans and he told me on Monday morning that he believed that New Orleans had “dodged a bullet”, and he used those precise words.
Again, I’m not defending the administration’s inept (to be charitable) handling of the aftermath of Katrina, so please don’t paint me with that brush. This is a cock-up from beginning to whenever it ends.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:42 pmThe mayor and the governor were, and still are responsible for emergency planning for NO and LA. I live in Calif. and it is not FEMA telling the citizens that they should have at least a 3 day supply of food and water on hand in case of an earthquake, it is the state and city informing its citizens. The state of LA and the city of NO terribly failed it citizens in pre-storm planning and post-storm emergency response.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:44 pmGood posts Mark, you could be president someday if admitting fault ever became one of the requirements for the job again.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:49 pmGive em a break when I was a kid I had a little printing press and I could print any story I wanted. And I’m sure they have access to at least as good equipment as I did. So they probably have their own paper and can print any headlines they like!!
September 6th, 2005 at 7:52 pmTo add to Mark’s point that ‘the feds are not only to blame’ the BBC has a reasonably balanced view here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4216508.stm
I would argue that less will come from the immediate responses as contributory factors and more from the institutional chaos between DHS and FEMA (and their woefully unqualified head staff) and the failure to fund levee work since 2001.
However, if Chimpy thinks he can run an inquiry and get to the bottom of it…. I noticed Sherwin-Williams stock rose 45c on that news… http://quote.morningstar.com/ quote.html?ticker=SHW&SC=Q
September 6th, 2005 at 8:01 pmFEMA has no one to blame but their director. FEMA had a Disaster Recovery Plan ready for this disaster, they conducted training drills on it last year. A key component of every Disaster Recovery Plan is “Situation Analysis”.
The Plan should have an Incident Management Team. Situation Analysis is conducted by this team and it is their job to:
1. Assess the impact of the disaster
2. Determine critical and priority needs
3. Report on the current response to mitigate and recover from the disaster
4. Plan and organize actions and tasks
#1 is the important one. FEMA and their Incident Management Team should have gathered information and intelligence themselves on what is happening to determine what should be done. They should have been prepared to do this as part of the plan.
To pass the “no one told us this” buck is to admit incompetence in either forming or executing their Disaster Recovery Plan.
Jurisdictional issues and issues of “Legal Authority” are also part of a competent Disaster Recovery Plan.
These issues, the problems they create, and the solutions to those problems are supposed to be accounted for in every plan.
Ultimately, the Director of FEMA is responsible for the organizations performance, and the President is responsible for the nomination of FEMA’s director.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:04 pm62. And the federal government is responsible for all states. LOOK AT THE NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN DECEMBER 2004. PP. 43-44 It describes a proactive response to disaster that doesn’t require red tape. Why wasn’t that plan implemented? You’ll find it at http://www.dhs.gov under”DHS Organization”.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:06 pmCee,
I agree that the Feds are responsible to respond to any disaster, but state and local planning has a big impact on what that Fed response will be. The federal government, in this case FEMA is not omnipresent. I don’t see “FEMA†on the sides of fire trucks, police cars or helicopters.
My point is that I would be remiss if I depend on FEMA to come to my rescue. I do expect my local and state government to have plans in place and that the Feds will provide the support, materials and resources that is needed by the state, county and city in an emergency.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:25 pmJ.Birtha
September 6th, 2005 at 8:34 pmDid you read the National Response Plan pp.43-44?
Birtha, after 9/11 there is A REAL REASON and A REAL POPULAR MANDATE for the federal government to be prepared for this kind of emergency in every major American city? Bush said he understood this four years ago.
Or are we just paying homeland security to choose color codes and judge show horses?
September 6th, 2005 at 8:37 pm#60
“#53 Sheesh, such hostility! Is this what trying to keep up with the self-portrayed image that you’re better than everyone around you does to one? LOL If it will help you feel better I’ll let you think you’re better than me… there, feel any better?”
Actually, I am quite the opposite of how you are trying to portray me. I don’t think I am better than anybody. You could actually fault me for how much I don’t think I am better than anybody.
That would make me the opposite of a republican. I am not a self rightious, hypocritical bigot.
September 6th, 2005 at 8:48 pmPS:
September 6th, 2005 at 9:09 pmThose that are commenting on the local goverment to produce groundbreaking relief in the fucking eye of the storm are idiots.
The other states not only did not get the brunt of the category 4 hurricane, but they also were not built BELOW SEA LEVEL.
