An emotional exchange just took place between CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu. Cooper introduced Landrieu and immediately asked, “Does the federal government bear responsibility for what is happening now? Should they apologize for what is happening now?” Landrieu told him “there will be be plenty of time to discuss those issues,” and proceeded to begin thanking various government officials for their disaster relief support.

Finally, Cooper interrupted her:

Senator, I’m sorry… for the last four days, I have been seeing dead bodies here in the streets of Mississippi and to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other — I have to tell you, there are people here who are very upset and angry, and when they hear politicians thanking one another, it just, you know, it cuts them the wrong way right now, because there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman has been laying in the street for 48 hours, and there is not enough facilities to get her up. Do you understand that anger?

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Here’s what the FEMA director said to Paula Zahn tonight on CNN:

Michael Brown, director of FEMA: People who were unable or chose not to evacuate are suddenly appearing. And so this catastrophic disaster continues to grow. I will tell you this, though, every person in that convention center, we just learned about that today and so I have directed that we have all the available resources to get to that convention center to make sure that they have the food and water, the medical care that they need.

Paula Zahn: Sir, you’re not telling me -

Brown: To care of those bodies that are there –

Zahn: you’re not telling me that you just learned that the folks at the convention center didn’t have food and water until today, are you? You had no idea that they were completely cut off?

Brown: Paula, the federal government did not even know about the convention center people until today.

Apparently, the media knew the New Orleans Convention Center was a shelter for hurricane victims before the Bush Administration did. Meanwhile, victims at the convention center are facing “horrible, horrible conditions” where people are lying sick and dead on the streets.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today on NPR’s All Things Considered:

Robert Siegel: We are hearing from our reporter, he’s on another line right now, thousands of people at the convention center in New Orleans with no food, zero.

Chertoff: As I said, I’m telling you we are getting food and water to areas where people are staging. The one about an episode like this is if you talk to someone or you get a rumor or an anecdotal version of something I think it’s dangerous to extrapolate it all over the place.

[Snip]

Robert Siegel: But Mr. Secretary when you say we shouldn’t listen to rumors. These are things coming from reporters who have not only covered many many other hurricanes, they’ve covered wars and refugee camps. These aren’t rumors, they are saying there are thousands of people there.

Chertoff: I would be”¦I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don’t have food and water.

working to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina HERE.

From the attached U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fact Sheet, March 2005:

In authorizing the project, Congress expressed intent to have the critical flood control work accomplished as quickly as possible. The current budget funding for FY 2006 will prevent the award of contracts. This will significantly increase the cost of the project, delay project completion and delay project benefits.

(Original in PDF)

on the administration’s response to Katrina.

Bush said this morning, “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” That’s not true at all. A quick review of headlines from national and regional papers over the course of the Bush presidency demonstrate that the federal government was very much aware of the problem.

New Orleans CityBusiness, 6/6/05:

New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers faces $71.2M in federal cuts

Times-Picayune, 5/28/05:

As federal aid wanes, local leaders are trying to find ways — including movable barriers to ward off storm surge — to protect the metro area from the fiercest hurricanes

Times-Picayune, 12/3/04:

Levees don’t measure up, corps warns; Many not as high as previously thought

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/17/04:

New Orleans In Danger of Drowning; Hurricane Ivan Passed It By, But a Direct Hit By Another Storm Would Swamp Its Levees and Leave Thousands Dead

Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/8/04:

New Orleans’ growing danger; Wetlands loss leaves city a hurricane hit away from disaster

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9/11: Tax cuts over national sacrifice

Pete Peterson, former Secretary of Commerce under Nixon: “After 9/11, [the Bush administration] faced a choice between tax cuts and getting serious about the extensive measures needed to protect this nation against further terrorist attacks. They chose tax cuts.”

Iraq: Tax cuts over national sacrifice

Tom DeLay, one week before U.S. forces were launched into war in Iraq: “Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes.”

Hurricane Katrina: Tax cuts over national sacrifice

Former White House political director Ken Mehlman, urging supporters today to contact their senators about a vote to permanently repeal the estate tax — a massive sop to the ultra-wealthy that will cost the United States $1 trillion over ten years: “When they return from their August recess, Senators will consider a key issue: elimination of the death tax. … Make your voice heard on this important issue. … Express your support for tax relief and economic opportunity.”

To deflect criticism of its preparation for Hurricane Katrina, the White House is now pointing to the fact that President Bush declared a disaster area in southern Louisiana last Tuesday as evidence of early preparations. Here’s Scott McClellan from today’s press briefing:

In terms of the hurricane itself, remember we took a number of steps prior to the hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast region. The president issued disaster declarations for the states in the region prior to the hurricane hitting shore. That enabled FEMA to fully mobilize all the resources needed to preposition assets.

The Bush administration should not be bragging about last Tuesday’s disaster declaration. As Newsweek reported this morning, it had nothing to do with Hurricane Katrina:

Just one week ago the White House declared that a major disaster existed in Louisiana, specifically most of the areas (such as Jefferson Parish) that are now under water. Was the White House psychic about the disaster ahead? Not exactly. In fact the major disaster referred to Tropical Storm Cindy, which struck the state a full seven weeks earlier. That announcement triggered federal aid for the stricken areas, where the clean-up had been on hold for almost two months while the White House chewed things over.

An Associated Press report from last week confirms Newsweek’s version of the story:

President Bush declared parts of the state hit by Tropical Storm Cindy a disaster Tuesday, paving the way for five south Louisiana parishes to seek federal funds to help with repairs.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco had requested the presidential disaster declaration to get federal help for the $5.4 million cost of cleaning up from Tropical Storm Cindy.

Tellingly, Hurricane Katrina isn’t mentioned in the AP piece.

UPDATE: McClellan’s statement was incorrect. Bush did not issue “disaster declarations” for the region in anticipation of Katrina. Bush did, however, issue an “emergency declaration” for the area on Saturday.

Below is a history of funding for the Lake Pontchartrain and Vincinity Hurricane Protection project. (Note: This was the levee system that broke. Due to lack of funding, major construction stopped in 2004 — the first such stoppage in 37 years.)

2004:

Army Corps request: $11 million [Link]
Bush request: $3 million [Link]
Approved by Congress: $5.5 million [Link]

2005:

Army Corps request: $22.5 million [Link]
Bush request: $3.9 million [Link]
Approved by Congress: $5.7 million [Link]

2006:

Bush request: $2.9 million [Link]

Today, Scott McClellan claimed that “flood control has been a priority of this administration from day one.” This figures show that the administration has consistently budgeted far less that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has requested for flood control in Louisiana. And over the last several years, the gap between what the Corps requested and what the administration budgeted has increased.