Think Progress

In response to increasingly scathing criticism

By Christy Harvey on Sep 6th, 2005 at 12:09 pm

In response to increasingly scathing criticism

about his handling of the Katrina disaster, President Bush declared today he would â€œlead an investigationâ€ to find out what went wrong. No word about appointing an independent commission to do the investigating.

Comments
72

72 Responses to “In response to increasingly scathing criticism”

Ken Starr says:

I agree. It is absurd to think that this problem should be looked at by someone outside the white house.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1293453/posts
September 6th, 2005 at 12:11 pm
Yankeluh says:

What went wrong? The g**damn 2000 election. That’s what went wrong!
September 6th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
Dave says:

And Karl Rove will be the principle investigator answering to George.

What about this does not sound good for the country in getting to the bottom of this.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
Jon says:

How do you explain FEMA’s abysmal response to Hurricane Katrina only one year after its swift action in the four storms of 2004?

Well, Louisiana isn’t Florida. And Kathleen Blanco isn’t Jeb Bush.

For the full story on the politics of Bush era disaster relief, see:

“FEMA: Florida Election Management Agency.”
September 6th, 2005 at 12:18 pm
Ellis says:

Does the “fox watching the hen house” come to mind? And all the testimony and documents will be classifed since DHS is involved.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
Citizen80203 says:

The stench, the horror, of this GOP rot is incredible. One party rule guarantees one thing, NO ACCOUNTABILITY. The only hope for America is to rebuild congress for accountability.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
Jealous of Jeff says:

And Sherwin-Williams (SHW) stock rose 22c on the news…

http://www.investorguide.com/cgi-bin/research.cgi?name=SHW
September 6th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
John says:

That’s ludicrous. His administration and his government failed in the federal effort, and he wants to lead the investigation? Totally ludicrous.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
thot's says:

Nothing will be done ’cause it was all in ‘the Plan” whatever that was. This admistration has more teflon my than teflon ware ever.

bush needs to be Impeach
September 6th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
Elvis says:

Allen Dulles was on the Warren Commission. Itâ€™s the same principal. The one who has the most to loose makes sure that heâ€™s the one who divvies out the punishment or ensures that there is none to give out.

Chomsky writes: â€œStates are not moral agents.â€
September 6th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
John says:

Mr President, when people cut you some slack, DO NOT use that slack for another loop around your neck.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:43 pm
Jesus Christ God of WAR says:

What went wrong? Soooo many things.

With regards to Katrina:
1) Bush plays golf while the hurricane slams into LA, and Miss and people start dying
2) Bush gives a speech in Arizona while more people die and hospitals loose power
3) Bush gives a speech in California while the conditions in the Superdome begin to deteriorate and the condition of the city falls to anarchy and broken levies

Bush’s little “investigation” won’t have to go very far. All he’ll need to do is look in the mirror. He’ll see who failed to act. He’ll look at who failed to make the citizens of this country suffer less than they did. He’ll see who doesn’t care about poor people and the black population who had no transportation to leave the city.

This is soooooo anti-9/11. Bush screwed up. Big time. Again.
September 6th, 2005 at 12:54 pm
progressive and proud says:

I remember a little diddy from long ago – “The buck stops here.”
September 6th, 2005 at 1:11 pm
Spudge-Boy says:

#12

You forgot Eating Cake with John McCain and playing guitar in San Diego.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:12 pm
Jesus Christ God of WAR says:

#13 – with the current administration, the buck stops elsewhere.

In the least, Bush should have headed straight back to the WhiteHouse and “acted” like he was directing things. The least he could have done was “acted” like he cared.

#14 – Right on. I forgot about Bush, cake, and guitar. These people are callous, sick, greedy, and the MUST be removed. NOW!!!
September 6th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
Sharon Cox says:

Yep! We all need to work hard to get the Impeach or arrest trials started…..Blessings….P.S. I have been working on the above since 9/12 and every one said I was a radical left wing nut. I wish I had been wrong.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:23 pm
Jim says:

I do not know what would be more productive;

hanging GW or hanging myself!

*ill*
September 6th, 2005 at 1:24 pm
Zwack says:

I sent this to a couple of people I know earlier today…

I’m getting sick of the Administration claim that nothing was done by them because Local officials hadn’t asked for help… So I did a little research.
I only have what I can find on publicly accessible websites to go on, but this is what I found.
I started with the FEMA website to find out what it takes for FEMA to step in…
A document on their website contains the following text.

“Whether a disaster strikes without warning, such as a tornado or earthquake, or gives advance warning, such as a hurricane, FEMA moves quickly to position staff and supplies and assess what other federal agencies are needed as well.
FEMA does not respond to every disaster that occurs in the U.S. It responds only when a disaster overwhelms a state’s resources and the governor requests federal help. Once damage assessments are made, the President may issue a federal disaster declaration, opening the way for the federal government to pay for disaster recovery.”

