Repeated Lies Against Louisiana Governor.
The GOP smear campaign against local Louisiana officials have begun, in order to shift the blame from the doorstep of the White House. The Washington Post reported last Sunday that according to “[a] senior Bush [administration] official” said that “[a]s of Saturday [September 3rd], [Louisiana Gov. Kathleen] Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency. That, of course, is a lie, as Blanco had declared a state of emergency more than a week prior, before the storm hit, and sent it, in writing, to President Bush.
The Washington Post did issue a correction, but failed to acknowledge that the correction had to be issued because a protected source in the Bush administration had purposely mislead the Post, who was providing information that did not in any way warrant to source not to be identified.
Additionally, Newsweek falsely suggested the same thing, reporting that “Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco seemed uncertain and sluggish, hesitant to declare martial law or a state of emergency, which would have opened the door to more Pentagon help.” on page 5 of the story “The Lost City.” To date, Newsweek has not issued a correction of this, but did issue another correction having claimed that Bush first flew over the disaster area on Tuesday, August 30th, when in fact he had not done so until the next day.
Finally, Bill O’Reilly falsely claimed that Governor Blanco “failed to ask for more [National Guard] troops from the feds, knowing she only had about 6,000 to control a city of 1.3 million” and that “[i]t was not until Wednesday, August 31st, three days after the storm hit, that Blanco admitted she didn't have enough security in the city.” In fact, Blanco had requested on August 26th that DOD command centers be set up, followed by an August 28th request from the National Guard Bureau to send in additional security forces. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico offered Blanco additional National Guard troops, which Blanco accepted. However, the paperwork needed to get the New Mexico National Guard into Louisiana was delayed in Washington for five days.
The Washington Post did issue a correction, but failed to acknowledge that the correction had to be issued because a protected source in the Bush administration had purposely mislead the Post, who was providing information that did not in any way warrant to source not to be identified.
Additionally, Newsweek falsely suggested the same thing, reporting that “Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco seemed uncertain and sluggish, hesitant to declare martial law or a state of emergency, which would have opened the door to more Pentagon help.” on page 5 of the story “The Lost City.” To date, Newsweek has not issued a correction of this, but did issue another correction having claimed that Bush first flew over the disaster area on Tuesday, August 30th, when in fact he had not done so until the next day.
Finally, Bill O’Reilly falsely claimed that Governor Blanco “failed to ask for more [National Guard] troops from the feds, knowing she only had about 6,000 to control a city of 1.3 million” and that “[i]t was not until Wednesday, August 31st, three days after the storm hit, that Blanco admitted she didn't have enough security in the city.” In fact, Blanco had requested on August 26th that DOD command centers be set up, followed by an August 28th request from the National Guard Bureau to send in additional security forces. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico offered Blanco additional National Guard troops, which Blanco accepted. However, the paperwork needed to get the New Mexico National Guard into Louisiana was delayed in Washington for five days.
posted by Alva Goldbook at 1:29 AM
2 Comments:
Miami,
Don’t you find it funny that you reich wingers debate FACTS with OPINION, including inane distortions, if not outright lies?
“the primary responsibility for the disaster response lies with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and other local officials.”
What evidence does he offer to prove this? He doesn’t until several paragraphs later in the piece…which I’ll get to.
“Yet leading Democrats and their allies in the major media are clearly using this disaster for political purposes and ignoring one obvious fact.”
No, nearly everyone except Bush apologists are asking why Bush left thousands of American to die.
“This fact – which needs to be repeated and remembered – is that in our country, state and local governments have primary responsibility in dealing with local disasters.”
Unless that system is undone by declaring a STATE OF EMERGENCY.
“The founding fathers devised a federal system of government – one that has served us remarkably well through great disasters that have befallen America over more than two centuries.”
And one that has survived because the FEDERAL government stepped in when needed.
“But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare.”
I haven’t seen ANYONE blame the Republicans in Congress, with the exception of a single caller into C-Span’s morning call-in show The Washington Journal. She blamed Congress for the disaster…and she identified herself as a Republican.
“Let's remember that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was created only in 1979. It was formed to coordinate and focus federal response to major disasters – to "assist" local and state governments.”
Yes, to assist local and state governments in disasters that they do not have the resources to handle. Duh.
“Common sense suggests that local and state governments are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters.”
Except in cases where 80% of your first responders have already been evacuated. Gee, aren’t we seeing the PURPOSE of FEMA here?
