In the blitz of media coverage surrounding Hurricane Katrina, it’s hard to wrap your head around exactly what happened.
ThinkProgress has created a Katrina timeline that catalogues the most important events. Check it out HERE.
But we need your help. If there’s something you think should be added, suggest it in the comments section or send us an email.
Just fyi, there’s a nice collection of links on Kos which will go nicely with your timeline.
http://www.dkosopedia.com/ index.php/ Hurricane_Katrina_Commentary
September 7th, 2005 at 10:59 amI hope you guys have the part where the Federal Democrats were just as negligent in their response.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:04 amOnly 13% of Americans place most blame on the President!!! A full quarter blame the locals - bring this fight on, you liberal scum!! You will clearly lose. The left’s vindictive blame Bush attitude is backfiring. With all the force in the MSM, you still can’t take down the President.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:07 amNed the lead head,
The blame will ride up bush’s shorts just like the lunacy has yours… As for polls - what polls? Ones take by faux news or limpbutt? Get a life you block sucking loser! Haven’t enough people died under this administration - or are you happy killing people you psychopath!
September 7th, 2005 at 11:11 amGreat piece of work.
DHS/FEMA failed utterly. Bush sees the problem as a PR problem solved with resource-draining photo-ops.
The short version is that the National Response Plan (NRP) + the WH invocation of the Stafford Act on Aug. 27 made Katrina an “Incident of National Significance.” This is significant! It means all this mewling and claims of federal powerless (because Blanco didn’t say pretty please etc.) are just self-serving and misleading BS.
It means FEMA had full authority and responsibility to do all in its power TWO DAYS BEFORE Katrina hit. It also means it had full power and responsibility to put in place resources PRIOR to the hit, and that included getting medical and food/water resources to the Superdome, which had already been designated as a refuge.
Plenty more here at http://tinyurl.com/79jym.
The bitter irony is that the NRP was crafted by DHS to eliminate the very bureacratic snafus that DFS is trying to hide behind now — which largely didn’t exist anyway. If state and local politicians weren’t up to the job, if one of the poorest states in the union didn’t have adequate resources, or if all the local resources were obliterated in a nuclear attack, FEMA was empowered and obligated to take charge.
If the levee had been destroyed by an explosive-laden boat or other vehicle (terrorist), the city would not have been 80% evacuated — and FEMA would have been even worse in reacting.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:13 amBe sure to add how Senator Kerry has stepped forward with political leadership.
Opps, sorry. I mistook his press releases. It was Renquest that he had time to make a statement about. Not the devastation in the south.
http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/headlines.cfm
September 7th, 2005 at 11:17 amThe Northeast Dilemma is correct. This is partisan, totally.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:17 amNo poll is worth anything until it includes people who live in the affected areas.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:17 amJoe Dokes - then, you’re really screwed. Gov. Blanco is a dimbulb and the right will destroy her.
You liberals don’t get it - you throw out invective, almost begging for a response. You get the response, conservatives win the election and you cry SMEAR. You get exactly what you deserve.
You started the blame game and conservatives will finish. I want full scale investigation into what happened - FEMA, NO Mayor and Gov. Blanco. Trust me people, you just screwed yourself royally. Hate does that. LOL!!!
September 7th, 2005 at 11:21 amDon’t forget the many, many warnings from the Times-Picayune, Army Corps of Engineers, local leaders, etc., that this catastrophe was not only predictable, but almost inevitable.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:24 amAnd the budget cuts that completely ignored them.
It is truly amazing how “conservatives” believe that their own party members should never be held accountable for anything that goes wrong, even when there’s overwhelming evidence of incompetence and bumbling.
It’s obvious that you hate government of any sort. What’s shocking is that you aren’t even interested in having the government function when your party is in charge.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:29 amDoug - I know. We will surely pin that on Landrieu. She likes the pork so she can line the inner city leaders pockets so they GOTV. You’re screwed buddy - this will come back on state Democrats.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:29 amI am just a mirror.
#9
“dimbulb..destroy her…you get what you deserve…you get what you deserve…i want.. i want.. HATE DOES THAT…DESTROY HER..!!…what you deserve…”
September 7th, 2005 at 11:29 amNortheast, you are the garden variety Neo-con….incapable of showing emotion, always “acting” like a competent CEO, and always claiming supremacy and never, ever, admitting they are wrong….just move forward….and let those who have fallen neath the wheels be ground to dust. A little humanity from the Right is all we ask. A little.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:31 amExcellent work. I knew you guys were being to quiet. Up to some real good work. Excellent.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:32 amLike they are saying over at EjectEjectEject, we, the tribe of white people, don’t poop or pee like those brown folks in the Superdome and if we had foraged for supplies it would be because we are rugged individuals taking the initiative to provide for ourselves without calling weakly on the federal government for help. And we are all watchdogs, the others are sheep. So there.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:35 amOnly 13% of Americans place most blame on the President!!! A full quarter blame the locals - bring this fight on, you liberal scum!! You will clearly lose. The left’s vindictive blame Bush attitude is backfiring. With all the force in the MSM, you still can’t take down the President.
Someone call Rick Ross. This guy needs deprogramming STAT! This is a cult, folks. You all know how cults end, right? A hail of bullets and fire.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:35 amI was thinking last night that a timeline was really necessary to help combat the revisionism going on.
Additional things to mention:
Tuesday: Naval pilots are chided for rescuing hurricane victims without orders. http://americablog.blogspot.com/ 2005/ 09/ navy-pilots-rebuked-for-saving-lives.html
Sunday (before the storm hits): Bill Richardson offers New Mexico national guard troops.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard The Federal government won’t OK this until Thursday.
