Blogcritics On Katrina: The Politics of Recrimination

Is a natural disaster a political matter?

Katrina struck on August 29 and for a couple of days the nation was jolted out of its political cubicles and its talking points were muted. It didn’t last long.

As tension and tempers rose when the extent of the damage became clear and New Orleans flooded, stranding tens of thousands of mostly poor and black amid the rising waters, accusations and recriminations between local, state, and federal officials and their partisans took on a stridently political tone and the spinning is intense.

We are following the disaster, relief efforts and cultural implications on another post, and the political ramifications here:

Asking Questions Is Now “Stuck on Stupid”
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Those who remember history are “stuck on stupid.”
Posted to Politics by Blunderford on September 21, 2005 06:00 PM

Questions That May Not be Asked about New Orleans
In journalism as in academia, the most important questions one has to learn are those which one may not ask. For instance, back in April on Bob Costas’ HBO sports show, football announcer Chris Collinsworth, a white, retired Cincinnati Bengals…
Posted to Politics by Nicholas Stix on September 21, 2005 08:40 AM

David Savafian: Remember What “Procurer” Means…
Finally, somebody has been frog-marched out of the White House. And not just anybody: “The man who up until Friday was overseeing contracting policy for the multi-billion dollar relief effort has now been charged with lying and obstructing a…
Posted to Politics by Douglas Anthony Cooper on September 20, 2005 06:15 PM

As Rita Looms, Bush Names Townsend to Investigate Katrina
President Bush has directed Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend to head up the President’s internal inquiry into what went wrong at the Federal level in response to Hurricane Katrina. As Hurricane Katrina’s death toll quickly approaches 1,000, the…
Posted to Politics by Silas Kain on September 20, 2005 03:08 PM

Halliburton Alert: Once Again, The Vulture Need Not Bid
The vulture need not bid, nor — apparently — pay minimum wage: Already (in the wake of Katrina), no-bid contracts have been awarded to major Republican contributors including Kellogg, Brown & Root, the subsidiary of Vice President Dick Cheney’s old…
Posted to Politics by Douglas Anthony Cooper on September 19, 2005 09:41 PM

The Federal Gov Is Smarter than You…
The Federal Government Is Smarter Than You…Even Though They Never Do Anything Right The Federal Government failed the victims of Hurricane Katrina. As did the local, state and everyone in between. The lack of preparedness, speed and overall competence was horrendously…
Posted to Politics by Ryan Clark Holiday on September 19, 2005 09:40

Three Lies and One Big Truth from Bill Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos this Sunday. He said a lot of things, most of which were pretty straightforward and not easily disputed unless you subscribe to the theory that former Presidents should…
Posted to Politics by Dave Nalle on September 19, 2005 04:04 PM

Bush: U.S. Must Work to Join Third World
Speaking to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, President George Bush stated today that while he’s pleased with the work his administration has done so far, the United States still has “a long way to go” to be a true third…
Posted to Politics by The Fifth Dentist on September 18, 2005 05:13 PM

The Incompetent Chimp To The Rescue: How Will Our President Screw Up This Time?
Bush made a hash of 9/11 by responding with the Iraq War, and now we sit, in a quagmire of his making. How will he screw up Katrina reconstruction? No doubt there’ll be other things besides no-bid contracts with Halliburton,…
Posted to Politics by Adam Ash on September 18, 2005 05:04 PM

Democratic Levee Breaks
The author of this excerpt found in the Washington Post, Donna Brazile, is a Democratic political consultant, and managed Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign. (Although obviously not very well.) Those on the far left who have a an…
Posted to Politics by Z.Z. Bachman on September 17, 2005 04:34 PM

Monkeyhead, God, Lies and Yes, A Good Idea
President Monkeyhead kept up with the empty rhetoric, but had at least one “conservative” idea that makes real sense.
Posted to Politics by Blunderford on September 17, 2005 10:01 AM

Bush Presumes to be the National Pastor
President Bush made two presidential proclamations designating September 16 as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina, and September 9th through 11th National Days of Remembrance for the victims of terrorism and…
Posted to Politics by Michael D. Bryan on September 17, 2005 09:56 AM

Bush, Like Chertoff, Tries To Spin Surprise That Levees Broke
Chertoff said something implausible. Now Bush says something slightly less implausible.
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 16, 2005 01:59 PM

Bush Rallies for Katrina – Energy Policy Next?
President Bush did an impressive job last night of laying out a sweeping vision for the rebuild of the Gulf Coast, offering a “pledge” to the American people that the federal government will “do what it takes, we will…
Posted to Politics by Eric Olsen on September 16, 2005 09:50 AM

Presidential Redress
Captain Obvious began by saying that the Gulf Coast was hit by a big disaster.
Posted to Politics by Jeliel on September 16, 2005 08:24 AM

What We Really Heard George Say, If We Listened Closely
The full subtext of President Bush’s address Thursday, as leaked by an unnamed source at The White House:
Posted to Politics by Douglas Anthony Cooper on September 16, 2005 02:53 AM

‘We will build higher’: Bush speech summary and commentary
I have to wonder how well this approach of everyone sitting down in a big circle and trying to work together is going to work. I think that the lack of a clear leader is going to hurt the effort. Either Bush needs to fill that position, or else appoint someone else to do it. We’ll see how that plays out. We’ll see whether Bush can fulfill his promises.
Posted to Politics by Sam Jack on September 15, 2005 10:45 PM

The Gift Of Spotting The Obvious
Everyone who’s been really paying attention to the Bush administration has noted how inept the president and his staff are. From the budget to the war in Iraq, Bush and his minions seem pre-disposed to applying their anti-Midas touch to…
Posted to Politics by Larry Sakin on September 15, 2005 10:34 PM

9/11 Commission Won’t Shut Their Stinky Lips
The big heroes of the 9/11 Commission are busy flapping their gums about the response to Katrina.
Posted to Politics by Blunderford on September 15, 2005 08:59 PM

