Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 03/20/06 5:20 pm:
Wow Ronnie, you sure have a way with my words. It might be helpdful if you actually read them, which closed with "Waste is waste, and the Bush administration and this congress is no exception, but as I've said before the new man in charge of the relief money is going to do a much better job - if he can break through the bureaucracy and the affected states' fight for it."

For you to get 'To Hell with Katrina victims' is a monumental stretch. I donated to the Red Cross (which apparently wasn't much better than the government) and our city - along with our state - had a tremendous, efficient response in caring for a number of Katrina victims. But as with most anything else you seem to be too fixated on slamming the Bush administration and Halliburton to see anything else. Perhaps if you'd broaden your perspective and get over the tunnelvision that says Bush is the sole source of all evil and discontent you might be able to see a brighter world than the picture you keep trying to frame us in.

Steve

Clarification/Follow-up by Erewhon on 03/20/06 6:34 pm:
Try preaching your Bush-u-akbar gospel to Katrina victims and see how many agree with you. Those who are suffering from Bush's incompetence are better placed than you will ever be to tell it like it is.

Or are they all Democrat stooges?

Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 03/20/06 6:45 pm:
Ronnie, what are you talking about? First off, I thought their woes stemmed from a hurricane, not 'Bush's incompetence.' And if you wanted to be fair you could start taking a look at the incompetence on the local and state levels. Nobody handled Katrina right but you only see incompetence in one man, Bush - and you can't even see where you and I agree.

Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 03/20/06 9:52 pm:
>>>You think FEMA is a Chinese operation? <<<

Not at all. It's an American operation. Do you think that every American operation is personally overseen by the President of the United States? Do you think we're the United Arab Emirates where EVERYTHING is overseen by the government leaders? Sorry, but that's why there's such a thing as government employees... THEY are the ones who handle the day-to-day matters of the various government agencies.

>>>When Buish said that Brownie was doing a great job, what did he mean?<<<

He meant that Brownie was doing a great job. You may disagree with his assessment, and most do. But what does that have to do with his day-to-day onvolvement in running FEAM... or lack thereof?

>>>The buck stops where anymore?<<<

With the guy hired to do the job. That's not the President. That would be the FEMA head and his various underlings.

In Microsoft, is Bill Gates responsible for the hiring and management of a file clerk in his Hiong Kong office, or does he have people who are responsible for that? I would think that Bill Gates has more important things on his mind than a file clerk in a foreign office. Similarly the President has more on his mind than the day-to-day running of an agency that he has other people to manage.

>>>You ought to be stuck in the mud and filth of NO watching thousands of trailer hiomes sit empty and then share your feelings over the waste.. It matters when it touches lives - or as in this case, doesn't touch lives it should touch for the better.<<<

I would have gotten the hell out when I wa warned to days in advance. And when it was over, I'd be getting my own ass in gear to get my home back in order or find a new one. I wouldn't be relying on the government to do it all for me.

As for the waste in the agency, all I can do is reiterate that a level of waste as low as 8% is pretty minimal for any government agency. Would 0% be better? Sure it would. But human beings are not 100% efficient, they make mistakes, and sometimes money is wasted on good ideas that don't pan out... or bad ideas that don't pan out. Sh!t happens.

>>>I can applaud Bush, but then I am not a Katrina victim whose basic needs have been promised but not delivered. It should matter that while it is not you suffering, someone, somewhere is suffering because of the gross negligence of FEMA and the C in C.<<<

It seems to me that the problem is not that the victims didn't get what they were supposed to get... it seems to me from the article above that they were given what they didn't want. Shelters were prepared for them, but they didn't use them. Schooling for kids was prepared, but it was considered wasteful. And I could go on. So it's not that the victims didn't get what they were promissed. They just didn't take advantage of what they were given, and FEMA was criticizd for it. But what does that have to do with Bush.

>>>My biggest argument aginst Bush in the Katrina debacle is that he did not heed the warning, and then he did not deliver promised help.<<<

But the tapes of his official briefing about Katerina before the storm hit said nothing about broken levies. In fact, the only concern Bush was made aware of was OVERFLOW, which he was informed they were prepared for. So Bush made sure they were prepared for the dangers he was aware of. As for not providing what he promissed... well, we've just discussed that one above.