So they are admitting that it is their job to help, but only when a state can’t help itself and a Governor requests help. That seems reasonable enough, provided the Governor is not incapacitated by the disaster. But, never mind the stupidity of the policy, the next question is did the Governor of Louisiana request help? I went to her home page and scrolled down. I came across the following heading “Louisiana Request for Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance” that sounds about right, I wonder what it says and when it was sent. So, I viewed the PDF linked from that page. It was dated August 28th 2005. Not only that but it requests (under the Stafford Act) a declaration of an “expedited major disaster for the State of Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina, a Category V Hurricane approaches our south coast of New Orleans”
Given the date on that letter, I can’t see any reason for the Bush administration to claim that “nobody asked them for help”. Perhaps I’m missing something, but…
Z.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:30 pm
Ron says:

Here in ’sovietized’ America, the Golf burns while Bush investigates.

This is Murka, it shouldn’t happen here. But, it does.

Hot damn. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Priceless
September 6th, 2005 at 1:34 pm
Marie says:

Arrogance unbridled.
So now he thinks he is qualified to investigate what went wrong? Does his over-confident hubris have no limits?
He wanted to have an in-house study of 9/11 too remember?
WHat he really wants is the ability to whitewash his failures and blame anyone/everyone else.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:38 pm
Spudge-Boy says:

#18

The request was made on the 26th of August.

Look here:
http://gov.louisiana.gov/2005%20%20proclamations/48pro2005-Emergency-HurricaneKatrina.pdf
September 6th, 2005 at 1:46 pm
Bob says:

Dateline: 11/01/2007 – Today Vice President Cheney, Chair of the “How Did the Democratic State Leaders Screw Up Committee” reported that if not for the heroic leadership of prezident bushco, the states impacted by Katrina would have sunk into the ocean. In a report devoid of any local imput, scientific facts or historical data on the work of FEMA and the Army corps of Engineers focused on how bush brought his intense military skills and rousing leadship talents to organize the rescue efforts. Interestingly enough, all other committee members had resigned after one week saying VP cheney was not open to looking at what occurred from the view point of the victims. Thus vp Cheney contended the report took so long to prepare.

Meanwhile, pumping water back into the area once known as New Orleans was begun. Pat Robertson and other relitious leaders appointed by prezident bush to direct the rebuilding of the floor impacted areas held a prayer meeting before the pumping began and chanted, “God has visited his revenge on the sins of New Orleans.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Roberts ruled that prezident bush would remain past his term limit due to the national emergency of declining religious values and the need to fill jobs previously held by women who, following the “The Church of Holy Good v. All Women” directed that no woman may work outside of a home; if working outside the home shall not be compensated; and must be married and mother at least eight children. The prezident declared a national emergency and authorized all males between the ages of 12 and 18 into a worker training program to fill vacant positons in business and industry.

On the firearms front, the NRA began its national “Every Child Must Bear Arms” programs in vitutally every school in the United States. Funded by a special prezidental fund to “keep Amerika” safe, the NRA will meet the prezidental mandate of arming every school age child before the end of the year. While calls for gun lockers at schools was strong, the NRA prevailed and students will be allowed to have their weapons with them at all times. Despite numerous shooting incidents and uncounted deaths across the nation’s schools (the legislation excluded reporting all gun related problems in schools), the NRA contended that the parents are responsible and has filed criminal charges against several hundred parents.

Continuing his “Amerika Must Belive in Intelligent Design” program, book burnings are continuging across the country. Of course, any books promoting the evil notion of evolution are first to be burned but it has developed that most all other books dealing with the origins of man, the earth or universe are also eligible. Colleges have had to restructure course offerings and surprisingly, Conservative Religious Studies is now the largest department in every university and college across the nation.

On the bush v. congress case, it is anticipated that the supreme court will soon rule on prezident bush’s contention that congress should not exist. It looks to be a one sided decision with bush coming out the winner once again in his on going battle with congress. After winning the right to authorize any action he deemed necessary for national security, bush has gathered more energy to deal with congress, which despite its 100 per cent approval of all his actions, has occasionally questioned his motives. Bush has said it’s time his leadership was not hindered by the “do nothing” congress.

Since bush outlawed all news distribution except for Faux News outlets, most Americans have no idea what is happening in Washington D.C. In a recent Faux News poll, the ten republicans polled said they approved for all of bush’s actions.

Sorry, have to run, the black coated CIA agents are knocking at the front door.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:53 pm
Jesus Christ God of WAR says:

#22 – You just posted something that’s a WHOLE lot closer to the Truth than anything Faux News will ever air.