Thursday: The aircraft carrier Harry S Truman and hospital ship Comfort are ordered to the region. The Comfort will not set sail until Saturday, and will take seven days to reach the region.
late Friday: Charity and University hospitals are finally evacuated. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9159926/
Tuesday, 9/6: FEMA sends evacuees to Charleston, W.VA instead of Charleston, SC- http://www.cnn.com/ 2005/ US/ 09/ 06/ katrina.charleston/ index.html?section=cnn_latest
I’d also suggest putting the Superdome evacuation, the confiscation of the hotel-ordered buses, and the blocking of the pedestrian exits from New Orleans…
September 7th, 2005 at 11:37 am“We have two American flags always; one of the rich and one for the poor. When the rich fly it it means that things are under control; when the poor fly it it means danger, revolution”
September 7th, 2005 at 11:41 amI’ve compiled a similar timeline. You’ve got a few things I missed and i think I’ve got a few you missed. I think you should also link directly to the National Weather Service warnings and descriptions that were issued… not just the one catastrophic one… though nothing tops the destruction described and warned there… Similarly, this timeline needs to include the FEMA report in 2001 describing this exact scenario as one of the three greatest disasters facing the USA, the 2003 and 2004 reports on “Hurricane Pam” tests with LSU, the budget cuts and Army Corp of Engineers comments as well as local FEMA and state disaster coordinators comments.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:42 am#14 - has anyone on this site questioned local officials - NO! It’s all Bush’s fault in your eyes so please spare me the “you’re a partisan speech.” As usual, liberals overstepped and now cannot handle a real fight.
If Republicans were smart, they would do a full scale analysis of all the Democratic corruption in New Orleans. Let’s see exactly what you liberals have done for the unfortuante. You disgusting liars!
September 7th, 2005 at 11:43 amI think the government is in need of people like Mr. N-E Dilemma in New Orleans. Someone who won’t hesitate in shooting looters and who shows no mercy in forceful evictions. I’m not all into the whole “fight the war you support” angle because it’s like trying to cut down a sequoia with a rubber axe, but Mr. Dilemma, since the only soldiers who escape psychological damage in war are the psychopaths (who, judging by your total emotional detatchment you clearly are) give some more thought to shipping out so you can kill to your heart’s content.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:43 amA better picture for August 29th cake-eating :
http://news.yahoo.com/ photos/ ss/ events/ pl/ 082801mccain/ im:/ 050829/ 480/ azsw10308291739;_ylt=AldoUAhuf0KQkbOUoIn6nWlsaMYA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5bGcyMWMzBHNlYwNzc25hdg–
September 7th, 2005 at 11:43 am“I hope you guys have the part where the Federal Democrats were just as negligent in their response.”
Okay, and while we’re at it we’ll blame assistant dogcatchers across the nation, since “Federal Democrats” don’t run FEMA, don’t run Homeland Security, don’t run the DOD, don’t run the White House, and don’t control Congress.
“Be sure to add how Senator Kerry has stepped forward with political leadership.”
Wait, you mean Senator Kerry won the Presidential election after all, and so is in charge of the nation, the military, and the Department of Homeland Security? Wow! I could have sworn that some smirking, strutting, cake-eating, guitar-strumming flyover boy won the election, by going on and on about how only he could keep America safe. But that was all a bad dream. Thanks, citizen!
(I confess that I am disappointed in President Kerry, as we naturally expect the leader of the nation to take charge promptly in times of national tragedy. Ideally, by not using firefighters solely for photo-ops. I predict that he will only serve a single term because of this, if he’s not impeached for criminal negligence.)
“The Northeast Dilemma is correct. This is partisan, totally.”
Well, when the agency given primary responsibility by law for natural disaster response is run by Republican appointees, and a Republican president’s initial response to the disaster is to visit Arizona and California, it’s kinda hard to avoid that whole partisan thing.
But fine, we’ll follow your definition of “nonpartisan.” The blame needs to be shared equally amongst the mayor of New Orleans, the governor of Louisiana, and unspecified powerful “Federal Democrats,” while the President and his appointees will receive no blame whatsoever, and will in fact actively work to put all the blame on state and local Democrats. Gosh, nonpartisanship sure is fun!
September 7th, 2005 at 11:46 am#22 - this site is HOME to detachment. If you people didn’t start throwing mud, you wouldn’t have it thrown.
I love once liberals realize they’ve overplayed their hand, they start whinign about how nasty their opponents are.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:46 amDilemma - you mean that Max Cleland overplayed losing three limbs, so you loved all his complaints about being called a traitor?
September 7th, 2005 at 11:50 ampolls??? did someone say polls???
http://www.mediainfo.com/ eandp/ news/ article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001055733
While 42% of respondents characterized Bush’s response to the disaster as bad or terrible, 35% said it was good or great. Federal agencies got exactly the same marks. State and local officials fared only a little better–their response was described as bad or terrible by 35% and good or great by 37%.
… and, I’m sure, as people learn more about what REALLY happened and are less clouded by the Rove Spin Machine, those numbers will continue to evolve …
… unlike our friend NED
September 7th, 2005 at 11:50 amAgain, the views were strongly based on partisan leanings, with Republicans giving the president good grades on this issue by a 69% to 10% margin, while Democrats’ views were precisely the opposite. But independents gave Bush a thumbs down by 47% to 29%
Ned, I see you took that hate speech down off your web site now, does this mean you are going to be a nice guy now?
September 7th, 2005 at 11:51 am#26 - Max Cleland did NOT represent GA, he represented the far left wing of the Democratic party voting against a ban on partial birth. You can cry smear all you want - he lost on issues. Please get out of denial.
A 35-42% rating is quite good considering the tsunami of Bush hatred ringing from the MSM this past week.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:54 amThis simple timline of publicly available reports supports the claim that victims of Hurricane Katrina that initially survived the winds and rain were murdered by the Bush Beaurocracy, and the Bush ideology, which believes government can do no good, and the best government is the LEAST government.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Chertoff, Brown are stained with the blood of Americans they failed.
This is criminal negligence. This is derelection of duty. Impeach the Bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 7th, 2005 at 11:57 am#28 … you know so little about so much, it’s simply mind-boggling …
Max Cleland served GA as Sec of State for more than 20 years - the people of GA loved him … even my father, a dyed-in-the-wool republican voted for him twice.
He was smeared as being a friend of OBL, plain and simple.
… now, as for “A 35-42% rating is quite good considering the tsunami of Bush hatred ringing from the MSM this past week.”
ummm … 3 to 4 people approving of your performance is nothing to crow about … that’s just his base … and, if you read the last paragraph, he’s lost in the independents …
… as for the “hatred ringing from the MSM” - truth hurts, my friendly
September 7th, 2005 at 11:58 am13 % blame Bush + 18 % blame top gov’t officials = 31% accountability by Bush and his fools for friends. You say “Bring it on” just like your god does NED. When the flood recedes and the smoke clears people will be outraged and most Americans don’t know whosawhatsit in Louisiana or N.O. they know BushCo and all the promises that he has made as being a great leader in times of crisis. Sorry dude the gig is up. Just try and get some help when your world falls out from underneath you.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:00 pmThank you very much for putting all this together in one place. I had some of this stuff already but tracking Bush mistakes really is a full-time job.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:00 pmI was hoping for an authoritative timeline, but your adverbs and adjectives signaled that this timeline was constructed for partisan advantage. That’s OK, of course. But if you are aware of an authoritative timeline would you please link to it so that people interested in learning about the situation can do so.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:01 pmDilemma - nice question-dodging. Yes, Max Cleland represented the radical wing of the democratic party that doesn’t believe women should be forced to carry a brainless fetus to term, or to walk around with a dead fetus until it goes septic and kills her. Nice dodge of my counterexample to “democrats start it”, and definitely answers what color the sky is in your world.
