[BigBobber]

OK, I saw this press conference live, and I had a very different read on it. The reporters were asking legitimate questions about the two chains of command in LA, because D Gov. Blanco had refused to federalize the relief effort, like Alabama and Miss. had (with R governors). That means the National Guard and the U.S. armed forces where under separate command in LA. Reports were coming in that this led to a lot of red tape and difficulty coordinating the relief effort. Director of Homeland Security came lame response that "everyone was in the same room and got along OK".

The general (who is not well spoken- uses a lot of dees and dats) went on a rant that was not dissimilar to the NO mayor. During his bluster he said the reports were B.S. He asked the source of the report and was told it from an area congressman. This was embarrassing to the general, not the reporter. He said he would have to apologize to the congressman later.

The follow up question had to do with violence in NO. The kind of stuff we've all been reading about for days on FR. He said there was no violence and everything was absolutely under control.

I don't buy it. This guy is all bluff and did not represent the armed forces well. He's covering up for the Democrat governor of LA and downplaying the armed thugs running around the city. He bluster is probably pretty effective in getting subordinates to hop to and for intimidating girl reporters, but if I was his commander I would question his veracity and ask some more pointed questions.

[Miss Marple]

He was talking about the situation on the ground NOW, not four days ago. He specifically asked the reporter if she had been out on the streets. She said yes. He asked her if she had been accosted. No, she replied.

He also told the reporter who was questioning the slowness of communications restoration if they knew so much, get out there and help! Also with some cussing, which I thought was well-deserved.

He has a Cajun accent. I like it. I like the general, who is getting things done and has put the reporters in their place.

And I don't much care for Bobby Jindal, who has done nothing except whine about FEMA, and has never said one word of criticism against Blanco or Nagin.

Your opinion is off the mark. If you want to know other Freeper's takes, read the live thread, or the thread on General Honore in the General forum.

[Rebelbase]

You're thinking about the 1st half of the game. The general said in another interview that now it's halftime and he's only going to concentrate on the 2nd half of the game.

[GretchenM]

I had the same general reaction on first seeing the back and forth as you did. It stood out to me that the reporters' jobs are not to go out and do the rescue and recovery, which he told them to do rather than ask questions about it (meaning: verbally sniping at those who are doing the work).

However, as Miss Marple said, he served a very useful function in that the press were more afraid of him than of Rumsfeld. That was worth a lot.

[Sioux-san]

Blanco and other Dem-feminists hate Bush so much that they are willing to let people suffer and even die rather than ask for help. This is about as low as it gets, methinks.