Top federal officials left out of loop (Well wha-da-ya know)

The Washington Times ^ | 09-05-05 | Audrey Hudson

[smoothsailing]

State and local officials did not inform top federal officials early on of the deaths and lack of food among hurricane victims in the Superdome or convention center, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

Mr. Chertoff said neither he nor Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown was told of the deteriorating situation in New Orleans until Thursday night.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I remember Jeff Goldblat from Fox was at the dome talking to people in line and said he planned to go inside (as did that dude from NBC). Janice Dean started getting very squirmy during the day on Sunday about the roof on the dome and worried it wouldn't hold, and then Jeff showed up later in the Quarter with Shep and said "they didn't go inside the dome because no cameras were allowed inside."

Of course, they weren't supposed to let knives and guns inside, either...

Wonder how long the NBC dude (I don't like him) stayed there after the lights started to dim? He didn't look all that happy in one shot of saw of him on MSNBC.

[smoothsailing]

What is it with Susan Collins? I've never heard anyone talk the way she does.

[smoothsailing]

LOL! FOX is light weight,they should be freepers.

We know everything! ;)

[Arizona Carolyn]

Can we do a switch -- Lieberman for Snow.

[Arizona Carolyn]

It was reported before Thursday about the people breaking into the Convention center and using crowbars to pry open the metal storage doors and taking out food and drinks stored in there. The 'bad' guys took most for themselves and shared as little as possbile with the others.

If I remember all I read clearly I think some of the violence gets confused between convention center and super dome. They had something like 14 (could be 17) bodied in the freezer at the convention center. They put them in there because of the stench.

I think it was Thursday that we saw Steve Harrigan outside the Convention Center and he was showing the body covered with the yellow quilt.

It REALLY got attention on Friday when Geraldo showed up there.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I just read an article In the Daily News (on Drudge) that amazed me. The police were given the day of the storm off:

And how's this for preparation? Cops were told not to work on the day Katrina hit, one officer told The New York Times, but "to come in the next day, to save money on their budget."

[Arizona Carolyn]

I'm so sick of political correctness, and so hungry for someone to take on the democrats and put a foot in their behinds that General Honore' is looking really heroic to me these days. Even Rick Leventhall on FOX asked him to run for President!

[Arizona Carolyn]

Brit Hume showed them.

[peegravel]

At the startup of a FEMA response, I would be upset if I knew they were watching TV. It was NOT FEMA'S responsiblity to determine the status and location of problems; it was city & state's duty to have command & control of emergency response. The federal responders at this time was a logistics response to get people, equipment, and supplies as directed by the LA command center which apparently was non-functional, possibley non-existent

[Deb]

And wasn't the body under the quilt an older, white lady? Apparently George Bush doesn't care about old, white ladies either.

Also, we need to start the Drinking Game every time Geraldo mentions "Willowbrook".

[sport]

Bump!