Our government's appalling lack of response

[lostintheflood2]

to the misery of our brothers and sisters and the babies and elderly in New Orleans is not to be tolerated!

Write or call your Senators and Congressional Representatives TODAY and demand that they respond IMMEDIATELY and FORCEFULLY to end the horror.

I called my senators and emailed my representative and demanded that they do whatever it takes to respond NOW. How can we stand by and watch this neglect of our countrymen? I am so ashamed.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

And while I'm thinking about it, what does this weak and ineffective response say about our national preparedness and our "homeland security?" Just how secure are we if we can't keep babies and old people from dying on camera? Good God people!!!

[bushmanj]

Maybe the government can wave a magic wand.

[lostintheflood2]

Maybe the government can wave a magic wand.


maybe the government can mobilize, like they did to invade a country. Only this time, they can mobilize to invade a city. Think they can handle it? I don't. Because they don't care.

[dudley]

as i said on another thread.....
most importantly there is not a real "leader" heading up
the recovery/rescue efforts -
i'm not a fan of jeb bush - but in florida -
he was everywhere and worked tirelessly
it seemed to get problems solved - whether
you cared for him or not was irrelevant -
you could see he was working effectively
they need a "leader"
they also need to quit doing interviews
with all networks at all times of the day
and night - they need to go to one press
conference a day - and have everyone they
can there, give statements and answer questions
- how can they be "leading" effectively when
they are talking to the press all day long....

thanks lost for posting an easy access to email
senators and rep - i had been meaning to do it
and you provided a very easy path....

[flap]

[QUOTE=lostintheflood2]maybe the government can mobilize, like they did to invade a country. Only this time, they can mobilize to invade a city. Think they can handle it? I don't. Because they don't care.[/QUOT

Blame Bush for it all. Hell that's the most logical thing to do. After all he caused the natural disaster....right?

[TIES2]

I agree...response time has seemed incredibly slow and disjointed, but I heard this morning that they're talking about a 90K square mile area....mind boggling...

Closer to home, we live on a lake on the other side of which is a major Nuclear Power Plant, close enough that you see the daily rise of steam. Each school year the school sends home it's emergency disaster plan. It involves school buses taking the kids to designated safe areas miles away from the facility in the event of an emergency at the power plant.

Every year I cringe. There is no way, in my mind, that an $8 hour (if that) school bus driver is going to drop what they are doing when disaster strikes, run to the bus depot, pick-up a bus and hasten to the school -- I just don't see it happening. Therefore, we have our own plan and then a few alternatives. My child has a prepaid cell phone (too young for the real thing) and well secured into her backpack is a list of numbers that include friends in neighboring towns, grandparents, aunts and uncles that don't even live in the area or the state. We have reviewed all of this with her time and time again. She's been watching the hurricane coverage and we've been talking about what we would do if we were ever in a similar situation (I have told her it was an historic, once in a lifetime type calamity as I don't want her to worry, but...).
I try to talk to her about the need to remain calm during emergencies and why pre-planning is so important.

It seems like such a little thing but in today's environment it's the only sane thing to do.

[Daddy-O]

[QUOTE=lostintheflood2]maybe the government can mobilize, like they did to invade a country. Only this time, they can mobilize to invade a city. Think they can handle it? I don't. Because they don't care.[/QUOT

Blame Bush for it all. Hell that's the most logical thing to do. After all he caused the natural disaster....right?

No Bush didn't cause the natural disaster. But it did happen on his watch. He responded very well in the days following 9/11...why not now?

This is not the time for pointing fingers for what was done or not done. That can happen later. Now is the time to act, to step up. New Orleans' mayor issued a 'desperate SOS'...they have been stretched beyond their capacity...how hard is it to figure out that the federal government needs to step in and lead...NOW???

Yeah, its time to act. I said on another thread that Bush needs to take his cowboy boot and plant in on the backside of everyone at FEMA. (Yesterday the Director of Emergency Responsiveness for New Orleans indicated that he had not seen a single FEMA representative. How does this happen????)

I will amend my foot-in-ass recommendation that to say Bush needs to ride everyone at Homeland Security, and ride them HARD. Because as David pointed out on another thread, Bush has eviscerated FEMA and given all the responsibility to HS. Homeland Security wouldn't know how to save themselves in a natural disaster (hmm...duct tape? :scratch: ) let alone save tens of thousands of people. But the job is theirs now. Better get busy.