Are you familiar with the push-polling in the South Carolina 2000 Republican primaries, implying McCain had an illegitimate black child? I guess McCain must be a liberal who overplayed his hand.
As a further source of links, I offer http://femafailures.blogspot.com/ - but I’m sure some people will read these and find some way of blaming FEMA’s problems on democrats. Or liberals. Or liberal democrats.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:01 pmAn important item missing from the end of the timeline (http://www.darrelplant.com/blog_item.php?ItemRef=317), links to the White House proclamations are in the posting:
Sunday, September 4
PROCLAMATION HONORING THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA: Six days after the hurricane strikes, President Bush orders that flags be flown at half-staff until September 20. On the same day, he orders flags to half-staff to honor Chief Justice Rhenquist who died the day before. 9/11 victims were honored with a proclamation on September 12, 2001.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:02 pmCan someone post a link to where I can learn everything that is supposed to happen when a governor declares a “state of emergency.” What does that term technically/legally mean and what is supposed to happen next?
Also, as for the 13% of Americans not blaming Bush - I wonder what the statistic is among Southern states affected by the storm. Most people in Georgia (where I live) seem almost oblivious to the fact that the storm even hit. New Orleans is a place many Americans never go, never think about, and may very well not know anyone affected by this storm. I wonder if you narrowed the sample to Alabama, Tennesese, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, whether it would remain 13% or not.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:03 pm#33 - facts have a liberal bias.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:04 pmnjk56, try the Canadians, they seem to have little to gain by spinning http://www.cbc.ca/ news/ background/ katrina/ katrina_timeline.html
September 7th, 2005 at 12:05 pmJust fly them atquarter staff.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:05 pm#36
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Emergency
wikipedia is a wonderful thing - or, a good start, anyway …
September 7th, 2005 at 12:05 pmCan you please consider making a timeline of Bush’s budget cuts leading up to the failure?
And include when various press articles and government memos were generated about the need to complete the levees in New Orleans.
Thanks!
September 7th, 2005 at 12:06 pm#33 - njk56 - Name one adverb or adjective. Even if you can, name one untruth in the timeline. I dare you.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:07 pmDarrel
One correction, Bush ordered the flag at half-staff for the Cheif Justice. Then quickly realized that it might also be appropriate for his victims of Katrina too, then he sent out the second order.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:07 pm1) Sunday. Mayfield briefed Bush and other admin officials on Sunday–saw article, need to search for it again, but WH even had photo of Bush watching weather maps on monitor during the conference call.
2) Photo-ops? Potemkin aid stations? Potemkin fire fighters (or lease using them as props). Labor Day weekend.
3) Any info on what MS Gov. Barbour did and when? Heard on To The Point yesterday that he did not do anything until Sunday? Not sure of this, seeing little about him, except his praise for FEMA and Bush.
4) Commenter above said he had developed own time line–can he give URL? Or send to Think Progress?
September 7th, 2005 at 12:08 pm#40 - Duh. Thanks. Should’ve looked there first. Wiki is a wonderful thing.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:08 pmThen quickly realized that it might also be appropriate for his victims of Katrina too, then he sent out the second order.
Comment by Citizen80203
yeeesh … “quick, throw an executive order for the dead browh people who ruined my vacation”
September 7th, 2005 at 12:08 pmThis is really valuable. As the Bush Administration blasts ahead with its “investigation” into the situation, this Timeline will help ordinary people keep track of its lies, evasions, pretences and obfuscations. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:08 pmOK. I think we’re all tired of Katrina coverage now. I know I’ve had enough. And especially the blame game. It was a hurricane, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t specially ordered up by the administration.
Can we all agree that it’s time to move on?
September 7th, 2005 at 12:08 pmThe poor left. They are so overcome with Bush hatred. He gets them at every corner and there is nothing they can do but blame him for everything.
It has never worked. When the GOP pads there already impressive majority next year, you can take heart in knowing you helped. Bye bye losers - time to get work.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:09 pmJust pointing out an error - you have the firefighters being used for Bush’s photo op on Friday - they were actually used for his second visit (since the first one bombed so badly) on Monday. That’s clear even in the text you post.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:09 pmDKos reports WH web site removed photo of Bush getting weather briefing on Sunday before landfall.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:09 pmCan we all agree that it’s time to move on?
Comment by Floyd Alvis Cooper
yeah. you’re right. let’s just move along like little sheeple and forget that there are thousands of people dead in Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama (they’re probably rednecks, anyway, right?) …
… let’s forget about the HUGE dereliction of duty in the Oval Office (well, Crawford play-ranch)
… let’s just keep on walking and not think about the first-responders that were held at bay for days while thousand of people had no food or water …
my god.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:12 pmHere’s another bullet, although a negative one.
On Tuesday, no major newspaper has a headline about New Orleans dodging a bullet. However, both Chertoff and Myers will later claim they read these headlines. http://www.newseum.org/ todaysfrontpages/ archive.asp?fpArchive=083005
#48 - run along and play while the adults focus on ‘accountability’. It’s a bigger word, and not part of a rhyming phrase, so I can understand why you wouldn’t know it. For extra credit, what was the well-known catchphrase of the US President that the Harry S Truman was named for?
September 7th, 2005 at 12:12 pmI think it’s important also to include FEMA’s archived bulletins regarding Katrina, as they are instructive. Perhaps Dkospedia will include some of these links as well:
ARCHIVED FEMA BULLETINS BY DATE FOR HURRICANE KATRINA:
http://www.fema.gov/news/katrinanews.fema
TRACK THE STORM AS IT ENTERS THE GULF VIA NASA SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHY:
http://www.nasa.gov/ vision/ earth/ lookingatearth/ h2005_katrina.html
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ARCHIVE OF KATRINA BULLETINS
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/KATRINA.shtml
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/KATRINA.shtml?
