The Senators have scheduled a Sept. 7 briefing from Department of Homeland Security officials.
Two key U.S. senators will open a bipartisan investigation into what they described as an "immense failure" of the government response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.…
Article comments
26 - David R. Mark
Also, consider this comment:
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said he agreed with President Bush's remark Friday that the response had been "unacceptable."
"Hard lessons have been learned, tragic lessons have been learned," Blunt said. "We have to respond more quickly; we have to respond in the right ways and be sure our priorities are right."
27 - David R. Mark
Even Tom DeLay was critical:
Tom DeLay, the Republican House majority leader, said on Friday that poor leadership and poor communications between local and federal officials was hindering the relief effort. "No one knows who's in charge," he said.
28 - David R. Mark
One more criticism from a Republican:
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said the federal government had been “completely ineffective“ in its rescue and relief efforts.
29 - Dave Nalle
David, 'government' doesn't mean just federal government, much though you want to color it that way.
I'm not arguing that this situation has been handled well by anyone. However the problem is shared by many people and goes back for years. New Orleans has always been vulnerable to an event like this and no one has ever made any effort to protect it adequqately. In fact, even if every cent allocated under the original SELA plan had been spent it would have made little or no difference, because it was still oriented towards dealing with no more than a category 3 hurricane.
The basic thinking on this situation has been wrong for years, mainly because the only way to really protect New Orleans would have been to move the whole thing to higher ground. There's just no practical way to protect a city that's 20+ feet below sea level from a category 5 hurricane.
Dave
30 - David R. Mark
Also, there's this comment from Mitt Romney, Republican governor of Massachusetts:
"No one can be happy with the kind of response which we've seen in New Orleans, and whether that's law enforcement or whether it's a provision of resources to help those in need, it has been an undermanaged setting," Romney said.
31 - Dan Mack
Part of the system failure in this hurricane has got to be the timing of the event. In my job I deal with all three levels of government, and I know that trying to get almost anything looked at or approved during August is just not on.
The entire government system is on vacation, like most of the real world.
People are seconded into covering for jobs they normally don't do throughout the year, or are returning to cover jobs they did earlier in their career.
It is the worst time to try to mobilise any government action.
32 - Scared o' BusHitler
1Potato: YOU are the type of American that scares the rest of us outside the US. And before you go flapping "So what?! This doesn't involve you!", that attitude is WRONG and a HUGE part of theproblem in the world today. I live on this planet too. I have as much right to commment on the wrong doings of a corrupt government as ANY citizen of this planet when that gov't's policies start to effect peoples lives, AND DEATHS, outside that government's own borders.
You state La is to blame, along with it's officials, for this disaster. WHY should the fed have to bail them out?! If you bothered to get educated and do a little reading outside of the O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter "Library of Hate For The Advancment of the Priviledged", you might be ENLIGHTENED enuff to know that:
1. The port of New Orleans is one of the largest, if not the largest oil and and oil product shipping ports in your ENTIRE Nation. That would be FEDERAL. The Fatherland of Homeland Security, an intelligent person would think, would want to ENSURE that this lifeline to the blood that helps keep your county functioning, was safe from terrosrists AND natural disaster. Not to the Bushies! But as you pointed out: This is a left wing voting constituency.
2. Every year the fed gov't has provided money for the protection system but BusHitler is the first P-Resident of the Whitehouse to actually CUT funding for the project since the EARLY 60'S: he needs the money to fight an illegal,poorly planned, falsified and COSTLY war of aggression on a sovereign country overseas. (And before you start spouting O'Reilly-esque right wing mantra's - go look up the Downing Street memo - confirmed by the government of US bum sniffing fellow hooligan, Tony Blair, as being authentic - to see just how much BusHitler/Cheney LIED to con your people into supporting an illegal war!)
3. There were very few NATIONAL Guard, (the ones who are supposed to be around to deal with NATIONAL - as in American - crises), available cuz RUMMY's been sending them over, via the backdoor draft, to die for future US security vis a vis access to oil reserves AND to kill Godless Muslims. 4000 National Guard were sent over to Iraq from the affected area not long ago, along with generators and deep water vehicles previously, (in a desert nation!?).
Patriotism doesn't NOT mean BLIND adherence to a leader ONLY because that person is the leader. As Josef Goebells said: 'Control the media, you control the people' As Benitto Mussolini was quoted: "Fascism is the marriage of democracy and Big Business." Start reading the BBC news links that are available in the Fire Fox web browser daily. That's a start: GET EDUCATED.