What the need to do next is to send in a very large National Guard response to take the city back from lawlessness. I don't advocate killing these people, but they need to be shot with rubber bullets or something. That will stun them enough to lay down their weapons. Use the temporary cuffs like the military used on Iraqi prisoners and restore order. Get the right f u c king equipment in there to rescue people and move them to areas where they can be tended to and fed. Time is running out. Then while start to clean up the mess, the best and brightest engineers can come together to design a plan to rebuild New Orleans in a smart way.

[brandon86]

How 'bout rebuilding New Orleans about 100 miles north of there on higher ground. Seeems senseless to me to rebuild and then another Cat5 come through again. At the rate these monster hurricanes are coming through nowadays, it's not out of the question.

Check out this article written 3 years ago:

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wetlands/hurricane_print.html

[HeldUp]

Who says our president didn't react quick enough? Heck, immediately after the hurricane hit, gas prices nationwide went up a dollar a gallon!

[Daddy-O]

Thanks for sharing that article.

[mhafinancial]

maybe the government can mobilize, like they did to invade a country. Only this time, they can mobilize to invade a city. Think they can handle it? I don't. Because they don't care.

Blame Bush for it all. Hell that's the most logical thing to do. After all he caused the natural disaster....right?
No, but he cut funding for the ongoing levee project. It was the breech in the levees that caused the flooding. Now sure, if there was no Katrina, there would be no breech. Definitely can't blame Bush for the storm. Might not even be able to blame Bush for the levee. But....if funding hadn't been cut, and if by chance the area where the breeches occurred were the next in line for improvements, then would/could/should this have happened.

And let's forget about the whole levee thing for a minute. I will give you that even if funding had not been cut, the question of whether they would have shored up the right part of the system is a big maybe indeed. What about the emergency response? Something like 30% or more of the Louisiana National Guard is stuck in Iraq. So they aren't home where they should be, taking care of business. I guess that is one way to assure Homeland Security. People are dying, starving, getting sicker by the minute. The locals can't handle it. FEMA's Emergency Preparedness section is run by a good ol' boy estate planning lawyer. Who picked him, instead of someone who might actually have a clue as to what to do in an emergency?

[On Highway 29]

Closer to home, we live on a lake on the other side of which is a major Nuclear Power Plant, close enough that you see the daily rise of steam. Each school year the school sends home it's emergency disaster plan. It involves school buses taking the kids to designated safe areas miles away from the facility in the event of an emergency at the power plant.

Hey Ties2,
What nuke plant are you talking about? I work in utilities and am pretty familiar with the nuke plants in the U.S.

Not to toot their horn but the three nuke plants located in the areas hit by Katrina survived safe and sound and are fully staffed. Before Katrina hit, they told employees to get their families out to a safe area, and then enough employees came back to run the plants. The plants are running on diesels right now.

I can't say it wouldn't be chaotic if there was an emergency at the plant, but in reality, those plants are pretty indestructible.

[Daddy-O]

Much as you'd like, you can't blame Bush for the levee situation. Even if he hadn't cut funding, the work would not have gotten done during his administration. But he did cut FEMA, which IMO has had a significant impact on the government's ability to respond this week.

No, the levee issue is one that goes all the way back to the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s too. Each administration has slowly reduced the level of support for levee projects. And on top of that, many local NOLA / Louisiana administrations have wasted what they were given for years. If they had done anything about the wetlands over those years, Katrina would have weakened further before hitting the city. And then maybe, just maybe, a few of the pumps would have remained operational. And then...all hell, who knows. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[dhenise]

[QUOTE=flap]
No, but he cut funding for the ongoing levee project. It was the breech in the levees that caused the flooding. Now sure, if there was no Katrina, there would be no breech. Definitely can't blame Bush for the storm. Might not even be able to blame Bush for the levee. But....if funding hadn't been cut, and if by chance the area where the breeches occurred were the next in line for improvements, then would/could/should this have happened.

And let's forget about the whole levee thing for a minute. I will give you that even if funding had not been cut, the question of whether they would have shored up the right part of the system is a big maybe indeed. What about the emergency response? Something like 30% or more of the Louisiana National Guard is stuck in Iraq. So they aren't home where they should be, taking care of business. I guess that is one way to assure Homeland Security. People are dying, starving, getting sicker by the minute. The locals can't handle it. FEMA's Emergency Preparedness section is run by a good ol' boy estate planning lawyer. Who picked him, instead of someone who might actually have a clue as to what to do in an emergency?