Ray Nagin; Guess who’s Moved to Dallas?!?
Even as President Bush steps forward and states: “The Buck stops here”, even as the Governor (Blanco) steps forward and says “The Buck stops here”, Nagin throw up his smoke screens and defends…
Posted to Politics by Jewels Richardson on September 15, 2005 05:22 PM

Bush Speech May Define Second Term
Tomorrow night from Louisiana, on his fourth trip to Katrina-land, President Bush will address the nation on the great storm, the clean-up, and his “vision for the future.” The ugliest aspects of Katrina’s devastation — that the nation (which ultimately…
Posted to Politics by Eric Olsen on September 14, 2005 04:04 PM

Bush Admits Mistakes, Promises More
President Bush admitted yesterday that “Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government.” Realizing the public relations nightmare on their hands, the White House moved quickly to screw more recovery workers as a sign…
Posted to Politics by ProgressiveDepot on September 14, 2005 02:48 PM

America The Helpless Giant: How Pitiful Can We Get?
Watching our government screw up the challenge of Katrina engendered anger, but now I feel a new emotion creeping in. Sadness. Pathos. Pity. Our wounded country squirms like a helpless giant, unable to deliver prompt aid to its drowning, starving, bedraggled…
Posted to Politics by Adam Ash on September 14, 2005 09:57 AM

Bush Accepts Blame for Feds, State Strangely Silent
Bush Accepts Blame for Federal Snafus It was a forthright statement made in response to a question from a reporter during the Bush/Talibani press conference. From the NY Times: “To the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right,…
Posted to Politics by Patfish on September 13, 2005 07:04 PM

Bush on Katrina: “I Take Responsibility”
President Bush said at a press conference this afternoon that “I take responsibility” for failures in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and said the disaster raised broader questions about the government’s ability to respond to natural disasters as well as…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 13, 2005 04:10 PM

President Bush Accepts Responsibility So Americans Are Off The Hook
I watched the press conference of Presidents Bush and Talabani and I have to say that today my opinion of G.W. Bush has gone up a couple of percentage points. If the commentary from these two political leaders is…
Posted to Politics by Silas Kain on September 13, 2005 03:33 PM

New Orleans Disaster: A Test Of Cultures, Failed
Taking a look at the disaster in New Orleans, what we find is frightening.
Posted to Politics by Christopher J Falvey on September 13, 2005 11:30 AM

What’s Next For Michael Brown?
Brown will likely have a soft landing, within the loving arms of the Bush administration’s conservative friends.
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 13, 2005 11:15 AM

*Satire* FEMA Chief Brown Resigns, Admits He and DNC Rigged FEMA Delay
Mike Brown, the embattled head of FEMA resigned today after dropping a bombshell on Washington.
Posted to Politics by Mark Cross on September 13, 2005 02:55 AM

Mike Brown “Resigns,” America Is A Safer Place
For all of you who think I do nothing but bash Bush, prepare to eat your words. Today I come not to bury Caesar, but to praise him. In a move that had to happen for Mr. Bush to retain…
Posted to Politics by Cranky Liberal on September 12, 2005 09:33 PM

Here Comes The U.N. – Now We’ll Get Answers
Proof positive that desperate times will move rational people to do desperate, irrational things.
Posted to Politics by Mark Cross on September 12, 2005 09:21 PM

Bush and GOP Still Shamelessly Use 9-11 as Sword / Shield
The GOP exploitation of the largest American mass-murder ever continues unabated –even 4 years later. Their use of a disaster for partisan political gain is one of the saddest and most shameful displays ever seen in the USA.
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 12, 2005 06:54 PM

Lobbyist Has Half-Second of Self Doubt
In the wake of Katrina, a top lobbyist rethinks his priorities… for a few minutes, at least.
Posted to Politics by ProgressiveDepot on September 12, 2005 03:46 PM

IRS Increases Mileage Reimbursements in Wake of Katrina
The rate moves to 48.5 cents per mile, but only between Sept. 1 and the end of the year.
Posted to Politics by DrPat on September 12, 2005 10:44 AM

Should New Orleans Be Rebuilt?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the question remains. What will become of the sodden city that is 80 percent below sea level after the pumps finish removing the flood waters? Is the damage beyond repair, or should…
Posted to Culture by Frank Waldron on September 12, 2005 07:33 AM

Bush Leaves A Trail Of Corruption, Criminality, Lies And Incompetence In His Wake
The US Presidential election in 2000 took place on the 7th of November. The two main challengers were, of course George W. Bush, and Al Gore. During the campaign, Bush stated “I don’t think our troops ought to be used…
Posted to Politics by Voice 1 on September 12, 2005 04:15 AM

Forgetting 9/11
Apparently we’ve decided to memorialize the events of 9/11 with divisiveness, intolerance and opportunism.
Posted to Politics by Dave Nalle on September 12, 2005 04:01 AM

Thoughts on 9/11 About Dead Bodies
I’ve been thinking for the last day about dead bodies
Posted to Culture by Scott Butki on September 11, 2005 11:10 PM

Katrina And The Birth Of Urban Myths
These conditions are a breeding ground for disease. But these conditions are also a breeding ground for urban myths.
Posted to Culture by Mark Cross on September 11, 2005 10:58 PM

Whose Fault Was Katrina?
Well, they finally have it all figured out. Bush did plan for Katrina!
Posted to Politics by ApathyOnline on September 11, 2005 10:55 PM

How To Protect Yourself From This Administration
Perhaps it’s time to ask for your civil rights back. Many intelligent, well-meaning people argued that the Patriot Act was a necessary bargain; we gave away crucial freedoms, so that the government could ensure our safety. The premise…
Posted to Politics by Douglas Anthony Cooper on September 11, 2005 10:28 PM

In The Name Of Deficit Reduction, Bush Suspends Law Regarding Minimum Wages On Federal Contracts
Republicans have long opposed a minimum wage for federal contracts. So why not suspend it during a national catastrophe.
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 11, 2005 09:02 PM