Your country is a few inches down a Right Wing greased slope to great danger and the complete erosion of what you BELIEVE what your country is, but is no longer, about.
People like you are the people that the mongers like Bush/Rove/Cheney/Rummy/WOLFowitz/Perleman COUNT ON to enable them to do what they do to other people AND YOURSELF.
Prove me right, and a litte sadder, by firing off some dogma you've been inundated with and cast off the "barb", "Liberal", at me. Honestly, if a LIBERAL is someone who thinks PEOPLE are worth more than Governments, Leaders, and Politics, then paint me a fukking Liberal.
Take Care all of you, and for the sake of yourselves and this planet, may you soon see yourselves clear of this regime when it's main conspirators are behind bars for the high crimes they have committed.
PS: If you saw in blowhard Mike Moore's movie, the scene where Bush, the most vacationin Prez in history, sez: "Now watch this drive.", immediately after speaking SO sincerely from his heart in the SAME sentece, here's more evidence that Your Thief in Chief DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU PEOPLE. And while here, check out the attack mentality of right wing supporters. How one can argue with facts and PHOTO'S is beyond me, but this blind adherence to a dead ideal, obviously has some POWERFUL and DEEP roots in some of my American brother's and sisters.
http://hughesforamerica.typepad.com/hughes_for_america/2005/08/august_2930_200.html
33 - Steve S
Here is a story showing that the state(s) were responding before Katrina hit.
A great national disaster is pending on the horizon (and we know that people, including the federal government knew beforehand of the possible disasterous consequences), and Bush was on vacation. Condi Rice was buying shoes and seeing broadway shoes. The VP is STILL on vacation. And the third in line, the speaker of the house was on vacation too. The person left in charge of the White House (the part-time security guard) was unavailable for comment.
34 - Kelsea
Ugh. It sickens me that some of you people are so HELL BENT on justifying your vote in 2004 that you REFUSE to admit this man screwed up!
He waited until shit got really bad to step in, and has provided no real numbers or ideas of how he is helping. Hes just said 'lots of help is coming" or some other bull shit response to what is going on.
They evacuated who they could, but many of the poor, impoverished, people got stuck in the city (i.e. mostly african americans) and isnt it quite interesting that a city filled with primarily blacks, doesnt get help asap.
He has failed as a national leader, and if you are too arrogant and selfish to see this I feel VERY sorry for you.
Atleast I can rest assured america knows it screwed up in letting this bastard win.
35 - 1Potato
BushHitler:
As an American and a Jew, I think your association to my president with Hitler is despicable.
Let me guess, you hated Reagan too. And you hate Isreal and evangelical Christians and capitalism. But you never go on rants about Fidel Castro or Islamic radicalism. I know who you are [edited].
36 - Anthony Grande
Would someone tell me how Bush could have single handedly saved everyone from the hurricane. I remember before the hurricane hit that Bush said everyone needs to leave New Orleans.
Did everyone leave??? Nope, Did everyone know they had to leave??? Yep
What the hell do you want Bush to do to prevent a hurricane??? And don't say the levees, because Clinton didn't do nothing about the levees, the governor of New Orleans didn't do nothing about the levees and the mayor didn't do nothing about the levees. Why don't you blame them too.
ANYONE WHO SAYS BUSH IS A RASCIST SHOULD BE SLAPPED BY ALBERTO GONZALES, COLIN POWELL AND CONDY RICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
37 - 1Potato
David Mark stated:
"You said: "Blistering criticism from the left, that is."
Doesn't that imply "only"?"
As I said, I doubt the criticism of Bush from the conservative politicians was "blistering". So yes, all blistering criticism was only from the left (unless you can find me examples to the contrary - that is, blistering criticism specifically of Bush or his administration, not government in general).
38 - Scared o' BusHitler
1Potato:
Go ahead, find it "despicable": IT IS.
Considering that Grampa Prescott Bush made the Bush millions/empire take root by conspiring with, and laundering money for Nazi sympathizers AND made profits from a Polish factory staffed, so generously I'm sure you'd argue, by Nazi camp inmates, DuhByuh comes by it honestly, (the only thing that he does honestly actually!).
Your Resident was SLOW to respond, even though he is the COMMANDER in Chief of the, supposed, largest military force on eath, he could NOT help it because he had committed it to killing the citizens of a country he and his cohorts wanted to destabilize/occupy.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Too bad that poor Americans, the same group who are shipped off, in disproportionate numbers, to die in a false war, living in New Orleans have to PAY again with their lives.