DISASTER CENTER KATRINA ARCHIVE OF STORM PATH WITH SATELLITE PHOTOS AND ADVISORIES:
http://www.disastercenter.com/ Tropical%20Storm%20-%20Hurricane%20-%20Katrina.html
September 7th, 2005 at 12:12 pm#55 - addendum …
and, also don’t forget the generators that FEMA confiscated, the WalMart trucks that FEMA turned back, the communications lines that Homeland Security turned off …
September 7th, 2005 at 12:15 pmCan someone reason through this with me? Thanks.
1. GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: “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.†[Office of the Governor]
When she did this, what should’ve happened next? (Please no speculation; legally, what is supposed to happen next?) Reading the wiki posted by #40 says the following:
2. In the United States, the chief executive is typically empowered to declare a State of Emergency. The President of the United States, a governor of a state, or even a local mayor may declare a State of Emergency within his or her jurisdiction. This is relatively rare at the federal level, but quite common at the state level in response to natural disasters. Typically, a state of emergency empowers the executive to name coordinating officials to deal with the emergency and to override normal administrative processes regarding the passage of administrative rules.
So, if I am understanding this correctly, when Blanco announced a state of emergency, and called for “supplementary federal assistance” to save lives and property, this is the point where troops and/or FEMA were supposed to immediately arrive. Isn’t FEMA supposed to be responding, independent of this announcement though? Or does FEMA not respond until Blanco makes her announcement?
Thanks.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:15 pm… and the fact that the Red Cross that was prohibited from entering New Orleans because “food and water might keep these people from evacuating”
September 7th, 2005 at 12:16 pmMaybe they had better go on and die then and decrease the surplus population…
September 7th, 2005 at 12:18 pm#57 - I’m not sure of the interlocking timing, but on 8/27 Bush declared disaster areas (in the landlocked Louisiana parishes) and assigned FEMA to coordinate all efforts. “Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.”
http://www.thismodernworld.com/ weblog/ mtarchives/ week_2005_09_04.html#002439
September 7th, 2005 at 12:19 pmI’m sorry boss, I said that the buck stopped with you. Those reporters refused to listen to Karl’s talking points, they were really mean, they actually did their jobs for once, I was really surprised, it was like Rovegate all over again. Please don’t send me to Baghdad…
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ news/ releases/ 2005/ 09/ 20050906-5.html
September 7th, 2005 at 12:22 pmA missing first stage of the Katrina disaster is the 2001 Bush tax package. The cuts, including to the estate tax, helped contribute to the massive defunding of New Orleans’ levee maintenance and hurricane preparedness work.
For the sad tale, see:
“New Orleans Pays the Death Tax.”
September 7th, 2005 at 12:24 pmhttp://www.cnn.com/ 2005/ POLITICS/ 09/ 07/ katrina.congress/ index.html
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House majority leader late Tuesday tried to deflect criticism of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina by saying “the emergency response system was set up to work from the bottom up,” then announced a short time later that House hearings examining that response had been canceled.
Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said House Republican leaders instead want a joint House-Senate panel set up to conduct a “congressional review” of the issue.
Tempers flared Tuesday during a contentious closed-door meeting between House members and Cabinet secretaries in charge of directing Katrina relief efforts. A Republican representative stood up and said, “All of you deserve failing grades. The response was a disaster,” CNN was told by lawmakers emerging from the meeting.
But DeLay countered that assessment later in a news conference by saying that the onus for responding to emergencies fell to local officials.
“It’s the local officials trying to handle the problem. When they can’t handle the problem, they go to the state, and the state does what they can to, and if they need assistance from FEMA and the federal government they ask for it and it’s delivered,” DeLay said.
He added that Alabama and Mississippi did a much better job of responding quickly than Louisiana. Alabama and Mississippi have Republican governors.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:25 pm#60 - I missed that; it was right below the Blanco entry, but I didn’t keep reading. So there is an immediate response from the White House in response to Blanco’s announcement, and specifically DHS and FEMA are assigned responsibilty to respond.
Can we have more information in the timeline about the immediate actions DHS and FEMA take? What is their first response?
Also, there’s talk of an evacuation plan. I know that there was a June 2004 “Hurricane Pam” seminar involving what I believe were FEMA officials, DHS officials, state officials, city officials and volunteers. Out of this conference, an improved evacuation plan emerged. Where can one get a copy of this plan? I assume Blanco was to call a state of emergency, then FEMA and DHS were to respond, but what was their assigned responsibilities?
Thanks again. This is all extremely helpful.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:25 pmThe AWOL pResident
* AWOL from TANG
* AWOL on his business ethics
* AWOL on 9/11
* AWOL on the truth about Iraq’s WMD
* AWOL on funding our infrastructure to pay for his immoral, elective WOT.
* AWOL on Katrina
This Disaster pResident has a long history of being AWOL, both in his personal life and his public responsibilities. He’s clearly failed his oath of office.
Why do people like NED support cowardly, incompetent people in this government? Does he hate America as much as they do?
September 7th, 2005 at 12:27 pmWhy do people like NED support cowardly, incompetent people in this government? Does he hate America as much as they do?
Comment by Innocent Bystander
because, ever since the fall of the Red Menace, they have needed an enemy. now, it’s us.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:31 pmJust sent this as an email, but I’ll add it here in the comments as well:
Excellent work. You left out one key item:
Tuesday, 12:45 p.m. [Timezone unclear, probably Eastern]: Cuba contacts U.S. authorities and offers 1100 fully-equipped, self-sufficient, trained and experienced doctors who can arrive beginning in less than 24 hours, ready to offer medical assistance to those in need. [Offer still not only not accepted, but yet to be even acknowledged by Secretary of State Condoliezza [sic] Rice.
Link:
Eli Stephens
September 7th, 2005 at 12:31 pmLeft I on the News
http://lefti.blogspot.com
#64 - these are good questions.