:noway: :noway: :noway:

[On Highway 29]

Blame Bush for it all. Hell that's the most logical thing to do. After all he caused the natural disaster....right?

C'mon flap, it comes with the territory. If Bush can't take the criticism, he should never have run for president. The president in office always get blamed for things that happen on their watch -- perhaps it's because Americans have short memories.

No, Bush didn't cause the natural disaster, but the levies weren't a natural disaster. The flooding is what's making N.O a horrendous situation. I

t’s five days after the fact and still people are stranded on rooftops and are without food and water. Every time I hear an official say the supplies are getting to people the reporters on the street are interviewing people and they’re saying they haven’t seen a Red Cross truck, a relief truck, a National Guardsman, nothing. So who do we believe – an official in an office in Washington, DC, or someone actually in the thick of it in NO?

Since 9/11, the Bush Administration has been telling us that we are safe…meaning that if there’s another terrorist attack, procedures are in place to respond to the situation. Well, we now know that’s not true because we can’t respond to this situation. If you’re unlucky enough to be wherever the next terrorist attack is and it’s a dirty bomb or a chemical plant explosion, let’s face it, you’re going to die.

And right now we’re giving the terrorists a bird’s-eye view of our vulnerabilities and lack of preparedness.

I’m outraged with all of our politicians (Repubs and Dems). If I hear one more time how they came back two days early from their breaks to vote on an emergency spending bill for the hurricane victims and are now patting themselves on the back, I’m going to hurl. Anyone can sign a bill. Why don’t they get their fat a**es down there and do something useful.

U.S. citizens are doing more than our government and politicians.

[mhafinancial]

[QUOTE=mhafinancial]

:noway: :noway: :noway:
What part didn't you like?

The part where I said Bush isn't responsible for the hurricane?

Or the part where I said Bush probably isn't responsible for the levee failure?

Or the part where I said the slow response lies at his doorstep?

[bushmanj]

maybe the government can mobilize, like they did to invade a country. Only this time, they can mobilize to invade a city. Think they can handle it? I don't. Because they don't care.

And how long did that take, you nimrod? Use your effin brain. It's been about 4 fookin days.

[mhafinancial]

I’m outraged with all of our politicians (Repubs and Dems). If I hear one more time how they came back two days early from their breaks to vote on an emergency spending bill for the hurricane victims and are now patting themselves on the back, I’m going to hurl. Anyone can sign a bill. Why don’t they get their fat a**es down there and do something useful.

U.S. citizens are doing more than our government and politicians.
Agreed. A huge bunch of slef-serving dogs on both side of the aisle. If you haven't seen it yet, you need to see Anderson Cooper lancing Senator Landrieu for exactly what you are talking about. Here is a link.

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Anderson-Cooper-Landrieu-Katrina1.wmv

Oh, and Condi hasn't finished her shoe shopping in New York, so she can't help.

[mhafinancial]

And how long did that take, you nimrod? Use your effin brain. It's been about 4 fookin days.
Good point, since Bush started planning the invasion of Iraq long before he was even elected the first time.

[bushmanj]

Good point, since Bush started planning the invasion of Iraq long before he was even elected the first time.

Does that have anything to do with helping the folks in the Gulf states? I mean, that's what we want to do, right? Or, is taking political cheap shots the point?

[mhafinancial]

Does that have anything to do with helping the folks in the Gulf states? I mean, that's what we want to do, right? Or, is taking political cheap shots the point?
First, calling lostintheflood a nimrod is so typical of you guys on the right... instead of keeping it political or a rational discourse, you immediately make it personal.

And John McCain has a black baby.

Now your response to lostintheflood implied that the government that mobilized to invade a city took more time than the "four fookin' days" that the government has now had to respond to the NO disaster. And so I was simply agreeing with you. Bush had plenty of time to plan the mobilization to invade. He started it before he was even elected.

You brought it up, I was merely trying to clarify your point.

[Richard Tafoya]

I can set aside the political barbs for a moment to zero in on a single question:

We know where there are large groups of people gathered, and we know they haven't had access to food, water or other essentials for days. Why isn't there an army of helicopters dropping emergency crates loaded with survival essentials all around those crowds?

Why weren't we dropping rafts and life vests for the kids on day one?