I don’t recall anyone saying George’s horsey friend and the rest were not doing their job because they failed to show up the second the hurricane left for other regions.
Is that what you are confused about?
Because It took them 5 DAYS TO GET THERE.
While Bush was laughing about Trent Lott’s house and making ambiguous speeches about…aw who knows-what-the-fuck,
the mayor was dropping food and supplies, local government officials were rebuilding flood walls and protecting the communication lines from being cut from FEMA!
Mark 1
September 6th, 2005 at 9:34 pmI know what you mean about whiners. Bush I was on Larry King whining about how his son shouldn’t be blamed for being an incompetent ass. A criminal ass at that.
# 69
Of course it is the responsibility of the federal government, state government and local government to protect it citizens.
The mission of FEMA is to support and assist. If local planning is not sound or non-existent then the job of the federal government is larger, as we’ve seen. The cavalry (DoD) did come to the rescue and do the job that the state and city couldn’t do. The complaint is that the federal government’s response was slow. But I ask you, slow compare to what?
I do fault the feds for not insuring that the LA and NO had workable plans. To a degree, I fault the feds for not federalizing the LA national guard on Tuesday and taking the political heat for a heavy handed action.
The feds were in reactionary mode once it became painfully obvious that the state and city did not have a plan. Couple that with the fact that the infrastructure of NO was destroyed and the breakdown of social order and what you get is what we saw on our TVs.
September 6th, 2005 at 9:40 pmMarch on the white house sept.24th. Or get in the streets. Take our country back from the greedy cronie liars.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:02 pmShoot, the fuel used by W for his 2 recent photo ops would take my Prius about 5 million miles(properly refined). Jesus rode an ass, cannot an ass use his trail bike?
September 6th, 2005 at 10:11 pmWith regard to the “dodged a bullet” headline, has anyone checked Drudge’s headlines. I remember seeing it there.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:18 pmHomeland Security is a feel good, but meaningless title as are all of Bush’s government programs.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:27 pmFEMA is not to assist and support - FEMA is to step in front, with its greater resources, implementing its contingency plans.
Bush is far too ready to have photo ops; a feel good but meaningless activity.
Walt is right on the mark when he points out that Bush wasteda lot of fuel in his photo ops this week as he admonished the rest of us, “if you don’t need gas, don’t buy it.” Bush is a certifiable moron.
I want to see a video montage of:
Bush (pre-governor) flipping off the press.
Bush I, screaming at the Vietnam MIA’s mother saying “shut up, just shut up, you people make me sick.”
Bush flipping off the press after appointing Bolton.
Bush during the fund raiser saying “haves and have more…my base.
Babs giggling as she says that the people in Texas frighten her because they say they want to STAY. And then her saying that the poor in the shelters are having the time of their lives because they “were underpriviliged” anyway.
then a banner at the end that says “REAL CHRISTIAN VALUES!”
September 7th, 2005 at 12:16 amI believe the order for help was delayed because the powers that be knew that they could reap huge savings by all the deaths…..
Less welfare, less social security to have to pay back, and help for their friends in the insurance business - as it is hard to tell if the damage was caused by hurricane (covered) or flooding (not covered)
It is all ALL about the money for them. The loss of poor black life is just (this makes me ill to say, but) GRAVY for them.
The bigots. A large group of Archie Bunkers.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:20 amArchie Bunkers with power.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:22 am#81 KJ - That’s a chilling thought, but one that is not beyond the possibilities here. The Bush & Co. worship money and cronyism - so it’s logical they would like to reduce the number of entitlement recipients, and simultaneously aid their friends in the insurance business.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:41 amAt one time, I NEVER would have accepted such a premise, but after 5 years of observing the Bushies, there is no depth to which they would not stoop. Archie was a racist, but he had a heart.
Did any of you ever wonder about what happens to your social security money you pay in if you are single and die before retirement?
Lets just say…. begin work at 18 and go till 60…. so that is 42 years… even at a modest $8.00 per hour average of 35 hours per week (this is just off the top of my head)….. $14,560 per year - you pay 8% they match it so 16% (taking into account things change so I average)…. $2329.60 annually…plus 4% (I am sure the financial guru’s get a better return on this)… so $100 interest annually ….. I don’t compound this for simplicity….
I get $102,043.20…. so if you die at 60…. single (or gay in a relationship) the GOVERNMENT GETS YOUR MONEY…
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
September 7th, 2005 at 3:25 amIt is a big lottery for the government.
