Mr. David Corn,

Of course every thing seems to have been bungled.

It is the hallmark of the Bush misadministration.

The bureaucratic response is often: "our response is to not respond" That is their answer and they are sticking to it.

I really think the GOPhers want to have a few wedge issues handy to confuse the easily confused right before the next (s)election.

They will trot out the same old lies as they have worked do well for them so far.

Thanks

Kirk

This blog sucks ass, as usual.

This blog sucks.

Visit www.drudgereport.com for a real site.

By the way, according to The Drudge Report, only 13% blame Bush. Too bad, you fucking liberals. Looks like you are SCREWED AGAIN!!!

Bush launches inquiry and puts himself in charge of it

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington
Published: 07 September 2005

"We must ensure that the national nightmare that was Katrina never happens again," said Joe Lieberman, the senior Democrat on the Senate's Government Affairs Committee which is planning hearings on the disaster. "My feelings went from concern to grief to anger, and then to embarrassment," Mr Lieberman said, expressing a sentiment shared by Republicans as well as Democrats.

The debacle has made a mockery of claims that a new and efficient system had been put in place after the 9/11 attacks to tackle national emergencies - of which a hurricane-provoked flood of New Orleans was near the top of every list.

Indeed, such is the frustration and anger on Capitol Hill that Mr Leiberman's inquiry will be only one of several to be held into the calamity. All are bound to bring fierce criticism of the government.

Barbara: 'Victims poor anyway'

Barbara Bush, the former first lady, courted controversy by pointing out that many of the people forced out of their homes by Hurricane Katrina "were underprivileged anyway". Mrs Bush, who joined her husband, George, on a tour of the Houston Astrodome, said: "And so many of the people in the arena here were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them. What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality."

*****end of clip*****

Words cannot express my disgust.

capt

Should Americans of Conscience go on strike

A must read article!!!!!

I guess it is a good thing that Barbara Bush has her class system firmly in place. Her, her family and friends are the privileged the rest of us shlubs are the underprivileged.

The poor little people never had a thing to lose and now they have so much they are all so pleased. The Reich must be being too nice. If the little people are happy and want to stay, Texas will never be rid of the "underprivileged" and that is their fear.

You just have to read between the line as none in the Bush crime family are capable of speaking the truth. It’s a family tradition and they are all very traditional.

capt

The Daily Show weighs in.
The Daily Show and Katrina.
By the way, while your at the site watch the Charmaine Neville video if you haven't seen it. It is as gripping as the Jefferson Parrish President's video on Meet the Press. She describes her ordeal and the what she saw along the way to rescue. Very good account.

Polluting America's Skies

Teresa Whitehurst never fails to do her job of informing me and trying to make me toe the line for doing what I can for the COMMON GOOD TOWARD ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN.

I honestly believe that the Nazis want to kill our planet and us off. These Nazis are totally evil.

Bush did not give a Medal of Freedom to Wolfowitz. Recipients were Paul Bremer, Tommy Franks and George Tenet, on December 14, 2004.

I can't understand how there are still Bush supporters after this debacle. I mean, he is completely useless as a leader. Right now, those supporters need therapy, kind of a 12 step program to get them to see that they are just refusing to sense their denial.

I mean, the facts are out there. He STAYED on vacation. He has no understanding of what it means to be poor or immobile. He can't blame terrorists for this one. I realize cronyism exists in all administrations, but his is unprecedented.

This country has dissolved into such a mess. Nobody is willing to speak up for fear of sabotoging their party. Isn't it about duty to country? When are we going to hear from some of these Republicans who know, in their hearts, that this President screwed up and that, if we really are attacked by some terrorist organization, we are screwed.

Their whole message during the campaign was, "We will keep you safe. Vote for John Kerry and you might as well kill yourself now before the anthrax gets you." Well, this was a predicted catastrophe and they screwed it up. Cheney was still on vacation! Condi was shopping for shoes! Bush was eating cake and playing guitar. Get your heads out of the sand people.

By the way, if you think this website "sucks as usual", don't come to it. Stay in your little NRO world. It always baffles me why people who don't like this page always come here. I enjoy reading Mr. Corn's posts, therefore, I read this webpage.

This is the worst administration ever. I've never been so convinced.

If he can take an express plane back to DC to sign a bill for one lady, Terri Schiavo, he should have been able to cancel his events before and immediately after this hurricane. What an asshole.

The Lies of Katrina

By CK RairdenSep 6, 2005

Many that survived Hurricane Katrina have suffered greatly. The folks in New Orleans that chose to stay behind or were just flat out unable to leave were faced with trying measures to survive. But alas, as usual, the human suffering isn't enough, some people feel the need to try to score political points by embellishing.

Enter Randall Robinson writing on "The Huffington Post."

On Friday he wrote that, "It is reported that black hurricane victims in New Orleans have begun eating corpses to survive." The story was displayed on "The Drudge Report and an "urban legend" was born.

I can only guess that at some point he was asked to provide some type of verifiable source for his accusation of "black cannibalism" and could not as he now has retracted his statement here.

For those keeping Huffington Post score a really rich white guy (Robert Kennedy, Jr.) claimed on Monday August 29, that Hurricane Katrina spared New Orleans and hammered Mississippi because of "the central role that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour played in derailing the Kyoto Protocol."

Of course then the levees broke in New Orleans and we haven't heard from Kennedy since.

Now a black writer that claims to be a "social justice advocate" has had to recant his unsubstantiated claim that "black hurricane victims" were cannibals. One note--wouldn't the white hurricane victims have to eat as well?

Thankfully, idiocy knows no race.

The lies of Katrina will grow, and many are documented already here.

Playing politics with human suffering is always in bad taste and as these two "Huffington Posters" have found out, is usually a bad idea if you enjoy credibility.

--CK Rairden

*****end of article*****

I thought a few might like this piece.

capt

capt,

Rairden is quoting RFK Jr. out of context. He never "claimed" that "Hurricane Katrina spared New Orleans and hammered Mississippi" because of Barbour's role in Kyoto.

Actual quote:

As Hurricane Katrina dismantles Mississippi's Gulf Coast, it's worth recalling the central role that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour played in derailing the Kyoto Protocol and kiboshing President Bush's iron-clad campaign promise to regulate CO2.

Recalling Barbour's role in derailing Kyoto is not the same as blaming him for the hurricane's destruction. Apparently, Rainer doesn't care for RFK Jr.

(You can correct me if I'm wrong, but my guess is that you posted this primarily to demonstrate the pervasive misinformation we're getting from some sources on the behavior of those trapped behind and not as any specific indictment of RFK Jr.; I'm just pointing out the misleading nature of Rainer's statement.)

This blog sucks ass, as usual.

That explanation seems to fit the facts of your presence.

Sorry, missed the last sentence:

In 1998, Republican icon Pat Robertson warned that hurricanes were likely to hit communities that offended God. Perhaps it was Barbour’s memo that caused Katrina, at the last moment, to spare New Orleans and save its worst flailings for the Mississippi coast.