I'm not a specialist in these matters, but if I was in any position to mobilize some lame attempt at a response, I'd be trying in the first 24 hours to get a million sealed packs of beef jerky carpet-dropped all around the area and a million sealed bottles of water packed with enough air to make sure they float.

[mhafinancial]

For DAYS before Katrina hit, while Bush was once again playing "Cowboy In Crawford" on an extended summer vacation, you could not turn on the news without hearing about how Katrina was headed straight for New Orleans....that the city was below sea level and that this could be an unprecedented disaster. A little proactive planning for the aftermath might have been in order, no?

And from the mouths of those in charge, we get:

#

George W. Bush, President of the United States, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina: "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

#

Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, following widespread eyewitness reports of refugees living like animals at the Convention Center: "I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the Convention Center who don't have food and water."

#

Mike Brown, Director of FEMA, referring to people who were stuck in New Orleans largely because they were too poor to afford the means to leave: "...those who are stranded, who chose not to evacuate, who chose not to leave the city..."

#

Patrick Rhode, deputy director of FEMA, commenting on his agency's performance after four days of steadily increasing urban warfare, deeply flawed coordination, and continuing inability to evacuate refugees: "Probably one of the most efficient and effective responses in the country's history."

#

Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, providing needed reassurance to the newly homeless: "It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level....It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed."

#
Condi Rice, Secretary of State - "I'm leaning towards the Manolo Blahniks, but can't decide on the rhinestone heels or the lizard skin pumps".

Awright, I made the last one up.

[mhafinancial]

I can set aside the political barbs for a moment to zero in on a single question:

We know where there are large groups of people gathered, and we know they haven't had access to food, water or other essentials for days. Why isn't there an army of helicopters dropping emergency crates loaded with survival essentials all around those crowds?

Why weren't we dropping rafts and life vests for the kids on day one?

I'm not a specialist in these matters, but if I was in any position to mobilize some lame attempt at a response, I'd be trying in the first 24 hours to get a million sealed packs of beef jerky carpet-dropped all around the area and a million sealed bottles of water packed with enough air to make sure they float.
Ummmm....because thet're black and poor and vote democratic?

Oops...my bad...you said "political barbs aside".

[bushmanj]

I can set aside the political barbs for a moment to zero in on a single question:

We know where there are large groups of people gathered, and we know they haven't had access to food, water or other essentials for days. Why isn't there an army of helicopters dropping emergency crates loaded with survival essentials all around those crowds?

Why weren't we dropping rafts and life vests for the kids on day one?

I'm not a specialist in these matters, but if I was in any position to mobilize some lame attempt at a response, I'd be trying in the first 24 hours to get a million sealed packs of beef jerky carpet-dropped all around the area and a million sealed bottles of water packed with enough air to make sure they float.

You're right, no one is being fed, clothed, rescued, or helped in any way.

Holy crap...I can't believe the total BS I read on these boards.

[mhafinancial]

You're right, no one is being fed, clothed, rescued, or helped in any way.

Holy crap...I can't believe the total BS I read on these boards.
Please show us information to the contrary. Inquiring minds want to know.

And yes, we do know the Dome has been substantially evacuated, and that is a great start. Fill us in on more.

[bushmanj]

First, calling lostintheflood a nimrod is so typical of you guys on the right... instead of keeping it political or a rational discourse, you immediately make it personal.

And John McCain has a black baby.

Now your response to lostintheflood implied that the government that mobilized to invade a city took more time than the "four fookin' days" that the government has now had to respond to the NO disaster. And so I was simply agreeing with you. Bush had plenty of time to plan the mobilization to invade. He started it before he was even elected.

You brought it up, I was merely trying to clarify your point.

the post litf made required calling litf a nimrod. It was a stupid and idiotic post....one made by a nimrod.

as for clarifying my point, it didn't need clarification.

and what puts me on the right? the fact that I favor legalized abortion? the fact that I favor a welfare system? the fact that I favor the legalization of drugs? the fact that I favor same-sex marriage? what is it?

[bushmanj]

Please show us information to the contrary. Inquiring minds want to know.

And yes, we do know the Dome has been substantially evacuated, and that is a great start. Fill us in on more.

Are you serious? I don't really know your posting style.

[Travelling Slim]

Since 9/11, the Bush Administration has been telling us that we are safe…meaning that if there’s another terrorist attack, procedures are in place to respond to the situation. Well, we now know that’s not true because we can’t respond to this situation. If you’re unlucky enough to be wherever the next terrorist attack is and it’s a dirty bomb or a chemical plant explosion, let’s face it, you’re going to die.