What puzzles me is why they want to privatize it.
Unless, they can invest in in companies like ENRON, and take that money at the onset and keep it (like enron)…… HMMMM!
September 7th, 2005 at 3:28 amOh, i forgot, if you die, your family (not your partner if you’re gay) get a WHOPPING $250 death benefit.
I guess that would SKEW MY FIGURES.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:30 amMark, please just shut up.
September 7th, 2005 at 4:08 am[…] Pentagon Response to Katrina Based on Nonexistent “Dodged a Bullet” Headline […]
September 7th, 2005 at 5:32 am#87 Are you saying you’d like to repeal my first ammendment rights? How un-liberal of you. Oh wait, it suits your needs this time.
Nice well thought out retort by the way. Very impressive.
September 7th, 2005 at 6:36 amThe mission of FEMA is to support and assist.
Can anyone tell me what the M in FEMA stands for?
September 7th, 2005 at 11:06 amRe: 90
September 7th, 2005 at 11:46 amMismanagement
The horrendous tragedy in the South is turning into another example of the “not me” “blame someone else” attitude that has been prevailed in this administration. It’s sickening that it’s at the expense of hundred of thousands of fellow Americans.
Everyone makes mistakes, –Everyone- Doctor, Lawyers, Reporters, Fed-X Delivery people, Teachers, Presidents–you get the idea. It’s not realistic to think we can always be “right”. Yet, our current administration will not accept reponsibilty for any “mistakes” or negative situations that have happened during this Presidency. Think about it. He who tries to appear above recrimination, or repeatedly blames everyone else whenever the going gets tough. Never admitting fault shows no intergrity –period. It also shows total lack of respect for you and I. In layman’s term, a liar. “Saddam has WMD’s” was later recanted into “Saddam had the capabilities to make them”. We all make mistakes and more importantly, we acknowledge when we make them so that we can learn from them. I would like to see our Government do the same.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:57 amI am assuming NO ONE THINKS THIS MAY HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED BY GREED?
Simply stupidity?
I think not.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:21 pmOr is it just no one here thinks the government steals from the SSI accounts…..
So the people of NO died for a noble cause too?
geez…
September 7th, 2005 at 12:23 pmLet’s look at New Orleans before Katrina.
Start with crime. That looters ran unchecked after the hurricane isn’t surprising when you consider that criminals have had the run of the city for years.
It is a perennial contender for Murder Capital. The 264 homicides last year were a drop of only 11 from 2003 - and the first decline in five years.
New Orleans, with fewer than 500,000 people, had almost half the murders of New York, which had 570 homicides last year in a city of more than 8 million. Put another way, if New York had New Orleans’ murder rate, we would have more than 4,200 murders a year.
That the New Orleans police are hardly the Finest was proven by a shocking report yesterday: Nearly a third of New Orleans cops - some 500 of the 1,600 - are now unaccounted for. The department says some quit, but it doesn’t know where most of them are.
The top cop, Eddie Compass, has responded by offering all officers paid vacations to Las Vegas and Atlanta. Yes, that’s right - he is pulling all cops off the street, even while bodies lie in the open. Never in New York.
Then there’s Mayor Ray Nagin, a Democrat, who has blamed everybody but himself. Maybe he has forgotten his plans for dealing with Katrina.
Last July, his office prepared DVDs warning that, if the city ever had to be evacuated, residents were on their own. According toa July 24 article in The Times-Picayune (spotted by the Web’s Drudge Report), “Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm’s way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation.”
“You’re responsible for your safety, and you should be responsible for the person next to you,” one official said of the message.
And how’s this for preparation? Cops were told not to work on the day Katrina hit, one officer told The New York Times, but “to come in the next day, to save money on their budget.”
By all means, let’s investigate what went wrong in New Orleans. Let’s start in City Hall.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:21 pmOnly 13 percent of those polled believe President Bush is “most responsible†for the problems in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, a new poll discloses.
And 35 percent said Bush has done a “great†or “good†job responding to the hurricane and flooding, according to the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:23 pmNine months before the Hurricane Katrina disaster, three Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness officials were indicted for obstructing an audit into flood prevention expenditures.
In a November 2004 press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced:
“A federal grand jury has returned two separate indictments charging three members of the State Military Department with offenses related to the obstruction of an audit of the use of federal funds for flood mitigation activities throughout Louisiana.
“The two emergency management officials were senior employees of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Both were charged with conspiracy to obstruct a federal audit.”
