Hugh Hewitt: A Good Speech by a Good Man

Hugh Hewitt ^ | 9/15/05

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

A Good Speech by a Good Man

September 15, 2005 06:45 PM PST

Perfect pitch returned tonight, and the president's looks backward and forward were on target. As Chris Matthews observed, it sounded a little LBJ/FDR-like in its vows about the underclass of the recovery region, but that is exactly why it worked so well: That is what needs to happen, and he identified the best approaches in the empowerment of entrepeneurs and the retraining of the evacuees. The enterprise zone could prove a turbo charged motor to the effort, and the promise of innovation was well delivered.

So too was the emphasis of the president on the private side of the relief effort, on the central issue of home ownership, and of the need for local union to help local union, small congregation to help its similarly situated cousin, for every American to stay committed. The president's sincere faith connected with Americans of sincere faith, and the weeks and months ahead will show again and again that this trust in the avergae American's good will is well placed.

Finally, the serious notes he sounded on the need to review and improve the emergency plans across the country, and to empower the American military to become the first responder when scale requires it, was exceptionally well delivered. Millions of Americans had to have heard this portion of the speech from this man and concluded that he is very serious indeed about fixing the gaps.

And except for his bitter opponents, they will trust him to move the reforms forward.

[Prost1]

Good analysis by a good man.

[DrDeb]

I agree with Hugh's assessment and yours!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Harry Reid is a bitter little pipsqueak - I couldn't believe his remarks today.

I missed the president's speech this evening - so I didn't hear if he confronted the essential dilemma of N.O. - you either have a sustainable wetland buffer that acts as a hurricane shock absorber for the city - or you have a navigable Mississippi River. If it is somehow possible to have both, I haven't seen that explanation yet.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

He alluded to the fact that a lot of planning will have to go into the rebuilding. He certainly did not endorse building right on top of everything that was destroyed.

[expatpat]

Somebody once said that you should never ask a question that you can't stand the answer to. The fact is that the wetland will never be allowed to remove the navigability of the Mississippi, so why bring up the question......?

[ladyinred]

Just a little while ago I was berating LBJ to myself for his Great Society. He created this mess that we must all pay for. Having said that, I know the cities and people must be helped. I do wonder however, where all of the money to the Red Cross, Salvation Army and various other charities is going if the government has to foot the bill. I know Americans have given tons of money.

[Virginia Queen]

Well said! Amen!

[uptoolate]

Smart speech by a smart man. Since he was being blamed for all the fallout, Bush played it perfectly. He came out and took responsibility for what wasn't his to take. Then he said it should not happen again. Oh how everyone is feeling good about now. But then came the smart part. He said the Federal Government will have to come in and "assume control" right from the beginning to keep everything in order. Screw state's rights. Screw state's constitutions. Screw protocall. When the states realize what he just did they're gonna have a fit. What will a "national emergency" consist of? I can hear it now. "What do you think you're doing Mr. President? This is my State. You just can't walk in here and take control", the Governors will say. At that point the President should say, "If I'm gonna have to take the blame for what happens here, then I'M gonna decide what happens here. Thank you for your service Governor, you've now been relieved of all your duties. Now go drive that bus please"

[JLAGRAYFOX]

A great speech from the commander-in-chief. It was clearly evident that he has his arms around this gigantic and multi-faceted challenge to our country and our people. I believe the majority of the American people will support his efforts, and work along with him to restore the Gulf Shore and New Orleans to a better state than before Hurricane Katrina caused her devastation. I am dismayed by many Freepers, who by their comments, do not understand, nor appreciate the immense challenge this restoration of property and lives of our citizens is. It is historic, and requires the participation of the Federal government and the entire country to respond. Our country has reached a critical crossroad. I personally believe we have a leader that will take us through that crossroad to a much better and brighter future for our country and all Americans. How small and insignificant the Democrat Party and the MSM look tonight!!!

[smoothsailing]

Thanks for posting.

I saw President Bush as both a healer and a leader tonight.He acknowledged the tragic nature of Katrina and made it clear he appreciated both personal loss and personal courage.

He spoke of the Gulf Enterprise Zone,the entrepenuerial spirit,and private-public sector co-operation.Home ownership and job training were important features.

He was what he has always said he is,a compassionate conservative.

[Ann Archy]

Hugh Hewitt said Slow Joe Biden was the Ted baxter of the Senate!! LOL!! Hugh, I LOVE ya!

