Hurricane Bush

[Montgomery Burns]

Condi 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!” Never one to have her fashion choices questioned, Rice had security PHYSICALLY REMOVE the woman.

Shoe shopping while NO sinks...

Around the same time, Canadian search and rescue teams were ready to fly in to help with the efforts in the Gulf states, but couldn't get permission to enter the country.

Canadian agencies are saying that foreign aid is probably not being permitted into Louisiana and Mississippi because of "mass confusion" at the U.S. federal level in the wake of the storm.

Wow. If only there was a cabinet official who was charged with dealing with foreign countries that wanted to help.

Oh, I guess there is...but she's shoe shopping.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What's your point?

The Secretary of State's primary duties are advising the President in the determination and execution of US foreign policy, conducting negotiations with foreign representatives, providing instructions to US ministers and consuls abroad, little of which directly bears on coordinating disaster relief within the US

[Montgomery Burns]

I would be very surprised if the Republicans survive this debacle:

Local Officials Criticize Federal Government Over Response

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gee. Local Democrat officials critisize the Bush Administration.

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

[mirror]

Political fury grows at slow federal effort

A Washington Post-ABC poll reported the country sharply divided over Mr. Bush's performance after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast. Some 46 per cent approved of how he handled the crisis, while 47 per cent were dissatisfied.

So there you have it more Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the Katrina situation than approve.

The Vacation President.

And what did he do when he finally ended his vacation, but fly to California for a fund-raiser for the Republicans, and the next day Bush went and played golf. Quite the guy, our George.

[Montgomery Burns]

mirror:

A Washington Post-ABC poll reported the country sharply divided over Mr. Bush's performance after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast. Some 46 per cent approved of how he handled the crisis, while 47 per cent were dissatisfied.

So there you have it more Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of the Katrina situation than approve.

You came to that conclusion because of one point in a poll?

How do you explain the poll posted here the other day that showed that more Americans blamed local and state authorities than the Bush Administration?

The Vacation President.

Well, at least he stays in the country; unlike Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew who appears to spend more time in the red-light district of Paris than in Canada, and was in Paris when the tsunami devastated South Asia last December and, along with a holidaying Prime Minister Paul Martin, was critisized for Canada’s sluggish response in the first days after the disaster.

He didn't return to Ottawa for several days.

Pettigrew was again caught in Paris during the terrorist attacks in London. And when bombers struck a market in Sharm el-Sheikh, a popular Egyptian tourist spot, his parliamentary secretary, MP Dan McTeague, was brought out to answer media questions about possible Canadian casualties.

And what did he do when he finally ended his vacation, but fly to California for a fund-raiser for the Republicans, and the next day Bush went and played golf. Quite the guy, our George. 

What Bush should have done was show some of that class that the Democrats show. Like when NO's Democrat Mayor Nagin launched an obscentiy-laced tirade at the feds on the radio, and then suggested that if something happens to him and he disappears, it would be because of the CIA.

Or like when that Democrat LA Senator said that if the Bush Administration continued to question the tepid response by the state and local authorities, she would literally punch Bush in the face.

Or like when Democrat LA governor Blanco refused to allow the feds to co-ordinate the disaster because she feared Bush would be playing politics.

Democrats: They're all class.

[Montgomery Burns]

One can't help but notice the difference in leadership between Governor Jeb Bush, whose state was hit with 4 hurricanes last year, and LA Governor Kathleen Blanco.

[Argus]

One can't help but notice the difference in leadership between Governor Jeb Bush, whose state was hit with 4 hurricanes last year, and LA Governor Kathleen Blanco.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a feeling if Jeb Bush was a Democrat and Blanco a Republican you'd be saying the same thing in reverse.

[Argus]

What Bush should have done was show some of that class that the Democrats show.  Like when NO's Democrat Mayor Nagin launched an obscentiy-laced tirade at the feds on the radio, and then suggested that if something happens to him and he disappears, it would be because of the CIA.

