The tubby one, with the hillary ankles, her butts big enough to plug the levee. General . . get er dun.
Posted on 09/06/2005 1:49:06 PM PDT by HAL9000
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour got a hug. Gov. Kathleen Blanco was lucky to get a hello.The friction between state and federal officials has been brewing for the past few days and bubbled to the surface with President Bush's visit to Baton Rouge on Monday.
In fact, Blanco did not learn Bush was coming to Louisiana for the second time in three days until informed by an Advocate reporter late Sunday night.
The news prompted Blanco to scrap her plans to visit Houston on Monday with former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, her spokeswoman, Denise Bottcher, said. Blanco asked three of her daughters to fill in for her.
Meanwhile, the governor's staff spent much of the early morning hours securing an invitation from the White House for Blanco to accompany the president and his wife, Bottcher said. Bush spokesman Scott McClellan told The Associated Press that the White House reached out to Blanco's office Sunday, but didn't hear back, and White House staff in Louisiana spoke with Blanco early Monday.
Blanco met the presidential party at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, carrying a letter to Bush which showed she's not budging on the issue of federalizing local law enforcement and the state's National Guard, which the president had attempted to do Friday.
"I write to ask you to work with me in developing a long-term plan for the rebuilding of the Louisiana economy," Blanco says in the letter.
From the airport, Bush and Blanco went to visit hurricane evacuees at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, where the two leaders kept their distance.
Later that day, Bush flew to Mississippi, where he warmly greeted Barbour.
Waves of National Guard soldiers from other states help quell widespread looting in New Orleans and evacuate thousands stranded by rising flood waters. Their arrival also prompted debate over whether Bush or Blanco should coordinate their efforts, three elected officials said.
The Bush administration on Friday asked Blanco to give the president control of local law enforcement and the Louisiana National Guard that now answer to the governor. Blanco refused.
Blanco said, when asked about the issue of federalizing state troops, that the issue involves the hurricane recovery organizational structure, not how rescuers are deployed.
Blanco said she needs flexibility to run the Louisiana National Guard.
More National Guard soldiers are needed in "Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Shreveport ... all the parishes receiving people," she said.
U.S. Rep. Richard Baker said he didn't want to do any "Monday morning quarterbacking." That includes not weighing in on whether or not Blanco should relinquish more control to the federal government, he said.
Baker said the Bush administration's goal isn't malicious, but to facilitate a more immediate response on resources, such as getting planes loaded and landed.
State and local officials last week complained that the federal help didn't come fast enough, with bipartisan criticism leveled at Bush himself.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie, said that during Bush's visit to New Orleans on Friday, Mayor Ray Nagin asked Bush and Blanco to hash out their differences. While on Air Force One, the president's plane, Bush and Blanco spoke privately.
"The rest of the delegation waited," Jindal said.
Later that day, Bush administration officials sent Blanco a legal memo seeking to federalize Louisiana law enforcement under the Insurrection Act, which is used to suppress civil disobedience that threatens to turn into anarchy. The act would clarify the chains of command of local, state and federal agencies with the president in charge.
Rather than cede control, Blanco on Saturday morning named James Lee Witt, who ran the Federal Emergency Management Agency under Clinton, to help run relief efforts.
In Bush's weekly radio address Saturday afternoon, he said the hurricane strained local and state capabilities, leading to people in New Orleans not getting the help they needed.
The next day, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu threatened to get violent.
"If one person criticizes them (local and state government) or says one more thing -- including the president of the United States -- he will hear from me," Landrieu said on the ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "One more word about it after this show airs and I might likely have to punch him. Literally."
After Bush's visit to Baton Rouge on Monday, Landrieu said that state, local and federal officials are now essentially on the same page, working as a team.
"The governor's leadership and the president's leadership, pulling these things together is excellent," Landrieu said.
Bottcher, Blanco's spokeswoman, refused to make a copy of the memo public. Blanco's team spent much of the day detailing the events that unfolded during the weekend, provided that their names were not used.