I thought it was a TOTALLY Conservative speech!! It was a "I'll teach you to fish and we'll help you build your boat, also." NOT the LIBERAL LBJ/FDR speech "Here's your fish today, make sure you vote for me or the mean, evil Republicans will take away your fish tomorrow"! BLAH.....it was a way OFF of the Plantation that they have been kept on by their slaves the Democrats!!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Well - since a wall/dike/levee system high enough and substantial enough to block a Cat 5 storm surge ought to cost $200B all by itself (let alone the costs of rebuilding the destroyed parts of the city) - I thought it was worth asking.

I have been to N.O. on business for very brief visits on two occasions. Everything I know about the levee system and Corps of Engineers activity in the area comes from John McPhee's excellent piece in The New Yorker back in 1987 (Here) and some of the better pieces written in the aftermath of Katrina (but that's not saying much). My understanding is - the Mississippi, left to itself, would meander and deposit sediment all over the Mississippi Delta. By being channeled and protected as a navigable waterway - the deposition is essentially going to the end of the river and falling off the Continental shelf. The remaining Delta region is sinking at the rate of 1/3rd inch per year, and the wetlands along the coast are disappearing at a rapid rate. If you diverted the river to get sedimentation to the rest of the delta, the main channel would not be navigable. If you keep the channeling of the Mississippi - the sinking phenomenon means that the walls/dikes/levees have to keep on getting bigger/taller to protect the city.

Any good cost/benefit analysis includes a "do nothing' or base case alternative. That's not to suggest it is politically palatable or feasible - but that those paying the freight deserve an explicit accounting of the alternatives.

[RayChuang88]

As usual, when President Bush does a scripted speech he blows the Democrats away in no time flat.

[Sunnyflorida]

Agree. Plus the flooding in New Orleans did not come in over reclaimed wet lands. In fact the only way it could have been stopped is if the Lake would have been drained and filled or a giant flood wall be erected east of the lake across wetlands.

[Sunnyflorida]

As the flood did not reach the French Quarter, yet the city was supposed to be 12-20 feet under sea level, it became clear that some in the MSM & FNC did not understand the topography. This may not be perfect but does help understand the basics of the topography of the NOLA area.

The original city of New Orleans (the French Quarter) was and still is above sea level. It sits between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, of course. The Mississippi was also slightly above sea level when New Orleans was established. Lake Ponch is and has been about at sea level. It is not really a lake but more like a bay or estuary on the Gulf of Mexico.

In the beginning, as long as the Mississippi River did not flood, the original City was dry because it was higher (slightly) than the River or the Lake. A levee was built along the Mississippi early in the history of New Orleans to keep the City dry when the River rose. This is similar to the flood control system used throughout most of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers' basins today.

Over time the levees along the Mississippi were built higher and higher so the River could handle larger and larger boats - and the City got more and more protection from high water up the River. Also, before the levees whenever there was a dry spell the River would become too low to be navigable and the main channel could wander across the flat landscape. So the levee system along the Mississippi serves two functions: 1) it creates and maintains an all season deep draft water way; and 2) it protects the City from seasonal River floods.

The levees that failed during Katrina have an entirely different purpose. These levees are not on the Mississippi but front Lake Ponch. They are designed to "reclaim" wetlands. As the city expanded beyond its original boundaries it built levees along the Lake and drained the land with pumps. The pumps and levees continued to hold back the water somewhat successfully (until Katrina). The elevation of the area actually slopes down as you move away from the River!

The IRONY is that what people mean when they talk about "restoring the wetlands to prevent subsiding" what they are actually saying is "let the area flood from time to time to get a new layer of silt". And the ironic thing is that is just what Katrina did! The environmentalists got their wish.

There are two big questions that must be dealt with: can any of the residences that were dunked be saved and how to rebuild? The options are try to make a foolproof levee system (probably impossible). Or reclaim the really low areas back to wetlands. Or do a dredge and canal system like we have here in Punta Gorda. None of these are easy choices. One thing for sure it will take years and years, cost billions, and will bring out all kinds of political debates.

[Sunnyflorida]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2125810/

This is the best thing I found on the web after days of research on the facts. Notice the price tags. I would suspect they are about as close as NASA's original projections for the SpaceShuttle. Just a guess.

[Sunnyflorida]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2125810/

This is the best thing I found on the web after days of research on the facts. Notice the price tags. I would suspect they are about as close as NASA's original projections for the SpaceShuttle. Just a guess.

[Stew Padasso]

If NO is worth salvaging, the private sector will (should) be the driving force and determining factor.

[Sunnyflorida]

Woops forgot second link.

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/12/national/nationalspecial/12rebuild.html&OP=78fb0b15Q2FzWcXzNQ60Q7CrqQ60Q60yozo!!3z!Q7Dz_ozuByQ2AQ60uBxzuByQ2AQ60uBxrmcQ7CQ2ABxz_oqcXpQ2AxNTOyHx