Lessons of September 11
Four years later, ground zero remains a dusty void, a remnant of lost souls and lofty ambitions. Reconstruction of the site is in some endless stage of limbo, typical of all major municipal projects in Manhattan and other big cities….
Posted to Culture by Loretta Dillon on September 11, 2005 08:50 PM

FEMMA – The New Disaster Management Mangement Agency
Here is some editorial satire. You see I have to state that here because some of the vistors to this site have no sense of humor what so ever. Let’s see how well you can all read between the lines…
Posted to Politics by Z.Z. Bachman on September 11, 2005 07:31 PM

And the Money Keeps Rolling In: Bush Buddies Flourish in Face of Tragedy
Bush buddies go to worship singing “Oh What a Friend We Have in Katrina.” Iraq’s not enough for corporate backers of the Bush Administration…
Posted to Politics by Silas Kain on September 11, 2005 01:04 PM

America Unprepared for Next Terror Strike
Four years have passed since 9/11 and one thing is clear: We’re still not ready.
Posted to Politics by Pete Blackwell on September 11, 2005 11:08 AM

Republicans Worry Katrina Response Could Hurt Party in 2006 Elections
Bush and Congress are facing woeful approval ratings.
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 11, 2005 02:14 AM

Hurricane Katrina: A Case for Affirmative Action
More Part-Time Pundit coverage of Hurricane Katrina can be found here. Now that it seems the evacuation is more or less complete in New Orleans, talk has begun on rebuilding New Orleans. It’ll be rebuilt, hopefully with an…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 10, 2005 07:03 PM

Kanye West and the GOP’s Anti-Minority Trifecta
Kanye West recently chastised George Bush for not “caring about black people” because of his pathetic response to the largest natural disaster this country has ever seen.
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 10, 2005 05:02 PM

Wanted: New FEMA Chief. No experience necessary
Michael Brown had neither the skills nor experience to run FEMA. That didn’t stop him from being hired. Alas.
Posted to Politics by scaramouche on September 10, 2005 04:19 PM

Lack of LA leadership comes home to roost
Here are some facts on the Louisiana/Katrian situation, not opinion: It wasn’t a lack of federal money available for levee improvements that led to this problem: The levee board promised Times-Picayune readers that the “few manageable gaps” in the…
Posted to Politics by Drew McKissick on September 10, 2005 11:25 AM

And a Big Ole Texas Welcome to You Too, Babs
It is of course unfair to compare Barbara Bush to Marie Antoinette: unlike the queen, George’s mother actually said the noxious things attributed to her. “What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to…
Posted to Politics by Douglas Anthony Cooper on September 10, 2005 03:13

Top FEMA Officials Lack Experience In Disaster Management
The top three officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency share at least one trait: they had little or no experience in disaster management before landing top FEMA posts. According to a Sept. 7 Chicago Tribune story, FEMA Director Michael…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 10, 2005 12:26 AM

Ray Nagin – Idiot
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin explains in a radio interview why he didn’t use the hundreds of his city’s school buses to evacuate residents: “I need 500 buses, man,” he told WWL. “One of the briefings we had they were…
Posted to Politics by RJ on September 9, 2005 07:43 PM

Bush Appoints new FEMA director?
Friday morning, September 7, a leak from the Whitehouse was reportedly quoted as saying that “President Bush is quietly looking for a replacement” for disgraced FEMA director Michael Brown. Brown was exposed by CNN’s Jack Cafferty, as falsifying his…
Posted to Politics by John Bill on September 9, 2005 04:18 PM

FEMA’s Michael Brown Relieved Of Hurricane Responsibilities
Fox news is reporting unconfirmed reports from the Associated Press, that FEMA Director has been pulled out of New Orleans and ordered back to Washington. Brown is being sent back to Washington from Baton Rouge, where he was…
Posted to Politics by Kansasman on September 9, 2005 02:41 PM

Brown Removed From Role Overseeing Katrina Relief
Finally, a piece of good news from Washington. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown has been removed from his role in managing the Bush administration’s Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and is returning to Washington. Brown was replaced by Coast Guard…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 9, 2005 02:40 PM

FEMA’s Michael Brown Booted From Disaster Relief Supervision
BREAKING: Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is being sent back to Washington from Baton Rouge, from where he has been overseeing the federal government’s response to the disaster, according to two unnamed federal officials. Brown will be…
Posted to Politics by Eric Olsen on September 9, 2005 02:02 PM

Why Can’t the Gov’t Make My Life Perfect?
Editorial Do most people live in a fantasy world structured by an illusion that we are somehow entitled to a perfect life supplied by our government and political leadership? This reliance on such a false expectation becomes a slippery slope…
Posted to Politics by Z.Z. Bachman on September 9, 2005 01:29 PM

BlogCritic Gets It Right!
I do, with no modesty whatsoever, humbly post my CORRECT synopsis of what went wrong with Katrina. Posted right here on Blogcritics and nowhere else, not even my own Blog. Posted on 9/3/05. My post, titled “Katrina, What Really Went Wrong”…
Posted to Politics by Patfish on September 9, 2005 01:12 PM

BAGHDAD-ON-THE-GULF
We don’t read Tom Friedman much lately, at least not with any expectation of enlightenment. But he surprised us the other day with a couple of things he wrote about the Bullshitter-in-Chief and his bullshit regime…
Posted to Straight Up by Jan Herman on September 9, 2005 12:18 PM

GOP Rejects Democrats’ Call For Independent Commission On Katrina Response
Republican Congressional leaders this week rejected a call by Democrats to establish an independent commission to investigate the response to Katrina. Instead, House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced the formation of the…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 9, 2005 10:41 AM

Pop Culture Update-9/9/05
Recent pop culture events that hit the headlines or just plain intrigue ~~~~~~~~~~~ The Good Ship Penn Of all the celebrities involved in the Katrina disaster, the story of Sean Penn has to be the funniest, silliest, stupidest and most dishonest of them…
Posted to Culture by Patfish on September 9, 2005 03:31 AM

