White House Passive in face of Democrat, Media Smear on Hurricane

Powerline ^ | 9/4/05 | John Hinderaker

[raybbr]

Ping! to a thread related to our Obama discussion yesterday.

[roses of sharon]

Dems like Russert have made their living advocating big government, laws, rules, bureaucracy, ect.

And when 40 thousand troops don't swoop in the day after, save every soul, serve water, coffee, pop, with hot meals, have beds, pottys, and tents, at the ready, well their Utopian Hollywood script just failed.

Idiots. Imagine the field day they would have with Hillary care, (altho I doubt they would report on all the waiting for operations, and death)

[Congressman Billybob]

The bitter irony is that Senator Mary Landrieu is a product of the corrupt system in New Orleans that has contributed for decades to the failure that became the New Orleans disaster. I've written before about direct corruption involving her father, former Mayor Moon Landrieu.

The corrupt and stupid political machine in New Orleans elected Mayor Nagin, who ignored the evacuation plan from 2000 which called for buses to get the people out who had no private means of transportation. Nagin beat feet to Baton Rouge, and let both the buses and the people sit where they were.

The corrupt and stupid political machine in New Orleans also provided the margin of victory for Governor Blanco, who had the responsibility to call out the National Guard. She rejected President Bush's suggestion that she call out the Board BEFORE Hurricane Katrina hit.

Then, of course, there are the local police in New Orleans. Some attempted to protect and serve, in impossible conditions. But many abandoned their posts, and some actually engaged in looting, themselves.

If anyone needs to be punched in the face, it is Mary Landrieu, not George Bush. (Not that I am actually proposing physical violence, mind you. I do admit, however, that the one time I ran for office I had award-winning posters, one of which said, "Fight Crime. Punch a Politician Today." LOL.)

I agree with Hinderacker that the Bush Administration should fight back against this tide of lib-Dem dishonesty. But it should NOT be with mere soundbites. Instead, it should be with a heavily-factual time line of who did (or did not) do what and when.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Tide of Lies Swamps NY Times: Employees Riot and Steal Office Supplies"

[syriacus]

I agree that those who know the truth should spread it to counter the Dem lies.

I think that, over the long run, the Dems are fighting uphill

Many of those young folks who rode in transport helicopters are, right now, thinking about their strong and skilled rescuers .

The do-nothing Dems will have a hard time competing with the strong image of the "do-or-die" rescuers in uniform.

I look forward to a substantial increase in the number of recruits for all branches of service.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Let me add that people who adhere to the "let them hang themselves" strategy often fail to fully realize that that strategy can only be successful if the masses are able to see the big picture. Only if they are able to attain a wide informational scope can they come to the realization that one side is disingenuous or lying [this typically requires a high dependency on the media]. Only then will the opposition have hung themselves in the observer's mind. There is no doubt that the strategy is very powerful but the chances of successful fruition are slim IMO. The side that implements such a strategy places much power in the oppositions' hands. Obviously when that happens the odds for success are reduced greatly. I don't doubt the people just their chances of acquiring the necessary information that can result in a "lying bastards" epiphany. IMHO of course.

[tanknetter]

the president himself can't go political, but there is no reason why some of our senators can't be out there refuting people like Mary Landrieu et al.

No reason to ... yet. There will certainly be Congressional hearings on this, which will adminster unto NO and LA the political equivilant of an ungental prostate exam (one of the reasons why, imho, Nagin, Blanco and the Landrieu family are attacking now - they're trying to politically innoculate themselves).

Those hearings will take place MUCH closer to the 2006 election.

Letting the Dems go on record now only gives the GOP a chance to know where the attacks are coming from, THEN choose the ground where the actual battle will be fought.

[Klickitat]

The mainstream media's handline of Hurricane Katrina and the disasters in New Orleans is a disgrace, possibly the worst instance yet of media bias. BTTT!

[11Bush]

Russert can't be as stupid as he sounded

Want to bet?

[Nathan Zachary]

" Once again the Democrats show that their vision of the world and in crisis, extends as far as the next sunset."

You're right about that. I haven't heard ONE Democrat offer up what THEY would have done to make everything come up roses. The problem is any solution they offer has to go back and point the finger at the failure of local and state (Democrat) Government leadership, and they know it.

[pageonetoo]

I was researching the NO website, aread this from one page about emergency preparedness...

Emergency Guide for Citizens

Message from Mayor C. Ray Nagin:

Dear Parish Residents,

The safety and well-being of the citizens of New Orleans is my greatest priority. For this reason, our Office of Emergency Preparedness has prepared this Guide to help individuals during times of natural or man-made disaster. The information contained is designed to help everyone deal with these emergencies in an effective and sucessful manner. Knowledge is power and knowing what to do during an emergency can be lifesaving. Our City, due to its central gulf location, is one of the most vulnerable in America to the furies of a hurricane. Heavy rains, because of our topography, can and do cause severe flooding. Our City’s place as one of the busiest rail centers and second busiest ports exposes us to potentially numerous hazardous materials incidents. All of these factors combine to make an effective Citizen’s Guide a necessity. This, our second annual update, serves that purpose. But, like any good tool, it is useless unless read and acted upon...