These are sad times. So stay angry and lets get this fool and his henchmen booted from office. NOW!
September 6th, 2005 at 1:56 pm
Liberals Suck says:

Has anyone looked to see how well Mayor Nagan actually followed his cityâ€™s emergency response plan? You wonâ€™t see this discussed anywhere in the MSM, at least not for awhile. Before you point the finger at the federal government, you should look at what happened locally first. FEMA is not a first response organization. As Nagan has one finger pointed at Bush, he should realize that he has three pointed directly back at him.

http://www.cityofno.com/ portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26
September 6th, 2005 at 2:06 pm
Amazed says:

This is called a CONFLICT OF INTERESTS. This is unacceptable. Not to mention monumentally stupid and offensive to the entire country.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:09 pm
TAC says:

BUSH LOVES NICKNAMES. DO YOU THINK WE CAN MAKE THESE STICK IF WE USE THEM OFTEN ENOUGH?

1. NEW ORLEAN’S new name: LAKE GEORGE
2. KATRINA relocation centers, with a nod to Herbert Hoover: BUSHVILLES
3. DICK CHENEY, who supported slashing flood control funds and refused to leave his Wyoming vacation once the deluge began: DICK BAN DIKE
4. MICHAEL BROWN, FEMA Chief, an incompetent Bush crony who was previously fired from his gig at a horse owners’ association: BRONCO BROWN, MISMASTER OF DISASTER
5. MICHAEL CHERTOFF, Homeland Security Chief: MISLEADING MIKE, THE HOMELAND HUCKSTER
6. CONDI RICE, preoccupied with a thousand-dollar shoe buying spree in Manhattan during the crisis: IMELDA RICE or NO SHOES, NO SERVICE
7. The act of reflexively defending Bush: BUSH FLUFFING
8. Those who engage in same: BUSH FLUFFERS
9. When Bush hallucinates about “mandates” or “political capital”: FLUFFY BUSH MOMENTS
10. Repealing the ESTATE TAX, which is levied only on the richest 1% of estates yet is the GOP’s top priority in this time of crisis: THE PARIS HILTON TAX CUT

ONCE AGAIN, DO YOU THINK WE CAN MAKE THESE NICKNAMES STICK IF WE USE THEM ENOUGH?
September 6th, 2005 at 2:11 pm
The Northeast Dilemma says:

Please continue this hatefulness. I love it. You people our your own demise. The local officials will get the blame, as well FEMA, but the left will overplay their hateful, race-baiting hand. Thank God for Sean Penn and Kanye West. Liberal morons are a terrible thing to waste! LOL!!!
September 6th, 2005 at 2:11 pm
Bob says:

#27 – Gosh, you buy into the “question bush = hating bush” crap…. Do you have a brain?
September 6th, 2005 at 2:17 pm
Jesus Christ God of WAR says:

#26 – Frankly, none of them have the biting language and absurd inference that “Turd Blossom” does.

But I like Imelda Rice and Dick Ban Dike. You have a subtle way with words that Bush does not. :-)
September 6th, 2005 at 2:21 pm
The Northeast Dilemma says:

Bob – I haven’t seen one question from the left. I have seen accusations and invective. That is much different than answers. I want answers, not blood like you people.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:27 pm
understandinglife says:

Please send this letter to every member of Congress. Thank you.
———————————
Dear (name of Congress Person) ,

I call on you as a Representative of the People of the United States of America, to meet your Constitutional duty to defend the Republic against all enemies â€“ domestic and foreign. Thus, I request that you go to the White House today, and demand that Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney resign.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney are responsible for the colossal destruction of the infrastructure of the United States of America.

The culmination of their coordinated indifference and willful neglect of the protective infrastructure of New Orleans and the appropriate actions to protect the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast is now fully visible to all.

The whole world is not merely watching they’ve made it clear they know exactly who are responsible.

We do not need to await leaked classified documents or whistle blowers or any form of insider information. We have all the facts we need to demand the immediate resignation and subsequent retribution by Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney and many of their minions.

The only Members of Congress for whom this is a â€˜political issueâ€™ are the Republicans. They must confront the decision of saving some vestige of the Republican Party, just as Senator Goldwater and a few of his colleagues confronted in August of 1974 when they went to the White House and told President Nixon to resign. I have communicated that reality to the respective staff of senior Republican Senators.

The whole world is watching and their revulsion is not confined to one political party or another, it is directed at the vast inhumanity demonstrated by Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney and all those aligned with their criminal neglect of the people of New Orleans, their unbounded avarice, and their total disregard for the law.

Thank you, in advance, for requesting the resignation of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, today.

Sincerely,
September 6th, 2005 at 2:34 pm
Bob says:

#30… You are evading the question -again- there are lots of questions!!!! Where have you had your head? Your reply is stupid! “I haven’t seen one question from the left. I have seen accusation and invective. That is much different than answers. (Huh, I thought you wanted questions) I want answers, not blood like you people.” (You people?) — If you want answeres then start asking questions!!! Lots of questions are being asked…hell, even the prez is going to ask himself about what he did wrong! Now, I would think you might have a few questions about that, if in fact you are intersted in answeres. Stop being a troll for the prez… this guy is a jerk and YOU PEOPLE keep allowing him to drive this country into the ground.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
Robert says:

Before Bush can Lead an Investigation of Katrina he needs to lead himself out of the bubble wrap he can’t get out of.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
mparker says:

The President was on vacation and remained on vacation during the worst natural disaster in US history.