RFK Jr was obviously being facetious.

Read down to the end - "senior administration official." Doesn't this sound like Rove running his evil yap "anonymously" to the press again? He needs to be incarcerated in Gitmo, yesterday.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/7/1337/27686

Riff,

"Senior administration officials" have been burning the press corps for several years now. We should start a massive letter campaign to the editors of the country's most influential newspapers and news magazines demanding that reporters hold these sources accountable and make their names public when they lie.

There should be something that would urge the "sources" to tell only the truth.

Currently lies are the better investment without any associated cost.

Just a thought

capt

Will the bush administration be held accountable for its role in turning a major American city into an uninhabitable toxic stew that is undoubtedly the biggest environmental disaster in the history of the United States? The human toll, economic toll, emotional toll, lost prestige toll are only part of this shameful debacle.

Maybe I've missed it, but I'm not seeing much about what will happen if the billions of gallons of bacteria-laden water from N.O.'s streets are pumped into the Gulf of Mexico. What will this do to the marine life and animal life of the area? The wetlands are surely going to be even further compromised. What about the petrochemicals that are leaking into the Gulf? The festering swill that covers New Orleans will also contaminate Lake Ponchartrain and the Mississippi River. You can't just say "Poof!" the water is clean! The amount of chlorine that would purify the water would cause HUGE PROBLEMS.

It boggles the mind that the United States of America is so inept and unable to take the necessary steps -- ahead of time! -- to ensure that this kind of disaster never happens. But, it did.

As the days pass, the finger pointing will continue...but the bottom line is the buck stops with bush. He and his party's policies are largely to blame for this disaster.

We, the People -- with James Lee Witt as the chairman -- should investigate this shameful mess. No bureaucrats, no politicians, no toadies -- ordinary, everyday Americans should investigate.

CEO of the USA (the guy who outsourced FEMA)
Peacock War President (still waiting for WMD)
Alcoholic in Denial and Head Bully of GOP
Druggy nonpareil

Wave after wave of negative evidence shows up on the plate until the stench of rot leads to the new monicker:

Lord of NO

"my guess is that you posted this primarily to demonstrate the pervasive misinformation we're getting from some sources on the behavior of those trapped behind and not as any specific indictment of RFK Jr"

I am so glad you know me, I would not defend the piece with lies about lies.

I posted it primarily for a few of our regulars that are also up with Huffington.

Although I had not seen the whole quote in context, I like Kennedy and most everything he writes/says etc.

Thanks for the context. It is always good to provide the most complete picture and the most accurate words.

I LOVE a good quote but never one that seems to portray the the opposite meaning or deceptive communication.

I apologize for not finding the full quote to include in my post. Been a little busy lately and rush to get my two cents in.

Thanks again!

capt

Don/Capt @ 17 and 18: Well, David Brooks certainly wrote a strong letter on this oh so ironic recent citation of an anonymous source. I really like what his MediaMatters site does - hounding ridiculous hacks like O'Lielly and Limbaugh, as well as patrolling the media in general for gross inaccuracies, omissions and misrepresentation. Might have to send them a donation. Remember the Chris Elliot "guy under the stairs" character from the old David Letterman show? That is what Media Matters is to O'Lielly, making his every day a living hell. Cheers.

NOLA Disaster Plan OutsourcedUpdated

3 September

The private firm charged with developing the New Orleans hurricane disaster plan identified the need for 1,000 shelters and said that they would need to be open 100 days (more than three months!). A press release asserts that "state resources are adequate to operate shelters for the first 3-5 days." After that, the problem was to organize replinishment from federal and other sources. The firm also "developed a transportation plan for getting stranded residents out of harm’≥ way."

This seven-day emergency planning exercise took place in July 2004, less than two months after IEM, Inc., a Baton Rouge emergency management and homeland security consultant, announced it had secured a $500 million contract to develop "a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans." The press release states that the "teaming partners" are Dewberry, URS Corporation and James Lee Witt Associates. However, James Lee Witt, LCC, provided this statement today:

In May of 2004, IEM included James Lee Witt Associates, LLC in their proposal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for developing a FEMA Catastrophic Plan for Southeast Louisiana and the New Madrid Seismic Zone."

After the proposal was submitted to FEMA, James Lee Witt Associates was not approached again by IEM, nor did JLWA have any involvement whatsoever in the project.

According to FEMA Regional Director Ron Castleman, the planning exercise was a success:

Disaster response teams developed action plans in critical areas such as search and rescue, medical care, sheltering, temporary housing, school restoration and debris management. These plans are essential for quick response to a hurricane but will also help in other emergencies.

In the press release announcing the contract, IEM Director of Homeland Security Wayne Thomas stressed the importance of planning:

Given this area’≥ vulnerability, unique geographic location and elevation, and troubled escape routes, a plan that facilitates a rapid and effective hurricane response and recovery is critical. The IEM team’≥ approach to catastrophic planning meets the challenges associated with integrating multi-jurisdictional needs and capabilities into an effective plan for addressing catastrophic hurricane strikes, as well as man-made catastrophic events.

(Note: The first press release has been pulled from the company web site; it yields a 404 error but can be found in a Google cache. The second release is available as a PDF.)

*****end of article*****

I think the US citizens should get our money back. The fact that passed their drills but failed on the semester final indicates to me it was just another payola contract.

capt

capt,

As you'll note from post #15, I actually goofed by skipping the sentence that Rairden used as the reference in his statement that Kennedy "blamed" Barbour for the hurricane. Of course, he was still quoting him out of context.

I like RFK Jr. too, and that is why my BS antenna went up when I read that particular sentence. It's not that I don't think that the man is capable of making a mistake (as we obviously know now, Katrina didn't exactly "spare" NO), but I think his environmental concerns are sincere and the quote looked rather bizarre coming from one so serious.

Anyhow, my friend, the problem was with Rairden's misdirection regarding Kennedy's Huffington post, not you. Carry on!

Riff,

I read Media Matters regularly. The Brock letter was excellent.

Don,

As Always, thanks!

Riff,

I do read MM often if not daily.

An excellent letter.

capt

D'oh! Brock not Brooks - what a gaffe. Yes, I think it performs a valuable service, and I welcome this kind of patrolling of the media on non-partisan basis.

See, I read Brock and see Brooks just like my poor proofreading of my own posts! HA!

capt

I SAW SOME OF THIS EXCHANGE ON ABC NEWS LAST NIGHT -- TERRY MORAN, ABC, MAKES SCOTTIE MCLELLAN LOOK LIKE A TWO-BIT HACK TOADY:

Go ahead, Terry.

Terry Moran: I just want to follow up on David's questions on accountability. First, just to get you on the record, where does the buck stop in this administration?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President.

Terry Moran: All right. So he will be held accountable as the head of the government for the federal response that he's already acknowledged was inadequate and unacceptable?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President's most important responsibility is the safety and security of the American people. He talks about that often. That is his most important responsibility. Again, there's going to be plenty of time to look at the facts and determine what went wrong and what went right and how the coordination was between the state and federal and local authorities. Right now we've got to continue doing everything we can in support of the ongoing operational activities on the ground in the region to help people.