>>>I don't know how to get oveer that and have him look like a good guy without abusing the facts and my conscience.<<<

I can understand why it would bother your conscience. You think with your emotions and not your brains. But it certainly wouldn't "abuse the facts" to stop blaming Bush for stuff that wasn't his fault and that he had nothing to do with.

>>>BTW - I didn't really 'say' anything. I only posted what someone else said. If you dsipute their findings, then that's fine, but it seems to me as if Bush has a case to answer here.<<<

Well, MSLSD is wrong again. And I do dispute their findings... as you can see. Their findings aren't based on the facts, just on innuendos and misinformation. They even have you convinced that Bush runs FEMA.

He doesn't. He runs the executive branch of the government of the United States.

Elliot

Clarification/Follow-up by Erewhon on 03/20/06 10:19 pm:

Bush's incompetence caused the hurricane to impact worse than it would had Bush been competent.

Consider:
Media Sat On Katrina Video For 6 Months

A videotape of a briefing that occurred the day before Hurricane Katrina struck is blanketing television news. The coverage is appropriate; the tape proves that Bush and other top officials knew about the severity of the storm in advance and still were slow to respond.

What you won’t hear on TV is that the media have had this tape for six months but haven’t done anything with it. From the LA Times:

Department briefings are routinely recorded, said [Homeland Security spokesman Russ] Knocke, adding that Homeland Security does not know how Associated Press got the footage of the Aug. 28 briefing. It was also obtained that day or the day after by a network and a cable affiliate, but neither aired it, he said.

The contents of the tape are clearly newsworthy. Which media organizations obtained the tape and why wasn’t it aired?


and


Surprise, Surprise: Bush Knew Katrina Dangers
Filed under: Bush, Corruption

The Associated Press released video tapes yesterday of President Bush being briefed on the full danger and impact of Hurricane Katrina 1 day before the tragedy. The tapes directly contradict Bush’s now infamous claim after Katrina, “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.”

Bush didn’t ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: “We are fully prepared.”

The footage – along with seven days of transcripts of briefings obtained by The Associated Press – show in excruciating detail that while federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, they were fatally slow to realize they had not mustered enough resources to deal with the unprecedented disaster.

===
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2006 — In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas, President Bush offered his views on a range of topics, including the response to Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq, U.S. port security and the future of his presidency. What follows is a transcript of the interview.

ELIZABETH VARGAS: Let's start with Katrina, because today is the six-month anniversary of the hurricane hitting, and you know there have been a series of government reports evaluating the government response to that disaster. A congressional report assessed the U.S. reaction as "woefully unprepared" not only for a natural disaster now but for a terrorist attack, the state of readiness right now of the United States.

Setting aside future improvements that you plan, do you agree today with that assessment, that the United States is "woefully unprepared" for another natural disaster or attack?

PRESIDENT BUSH: I agree that we didn't do as good a job as we could have done on Katrina. However, I would remind people that there was a hurricane right after Katrina that hit Louisiana and Texas, and the response was much better coordinated, and the situational awareness on the ground was much improved. And so while I can't predict 100 percent success on a catastrophic — major catastrophic event, I can say that lessons learned from Katrina were being implemented quickly. And the case I make is that hurricane that hit down there in Texas is one where the response was much better.

Listen, here's the problem that happened in Katrina. There was no situational awareness, and that means that we weren't getting good, solid information from people who were on the ground, and we need to do a better job. One reason we weren't is because communications systems got wiped out, and in many cases we were relying upon the media, who happened to have better situational awareness than the government. And when you have the media [with] better situational awareness than the government, the American people are saying, "Wait a minute. What is happening? How come the federal Government and state government and local governments couldn't do a better job of providing information necessarily so that people could react better?"

VARGAS: So you don't agree with that report that calls the U.S. "woefully unprepared?"

BUSH: I think the U.S. is better prepared than woefully unprepared. There's no question we've got more work to do, and our report on Katrina outlined the work that needs to be done.

I thought, for example, the reaction to the 9/11 attack was a remarkable reaction, positively. When the terrorists attacked and destroyed two buildings, there were rescue teams rushing in to save lives. There was a response by the city that was a coordinated response. Katrina was one that we could have done a much better job [on], and we're learning the lessons from Katrina. But the country has got to constantly be evaluating our capabilities and preparing for the worst.