The Vice President was off mansion shopping where he remained during the worst natural disaster in US history.

The Secretary of State left for Broadway during the worst natural disaster in history.

The worst natural disaster in history was left to the utterly incapable hands of someone who was fired from running horse shows.

Hey Northeast Dilemma. LOL is right fool because these are your people.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
Citizen80203 says:

To the fish trolls:

We are draining the GOP cesspit, when it’s low enough we will drown you in it.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:52 pm
Elvis says:

NED, please read this,

I would like some accountability. At this point in his 5 years as president Bush has taken an entire worlds support for this nation and turned it into an entire worlds hate for this nation. This will go down as one of, if not the biggest diplomatic and political failures of all time.

He spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
He shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
He set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.
He set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
He’s the first president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
He presided over the worst security failure in US history.
In his first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
He cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.
He set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12 month period.
He’s signed more laws and executive orders circumventing the Constitution than any president in US history.
He presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
He presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have (until the recent hurricane forced it).
He’s the first president to cut benefits for veterans.
He’s dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.
He presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
He set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases.
He’s the first president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights commission.
He’s removed more checks and balances, and has the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in US history.
He withdrew from the World Court of Law.
He refused to allow inspectorâ€™s access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abides by the Geneva Conventions, and then when he did, he denounced their assessment.
He’s the first president in US history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
He’s removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US history.
In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the US has ever been since the civil war.
He entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.

I think its time for him and his administration to be removed from office and he and his entire cabinet investigated and punished to the fullest extent of the law for every crime they committed. Then we as a nation need to apologize to the world for our failures to stop this monster from doing the things that he/we did, and repay them all, somehow.

A little accountability would be nice.
September 6th, 2005 at 2:55 pm
Bob says:

NED – this prez clown works “for us.” We have an obligation to ask questions and determine why THE National organizaiton under his command failed to respond to an obvious emergency. It’s interesting that finger pointing was the first action he took to deal with it. While many people asked that this not become a political issue, the prez made it a political issue right from the start. He is accountable to all of us. . . not just the millionaires who donated money to him and tell him what to do. If Americans can’t question the prezident, then this isn’t America. Those who equate questioning elected officals with treason are, in fact, unAmerican! Questioning our elected leaders is what has made America great. . .this prez is so insecure and ineffective that he can’t stand the light of investigation. . . no wonder he’ll lead an investigation of why the organizations he’s suppose to lead failed to act and provide for dislocated Americans.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:02 pm
Zwack says:

#21, What you point to is the declaration of a disaster, not the request for assistance from FEMA which is the one I pointed to.

Z.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:02 pm
Liberals Suck says:

Elvis,

If he really is responsible for all of the above, just how did he get re-elected to a second term? Don’t give me the bs that the election was stolen, because we all know that is not true. If any of the above statements were true, why didn’t Kerry win in a landslide? It was obvious that media was on his side. I about puked when I saw the cover of Newsweek last year, the one with Kerry/Edwards as the “Sunshine Boys”. I have not renewed my subscription, which has been the trend so far this year in the country. Please set aside all of your hate for Bush. It is getting you nowhere and will get you nowhere in ‘08.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:07 pm
Bob says:

NED – I live in the southwest…yesterday I filled up my compact vehicle to the turn of $50 — $3.09/gallon for regular…. I checked around and there is NO SHORTAGE of gasoline. The fuel supply to the west is the same…. What the X#$%@!…. I’ve sent letters to my representative and senators asking the prezident to put a cap on gasoline prices. Profit for the oil companies is up and projected to rise even higher now. Do you think your prez will do anything to protect the interests of American consumers? Recall, he’s already released oil from the reserve. This is another reason we must ask your elected leaders who’s interest they represent…. Who do you think they represent?
September 6th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
Bob says:

Liberals Suck… It’s interesting that you bush lovers always respond with “Hell, we won, so get over it!” Again you are on the band wagon with your brainless response that criticism of bush = hating bush…. You’ve done a wonderful job of confusing a lot of Americans. . . but the problem is that the bush/cheney act has played out and Americans are now realizing they are awful leaders…. But you would rather attack anyone who happens to point out the obvious than to admit you were fooled too. If you are so proud of the accomplishments of this prezident, then begin to brag on what he’s done. .. don’t just tell us you won the election so get over it. That’s old news, try to stay in the present. The future is what this goof ball is screwing up. . . when Americans twenty years from now look back on what has happened in the past 5 years what will they say…. “American’s greatest hour?” “America created a better world and promoted world peace as never before?” “America’s poor were given greater opportunity to succeed as never before?” -or_ “We screwed up.”?
September 6th, 2005 at 3:20 pm
Jesus Christ God of WAR says:

The adult thing for BushCo to do would be to say something like “Yes, I screwed up. But here’s what I’m doing to make up for it.”

