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Today Show Focuses on New Orleans Looting as Gov. Blanco Looks Elsewhere
Today Show

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: blanco; katrina; looting; neworleans
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To: jimbo123

Unbelievable, he's even got one more stuffed in his back pocket!


61 posted on 08/31/2005 4:51:43 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: KateatRFM

Is this like the local meeting of the KKK?

Black people know a helluva lot more how to do than Loot?

Why do you engage in a racist rant?


62 posted on 08/31/2005 4:52:52 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: jimbo123
Looting beer just makes good sense. It is safe to drink when the water is not. It also leaves the dwindling supply of drinking water to the kids.

That being said, shoot every looter with an electric appliance.

63 posted on 08/31/2005 4:52:57 AM PDT by Pilsner
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"Speaking of the levees:"

I've been watching a lot of coverage on this and have yet to see one picture of the the water coming over the levees. It would seem to me that that would make for some real dramatic footage. With helicopters flying all over New Orleans it would seem to me that there would be some pictures. Have I missed something? Or are they intentionally not showing them to avoid creating even more panic? If anybody has seen any pictures of this I'd appreciate it if they'd provide a link.

64 posted on 08/31/2005 4:53:15 AM PDT by Jaxter ("Vivit Post Funera Virtus")
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
"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."


Excuse me?


You mandate evacuation ... the citizens leave their possessions ... and you allow looters to pillage and burn with impunity?


Gee whiz ... I wonder why many did not evacuate.


I suspect the governor-ess will be taking the "A" train to obscurity before this is all over.



65 posted on 08/31/2005 4:53:36 AM PDT by G.Mason
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To: Hatteras

Before the Hurricane hit, they interviewed two tourists. The husband was carrying a box, two cases of Bud Light and two bottles of water in the box. He and his wife were going to wait it out in the hotel. Wonder how that worked out!


66 posted on 08/31/2005 4:53:46 AM PDT by cyborg (I'm having the best day ever.)
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To: Jaxter

I don't have a link available, but did see footage this morning - can't remember if it was Fox or the Today show - of water pouring in through the breached levee. Total nightmare.


67 posted on 08/31/2005 4:55:49 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest (check out my posts on Today Show bias at www.newsbusters.org)
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To: cajungirl

Well someone are genuinely uninformed and ignorant. Maybe a nice person otherwise, but wow.


68 posted on 08/31/2005 4:56:08 AM PDT by cyborg (I'm having the best day ever.)
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Comment #69 Removed by Moderator

To: governsleastgovernsbest

Nature abhors a vacuum. It was only a matter of time I think.


70 posted on 08/31/2005 4:57:52 AM PDT by cyborg (I'm having the best day ever.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Dem Sen. Mary Landrieux......

The daughter of a leader but the leadership gene is not in her. She apparently got a double dose of the tell political lies gene.


71 posted on 08/31/2005 4:58:38 AM PDT by bert (K.E. ; N.P . The wild winds of fortune will carry us onward)
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To: Mark Felton; stopem

During times of crisis, man's true nature is revealed. Some unexpectedly become heros, others become thieves. Some scream hate and criticism while others engage in prayer. Some think of how they can help another, while others can think only of themselves. God is watching.


72 posted on 08/31/2005 5:00:31 AM PDT by toomanygrasshoppers ("In technical terminology, he's a loon")
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To: jimbo123
Low prices everyday, except yesterday when it was looted.


73 posted on 08/31/2005 5:01:47 AM PDT by Rebelbase ("Run Hillary Run" bumper stickers. Liberals place on rear bumper, conservatives put on front bumper)
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To: JarheadFromFlorida

There are many decent, churchgoing, hard-working people in the black community. Unfortunately, their culture has been overwhelmed by values in which education is disdained and being a 'gangsta' is prized.

I live in a small northern city with a limited minority population. I sat on the terrace of a restaurant last week located on a pedestrian shopping street. Many of the younger black guys who walked by seemed to be trying to make themselves look as much as possible like dangerous criminals. Sad.


74 posted on 08/31/2005 5:01:58 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest (check out my posts on Today Show bias at www.newsbusters.org)
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To: cyborg
Thursday evening, September the 6th, 1996, Hurricane Fran hit Wilmington, NC and came right up I-40 into Raleigh. Just a couple hours earlier I was standing in line at the local Kroger surrounded by people with multiple shopping carts full of bread, milk, toilet paper, flashlight batteries, candles, etc...

Me? A bag of ice, a couple of steaks, a bag of Kingsford charcoal, a case of Corona and two limes.

75 posted on 08/31/2005 5:02:07 AM PDT by Hatteras
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
They didn't, and now millions suffer

It's horrid to think of people waiting on roofs, perhaps drowning, the suffering, the superdome's miserable conditions...

76 posted on 08/31/2005 5:02:19 AM PDT by MarMema
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To: cyborg
He and his wife were going to wait it out in the hotel. Wonder how that worked out!

I wonder about "Yankee fan" guy too. I'm not sure you got to see him...he said he was visiting from NYC and that "the worst catastrophe in history was the Titanic in 1969, and even that had survivors," so he figured he'd be okay (!).

77 posted on 08/31/2005 5:02:57 AM PDT by Petronski (I love Cyborg.)
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To: mewzilla

You let the DOD take this over and where does it stop? Do you want federal troops eventually on every corner in America just like the federales in Mexico?

Not in my country.


78 posted on 08/31/2005 5:03:08 AM PDT by DaGman
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To: jimbo123

Are those flashlights?


79 posted on 08/31/2005 5:03:08 AM PDT by MarMema
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

That is why women should not be in charge of govenment. We are just not made to carry the burdern and make the kind of disions that need to be made.


80 posted on 08/31/2005 5:03:13 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek ("Over there, Over there, we will be there until it is Over there.")
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