I am sure some consultants made a lot of money on this. It has all of the right ideas. It's a crime that NOBODY IN NEW ORLEANS OR LOUISIANA GUM'T, bothered to take care of the people..

[pollyannaish]

As frustrating as it has been for some, this administration is brilliant in holding it's ground, even gaining ground while it's enemies haplessly charge time after time.

They remind me of Tweety singing sweetly and innocently while Sylvester comes up with his "brilliant, fool proof" plans. The President never complains, never finger points, appearing to bumble along his merry way.

The cat never sees what's coming. The bird never changes it's tune. But only one of them wins—every single time.

We need to defend this president. He needs to keep singing the same old tune.

[cubreporter]

Guess they've never really learned from that phrase about when you find yourself in a hole...quit digging. Let them rant.

[Nathan Zachary]

It looks like Nagin himself never read the mission statement of this guide. Too busy chasing down drug addicts I guess. He seems to be obsessed with them.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Office of Emergency Preparedness is responsible for the response and coordination of those actions needed to protect the lives and property of its citizens from natural or man-made disasters as well as emergency planning for the City of New Orleans. Our primary responsibility is to advise the Mayor, the City Council and Chief Administrative Officer regarding emergency preparedness activities and operations.We coordinate all city departments and allied state and federal agencies which respond to city-wide disasters and emergencies through the development and constant updating of an integrated multi-hazard plan. All requests for federal disaster assistance and federal funding subsequent to disaster declarations are also made through this office.Our authority is defined by the Louisiana Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, Chapter 6 Section 709, Paragraph B, “Each parish shall maintain a Disaster Agency which, except as otherwise provided under this act, has jurisdiction over and serves the entire parish”.

[WideGlide]

The Democrats know that in order to defend itself against their onslaught, the administration will have to criticize the people who really bungled the job--the Governor of Louisiana, the Mayor of New Orleans, and other local officials.

Senator, and I use that term loosely, Landrieu would you please explain how it is that your party can find buses and every functional manner of transportation to move millions to the polls on election day. But having no use for the poor, mostly black, citizens of New Orleans in September of an off election year you abandon your constituents and 300 life-saving city school buses to the flood. The corpses are your party's shame Senator.

[msnimje]

The Grown Ups in the White House are busy going about the Country's business while the Dems and the Media are busy criticizing the way it is being done.

[pollyannaish]

This has disturbed me more than anything else over the Bush Administration's entire tenure. There are very few people in the House or Senate willing to go to bat for the guy. Frankly, it ticks me off.

I can only figure that the Lott fiasco was mishandled and the appropriate trust was not built because of that situation. Who knows. Or perhaps there has been vigorous defense and we don't hear about it.

Whatever it is, it's exasperating.

[jeffers]

The American people aren't buying the smear campaign. The other websites I frequent show this and an ABC poll confirms it.

The White House is working towards strategic goals right now, goals that will affect the way that the next several years of effort are directed.

It will cost a hundred billion dollars, minimum, to rebuild New Orleans, and pumping that kind of money into Blanco's pockets is tantamount to flushing it down the toilet.

Bush is working to remove her incompetence from the equation and right now, that takes political compromise and maturity. It also takes precedence.

If he succeeds, she will become a political non-entity, a governor without a state or taxbase. If he does not succeed, then he will likely level the cannon and blow her out of the water with the well documented storm preparation and storm response failures at the state and local levels.

Looks past the shrill, Bush bashing media, and see that their very hysterics are an indication of just how scared they are.

The Left is about to lose an entire state, they know it, the media knows it, and all the emotional outbursts they can produce will not change the facts which have already been recorded.

With every day that aid increases in flow into the stricken areas, these attempts to cover up the corrupt and self-serving practices that have become a way of life in Louisiana government are running out of ammunition.

When the time is right, they will be overrun.

[dfwgator]

They remind me of Tweety singing sweetly and innocently while Sylvester comes up with his "brilliant, fool proof" plans. The President never complains, never finger points, appearing to bumble along his merry way.

The Rats remind me of Plankton on Spongebob who keeps trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula.

[p23185]

>>>the inattentive masses lazily believing their lies<<<

I agree

[Brofholdonow]

I agree. This attitude dragged out Bolton's nomination, is doing the same with Robert's and now that Renquist's seat is open, things will really get complicated by continuing to give the demo's and the MSN time for more lies that will be met by more silence.