Katrina
Oh, here we go, it’s already started. You had to figure that the commissions were going to start playing the “Cover My Ass” game — sooner or later. Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been
Posted to Politics by Will Kessel on September 9, 2005 01:33 AM

Take Your Pick: Either Chertoff Lied, Or He’s Grossly Incompetent Managing Katrina Response
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, discussing the federal response to Hurricane Katrina on national television, offered a defense that was almost certainly a lie — and if true suggests gross incompetence. Let’s review. During a lengthy back-and-forth with Tim Russert…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 9, 2005 12:44 AM

Waterworld: What’ll Go Down the Drain?
“The psychological rule says that when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside as fate. That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world…
Posted to Culture by mpho on September 8, 2005 11:29 PM

Mayor “Negligent” Nagin And His Sidekick Gov. “Behind-The-Times” Blanco
Blanco and Nagin have been pointing fingers in every direction save their own. As we watch the blame game unfurl, and probes get under way, a key point to remember is this: in emergencies like Katrina, state and local officials, more…
Posted to Politics by Jewels Richardson on September 8, 2005 08:33 PM

Do You Really Love Black People?
Everyone piled on me the other day both here at Blogcritics and at my blog about this post and this post, saying what a horrible cretin I am and that I’m headed straight to hell,…
Posted to Culture by Blunderford on September 8, 2005 08:29 PM

Why Castro Is A Better Leader Than Bush
Last year Hurricane Ivan struck at Cuba. They didn’t suffer a single casualty, because they successfully evacuated 1.9 million of the nation’s 11.2 million people. What accounts for this difference? How is such a difference possible, when Cuba is so…
Posted to Politics by Adam Ash on September 8, 2005 08:19 PM

Hurricane Katrina: The Scandal Karl Rove and the GOP Don’t Want Us To Discuss
George Bush’s approval rating has sunk even lower in the midst of his the Katrina crisis and a solid majority disapprove of his handling of the situation. While many pundits have bashed Bush for not leaving his vacation until…
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 8, 2005 04:43 PM

Sean Penn Rescues Forty People in New Orleans
Actor and activist Sean Penn personally rescued forty people in New Orleans, according to the New York Daily News. This was attested to by presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who is covering the hurricane forRolling Stone. See this story and…
Posted to Culture by Cerulean on September 8, 2005 01:51 PM

No Extra Lumber For Katrina Victims
I was contemplating what the Canadian response should be to what will be a huge surge in the demand for our lumber given the catastrophe in New Orleans and other communities in the US. I found a couple of interesting articles…
Posted to Politics by Ordinary Joe on September 8, 2005 10:09 AM

MoveOn Watch: Don’t Let Republicans Point Out Failures Of Locals During Katrina, That Hurts Our Chance To Blame Bush!
MoveOn is outraged. They’re steaming that federal officials have the unmitigated gall to point out that city officials should have used their own buses to get people out when they could, or that 2/3rds of the police…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 8, 2005 09:38 AM

Katrina: Battered “Bushite” Syndrome
Hey you folks on the “right” – time for you to write your retraction. In your zeal to absolve this President, his administration, and the folks he appointed to lead the country in times of disaster from any responsibility for…
Posted to Politics by Cranky Liberal on September 8, 2005 08:15 AM

Katrina – Who knew what and when?
The Times (which for our rabid right wing readers is hardly a “lefty” newspaper before any comments are made here) has this timeline of who knew what and when on hurricane Katrina: Saturday, August 27 At 10am, the National Hurricane Centre…
Posted to Politics by Voice 1 on September 8, 2005 06:51 AM

Is Rumsfeld starting a mutiny?
I’ve been trying to find a news article on Rumsfeld’s comments the other day, in which he basically said that you can’t blame the victims of Katrina for what has happened to them, strangely enough, I haven’t found any reports…
Posted to Politics by Voice 1 on September 8, 2005 06:47 AM

Putting School Buses Into Perspective
They had a whole fleet of school buses they could have used to evacuate everybody. That’s all I hear from the FoxNews network. Over and over about how the school buses weren’t used and how that would have made all the…
Posted to Politics by Bring It On on September 8, 2005 05:59 AM

Looters Of Another Type…
Article here: Florida’s attorney general has already filed a fraud lawsuit against a man who started one of the earliest networks of Web sites – katrinahelp.com, katrinadonations.com and others – that stated they were collecting donations for storm victims. In…
Posted to Culture by RJ on September 8, 2005 01:54 AM

Louisiana State Government Banned Red Cross From Helping Evacuees
Fox News reporter Major Garrett is reporting that the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security prevented the Red Cross from delivering food, water, and medical supplies to the Superdome and the New Orleans Convention Center. Their apparent reasoning was to make conditions…
Posted to Politics by RJ on September 8, 2005 12:42 AM

After Katrina: Bush’s “Defining Moment” Speech
Shortly after President Bush’s arrival, he made an impromptu speech to rescue workers gathered in New Orleans: “I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the hurricane that knocked these buildings down will hear all of us…
Posted to Politics by Shark on September 7, 2005 10:59 PM

NBC’s Gregory Dukes It Out With McClellan
Give NBC’s David Gregory credit. He tried. He put up a fight. He showed cahones. He did his job. And after an exhaustive back-and-forth, he actually got an answer from White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan today. Gregory simply wanted to…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 7, 2005 10:36 PM

The Daily Show, Covering Federal Response to Katrina, Takes Satire To New Level
Jon Stewart showed anger last night. It’s an emotion that Daily Show viewers have seen bubble just under the surface for some time. It’s been clear for some time that Stewart and the writers of the Comedy Central show have little…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 7, 2005 10:33 PM

Gallup Poll Takes Public’s Rectal Temperature On Blamegamegate
When there’s a public issue, the Gallup poll is traditionally on the case. Well, giddy-up. The Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll, conducted by phone Sept. 5-6, show that people believe the following on the Aug. 29 hurriflood. Questions in bold are how they…
Posted to Politics by Matthew T. Sussman on September 7, 2005 07:45 PM