Gov. Kathleen Blanco told Louisiana’s News-Star at the time that she was disturbed by the indictments. She said the National Guard is cooperating with the investigation “as I expect them to do.”
Reports of rampant corruption among Louisiana’s state and local agencies have been cited in recent days to explain why officials were so ill-prepared to deal with the Katrina disaster.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:31 pmRe: 90 Misunderestimating
September 7th, 2005 at 1:32 pmYOU MIGHT BE A LEFT-WING EXTREMIST BRAINWASHING VICTIM IF… You believe that the U. S. Constitution prohibits the open recognition of God by our federal (or any state) government, and the exhibition of religious symbols on public grounds.
Or you believe that Al Gore won the 2000 presidential election.
Or you believe that most television and print news outlets in this country are politically neutral.
Or you believe that outlawing private gun ownership will reduce crime.
Or you believe that the U. S. Constitution is a “living, breathing” document, and that Supreme Court Justices have the right to redefine its text in order to make it compatible with what they interpret to be the current moral standards of society.
Or you believe that Charles Darwin’s macro-evolution theory is a proven fact.
Or you believe that the U. S. should be a signatory to the Kyoto Treaty.
Or you believe that Michael Moore is patriotic.
Or you believe that requiring children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school violates their “civil rights”.
Or you believe that the United States of America is an imperialistic nation.
Or you believe that private clubs like the Boy Scouts of America should be forced to accept as members individuals who’s lifestyles they disapprove of.
Or you believe that affirmative action programs are morally defensible.
Or you believe that illegal aliens have the same Constitutional rights as American citizens.
Or you believe that big oil companies make more money from the sale of gasoline than the federal and state governments do.
Or you believe that most American soldiers joined the military because they were either tricked into it, or they couldn’t make a living in the civilian world.
Or you believe that taxpayer money should be used to fund “the arts”.
Or you believe that the guarantor of your rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the federal government.
Or you believe that unborn human beings are not really human beings simply because they require the impermanent sanctuary of their mothers’ wombs, and therefore, abortion is not murder.
Or you believe that George W. Bush is more dangerous to the American way of life than Al-Qaeda.
Or you believe that Rush Limbaugh is an extremist, but that Al Franken isn’t.
Or you believe that drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska will destroy the environment.
Or you believe that raising taxes on the “rich” will lead to economic prosperity for everyone else.
Or you believe that the invasion of Iraq by U. S.-led coalition forces violated “international law”.
Or you believe that things like the education system, the healthcare system, and the social security system are best controlled by federal agencies, as opposed to private citizens.
Or you believe that spanking an unruly child equates to abuse.
Or you believe that Hillary Clinton was genuinely shocked when Bill finally admitted to the American people that he’d had an “inappropriate” relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
And if, by chance, you believe all of the above propositions to be true, then you have DEFINITELY been brainwashed by leftist extremists, and my heart goes out to your family and friends as they mourn the loss of your sanity.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:42 pmHey Chris, just couldn’t hold it in, could you?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:54 pmYup, you can always count on this administration for a quick, effective and compassionate response to any crisis. For some amazing quotes from Rummy, for example - some of them even real - see http://www.hairytruth.blogspot.com
September 7th, 2005 at 2:14 pmWhen has GW ever accepted responsibilty for anything negative?? I wouldn’t expect him to now. Besides, his excuse is classic– he was still on vacation, as was the majority of his staff. Our Government (Local) since 9-11 have had considerable problems getting funding for security and preparedness planning. I live in B-more, and Mayor O’Malley has repeated again and again “Show me the $$” because the Feds promised to provide $$ for the programs with no results. As for the remarks about the Mayor of NO not having a plan– if you haven’t alread heard, we are talking about an area with some of the highest rate of povery rate in the country. Have you ever been to New Orleans? If you stop and realize the incredible task of trying to evacuate more than a hundred thousand people who don’t own vehicles, who are elderly or ill, who don’t want to leave? — Without having the funding, it’s not possible to create a formal plan with the proper facilities/staff/vehicles etc.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:31 pmIt’s extremely sad that it always takes a tragedy after the fact to be noticed.
Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn’t fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible–local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana’s governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city’s mayor, Ray Nagin.
The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.
The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved.
In addition to the plans, local, state and federal officials held a simulated hurricane drill 13 months ago, in which widespread flooding supposedly trapped 300,000 people inside New Orleans. The exercise simulated the evacuation of more than a million residents. The problems identified in the simulation apparently were not solved.