And right now we’re giving the terrorists a bird’s-eye view of our vulnerabilities and lack of preparedness.

This is the crux of the whole anger with Bush, right here. Good distallation, Highway 29. No one blames Bush for the hurricane. No one blames him for the break on the levee. But two things:

1. You can see how his two biggest priorities, the war on Iraq, and tax cuts for the rich, have had their effect in this disaster.

2. They sold themselves in the last election as the emergency team. If this is the best we can do so far, we're in big trouble when something less predictable comes along.

[mhafinancial]

the post litf made required calling litf a nimrod. It was a stupid and idiotic post....one made by a nimrod.

as for clarifying my point, it didn't need clarification.

and what puts me on the right? the fact that I favor legalized abortion? the fact that I favor a welfare system? the fact that I favor the legalization of drugs? the fact that I favor same-sex marriage? what is it?
OK, I retract the "right" comment. Nice to see your progressiveness shining thru. I am happy to stand corrected on that front.

[mhafinancial]

Are you serious? I don't really know your posting style.
Sure I'm serious.

You have a bunch of people here saying the response has been slow. You act as if those in charge of the response are actively doing what they should be doing. Maybe that is true. Show us, that's all.

[mhafinancial]

2. They sold themselves in the last election as the emergency team. If this is the best we can do so far, we're in big trouble when something less predictable comes along.

I'm sorry, I missed that. I thought he was the Education President who morphed into the War President.

I'm glad to know he is now the Emergency President. All those poor black folk will sleep so much better tonight, assuming they don't die first, of course.

[bushmanj]

Sure I'm serious.

You have a bunch of people here saying the response has been slow. You act as if those in charge of the response are actively doing what they should be doing. Maybe that is true. Show us, that's all.

I can accept if someone is claiming the response is slow...although I don't think getting food, water, and shelter to hundreds of thousands of people(maybe millions) spread out over hundreds of square miles of flooded/destroyed land with no infrastructure is exactly a piece of cake.

However, one can get the sense that a few of you are saying nothing is being done and that's total horsepoop and every sane person knows it.

and trying to say Bush doesn't care is also stupid. It's just petty political crap that has no place here.

[myhometown]

I can accept if someone is claiming the response is slow...although I don't think getting food, water, and shelter to hundreds of thousands of people(maybe millions) spread out over hundreds of square miles of flooded/destroyed land with no infrastructure is exactly a piece of cake.

However, one can get the sense that a few of you are saying nothing is being done and that's total horsepoop and every sane person knows it.

and trying to say Bush doesn't care is also stupid. It's just petty political crap that has no place here.

OK, forget hundreds of square miles. How about getting water & food to people in obvious need of it stuck outside the Superdome? They weren't exactly hard to find.

[JoviFan]

I for one did not vote for Bush however this is not ALL his fault. But he is partly to blame for not responding faster, he should of never left for a party on the second day this happened. Know it was going to hit land. When Clinton was in office there was a hurricane in florida cannot remember the name but he was overseas on business not vacation and cut it short before it hit land and was home making plans on what to do when and after the hurricane was gone. He did a wonderful job and this is what Bush should of done. Of course he didn't know how bad it was going to be but neither did Clinton. No matter how prepared you are by saying that the us knew something like this COULD happen and it actually happening is a whole nother story. You can sit there and say we will do this and this but when it comes down to it and it happens sometimes plans don't always go as planned. I don't think this is a race issue however it has been brought up in other forums on here. It just happens to be the majority of people there are black however there are white people there too. But to send troops there 5 days after it happens is a tragedy this sould of happened sooner. The president is wrong for that too. God Bless the people who are still stuck there.

[Travelling Slim]

I'm sorry, I missed that. I thought he was the Education President who morphed into the War President.

I'm glad to know he is now the Emergency President. All those poor black folk will sleep so much better tonight, assuming they don't die first, of course.

My bad, didn't mean to suggest that the president, or anyone else, ever actually referred to himself as the "emergency president". But clearly, as it relates to terrorism, they raised the spectre of fear of another terrorist attack to suggest that they would be far, far, better at responding to an attack than Kerry. I don't think it is unreasonable to assume, then, that they also would fancy themselves at being better at natural disaster response.