Terry Moran: Well, the President has said that this government can do many things at once: It can fight the war on terror, it can do operations in Iraq, and aid and comfort people in Louisiana. Can it not also find time to begin to hold people accountable? It sounds, Scott, as if the line that you're giving us -- which is, you don't want to answer questions about accountability because there's too much busy work going on --

MR. McCLELLAN: Wrong. No, wrong.

Terry Moran: -- is a way of ducking accountability.

MR. McCLELLAN: You don't want to take away from the efforts that are going on right now. And if you start getting into that now, you're pulling people out that are helping with the ongoing response, Terry. Not at all. The President made it very clear, I'm going to lead this effort and we're going to make sure we find out what the facts were and what went wrong and what went right. But you don't want to divert resources away from an ongoing response to a major catastrophe. And this is a major catastrophe that we -- and we must remain focused on saving lives and sustaining lives and planning for the long-term. And that's what we're doing.

Terry Moran: And there are people in Louisiana and Mississippi who are doing that job very well. Your job is to answer the questions.

MR. McCLELLAN: And I have.

Terry Moran: By saying you won't answer.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, by saying that there's a time to look at those issues, but now is not the time, Terry.

After 9/11 Bush told us 'We'll get to the bottom of this, we know Al Qaida was involved and we have evidence'

After the anthrax spread in late 2001 Bush again asserted that 'We'll get to the bottom of this'.

After the Plame leak by his talking penis Karl Rove, Bush romised that 'We'll get to the bottom of this'.

Now he says he'll head up the investigation into Hurrican Katrina and how his administration dropped the ball. Chertoff did not know that 25,000 people were starving. General Myers blamed the media for underestimating the severity of the hurricane. Brown is on his fifth pair of shoes, and not because he stepped into the streets of NO.

If Bush is truly going to get to the bottom of this one, would someone please send him some goggles and a snorkel? I'm sure the world would like to see him dive right in.

So now we have more casualties in N'Orleans than we have in 9/11 and Iraq combined, but as one poster predicted, far less than the million deaths awaiting the next pandemic.

Summation:

Promises:
9/11
Anthrax
Inoculate against smallpox
Capture Osama Bin Laden
Keep us safe from terrorism (one thousand times)
Valerie Plame leak

Results:
none
none
none
none
none

Micki,

Good post!

Scotty "Beam me up" McClelland is such a dull tool. In fear of destroying my TV I do not watch anything political and count on the blog to update what the MSM is saying.

Thanks

capt

Micki,

Good post!

I rely on you guys to update what is going on in the American MSM. I no longer have the stomach for most of the crud they offer as "news."

Thanks

capt

Sorry for the duplicate

I keep getting an error and I refresh and the post does not show, then after I think I have confirmed it is not there, I post and both are there?

WEB WIZARD - something is not right.

capt

On the media's response to to Hurrican Katrina: We now know what it takes for the MSM ( main stream media) to speak truth to power. They must literally watch babies die and dead bodies (American babies and American dead, I should say) being eaten by rats before they will speak truth to power. It doesn't say much for them, but at least we have a clear line of demcarcation between their sucking up to Bush, et al. and holding them responsible.

Capt: I often get the error no entry ID, but if I just hit the back button and re-hit post, it seems to go through without double posting. No idea why. I suspected it might be some kind of security firewall the prescreens posts.

Riff,

I do exactly the same however after I "back" my comments section is empty. If I have not saved a copy to the clipboard I have to re-write. To try to preclude the dup, I will wait a few sec's and hit "refresh" to capture a "current" picture of the blog. My post soes not show up so I hit post and there are two posts.

No real biggie just a bit odd.

Lucky it is not on a real monster of a post.

I am glad I am not the only one. I would then have to re-check all on my side.

capt

Stephen.

Only time will tell.

I predict the MSM will end up turning its back on the public and return to lap-dog status when the dust settles. They will be representing the WH and parroting talking points as that is really all they know these days.

It is all about profit, as long as they are able to get ratings out of something they will. I am still waiting for the biggest story in the history of journalism - the story about the complete destruction of the truth and corruption of the media by ownership or through sponsorship.

I will be surprised if they get up the learning curve on busting the liars. At some point the wind falls from their sails, I think that point is just short of self-indictment.

IMHO

capt

capt -- no offense intended, but MANY reporters in MSM have been doing their jobs -- and doing them well -- all along. It's the pressure from the corporate "suits" and the advertisers -- and the threats from the Rove Machine -- that keeps some of the reporting from breaking through the barriers.

I think it would be useful if we gave some credit where it's due.

Go to whitehouse.gov and look at "beam me ups" daily press briefings -- you will see that many reporters stick it to the weasel every day trying to get the truth out of the creep.

Thanks for the thanks. :-)

Micki,

I just see lies and more lies. Some report the truth about an item or two from time to time but I was generalizing so not real accurate. Just characterizing the reason for my opinion in general.

I just see faces that lied straight faced and did so many times and in so many ways I have trouble believing them (again in general).

When I use MSM or McMedia I really only mean the liars, the ones that have and continue to do good work are not in that group. Like Corn, he works for FOX but he actually writes the truth and backs his stuff with facts. I guess it is arguable whether he is in the group of MSM but if I thought he was I would not read what he posts.

So, my general comment was certainly not accurate but not really intended an indictment of all reporters, just the bad ones. (most of them anyway)

capt

I just watched Democracy Now. The race issue in New Orleans was covered about the best that I have seen. Race and Hurricane Katrina.
Here is a small part of an interview. Notice where the money has already been put into redevelopment.
On another part of the interview they spoke of the people of New Orleans being dispersed like seeds throughout the country. They won't come back. That is a culture lost.

CURTIS MUHAMMAD: The meeting will be at the Southern University in Baton Rouge. And on this rebuilding question, the –†right as we speak, monies –†these $10 billion that has been approved, they have already subsidized oil drilling rigs. They have already subsidized the casinos. This city is intended without the people's input to go forward with the casinos, with the condominiums, with the Garden District, with the French Quarter. While I agree with the young man who spoke, I don't think that there is a desire of the leadership of this Project New Orleans to bring those poor people back. They're scattering them as far as California. 300 have arrived in a school, a former teacher of mine. They are all the way up in D.C. These are poor people.

If they find a way to live, they are going to stay there. If the people rise up, which we are pushing for, this is part of what our meeting is about, if the people demand oversight and transparency of all funds collected on their behalf and make priority the reintegration and the construction of places to live for displaced people, rather than casinos and hotels and condominiums, the people will come back.

AMY GOODMAN: Curtis Muhammad, I want to thank you for being with us, and we'll continue to talk to you, the Community Labor United from New Orleans, now in Jackson, Mississippi; Beverly Wright, of Xavier University in New Orleans, now in Atlanta; and David Gladstone, the University of New Orleans, Professor of Urban Planning, now in New Jersey.