He used pretty mild language given the situation, and the CIA thing was a joke - not that you'd undersetand humour.

Or like when that Democrat LA Senator said that if the Bush Administration continued to question the tepid response by the state and local authorities, she would literally punch Bush in the face.

Again, given the situation and the strain locals are under I can understand how she'd be pretty ticked off, given the incompetence of the federal response, and Bush's own responsibility for that incompetence, why she would be outraged at him trying to blame the locals.

Or like when Democrat LA governor Blanco refused to allow the feds to co-ordinate the disaster because she feared Bush would be playing politics.

Hardly a surprise given the callow nature of the man. Or maybe she was just hesitant about turning over all disaster relief to incompetents. Maybe she wanted someone who actually knewe what he was doing in charge, hmmm?

[Argus]

This appears to be another political stunt by the Democrat governor and mayor to refuse federal help simply because the White House is in the Republican's hands.

Disgusting.  :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's one take.

The other is if you hace a choice of disaster relief being coordinated by former FEMA head James Witt, or Bush appointee Michael Brown - whose previous job was organizing horse shows - from which he was fired for mismanagement - which would you choose?

[mirror]

How many people have actually completely read this letter? I would imagine if Moore does make a Hurricane Bush movie it will the biggest box office seller to ever hit the US! I would suggest to Mr Moore to ensure that it gets released in the theatres and on DVD in the US approximately 2 months before the 2006 Congressional vote.

And Argus you should get royalties for the best possible name for the Katrina movie - the name of this thread: Hurricane Bush

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush

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

[email protected]

www.MichaelMoore.com

[mirror]

i dont condone alot of things that the United States does, but lets face a few facts here,  Some of you need to back off the anti americanism a little bit,  ive seen a few of you post that you would take a shot at bush if you could get away with it, granted it may have just been trolls.  But kill a man, because you dont believe in his politics?  I think thats a bit over the edge.    We all know the US is struggling financially and economically a bit right now with as much money as we have pumped into the war for iraq and afghanistan.  Is it any surprise that it took us some time to get are ducks in a row to help N.O.?  secondly,  to evacuated a city of that size is  like holding back a damn with ur arms.  its just not gonna happen.  When katrina hit florida it was BARELY a hurricaine, nobody knew that it was gonna turn into one of the biggest to ever hit the United states.  They had what a 10 day notice?  try evacuating Toronto in 10 days.  It just not realistically going to happen.  No its my belief that we are doing all we can to help those that we can get to.  My next question is not an accusation of any kind, but how many of you have actually stayed for the full furry of a hurricaine before?  I was in Charlotte for the one that came through last year and that one was only a category 1 hurricane by the time it reached charlotte.  Let me tell you about rain of such driving force that you cant even walk out in it,  it beats you down like a hammer.  you cannot see more than 5 feet in front of you.  The winds smash tear away anything loose, powerlines down, etc.  you never understand how damn scary those things are until you live through it.  Now i got but a taste of what one can do.  Can you imagine a category 4 hurricane smashing into toranto or montreal?  or vancouver (typhoon)?  These things are human killers and there is nothing we can do or say to stop it.  Katrina gave a 29 foot swell!  the recorded a 45 foot wave!  i mean theres nothing in the world thats gonna survive that.  and 10 days is not long enough to evacuate a city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DENIAL DENIAL DENIAL

I don't condone anyone killing anyone but how convenient it is for you that you are forgetting that you ever heard of Pat Robertson?

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ.

Do you really think we are the equivalent of a bunch of stupid Americans up here?

[Black Dog]

Or like when Democrat LA governor Blanco refused to allow the feds to co-ordinate the disaster because she feared Bush would be playing politics.

And I'm sure there was nothing political in Bush's decision not to inform Blanco of his visit or his failure to extend an invite to her to meet him or travel with him (Blanco's office didn't know when Bush was coming until told by reporters). Meanwhile, who was that at Bush's elbow in Biloxi? Why, it was Republican Trent Lott!

