Donna Brazile: I Will Rebuild With You, Mr. President (must read)

Washington Post ^ | 9/16/05

[linkinpunk]

I Will Rebuild With You, Mr. President

By Donna Brazile

On Thursday night President Bush spoke to the nation from my city. I am not a Republican. I did not vote for George W. Bush -- in fact, I worked pretty hard against him in 2000 and 2004. But on Thursday night, after watching him speak from the heart, I could not have been prouder of the president and the plan he outlined to empower those who lost everything and to rebuild the Gulf Coast...

I know, maybe better than anyone, that there are times when it seems that our nation is too divided ever to heal. There are times when we feel so different from each other that we can hardly believe that we are all part of the same family. But we are one nation. We are a family. And this is what we do. When the president asked us to pitch in Thursday night, he wasn't really asking us to do anything spectacular. He was asking us to be Americans, and to do what Americans always do...

Mr. President, I am ready for duty. I am ready to stir those old pots again. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work.

The writer, a Democratic political consultant, managed Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign.

[1rudeboy]

Call me a cynic, but this is damage control from that post-speech ABC broadcast.

[savedbygrace]

Translation: I'm getting a piece of the easy money coming down the track.

[i_dont_chat]

Photo at link:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/11/brazile/

[ncountylee]

"Translation: I'm getting a piece of the easy money coming down the track."

Sad but true. A race baiter only changes its spots for major green.

[silverleaf]

If Donna Brazile likes this plan then
"Ruh Roh...."
(Scooby Doo)

[OpusatFR]

The left went way tooooo far and know it.

This is more damage control.

Won't work. The damage has been done and the Internet has a very very very very long memory.

[dinodino]

Her fingers were SO crossed behind her back as she wrote this.

[rogue yam]

Call me a cynic, but this is damage control from that post-speech ABC broadcast.

What was the post-speech ABC broadcast?

[msnimje]

Well, if you Democrats, who are so blinded by and consumed with your irrational hate for George W. Bush had given him an honest look and listen to years ago you would have seen this is who THIS MAN IS!!!

[Miss Marple]

The DNC must have taken a poll on their response. Continued Bush-bashing was driving the public away. I am convinced of this because Ellen Ratner was positive about the speech this morning.

If you will remember, right after the speech Kerry, Reid, and assorted pundits like Matthews were very negative. Suddenlly, yesterday, all of that stopped.

I don't think they had a change of heart. I think the numbers were in the basement and now they are doing damage control while they think of another way to attack the President. (Moon-bats like Cindy Sheehan don't count.)

We just have to be ready for the next attack, because as sure as God made little green apples, there is going to be another one.

[gridlock]

"I'll hold the football, Charley Brown..."

[TexasCajun]

Governor BlankO is also playing nice too since her unaware live remarks about calling for help earlier have been played and read coast to coast.

[selucreh]

A standing ovation for Ms. Brazile. Now I can only hope some of the others in her entourage will drop the rhetoric and get onboard. I CAN hope, can't I?

[betsyross1776]

Please Donna , do not do us any favors we like the president the way he is. The last two guys you worked for were either a mindless robot or a stiff.

[linkinpunk]

I'll bet Donna Brazile just got banned from DU.

[gridlock]

You just know what would happen...

[Bar-Face]

Donna Brazile? Is this the same Donna Brazile that I have disliked for the past ten years or so? Or is this someone I haven't heard of with the same name.
Something funny is going on and I am not too sure what it is.
Did the Democrats and media overstep and now are trying to move back into the main steam?
If there is anything in this country I do not trust it is a Democrat or the MSM, so we shall see.

[rockabyebaby]

Retranslation: Bush sounds more and more like adem every day.

OMG! If I didn't see the President making the speech, I would have thought I was listening to gigilo or teddy hiccup, I'm not liking Bush's attitude towards this Katrina thing, he's becoming an enabler.

[WillMalven]

Wow, I never expected to see this from such a partisan Democrat. I actually detect a hint of honor and honesty in this post rather than the usual politics.

[ShandaLear]

Trust, but verify.

[1rudeboy]

What was the post-speech ABC broadcast?

Click-through and enjoy. Click farther-through for some video (or was that the Rush thread? I don't remember). I went to sleep chuckling.

Evacuees surprise ABC with Bush praise [Free Republic}

[selucreh]

And that wouldn't be a big loss in the long run, no, wait, from DU, yes, a major loss. Oops!

[Mashood]

If indeed they're on-board, it'll be nice to see them support the program cuts needed for the rebuild.

[Mashood]

If indeed they're on-board, it'll be nice to see them support the program cuts needed for the rebuild.