Instead, BushCo attacks anyone who presents the remotest danger to their all reigning power mongering greed machine.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:28 pm
Spudge-Boy says:

#38

Good enough. I think we have both shown that there was a request from the local government to the feds to help, which they didn’t.

This is a federal screw, not a local government screw up.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:32 pm
Ryan Neat says:

Great story on the REALITIES of the situation were posted in the washington post – it is titled “Living Paycheck to Paycheck Made Leaving Impossible ”

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090405A.shtml

It’s a worthwhile read to all of the clueless propagandists who want to blame to poor for inconveniently dying and embarrassing the head incompetents in charge.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:33 pm
Pablo in Mexico says:

God, we really are in trouble now! The cocaine sniffing alcoholic with an IQ of 91 is going to conduct his own investigation.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:50 pm
Marie says:

These guys are public officials, employed by us!
We have a right to demand answers. This is a government screw up — BIG TIME.
Isn’t it unfortunate that those poor people, living from check to check had the nerve to not find a way out for their families, but followed orders to go to the centers where nothing awaited them, and some died along the way. That just makes for a helluva lot of work at Rove’s PR desk.
Elvis provided a pretty comprehensive list of the misdeeds of Bushie, but the BUSH FLUFFERS like NED won’t hear of them. Bush did steal the election, but it was a close one — and the reason it was close was because the Rethuglican army of toadies had their talking points and marching orders; they appeared many times on every news show they could, they told their lies over and over until it sounded like truth. They preyed upon the prejudices of the ill-informed who are homophobic, anti-feminist, racist, and can’t comprehend their own best interests. The press was cooperative, aiding and abetting the criminals because the reporters are intimidated by their bosses who are in debt to the corporate shareholders.
You gotta give it to the thugs – they ran a strong, if immoral campaign, with all the lies and dirty tricks they could employ – but the end is coming. Thousands of deaths, failed federal services, an exposed, unprepared country in the event of an attack, a growing realization that the illegal war in Iraq has depleted our National Guard as well as our national funds and, for all to see now, the boy-king is a sham. Cronyism will kill us in a slow but determined way. It’s increasingly difficult to hide now, and Bush & Co. will pay the price.
The rabble is restless.
September 6th, 2005 at 3:50 pm
Keith H. says:

Wee, as your leaders, shall never, be-held-accountable. As wee, have never, and will never, make-a-mistake, OR bee, in general, wrong-about-anything. Wee, are Gods, in our, own minds. There-fore wee, will investigate, ourselves. Because wee, are thee, only ones, qualified, for-the-job. (uncomfortable silence)
September 6th, 2005 at 3:51 pm
Scott says:

An investigation, wow, he must be serious about this. Will we get as many results as we did when he launched an investigation into the intelligence failures on Iraq? Did OJ ever find the real killer, or is he still investigating that? So many things to investigate, so little time.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:20 pm
Elvis says:

Liberals Suck (#39),

If I had to answer the question “how did he get reelected,” and you are asking for my answer, today, based on the information I have read, this would be my answer:

Bush was re-elected using the money and support of the very-wealthy, and his complete and utter devotion to them fueled that support. He was also re-elected using the religious right to swarm the support of their people to his cause, people who are already brain washed to believe what their “religious leaders” are telling them in the first place.

Not every votes, unfortunately, because if everyone had, it would have looked like this:

Based on CNN exit poll data and the 2003 census report,
of the 112 million people who reported their income in 2003:

17,808,000 earned $15K $35K $50K $75K $100K of which about 58% for Bush and 41% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, ~9,908,000 for Bush and ~7,004,000 for Kerry

So letâ€™s total that up: 54,622,879 for Bush, and 56,426,239

Now, I donâ€™t think Kerry would have done better then Bush, because itâ€™s the military industrial complex, money, the CIA and â€œThe Secret Teamâ€ or â€œHigh Cabalâ€ as Churchill referred to them, that truly runs the country.

But this data does show that if the people had voted, bush would have lost. But the people didnâ€™t, the people with money did. If it was settled only by those making less then $100K a year, Bush looses.

But the election is history. Impeachment is the future.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:22 pm
Zwack says:

#43, I agree…

As far as I can tell…

26th August, Louisiana Governor declares a state of emergency and orders an evacuation.

28th August, Louisiana Governor requests that the President declare a state of emergency and asks for Federal assistance.

It doesn’t matter which of these is the most important, the President was explicitly asked for help by the 28th of August, at the latest. I don’t see what more could be done. It may be that the proper request procedure wasn’t followed, but IT WAS AN EMERGENCY! Would you check all of the applicable regulations, call your lawyer, and then call the fire department and negotiate conditions with them if your house was on fire, or would you just call 911 and trust them to do their best?