The best link I’ve seen explaining how disaster management is supposed to happen was posted by James McDonald at Making Light. http://nielsenhayden.com/ makinglight/ archives/ 006707.html
The Hurricane Pam exercise covered a fairly similar scenario - including the rough number of people unable or unwilling to evacuate - but I have not seen any lessons learned or revised plans stemming from it. http://www.fema.gov/ news/ newsrelease.fema?id=13051
It is known that IEM, Inc. received a $500K contract from FEMA to develop a hurricane plan for New Orleans. However, since the storm, IEM has been scrubbing references off their website. http://leninology.blogspot.com/ 2005/ 09/ politics-of-weather-3-shyness-of.html
September 7th, 2005 at 12:35 pmHey skel trolls
We are not intersted in your pussy “blame game” we want to play the “acountability game”.
Republican skels, we can smell your stench of rot.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:41 pmIt would help to see what the governor of LA did or did not do. I don’t know how to fight the White House spin (or if I should) on blaming local and state officials because I don’t know her level of culpability or competence here.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:47 pmYou need to add an item to your timeline re when Chertoff first says he found out about the people in the Convention Center. I forget the exact time, but it was something like a day after it had been all voer CNN by his own admission.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:50 pmHow did I know I would find NeDs dumbass here. Stop responding to these jerks. We finally have these bastards on the ropes, right where they should have been for years.
This disaster has openned up another levee, the one holding the backlash of critical analysis of just how the Bush administartion has put the entire population at risk for attacks and disasters.
Remember, don’t feed thes good for nothing trolls.
Stay on topic.
I think that the timeline needs to be added to on a regular basis. There is so much evidence that has come out since the third. Think Progress has created an excellent timeline and I hope you will add to it.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:51 pm#71
That was the Paula Zahn interview on Thursday morning, September 1st.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:52 pmScott, more for you: after Blanco declared on Aug 26th that LA was entering a state of emergency, WH acknowledged on the 27th here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/ news/ releases/ 2005/ 08/ 20050827-1.html
Dubya seems to have done his job that day, maybe his cell phone worked on the golf course…
I think that as of that moment FEMA was in charge: one whole day BEFORE Katrina hit.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:53 pmExcellent work. Let me suggest some additional stories about the calamity courtesy of The NewStandard:
FEMA Ran Hurricane Drills, Developed Plans, Dropped Ball
http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2322
Authorities Favored VIPs over Superdome’s Desperate;
Hotel Workers, Patrons Excused from Pre-Storm Evac Given Special Treatment
http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2320
FEMA Held Off on Requesting Hurricane Relief Workers
September 7th, 2005 at 12:55 pmhttp://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2332
NeD and his favorite new word of the year - INVECTIVE. He uses it in 4 out of 10 posts. I say skip him over. He is stark raving mad and very very mean spirited. He obviously has many many issues and uses us for his masochistic needs.
Don’t post to him directly, just talk around him. He is not worth words and is obviously young and naive and gets the proper amount of attention and punishment here. He talks of us “hating” and that is all he is about - PROJECTION is the word that first comes to mind - textbook.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:56 pm#66 - very good point. They HAVE to hate someone.
September 7th, 2005 at 12:57 pmBren
She did all she could do. She declared a state of emergency two days prior to landfall, she asked for FEMA assistance the day before landfall. It was all the administration’s incompetence that led to the tragedy. What you are hearing is the Republican skels not playing the “blame game” and scurrying for the rocks they hide under by “blaming gaming” any Democrat within 600 miles.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:00 pmWhy isn’t there any discussion or references to the City Of New Orleans Emergency Preparedness Plan?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:01 pmBren
It is easy to see the lies if you ask yourself “is it a skel mouth” or is it an American?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:02 pmHow come the wrong wing watches and posts here so quickly and could not respond to the convention center madness on tv until 24 hours later, and then with minimal water? The Rove machine can crank up the hate within 24 minutes after someone crosses them on cable. If Bush had responded to the one situation, the convention center, I do not think the outrage would be there. There would still be great issues and problems, but I, like many, called the white house to complain and waited in horror as they waited for 24 hours to send in two tiny water drops. At least I had clean water and a bathroom. Bush should be fired.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:05 pmThe Office of Emergency Preparedness has the overall
responsibility for reception and dissemination of warning information through the city.
The Hurricane Emergency Evacuation Standard Operating
September 7th, 2005 at 1:10 pmProcedure is designed to deal with all case scenarios of an evacuation in response to the approach of a major hurricane towards New Orleans. It is designed to deal with the anticipation of a direct hit from a major hurricane. This includes identifying the city’s present population, its projected population, identification of at-risk populations (those living outside levee protection or in storm-surge areas, floodplains, mobile homes, etc.), in order to understand the evacuation requirements. It includes identifying the transportation network, especially the carrying-capacity of proposed evacuation routes and existing or potential traffic bottlenecks or blockages, caused either by traffic congestion or natural occurrences such as rising waters. Identification of sheltering resources and the establishment of shelters and the training of shelter staff is important, as is the provision for food and other necessities to the sheltered. This preparation function is the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
III. EVACUATION ORDER
A. Authority
As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the
government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness
The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:14 pmQUESTION FOR THE CLASS …
does anyone know when Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency? does anyone know when the first FEMA officials and National Guard troops arrived there?
I may have overlooked it, but I didn’t see MS or AL mentioned on the timeline re: these issues
September 7th, 2005 at 1:18 pmGreat timeline, but could you add all of the horrible things the Bush Administration did PRIOR to the hurricane, including cutting Army Corps of Engineers budget, declining funds for levee construction, gutting of FEMA (and hiring of Brown), etc?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:19 pmFrom # 48: “It was a hurricane, for goodness’ sake. It wasn’t specially ordered up by the administration”
Yet another example of how the Bush apologists are trying to spin this. No one is blaming the Administration for the hurricane, ferkrisakes, or even the response to the specifically hurricane-effected areas (i.e, friendly red states Mississippi and Alambama). Its the total lack of a timely response to the second disaster: the breaching of the leveees and subsequent flooding of New Orleans. No one in thier right mind (unfortunate phrase, given the context), would try to place blame for the storm, but so long as the right can make it appear that that is what the left is trying to do , they succeed in painting their opponents as lunatics, and their point of view as ridiculous. It’s a tactic directly out of Rush Limabugh’s playbook, one he uses on a daily basis.
The sad truth is, I fear that it’s a tactic that has and will continue to work all too well. Bush’s legacy will be the establishment of the “criticism-of-the-Administration-isanti-American” mindset. If you love your country, you’ll defend the President at all costs, and not let a pesky little thing like reality get in the way. Any criticism, and you’re not only not worth listening to, but you must hate your country.