Republican Jerks:

The Republican Nemesis

WAKE UP DEMOCRATS!

.

Wow, I like that "Master of Disaster".
Here is an article on just how bad the lying of the Bush Administration is. You Can't Pray a Lie Except if You Are George W. Bush.

Mad Wars

One of my favorite articles!!!

Do you frequently have the feeling that Bush is just one big screw up?

So to get elected to the halls of power you got to be SLEEE-ZY!

The Repub factor is to insert a destructive element into our daily lives, i.e., make us hate, make us fear, make us need what they've got for salving the wounds, which turns out to be salt.

They are the ones who create poverty and hunger. GWB is their stooge; under his guidance poverty has increased annually, and will continue to increase until there are only the rich and poor. A simple formula of reducing and removing the tax on the highest incomes, increasing the debt with free spending and lots of pork, and finally, have a dirty little war. This is the perfect way to drive the middle class to become bottom feeders, workers who pay the tax to relive that big debt.

Am I wrong? Maybe, but maybe not. I know I'm at least partly right, and I will continue looking for the way to stop the slide. Let's see, how much sleaze can I pack in my lunch bucket?

Yahoo! accused of aiding secret police

September 8, 2005

Beijing: The American internet company Yahoo! provided China's secret police with information that got a journalist a 10-year jail term for leaking "state secrets", a media freedom group has alleged.

Reporters Without Borders, based in Paris, said the Chinese court verdict against Shi Tao, 37, clearly showed Yahoo! had provided the Ministry of State Security with evidence linking Shi's computer to sensitive material on the internet. Yahoo! Holdings (Hong Kong) had complied with a request to provide data that linked the material to the unique IP (internet protocol) address of Shi's computer.

Shi was sentenced to 10 years' jail on April 30. The sentence was later upheld on appeal. Reporters Without Borders said Yahoo! would say it was obliged to follow the law of countries where it operated, but this did not free it of all ethical considerations. "It is one thing to turn a blind eye to the Chinese Government's abuses and it is quite another thing to collaborate," the group said.

*****end of clip*****

Yahoo!!

capt

PASS THIS ONE AROUND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY -- you know about the bush lie about the levees, but this makes his lie look even more devious and self-serving:

John Breaux, former Senator from Louisiana, the pro-Bush Democrat declared he said to BUSH LAST YEAR, "All of us said, 'Look, build it or you're going to have all of Jefferson Parish under water.' And they didn’t, and now all of Jefferson Parish is under water.”

The incurious George is not looking so good. He looks worse by the day. Even Breaux the faux Dem
is, in essence, calling bush a liar by calling him out on this whopper that bush uttered to Diane Sawyer, “I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees.”

FOR ANYONE IN HOUSTON WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HEAR THIS STATION: 95.3FM

Tish Stringer, who teaches at Rice University in Houston, has helped establish Evacuation Radio Services. She said today: "Several days ago, the FCC gave us a license to broadcast low-power radio from the Houston Astrodome. We have 10,000 radios to distribute to the people in and around the Astrodome so that they can get crucial information." Evacuation Radio Services is expected to be broadcasting today in Houston at 95.3 FM and web streaming at:
.

OOPS

http://www.evacuationradioservices.org

for webstreaming

The last battle of the war between Britain and the United States was fought in New Orleans, after the war had ended.

http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/aj7/about/bio/jack07.htm

The last battle of the civil war was fought in New Orleans in 1866 and led to the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.

http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/06FirstImpeachmentDiscussions/iiib-8a.htm

It seems that New Orleans is the last place on earth that our presidents hear about anything!

So let's have another impeachment!

UNDER WATER

Issue of 2005-09-12
Posted 2005-09-03

Former Louisiana Senator John Breaux, a pro-Bush Democrat, said, "All of us said, 'Look, build it or you're going to have all of Jefferson Parish under water.' And they didn't, and now all of Jefferson Parish is under water."

The President's incuriosity, his prideful insistence on being an underbriefed "gut player," is not looking so charming right now, either, if it ever did. In the ABC interview, he said, "I don’¥ think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

*****end of clip*****

An excellent quote and a very strong source!

Thanks again, Micki!

Every monring we wake up with this slug in office is an insult to the world.

capt

An acquaintance sent me this nasty little article that originated in the Washington Times by Robert Tacinski: An Unnatural Disaster:A Hurricane Exposes the Man-Made Disaster of the Welfare State

This is the kind of crap the right listens to and believes without ever bothering to check the facts. I promptly forwarded Capt's link from #12 about unsubstantiated claims plus a few other gems from Truthout. If someone I hardly know has the gall to send this she is fair game.

I have a bad feeling Bush will somehow dodge this f-up of a mess the way he manages to dodge all the crap this WH should be accountable for. Old Brownie will end up with a medal for his part in the screw up.

Pande, loved your "roots" post on the previous thread! We all needed a laugh.

Has anyone here (besides Capt, of course) ever stuck a hot dog up their butt?

The reason I ask is because I did about 15 minutes ago, and it's stuck - which really sucks because I'm hungry.

Any idea how I can get it out in one piece?

FYI: It's a foot long filled with cheese, if that helps.

Also (just so you know) I was thinking nasty thoughts about Capt. while it was going in.

H. R. Smudgeworth

Andrea,

EW! I have to wash my hands and take a shower after that. That's is from the same looney tunes slime-ball that publishes on TIA and other Reich-wingnut locales.

The guy is simply nuts and a slug, didn't you see the slime trail that was behind the email? (HA! just kidding)

capt

We can't allow President Satan get away with this too. Enough is enough. Our very survival depends on it.

Everyone here (with the exception of the cult follower bushbots) is intelligent, well informed, and have an above average writing ability. I ask you all to flood the media, from your local paper up to CNN, with letters expressing your outrage. They may even print your letters. I have had three of my letters published recently. When you smell Roves bullshit seeping through thier news coverage, let em have it. Will it make a difference? Yes I believe it already has. The media has been inching ever closer to doing its job since November, thanks to a few million emails from people like you.

Don't bother emailing Fox news, they are too far gone.

Please come to The White House on September 24 for the impeachbush rally.

capt.,

I think that was further evidence to confirm my theory that all Neocons are gay. And stupid.

Guess how much money I have given to the greedy oil companies in the last three months!

$0, nada, nuthin

I still ride my bike to work every day.

David Corn wants to point the finger of blame at the federal government. First responders are those on the ground when the emergency occurs. That would be those led by the Democrat Mayor of New Orleans. Next is the Governor of Louisiana. Also, a Democrat. Notice the difference between the leadership of Guilliani & Pataki v the mayor and governor in Louisiana? As my cousin Hajji would say "puhthetic!"

Jeeze, Corky everybody is gay and stupid.(kidding)

"Not that there is anything wrong with that"

I personally have zero problem with any alternate lifestyle. I do not want to know what my straight friends do behind closed doors. None of my business and it would violate their privacy and my values.