VARGAS: When you look back on those days immediately following when Katrina struck, what moment do you think was the moment that you realized that the government was failing, especially the people of New Orleans?

BUSH: When I saw TV reporters interviewing people who were screaming for help. It looked — the scenes looked chaotic and desperate. And I realized that our government was — could have done a better job of comforting people.

A lot went right, by the way. I don't want to denigrate the efforts of people that really worked hard. Our Coast Guard people were flying incredibly dangerous missions to rescue I think over 30,000 people from the roofs of their homes.

There was, you know, an amazing response from the citizenry who welcomed people who evacuated. And the state and the city evacuated a lot of people, and that caused there to be less loss of life.

But the chaotic scenes were very troubling. It just — it was very unsettling for me to realize our fellow citizens were in near panic wondering where the help was.

VARGAS: One more thing that the report said when they talked about how the government — the reaction by the government broke down. They were talking in particular about the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. The House report called the federal response to Katrina "a failure of leadership." It describes FEMA as "undertrained, understaffed, and overwhelmed" and lay the blame for that with the Department of Homeland Security for stripping down FEMA. Do you think you're being well served by Secretary Chertoff?

BUSH: I do. I think he's doing a fine job. I also know he's willing to accept criticism and respond. That's the important thing. You know, Katrina has left a legacy, and the question is will we be willing to learn from the lessons. And that's exactly what you're beginning to see happening. We ordered a report right after Katrina hit. I said let us take a look at how better to prepare for the next disaster. And the government has been, one, very quick to analyze and, two, has now got a whole list of suggestions on which to implement in order so that we can do a better job and future presidents can learn from the lessons of Katrina.

VARGAS: But when these reports place so much responsibility at Mr. Chertoff's feet, if he were to offer his resignation to you, would you accept it?

BUSH: I don't think he's going to. Washington is a town full of a lot of criticism, and some of it is merited and some of it, you know, is not. But in this case, we take the criticism seriously and recognize that we could have done a better job and are responding accordingly.

===


KATRINA TIMELINE

Friday, August 26

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA

GULF COAST STATES REQUEST TROOP ASSISTANCE FROM PENTAGON: At a 9/1 press conference, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force Katrina, said that the Gulf States began the process of requesting additional forces on Friday, 8/26. [DOD]

Saturday, August 27

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MISSISSIPPI [Office of the Governor]

5AM CDT — KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE [CNN]

GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.” [Office of the Governor]

FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED, DHS AND FEMA GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO KATRINA: “Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.” [White House]
Sunday, August 28

2AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]

7AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE [CNN]

MORNING — LOUISIANA NEWSPAPER SIGNALS LEVEES MAY GIVE: “Forecasters Fear Levees Won’t Hold Katrina”: “Forecasters feared Sunday afternoon that storm driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees when monster Hurricane Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow.” [Lafayette Daily Advertiser]

9:30 AM CDT — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW ORLEANS: “We’re facing the storm most of us have feared,” said Nagin. “This is going to be an unprecedented event.” [Times-Picayune]

AFTERNOON — BUSH, BROWN, CHERTOFF WARNED OF LEVEE FAILURE BY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER DIRECTOR: Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center: “‘We were briefing them way before landfall. … It’s not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped.’” [Times-Picayune; St. Petersburg Times]

4PM CDT – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SPECIAL HURRICANE WARNING: In the event of a category 4 or 5 hit, “Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. … At least one-half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those homes severely damaged or destroyed. … Power outages will last for weeks. … Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.” [National Weather Service]

LATE PM – REPORTS OF WATER TOPPLING OVER LEVEE: “Waves crashed atop the exercise path on the Lake Pontchartrain levee in Kenner early Monday as Katrina churned closer.” [Times-Picayune]

APPROXIMATELY 30,000 EVACUEES GATHER AT SUPERDOME WITH ROUGHLY 36 HOURS WORTH OF FOOD [Times-Picayune]

LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD REQUESTS 700 BUSES FROM FEMA FOR EVACUATIONS: FEMA sends only 100 buses. [Boston Globe]
Monday, August 29

7AM CDT – KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]

7:30 AM CDT – BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED OF THE LEVEE BREACH: The administration finds out that a levee in New Orleans was breached. On this day, 28 “government agencies, from local Louisiana parishes to the White House, [reported that] that New Orleans levees” were breached. [AP]

8AM CDT – MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: “I’ve gotten reports this morning that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we’ve had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just a matter of how much.” [NBC’s “Today Show”]

11:13 AM CDT - WHITE HOUSE CIRCULATES INTERNAL MEMO ABOUT LEVEE BREACH: “Flooding is significant throughout the region and a levee in New Orleans has reportedly been breached sending 6-8 feet of water throughout the 9th ward area of the city.” [AP]

MORNING – BROWN WARNS BUSH ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DEVASTATION OF KATRINA: In a briefing, Brown warned Bush,

“This is, to put it mildly, the big one, I think.”