Asked directly and on the record, Bottcher refused comment.
After Monday's meeting, Blanco said Bush is satisfied with the organizational structure. "We are partners in this effort," the governor said. "We are a team. I want to say it again. We are a team."
My friends up around Shreveport might like that!!!
This is the right decision for a Governor IMO. That she is incompetent, pointing the fan at Bush and throwing sh-- at it is what is forcing his hand to confront her.
I'm more concerned about how these Boobs plan to restore New Orleans. These people aren't smart enough to slap their @ss with both hands, how then are they going to determine what is the best reconstruction plan for the city taking all things into consideration.
I'm still puzzling over what military rank Blanko has after seeing her wet spaghetti salute to the miliary escorts as Pres. Bush disembarked from Marine I Sat. in Baton Rouge. I wish I had Tivo at times like that so I could have kept it when I need a laugh.
Yes that's it. The article of course sought to justify the dems' statements, but I think that WP story is a total indictment of the governor of Louisiana. It basically says they obstructed the federal effort purely for political reasons, having nothing to do with the best way to save people.
Why do you spell it Blanko?
yes, she screwed up and so did nagin.
In fact, Blanco did not learn Bush was coming to Louisiana for the second time in three days until informed by an Advocate reporter late Sunday night.
Good. She's only a hindrance anyway. She didn't do anything for her people before the storm so why does she want to be with the Pres now? Face time is all. She is incompetent and her and nagin have both been rendered irrelevant! Works for me!!!
And I understand that the Feds are about to give them another $4 billion to steal, waste and burn?
Watching this Politically correct charade is just disgusting.
So the president said fine and called in the military, led by General Honore. Blank-O was circumvented.
As bad as things are, I won't assume any intention on the part of Blanco and Nagin to hurt people. I think incompetence is obvious, but I don't think we should overplay this. They were not prepared, didn't respond properly and, in accord with human nature, looked for others to blame. It is their fault, but I don't have reason to say they meant to hurt anyone, even in attempt to hurt Bush.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Her and nagin were mayor and gov in name only. All the fluff and no real substance or leadership when push came to shove. Both of them are incompetent. Both let their people down. If we are pointing fingers...both of them must be blamed.
10 days ago, Cindy Sheehan was queen of the world (at least in the media's eyes). Now she's all but forgotten. The same fate awaits Blank-O.
TheRedSoxWinThePennant wrote: "Yet Jindal had a funny (R) after his name. HUH! Thats weird. I wonder what party those three belong to?"
Simple explanation from the mind of the reporter... Everyone is supposed to be Democrat (it's the natural order of things, you know). So, when you're writing about someone who isn't a Democrat, you must point that out to all the readers. Like I said. Simple.
Blanco said she needs flexibility to run the Louisiana National Guard.She's full of you-know-what. It is entirely possible for her to give federalized control in just the territory of NOLA. During the Los Angeles riots, the President didn't federalize all of CA Nat'l Guard for every city.More National Guard soldiers are needed in "Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Shreveport ... all the parishes receiving people," she said.
She didn't want to give up any control. Therefore, the resulting mess is mostly on her hands.
Wouldn't you pay money to see General Honore reach over there and lay a Vulcan Death Grip on Blanco?
" I don't have reason to say they meant to hurt anyone, even in attempt to hurt Bush."
Whatever! Sen. Kennedy was out this morning saying Bush is poisoning the water, hurting the nations unity. They started on Bush before the strom hit shore (global warming), and have not let up since - not even to help heal.
Kennedy is whole different story. He is a sorry a$$, worthy of a good butt whoopin' by anyone willing to give it. In fact, I volunteer. His hatred for anything or anyone in his way is legendary. I don't cut him any slack. And don't get me wrong, Blanco and Nagin may be right there with him. I just prefer to get stability in NOLA before taking that road.
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