[Lancey Howard]

I agree with your analysis.
Add to it the fact that the rats want to appear reasonable and bipartisan right now so that they have some credibility when they begin the Borking process of the next Supreme Court nominee.

[dawn53]

Did the Democrats and media overstep and now are trying to move back into the main steam?

I think we have a winner!

[yobid]

I missed that one. Do you have a link?

[expatguy]

Many people around the world who might have disliked Bush before now - have a real respect for him now.

The reaction from SE Asia might surprise some.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[evolved_rage]

Time for a George Bush Sr. moment:

"Watch you wallet!"

[Hootch]

I agree with you. She actually said that she was "Proud" of the president.

I am still leary of her but I appreciate her words, so far...

[WillMalven]

Disasters make strange bedfellows.

The rest of you, don't be so cynical. I would rather take a statement like this at face value and be disappointed than be like a source of negativity like our Liberal brethern.

[DesertDreamer]

I want to believe Ms. Brazile is sincere and really willing to ignore political divisions. I willtruly believe she is sincere when she addresses the NAACP, DNC, Black Congressional Congress, et al, with the same remarks, compelling them to put feet to her hopes.

[You Dirty Rats]

I believe Donna Brazile was immensely proud and pleased when Condi Rice became SecState, and said so. I'm by no means convinced that her attitude here is not genuine. We shouldn't be in a rush to dismiss what she has said.

[Bob]

The DNC must have taken a poll on their response.

DING! DING! We have a winner.

As soon as the DNC found that they were damaging themselves politically, their 'principles' changed. Ooooops, bashing isn't working, let's make nice-nice.

[dleach]

I think you are missing the point. The path that Bush is taking to rebuild the gulf coast is the way we want it. With enablement zones and encentives and small business creation, ect...

[Huber]

Whenever observed behavior is inconsistent with experience, the cause can usually be divined by following the money.

[cripplecreek]

When you wave wads of cash around everybody wants to be your friend.

[aShepard]

She must have misplaced her Presidue Klintoon knee-pads!

[NavySEAL F-16]

Donna was the one who used the BUSES to get these
same people to the polls to vote in 2000 for Al Gore and
then for Blanco and Mary Landrieu in both the general
elections and then the run-off.

Donna just doesn't want anyone asking her about
the BUSES.

There's also an article from 1996 with the dems bragging
about their use of buses in that election.

I also agree -- FOLLOW THE MONEY!

[daybreakcoming]

Well, what would be your plan if you were president?
We rebuilt Europe after WW2 and at least half of the countries were our prior enemy and we did much of the destroying. A piece of our country was destroyed by an act of nature. Again, what else can we do?

[bray]

She was touched by the speech and his courage. That doesn't mean she still doesn't hate him, she just likes this program. We'll see if the actions match the words.

Pray for W, NO, MS and Our Freedom Fighters

[selucreh]

Good words, thank you.

[cynicom]

Tainted goods, throw it out with the other garbage.

[McBuff]

Look folks, the left feels they have won here. . .that's why they are happy. ..they think they got Bush to capitulate. .they think their attack, attack, attack strategy has forced Bush away from conservative principles. . .and he's willing to spend ANYTHING to buy his way out. . .NEXT, they believe, BUSH WILL HAVE TO RAISE TAXES OR GET OUT OF IRAQ BECAUSE HE CAN'T DO IT ALL WHILE TAKING CARE OF THE POOR!!

Never take you eye off the enemy. . ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SMILE!!!

[rockabyebaby]

I'm not missing the point, Bush told them the government will be there for as long as need, he should have said, hey, here's some money to last the next month or so, after that, find a way to rebuild your lives, the government is NOT responsible for taking care of you til death do us part. Bush is NOT teaching them how to be independent, he is throwing money at the problem just like DEMS, he should be teaching these people to be self sufficient not dependent on the government, too many of these people have an 'entitlement' attitude and Bush is playing right into their hands.

[McGavin999]

I'm going to tell you what I think. I think Donna Brazile has been waking up for quite awhile now. I'm not going to be cynical about what she's written because I believe she love her city and she loves New Orleanians. Will she be able to put aside partianship? I don't know, but I think she's really going to try.

[paulat]

We just have to be ready for the next attack, because as sure as God made little green apples, there is going to be another one.

Just a thought:

Brazile is part of a generation that hasn't been tested. I hope you understand what I mean. There is an exhilaration to facing a crisis. There is something very energizing about being called to "step up to the plate."

Libs don't have that "can do" attitude...but all of a sudden...when it happens to THEM...they find resources in themselves they never knew they had.

I'm not naive...Brazile is the most partisan person around. I just think there's going to be a whole new generation of folks out of Katrina who will say, "We accomplished something." And there will be pride about that. The Dems don't understand that that is where you get self-esteem.