[gondramB]

I think it's a combination of being overwhelmed, not particularly competent and paranoid about allowing Federal help/control.

And thousands likely died as a result.

[C210N]

I don't think so... its too crafty and requires too much intelligence. I use the similar reasoning to reject the "Nasa faked the Moon landings", since it requires too much of too many people.

For Blanko, It was just plain incompetence.

[Sthitch]

I don't think that she is bright enough to have any grand strategies.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

I think it was more like he didn't hink it was going to be that bad and if he did call for evacuations and it was minor, he would be criticized for wasting money and everybody's time for nothing.

[isthisnickcool]

They are idiots. Nothing more or less.

And why would they kill off their voter base to get at a president that can't be re-elected anyway?

[karlito]

All I can say is that this thought has been running through my mind repeatedly over the last week, as I watched Blanco completely drop the ball. I wonder if there might be an email trail that might just expose her.

[martin_fierro]

"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence"

[Americanwolf]

If what your suggesting is that Blaco refused to act to give the administration a black eye, I think that is pretty ludicrous....

Your suggesting that a Governor willing sat by and refused to act by which actions she knew could cause possibly thousands of deaths. That is tantamount to murder or Negligent homicide... I cannot believe that just for a political power play any politician would do that.

Now if we are talking incompetence at her post. Yes I think she is quilt of that. Are both her and Mayor Nagin guilty of considering political ramifications before acting and by that slowing the reaction yes..

They would have to have rock solid evidence to ever convict a sitting governer of something like that...

conversely it would be much easier for Louisiana to impeach her for incompetence.

[jennyjenny]

Is this a joke?

[Prost1]

I think it was not because of insightful political wiliness, but because she was crying every 10 minutes as she watched her career and "reputation" go down the sewer.

[B4Ranch]

>>Governor Blanco DELIBERATELY delayed acting because she knew she would create a human trajedy she could then blame on the President?<<

Ridiculous! I don't think any American would do something that horrific.

[Apercu]

I no longer put anything past the Dems.Politicizing Iraq & now Katrina proves they will do or say anything for the sake of regaining power.They are no longer the loyal opposition - they are a fifth column.

[SeaBiscuit]

That is absurd. But she did hesitate, and the reason(s) could be that she wanted to keep this under state control, or she just 'lost it' and couldn't handle the responsibility. One of my own theories is that she wanted control of the operation because she is hiding something, something to do with Money.

[Always Right]

i don't think it was planned, but Blanco's hatred of Bush contributed to it, and probably caused more deaths.

[Daralundy]

I have heard her method of working called "deliberate". I think her mind works very slowly. This would be alright most of the time but not in an emergency. In an emergency she might come to the right decision but by then everyone would be dead. Unlike the President who has a mind that can integrate factors and probabilities very quickly.

[Eva]

First, Blanco underestimated the force of the storm and the prepartions by the city of NOLA.

Second she was afraid to admit her mistake and look like a fool. So.... she just delayed the inevitable and let people suffer. She behaved like a two year old in a power struggle over taking a nap.

[afnamvet]

Nut cases in charge of the asylum.

[Dallas59]

Nah. They did what any good Democrat would do when they screw up...Blame Republicans.

[thoughtomator]

I don't think it's that complicated. I think that Blanco and Nagin probably stole most of the money that was supposed to go into disaster planning, and got caught with their pants down. They were too busy covering their respective tracks to help in the aftermath. Of the two of them, I'd say Nagin is probably more incompetent than corrupt, and Blanco more corrupt than incompetent.

[HitmanLV]

I've been thinking about this: Has anyone considered that, maybe, Governor Blanco DELIBERATELY delayed acting because she knew she would create a human trajedy she could then blame on the President?

No. Not at all.