I hope and pray people will wake up to what this Administration is doing to our country, but my pessimism is too strong these days… New Orleans will be restored and back to it’s former glory long before we recover from the damage caused by 8 years of Bush and Company.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:21 pmDon’t forget about Dick Cheney’s mansion shopping.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:23 pmA.B - can you post a link to the full document, and any information about when it was activated?
It looks like there were screwups at every level of government, but FEMA and DHS have primary responsibility in disasters, and so are the primary targets. FEMA’s budget is, IIRC, $5 billion a year.
I’ll note that the simulations (Hurricane Pam, etc.) indicated about as many people wouldn’t evacuate New Orleans as didn’t. I’m personally disappointed that DHS hasn’t made more provisions on housing large numbers of evacuees; any kind of biological or radiological attack on a major city would have just as many people needing to be rehoused.
#63 - you are right, information from other states needs to be added in. New Orleans has dominated the news, but there are a lot of smaller areas just as poorly served.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:23 pmA.B.
Not sure what your point is? The mayor & Governor ordered the evacuation two days prior. Asking a city government or state government to carry out such an order without federal assistance is their “blame gaming”. A lot has been made of the “yellow school buses”, but how were they to find drivers for two school buses? Of course the republican skels answer (screech, then girl crying in background) with the bus drivers! Well, how to compel school bus drivers to stay and drive is not “reality based”, but skels scurrying for cover under the bodies in NO. Are you a skel or an American?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:25 pmReported in the Chicago Tribune:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that a lack of funding for hurricane-protection projects around New Orleans did not contribute to the disastrous flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina.
In a telephone interview with reporters, corps officials said that although portions of the flood-protection levees remain incomplete, the levees near Lake Pontchartrain that gave way–inundating much of the city–were completed and in good condition before the hurricane.
However, they noted that the levees were designed for a Category 3 hurricane and couldn’t handle the ferocious winds and raging waters from Hurricane Katrina, which was a Category 4 storm when it hit the coastline. The decision to build levees for a Category 3 hurricane was made decades ago based on a cost-benefit analysis
September 7th, 2005 at 1:26 pmNortheast Dilemma (and ilk)
Your pig-ignorant and insulting comments truly reflect the desperation and near insanity of the Republican party who are just beginning to realize that King Dubya is not fit to lead anything so simple as a circle jerk.
People like you heap scorn on “lib’ruls” because you cannot really address the valid criticisms people have made of Dubya and his administration.
Redleg
September 7th, 2005 at 1:26 pmThis may have already been pointed out….but…..I think that the photo-op with the Firemen was on a different day than the photo-op with the Coast Guard. Like, I think it was either on Monday or Tuesday this week(a week after Katrina).
Other than that(if indeed I am correct)….you have done a grand job. Thank you.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:27 pmThe stench of the republican party is in the very pores of America. Thank god they are rotting away with an advanced case of syphilis.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:30 pmMississippi Valley Division Work Flood Control Act Project Maps
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/ eng2/ edsd/ proj_maps/ pmap_fcp2.htm
Project:
September 7th, 2005 at 1:31 pmLake Pontchartrain, LA and Vicinity
Hurricane Protection
Progress:
Funds to initiate pre-construction engineering and design were appropriated in FY 1966, and funds to initiate conbtruction were appropriated in FY 1967. The project is approximately 82 percent complete and the estimated completion date is November 2013. The New Orleans East Unit is 90 percent complete, with a completion date of September 2009. The New Orleans West Unit is 15 percent complete with a completion date of November 2013. The Mandeville Unit is 100% complete as of September 1995. The Chalmette Unit is 98 percent complete with a completion date of September 2001. The mitigation project was completed in December 1996
Barbara Bush’s (aka Womb of Mass Destruction) comments on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” program (as reported on Editor and Publisher) need to be added to this timeline:
Then she added: “What I’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.”
September 7th, 2005 at 1:32 pmhttp://www.editorandpublisher.com/ eandp/ news/ article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001054719
Her beautiful mind makes me wretch.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:34 pmCity of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan
September 7th, 2005 at 1:37 pmhttp://www.cityofno.com/ portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=36
#91 … The stench of the republican party is in the very pores of America. Thank god they are rotting away with an advanced case of syphilis.
Comment by Citizen80203
it’s more like a case of herpes … it goes away for a while, then flares up again … sadly, it often infects the innocent (like those in college) who really don’t understand what it is …
unfortunately, it’ll never really die … there are too many people who are willing to yell “victim” … as in “he wished me ‘happy holidays’ instead of ‘merry christmas!!! I’m being victimized by the anti-christian left” …
gah
September 7th, 2005 at 1:38 pmThis is really worth looking at:
September 7th, 2005 at 1:40 pmhttp://www.nytimes.com/ packages/ html/ national/ 2005_HURRICANEKATRINA_GRAPHIC/ index_02.html
The most revealing information on this subject, I think, comes from the White House news archive. On August 26, three days before Katrina’s landfall, FEMA was authorized to immediately provide disaster relief assistance to a specific list of parishes in Louisiana. I may be incorrect, but it looks to me like none of the parishes surrounding New Orleans are included on that list.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ news/ releases/ 2005/ 08/ 20050827-1.html
Three days later, the White House announces that federal funding will be made available to residents of all parishes in Louisiana, including those surrounding New Orleans.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ news/ releases/ 2005/ 08/ 20050829-2.html
So if I’m reading this correctly, the White House is basically saying to New Orleans: “We’re not coming to save you, but any of you who manage to survive on your own will get a check”?
I would assume the government will follow through on the second promise as well as they did on the first.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:41 pmWow, GREAT timeline. Hard to argue with plain, cold facts. Thanks for all the work that went into this.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:42 pmA.B. - your information on the levee does not include the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project (SELA), started in 1995. That funding was slashed in 2003, after being cut starting in 2001.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ eandp/ news/ article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313
Mike Parker, a former Republican congressman involved in the project said: “I’m not saying it would have been totally alleviated but it would have been less than the damage that we have got now.” http://news.yahoo.com/ s/ nm/ 20050901/ pl_nm/ weather_katrina_funding_dc
One of the projects that was delayed by the cuts, but being worked on over the summer, was improving the 17th street levee - the first one that broke, IIRC.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:50 pmI GOT ANSWERS, ANSWERS, ANSWERS!!!