"It's just human. We all have the jungle inside of us. We all have wants and needs and desires, strange as they may seem. If you stop to think about it, we're all pretty creative, cooking up all these fantasies. it's like a kind of poetry." ~Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Mister Sandman, 1994

I have found the common ground for most all sexual preferences, flesh. Everybody loves flesh. We should be able to find a way to understand each other with a common interest.

I know I have never made a choice about what pushes my buttons. It can be as simple as a smile or as odd as a specific body part and it changes and surprises me to no end. There is a lot a poet could say about the back side of a woman’s knee, and on and on.

I have gay friends and they get that uninvited inspiration (turned on - buttons pushed) from other men, my lesbians friends from other women. I am sure none of it is set in cement, then there are memories that form our interests. Again my gay friends make memories with other men so that can influence the direction they look for inspiration.

I am not interested in a persons sexuality unless the interest is mutual. Very rare for old bald fat guys (me).

Some dumb guy lost a hot dog? More power to him but I think the ER is the right place to go if it is a problem.

No reason to use Gay as an implied insult or pejorative. We have to be better than that and sooner or later it ceases to matter anyway.

Just a thought.

capt

NO and surrounding parishes asked for $60 million to keep projects going. Bush said no. Money was going to the war, terrorism, and Homeland Security. Now Bush has to fork over $62 billion for NO and surrounding parishes. But Bush isn't stupid, his bed partners will receive contracts and they will be swimming in dough. What a country!!!

blame the first responders?
next you'll suggest we have SEMA, state emergency management agencies...easier to blame it on fifty states with seperate leadership, nein? Riddle me this Tim, if this were 9/11 part deux and the result was the same would you still defend Bush and his late response?

Darn Capt.
I was trying to figure out how he sang opera that way.

Ed,

I'm not saying FEMA and the federal government are blameless here. What I am saying is there is plenty of initial inaction to go around but all Corn wants to do is blame the Bush administration. Funny to here Hillary call for an independent, cabinet level post for FEMA when she along with many of her Senate collegues insisted that FEMA be absorbed into the department of homeland security. No wonder FEMA was different in the 1990's. There was no department of homeland security. And I am to believe she is the smartest woman in the world? Think not.

JB,

Has to be good for a register maybe two?

HA!

capt

ed,

ABBB

If you have the nerve to read this Cornlovers, you will see government is the problem not the solution. Especially big government, no matter who is running it.

1999 Hurricane Swamped Clinton's FEMA

Democrats led by Sen. Hillary Clinton are blaming the Federal Emergency Management Agency for failing to respond adequately to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

But FEMA didn't do much better under much less taxing conditions, when the floods that followed Hurricane Floyd left tens of thousands stranded up and down the Eastern seaboard, wondering what happened to federal rescuers.

Story Continues Below

New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida were hit hard when Floyd slammed the coast on Sept. 16, 1999. It was the worst storm to hit the U.S. in 25 years - yet it killed only 61 people. That death toll expected to be dwarfed by Katrina.
Clinton FEMA Director James Lee Witt won high marks for hurricane preparation, but the flood that followed swamped his agency.

A full three weeks after the storm had passed, Rev. Jesse Jackson interviewed Witt on his CNN show "Both Sides Now" - and complained that flood victims were still suffering from a "misery index."

"It seemed there was preparation for Hurricane Floyd, but then came Flood Floyd," Jackson began. "Bridges are overwhelmed, levees are overwhelmed, whole town's under water . . . [it's] an awesome scene of tragedy. So there's a great misery index in North Carolina."

Witt explained that the storm's devastation was unparalleled, prompting Jackson to ask what was being done for the thousands of families left homeless by Floyd.

Though nearly a month had passed since the storm first hit, Witt said his agency was just beginning to address the problem.

"We're starting to move the camper trailers in," he explained. "It's been so wet it's been difficult to get things in there, but now it's going to be moving very quickly. And I think you're going to see a -- I think the people there will see a big difference over within this next weekend."

The Clinton FEMA Director came in for more criticism during another CNN interview - this time for failing to do a better job with Hurricane Floyd evacuation efforts.

"I hate to do this to you so early in the morning," host Carol Lin began apologetically.

"But I want to show you some video of Hurricane Floyd. This was the evacuation scene out of Florida last year. And you can recall, some three-million people in three different states were hitting the highways, jammed back-to-back trying to get away from the danger. And much of the local as well as the federal government was criticized for this backup. What is being done this year to prevent something like this from happening again, keeping people out of harm's way?"

Witt explained that evacuation problems were to be expected under such dire conditions. "It was very unusual when you had multiple states all evacuating at the same time," he told CNN. "It was the first time that that has happened that way and it did clog the highways."

While Witt's reputation remained largely intact after the Floyd fiasco, more than a few of the storm's thousands of flood victims complained that the agency had failed them.

"I had heard FEMA was going to be downtown, so I got up early to get down there and get in line," one North Carolina woman told the Associated Press, recounting her ordeal months after Floyd had passed. "The time came and nobody was there, just all these people waiting in line."

FEMA's sorry performance left her overwrought.

"I had been let down so many times, I just lost it," the flood victim said. "A friend of mine came walking up, and I just started toward her. She said, 'Robin, what in the world is wrong?' I was just standing there in the middle of the street crying, totally disoriented, practically hysterical."

Weeks after Floyd's floodwaters subsided, the suffering for many had yet to be addressed.

"We passed hundreds of families sitting outside their now-uninhabitable homes, with their water-soaked possessions spread out on their lawns," the Raleigh's News & Observer noted on Oct. 3, 1999.

"Desperately picking through the mess for anything to salvage, most people - particularly the elderly - seemed to be in a state of shock."

And where was FEMA?

"The larger towns had a visible FEMA and Red Cross presence," the paper said. "But in smaller towns it looked like utter confusion and despair - no one in charge, no one knowing what to do or where to go for help."

I may be a Conservative Republican but a bloated bureaucracy is fatal to any country's freedom.

not gonna defend Hillary, wouldn't be prudent...
My point is that the nexus of the Bush administration was 9-11 and what he was going to do so that next time we would be more prepared.
Thank God this wasn't a massive terrorist attack, it's obvious we would have gotten crushed. The time has come for Bush and company to rethink the strategy, for all we know the next 9-11 could be tommorow. I agree throwing out the race card and the political party card isn't getting us anywhere...though I'll defend anyones right to do so. I do, however believe that Bush is hiding behind this first responders crap and I'll provide an example I believe you'll agree with. If it was a dirty bomb followed by a small range assault of suicide bombers I'd venture to guess that after four days of waitinf for federal action no one would be criticizing the cops, firemen and mailmen.

