All My Fault!

[Gimpy]

Originally posted by exlrrp Keith
Re:7. Throwing blame around just creates hard feelings and never
solved a problem.
I don't notice you saying this when the Republicans get to gether to blame Democrats.
The people who don't want to play the Blanme Game....are always to blame

8. We need to work together to solve problems and not throw
blame around.
Oh yeah--what ever happened to accountablilty? Its been dead all this last 4+ years

Stay good
James

What James said!................

[Gimpy]

'ACCOUNTABILITY'!

Here's the lead of a recent article that was 'buried' in the NYT:

"On the issue of whether the military could be deployed without the invitation of state officials, the Office of Legal Counsel, the unit within the Justice Department that provides legal advice to federal agencies, concluded that the federal government did possess authority to move in even over the objection of local officials."

Bush had no excuses. The failure is his. Blanco had nothing to do with it.

In this awfully written and edited story, the New York Times demonstrates that its love for high level government sources trumps its news judgment. Consider this excerpt:

"After the hurricane passed New Orleans and the levees broke, flooding the city, it became increasingly evident that disaster response efforts were badly bogged down. Justice Department lawyers, who were receiving harrowing reports from the area, considered whether active-duty military units could be brought into relief operations even if state authorities gave their consent - or even if they refused. "

"The issue of federalizing the response was one of a number of legal issues considered in a flurry of meetings at the Justice Department, the White House and other agencies, administration officials said. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales urged Justice lawyers to interpret the federal law creatively to assist local authorities. For example, federal prosecutors prepared to expand their enforcement of some criminal statutes like anti-carjacking laws that can be prosecuted by either state or federal authorities."

"On the issue of whether the military could be deployed without the invitation of state officials, the Office of Legal Counsel, the unit within the Justice Department that provides legal advice to federal agencies, concluded that the federal government did possess authority to move in even over the objection of local officials."

"The[ Insurrection Act] was last invoked in 1992 for the Los Angeles riots, but at the request of Gov. Pete Wilson of California, and bhas not been invoked over a governor's objections since the civil rights era - and before that, to the time of the Civil War, according to administration officials. Bush administration, Pentagon and senior military officials warned that such an extreme measure would have serious legal and political implications."

Excuse me? What legal implications? Blanco said "give me everything you got." The Insurrection Act was invoked in 1992!!! This was not a novel legal issue. This was settled. What is was about was politics.

"Political implications." That's what drove them. States rights again. Who gives a shit about political implications when people are dying? The Bush Administration, that's who. So there you have it. The real story of the failures of Bush & Co in the Katrina Aftermath.

Politics first. Always for Bush & Co. It's all they know.

You know where the excerpt I quoted starts in the New York Times story? Paragraph 9. Buried. What is the lead? This:


"As New Orleans descended into chaos last week and Louisiana's governor asked for 40,000 soldiers, President Bush's senior advisers debated whether the president should speed the arrival of active-duty troops by seizing control of the hurricane relief mission from the governor."

"For reasons of practicality and politics, officials at the Justice Department and Pentagon, and then at the White House, decided not to urge Mr. Bush to take command of the effort."

That, my friends, is called burying the lead.

What a disgraceful piece of journalism.

And, worse yet................what an absolute disgraceful example of LEADERSHIP!

Conservatives will try to convince you of anything that you are gullible enough to believe. The alternative would be having to take responsibility. This is an Administration that would sell the country out rather than take responsibility for anything.

Bush talks a good game, or at least reads somebody else's good game. But when push comes to shove, the best defense is a good offense. Blame poor impoverished New Orleans because they didn't have the wherewhithal to construct new levees. Which BTW, Bush himself would NOT fund to the dismay of the Army Corps. of Engineers!

Poor cities all over America rely on federal funds for major projects like that. Governor Blanco AND Senator Mary Landrieu did petition the Feds for the money. But when you give huge tax breaks to the filthy rich and conduct a war based on lies and deception to the tune of hundreds of billions, the states take the hit.


The dirty little secret is that this President didn't give a crap about New Orleans. No votes there. Democratic Mayor. Democratic Governor. Low on the priority list.

If he were really a proactive President, which he isn't, he would have at LEAST appointed a commission to look into the feasability of reconstructing the levees. But what was his initial response after the levees broke? "Nobody ever thought the levees would break"? ......BULLSHIT!!!!...........His OWN Army Corps. of Engineers predicted this!

This is the President of the United States talking. Glad I didn't vote for him. Why doesn't he just do the right thing and resign in disgrace like Tricky Dicky Nixon.

Like I said before, what a SORRY EXCUSE FOR A LEADER !

[SuperScout]

Politics over Duty

I think all of Mayor Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.

On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of New Orleans and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.

President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act). Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up. He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation. After a personal plea from the President, Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action. In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.

Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to New Orleans for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships. Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.

The suffering people of New Orleans need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states. Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.

This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.

[Jerry D]

same ole' stuff Red tape and bureaucrats and the people suffer because of egos not wanting to look weak and ask for assistance even from neighboring states

[SuperScout]

Some additional facts: of the previous seven hurricanes that had landfall in the US, there was a time-lapse of 5 days before any federal assistance arrived on the scene. Compare this with Hurricane Katrina, and a 3-day stretch of time before the feds showed up. In the pre-Katrina era, the local and state resources were used before the call went out for federal assistance. In the Katrina debacle, the local and state resources were either non-existent, late, or underwater.

Then there's this magnificient example of local leadership: Hizhonordamayor has done unassed NO, bought a home in Dallas, and today, Sep. 12, was the first time he's stepped foot in NO in 5 days. My guess is that the relocation to Dallas will only slightly delay the process servers showing up at his door. My prediction is that he will be in prison within 4 years or less, joining that other paragon of virtue-Louisiana style, Edwin Edwards, the former governor, currently serving time.

[Jerry D]

Well I guess ole Mayor Nagin had to move to Big "D" to be close to all his constituency now living in Texas.