He also voiced concerns that the government may not have the capacity to “respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe” and that the Superdome was ill-equipped to be a refuge of last resort. [AP]

MORNING – MAYFIELD WARNS BUSH ABOUT THE TOPPING OF THE LEVEES: In the same briefing, Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center Director, warns,

“This is a category 5 hurricane, very similar to Hurricane Andrew in the maximum intensity, but there’s a big big difference. This hurricane is much larger than Andrew ever was. I also want to make absolutely clear to everyone that the greatest potential for large loss of lives is still in the coastal areas from the storm surge. … I don’t think anyone can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not, but there’s obviously a very very grave concern.” [AP]

MORNING — BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION:

[IS HE KIDDING?]

“I spoke to Mike Chertoff today — he’s the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue [immigration], so we got us an airplane on — a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are.” [White House]

MORNING – BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN [White House]

11AM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE:

“Brown’s memo to Chertoff described Katrina as ‘this near catastrophic event’ but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, ‘Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities.’” [AP]

LATE MORNING – LEVEE BREACHED: “A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new ‘hurricane proof’ Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north.” [Times-Picayune]

11AM CDT — BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT:

“This new bill I signed says, if you’re a senior and you like the way things are today, you’re in good shape, don’t change. But, by the way, there’s a lot of different options for you. And we’re here to talk about what that means to our seniors.” [White House]

4:30PM CDT — BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT:

“We’ve got some folks up here who are concerned about their Social Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with us. … I could tell — she was looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was wondering whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security check.” [White House]

[AND THERE WERE SOME FOLKS IN N.O. DYING WHILE HE ATE CAKE, CHATTED, AND POSED FOR PHOTOGRAPHS!]

8PM CDT — RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld

“joined Padres President John Moores in the owner’s box…at Petco Park.” [Editor & Publisher]

8PM CDT – GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH:

“Mr. President, we need your help.

We need everything you’ve got.” [Newsweek]

LATE PM – BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO’S REQUESTS
[Newsweek]
Tuesday, August 30

11AM CDT – BUSH SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT NAVAL BASE CORONADO [White House]

MIDDAY – CHERTOFF CLAIMS HE FINALLY BECOMES AWARE THAT LEVEE HAS FAILED:

“It was on Tuesday that the levee–may have been overnight Monday to Tuesday–that the levee started to break.

And it was midday Tuesday that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city.”

But later reports note that the Bush administration learned of the levee breach on Aug. 29. [Meet the Press, 9/4/05; AP]

PENTAGON CLAIMS THERE ARE ENOUGH NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN REGION: “Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs.” [WWL-TV]

MASS LOOTING REPORTED, SECURITY SHORTAGE CITED:

“The looting is out of control. The French Quarter has been attacked,” Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said.

“We’re using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on rooftops.” [AP]

U.S.S. BATAAN SITS OFF SHORE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED:

“The USS Bataan, a 844-foot ship designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has helicopters, doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It also can make its own water, up to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of Mexico when Katrina came roaring ashore.

The Bataan rode out the storm and then followed it toward shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to begin plucking stranded New Orleans residents.