Z.
September 6th, 2005 at 4:25 pm
Elvis says:

My post was edited, sorry:
Heres the data:

17,808,000 earned $15K $35K $50K $75K $100K of which about 58% for Bush and 41% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, ~9,908,000 for Bush and ~7,004,000 for Kerry

So letâ€™s total that up: 54,622,879 for Bush, and 56,426,239
September 6th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
Elvis says:

Sorry, I had some HTML characters in there, screwed it up, trying again, sorry everyone:

17,808,000 earned $15K of which 36% voted for Bush and 63% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, 6,410,880 for Bush and 11,219,040 for Kerry

28,000,000 earned $15K to $35K of which about 42% for Bush and 57% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, 11,760,000 for Bush and 15,959,999 for Kerry

16,800,000 earned $35K to $50K of which about 49% for Bush and 50% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, 8,232,000 for Bush and 8,400,000 for Kerry

20,160,000 earned $50K to $75K of which about 56% for Bush and 43% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, 11,289,600 for Bush and 8,668,800 for Kerry

12,320,000 earned $75K to $100K of which about 57% for Bush and 42% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, 7,022,399 for Bush and 5,174,400 for Kerry

16,912,000 earned over $100K of which about 58% for Bush and 41% for Kerry. If everyone had voted that would have been, ~9,908,000 for Bush and ~7,004,000 for Kerry

So letâ€™s total that up: 54,622,879 for Bush, and 56,426,239
September 6th, 2005 at 4:30 pm
ladyfrancesca says:

POST #24 – Response to Liberals Suck â€” September 6, 2005 @ 2:06 pm. EDUCATE YOURSELF

Governor Blanco requested $9,000,000 and a federal state of emergency declared Saturday. She sent the following letter to President Bush:

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 501 (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. Â§Â§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR Â§ 206.35, I request that you declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing…

In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan.

Pursuant to 44 CFR Â§ 206.35, I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal.” (and the letter continues with much more specifics).

etc… signed by Gov. Blanco TWO DAYS BEFORE THE STORM HIT
September 6th, 2005 at 4:30 pm
ladyfrancesca says:

Air Boats from Florida, Troops and Ships from Canada, Doctors from all 50 states, Walmart Trucks and the Red Cross were all prevented by FEMA for providing assistance.

“Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders.

The state Homeland Security Department had requested–and continues to request–that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city.”

——This is from Red Cross Website

AND THE EXCUSE IS THAT THEY WEREN’T ALLOWED IN BECAUSE PEOPLE MIGHT NOT WANT TO BE EVACUATED?? EXCUSE ME! THERE WEREN’T ANY EVACUATIONS TAKING PLACE. SO THEY ALLOWED THE PEOPLE TO SUFFER – TO GO HUNGRY AND THIRSTY FOR DAYS!!! As Kathy Malloy so eloquently pointed out “They were afraid people would flock down there to have a free peanut butter sandwich amongst the floating corpses?”
September 6th, 2005 at 4:36 pm
ladyfrancesca says:

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS; THIS IS FROM THE SAME WOMAN WHO SAID SHE DIDN’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT THE WAR DEAD BECAUSE AS SHE SAID ON CNN: “Why should we hear about body bags and deaths,” Barbara Bush said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on March 18, 2003. “Oh, I mean, it’s not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”

Barbara Bush: Things Working Out “Very Well” for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans

By E&P Staff

Published: September 05, 2005 7:25 PM ET updated 10:00 PM

NEW YORK Accompanying her husband, former President George H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, “This is working very well for them.”

The former First Lady’s remarks were aired this evening on National Public Radio’s “Marketplace” program.

She was part of a group in Houston today at the Astrodome that included her husband and former President Bill Clinton, who were chosen by her son, the current president, to head fundraising efforts for the recovery. Sen. Hilary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama were also present.

In a segment at the top of the show on the surge of evacuees to the Texas city, Barbara Bush said: “Almost everyone Iâ€™ve talked to says we’re going to move to Houston.”

Then she added: “What Iâ€™m hearing which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.

“And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this–this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them.”

——————————————————————————–
E&P Staff (letters@editorandpublisher.com)
September 6th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
ladyfrancesca says:

sorry don’t have the URL for this one:
Olbermann, Limbaugh, Sharpton and the GOP Mindset

Keith Olbermann just had an extraordinary exchange between himself and Al Sharpton.

The subject was the conditions in New Orleans, looting, and the question of where support is.

Olbermann remarked that he had heard Rush Limbaugh earlier today saying that those that were still in New Orleans deserved what they had gotten, as they had chosen to live there. Olbermann went so far as to call him, “that Limbaugh”. Denouncing the inherent inconsiderate nature of such a statement.

But Sharpton made the point that struck me.

