Katrina Live Thread, Part XIV

Various ^ | 2 September 2005 | Various

[MarMema]

"I just got here last night, and haven't been to bed yet. I haven't really had a good full briefing yet. Now is not the time to point blame."

Witt when asked why there were no communications in NO.

[bwteim]

WWL

Updates as they come in on Katrina

01:15 PM CDT on Saturday, September 3, 2005

Tom Planchet

1:14 P.M. - Marriott hotel press release: Marriott has established a toll-free line for friends and families to call for information about guests and associates who may have been affected by the hurricane. That number is (866) 211-4610. Outside the U.S. and Canada, the direct dial number is (402) 390-3265.

1:09 P.M. - Health spokesperson: We have 21 children separated from their parents and we are trying to help get them with their parents. The children range from infancy to 8 years of age. missingkids.com 1-800-THELOST. The spokesperson said there are additional displaced children out of state and they are working on getting those numbers as well.

1:03 P.M. - (AP) Evacuees continue to board buses at the New Orleans Convention Center, with many people filing past corpses to make their escape. Conditions are crowded and many people have had to leave bags full of belongings at the side of the road because there's no room. National Guardsmen are providing security at the center. They're confiscating knives and letter openers from people before they board.

12:55 P.M. - WWL-TV: City Councilman Oliver Thomas is livid that evacuees are being taken out of the state capital to shelters in other states because, according to him, the city is scared of New Orleans residents.

Thomas said Governor Blanco has done the best she could do, but said she has to tell people around the state that N.O. residents are not thugs and looters, and to accept them in their community. "They got a lot of good people in New Orleans," Thomas said.

Said he was at the scene of the alleged "riot" at the Centroplex, but that it was blown out of proportion.

Thomas said that only a few people are committing acts of criminal looting, and are not in the majority.

[LadyBuzz]

real men are incredibly sexy

[SE Mom]

ROFLMAO........Chertoff just told a reporter the kind of question he just asked would be ruled "argumentative in court"......

[PureSolace]

Where are the dolphins?

[nuclady]

*yep - she'll hand them their testicles on a plate*

OR, she could use the "Hillary Clinton Testicle Lock Box." Good grief, the first time I heard that on Rush Limbaugh I almost lost bladder control for laughing.

[LadyBuzz]

she'll do just fine & we'll all be very proud

[hipaatwo]

Thanks. The race baiting is making my blood boil. How many starving and displaced in the African countries are called refugees. They are black and I see no one complaining that calling them refugees is racist but when done here it is? Talk about hypocracy at it's best.

[samantha]

Actually Witt was not that bad at Fema. He needs to just do his job and stay out of the way of the Current Fema Director Brown, and keep his mouth shut and not interfere.

[Txsleuth]

Like I said on other post...

Perhaps I was listening wrong last night...and the media wasn't slanting it that way...I will admit to being pretty upset by the "racist" aspect of some of the media..and I might have projected that onto the story...

I hope so...because ya'll are right...the Bush Admin. doesn't work that way....

I feel better now...thanks....

[Uncle Ike]

"ROFLMAO........Chertoff just told a reporter the kind of question he just asked would be ruled "argumentative in court"...... "

For those with short or selective memories -- there was a contingent of posters on this thread (or its ancestors) demanding that Chertoff (among others) be FIRED forthwith.

Just a reminder

[RDTF]

I am impressed! Listen to his rant right now about his confidences!

[conservativebabe]

Thanks for your response. That's a shame. The truth will come out in the end.

[MarMema]

Blanco - "Yesterday I was with fema director Brown, and he told me that hiring Mr. Witt was the right thing to do".

"We don't pretend to have all the manpower internally...we need to put the *right* kind of people in place to help us as we proceed."

(Anyone else reading this like I am?)

"fema has never handled anything of this magnitude. Ya understand?"

[tcrlaf]

"I don't like politics, it just takes you off-task"

So I guess that explains why this DINGBAT just hired Witt???

[norton]

"Until they can get a LONG WIDE SWATH of dry land to drop on, they can't do it without dropping pallets everywhere, some of which will land on *people*. See old refs to "bombing and killing people in Afghanistan with supplies".

(Moment for light hearted memories...) "Bet I can drop my pallet of chickens on top of your pallet of chickens.."

[Heatseeker]

The appropriately named Governor Blanco now explaining to the press why she hired Witt (even the reporters seem bemused by this). Blah blah blah.

Translation: "I got a call from Chappaqua".

[supercat]

They obviously are trying to make the best of things.

Didn't the mayor tell people to try to make this a good experience or somesuch?

[LadyBuzz]

keeping his mouth shut is going to be the hard part - he's a partisan hack

[SE Mom]

This guy is exactly the kind of sane and balanced "git 'er done" man that we need. Actually- I'm impressed at this point with his attitude and tone.