Air America caller from N.O. blasts N.O. mayor and Governor (Caller was Julia Reed)

al franken show ^ | Sep 2 05 | Julia Reed

[churchillbuff]

Rachel Maddow as sub host for Al Franken, was interviewing Julia Reed, a well-known writer who lives in New Orleans. Reed said she was "ashamed" to have the mayor and governor she has. Both of them blew it big time. The mayor, she claimed, was on radio Monday night downplaying the situation, and saying that people breaking into pharmacies was not a big deal. She said New Orleans is unsafe most of the time -- cops can't stop the gangs -- so officials should have known a hurricane would create big-time lawlessness

She said homes on St. Charles Ave are now occupied by people who didn't own them. "Desperate people" replied Maddow -- No, "lawbreakers," said Reed.

A later caller complained that Reed sounded like a Rush Limbaugh

[jim_trent]

> Devilcrats

Personally, I always thought they were called Demoncrats.

[ken5050]

NO..was it on tonight?..I just got home..

[bray]

Tried to make a half hour of Dead Air US today and could only last 10 mins. Their absolute hatred for W is all they have, period. Get this straight, this is a police state but there are not enough troops in NO???

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[jch10]

Please enlighten me!! What did the president do wromg?

[Wallaby]

no -- 2nd straight night it wasn't on. No explanation. Just that ditzy feel-good anchor couple.

[Cheburashka]

Wow, on Air America no less.

---

Yes, that has to be a serious format violation.

She's lucky they didn't bleep out her comments as obscene.

[sandbar]

>>>What exactly do you folks think the feds should have done in the middle of a CAT 4 hurricane? Just curoius.>>>

Not in the middle, after. And when they realized that the governor was comletely NOT handling, yes barge in and take over.

[lndrvr1972]

Oh, let us not forget Rachel is a LESBIAN, because she mentions it more than she reports the news.

[MikefromOhio]

big time myth.

[Captain Kirk]

He didn't have boots on the ground for days after the event. Here is another more recent

example

Again, this a local, federal, and state screw-up. Trying to pretend that the feds without fault in this matter is partisanship at its worst.

[ladyinred]

May I say that politicians in LA have been corrupt since time began? I have family there, and family from there, and the stories they tell start way back, and continue to the present.

[jch10]

"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." http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?base/news-18/1125239940201382.xml&storylist=louisiana

The president declared a state of emergency on Saturday so that federal assistance could be utilized. I have read here on FR that the governor did not request federal aid until the day after the hurricane hit. FEMA responded, in NO as well as in MS and AL. I saw much misery and suffering but I see no "fault" here, especially from the president's perspective.

Do you have different facts?

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Victoria Delsoul]

The mayor, she claimed, was on radio Monday night downplaying the situation, and saying that people breaking into pharmacies was not a big deal.

And he's been complaining last week that Bush was at fault, now is Blanco. These people can't take responsibility for their ineptitude and incompetence.

[rerat0120]

The average person can drive a school bus, if they are able to drive a U-Haul/Ryder moving van. I am a licensed bus driver. Many of the school buses manufactured in the last twenty (20) come with automatic transmissions. As long as the individual stays between the lines, and there are not too many turns, didn't have to backup the buses, the problems could be kept to a minimum. I remember that the first bus that arrived at the Astrodome was driven by an 18 year old, without a commercial drivers license. Also I bet there were several hundred evacuees that had some type of truck license, and could also drive the buses.

First of all they would never have sent people out in buses in 100 mph wind, but wait until the wind subsided. Also no one said that people needed to drive even at the posted speed limit, of 55 mph, more like 65 mph. Each group could have traveled at 45 mph, with some type of escort, the trip would have taken a little longer. Also rest stops could have been closed to the public, and fuel depots with NG or active duty troops and their fuel trucks, to keep the buses fueled. To keep the buses moving back and forth between Texas and New Orleans. But that was not to be, cause the Mayor, wanted to only Greyhound type coaches to move the people out. The other funny thing is that NO Greyhound bus terminal is adjacent or worse part of the Superdome complex. Instead of using it as gateway out of N.O., it is being used as a temporary city jail facility, go figure.