But now the Bataan’s hospital facilities, including six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty.” [Chicago Tribune]

2PM CDT – PRESIDENT BUSH PLAYS GUITAR WITH COUNTRY SINGER MARK WILLIS [AP]

BUSH RETURNS TO CRAWFORD FOR FINAL NIGHT OF VACATION [AP]
Wednesday, August 31

1:45AM CDT – FEMA REQUESTS AMBULANCES THAT DO NOT EXIST:

“Almost 18 hours later, [FEMA] canceled the request for the ambulances because it turned out, as one FEMA employee put it, ‘the DOT doesn’t do ambulances.’” [Wall Street Journal]

11:20 AM CDT — FEMA STAFF WARNED BROWN THAT PEOPLE WERE DYING AT THE SUPERDOME:

Three hours later, Brown’s press secretary wrote to colleagues complaining that Brown needed more time scheduled to eat at a restaurant:

“He needs much more that (sic) 20 or 30 minutes. We now have traffic to encounter to go to and from a location of his choise (sic), followed by wait service from the restaurant staff, eating, etc. Thank you.” [AP]

NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARRIVE IN LOUSIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA:

Troops arrive two days after they are requested. [Boston Globe]

TENS OF THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN SUPERDOME; CONDITIONS DETERIORATE:

“A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers.

‘We pee on the floor. We are like animals,’ said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. …

By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. …

At least two people, including a child, have been raped.

At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for.

There is no sanitation. The stench is overwhelming.”" [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/05]

PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY ORGANIZES TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE FEDERAL RESPONSE: Bush says on Tuesday he will “fly to Washington to begin work…with a task force that will coordinate the work of 14 federal agencies involved in the relief effort.” [New York Times, 8/31/05]

JEFFERSON PARISH EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SAYS FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY GONE:

“Director Walter Maestri: FEMA and national agencies not delivering the help nearly as fast as it is needed.” [WWL-TV]

80,000 BELIEVED STRANDED IN NEW ORLEANS: Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy “estimated 80,000 were trapped in the flooded city and urged President Bush to send more troops.” [Reuters]

3,000 STRANDED AT CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER: “With 3,000 or more evacuees stranded at the convention center — and with no apparent contingency plan or authority to deal with them — collecting a body was no one’s priority. … Some had been at the convention center since Tuesday morning but had received no food, water or instructions.” [Times-Picayune]

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR ENTIRE GULF COAST: “After a natural disaster, short and long-term medical problems can occur. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and mosquito-borne illnesses tend to break out under these conditions.” [WCBS-TV]

CHERTOFF “EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE” OF THE GOVERNMENT: “We are extremely pleased with the response that every element of the federal government, all of our federal partners, have made to this terrible tragedy.” [Department of Homeland Security]

EARLY AM – BLANCO AGAIN TRIES TO REQUEST HELP FROM BUSH:

“She was transferred around the White House for a while until she ended up on the phone with Fran Townsend, the president’s Homeland Security adviser, who tried to reassure her but did not have many specifics.

Hours later, Blanco called back and insisted on speaking to the president.

When he came on the line, the governor recalled, “I just asked him for help, ‘whatever you have’.” She asked for 40,000 troops.” [Newsweek]

4PM CDT — BUSH GIVES FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS ON KATRINA:

“Nothing about the president’s demeanor… — which seemed casual to the point of carelessness — suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.” [New York Times]

7PM CDT – CONDOLEEZZA RICE TAKES IN A BROADWAY SHOW:

“On Wednesday night, Secretary Rice was booed by some audience members at ‘Spamalot!, the Monty Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights went up after the performance.” [New York Post, 9/2/05]

8PM CDT — FEMA DIRECTOR BROWN CLAIMS SURPRISE OVER SIZE OF STORM:

“I must say, this storm is much much bigger than anyone expected.” [CNN]
Thursday, September 1

7AM CDT — BUSH CLAIMS NO ONE EXPECTED LEVEES TO BREAK:

“I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” [Washington Post]

CONDOLEEZZA RICE VISITS U.S. OPEN: “Rice, [in New York] on three days’ vacation to shop and see the U.S. Open, hitting some balls with retired champ Monica Seles at the Indoor Tennis Club at Grand Central.” [New York Post]

STILL NO COMMAND AND CONTROL ESTABLISHED:

Terry Ebbert, New Orleans Homeland Security Director:

“This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control.

We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can’t bail out the city of New Orleans.” [Fox News]

2PM CDT — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES “DESPERATE SOS” TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:

“This is a desperate SOS. Right now we are out of resources at the convention centre and don’t anticipate enough buses. We need buses.

Currently the convention centre is unsanitary and unsafe and we’re running out of supplies.” [Guardian, 9/2/05]

2PM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF REPORTS OF VIOLENCE: “I’ve had no reports of unrest, if the connotation of the word unrest means that people are beginning to riot, or you know, they’re banging on walls and screaming and hollering or burning tires or whatever. I’ve had no reports of that.” [CNN]

NEW ORLEANS “DESCEND[S] INTO ANARCHY”:

“Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday.