A year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate. As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate. Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans, but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998, during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate security. Again, these problems were not corrected.
The New Orleans contingency plan is still, as of this writing, on the city’s Web site, and states: “The safe evacuation of threatened populations is one of the principle [sic] reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.” But the plan was apparently ignored.
Mayor Nagin was responsible for giving the order for mandatory evacuation and supervising the actual evacuation: His Office of Emergency Preparedness (not the federal government) must coordinate with the state on elements of evacuation and assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas. Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation.
The city’s evacuation plan states: “The city of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas.” But even though the city has enough school and transit buses to evacuate 12,000 citizens per fleet run, the mayor did not use them. To compound the problem, the buses were not moved to high ground and were flooded. The plan also states that “special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific lifesaving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed.” This was not done.
The evacuation plan warned that “if an evacuation order is issued without the mechanisms needed to disseminate the information to the affected persons, then we face the possibility of having large numbers of people either stranded and left to the mercy of a storm, or left in an area impacted by toxic materials.” That is precisely what happened because of the mayor’s failure.
Instead of evacuating the people, the mayor ordered the refugees to the Superdome and Convention Center without adequate security and no provisions for food, water and sanitary conditions. As a result people died, and there was even rape committed, in these facilities. Mayor Nagin failed in his responsibility to provide public safety and to manage the orderly evacuation of the citizens of New Orleans. Now he wants to blame Gov. Blanco and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In an emergency the first requirement is for the city’s emergency center to be linked to the state emergency operations center. This was not done.
The federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action needed for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the specific type of assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely request for specific aid.
In addition, unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance.
State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the “first response.”
I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA’s response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government’s role is to offer aid upon request.
The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency plans. The tragedy is not over, and real leadership in the state and local government are essential in the months to come. More importantly, the hurricane season is still upon us, and local and state officials must stay focused on the jobs for which they were elected–and not on the deadly game of passing the emergency buck.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:53 pm#99 If you copy posts verbatim from fascist web sites and email circulars and post them on other web sites thinking you are making a smart comment then you might be a brainwashed brownshirted ditto-head…
September 7th, 2005 at 4:11 pm[…] Over the past week, Secretary Chertoff and Gen. Richard Myers have used the talking point that the Bush administration’s slow response was justified because they had read headlines in the paper shortly after the hurricane had passed that said “New Orleans Dodged a Bullet.” […]
September 7th, 2005 at 4:43 pmWow Chris. Why don’t you start a new website with your amazing and insightful copy and past performance on a comment thread!
September 7th, 2005 at 5:34 pmThe last few mile long comments must have taken you ages to first, find…then, cut….then finally…wait for it…….PASTE!
Imagine if you had an actual intelligent thought or opinion to go along with all your hard work?
Oh wait wait, I forgot, you have’nt been told what the story is yet. Wait till the next White House press conference then you can copy their talking points.
Leave all the real thinking to people like us, those that love this country more than a ideology, love the people more than money (and recognize the importance of humanity), and have the COURAGE
Now, photographers are barred from entering the city, and having their memory cards taken under threat and duress.
I guess photos of dead babies tied to telephone poles doesn’t show FEMA and Bush in a good light.
Heartless bastards.
September 7th, 2005 at 8:34 pmWhen has the Dept. of Defense started responding to national disasters based on newspaper headlines? We have a bunch of incomptents there in high positions, and it shows — in Iraq as well as USA. May God save us!
September 8th, 2005 at 12:42 amChris, thanks for cutting and pasting so much material from other sites. That really helps move the discussion along… not.
Anyway, if DoD would just read the Wall Street Journal they would have known about the flooding and not been tricked into thinking everything was ok. The headline from my copy of the August 30th paper:
Hurricane Cuts Destructive Path Along Gulf Coast - Katrina takes costly toll on residents, businesses; Flooding hits New Orleans
September 8th, 2005 at 9:50 amI easily found this headline: Hurricane slams ashore,
N’Orleans dodges bullet” Here’s the link:
http://worldnetdaily.com/ news/ article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46025
I had to stop reading most of your comments because I can’t believe so many people are followers not to mention extremely ignorant. If you’re going to prove a point you might want to learn how to do a Proof in the first place. Advanced Math courses in college is a good start. And don’t say this headline is Monday and not Tuesday. Of course it is. Whoever Nico is evidently said the comment concerning Tuesday newspapers. Hasn’t anyone ever commented on a headline from the day before? I have never understood how so many people can bash and bash and bash yet never do anything themselves. Let me tell you a little secret. George W Bush is President and all of you are not. When one of you runs for President, then I’ll be impressed.
