Posted on 09/06/2005 7:41:00 PM PDT by MplsSteve
AUSTIN, Texas -- Like many of you who love New Orleans, I find myself taking short mental walks there today, turning a familiar corner, glimpsing a favorite scene, square or vista. And worrying about the beloved friends and the city, and how they are now.
To use a fine Southern word, it's tacky to start playing the blame game before the dead are even counted. It is not too soon, however, to make a point that needs to be hammered home again and again, and that is that government policies have real consequences in people's lives.
This is not "just politics" or blaming for political advantage. This is about the real consequences of what governments do and do not do about their responsibilities. And about who winds up paying the price for those policies.
This is a column for everyone in the path of Hurricane Katrina who ever said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not interested in politics," or, "There's nothing I can do about it," or, "Eh, they're all crooks anyway."
(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...
Opinions anyone?...other than the expected eye-rolling and gagging sounds you'll resort to while reading Molly's column.
I thought she never passed up the opportunity for a double cheeseburger.
"I find myself taking short mental walks"
And then she is worn out and needs to sit down and rest.
Well, ol' Molly certainly knows about high winds caused by hot air, so why not? Why I wonder does any paper continue to carry this lunatic's ravings?
Tow the old windbag to New Orleans and let her blow the place dry...
More 'fun' from Mo Do Junior.
The moonbats have been let out of their caves again. This feels so familiar, Just 9 months into GWB's first term we had the terrorist attack, and now 9 months into his 2nd term we have Katrina..after both horrible events the Bush haters come out in droves to play the Blame Game. It's all so crazy ..and of spooky.
I've been watching a show on the National Geographic Channel. It was about the California earthquake in 1989. It was Bush's fault.
How far are her wind sprints, 10 feet?
She uses a discredited argument and ignores the Mayor and Governor completely. Another liberal puke.
Stop - Read no further...
Short mental walks are the only kind Molly gets to take!
With a small pick-up in front...Wide Load.
Gawd, man, did you have to post a photo? Urrrp.
Liberals always telegraph their punches. Of course it is, Molly, and nothing but.
The Minneapolis StarTribune (aka The Red Star) is a huge Molly Ivins fan. Her columns appear on a regular basis.
Other than the fact she's a Texas liberal (like her colleague Jim Hightower), I've never been able to figure out her level of rage for George Bush. She sounded like this when Bush was still governor of Texas!
Don't you think Quasimodo would be more than a little pi$$ed at being associated with Molly Ivins?
I think you may owe him an apology.
I traditionally make mooing noises in response to Molly's columns, but at this moment, on this topic, I'm not in the mood for her crap. That bovine tub of lard needs to just go away.
Who cares what Moldy Ivins thinks?
Sorry Quasi. But hey, you're far far far far superior to her.
Ack!!
I was just about to post a plea that everyone should ignore the Ann Coulter rule!
She's mad because President Bush beat her gal pal in the election for Gov. of Texas. Can't even remember the name, Ann Richards? Still gets her panties all in a twist when she thinks about it.
Nobody outside of media junkies gives a rats ass what that ugly old communist thinks.
The Lushmistress of Slime!!
Is this because she has such a short mind ?
That's why?! OK, that explains it.
Yes, her name was Ann Richards.
TY for the info!
Just bias from a partisan hack.
There were three breeches of the walls of canals - not 2
She is attempting to blame a budget cut from 2 months ago (and the Bush Administration) for the engineering problems.
I've had my concerns about this woman since she celebrated the suicide of her father in a column a few years ago.
To paraphrase David Lee Roth, her problems are more mental than dental.
I was basically just guessing, but I'd heard they were friends. You probably shouldn't take it to the bank, but I'll bet it ticked her off.
Indeed, Ms. Ivins sounded like this when Bush was the Managing General Partner of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.
Finally! I couldn't figure out who Dean reminded me of - it's Molly Ivins! Irrational hate.
And they both remind me of Madelyn O'Hair.
Interesting. I didn't know that she grew up in a life of privilege.
Let me guess. Did she attend some finishing school or college out east? I'll bet she picked up a bunch of her crap ideas out there too.