The Right, as embodied by Limbaugh, Frist, Bush, Hastert, DeLay. They would move heaven and earth to save the life of one White Woman in Florida to combat the very idea of euthanasia (which technically it was not). A woman that a decade earlier had lost her ability to so much as ask for help, much less have coherent thoughts about the quality of her own life.

And they would sit on their *** and watch as tens of thousands of poor men, women, children, babies, and elderly bake in the New Orleans heat surrounded by water, sewage, gasoline and an abandoned city, now devoid of anyone with the means to have escaped ahead of the storm.

This is the culture of life. The culture of life wants to save brain dead white women and unborn children. The culture of life wants you to watch endless non-news about the disappearance of one white teenager in Aruba. The culture of life wants you to support your nation as it kills tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians in its Quixotic quest against a non-threat. The culture of life wants a zero-tolerance for looters policy to sound authoritative as babies die of dehydration. The culture of life expects you to take care of yourself, and if you can’t, then it is your own fault for getting into that situation in the first place. **** off. You had your shot. Station in life, where you hang your hat, and whether you have the $40 at the end of the month to pay for the overpriced gasoline to get out of that home in time is all up to you.

Always I have argued with Republican friends–the reasonable ones–that not everyone was dealt the same cards on their original Birth Day. Not everyone has been given the same gifts by God, friends, family, or luck. Always those Republican friends believe that they deserve where they have gotten in life, and that no one, including the government, should be asking for their hard-earned cash to help the less affluent. It is always the fault of the lesser-affluent themselves. Circumstances are irrelevant in all cases and constitute class warfare if the question is raised.

********.

But that’s their thing. That’s how they see the world. They earned everything they got. Their parents might have given them a nudge, but nothing more. Get a ******* clue.

Bush came away from his mega vacation one day early…Wednesday. Hastert doesn’t know why we should rebuild. Condie Rice went to the show on Broadway (and was seen buying several thousand dollars worth of shoes the next day while thousands went without food and water in Louisianna and Mississsippi).

All of these people support the Cultere of Life. But none seem to support American Culture. New Orleans, as much as any city, represents distinctly American Culture. A melting-pot of language, music and revelry unlike any other. But it is desperately poor. Over 50% of the children in the state live below the poverty level. But no matter. Mostly black folk down there. They shouldn’t have lived there in the first place. They should have gotten out while they had the chance. It’s their own fault.

Michael Chertoff was interviewed on NPR this afternoon. He was asked if he had heard of thousands of people at the Convention Center in New Orleans, without water or food or sanitation. Elderly dying. Little girls being raped. Mr. Chertoff was eloquent in his cluelessness. Completely unaware of what had been on the television all day long on both MSNBC and CNN. Unaware that he, at the top of the agency charged with bringing relief to the affected areas, had not been informed of something every American with a remote already knew. That the situation there was desperate. That people needed help. And that noone seemed to be providing it. The man in charge was not in charge at all, folks. It took the Bush Administration 4 years since 9/11… 4 years of chasing ghosts and old demons in Iraq to not do a ******* thing about stateside preparedness. To gut the national guard’s responsiveness by sending so many of them overseas. To cut funding for the levee system that allowed Lake Ponchartrain to roll into the city. To put someone in charge of Homeland Security and FEMA that is eloquent, but so impossibly incompetent that he is incapable of establishing a staff capable of letting him know the worst of a situation so large.

Mr. Chertoff said, that he had not heard of such things. That you couldn’t believe every rumor from the streets of the area. That he wasn’t in a position to argue about what the NPR Reporters had witnessed.

Get the people to our staging areas, he stated, and they can get water there.

Thanks, *******.

I almost cried last night. A little girl was with her grandfather, their late model sedan stalled in hip deep water. She was standing on what I think was the highway divider next to the car. Soaked. Crying. Her grandfather, dismayed and dazed behind her. Both of them looked at the car, but it was the begging of the young girl that got me. She couldn’t have been more than 2 years older than my daughter. And there she was, in the middle of a lake that wasn’t there the day before, in the middle of a city that had been destroyed, begging and pleading for the people filming her, and those they were with, to help them. They just needed a push. To higher ground.

And there she stayed, as the vehicle the camera rode in pulled away.

mcolley
I’m not liberal, I’m just paying attention
September 6th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
Spudge-Boy says:

#50

Agreed 100%

This non-action by the Bush administration, because “people didn’t ask” is a bold face lie and I believe it will back fire on them big time.
September 6th, 2005 at 5:28 pm
WaltTheMan says:

So we have the weakest 2nd term president since William Henry Harrison. How do we escape this dilemma?
September 6th, 2005 at 5:55 pm
Pablo in Mexico says:

When this disaster struck there was not one elected official representing the people of the US on duty in D.C.

bush on vacation, cheney on vacation, house and senate on vacation, on and on.

