Posted on 09/01/2005 1:44:40 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling the president “weak and uncertain,” U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. blasted Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina on Thursday. A lack of coordination has left the poor in critical danger, the Tennessee Democrat said.
“There are all these poor people with no place to go, and the president’s answer is ’hang in there?”’ Ford told The Associated Press.
He cited a lack of coordination between national and local agencies and called on the military to deploy “all amphibious vehicles and helicopters to assist in rescue and recovery.”
He also said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more teams of Army Corps of Engineers should be deployed, and that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should personally go to New Orleans and lead the effort.
“Now is not the time — in the face of pain, anguish and death — to be weak and uncertain,” Ford said in a statement.
Ford’s 9th District, which includes most of Memphis, borders Mississippi and Arkansas along the Mississippi River. He announced in May that he will seek the Democratic nomination to replace Sen. Bill Frist in 2006.
The White House did not immediately comment about Ford’s remarks.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who represents the neighboring 7th District, accused Ford of sniping.
“I’d suggest folks put the cheap shots aside for a few moments and concentrate on supporting the recovery efforts,” she said. Blackburn is headed to Mississippi to assist with the cleanup and recovery, she said.
Ford said his criticism wasn’t made for political gain.
“We have the capacity to deal with this,” he said. “I don’t want to see the president ... make anymore missteps, make any more mistakes.”
The military expects to increase National Guard deployment to 30,000 from around the country to help with security, rescue and relief.
But Ford said the response, which left tens of thousands stranded without food and water for days on rooftops, in abandoned areas and inside the Louisiana Superdome — some dying before help could arrive — was too slow.
Ford, whose own district was hit by the weakened Katrina as it moved inland, plans to raise money for the victims along the Gulf Coast. Speaking on his way to Memphis, he said he will also encourage Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen to waive the gas tax in an effort to lower rising prices.
Ford’s office issued a statement Thursday afternoon stating that in addition to assistance being offered by Tennessee schools to students enrolled at closed Gulf-region schools, the congressman is offering internships to displaced students in his offices in Memphis and Washington, D.C.
He said “for some students re-enrollment at other schools may be too difficult or they may want to wait until their records can be retrieved next semester.”
“I want to do my part to ensure students affected by the hurricane have the opportunity to have a productive academic year,” said Ford, who’s urging his congressional colleagues to follow suit. “If only half of the members of Congress participate, hundreds of students could potentially benefit.”
Congress is expected to approve $10 billion to cover immediate relief needs for all hurricane victims before the weekend under a rule that would not require most members to be in Washington.
Ford is slick and attractive.
It would help if Pres. Bush tried to appear a little more vigorous.
I'm upset that Bush didn't deploy the Weather Machine Mark IV to just make the hurricane go poof. Why can't Bush snap his fingers and make all the water go bye-bye. Does anybody get that N.O. is under water, roads and bridges are washed out. We can't send in thousands of troops till we have a place for them to set up shop. Because guess what Troops need water and food also.
Indeed....well said!
let Ford get his sorry a$$ in one of those helicopters or rescue boats thare are being shot at by the poor. Then, MAYBE, he can talk !
The Dims are politicizing this tragedy. We should hit them with one of their own 'talking points'.
"The White House did not immediately comment about Ford’s remarks"
and I hope they never do.
That's because the local agencies are unprepared IDIOTS!!!! ARRRGHH!!
LQ
The only thing that could have been done was to move New Orleans.
Yep. But she has vanished. She can't go on television without bawling like a baby, so her handlers are hiding her.
The media is doing its best to make sure that Bush is presented in the worst possible light. The despicable Jack Cafferty on CNN has been railing at Bush all afternoon.
Take a cue from CLINTON of all people and SHUT THE HELL UP RIGHT NOW YOU DESPICABLE LOW LIFE TWO BIT POLITICAL CLIMBING OPPTUNISTIC SCUMBAG!!
We need to get our guys out to verbally assault the ghould in the demon-crat party.
You both got me, ouch that hurt.
I read the title and launched.
Did no one tell this Democrat that NOs mayor and the govenor are inept Dems? He needs to look a little closer to home for “weak and uncertain”.
Well he can't blame the state or the city. They're run by Democrats.
Well, the response could have been a bit faster but for all the lawless people in NO who stayed to loot the place.
What Sam Kinison used to say (or scream) was "Why do we drop food down on Africa...we should be dropping luggage...MOVE TO WHERE THE FOOD IS!!!!"
The press are protecting the Governor and Mayor because they are incompetant Democrats and the reason their is far more chaos and destruction in LA then the other states.
Leaders lead and set a positive example
Losers snipe and criticize - guess which group FORD is in?
Perhaps we need to send a large SCARLET LETTER to these
DEMOCRATS with the Letter "L" on it and remind them that they are losers!
Hey, Harry Ford, what are your solutions?
As a true liberal you have never held a job, created a job or solved a problem.
Bush declares emergency in Louisiana (Hurricane Katrina)
AP ^ | Aug. 27, 2005 | Staff
Posted on 08/28/2005 1:23:07 AM EDT by Anti-Bubba182
CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana on Saturday because of the approach of Hurricane Katrina and his spokesman urged residents along the coast to heed authorities' advice to evacuate.
Bush, vacationing at his ranch, was being regularly updated about the storm, which is expected to hit land early Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency continue to coordinate with state authorities in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, and have prepositioned supplies in areas expected to be affected, he said.
The president's emergency declaration authorizes the FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance in a number of Louisiana parishes, or counties.
Authorities told residents of low-lying coastal communities to head for higher ground. The storm was expected to strengthen as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and could become a Category 4 hurricane with wind of at least 131 mph.
"We urge residents in the areas that could be impacted to follow the recommendations of local authorities," McClellan said.
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