The 40% President
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast, people wondered when President George W. Bush would show up at the scene to offer some hope to the 100,000 plus people left behind in New Orleans. When would the Federal Emergency…
Posted to Politics by Scott C. Smith on September 7, 2005 06:23 PM

Press Not Letting Up On Katrina
Gotta give some kudos to the press for not letting up on asking the tough questions about the response to Katrina, especially in New Orleans. Below are some exchanges between reporters and White House spokesman Scott McLellan yesterday…
Posted to Politics by ProgressiveDepot on September 7, 2005 05:14 PM

HIS BAD IDEA (AND A SNEER)
Oh, about the Katrina rescue operation: Our Bullshitter-in-Chief “blithely announced at a photo-op cabinet meeting that he, personally, was going to ‘find out what went right and what went wrong.’ We can’t imagine a worse idea,” The New York Times…
Posted to Straight Up by Jan Herman on September 7, 2005 04:09 PM

Katrina Underlines The Importance Of Leadership
Here in America, disasters usually bring out the best in people. I was in South Carolina when Hugo came through in 1989 and, with few exceptions, that’s exactly what happened. In the face of all the terrible stories…
Posted to Politics by Drew McKissick on September 7, 2005 03:35 PM

The Katrina Speech That George Bush Isn’t Man Enough To Make
My fellow Americans: I want to start by doing something I’ve never done before. I want to apologize. A natural disaster is a natural test for any government, and when Katrina struck us, your government failed that test. We flunked. We…
Posted to Politics by Adam Ash on September 7, 2005 12:30 PM

Four Lessons for Terrorists to Learn from Katrina
1. Strike in August, when the country is on vacation, so it takes a couple of days to get enough attention for somebody to actually do something. 2. Strike outside the main urban centers of New York, LA, Chicago or Washington,…
Posted to Culture by Adam Ash on September 7, 2005 12:10 PM

War of the Words: Boost Bush, Bust Blanco – the White House Spin Machine Gasses Up…
In Richard Davis’ The Anatomy of a Smear Campaign, he talks about how the Bush 2000 Campaign, working with the sinister religious right stationed at Bob Jones University, systematically took down Senator John McCain. I think it’s important…
Posted to Politics by Silas Kain on September 7, 2005 11:52 AM

Blame Is Not A Game
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thousands are dead, more have lost their homes and people don’t want us to blame? Too bad. I can’t imagine an occasion more appropriate to assign accountability. Some disasters are unforeseen; this wasn’t. Maybe people…
Posted to Politics by Cerulean on September 7, 2005 11:31 AM

New Orleans Mayor Orders Forced Evacuation
Well, now the liberal mayor in New Orleans has my blood boiling! It seems that last night he decided to forcibly remove anyone who refuses to leave their homes. There have been a number of people that…
Posted to Politics by Kansasman on September 7, 2005 09:18 AM

Was Bush Slow To Respond to Katrina? History Says Yes
Was President Bush slow to react to Hurricane Katrina? Conservative say no. But look past their endless criticisms of the Democratic governor and the Democratic mayor (who they forget was a Bush supporter in 2000). That’s just empty spin. Let’s look at…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 7, 2005 01:49 AM

All the Hate You Can Gag Down
Recently, every time I’ve started to write an article about the situation in New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina and surrounding events, I’ve gotten a few words down and then become distracted by something I read while browsing the…
Posted to Politics by Dave Nalle on September 7, 2005 01:27 AM

President Bush to Lead Probe into Katrina Relief Failures
Rejecting calls for an independent investigation into possible failures and inadequacies in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, President Bush instead pledged to head the probe himself. That’s right, President Bush is on the case so we can all…
Posted to Politics by Pete Blackwell on September 6, 2005 09:47 PM

Something of Value
Some of the people who ran and splashed and waded through the canals of New Orleans were looking for food and water; others were smashing, grabbing, raping and pillaging. Such things happen in the absence of order, says Rumsfeld….
Posted to Politics by Capt. Fogg on September 6, 2005 09:40 PM

Dedicated to the Victims of Hurricane Katrina
Is This My Country? City of my joy, city of my dreams Under water and forgotten Corpses floating by Babies dying Young and old blacks, old whites That could be my grandmother Dead in her wheelchair Or my brother’s corpse Floating in the water My President is bragging about…
Posted to Culture by PodPoet on September 6, 2005 09:45 PM

Baton Rouge – The New, New Orleans
On September 7, 1900, Galveston, Texas, was a bustling, prominent seaport with a growing population of 40,000 people. The next day when the historic hurricane blew in, Galveston was reduced to a pile of rubble, and over 6000 people had…
Posted to Culture by S L Cunningham on September 6, 2005 09:18 PM

Katrina: How Much Do You Really Know? (Take the Test!)
1) Hurricane Katrina was caused by: a) a low pressure area that moved west from the coast of Africa — gaining power as it moved into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. b) the Bush administration’s refusal to sign the…
Posted to Politics by Shark on September 6, 2005 07:01 PM

Michael Jackson to Record Katrina Relief Song
Every disaster needs a theme song; big disasters call for big egos; or, in a much less cynical vein, artists turn to art when they feel compelled by circumstances to give of themselves. Either way, new Persian Gulf resident Michael…
Posted to Music by Eric Olsen on September 6, 2005 05:52 PM

Hurricane Katrina: After-Action Report – Where were the breakdowns
Now that it seems everyone who is going to be rescued from New Orleans has been and the clean-up operation has begun, it’s time for an after-action report on what is and what is not to blame. This is…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 6, 2005 05:10 PM

Kanye West Was Right: Bush Official Opens Mouth, Inserts Foot
Kanye West ripped into George Bush recently at a charity fundraiser for hurricane Katrina on NBC –essentially calling him a racist. Despite…
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 6, 2005 01:50 PM