“Is a Washington bureaucrat better suited to prepare for an earthquake in San Francisco, a hurricane in Florida, or a terrorist act in New York?”
Apparently not, when it comes to Michael Brown. Of course his qualifications for the job was that he was the former head of the Arabian International Horse Association. He spent ONE YEAR investigating if one mare had liposuction on his buttocks. I wish I was making this up. And Brown? He was asked to RESIGN from that the AIHA.
“After the Sept. 11 attacks against the World Trade Center, no one suggested that the Bush administration should have been responsible for New York's disaster response or that federal agents should have been involved in the rescue of those trapped in the buildings.”
The difference between 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina was that NYC had all it’s resources on-hand to deal with the situation. And 9/11? Bush declared a state of emergency then too.
“Last year, four major hurricanes slammed into Florida. Governor Jeb Bush led the disaster response and did a remarkable job, with nothing happening like what we have seen in New Orleans.”=========>On a personal note having been in Florida during that time we didn't have even one-tenth of the chaos.(miamimiami)
It’s interesting that you should note this Miami, as I will be posting a story about this later today. Stay tuned!
“The primary response in disasters has always come from local communities and state governments.”
Until a STATE OF EMERGENCY is declared. Duh.
“First responders and the manpower to deal with emergencies come from local communities: police, fire and medical. Under our federal system, these local departments answer to local authorities, not those in Washington. These first responders are not even under federal control, nor do they have to follow federal orders.”
Unless a STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DECLARED. DUH.
“In addition to local responders, every state in the Union has a National Guard.”
True, and Jefferson set it up that way so that we wouldn’t have a standing army during times of peace. That’s what the 3rd amendment of the constitution is all about, although he had to compromise on the wording of it.
“State National Guards answer first to the governor of each state, not to the president. The National Guard exists not to defend one state from an invasion by another state, but primarily for emergencies like the one we have witnessed in New Orleans and in other areas impacted by Katrina. (See: http://www.arng.army.mil/about_us/organization/command_structure.asp)”
And the Louisiana’s National Guard’s high water equipment is in….drum roll please…Iraq.
“The media would have you believe that this disaster was worsened by a slow response from President Bush and his administration, though the primary responsibility for disaster response has always been with local and state governments.”
The disaster has horribly worsened by Bush’s slow response, as I have repeated demonstrated on this blog.
“It is true that federal response was not as fast as it could have been. The president himself has acknowledged that fact.”
Unless I missed something, that is a boldface lie. Bush said that the results were “unacceptable”, and that’s about it. He later said of the FEMA Director, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
“But the press has focused on the first 48 hours of federal response, not uttering a word about the fact that New Orleans had 48 hours of warning that a major Category 4 or 5 would make landfall near the city, yet local officials apparently did little to prepare.”
What? What? What? What? What? WHAT? WHAT?!?!?!??!?!?!?
FACT: Mayor Nagin ordered a MANDATORY EVACUATION of the city before the storm hit.
FACT: Governor Blanco ordered a STATE OF EMERGENCY for the state of Louisiana, and the Bush administration acknowledged it and declared one as well.
FACT: the local officials opened up BOTH LANES of the interstate to get as many people out of town as possible.
FACT: Governor Blanco accepted New Mexico’s governor offer of additional National Guard troops, which the White House SAT ON for FIVE DAYS.
If that is “little” then what the hell else are they supposed to do?
“Obviously, Gov. Blanco did not effectively deploy her state's National Guard.”
She COULDN’T effectively deploy her state’s national guard because all of their high water equipment IS IN IRAQ!
“And New Orleans' city leaders did almost nothing to evacuate the portion of the population with no transportation. In failing to follow their own evacuation plan, these officials did little to pre-position food, water and personnel to deal with the aftermath.”
No, they did nothing. Except of course, Nagin asked FEMA to bring down several AMTRAK trains to get those people out of there. What was FEMA’s response? NOTHING.
“I was surprised Sunday to watch Tim Russert, on his show "Meet the Press," tear into Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff. During his encounter with Chertoff, Russert did not suggest once that local government had any role in dealing with the disaster. Russert also asked for Chertoff's resignation.”
THIS IS SUCH COMPLETE BULLSHIT. Is Russert to ask the head of HOMELAND SECURITY what the LOCAL RESPONSE was, or was he to ask the head of HOMELAND SECURITY what HOMELAND SECURITY’S response was?