[Black Dog]

Also was looking at FEMA's org chart: if disgraced horse-show man Brown (who alegedly got the nod for FEMA's top job through his connections from his college days) were to be fired or quit (ha ha ha), the agency would be run by the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff is a Patrick Rhode who's previous gig was deputy director of National Advance Operations for the George W. Bush Presidential Campaign, in Austin, Texas. The Deputy Chief of Staff is Scott Morris, who's last job was with Maverick Media in Austin, Texas as a media strategist for the George W. Bush for President primary campaign and the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign.

[moderateamericain]

QUOTE(moderateamericain @ Sep 6 2005, 11:37 AM)

i dont condone alot of things that the United States does, but lets face a few facts here, Some of you need to back off the anti americanism a little bit, ive seen a few of you post that you would take a shot at bush if you could get away with it, granted it may have just been trolls. But kill a man, because you dont believe in his politics? I think thats a bit over the edge. We all know the US is struggling financially and economically a bit right now with as much money as we have pumped into the war for iraq and afghanistan. Is it any surprise that it took us some time to get are ducks in a row to help N.O.? secondly, to evacuated a city of that size is like holding back a damn with ur arms. its just not gonna happen. When katrina hit florida it was BARELY a hurricaine, nobody knew that it was gonna turn into one of the biggest to ever hit the United states. They had what a 10 day notice? try evacuating Toronto in 10 days. It just not realistically going to happen. No its my belief that we are doing all we can to help those that we can get to. My next question is not an accusation of any kind, but how many of you have actually stayed for the full furry of a hurricaine before? I was in Charlotte for the one that came through last year and that one was only a category 1 hurricane by the time it reached charlotte. Let me tell you about rain of such driving force that you cant even walk out in it, it beats you down like a hammer. you cannot see more than 5 feet in front of you. The winds smash tear away anything loose, powerlines down, etc. you never understand how damn scary those things are until you live through it. Now i got but a taste of what one can do. Can you imagine a category 4 hurricane smashing into toranto or montreal? or vancouver (typhoon)? These things are human killers and there is nothing we can do or say to stop it. Katrina gave a 29 foot swell! the recorded a 45 foot wave! i mean theres nothing in the world thats gonna survive that. and 10 days is not long enough to evacuate a city.

DENIAL DENIAL DENIAL

I don't condone anyone killing anyone but how convenient it is for you that you are forgetting that you ever heard of Pat Robertson?

wait a second, do you think pat robertson speaks for all of america?

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ. Im talking about hurricaines and ur talking about the war in iraq? further more are you going to generalize 260 million people?

Do you really think we are the equivalent of a bunch of stupid Americans up here? I never made any assumption about Canada as a whole but apparently you have about the United States.

I want you to really read what you wrote here. its so easy to sit back and judge, until it happens to you, i guess you will never know how your own government responds.

[Black Dog]

More on FEMA's incredibly fluctuating ability to respond. Last year, when hurricanes threatened Florida, FEMA was more or less on the ball.

Partisan politics were certainly in the air during the busy hurricane season. Specifically, one FEMA consultant, in an e-mail dated Sept. 3, 2004, recommended that "top-level people from FEMA and the White House need to develop a communication strategy and an agreed-upon set of themes and communications objectives." He stressed, "Communication consultants from the President's re-election campaign should be brought in."

...

By comparison, in 2004 the FEMA cavalry was roaming all over Florida, including parts almost completely untouched by the hurricanes, such as Miami-Dade County. Within weeks of Hurricane Frances hitting the Florida coast, 19,500 residents of Miami-Dade applied for disaster relief. FEMA quickly approved 9,000 of the claims and set aside $28.9 million in tax-free grants to help them rebuild.