Abandon New Orleans
We need to do everything we can to rescue people still trapped in that annihilated city, but beyond that I think it’s time to face facts: New Orleans should be almost entirely abandoned. Let everyone collect their insurance checks…
Posted to Politics by Michael Williams on September 6, 2005 01:09 PM

Katrina Reveals the Surreal World
In case you missed it… FREUDIAN?: From Scott McClellan’s press briefing yesterday… “(President Bush) said the results are not acceptable. He’s deeply concerned about the people who continue to suffer. I don’t know how you can be more clear than…
Posted to Politics by ProgressiveDepot on September 6, 2005 11:31 AM

POEM : Hot Water
I have for many years now for at least half the time I’m in the shower, thought how lucky I am to have hot or cold water at my fingertips. Until I moved to Arizona, it was always hot water…
Posted to Culture by Temple Stark on September 6, 2005 10:29 AM

Under Siege in New Orleans
I’ve stumbled on the most amazing blog direct from downtown New Orleans with a running journal from throughout the crisis. It reads like a real world version of the script from Omega Man. Sigmund Solares…
Posted to Culture by Dave Nalle on September 6, 2005 10:05 AM

Katrina and the Blame Game
When Mick and Keith sang, “We all need someone we can lean on,” they were just little off the mark. Judging by people’s behaviour after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina they would have been far more accurate to sing, “We…
Posted to Politics by gypsyman on September 6, 2005 08:48 AM

Critical Mass: Why We Need To Rebuild
I got the opportunity to listen to some truly ignorant opinions in the past week. Not on blogs, although I read more than I few I disagreed with, but rather from regular people, discussing the tragedy wrought upon the Gulf…
Posted to Culture by Bring It On on September 6, 2005 07:50 AM

Hurricane Katrina: Refugee Truth or Panic?
I’ve received several emails today that express concerns about the New Orleans refugee situation here in Houston. I can’t say whether these things are true or simply rumor, but reading between the lines, there is a definite concern, not for…
Posted to Culture by The Errant Fool on September 6, 2005 07:25 AM

W. Md. Reacts to Katrina
Today’s theme ended up being less Labor Day than Katrina Day. But I suppose that happened with lots of people this weekend as we think less about a day without work as people without jobs, let alone homes. After days of…
Posted to Culture by Scott Butki on September 6, 2005 06:38 AM

Are We Going to Pay Attention Now?: Post Hurricane Epiphany
In the wake of Katrina many things are becoming perfectly obvious. It is obvious that we are going to have to pay attention to the more salient issues of disaster preparation, homeland security and the cronyism that perpetrated this debacle…
Posted to Culture by Alice In Wonderland on September 6, 2005 06:34 AM

Notable/Quotables 9/5/05
Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ President of Jefferson Parish, New Orleans, in Tears This fellow was on Fox News this past Sunday, 9/5/05. He told the story of a rescue worker whose mother…
Posted to Politics by Patfish on September 6, 2005 04:42 AM

Bush Should Use Bully Pulpit To Push Down Gas Prices
Skyrocketing gasoline prices — pushed to record highs because of Hurricane Katrina — could lead the U.S. into recession, economists fear. It’s time for President Bush to do now what candidate Bush said he would back in 2000 — use the…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 6, 2005 01:01 AM

New York Times Bashes Bush – Ignores Facts
In the past two days the New York Times has printed the following comments: Each day since Katrina brings more evidence of the lethal ineptitude of federal officials. Paul Krugman ‘Killed By Contempt'” At a time when effective leadership is desperately needed,…
Posted to Politics by Bird of Paradise on September 5, 2005 09:29 PM

REVIEW: KanYE West – Late Registration, and the days of judgment
I was preparing to write about Kanye West, after I read this review of his latest album, Late Registration and downloaded it. Plus, I’d just seen him on Wild N Out and he impressed me with his humor…
Posted to Music by Temple Stark on September 5, 2005 04:46 PM (Score: 1)

Louisiana Demoted to Federal Territory Status
Today during a special session of Congress legislation was passed and immediately signed by President Bush that demotes the former State of Louisiana to federal territory status. During the response to Hurricane Katrina, the local government left almost…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 5, 2005 02:10 PM

George Bush Poll: Slightly More Popular Than Hurricane Katrina
George Bush is in a serious poll funk and hurricane Katrina is not likely to be a benefit to his popularity with the American people. A poll taken today shows only 12% of people giving the federal response an…
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 5, 2005 01:24 PM

Sean Penn’s Katrina PR stunt springs a leak
Sean Penn has shown up in New Orleans to save the day! Spicoli showed up overnight with a boat to personally go rescue stranded children in New Orleans, but the thing sprung a leak and didn’t get far. He’s just…
Posted to Culture by Al Barger on September 5, 2005 11:41 AM

Katrina’s Alarm
About a mile south of my house stands the headquarters of World Care. It’s an international relief agency that collects food, clothing, household sundries and other needful things for areas in crisis across the globe. About 48 weeks out…
Posted to Politics by Larry Sakin on September 5, 2005 11:28 AM

Smoking NOLA Guns: Mayor Had Buses Galore
I have been saying here that no major city can rely on private cars for evacuation in an emergency, and that the mayor of New Orleans ought to have commandeered NOLA’s own buses to take out evacuees. …
Posted to Politics by Mary Campbell Gallagher on September 5, 2005 11:21 AM

Limbaugh Blames Katrina Victims
On September 1, Rush Limbaugh went on a sickening diatribe against the victims of Katrina, blaming them for their own dire situation. According to Rush, it’s not race but ideology that explains what we’re watching in stunned silence…
Posted to Politics by Pete Blackwell on September 4, 2005 05:57 PM

Anticipated Genocide
Put your tinfoil hats on for my theory that the hurricane aftermath was a form of genocide. Katrina itself was not a planned event, but the lack of preparation, and the criminally negligent response by federal agencies designed to administer…
Posted to Politics by Loretta Dillon on September 4, 2005 03:21 PM