[dudley]

wanted to post this response from
one of my senators - bill nelson - florida
prompted by litf's post i emailed my rep and
both senators - i haven't heard anything
from mel martinez (other senator) or
jeff miller (rep) but rec'd this from
nelson - thought it might be
be interesting for others to read......

RE: Your response from Senator Bill Nelson:

Thank you for writing me about the Federal government’s response to
the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama, and even parts of Florida. The images we are seeing daily on
television are horrific and greatly disturbing, and I know that you, like
me, are hurting for the victims of this tragedy.

Already the Senate has approved $10.5 billion in emergency aid for
areas hit by the storm. Meantime, I am working with my colleagues from
Louisiana, sharing my experience in helping Florida get Federal disaster
aid after it was hit by four hurricanes last year. I’ve also asked Defense
Secretary Rumsfeld to make space available at military bases across the
nation to temporarily house thousands who’ve been displaced by the storm.
And I’ve contacted a personal charity, Farm Share, and asked it to provide
surplus food to areas hard hit by Katrina.

I’ve also proposed that the President seek a temporary freeze on the
price of gasoline—at levels before Katrina—which I believe will help ease
consumer economic uncertainty. And I intend to ask Congress this fall to
reconsider a national catastrophe program like the one Florida successfully
created after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The security and safety of our Gulf Coast residents is our top
priority. I’ll continue to monitor this situation closely and press
officials in Washington to provide the full measure of immediate Federal
assistance for the victims of Katrina. Don’t hesitate to contact me again.
I appreciate hearing your concerns.

[orthy]

I'm not sure if you people are laughable, despicable, or ignorant. Or all of the above. This thread is amazing to me.

[HeldUp]

Orthy, you'll just LOVE this...

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army Helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com

P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

[flap]

hey tarik, you should just cut and paste that on all the bush bashing threads. In fact why don't you just start a campaign for MM for Your next leader.

[mhafinancial]

hey tarik, you should just cut and paste that on all the bush bashing threads. In fact why don't you just start a campaign for MM for Your next leader.
Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mantle are both dead.

[flap]

Marilyn Monroe and Mickey Mantle are both dead.


Or Mickey Mouse.

Another note.

I guess Bush will also be blamed for what the Mayor of New Orleans did by allowing 100 people who were staying at the Hyatt across from the Dome. He ordered them to be allowed to go to the front of the line for the buses.100 friends of Nagin who is a black democrat. Rings more of the titanic to me then the Stand (my favorite king book).
OH but wait it's just the evil republican president to do things wrong.
C'mon people instead of slinging crap at each other and their political beliefs why not expell that energy into helping your local salvation army or red cross.
This is just saddening to see what is taking place by the divide of america due to political beliefs.

[mhafinancial]

Or Mickey Mouse.


Nah, he's alive and well and in the White House ;)

[mhafinancial]

O

I guess Bush will also be blamed for what the Mayor of New Orleans did by allowing 100 people who were staying at the Hyatt across from the Dome. He ordered them to be allowed to go to the front of the line for the buses.100 friends of Nagin who is a black democrat. Rings more of the titanic to me then the Stand (my favorite king book).
OH but wait it's just the evil republican president to do things wrong.
C'mon people instead of slinging crap at each other and their political beliefs why not expell that energy into helping your local salvation army or red cross.
This is just saddening to see what is taking place by the divide of america due to political beliefs.
Gutless move on the Mayor's part. His day will come, as will all the other politicians who put their needs and their friends over others.

BTW - if you have not watched the video of Cooper blasting Landrieu, you need to. It says it all.

[orthy]

I'm not a specialist in these matters, but if I was in any position to mobilize some lame attempt at a response, I'd be trying in the first 24 hours to get a million sealed packs of beef jerky carpet-dropped all around the area and a million sealed bottles of water packed with enough air to make sure they float.

You know what is funny about how idealistically naive you are.? I think its the air-tight water bottle reference, but I'm not sure....More on that to follow.

Nope, it was the beef jerky.

Get a grip on reality Cinderella.

We are a mere 92 hours removed. 92 hours. From the levee breach that is (to the morons on the left who were calculating)THE LARGEST DISASTER IN US HISTORY. 92 hours removed. And the airport is finally functional. And guess what happens when an airport is finally functional.?????? Cargo planes land. Full of medicine, clothing, water, food. Do you know that massive cargo plane can not land in 5 feet of water.???? Even if they were rendered "air tight" by the clicking of your heels. Hourly, round the clock relief planes are landing. Do you think that the New Orleans chamber of commerce stores 100,000 MRE's in their top drawer.? Do you think that massive cargo plane can land in 5 feet of water.???? Maybe the moron mayor of the city can go over to the bus depot, where 1,000's of busses sat idly on Sunday, and look for the MRE's over there. Or maybe he can explain to the masses just what the word MANDATORY means when it precedes the word EVACUATION.