A war started by an aggressive administration, a government whose agenda includes destabilizing other sovereign nations, replacing bodies that involve the WORLD community - U.N. - , and one that is intent bringing his worldview, right wing Christian fundamentalist, to a large VISIBLE population whose beliefs and religion differ from his own.
Read that last paragraph again.
Who am I talking about: I could almost be talking about Bush or Hitler.
Can't tell can you?
And to Anthony Grande, your rant is EXACTLY the kind of blind allegiance, when the honour of flag and country is thrown into question when your leader is exposed, that I was referring to.
Your need also to LASH out without knowledge, some of which was in my last post had you BOTHERED to read it, that would've answered the RANTING questions you posed.
Pray for the souls of those who have survived, and those who were sacrificed in the BushWars in Iraq AND as a result of the war, in New Orleans.
39 - 1Potato
Scared o BushHitler:
I think it's great that mental institutions have computers these days.
40 - Scared o' BusHitler
Oh 1PotatoShortOfABag...!
Why?
Have you been taking your meds like a good delusional paranoid and earned yourself(-ves?)some priviledges?
Well then I think that's great too!
I assume you were checked in for being a delusional, sociopathic, and obviously child level functioning individual,(the last feature, an apparent prerequisite for all wanting to allign with the right as one must be able to call names and avoid and obfuscate the facts like the best bullies on the playground)?
Well stay on those meds, use your pc access priviledges to 'get learned', as George (paid for a C Average) Bush would put it, on the net, and PRAY lots that Bushy doesn't hafta cut funding to the institution you're locked up in in order to shore up Haliburton, Exxon, and Lockheed profits.
Oh yah, and thanx for proving the point I made originally about 'blind allegiance', juvenile interactions, and refusal to face facts. If I have to drop down to the level of a child to help you understand, I'm will ya asshat.
It's because of millions of ignorant bastiches such as yourself that I, as a world history major, get to sit front row and watch EXACTLY how the Roman Empire decayed and died.
THANX SO MUCH!!
41 - Heloise
Ray RAN
To the investigators and the money handlers: Leave Mayor Ray Nagin a private citizen
He ran like a private citizen so leave him one. And my strongest advice is to NOT give him one or any citizen one penny of money to oversee towards the rebuilding of the city.
I mean please involve all races and experts, experts regarding the levees and city planning and historical experts and anthropologists (like myself). We have universities and pundits and now the blogosphere--so please use them.
Please take your time and let the good people and the bloggers of the world guide you. We started Katrina and it is up to us to rebuild New Oleans with our sound, savvy advice. I am not kidding here.
I repeat Ray RAN. He made a few phone calls and then took off in a convoy or a single car--don't know and hightailed it to Baton Rouge. Give him whatever monies he deserves for being a part of the storm, but don't grease his bald head with one penny in oversight--remember the UN oil-for-food disaster and Kofi somebody...hmm need I say more.
The French influence of corruption is rife in New Orleans, that is part of our heritage.
I think that the governor of Texas and President Bush should get the "Medal of Freedom" for what they have done to help black people in the aftermath of Katrina. And finally, finally kudos to the media who have put the welfare of black people on global TV and radio for all the world to see and hear.
I hope this shakes them from their lethargy in keeping white women in the global news and for them to be more equitable in the future with their coverage of other people.
PS: did you see that woman reporter putting Ray on the hot seat this morning? She told him that NO ONE knew people were at the Convention Center!!! And he started to squirm!!!
We are from NOLA and my sister and I did not know where the Convention Center was!!
42 - David R. Mark
1potato, regarding comment 37, I listed a whole bunch of Republican critics of the relief effort.
43 - Liberal
Those of us on the left and those of you on the right have different views of the world and different solutions to the world's problems.
But what does shit like this accomplish?
"I think it's great that mental institutions have computers these days."
"Have you been taking your meds like a good delusional paranoid and earned yourself(-ves?)some priviledges"
The Mayor of NOLA, the Gov. of Lousiana, the Dir. of FEMA, the Dir. of Homeland Secuity and, yes, the one person ultimately responible for the Adminisatration of all Federal Agencies bear some responsibility for the failures to address Katrina.
That responsibility has NOTHING to do with their party affiliation, ideology, race, wealth or anything else.
If we allow purely partisan sniping to rule the debates and investigations, hoe will we di better next time?
You (from the left and the right) who use this disaster to call each others names and insult one another with no positive contribution are dishonoring those who have suffered.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
44 - Bob
No wonder this country is going to hell in a handbasket when voters and "the free press" spout such an abundance of ignorance. The fact that Republicans are on the rolls of critics only proves that ignorance has no ideological bias.