Tim
Didn't have to read the article, I remember the storm. I'm not a big government guy either, though you and I may not agree as to where the cutting should start. FEMA then and now has been a trifle embarassing...but again we have spent four goddamn years and billions of dollars preparing for the next 9-11, the next major disaster. At the very least the Right must admit that we are NO more ready then before and that something needs to change drastically

"Does it really matter what these affectionate people do-- so long as they don’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses!" ~Mrs. Patrick Campbell

ABBB? capt?
what's that

Note to Ed:

Compare what happened on 911 and New Orleans. 911 was without warning and emergency rescue teams were on the scene immediately. New Orleans had over 72 hours advance warning, not only that they could take a direct hit, but that the hurricane could well be a catagory 5. And yet, no mandatory evacuation, even though they had those plans in effect for years. Have you seen the pictures of the flooded school busses? These were supposed to be used to transport those out of the city who had no transportation. Was Bush supposed to commandeer these busses and evacuate New Orleans? Or is that the responsibility of the Mayor?

capt.

OH ! I have no problems with gay people whatsoever! My theory involves gay people who are conservatives but won't admit it to themselves, then attack gay people because of thier own self loathing. I apologize if I offended any gay people. A lot of riech wingers have been outed in recent months, like that Mayor in Spokane.

I was not trying to insult homosexuals!!

I think the whole "blame it on the local government" talking point thing is total bullshit. Its weak.

we won't get advance notice of the next terrorist attack either...I just want to hear the words, we are NO more prepared
that's all
not on initiative of Bush's post 9-11 has made a lick of difference
if we cannot defeat a buncha wind and rain we are doomed in a war against global terrorism

Was it the mayors fault that Bush was playing guitar and eating cake at PR events while the worst diaster in our countries history was taking place?

Tim, I get the same RNC, Newsmax, and GOPUSA talking points delivered to my email box that you do.

Any
Body
But
Bush

The troll still believes Bush did not tell a lie. Like fawning over some matinee idol the messianic machinations of his Machiavellian prince can do no wrong. Never made a mistake, never lied. A waste of bandwidth, and an embarrassment to himself and the board. Not enough self-respect or common sense to know better.

And with the return of the mindless drone, I will return to the shadows of the lurk and will enjoy my like minded friends posts.

Good evening all!
Keep it real.

capt

we had to fly troops from Iraq to help out
imagine if you would waiting a day or so while America is being attacked on it's own soil, waiting for the troops to come home and fight
Bush should have handled this from second one, not a minute later, since his people hung out for four days the rest of the world got to see our bare ass
come on man, as a conservative and supporter of the war on terror that at the least has to make you mad

Ed,

I agree we have a ways to go. But the last thing we should want is federal government intruding into local and state affairs. Obviously, there is no way to respond to a disaster initially that will save all lives. However, local and state governments must be able to keep the chaos and mayhem to a minimum until federal help can arrive.

Corky,

Not a talking point. If you are so blind to see there is blame from the bottom up to the top, then you are proving yourself to be a Bush hater and no matter what he does, blame lies with him. Even a private on the battlefield has specific orders to respond a certain way to certain situations. It is only when there is an unforseen circumstances arise that a call must go up the chain of command on what to do. The mayor is the Private, the governor the Colonel and the President, the General. If the governor couldn't help the mayor, the feds should have been called in immediately.

No doubt Osama and his buddies literally got wood watching our disaster relief effort flip and flop like so much dead fish...there is no excuse for this. We spent four solid years and billions of dollars and what do they have to show for it.

I agree that seeing cops walk off the job was weak to say the least...but with all we've done over the last four years, all the hype, I expecteded GI F'n JOE to storm the Gulf and take that crisis apart at the seams.
If this was 9-11 part two people would be calling for heads regardless of party affiliation, hell shouldn't homeland security be spending time training individual states in how to get the job done. We got caught bare ass, you can't save everyone I agree, but mandingo I have yet to be impressed with anything the federal government has done in this crisis. So where did all the money go and what did all the programs get us

The response to Katrina will embolden terrorists more than anything any peacenik has said or done, I don't think we have time to wait to criticize, after all 9-11 is only a few days away.

Hurricanes are not scripted so it's hard to plan the recovery. New Orleans has a huge poverty rate and that added problem. They had no way to get out on their own.
What bothers me about the FEMA response was the way they actually hampered the relief effort. They knew there were survivors who needed food and water and they let them sit. There were ways to get food and water to them.
The search and rescue was a joke. Shouldn't we have learned something from Floyd? I keep hearing reports of breakdown in communication. Distruption of lines that local recovery people depended on. Tools and services not being used.
Sorry Tim, George blew it big time and it's time for him to be a man.

O. Shit. Tiny-minded Tim is stealing Tom DeLay's words. DeLay, the un-indicted crook, was yammering on the floor today that the blame is "bottom up" not top down.

Fuck both of you. Nasty letter follows.

Ed,

It doesn't take anything but hatred for the infadels to embolden the terrorists. Regardless,
if there are plans in the air, I am sure they are being put into motion with all the stumbling and bumbling going on.

Regarding the commission to investigate the Katrina catastrophe. Funny it should be led by the Senate when they are the appropriating body of government along with the House of Reps. Do you think there will be any critical questions asked of either body of Congress?

and talk radio needs consistency
they want to blame Annan simply because he was in charge of the UN when oil for food broke
but they see no connection between federal failings and Bush, the president of the country
where is the disconnect
I want to see some ownership here

I think a commission is a waste of time
The 9-11 one was a joke, so too would this be
Agreed, if Osama and his flying buddies are in the air they will likely head this way
Hatred for the infidels is one thing, but we have always had a larger than life image to protect us
America the last superpower, this Katrina business has dogged that
At the very least now terrorists know that blowing a few dams can shut down several states
I say we start firing politicians left and right, start voting on term limits so there is a greater turnaround, maybe job insecurity will motivate these bureaucratic goons

I'm no fan of that Senate either, buncha hot air balloons

As for expecting the state government to do the job? You can't depend on local and state in catastrophes this big. Sorry. They don't have the recourses. And they can't get them fast enough. FEMA when it works, works good. When people are expected to work together toward a recover, the recovery works. Lives were lost because Bush was not the leader he should have been. It's as simple as that. He is the man at the top. Not only that but it was his responsibility to hire a FEMA director who could do the job. Brown didn't. Bush slashed the funding for FEMA. He slashed the funding the levees and wetland restoration. That was criminal. If Bush walks away from this without having to take responsibility it will be a crime against humanity.

micki,

I don't like Tom Delay so don't accuse me of parroting his line. My observation comes solely from being in the Army. As for tiny minded, I noted no less than two profane words in your post. Having been in the military and on numerous sports teams, I have heard those words before and they do not offend me. I always felt sorry for the person who had to use them with such frequency.

Even if Bush is rightfully impeached, Cheney takes over, no? They are well protected. Three more years is the only way out - but then what? Don't see a solution.

Amen on not liking Delay, he's a dirty politician if I ever saw one...not that many clean variety of the species thrive
I really hope that after this an honest dialogue can begin about preparing our nation for the worst...Katrina proves that everything we've done to this point has been a tad useless
A dirty bomb hits we need specialists on the ground a touch quicker than four days
If, and I highly doubt this, a country decides to launch a land invasion on us we need better than waiting for troops to get flown back from the Middle East

Please people, why compare apples to oranges?