‘This is a desperate SOS,’ the mayor said.” [AP]

CONDOLEEZZA RICE GOES SHOE SHOPPING: “Just moments ago at the Ferragamo on 5th Avenue, Condoleeza Rice was seen spending several thousands of dollars on some nice, new shoes (we’ve confirmed this, so her new heels will surely get coverage from the WaPo’s Robin Givhan).

A fellow shopper, unable to fathom the absurdity of Rice’s timing, went up to the Secretary and reportedly shouted,

‘How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!’” [Gawker]

MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY LEARNS OF EVACUEES IN CONVENTION CENTER:

“We learned about that (Thursday), so I have directed that we have all available resources to get that convention center to make sure that they have the food and water and medical care that they need.” [CNN]
Friday, September 2

ROVE-LED CAMPAIGN TO BLAME LOCAL OFFICIALS BEGINS:

“Under the command of President Bush’s two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan…to contain the political damage from the administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.”

President Bush’s comments from the Rose Garden Friday morning formed “the start of this campaign.” [New York Times, 9/5/05]

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DEMAND THAT DHS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WORKER-SAFETY: “By Friday, experts and officials from NIH, the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency began to make frantic calls to the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress, demanding that the worker-safety portion of the national response plan be activated.” [Wall Street Journal]

EARLY AM — BUSH WATCHES DVD OF THE WEEK’S NEWSCASTS CREATED BY STAFF WHO THOUGHT BUSH “NEEDED TO SEE THE HORRIFIC REPORTS”:

“The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night.

Some White House staffers were watching the evening news and thought the president needed to see the horrific reports coming out of New Orleans.

Counselor Bartlett made up a DVD of the newscasts so Bush could see them in their entirety as he flew down to the Gulf Coast the next morning on Air Force One.” [Newsweek]

10 AM CDT — PRESIDENT BUSH STAGES PHOTO-OP “BRIEFING”:

Coast Guard helicopters and crew diverted to act as backdrop for President Bush’s photo-op.

10:35AM CDT — BUSH PRAISES MICHAEL BROWN:

“Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” [White House, 9/2/05]

BUSH VISIT GROUNDS FOOD AID:

“Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of President Bush’s visit to New Orleans, officials said.” [Times-Picayune]

LEVEE REPAIR WORK ORCHESTRATED FOR PRESIDENT’S VISIT: Sen. Mary Landrieu, 9/3:

“Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe.

Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment.”
[Sen. Mary Landrieu]

BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP:

A group of 1,000 firefighters convened in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina relief efforts. Of those, “a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana.

The crew’s first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.” [Salt Lake Tribune; Reuters]

12PM CDT — BUSH “SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE”:

“I am satisfied with the response. I am not satisfied with all the results.” [AP]

PM – FEMA’S NO. 2 OFFICIAL “IMPRESSED” WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: “I am actually very impressed with the mobilization of man and machine to help our friends in this unfortunate area….I think it’s one of the most impressive search-and-rescue operations this country has ever conducted domestically.” [Time]
Saturday, September 3

SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS GOV. BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY:

The Post reported in their Sunday edition

“As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the [lying through his teeth] senior Bush official said.”

They were forced to issue a correction hours later. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]

9AM CDT — FINK BLAMES STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS:

“[T]he magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities.

The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need.” [White House, 9/3/05]

8:05PM CDT – FEMA FINALIZES BUS REQUEST: “FEMA ended up modifying the number of buses it thought it needed to get the job done, until it settled on a final request of 1,335 buses at 8:05 p.m. on Sept. 3. The buses, though, trickled into New Orleans, with only a dozen or so arriving the first day.” [Wall Street Journal]



I rest my case and consider Bush's incompetence and insouciance demonstrated amply and completely.

You will no doubt continue to say these are all Democratic-commie-pinko lies written by honmosexual-abortionsist-liberal-tax and spend-illegal-immigrant-socialists-muslim-loving-freemason-welfare sponger-dler-trash.

Ah yes, Der Untermenschen behind all the nation's woes.

Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 03/20/06 10:33 pm:
Ronnie,

I suppose if you were president you would...