September 8th, 2005 at 11:33 pmWow — G W Bush is President, really?? well, I never realised that was a little secret. As far as the “bashing” goes–people are angry and disgusted with our government and want answers. One “not so little” non-secret, we live in the USA and that entitles us to free speech on that very subject!! The right to discuss and protest the actions, or lack there of, from our entire Government.
Conversely, the Public response has been truly amazing, and everyday– they give their selfless acts of kindness just because. (That, my friend is impressive - and they aren’t doing it to “impress” anyone or for PR reasons.)
A President whose initial response to the Hurricane damaged South was to stay on vacation for 2 more days. He might just as well have said, “let them eat cake beignets.” (That, is “Not impressive”, especially because this person decided to take on the position of “Head of State.”)
September 9th, 2005 at 10:56 amThere’s nothing in the Drudge Archives like “Dodged a Bullet”. See http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/
September 10th, 2005 at 12:06 pm[…] During the response to Hurricane Katrina, three important people said three incredible things.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers: “The headline, of course, in most of the papers on Tuesday - ‘New Orleans Dodged a Bullet,’ or words to that effect.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff: “I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don’t have food and water.” FEMA head (outgoing) Michael Brown: “Paula, the federal government did not even know about the convention center people until today.”What all three statements have in common is that they were said a day - or even days - after every major media outlet in the United States had prominently reported on the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the thousands of people massing at the convention center. These statements have one more thing in common. On 9/23/2003, President George W. Bush said: “I glance at the headlines just to kind of a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves.” Leadership - as well as lack of leadership - comes from the top, always. Is it any surprise that others in this administration don’t read the news? Posted by: Paul on Sep 11, 05 | 5:48 am | Profile [0] comments (0 views) | Permalink […]
September 11th, 2005 at 2:06 pmDid I hear what I think I heard?
Did President Bush in his New Orleans presser today say that he anticipated the storm in his speech on Monday (August 29th)?
September 12th, 2005 at 1:50 pmI saw the “dodged a bullet” headline on Drudge, too. Maybe it was purged from the archives.
September 16th, 2005 at 12:25 pmCan somone tell me exactly what the effect would have been if the federal gov response had been 24 hours sooner? How many fewer flooded homes? The effectiveness of he rescue operations. How many more would have been saved, etc. Overall damage to New Orleans.
September 16th, 2005 at 3:19 pmThe Druge Report Archives at http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/ states “Matt Drudge does not own, operate or maintain this archive site. He is not responsible for it in any way.” It is maintained (possibly by someone critical of The Drudge Report) so that inaccuracies such as the ones you are purporting can be documented. As such it is unlikely that anything was purged from the archive.
September 26th, 2005 at 2:51 amSadly, the majority of the posts want to blame the Bush Administration for the poor planning and horrible ineptitude of the Louisiana Governor and the New Orleans Mayor. Nagin and Blanco have made a mockery out of leadership. Neither of them deserved the position, as the Governor has never been anything but a tourism broker, and the Mayor has known nothing but to write welfare checks to the same people he attempted to murder, by not mobilizing the disaster plan. They were both offered the assistance of the Federal Government in time to save many of the lives that were lost, but they both refused help from the mean Republican Administration. They only want this administration around to pass the buck to. What a bunch of frickin losers they, and all of their supporters, are. I have always told everyone I meet, that I am from Louisiana, even though I now live in Mississippi. After the way everyone has reacted both in Louisiana and Mississippi, I think I will proudly state that I am FROM MISSISSIPPI. I may have missed it, but I have not heard one word from Mississippians of how the government screwed them (even though their losses were as catastrophic as those suffered in Louisiana), Mississippians rolled up their sleeves and went to work rebuilding and haven’t demanded the government care for them. My hat is off to Mississippi for their determination to take care of themselves. Lousiana, on the other hand, expects handouts to sustain.
January 12th, 2006 at 12:38 am[…] Remember how he said no one could have anticipated that the levees would break? Remember how he said New Orleans “dodged a bullet“? Is there anything that this cretin says that isn’t a lie? […]
February 10th, 2006 at 2:15 pm[…] Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers: “The headline, of course, in most of the papers on Tuesday - ‘New Orleans Dodged a Bullet,’ or words to that effect.” […]
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