But rebuild from what? Frances never hit Miami-Dade. Locally, top sustained winds the day the storm struck only reached 47 mph and did minimal damage to just a handful of buildings. Just 5 percent of county residents even lost power, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which uncovered FEMA's unusual largess. The newspaper reported that within two days of Frances' arrival FEMA officials knew Miami-Dade had been unscathed, and yet the checks soon flowed into the county. "They were just doling out this money like it was Christmas," a spokeswoman for Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., told the Sun-Sentinel. (Eventually, 14 Miami-Dade residents who received assistance were indicted on fraud charges.)

The message, if you want the feds to look out for you, hope like hell you live in a swing state.

[mirror]

Dear Moderate American.

I don't condone anyone killing anyone but how convenient it is for you that you are forgetting that you ever heard of Pat Robertson?

wait a second, do you think pat robertson speaks for all of america?

Of course he doesn't but he certainly has been very closely connected with the current Bush Republican administration, who btw has enormous amounts of power and influence. Are you denying that?

I think it is important to be specific. If someone here mentioned they wanted to kill someone, point out the person by username so we all don't get tarred with the same brush. And as well it is important, essential actually, to say in what context those comments were made. It was a nice drive by smear IMO. BTW there's no we here posting like we are some sort of close knit family. We are like any group, we have the good, the bad, and the ugly. I do not know anyone else here, I speak only for myself, and nobody else speaks for me.

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ.

Im talking about hurricaines and ur talking about the war in iraq? further more are you going to generalize 260 million people?

No I'm not going to generalize about all Americans but you after all pride yourselves on such a wonderful democracy you have, your (American) words, not mine, as I think your democratic system is seriously flawed. Do you disagree? I mean you Americans elected the Bush Republicans twice, and although I have my doubts as to the election win legitimacies, both of them, a lot of Americans can't be left off the hook so easily. The reason I mentioned the war is that was based on pure deceit, so why in the world would I want to believe one word coming from your president now.?

Do you really think we are the equivalent of a bunch of stupid Americans up here?

I never made any assumption about Canada as a whole but apparently you have about the United States.

First of all this is a thread about US politics and we are talking here about the US. Secondly I purposely used the term "a bunch of" to avoid suggesting the entire US population. As far as bringing Canada into the equation: Two wrongs don't make a right. And also on top of that we elected Mulroney twice, who was probably the most destructive prime minister Canada has ever had. Unbelievable.

I want you to really read what you wrote here. its so easy to sit back and judge, until it happens to you, i guess you will never know how your own government responds.

I know exactly what I wrote. And when did I ever say that our current Canadian government would handle things any better. As a matter of fact although I would like to hope that they would do a better job, but realisticaly I seriously have my druthers. But it would be impossible for Canadians to do any worse, don't you agree?

Anyway I prefer if we tried to raise our standards in both countries, as opposed to the constant lowering of them. Why don't we compare ourselves with the best instead of the worst? But denial is never going to solve anything and unless, and we're talking US here, Americans grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, and seriously change your system, and the people that are running your show, you are going to wallow in the mud forever. America's blind obsession with greed and capitalism is destroying the US from within.

What I find most disturbing is that fundamentalists seemed to have a huge amount of power both in the US and in a lot of Muslim countries.

Quite frankly, I really wonder if a lot of people around the world see much difference between a Pat Robertson and a bin Laden.

Do yourself a favour, lose your denial, stop listening to your propaganda filled media, and please start thinking for yourself. I don't know you but you do sound to me that you have potential to be a decent human being. I hope I am right.

Cheers,

[moderateamericain]

I don't condone anyone killing anyone but how convenient it is for you that you are forgetting that you ever heard of Pat Robertson?

wait a second, do you think pat robertson speaks for all of america?

Of course he doesn't but he certainly has been very closely connected with the current Bush Republican administration who btw have enormous amounts of power. Are you denying that?

I think it is important to be specific. If someone here mentioned they wanted to kill someone, point out the person by username so we all don't get tarred with the same brush. And as well it is important, essential actually, to say in what context those comments were made. It was a nice drive by smear IMO. BTW there's no we here posting like we some sort of close knit family. We are like any group, we have the good, the bad, and the ugly. I speak only for myself, and nobody else speaks for me.