… provided by the erstwhile Head of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge …
http://www.firedupamerica.com/ridge_disaster_plan
scroll a bit down the page and you can access a PDF of the disaster plan …
Go to section 1, roles and responsibilities
September 7th, 2005 at 1:52 pmWhat Joyce Harmon said upthread: the firefighter photo op was this Monday (9/5), not last Friday, 9/2.
Might want to mention for Sunday 9/4 that 1000 firefighters were made to take a class in Atlanta, when they expected - and wanted - to be rescuing stranded hurricane survivors in New Orleans.
http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3004197
GREAT resource you’ve put together here; just want to make sure it’s as flawless as possible.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:55 pmPlease add when the Airport closes and Greyhound bus lines shuts down any outgoing buses. I believe Greyhound was Saturday or Sunday but I don’t know the time.
I would also like to see the location/status of the top Bush Administration officials on each day and whether they were eating cake or buying $3000 shoes.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:09 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 2:13 pm1. See the data for the USGS water gage on Industrial Canal at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ la/ nwis/ uv?format=gif&period=10&site_no=0738023321 (set data for last 10 days). On the morning of Monday 8/29 this showed a spike in water level, then a sudden drop, then continued surge. The drop apparently marks the first levee break and it was visible on the chart at the URL above by around 9:10 a.m. Eastern time Monday, judging by an email I sent to friends shortly thereafter.
2. A few minutes later, at 9:16 a.m. Eastern, the National Weather Service posted this flash flood warning:
CRITICAL BULLETIN RETRANSMISSION, ORIGINAL SENT AT 1316
LAC071-087-291915-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
814 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW ORLEANS HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR…
ORLEANS PARISH IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…NEW ORLEANS
ST. BERNARD PARISH IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CHALMETTE
* UNTIL 215 PM CDT
* A LEVEE BREACH OCCURRED ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL AT TENNESSEE STREET. 3 TO 8 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED DUE TO THE BREACH.
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ARABI AND 9TH WARD OF NEW ORLEANS.
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR AUTOMOBILE.
LAT…LON 2992 9012 2994 9003 2987 8987 3001 8985 3004 8982 3008 8993 3002 9012
$$
3. NWS posted at 10 a.m. Eastern:
LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-291600-
HURRICANE KATRINA LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
900 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005
…HURRICANE KATRINA DIRECT HIT FOR NEW ORLEANS AND MISSISSIPPI
COAST…
…LEVEES OVERTOPPED IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES…
snip
KATRINA MAKING LANDFALL IN EASTERN NEW ORLEANS AND MISSISSIPPI COAST AREA THIS MORNING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING HURRICANE…SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL IS OCCURRING. LEVEES HAVE BEEN OVERTOPPED IN ORLEANS AND ST BERNARD PARISHES. IN ADDITION DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE OCCURRING ON TOP OF THE STORM SURGE NEAR THE COAST. SEVERE TIDAL FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN THESE AREAS. IN ADDITION…SEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING IS PROBABLY OCCURRING IN SOUTHEAST ST TAMMANY PARISH AND IN HANCOCK…HARRISON AND JACKSON COUNTIES IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:16 pm#103 - this is a good point, and should be added.
http://www.latimes.com/ news/ nationworld/ nation/ la-na-transit1sep01,1,2571214.story
Amtrak shut down ‘at least 24 hours’ before Katrina - when the floodgates were put in place, trains couldn’t get into the city.
Greyhound shut down late Saturday.
It looks like the airlines cancelled service at different times, though. Delta stopped service Saturday at midnight, but American and US Air kept flying most of their schedule till Sunday around 1:00 PM.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:24 pmThis is an awesome chronicle of the facts about Katrina - but lets not forget the timeline of deismatnling/destruction leading UP to Katrina!
Hopefully as time permits, sites like this will add the PRECEEDING events that set the stage for this national disgrace. See http://katrinablog.org/ 2005/ 09/ timeline-of-fema-deterioration-under.html
September 7th, 2005 at 2:31 pmI’ll be linking your timeline to my Katrina page, at http://www.iraqtimeline.com (the focus of the site is on the right-wing takeover of American politics, but for now, the main page has been “hijacked” by Katrina). Excellent, excellent work.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:32 pmYou might find this of interest….FEMA outsourcing of preparations. That $500K got New Orleans…what?
Bush ‘outsourced’ FEMA’s hurricane planning and evacuation response to Innovative Emergency Management, Inc., a.k.a. IEM. See website http://www.ieminc.com and look up the Southeastern Louisiana New Orleans Disaster Plan
IEM Team to Develop Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans & Southeast Louisiana
June 3, 2004
http://www.ieminc.com/ Whats_New/ Press_Releases/ pressrel …
“The IEM team will complete a functional exercise on a catastrophic hurricane strike in Southeast Louisiana and use results to develop a response and recovery plan. A catastrophic event is one that can overwhelm State, local and private capabilities so quickly that communities could be devastated without Federal assistance and multi-agency planning and preparedness.”
September 7th, 2005 at 2:41 pmWhen did the governor call the press conference?
When were the orders cut?
When did Hurricane Center brief each party?
When did Bush call before the press confernece?
In every instance that Bush has been on his own to talk about anything he has repeatily failed to deliver any real understandable message. Why would it be any different on this call?
Anybody have transcipts or recordings?
September 7th, 2005 at 2:41 pmDon’t forget to add Dick Cheney’s buying a vacation mansion in ST Michael’s, MD last week, while still on vacation. (Wash Post). Also Bush was briefed the week before Katrina on it’s potential dangers. (White House photo available of video conference at Crawford Ranch)
September 7th, 2005 at 2:44 pmSo where are the Bushbots with their ‘facts’ to counteract the truth? Why is it always bloviating against lefties without any facts to back their opinions?
Because they’d rather give the boy-king another pass than hold him and his agenda responsible for killing Americans. They love their Party more than their country. They remind me of another bunch of fascist enablers that started WW2. I’m sure their parents and grandparents would be quite proud of their cult-like adoration of the mini-me fuhrer.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:47 pm#4
I believe the poll that NED is referring to is from USAToday, which I wouldn’t consider in the backpocket of the Republican party. After all of the smearing and blaming, the best the left could do was 13%. I think starting the blame game was inappropriate and the given the level of destruction and loss of life, shows the real side behind the left. This tragedy should not be politicized any more than 9/11. Trust me, you will get burned. As for New Orleans and Louisanna, home to Huey Long, could there be a more corrupt area of the country. How many dollars designated over the years for re-inforcements of the levy actually made it there. That is the real crime here. It is so sad so many people had to die for this to come to light. Nothing good will come from such hatred of Bush. The Left in this country will eventually learn that or go out of existance.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:53 pmSHOCKING LIST OF FEMA FAILURES
Question is: What can WE do about all of this?