“It wasn't until after the first 29 minutes of his show – 29 minutes – that Russert raised the question of local responsibility.”
THAT’S BECAUSE BROUSSARD WASN’T ON DURING THE FIRST 29 MINUTES YOU MOTHERFUCKER!
“And when he did so with Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard, he did so in a passing way. Broussard brushed off his question with a non-answer. Broussard began his interview claiming that the nation had "abandoned" New Orleans. That is nonsense and a lie.”
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Russert asked in a “passing way?” Let’s see HOW Russert asked, in a “passing way”.
THE TRANSCRIPT:
MR. RUSSERT: Hold on. Hold on, sir. Shouldn't the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of New Orleans bear some responsibility? Couldn't they have been much more forceful, much more effective and much more organized in evacuating the area?
Wow, Russert just GLOSSED over it, didn’t he? And here’s the most outrageous bunch of crap yet in this piece. “Broussard brushed off his question with a non-answer.” Let’s go the TRANSCRIPT.
MR. BROUSSARD: Sir, they were told like me, every single day, "The cavalry's coming," on a federal level, "The cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming, the cavalry's coming." I have just begun to hear the hoofs of the cavalry. The cavalry's still not here yet, but I've begun to hear the hoofs, and we're almost a week out.
Let me give you just three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three trucks of water, trailer trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn't need them. This was a week ago. FEMA--we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. The Coast Guard said, "Come get the fuel right away." When we got there with our trucks, they got a word. "FEMA says don't give you the fuel." Yesterday--yesterday--FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards on our line and says, "No one is getting near these lines." Sheriff Harry Lee said that if America--American government would have responded like Wal-Mart has responded, we wouldn't be in this crisis.
But I want to thank Governor Blanco for all she's done and all her leadership. She sent in the National Guard. I just repaired a breach on my side of the 17th Street canal that the secretary didn't foresee, a 300-foot breach. I just completed it yesterday with convoys of National Guard and local parish workers and levee board people. It took us two and a half days working 24/7. I just closed it.
What? It sounds like the locals not only had to fight the aftermath of the hurricane without ANY HELP, but they had to FIGHT FEMA FROM IMPEDING THEIR EFFORTS. FEMA was not only SLOW, but ACTIVELY PREVENTED THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS FROM GETTING FOOD AND WATER. The jackass continues…
“Broussard, who was never identified by "Meet the Press" as a Democrat, spent much of his time attacking the Bush administration, as has Democratic New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.”
Um, unless I’m mistaken, Nagin wasn’t on Meet the Press. And SO THE FUCK WHAT that Russert didn’t say Broussard wasn’t a Democrat? Is he suggesting that the only people anyone is to listen to are Republicans? Guess what? Russert didn’t identify Chertoff as a Republican either, much less Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi. So what?
“Broussard then ended his performance as he collapsed in tears with a demand: "For God's sake, just shut up and send us somebody!" His tears didn't wash with me. My sympathies lie with the tens of thousands of people who have suffered or died because local officials like Broussard, Mayor Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco, also a Democrat, failed monumentally at their jobs.”
You sorry sick psychopathic son of a bitch. I actually watched Broussard’s “performance” and I guess all I can say is THE EMMY AWARD GOES TO….AGAIN…let’s look at the TRANSCRIPT and see what made Broussard so upset.
MR. BROUSSARD: And I want to give you one last story and I'll shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?" And he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday." And she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night.
By the time Broussard got to his last two sentences here, he was weeping so hard that it was difficult to understand a word he was saying…but everyone knew from the tone in his voice what happened.
I can’t read another word from this sorry piece of shit of a human being. In a just world this motherfucker would be beaten with rocks, taken to the forest, tied to a tree, and be left for the wolves. Miami, don't you EVER put inhuman bullshit like this on here again. At times like this Matthew 25:45 comes into mind.
“‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for the least of my brothers, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment.”
May God have mercy on your sick sorry souls.
Wasn't it President Harry Truman who said "The buck stops here."? I'm sure he had many faults, but he was at least willing to answer for them himself.
Bush, on the other hand, has neither the character, nor the mental stability, to allow himself to accept blame for anything.
He not only passes what should be his blame to others, but also seems to exist in an alternate reality. The world looks the way he wants it to look. In other words, he's delusional.
This always causes me to wonder about the mental state of his true-believer diehard supporters, as well.
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