So we had a country like a ship without a rudder.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:49 pm
WaltTheMan says:

Re: 58
Heck, it has been almost 5 hours and none of the BushCo bunch have realized that WHH died in the first month of his first term.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:49 pm
Marie says:

We can enumerate the many failures, the lies, and the errors in judgment, but the fact remains, we are stuck with him for 39 more months. I shudder to think of what could happen in that period of time – with him in charge, we are in deep doo-doo.
We have only one way out and that is to impeach him, realistically, I don’t think we can try him for criminal negligent, although he is that – but the SC would never let tht happen to their fair haired boy-king. So impeachment is all I can see, but that leaves us with Cheney, who runs the show anyway, we’d have to impeach him too.
I guess I am not too optimistic tonight.
But I am going to D.C. on the 24th to be among those calling for his impeachment.
September 6th, 2005 at 11:42 pm
ladyfrancesca says:

I’m going too!! unitedforpeace.org

People from all around the United States are already making plans to join United for Peace and Justice for three major days of action against the war in Washington, D.C., from September 24-26.

For this mobilization to be truly massive and reflective of the solid anti-war majority in the country, we need to begin spreading the word now — in every community, large and small; at summer festivals, concerts, and gatherings; on progressive and activist listservs; and throughout the blogosphere. The political momentum in Congress is finally beginning to turn against the Iraq war — we need to converge in Washington in vast numbers this September to build on this momentum and hold Bush and Congress accountable for the death and destruction.

United for Peace and Justice has created several new resources to help you do exactly that. Visit the Fall 2005 Mobilization section of our website today at http://www.unitedforpeace.org/fallmobe, where you will find English- and Spanish-language leaflets, including a version that can be easily modified for local use, plus an assortment of website banners and buttons for posting on websites, blogs, and Indymedia sites.

Whether you belong to an anti-war group or are an individual outraged by the Bush disaster in Iraq, there’s much you can do to help publicize the fall mobilization. Download our leaflets, photocopy them, and post them in prominent locations in your city or town. Pass them out at the next public event you attend. Post our website banners on your website or blog, and distribute information about the fall mobilization by email.

You can also help build the fall anti-war mobilization by making an urgently needed donation to United for Peace and Justice — either a one-time gift or a regular pledge through our new sustainer program. Visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/donate or http://www.unitedforpeace.org/sustainer today.

And begin making your travel plans for September now! Join us for the massive march of Saturday, September 24, or stay through the weekend. There will be an Interfaith Service against the war on Sunday, September 25, as well as an array of grassroots trainings. On Monday, September 26, we’re organizing a massive grassroots Lobby Day and a mass nonviolent civil disobedience action.

United for Peace and Justice welcomes any group that shares our goals and wishes to organize a contingent or feeder march in our massive march on Saturday, September 24. There will also be a whole host of other anti-war activities to participate in throughout the weekend. Visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/fallmobe regularly for updates and more details.

Together we can end this immoral and illegal war! See you in September!
September 7th, 2005 at 1:27 am
ladyfrancesca says:

ImpeachBush Mobilizes
for Sept. 24 Rally

ImpeachBush and VotetoImpeach members are organizing contingents from around the country to be at the White House on September 24 to join in the huge antiwar protest and march. We have learned that the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, which is organizing the antiwar protest at the White House, has obtained permits to rally on both sides of the White House and has secured the first march permit in years to go on Pennsylvania Avenue directly in front of the White House!

If you haven’t made your transportation arrangements yet, you can go the national transportation page set up by A.N.S.W.E.R. (with whom we’re coordinating transportation) to get your bus tickets or find out about cars and vans coming from your area. You can easily buy NY to DC tickets online and if you are already organizing transportation, you can list it on the national board. Let’s make the Impeachment call resound throughout Washington. Let’s fill the streets with our yellow and black t-shirts and signs.

We are printing thousands of signs and flyers, doing impeachment outreach, reserving buses, and arranging central locations near the DC rally where ImpeachBush/VotetoImpeach.org members can pick up Impeachment placards. We need your help today, as we organize in these final five weeks for the demonstration! Click here now to make a donation, where you can also find information about how to contribute by check.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:29 am
~Dawn says:

Maybe some of the positions on that board of investigation can be filled by the unemployed hurricane survivors! Make it a paying job also!
September 7th, 2005 at 1:42 am
Chris says:

Nine 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. Attorneyâ€™s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced:

â€œA 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.
â€œThe 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.â€

Gov. Kathleen Blanco told Louisianaâ€™s News-Star at the time that she was disturbed by the indictments. She said the National Guard is cooperating with the investigation â€œas I expect them to do.â€

Reports of rampant corruption among Louisianaâ€™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 2:08 pm
Chris says:

Let’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 2:14 pm
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Vacation Rental Travel Search Engines Costa Rica Travel

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Mechelle

A non-doer is very often a critic-that is, someone who sits back and watches doers, and then waxes philosophically about how the doers are doing. It’s easy to be a critic, but being a doer requires effort, risk, and change.
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In response to increasingly scathing criticism

In response to increasingly scathing criticism

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