Posted on 08/31/2005 4:24:31 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
The problems confronting a governor in the position of Louisiana's Kathleen Babineaux Blanco are overwhelming.
Since this space so frequently roasts Dems, fairness compels us to say that Blanco, a Democrat, comes across as about as reasonable and authentic as an elected official can be expected to be under the circumstances. Compare and contrast with Dem Sen. Mary Landrieux, who at every press conference seems to focus more on ostentatious emoting than on getting things done.
In any case, the Today show offered surprisingly extended video coverage of looting in New Orleans. Given that 100% of the looters shown were African-American, one might have thought that Today's PC instincts would have discouraged them from running the footage. But for whatever reason Today did, and when Matt Lauer interviewed Blanco, he asked her numerous pointed questions about the looting.
Blanco essentially deflected the questions, offering blandishments to the effect that "we certainly don't like looting," but also making clear that stopping it wasn't a priority.
Frankly, she might well be right: in a catastrophe like this, government must prioritize, and compared to stopping the levee breach and rescuing stranded people, stopping some guy from ripping off a pair of $150 Nikes could be trivial.
Speaking of the levees:
Louisiana and New Orleans are known as some of the most notoriously corrupt places in the USA. Over decades, the government should have had one overweening infrastructure priority: to ensure the levees worked.
They didn't, and now millions suffer and billions of dollars are lost. If the politicians had been honest and spending money on the right things, one must believe they could have created a levee system that would have worked the first time it was really called upon.
I agree - she did look overwhelmed and down. But in a way I respected the fact that she just seemed real. Perhaps in these situations we need leaders who are superhuman, but her I was impressed by her very human and seemingly real statements.
Yes, although prioritizing is a good point - I thought when I first saw Blanco interviewed that she was not exactly Maggie Thatcher.
You really MUST have strong people in charge at a time like this.
Those are the few..think of the many ..Good Grief!
Dear Stopem,
Actions have consequences. Allowing looting to keep the black vote is poor policy, but what we must expect of Democrats.
Please remember that Guiliani cleaned up NYC crime by enforcing the little laws. Shoot looters and you will find that you have shot the day to day, run of the mill, mostly black criminals (with some Hispanics mixed in, too) who usually spend their days selling drugs or committing violent crimes.
I suppose it would be too much to ask that officials found looting the tax payers be shot. ;-)
NO like every other inner city has the votes loaded into the machines and most of the citizens don't even bother to vote.
then, perhaps the funniest FR comment I've ever seen:
"I was going to say, as any apologist begins that argument, feign shock and amazement and say "You mean things are so bad they have begun eating televisions?"
295 posted on 08/30/2005 6:20:22 PM PDT by HitmanNY "
When are Je$$e Jacka$$ and Al Sharpton going to New Orleans? They could use their clout to negotiate an end to the looting so long as the law abiding citizens pony up and pays these lawbreakers not to loot. Another shakedown in the making.
Not waited for disaster to strike and then head out to loot.
Sorry, but you are WRONG
But being real is not going to help all of those poor people. Our children are over in Foley, Alabama, and they have missed the bullet twice in the last few weeks. I keep thinking what if it does not miss them next time and they had a weak enept governor like Blanco.
I remember Aaron Brown refusing to broadcast when the shuttle was lost. He was on the golf course and complained he didn't have a proper suit so he wasn't going in to work.
Looting difficult to control Tuesday, 8:10 p.m.
“People are leaving the Superdome to go to Canal Street to loot,” Thomas said. “Some people broke into drug stores and stole the drugs off the shelves. It is looting times five. I'm telling you, it's like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
It's not just going on there. Here in Dallas, somebody was pumping gas and when he started, it was $2.59 a gallon. By the time he finished, it had jumped to $2.75 a gallon and was charged that for every gallon he had already pumped. The gas attendant said it was done by computer, nothing to be done about it. Thankfully, the customer used a credit card and disputed the charge with his credit card company.
True, being real isn't enough. But again, all I said was that she was real and authentic, not that she was a great leader, and I contrasted her with Mary Landrieux, who seemed to put on a display for the cameras of her concern and distress.
I fervently hope those two A-A policewomen prominently shown helping themselves are now ex-NOPD.
Surely you jest!
Lawlessness ....the last frontier
It seemed to me that they were private security guards, not actually policemen.
...By the way, among the looters caught on tape were two female store security guards!!...
Were they security guards or Police Officers. MSNBC called them Police Officers last night and I couldn't tell from the uniforms.
Were they shown looting or just watching people? If they were guards then they don't have guns. Police officers looting is sad.
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