Has The Bush Administration Failed (Again) By Being Reactionary?
The Bush Administration will be remembered, in part, for how it handled two enormous catastrophes on U.S. soil. Will it be remembered favorably? An argument can be made that with regard to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the devastation…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 4, 2005 02:27 PM

Katrina: The Aftermath, The Politics & Citizen Media
Katrina, the devastation of much of the Southern US, and the far too slow relief responses have dominated the media, both mainstream and citizen, these past few days. Some of the reports have been so hard to…
Posted to Politics by Tama on September 4, 2005 12:08 PM

The Worst Of America…
Story here: Jamie Trout 22, from Sunderland, was among 50 tourists stranded in horrific conditions in the devastated city. They had joined up to 30,000 other people taking refuge from Hurricane Katrina in the venue. But Mr Trout’s family said…
Posted to Culture by RJ on September 4, 2005 12:13 AM

Katrina—Days of Shame
Could it be possible that we’ve learned nothing from our failures; from the blood, sweat and tears of centuries?
Posted to Culture by Pete Blackwell on September 3, 2005 06:06 PM

Dear Mr President: Katrina and the real War on Terror
Dear Mr President Hey, want to fight a War on TerrorTM ? I’ve found a really good one, and it’s not far away from you at all. You can actually drive there, which has got to cut down on expense. Even better,…
Posted to Politics by teletart on September 3, 2005 04:58 PM

Weekly BlogScan: Katrina and the Mother of All Spin
Did bloggers cause Hurricane Katrina? …a giant moving mass of hot air? I rest my case…
Posted to Culture by DrPat on September 3, 2005 03:48 PM

Katrina, What Really Went Wrong
Ignore all the analysts. One humble Blogger has the answer. It was a Bad Premise.
Posted to Politics by Patfish on September 3, 2005 03:40 PM

Hard Times & Political Theatre of the Absurd
Timing was everything in the response to Katrina — at least in front of the cameras.
Posted to Politics by Terry Turner on September 3, 2005 10:45 AM

Hurricane Katrina: How to Cause Nationwide Race Riots
See the latest on Hurricane Katrina here. From Drudge: KANYE WEST ON NBC FUNDRAISER: ‘GEORGE BUSH DOESN’T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE… They’re saying black families are looting and white families are just looking for food… they’re giving the (Army) permission to shoot…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 3, 2005 09:46 AM

Katrina and the Waves
Anyone watching television news is familiar with the muddy mess left in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Posted to Politics by Larry Sakin on September 3, 2005 02:45 AM

Senators To Investigate Bush Administration’s “Immense Failure” Responding to Katrina
The Senators have scheduled a Sept. 7 briefing from Department of Homeland Security officials.
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 3, 2005 01:50 AM

Giuliani for Katrina Disaster Coordinator
I want to add my voice to a growing chorus urging President Bush to appoint Rudy Giuliani Hurrican Katrina recovery coordinator.
Posted to Politics by Scott Nichols on September 3, 2005 12:33 AM

Mandatory New Orleans Evac Order Came at President’s Request
In my last post, I expressed a great deal of anger over the fact that partisans were politicizing the horrible tragedy which has been unfolding in New Orleans. As a matter of fact, I accused them of being worse…
Posted to Politics by David Flanagan on September 2, 2005 11:22 PM

Give Bush A Break, He Was Busy
Since Bush was a former Major League Baseball team owner, I am going to put this baseball terms. Three strikes and you’re out W. It seems like W doesn’t like to read reports that land on his desk. Or maybe…
Posted to Politics by John A. Conley on September 2, 2005 11:06 PM

Lack of Bush Eloquence Imperils Hurricane Victims
(Satirical Review) Scott Ott, over at ScrappleFace once again out does himself in the following snippet where he brings out the best in his satrical reporting skills. Hope some folks here can at least step back and take this in…
Posted to Politics by Z.Z. Bachman on September 2, 2005 10:26 PM

Getting Those Priorities Straight
Some estimates say Katrina destroyed 40,000 homes in New Orleans alone. Thousands more were wiped out around the Gulf. President Bush — arriving on the Gulf Coast — focused on one house — Sen Trent Lott’s (R-MS): “The good news…
Posted to Politics by Terry Turner on September 2, 2005 09:08 PM

Hurricane Katrina: George Bush And The Party Of “I DON’T CARE”
The city of New Orleans is in ruins and its people in chaos from Hurricane Katrina. Perhaps 100,000 American citizens are currently trapped in convention centers, hospitals, and other areas of shelter many of them currently being beaten, raped, and…
Posted to Politics by Balletshooz on September 2, 2005 09:03 PM

What is it with Democrats who like to Dance on the Dead?
Robert Kennedy Jr. today demonstrated why the Kennedy family has gone all down hill since JFK. He suggests on the HuffPo that Hurricane Katrina was caused by the Mississippi Governor’s “anti-kyoto” and “anti-environmental” stances. The tone is…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 2, 2005 07:28 PM

Hurricane Katrina: Who’s to Blame?
There is a rush to blame the Katrina catastrophe on someone, and while there are those on the Left engaging in political corpse chucking at the Bush administration what is missed is where the failures actually were here (hint:…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 2, 2005 04:15 PM

Crisis in New Orleans: What Lesson to Learn?
The crisis in New Orleans continues to worsen. In what has been characterized as a complete breakdown of organized society, thousands are stranded without food, electricity, or adequate shelter while widespread looting and violence spirals out of control….
Posted to Politics by Bill Wallo on September 2, 2005 04:04 PM

I Still Won’t Contribute to Katrina
I got a lot of people all worked up with this post yesterday. They got their righteous indignation worked out and are probably very proud of the various names they called me, with “scum” being the most popular….
Posted to Politics by Blunderford on September 2, 2005 09:11 AM