The Terror attacks on NYC damaged a 10 block area. The police and fire dept. heros were local government not feds. They were on the scene right away because they were in the city. The mayor and governor took control until FEMA could get in place.

The relief for Katrina had to wait hrs. for the strom to hit and blow over before they could go in. To have relief forces in the city as the storm hits is stupid. They run the risk of being destroyed also. Most of you apparently have new been in a hurricane. I live in Florida and last year the President never issued an evecuation order the local authorities did. The mayor of NO and the Governor of LA FAILED. THEY MESSED UP. IMPEACH THEM.

You know what I think Osama sees? A leadership in this country who hates the minorities and hates the poor. Katrina was a billboard on neon spelling that out. What do you think he's going to do with that?

what's next
I'd say the first step is scaling back our imperial march, clearly we are not prepared enough back home to be spread out all wiley niley across the globe
Next we have to work on a federal first responder unit...say four of them N W S and E
A hardass group of constantly training heroes ready to hit the scene ASAP...we have some pretty hardcore individuals enlisted already that would fit that mold
Next we need to pump more money into state police and firefighters, medics...the real first responders. To do that it's time to roll back the Bush tax cuts on everyone over 100k, doing so pumps more money into the federal government so they can stop leaning on the states purses so the states can stop cutting the very jobs and programs that constitute a first response
And ALL of that money must be earmarked, no pork, no nothing and yes, I want a bid on that contract
I wouldn't hire Halliburton to watch my cat over the weekend

LOL buchthesystem
at least read the posts before spouting out some useless blather like that, come on, have a little self respect
I'm trying to have civilized discousre with Tim here and you come barreling in with nonsense
Clearly no one is suggesting that the troops roll up into the storm itself, I'm sure they'd be insulted to hear you say there is nothing that they can do within the first 24 hours
Also the disaster of a storm in the first 24 hours is akin to what the next attack on the US could be like...if it's your state how long you want us to wait before we send a few grunts your way?

but yeah the governor and mayor do need new jobs
just not without taking bushco with them
I'd like to see a long line of unemployed politicians

Ed,

Term limits are a good idea but it would never fly. Both sides would claim it's not in the constitution, therefore, they can run for election until the end of time. What I would like to see is the federal government go back to that it used to be. The 3 branches and military to defend the country. Nothing more and nothing less. If there is real election reform to take place, it should be in the House of Reps. The Senate was set up originally for landowners, those with influence and pretty much wealth. But the House was to be made of citizen politicians who would serve two years, would be closest to the people, and provide a reality check for the high and mighty Senate. But you can't place all the blame on the politicians. It is us voters who make them career politicians. If we wanted to really do something, every incumbant would be voted out after one term. We have the power, we just choose not to use it. After all, it is often heard, "It's not my Congressman who is the problem, it's those other idiots."

Regarding superpower status. There is no question that we have the greatest and best trained military in the world. China is quickly gaining, though. But what the catastrophe in New Orleans shows, while we have a great citizenry, there are those who have been conditioned to wait for help to arrive and there are those who act regardless of man-made or natural obstacles placed before them.

---It is us voters who make them career politicians. If we wanted to really do something, every incumbant would be voted out after one term.---
100 percent in agreement, I guess the rub is finding out how to work the refs
It is their game and their rules regardless of how we vote, I guess the answer is in voting for people who are ready for government reform and using that platform to amend the constitution
The constitution was created as a living testament...it is clear that the entity our government has become no longer resembles what it was designed to do, thereby making change essential
I say term limits are a great first step
Vote em in and set the stop watch...Job Insecurity, I like that idea

then again the first step to that is to enable third parties to compete on a level playing field
Dems and Repubs are only dissimilar to a degree nowadays, money and power corrupted through and through
Third parties force moderation and cooperation, again it is the people that will have to lead that charge...a quiet revolution, a bloddless revolt against a corrupt government, maybe if we all stopped paying taxes at once?
LOL I guess more people would have to CARE first

Ed,

Think about this. If a Congressperson is elected
in November, they do not begin serving until the following January. That means they actually hit the ground running for re-election in November of the next year. Imagine the havoc that could be created by a bunch of "two year only" congresspersons who go to Capitol Hill bent on changing the system. Their vote is just as important as a Senators vote. This is where change could actually occur, but alas, unlikely. Too many special interest groups pumping money in to campaigns.

I'd love to see that level of havoc
believe me
nice chatting Tim, we may not support the same politics but we can have civil discourse
regards
and to all a good night

Trollus interruptus over and out.

Take care Ed,

Tim H.

I agree, and as I said on a previous message thread, some real fundamental changes need to take place to the system, or else we're just going to get more of the same.

With the system of legally sanctioned corruption consisting of bribery and extortion that go on in Washington (that came to surface with the furor over DeLay and that lobbyist accused of scaming the Indian tribes), no wonder there are career politicians.

This was the same case with the Democratically controlled Congress 10 years ago, if anyone remembers.

It's a pretty sweet deal to be a national politician, being on the receiving end of all the perks from lobbyists, the automatic pay increases and COLA adjustments to their pension (when the rest of us don't even even have pensions anymore)...who wouldn't want to be a career politician?

And at the end of all that, you go and become a highly paid lobbyist yourself. Just look at Billy Tauzan (sp?, now working for the pharmacy lobby at $3M/yr, after ramroding thru that bogus drug benefit in that marathon session of Congress.

Let's face it, our "elected" leaders go where the money is, and that's NOT in representing the people.

To spend $200 billion to rebuild a little theme park, so guys can get drunk, and chicks can flash their boobs to strangers the night before Ash Wednesday, once a year...seems a bit expensive.

Bob in North Dakota

Mr. Corn, I have looked everywhere that I know of to address the following items on Louisiana's Hurricane Evacuation Plan. Do we know if any of these were addressed? I just know this is where the Bush Cartel will be hitting!!! 1. They were supposed to use school buses to evacuate the indigent and handicapped. 2. Hospitals were not supposed to have operating permits unless they had generators on upper floors and stocks of emergency supplies. 3. Department of Corrections was supposed to have an evacuation plan to evacuate prisoners well in advance. 4. Nursing homes were required to have contracts in place with private firms to evacuate the elderly and infirm well in advance of the Emergency Evacuation Order. Did we do enough locally to avoid the scrutiny that is surely coming our way??? Peabo

FEMA is full of cronies. Here's two more to add to the list. Their credentials? Why they helped with the 2000 recount. Two Bush 2000 Florida recount aides were rewarded with top FEMA posts
.
I went to the FEMA site because I had studied managment courses on line several years ago as a volunteer for my city. The courses were really clear and indepth. They weren't difficult but I could see that FEMA was organized and serious about doing the job right. I've seen a book involved with the new FEMA. It was full of mistakes. In places it made no sense. Instructors have had to improvise. If you have a city that's dedicated to training it works fairly well but how many cities have the funds to train? Also, how much training can you have if you're ignored by the federal rescue teams for a week? Jefferson Parrish can tell you the training they had didn't do much good when the link in the chain was broken.