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ.

Im talking about hurricaines and ur talking about the war in iraq? further more are you going to generalize 260 million people?

No I'm not going to generalize about all Americans but you after all pride yourselves on such a wonderful democracy you have, your (American) words, not mine, as I think your democratic system is seriously flawed. Do you disagree? I mean you Americans elected the Bush Republicans twice, and although I have my doubts as to its legitimacy, so a lot of Americans can't be left off the hook so easily. The reason I mentioned the war is that was based on pure deceit so why in the world would I want to believe one word coming out of your presdident now.?

Do you really think we are the equivalent of a bunch of stupid Americans up here?

I never made any assumption about Canada as a whole but apparently you have about the United States.

First of all this is a thread about US politics and we are talking here about the US. As far as bringing Canada into the equation: Two wrongs don't make a right. And also on top of that we elected Mulroney twice, who was probably the most destructive prime minister Canada has ever had. Unbelievable.

I want you to really read what you wrote here. its so easy to sit back and judge, until it happens to you, i guess you will never know how your own government responds.

I know exactly what I wrote. And when did I ever say that our current Canadian government would handle things any better. As a matter of fact although I would like to hope that they would do a better job, but realisticaly I seriously have my druthers. But it would be impossible for Canadians to do any worse, don't you agree?

Anyway I prefer if we tried to raise our standards in both countries, as opposed to the constant lowering of them. Why don't we compare ourselves with the best instead of the worst? But denial is never going to solve anything and unless, and we're talking US here, Americans grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, and seriously change your system, and the people that are running your show, you are going to wallow in the mud forever. America's blind obsession with greed and capitalism is destroying the US from within.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In point of fact you did generalize the whole of america here

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ.

This means you think all of american society is sick. You did not say you need to clean up segments of American society.

then you go on to say

"And when did I ever say that our current Canadian government would handle things any better. As a matter of fact although I would like to hope that they would do a better job, but realisticaly I seriously have my druthers."

So you sit here and bash us then say that you think your own government could not do much better?

Then you say 'Americans cannot be let off the hook for voting in president Bush.' But is it not possible that the message bush sent to us during his campaign differs from what he really did? As i stated before I have my own candidate that i would like to run (check my post from today) but the republican party is not going to support a new candidate when they have already have a candidate seeking a 2nd term.

So i will bid my time waiting for John Mccain to have his shot, you go on making your assumptions about america, and calling us sick and greedy, and i will go on shaking my head and your ignorance.

[mirror]

Dear moderate american

I have trouble following your posts so please try to use the quotes system if you can. Thanks.

Woe is me, my poor fragile big American ego is brused. Stay with your denial but please don't ask yourself why when something else bad happens to America. And BTW it is in no way something that I wish to see happen. But the reasons are so plain for the entire rest of the planet to see. But what do we matter right - this is America land of the proud and free. Free my, well we won't go there, but certainly not very free for the people who perished in a preventable situation in NO had the Bush Republicans organized, managed, and staffed FEMA federal governemnt agency, figured out how to function in a crisis. All you are doing iunfortunately is shuffling the chairs on the Titantic. I honestly believe you cannot see the forest for the trees.

Cheers,

[Montgomery Burns]

One can't help but notice the difference in leadership between Governor Jeb Bush, whose state was hit with 4 hurricanes last year, and LA Governor Kathleen Blanco.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have a feeling if Jeb Bush was a Democrat and Blanco a Republican you'd be saying the same thing in reverse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And let's not forget the difference in how LA Mayor Nagin handled the Katrina tragedy compared to NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani handled 9/11.

No wonder the American public doesn't trust the Democrats...

[Montgomery Burns]

What Bush should have done was show some of that class that the Democrats show.  Like when NO's Democrat Mayor Nagin launched an obscentiy-laced tirade at the feds on the radio, and then suggested that if something happens to him and he disappears, it would be because of the CIA.