I CAN’T Donate To Katrina
Hmmm… I wonder… …I wonder what $200 BILLION and 130,000 military troops could do for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. …I wonder if anyone else finds the following disturbingly ironic: Thousands of pounds of contributions are being delivered to a…
Posted to Politics by Shark on September 2, 2005 07:37 AM

Why the Left Loves Katrina
Hurricane Katrina is the worst natural disaster to hit the United States since the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The entire city of New Orleans, population of 484,674 (2000 US census) and its suburbs, population of 1,337,726 (2000 US census);…
Posted to Politics by John Bill on September 2, 2005 07:11 AM

Let’s stop milking Katrina
Whine whine whine. Kennedy blames the non-acceptance of Kyoto for Katrina. Yes, thats right. Like it would have made that short a difference in that short a time. Oh, and apparently, a change of heart caused a wind to push…
Posted to Politics by ApathyOnline on September 2, 2005 06:54 AM

Hastert Touches Raw Nerve With Insensitive Comments About Rebuilding New Orleans
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) said that rather than rebuild New Orleans with federal assistance, “it looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed.” Hastert, showing the savvy of someone asking Mrs. Lincoln whether she enjoyed the play, made…
Posted to Politics by David R. Mark on September 2, 2005 02:02 AM

Looters: Hunting for the only food there is
“Leave the looters alone! They’re the only ones helping us!” – New Orleans refugee Your mother, your sister, your child is starving to death. What do you do? You go in search of food. Where are the food animals? Where the veggies? What…
Posted to Politics by anonyMoses on September 2, 2005 12:05 AM

Some Partisans Are Worse Than The Looters!
Many Americans have clearly lost their sense of shame. I say that because the rhetoric from some of the MSM and hard left wackos has clearly gone far over the top. They are WORSE than the low-lifes who are in…
Posted to Politics by David Flanagan on September 1, 2005 11:55 PM

Urgent news for the politically savvy blogger…
“Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I’ve just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you to stop what you’re doing and listen.” …
Posted to Culture by Chelsea Lou on September 1, 2005 10:56 PM

Katrina’s Victims are America’s Special Interest Group: A Challenge to Bloggers and Congress
Americans today are faced with the task of helping fellow Americans heal and rebuild from the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina. People are looking to the Federal Government as well as state and local governments for guidance, assistance and…
Posted to Politics by Silas Kain on September 1, 2005 07:58 PM

George – Stay Away!
I have lived through Andrew and its aftermath. We didn’t have flooding but we lost power for over three weeks, and had limited food and water. Roads were impassable and we were completely cut off, no phone, no TV,…
Posted to Politics by Minerva on September 1, 2005 07:25 PM

Katrina & the Media: Looting vs. Finding
Two similar photos, two different conclusions: A media outlet reveals its true colors.
Posted to Culture by Natalie Davis on September 1, 2005 07:11 PM

Bush: Don’t Worry New Orleans, Gas Will Keep Flowing
I turned on my television today and saw the usual. Talk of refugees, chaos, people dying of starvation, thousands with no running water or electricity, and gunshots fired at helicopters and hospitals. But CNN, MSNBC, and the rest weren’t reporting…
Posted to Politics by John A. Conley on September 1, 2005 05:31 PM

I Won’t Contribute to Katrina
You want disaster relief? Impeach George W. Bush.
Posted to Politics by Blunderford on September 1, 2005 05:07 PM

One Useless Appendage Seeks Aid Of Two Others
By NEDRA PICKLER, Disassociated Press Writer, 21 minutes ago President Bush will tour the hurricane devastated Gulf Coast region on Friday and has asked his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former President Clinton to lead a private fund-raising…
Posted to Culture by alethinos59 on September 1, 2005 01:43 PM

Hurricane Katrina: Violence in the Big Easy
Katrina has gone but in New Orleans a different storm, a storm of violence unleashed by the decay of community and control, has been raging through the submerged city. As more disturbing tales reach the news, I am reminded of…
Posted to Culture by The Errant Fool on September 1, 2005 12:34 PM

National Guard Responds Swiftly to Katrina
Despite concerns about deployments in Iraq gulf coast guard units respond swiftly and effectively.
Posted to Politics by Dave Nalle on September 1, 2005 11:26 AM

The Left on Katrina: Well They Were Red States Anyway
In this time of national crisis, it is once again shown that there are those who, instead of uniting to help, are using the event to push their ideologies and their hate. I present this unfiltered defecation on…
Posted to Politics by John Bambenek on September 1, 2005 10:29 AM

Why the looting in New Orleans? It’s the revenge of the black and poor, stupid
At a time of a city in dire distress, how could there be people who loot guns and TV sets when everybody is suffering? Why don’t they all pull together in a humanitarian way? Typical “good liberal” question. So let’s answer…
Posted to Politics by Adam Ash on September 1, 2005 10:12 AM

Guns and Lawlessness Prevail in New Orleans After Disaster
Approxmiately 50 minutes ago, President Bush announced this morning that a great deal of help for the victims of Hurricane Katrina will be forthcoming and sought to reassure the victims that the Federal Government has plans to release a massive…
Posted to Culture by Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti on September 1, 2005 09:36 AM

Thoughts On Looting In New Orleans
Looting has turned both the flooded and the unflooded streets of New Orleans into states of lawlessness
Posted to Culture by Bird of Paradise on September 1, 2005 06:12 AM

Christian Groups: Gays and Abortions Caused Hurricane
I have never been so proud to be on the far left-wing. I don’t have the highest regards for religion and this is why. Below is part of an article by Tim Grieve for www.salon.com The real cause of Hurricane Katrina? We…
Posted to Politics by John A. Conley on September 1, 2005 05:50 AM

Foreign aid for Hurricane Katrina dismal?
The United States has a long history of helping lesser countries when they are down on their luck. Whenever there is a disaster in the world, there we are giving a helping hand. We are the go to guy…
Posted to Politics by John Bill on September 1, 2005 05:24 AM

Katrina Is A Partisan Issue — And Here’s Why…
Two years ago we were told we needed to attack Saddam