The federal government is NOT primarily responsible - the state governor is by both federal law and Lousiana law. Yes, Bush failed to act because he isn't a Facist Nazi Dictator eager to usurp all authority.
Apparently from all the ranting, Americans prefer the slavery of federal totalitarianism to protect them from thier own stupidity.
Federal Law:
(See www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm#sec501)
...As a part of such request, and as a prerequisite to emergency assistance under this Act, the Governor shall take appropriate action under State law and direct execution of the State's emergency plan...
Louisiana Law, initiated by the current governor, for Emergency Preparedness and Response:
"NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows..."
(See www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans/STATE%20OF%20LOUISIANA%20EOP%202005.doc)
I suppose next time you all want Federal Troops to march in to the state capital and city hall, usurp all local authority, and round up every citizen at gunpoint and force them out of their homes into "relocation centers"?
Saturday August 27, 2005 2:29 Eastern.
Mayor Delaying Evacuation along with Governor (see http://tinyurl.com/bj8wk)
August 27, 2005 Emergency Declaration by President Bush:
Emergency Plan Dec
(see www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html)
By the Governor's own admission, it was the President of the United States who was taking the lead in every lawful way he could as local officials failed to act:
Sunday, August 28, 2005; Posted: 11:47 a.m. EDT
"Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said that President Bush had called and urged the state to order the evacuation."
(see http://tinyurl.com/bj8wk)
Additional primary documents, news links, and well-formed URLs from above are readily available:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477374/posts
Indeed, Rome is burning.
45 - Jason Riptide
Why do liberals get so frantic than they have to resort to swearing and of course using the worn out "racism" excuse? You can tell whenever a liberal Bush-republican hater has no valid point to argue, they always as a desperate measure blame whatever the problem is on racism. Anyone who thinks President Bush just sat around thinking "it is only blacks folks in trouble, I am not going to worry about it" has got to be a complete idiot. Such talk is just plain stupid. The incompetent mayor of New Orleans who waited until the last minute to order a mandatory evacuation of the city and his failure to use the hundreds of city and school buses available in the city has the most blame in this matter. And the incompetent hick of a governor is so unsure of herself that it is pathetic and an embarrassment to the state of Louisiana to have here in the governor's mansion.
46 - steve
wow. couldnt agree with you more jay.
47 - Silas Kain
Sound bytes. Photo opportunities. The American attention span. That picture of the school busses in water has taken on a life of its own. Wake up, America. Tough questions deserve tough inquiries and tough answers. The aftermath of Katrina can't be packaged up with a pretty bow on it. It's time for us to look in the mirror as a nation and face our demons. So, instead of pissing and moaning looking for scapegoats, maybe we should do something really radical -- talk to each other instead of through each other.
48 - David R. Mark
Silas, that's asking a lot. It's so much easier for some people to not only belittle your point, but make fun of you personally.
49 - Scared o' BusHitler
I appretiate when folks say: "This is not the time to place blame...", but when a corrupt government, one that CUT nearly a billion dollars from a long standing fund to maintain and improve the levee system to supply money for an ILLEGAL war of aggression, also draining equipment and guardsmen away for that same war AND these actions DIRECTLY relate to the deaths of 1000's of poor, WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO POINT BLAME/DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS AT THE SOURCE?!
-You've got an illegal war;
-TWO federal elections mired in controversy, so much so that WORLD organizations, usually sent to 3rd world countries with similarly corrupt leaders, arrived in the USA to monitor the 2004 vote after the SCAM the Right pulled in 2000. Ironically, not, these organizations, including individuals from my country, were NOT allowed to observe in key parts of OHIO, imagine that;
-Karl Rove-gate: trying to get a CIA operative killed because her hubby wouldn't lie to pad the 'need for war' fable;
-An administration hell bent on destabilizing the world;
-A leader who prefers INCREASED polution in order to increase profits of his cronies;
-A DRAFT DODGING cabal of losers creating your administration;
-Laws passed to take away your right to freedom and privacy in order to "protect" your right to freedom?!;
-And more and more.
WHEN IS a good time to start pointing fingers and start cutting out the cancer folks?!
If this tradgey isn't enuff, you're country is a goner, as far as it being the one you idealize.
As for the rude comments I made in response to right wing attack Potato:
you're right, it was childish and base, but that seems to be the only way to communicate to the O'Reilly/Coulter lovers of the world.