Tim H wrote:

But what the catastrophe in New Orleans shows, while we have a great citizenry, there are those who have been conditioned to wait for help to arrive...

"Those who have been conditioned to wait for help to arrive..." And what kind of people would those be, hmmm? I'll bet I can crack this code!

...and there are those who act regardless of man-made or natural obstacles placed before them.

And these people? Would they happen to have SUVs and credit cards?

Don,
I think you're wrong in your assessment of SUV's and credit cards. You described the Bush administration and we know how capable they are.

Oh, Tim of the Tiny Mind, I am reminded that Oliver North claimed he never used profanity either. Mr. Rectitude. LOL.

Tell it to someone who gives a shit.

Don,

You show that you are a true conspiracy theorist.
You were able to break my code. Congratulations. Now, before you declare me a racist, face this fact: Welfare and the entitlement mentality in this country has destroyed more lives that it helped. Welfare reform, signed by Willie in 1996,
showed that there is more incentive to better one's life than to rely on others for a meager existence. And as you take your foot out of your mouth, there were more whites than blacks on the welfare rolls in this country. I am not saying people do not need help and deserve help. But when it becomes part of their nature, that is all they know and will not know otherwise until shown there is a better way.

Barbara Boxer made a very good point: "It is not yet known how many lives could have been saved with a more effective federal response to this disaster. A nation that has the resources to send troops door-to-door looking for terrorists in Iraq certainly surely could have sent them door-to-door to evacuate our poor, sick, and elderly neighbors in New Orleans. Yet, each new tale of horror makes the failure of the response plain."
__________________________________
Email, call, write, plead with your elected officials and tell them to bring home the National Guard members who are deployed from the Gulf Coast -- THE UNITED STATES GULF COAST -- members of the National Guard who live, have families, history, vested interested, familiarity and roots with those from the area.

"part of their nature" -- pig.

Who do you think you are fooling?

Tim,
Just out of curiosity, how many people have you known on welfare?

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001055403

capt -- sorry I am not a Hyperlink Mamma like Pande is a Hyperlink Daddy (I'm laughing all over again!), but you should take a look at this partial transcript from Scottie's "beam me up" press "briefing."

now I really am sure that Bush is the evil spawn of Mad's Alfred E Newman. He is wrecking America.
remember - from a madman you get madness.

Tim wrote:

Now, before you declare me a racist...

You just wrote that word, not me.

Anyway, I don't see how you can say that I put my foot in my mouth; I'm not the one making foolish arguments. You're saying that the people who didn't evacuate were conditioned to do so from their years of dependence on the government. This is ludicrous and if you truly believe it you need more help than I can give you.

The best version of this joke yet.

[via T-Bogg]

Micky,
I printed it off. My son will love reading the transcript during off time at school. I'll give it to him tomorrow. When he has time he watches it on whitehouse.gov.

Jeanne, Micki, Don,

You complete me. For you see, I too, am a welfare recipient. I rely on you posting to me instead of David in order to survive. You all have violated Capt rule numero uno, "Don't post to the trolls!" When I first came to this site, I felt like an outsider. Then I started to receive responses to my cries for help. The more responses that I received, the more dependent I became on them. I became someone, only if by name and by a statistic on a web counter.

Jeanne,

I am wiling to bet, blindly, that I have known more people on welfare than you have. You name the stakes and the proof and we'll have at it.

Micki,

Part of their nature? If you are a 2nd or 3rd generation welfare recipient, what else would you call it? Habit?

Don,

You absolutely know what you were trying to get at. I was man enough to say it. Gonad collection for Don at the local Salvation Army collection site. Imagine that, a troll having the nerve to say what a regular Cornlover won't say.

Tim,
My question was pretty specific. Have you ever known anyone on welfare? Yes or no.

OK, since you're just about begging for it, (and since the Salvation Army is too busy at the moment to collect gonads for me):

Tim, you're a racist piece of shit.

Now maybe you can concentrate on providing us with some evidence for your asinine assertion that those who didn't evacuate New Orleans remained because they were conditioned to do so from years of dependence on the government. I won't hold my breath.

Jeanne,

See post 118. I am from Southeast Ohio. Part of Appalachia. My dad was born in a southeastern coal town in Kentucky. The coal company owned the home in which he was born and owned the stores. His father was paid in script which could only be redeemed at the company store.

Do you really want to know the answer to your question or should you be asking that question of yourself?

Why did the person you knew on welfare go on welfare?

Don,

Don't hold your breath. You'll get light headed and soon pass out. You could also get blue balls.
Sorry, you wouldn't. Unless the Salvation Army comes to your rescue.

So, Tim, I guess testicle jokes pass for debate in trailer-park land. Perhaps we'll chat again one day if you can get your talking points from someplace other than The Bell Curve.

Don,

No balls, now you are resorting to trailer park jokes? That is so Paula Jones. Clinton is gone.
Get over it.

Tim,
When the person you knew went on welfare did you help with the paperwork?

Not enough time for a real post, just enough time to make a simple point.

I've refrained (out of respect for Hajji) from doing to Tim H. what I normally do to folks who come to this blog to spew reactionary lies and talking points (Mwah, love ya Pagliacci, and you too dblpat!). I also respect the fact that Tim H. has tempered his remarks as of late. I cannot, however, let the Reactionary lies go unanswered.

First off, on welfare. I live in a Red State; so I don't mind laying the brickbats to the Red States. If welfare is such a troublesome issue, cut it out at the source. Red States could just as easily be referred to as Welfare States. They contribute less to the federal budget and consume more than blue states. As the WashPost puts it, they make a mockery of self-reliance. If you hate w elfare so much, don't apply for it. Though as you say, it must be in the nature of Reds to rely on the government to prop them up.

The notion that FEMA couldn't act and that Gov. Blanco hadn't ordered mandatory evacuations is a load of horseshit. Go sell it somewheres else, we ain't interested.

Idiots for Bush blogs have been repeating the bullcrap that Blanco never declared a state of emergency and that she never ordered the mandatory evacuation. Here's the state of emergency declaration dated August 26th (BEFORE the hurricane hit) and here is the FEMA request that she submitted to the preznit and FEMA with the mandatory evacuation notice embedded into it also dated August 26th.

On August 27th, Chimpy declared a Federal state of Emergency in LA and authorized FEMA (according to the National Response Plan of 2004) to take over. It (the Fed. Emergency declaration) reads:
"The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts . . . ."

Northcomm was ready to act even before the storm hit since they are tasked to respond to FEMA (not the states).

All of this was set into motion before the storm hit. Why the time lag in reaction? Negligence. Corruption. Dereliction of Duty. Incompetence. FEMA fucked up, not the states. It has less to do with big government than it has to do with the big idiots that are running the government (Republican greedheads).

Your comparison of Floyd to Katrina falls flat on its face when you actually look at the facts. Adjusted for inflation, Floyd was the 14th most-costly hurricane in American history. 7 of the worst 8 hurricanes hit in Republican presidencies. I guess Katrina will make it 8 out of the top 9.