Posted on 09/11/2005 9:57:10 AM PDT by John Jorsett
I was just watching Fox News Sunday interview Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and I couldn't believe what she was saying. Here's my transcript of part of it. Sorry if I've mangled any of the proper names; I'm not going to go to the trouble of looking them up:
Chris Wallace: "Was it incompetent and insulting for Mayor Ray nagin to order a mandatory evacuation, but then to leave buses -- and we have a picture of them -- hundreds of buses idle so that they could be flooded instead of using them to get people out?"
Senator Landrieu: "Well, Chris, I was there as you know through the whole ordeal with state and local officials, and was right there with Louisiana Democrats and Republicans, city council members, police chiefs, mayors, and governors. And could watch what Hayley Barbour was doing and Governor Reilly in Alabama. I am not going to level criticism at the local level. These people did ..."
Wallace: "But I'd like to answer if you could this one significant question ..."
Landrieu: "I will answer it. I'm not going to level criticism at local and state officials. Mayor Nagin and most mayors in this country have a hard time getting their people to work on a sunny day, less [sic] alone getting them out of the city in front of a hurricane. It's because this administration and administrations before them do not understand the difficulties that mayors, whether they're in Orlando, Miami, or New Orleans face. In other words, ..."
Wallace: "But but wait. Senator. Senator ..."
Landrieu: "... this administration does not believe in mass transit. They won't even get people to work on a sunny day less [sic] alone getting them out ..."
Wallace: "But Senator. Senator, there were hundreds of buses sitting in that parking lot ..."
Landrieu: "... less [sic] alone getting them out ... I'll tell you why ..."
Wallace: " ... can I just ask the question?"
Landrieu: "You can, but let me finish ...
Wallace" "Well ... well ... well there were hundreds of buses ... if I might ... here, we're looking at a picture ... there were hundreds of buses in parking lots. THe city ... It wasn't underwater before the evacuation."
Landrieu: "Those buses were underwater ..."
Walace: "They weren't underwater on Sunday ..."
Landrieu: "We had two catastrophes. We had a hurricane and then we had a levee break. When the levee broke, not only did New Orleans go underwater, but Saint Bernard went underwater, and Saint Tammany parish went underwater ..."
Wallace: "But they weren't underwater on Sunday ..."
Landrieu: "... and Plackman went underwater. And because the mayor evacuated the city, we had the best evacuation between Hayley Barbour and Kathleen Blanco of any evacuation I've sen. I'm 50 years old, I've never seen one any better."
Walace: "But there were 100,000 people left in the city."
Landrieu: "They did 100,000 people left in the city because this federal government won't support cities to evacuate people, whether it's from earthquakes, tornados, or hurricanes. That's the truth, and that will come out in the hearings."
That may be so. It would be very satisfying to see her republican opponent drag out all her 'blame anyone but us RATs' rhetoric and rub her nose in it. She will never be ashamed of her behavior because RATs have no shame.
Senator Landrieu, here's what I see as "the truth." You are an elected federal official from the state of Louisiana. You are blaming the feds for the failure of the local governments in the evacuation of New Orleans. Inasmuch as you are a federal official - what have you done in order to ensure that evacuations would take place? What legislation have you proposed or supported regarding federal evacuations in the event of disasters?
As a duly elected federal official from Louisiana, I would think that it was your responsibility and your duty to know what hazards faced NOLA, and to take the appropriate actions to lessen or eliminate those hazards. What have you done towards that end?
How many times were you on the phone with the state government and city government to request or order a mandatory evacuation of NOLA including the use of city transportation assets?
The truth, Senator, is that you failed to take the appropriate actions. The governor of the state failed to take the appropriate action, and the mayor of the town failed to take the appropriate action. Had that action been taken though, I feel quite certain that you would find something else to try to attack the President over.
Actually, it's an advantage since it allows her to relate more closely with the voters in her party.
She is trying to overtake Barbara Boxer as the stupidest member of the US Senate, and she is certainly in contention for the title.
Where is Mary in the elected chain of authority here?
String her up - and why did not the state provide for a plan to seal off breeched canal levees. That is going to cost us billions
You HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD...didn't the state of Lousyanna just get a letter from the FEDS requesting a return of $30,000,000+ ... lousyanna's documents to support monies from the feds don't jive.
I would imagine behind closed doors...there's tough talk...the hammer is coming down on lousyanna crooked officials. STATE and FED level
"....I love the sound of liberals squeeeeeling in the morning...."
"Mayor Nagin and most mayors in this country have a hard time getting their people to work on a sunny day"
Otherwise known as the "lazy, fat-@ssed government worker" defense. Not going to be very helpful for the Dims long term, I'll wager.
The statement also has more than just a whiff of racism, given that this is New Orleans, nearly 70% black, that Landrieu is speaking of...
This is the perfect example of constipation of the mind and diarrhea of the mouth.
Landrieu and Blanco both are more hysterical each time they are interviewed. They have both lost any credibility they thought they had. It would be better for them to just be quiet and dodge interviews. What politician can do that?
All the liberal women in Congress are stupid.
Legally speaking, she's not in the chain at all. You might say that she's the missing link.
Just like congressional reps, senators aren't part of the executive/administrative process.
"I also take comfort in knowing a huge chunk of the Democrat voter base has been effectively shipped out. Now I'm hoping the people will punish the Democrat incompetent leaders come 2006/2008."
This state could swing Repub - especially given Bush's quick move to fix the FEMA problem while the Dems continue to circle wagons to stem mounting proof of malfeasance on state and local level.
Honore for Governor!
Whew, thank you for that! I thought I just couldn't understand her because I was a racist and hated white Democratic governors.
I have yet to see a competant or honest Democrat from LA open their mouth on this subject. Guess the people get exactly what they elect.
Of course Mary's scared to death of an investigation. Her daddy was the mayor of NOLA for years. She and her brother have been involved in the Louisiana Democratic Party for years too. Can we say there's plenty of skeletons in the closet and I'm sure a lot of family enrichment over the years.
Stupid at the FED level? Ain't got the time to list'em all.
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