Posted on 09/05/2005 10:26:53 AM PDT by nj26
As one who has seen these hurricanes up close as a Gulf Coast resident, news reporter and member of Congress — where I got a behind the scenes look at how to run relief operations — I have been trying to connect the dots for those of you who have not been so intimately involved in hurricane recovery efforts.
With so many trying to figure out why so few acted professionally in the first days of this epic crisis, I offer an insider's view of who is to blame for this national disgrace.
We begin with Harry Truman who famously declared that the buck always stops at the president's desk. For those who now define the term conservative as unwavering support for George W. Bush, even this suggestion is maddening.
But the bottom line is that despite the fact the president was strapped with two governors who bungled this crisis badly, in the end it is the president who sends in the National Guard and FEMA relief.
The president's suggestion that the size of this storm caught all by surprise just doesn't get it. His administration was 48 hours late sending in the National Guard and poor Americans got raped and killed because of those mistakes....
Secondly, the first responders in any hurricane are local and state officials. When Florida was struck by four hurricanes last year, Governor Jeb Bush was nothing short of spectacular. Louisiana Governor Blanco was breathtakingly clueless as were other Louisiana officials. The deaths of many lay on their doorsteps.
FEMA’s Michael Brown also shoulders the burden for the suffering in New Orleans. His claim that no one knew of the suffering on the ground until Thursday defies logic. America knew the crescent city was drifting toward chaos on well before Tuesday....
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Great tagline.......much truth is said in jest.
The MSM (of which Scarborough is a part) are lazy as well as biased .
They would rather jump on the 'Blame Bush' bandwagon that investigate the facts, connect the dots and look at what really happened.
Very frustrating but at least we have the pajama freepers toiling at their PCs.
It is NOT the job of the president to deploy the national gaurd. In fact he legally CANNOT.
90% of that video will never be aired again....
I also forgot. Does anyone have FR link to the thread listing the correct chronology of events?
I'll simply bookmark it because these 'columnist' keep distoring the facts or making accusations that Bush himself is blowingup levees..etc. Thanks
How long until the MSM finds the Katrina version of the Jersey Girls/ Cindy Sheehan template to demand hearings, blame Bush,... I bet Fenton Communications/Soros? Micahel Moore is training fresh recruits right now!
True...I for one cannot forget the pictures.
Finally, Scarbloviator shows his true colors and starts trashing the people who have been supporting him for years. This guy only wished he was the second coming of O'Rielly.
Please.....not to get excited. This guy and that blooming drunk idiot Chris Matthews are going nowhere, and....so is Rita Cosby (no one is watching)! MSNBC just doesn't get, and most likely never will!!!
New Orleans is a quagmire. Bush should get out of New Orleans right now. He shouldn't have gone there in the first place. Our children shouldn't be sent to die for oil.
msnbc sux waffles. I do watch Imus some but that is strictly for entertainment value; not substance. I watch Fox with the sound off till Brit comes on. I find more in-depth, informed commentary and research on FR.
Bookmark
Fair enough, when it comes to the federal government's performance. But I always thought that little sign should be on every state, county and local government executive's desk, in spirit if not in fact, when it comes to what goes on in their jurisdictions. I'd say that in at least one local jurisdiction, it definitely was not.
I don't think 1000 officers were no-shows. I believe their whole department is only 1200, or they have 1200 uniformed PO's and the 300 are upper brass. All 1200 were supposed to be on duty and from what I have heard 200 are unaccounted for right now. I did hear 2 committed suicide on the job and several are feared dead from the storm.
There's an interesting point in that. I wonder how many of these talking heads think so much of themselves that don't realize that a number of people frequently put them on mute. I know I have no hesitancy to do so.
And, really, do we need commentary? Most folks watch TV for images. Commentary you can get on radio, print and net. In that sense if you mute CNN, they can actually be a good channel to watch in big events because of their capabilities to be everywhere but take them off mute and it send one turning the channel.
Has anybody thought to ask....what about Mississippi and Alabama and Florida.
Mississippi was probably the hardest hit by the storm. Did their governor ask for federalized troops? Did they get federalized?
Did that governor then begin implementing their emergency plan? Is that working?
Or...is there chaos in the streets of Mississippi?
In short, compare the two side-by-side states and the two side-by-side governors and their actions and responses.
Rationalization, time-lines, finger pointing and claims of innocent, well intentioned ignorance of the situation will fill our newspapers and tv screens for at least until after the next presidential election cycle. We will hear every jot & tittle of who did what; and when.
I for one will never watch his show again.
But does this moron realize that the more he goes left the worse are his ratings. Chris Matthews show and Olbermann show are clear examples that he should know about extremely bad ratings of left wing shows, unless for Joe Scarborough the good ratings are the approval of the defeated liberal media.
Still waiting to hear about that!! Wish someone would ask the creep to explain 'the mystery!'
I agree completely. The mute button is our best friend where TV is concerned. You are also right that the images speak for themselves without the need for some hack trying to tell us what they mean to them.
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