He used pretty mild language given the situation, and the CIA thing was a joke - not that you'd undersetand humour.

Or like when that Democrat LA Senator said that if the Bush Administration continued to question the tepid response by the state and local authorities, she would literally punch Bush in the face.

Again, given the situation and the strain locals are under I can understand how she'd be pretty ticked off, given the incompetence of the federal response, and Bush's own responsibility for that incompetence, why she would be outraged at him trying to blame the locals.

Or like when Democrat LA governor Blanco refused to allow the feds to co-ordinate the disaster because she feared Bush would be playing politics.

Hardly a surprise given the callow nature of the man. Or maybe she was just hesitant about turning over all disaster relief to incompetents. Maybe she wanted someone who actually knewe what he was doing in charge, hmmm?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1) There was no excuse to hurl a barrage of swear words on the radio. It's tacky and makes one look like they are out of control - which he was. And the CIA thing was no joke; the fact you think so is a joke.

2) It is not only a felony to punch the President; it is a felony to threaten the President. She was acting hysterical because some were questioning her total incompetence and asking why the state refused Bush's offer of help and why the state refused to evacuate the poor from the city after Bush had suggested that this be done.

3) Who has been playing politics?

The liberal Washington Post reports:

The [bush] administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law...

Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request...

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said.

While the Democrats were focused on political maneuvering, the Bush Administration was trying to get the appropriate help to citizens of Louisiana.

And apparently Argus sees nothing wrong with Democrats playing political games while thousands were being killed.

Another victim of Bush Derangement Syndrome.

[Montgomery Burns]

mirror:

How many people have actually completely read this letter? I would imagine if Moore does make a Hurricane Bush movie it will the biggest box office seller to ever hit the US! I would suggest to Mr Moore to ensure that it gets released in the theatres and on DVD in the US approximately 2 months before the 2006 Congressional vote.

We can only hope he does that.

Fahrenheit 9/11 turned more people against the Democrats than anything Bush ever did. Wasn't it interesting that when the numbers came out, that we found out that Fahrenheit 9/11 did poorly in the states that Bush won; it only did well in the Blue States and in Europe.

And let's hope that if Moore makes a "Hurricane Bush" movie, many of the top Democrats go to the premiere in Washington - just like they did for Fahrenheit 9/11's premiere. And let's hope that they talk to the press and tell them that the movie is The Pure Truth - just like they did after F 9/11.

And finally, let's all hope that the Democrats give Michael Moore an important seat (next to a former President) at the DNC in 2008 just like they did in 2004.

Again, I am suuuure that will go over well in the rest of the country - just like it did in 2004.

[Montgomery Burns]

Also was looking at FEMA's org chart: if disgraced horse-show man Brown (who alegedly got the nod for FEMA's top job through his connections from his college days) were to be fired or quit (ha ha ha), the agency would be run by the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff is a Patrick Rhode who's previous gig was deputy director of National Advance Operations for the George W. Bush Presidential Campaign, in Austin, Texas. The Deputy Chief of Staff is Scott Morris, who's last job was with Maverick Media in Austin, Texas as a media strategist for the George W. Bush for President primary campaign and the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And your point is?

[Montgomery Burns]