Can FEMA do anything right?!! Look at this Shocking list of FEMA failures!
Edited on Tue Sep-06-05 11:39 AM by peabody71
My personal opinion is that this was strictly political.
I hate to say it but the White House wanted a Democratic political fallout in Louisiana. God let’s hope it backfires.
Just take a look at this list:
FEMA won’t accept Amtrak’s help in evacuations
http://news.ft.com/ cms/ s/ 84aa35cc-1da8-11da-b40b-00000e…
FEMA turns away experienced firefighters
http://www.dailykos.com/ storyonly/ 2005/ 9/ 5/ 105538/ 7048
FEMA turns back Wal-Mart supply trucks
http://www.nytimes.com/ 2005/ 09/ 05/ national/ nationalspec… ;en=1d14ebfbd942a7d0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
FEMA prevents Coast Guard from delivering diesel fuel
http://www.nytimes.com/ 2005/ 09/ 05/ national/ nationalspec… ;en=1d14ebfbd942a7d0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
FEMA won’t let Red Cross deliver food
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm
FEMA bars morticians from entering New Orleans
http://www.zwire.com/ site/ news.cfm?newsid=15147862& ;BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6
FEMA blocks 500-boat citizen flotilla from delivering aid
http://www.dailykos.com/ storyonly/ 2005/ 9/ 3/ 171718/ 0826
FEMA fails to utilize Navy ship with 600-bed hospital on board
http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/ nationworld/ chi-0509… ;cset=true
FEMA to Chicago: Send just one truck
http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/ local/ chi-050902dale…
FEMA turns away generators
http://www.wwltv.com/ local/ stories/ WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html
FEMA: “First Responders Urged Not To Respond”
http://www.fema.gov/ news/ newsrelease.fema?id=18470
That last one is real —not satire but straight from FEMA’s website.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:56 pmMake the timeline complete with FEMA’s declaration yesterday that no photographs, no photographs, of dead bodies in Louisiana will be permitted on land, sea or in the air—or in any of the temporary morgues, as Republican cleverness makes a comeback.
Even death numbers are hard to come by, a White House inspired imposition on the flow of information to ‘preserve the disaster’s dignity.’
Let’s see if the press howls. .
September 7th, 2005 at 2:57 pmHey check the damn facts.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ news/ releases/ 2005/ 08/ 20050827-1.html
Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana
The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.
Where is the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi delta reigion?
————————-
So the White House screws up the Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana. They are shouting so loud that the huge hole in the Statement is missed again.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:03 pmIs this the original “Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana?”
Or has it been doctored? Katrine or Cindy?
September 7th, 2005 at 3:08 pmCan someone explain this to me? After 9/11, the democrats, Joe Lieberman in particular, wanted FEMA to be part of the new Dept. of Homeland Security, which Bush was opposed to at first because of the level of beauracy it was going to create but reached across to the aisle to appease dems anyway. Now, after Katrina, we find out the FEMA may have been slow to respond because of the red tape and now we have Hilliary endorsing a bill to separate FEMA from Homeland Security, which she voted for in the first place. How come no one ever points the finger at congress? Aren’t they to blame to for some of the governments’ shortcomings.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:10 pm#112 - I notice that (like NED), your highest priority and highest justification are polls and elections. Some people would rather be right than popular - we know which side you fall on.
If 9/11 had been ‘politicized’ by the Democrats - if Bush and his appointees had been held to account for their mistakes, like Dick Cheney’s commisison on terrorism - they would not be in office now, and I doubt we’d be at war in Eurasia, I mean Iraq. As we remember, the Republicans had no problem politicizing 9/11.
A more competent president would have appointed more professional managers at FEMA, and the chain of disasters this site (among others) is documenting would have been far less.
You might want to leave your rhyming talking points aside and ask yourself - is there anything Bush could do that I wouldn’t support? Is there anything the media could uncover that would make me hold him responsible for some or even most of the failed Federal response?
September 7th, 2005 at 3:14 pm# 49.
Bush is polling in the low/mid 40’s so he is at beast a weak lame duck. Rove & co are in a spin recovery mode. The congress could flip next year if the mood shift solidfiies. The fact that the polls show him at at just 50%+/- on handling a PREDICTED storm & flood event is pathetic in itself.
He got beat by a mindless storm visible to the human eye going 15 MPH?
Ironically, a timely response to this disaster and the aftermath was a chance for W to really shine by getting right on this mess on Tuesday/Wed rather running around to those PR events and golfing. The fact is NO was swarmed with helos on Saturday that could have been there Thursday at daybreak.
Men, women, & children expired unneccesarily as a result in the 72 hours prior to that.
Everything he needed was at solely his command (they require a presidential go ahead to move) e.g., the heavy and air mobile responders required to save the day were the military aviation units. No need to go to congress - we’d be praising the response today and he’d be proudly standing in NO and Mobile. Instead he is all defensive and blaming the mayor and gov. How lame is that.
If you are the captain of a ship you are responsible for everyone in your chain of command - that is why if you are the captain of the executive branch you always want to have the best people in those agency head positions (not yes men or toadys) since they represent you and your authority.
Bush picked the FEMA head - Brown - Brown totally botched it - Bush is accountable for picking him and for not getting when something this big was breaking. Otherwise we don’t need to even have the executive.
This is the same guy who flew AF-1 back to DC in the middle of the night to sign a bill (the brain dead woman case). Face it these guys Totally dropped the ball on this and worsened things.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:14 pmAren’t they to blame to for some of the governments’ shortcomings.
Comment by Liberals Suck
yeah … you’re right … there’s a Democrat in the White House and Democrats in the majority of the Senate … and Democrats in the majority of the House … so they get to decide EVERYTHING …
oh, hey, waitaminnit … the REPUBLICANS are the architects of moving FEMA to be in Homeland Security … and the REPUBLICANS are in the White House and majority party in the Senate and House …
so, THEY’RE THE ARCHITECTS, you dickweed.
September 7th, 2005 at 3:17 pmWhere is the VP during all of this …… counting his oil money?????
September 7th, 2005 at 3:17 pm