She needs her diaper changed!
When W ran on a platform of signing a CCW bill when he was elected, and hammered Granny at the next election, Molly was said to have actually frothed at the mouth, and eaten her own weight in Krispy Kremes. Molly breathlessly awaiting the Hell's Half Acre shootout that was sure to come, and I guess the hypoxia damaged her brain.
When W ran on a platform of signing a CCW bill when he was elected, and hammered Granny at the next election, Molly was said to have actually frothed at the mouth, and eaten her own weight in Krispy Kremes. Molly breathlessly awaited the Hell's Half Acre shootout that was sure to come, and I guess the hypoxia damaged her brain.
Is that what this airhead means?
You mean people still read her stuff .. I mean SLOP ..??
Like so many FReepers and gutless Republicans.
She's probably spent a lifetime honing her bitterness.
You make up your own mind!
In case you aren't familiar with how our government is SUPPOSED to work:
The chain of responsibility for the protection of the citizens in New Orleans is:
1. The Mayor
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to the Governor)
3. The Governor
4. The Head of Homeland Security
5. The President
What did each do?
1. The mayor, with 5 days advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation (at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds of buses at his disposal.
2. The New Orleans director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not doing what he should have done. (So much for political appointees)
3. The Governor, despite a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit, failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2 DAYS AFTER the storm hit.
4. The Director of Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the Governor called for them
5. The President urged a mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency, freeing up millions of dollars of federal assistance, should the Governor decide to use it.
Oh and by the way, the levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
The disaster in New Orleans is what you get after decades of corrupt government going all the way back to Huey Long.
Funds for disaster protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their friends.
Decades of socialist government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the community, and made them dependent upon government for every little thing.
Political correctness and a lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish.
The sad thing is that there are many poor folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they voted into office failed them.
For those who missed item 5 (where the President's level of accountability is discussed), it is made more clear in a New Orleans Times-Picayune article dated August 28:
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In the face of a catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, a mandatory evacuation was ordered Sunday for New Orleans by Mayor Ray Nagin.
Acknowledging that large numbers of people, many of them stranded tourists, would be unable to leave, the city set up 10 places of last resort for people to go, including the Superdome.
The mayor called the order unprecedented and said anyone who could leave the city should. He exempted hotels from the evacuation order because airlines had already cancelled all flights.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding. (emphasis mine)
The ball was placed in Mayor Nagin's court to carry out the evacuation order. With a 5-day heads-up, he had the authority to use any and all services to evacuate all residents from the city, as documented in a city emergency preparedness plan. By waiting until the last minute, and failing to make full use of resources available within city limits, Nagin and his administration fouled up.
Mayor Nagin and his emergency sidekick Terry Ebbert have displayed lethal, mind boggling incompetence before, during and after Katrina.
As for Mayor Nagin, he and his profile in pathetic leadership police chief should resign as well. That city's government is incompetent from one end to the other. The people of New Orleans deserve better than this crowd of clowns is capable of giving them.
If you're keeping track, these boobs let 569 buses that could have carried 33,350 people out of New Orleans-in one trip-get ruined in the floods. Whatever plan these guys had, it was a dud. Or it probably would have been if they'd bothered to follow it.
As for all the race-baiting rhetoric and Bush-bashing coming from prominent blacks on the left, don't expect Ray Nagin to be called out on the carpet for falling short. You want to know why? Here's why:
It's more convenient to blame a white president for what went wrong than to hold a black mayor and his administration accountable for gross negligence and failing to fully carry out an established emergency preparedness plan.
To hold Nagin and his administration accountable for dropping the ball amounts to letting loose the shouts and cries of "Racism!". It's sad, it's wrong, but it's standard operating procedure for the media and left-wing black leadership.
Mark my words: you will not hear a word of criticism from Jesse Jackson Sr., Randall Robinson, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, or Kanye West being directed toward Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. Why? Because he is just another black politician instead of a responsible elected official who happens to be black. In the mindset of more-blacker-than-thou blacks, black politicians who are on their side can do no wrong.
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