Listening to FEMA director Michael Brown speaking of no Problems with law and order in New Orleans while there is gunfire at medical evacuation helicopters, is frighteningly typical of the Bush administration and the Republican right’s response to reality. From FOX news continuing to cry in loud voices that global warming cannot be related to the worst disaster in the known natural history OF New Orleans, to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff ignoring video recorded news footage while pretending that what is happening before his eyes is not real if it hasn’t been reported to him personally is so ridiculous as to cause hysterical laughter were the horror of it not so distressing. President Bush’s response is to say the efforts are only beginning—four days after the hurricane has passed—and, as usual, asks the American people to be patient, not to ask the wrong questions, and never, ever, expect his administration to have a plan.
Where are the rescue plans that would have been prepared by an administration that took seriously the possibility that the levies might have been breached by a terrorists’ nuclear bomb? Where is the standing order that Homeland Security is immediately responsible for rescue and evacuation? Instead Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff repeats endlessly that he has and will give the State anything it asks for. Hello! They were asking the day they were devastated; maybe before when the evacuation order and warnings were given. Where are the local and federal communications systems not dependent on power lines that can be instantaneously shut down in a computer attack by terrorists, or simply taken down by wind and water? Was there a report given this administration concerning the part that lack of communication played in the 911 disaster? What happened to the billions of dollars we supposedly threw at these problems? Where is the local storage center that should, like a reasonable householder, have stashed food and water against just such a frightful situation? Lucky America we were given Katrina as a wake up call. Get these self-serving, irresponsible people out of power before they can totally destroy your and my America. Now is the time for all good men and women to take charge of your party, whichever one it is.

That should get W on the move.

The transcript of the interview is rather revealing.

BTW, love your compassion, Gina. You and your ilk absolutely make me sick!!

Yes, there were many stupid/stubborn people who wanted to brave the storm in their homes.

But there are a LOT of poor people, who own no cars, who ride the St. Charles trolley to and from work every day.

How the hell do they get out?

I guess they should gave just bootstrapped themselves into millionarie-hood.

Like W. He worked really hard to get where he is.

How about this one, folks? The hurricane hit when these people have the least amount of money during the month, right at the end before they get their checks for the ones getting aid and before paychecks are handed out for the ones who work. Those who live from check to check, whatever its source didn’t have any resources to use to get away.

Huh?

You mean the city of New Orleans didn’t even plan to feed the EMERGENCY workers? Oh, c;mon. A city in a hurricane area and a flood plain had 24 hours worth of food for the cops????

Wait, it’s Bush’s fault.

The government simply didn’t do a good enough job of convincing the people that they were in grave danger. Simple as that. These people weren’t suicidal they were uninformed.

Dave, in spite of your ignorance, I love you. There. I feel better now.

What’s driving me nuts is that there seems to be an incredibly slow response on the part of the National Guard. Are so many of our people over in Iraq that we don’t have enough to help out with this disaster? If that’s the case, it’s absolutely pathethic…

What was even more pathetic was watching an expert from the Army Corps of Engineers talk out of his posterior last night in a lame effort to justify why the levees weren’t improved to protect N.O. from a category 4 hurricane. Regardless of the fact that there is (was?) an amazing amount of American history in that place, there is no adequate excuse for not putting the money into re-enforcing the levees. We can police the rest of the world, and send aid to people all over the place, but we can’t find the funds to take care of our own infrastructure?? N.O. was a disaster waiting to happen–and it did. There is no justification for the fiscal irresponsibility that allowed the levees to remain sub-standard.

I’ve donated to red cross and another place, but it’s frustrating as nothing’s happening. I’d rather give to someone who can get in there NOW!

I’m sure that having your subsidized “life existence” disrupted by a catastrophe is tramatic ! And the solution, loot ! By God, God dealt you an ugly hand so what you should do is steal every fricking thing you can get your hands on and MAKE sure 1 thing is a gun and shoot other people.

Was the govrrnment wrong ? Sure. BUt put the FIRST Blame on the Mayor of NO, and the second blame on the Governor Of LA.

Both had resources to avert much of this disaster ! By issuing warning earlier., By ordering evacution earlier, and finally by, issuing and redirecting all STATE resources earlier. Incidentally, the Governor of MS is no less guilty!