It has been 92 hours. Order is being resotred by the minute against some serious odds. And the morons from the left start in. Gee, that wasn't expected.

And, as an add on....92 hours in those conditions is brutal. No one debates that. But look at the self-infliction of additional agony going on there.? Is the gov't responsible for that as well.??? I'm sorry, really sorry for this situation but the aftermath is a testament not to the fallibility of the government, but the treachery of the human spirit. I HATE TO SAY IT but I would bet my life that if this happened in Salt Lake City, exact same conditions, exact same circumstances, you would not have seen the same aftermath. This is abominable.

[mhafinancial]

Here is a link to listen to an interview with the Mayor of New Orleans.

http://www.buzzflash.com/audio/05/WWL-AM_Interview_Nagin.mp3

[lostintheflood2]

I watched the first airing and saw Kanye West make this statement:

"I hate the way they portray us in the media. "If you see a black family it says they are looting if you see a white family it says they are looking for food.

"We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war now fighting another way and they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us."

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

When the segment was re-aired, the last sentence was edited out.

[Richard Tafoya]

Order is being resotred by the minute against some serious odds. And the morons from the left start in.

Yeah, those lefties Sheperd Smith and Geraldo Rivera just won't let up. Talk about buzzkills.

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Hannity-Colmes-Smith-Rivera-freak-in-NO.mov

[orthy]

Yeah, those lefties Sheperd Smith and Geraldo Rivera just won't let up. Talk about buzzkills.

http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Hannity-Colmes-Smith-Rivera-freak-in-NO.mov

hahahaha, Geraldo.? He's just left of MHA. I saw it last night. The guy is an actor, always has been.

[BruceNut]

Its nice to have you back orthy :)

The N.O. airport was NEVER under water my friend :)

T.V. planes were landing there as early as Tuesday.
(I saw it reported on T.V. so it must be true)

NBC was able to drive in a 18 wheeler and park it right next to the superdome and setup camp there.

What took the National Guard so long?

I actually have come to appreciate Sheppards reporting.
I still cant stand Jeraldo and last night him holding up a little black baby and crying into the camera was so over the top,I was hoping someone there wudda dragged him away and put him in the stairwell to look for Jimmy Hoffa amongst all the dead folk that died because the Govt took so long to bring them WATER+FOOD!

[orthy]

Its nice to have you back orthy :)

The N.O. airport was NEVER under water my friend :)

T.V. planes were landing there as early as Tuesday.
(I saw it reported on T.V. so it must be true)

NBC was able to drive in a 18 wheeler and park it right next to the superdome and setup camp there.

What took the National Guard so long?

I actually have come to appreciate Sheppards reporting.
I still cant stand Jeraldo and last night him holding up a little black baby and crying into the camera was so over the top,I was hoping someone there wudda dragged him away and put him in the stairwell to look for Jimmy Hoffa amongst all the dead folk that died because the Govt took so long to bring them WATER+FOOD!

Good to be back Mick :) Fine, one runway was reopened Wednesday for relief flights. It's just hilarious how the left can politicize anything....

[mhafinancial]

Good to be back Mick :) Fine, one runway was reopened Wednesday for relief flights. It's just hilarious how the left can politicize anything....
And the RNC picked NY for their 2004 coronation convention solely because it is a swell place. :noway:

[lostintheflood2]

You being such a know-it-all, I'm surprised that you don't know that EVERYTHING is political....

[On Highway 29]

I watched the first airing and saw Kanye West make this statement:

"I hate the way they portray us in the media. "If you see a black family it says they are looting if you see a white family it says they are looking for food.

"We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war now fighting another way and they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us."

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

When the segment was re-aired, the last sentence was edited out.

I had two reaction to Kanye West's statement. First, they shouldn't haved edited the last sentence of his quote. He's not threatening Bush. He's just giving his opinion about the man.

Second, about Kanye saying he doesn't like the way "they" portray us in the media...By "they," I'm assuming he meant "white." I'm horrified at the way "blacks" portray themselves in the media, especially via rap and hip-hop.