i dont condone alot of things that the United States does, but lets face a few facts here,  Some of you need to back off the anti americanism a little bit,  ive seen a few of you post that you would take a shot at bush if you could get away with it, granted it may have just been trolls.  But kill a man, because you dont believe in his politics?  I think thats a bit over the edge.    We all know the US is struggling financially and economically a bit right now with as much money as we have pumped into the war for iraq and afghanistan.  Is it any surprise that it took us some time to get are ducks in a row to help N.O.?  secondly,  to evacuated a city of that size is  like holding back a damn with ur arms.  its just not gonna happen.   When katrina hit florida it was BARELY a hurricaine, nobody knew that it was gonna turn into one of the biggest to ever hit the United states.  They had what a 10 day notice?  try evacuating Toronto in 10 days.  It just not realistically going to happen.  No its my belief that we are doing all we can to help those that we can get to.  My next question is not an accusation of any kind, but how many of you have actually stayed for the full furry of a hurricaine before?  I was in Charlotte for the one that came through last year and that one was only a category 1 hurricane by the time it reached charlotte.  Let me tell you about rain of such driving force that you cant even walk out in it,  it beats you down like a hammer.  you cannot see more than 5 feet in front of you.  The winds smash tear away anything loose, powerlines down, etc.  you never understand how damn scary those things are until you live through it.  Now i got but a taste of what one can do.  Can you imagine a category 4 hurricane smashing into toranto or montreal?  or vancouver (typhoon)?  These things are human killers and there is nothing we can do or say to stop it.  Katrina gave a 29 foot swell!  the recorded a 45 foot wave!  i mean theres nothing in the world thats gonna survive that.  and 10 days is not long enough to evacuate a city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DENIAL DENIAL DENIAL

I don't condone anyone killing anyone but how convenient it is for you that you are forgetting that you ever heard of Pat Robertson?

Please try cleaning up your sick society in the US before bringing us any more of your great ideas like you are bringing DEMOCRACY TO IRAQ.

Do you really think we are the equivalent of a bunch of stupid Americans up here?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A perfect example of why I titled that thread "The ugly hate-filled left".

[Black Dog]

1) There was no excuse to hurl a barrage of swear words on the radio. It's tacky and makes one look like they are out of control - which he was. And the CIA thing was no joke; the fact you think so is a joke.

Please. Under the circumstances, Nagin's tirade was mild.

3)Who has been playing politics?

Interesting that you ommitted the rest of the paragraph:

Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

Which they are doing anyway.

Fahrenheit 9/11 turned more people against the Democrats than anything Bush ever did. Wasn't it interesting that when the numbers came out, that we found out that Fahrenheit 9/11 did poorly in the states that Bush won; it only did well in the Blue States and in Europe.

Which doesn't support your contention that it hurt the Democrats: people tend to seek out information that validates and confirms their preexisting biases and opinions, so its only natural that people in Republican strongholds would not go to a movie aimed at Democrats.

And your point is?

That I wouldn't trust the top three men in the federal emergency managment body with mowing my lawn, let alone overseeing such an important agency. Maybe you think being a buddy of George Bush is a legitimate qualification, but I doubt anyone who's not part of your cult would.

[Black Dog]

Overlooked until now was this: the White House's declaration of a state of emergency., issued two days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe...

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.

In other words, FEMA had the authority to do whatever is necessary to mitigate the disaster.

If Nagin failed to call up the buses, then FEMA had the right, the power and the authority to do so "at its own discretion."

According to the National Response Plan

"ALL PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES UNDER THE STAFFORD ACT ARE CONSIDERED INCIDENTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE." (NRP, 7)

and...

"Standard procedures regarding requests for assistance may be expedited, or under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude." (NRP, 44)

So the big to-do about the governor and mayor not requesting anything? Meaningless.

But, hey, for kicks, let's take a moment and assume that all the state and local officials were blundering incompentents, completely unprepaired for what was about to happen. The simple, glaring fact remains that the federal government (again, who is responsible for overseeing emergency response to incidents of national importance, which this hurricane inarguably was) was utterly unprepared to respond in a timely manner to the humanitarian crisis.

[Black Dog]

The Potempkin President

Not long after some 1,000 firefighters sat down for eight hours of training, the whispering began: "What are we doing here?"

As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters - his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week - a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta.

Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers.

Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA.

...

Firefighters say they want to brave the heat, the debris-littered roads, the poisonous cottonmouth snakes and fire ants and travel into pockets of Louisiana where many people have yet to receive emergency aid.

But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, 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.

Bush seems to have a thing for men in uniform, given his predilication for using them as props in his photo ops.