A) Micromanage every detail of every agency in every situation

B) Drop whatever you were doing and take your entourage of secret service agents, press corps and staff and visit the scene of a major disaster immediately without regard to all of the security and logistics that would disrupt the relief effort for a photo op.

C) Overcome all of the red tape that is the federal government as easily as stepping on a cockroach in providing for the immediate AND long term needs of the victims.

D) Emerge the invincible hero

Am I right?

Clarification/Follow-up by Erewhon on 03/21/06 3:25 am:

Good gracious no!

Ronnie,

I suppose if you were president you would...

A) Micromanage every detail of every agency in every situation

I would have them accountable on a daily basis especially when disater of national security or the safety of the people was involved. That is not micromanagement, but it is "presidential."

B) Drop whatever you were doing and take your entourage of secret service agents, press corps and staff and visit the scene of a major disaster immediately without regard to all of the security and logistics that would disrupt the relief effort for a photo op.

What a pity that you cannot sdeperate the press corps and photo ops from seeing what is needed swiftly to save lives. That is what you have already. Check out what he actually did and didn't do after he was informed of the coming disaster. You want that? You really think that is right? He trots off doing everythjing but what he ougtht to,have done. He sets up a photo op, he ignores wanrings and requests, he misreads the situation and insists no one told him, and only says, "Oh, yeah. THAT Katrina!" when the recordings are made public.

Steve, I can't believe that you cannot see his gross incompetence, dereliction, and his could-care-lessness.

C) Overcome all of the red tape that is the federal government as easily as stepping on a cockroach in providing for the immediate AND long term needs of the victims.

What do you know about the Gordian Knot? When your Red Tape stands between help and a drowning man you act immediately as if you knew what you were doing and you do everything necessary to save lives whether it suits the pathetic tribe of "Can't-dos" who think that it is right and proper to stand aside while everyone watches the drwoning dies and leave abandoned patients to die because what is needed to save them is not presse dimmediatelyintop service.

A [president who can skirt the red tape of a xcourt to sneak and peek at his citizens should be able to get a fleet of buses, wagons, lorries, trucks, and webverythjign else that can move to get people out of the way of a Huirricane that is known to be threatening an ancient levee.

D) Emerge the invincible hero.

That is an idiotic question that attemopts to divert the snot you should be throwing at Bush onto me.

It is time to be honest and to acknowledge that Bush is a bumbling fumbling weasel mouthed idiot who has let down his own people worse than any other president in US history.


Am I right?

Huh! Not on your life. You stand on the bodies of the dead - not all retrieved even yet - and crow about a fool who didn't know what time it was, what was happening, or what he ought to do about it, so he did nothing, and you say "Poor Old George!"

Get a heart, Steve.

Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 03/21/06 3:47 pm:
Ronnie, here's the thing. I've already acknowledged failures - I guess you missed that. You seem to be stuck on thinking I'm a blind Bush loyalist instead. What you FAIL to do is acknowledge that anyone else made mistakes and instead hold Bush accountable for EVERY mistake. Excuse me, but any incompetency on the part of the Bush administration is at least equaled by the incompetency of Nagin and Blanco. But then ou might know that - even if you fail to admit it - had you relied on the facts instead of the media's judgment.

The first line of the report reads "The Select Committee identified failures at all levels of government". I suppose all means Bush to you?

Let's do as the committee did and let the facts guide us instead of guiding the facts shall we? Also from the report in order of appearance:

* Many of the problems we have identified can be categorized as “information gaps” – or at least problems with information-related implications, or failures to act decisively because information was sketchy at best.

* The Select Committee believes Katrina was primarily a failure of initiative. But there is, of course, a nexus between the two. Both imagination and initiative – in other words, leadership – require good information.

* No one anticipated the degree and scope of the destruction the storm would cause, even though many could and should have. The failure of local, state, and federal governments to respond more effectively to Katrina — which had been predicted in theory for many years, and forecast with startling accuracy for five days — demonstrates that whatever improvements have been made to our capacity to respond to natural or man-made disasters, four and half years after 9/11, we are still not fully prepared.

* Inflexible procedures often delayed the response. Officials at all levels seemed to be waiting for the disaster that fit their plans, rather than planning and building scalable capacities to meet whatever Mother Nature threw at them.