Posted on 12/04/2005 8:29:24 AM PST by prairiebreeze
BATON ROUGE, La. - As looters and Hurricane Katrina floodwaters ravaged New Orleans, Gov. Kathleen Blanco's top aides were inundated with requests from around the world, from celebrities, dignitaries and people whose relatives were trapped in the city, according to newly released documents.
Dan Rather and Oprah Winfrey wanted interviews. An outspoken congresswoman wanted a security escort in the flooded city. Cuba's dictator offered medical help; Venezuela's president wanted to chat with the governor.
The correspondence also shows that Blanco staffers also sought to boost her image and debunk rumors about rampant violence.
"FYI, the shooting of looters in Jefferson Parish is still unconfirmed," said an e-mail message from a state police lieutenant to Bob Mann, Blanco's communications director, four days after the storm struck.
The contents of Mann's e-mail inbox from Aug. 23 through Sept. 6 - hundreds of messages each day - make up part of the estimated 100,000 pages of documents Blanco's office sent on Friday to two congressional committees investigating government failures in preparing for and responding to Katrina.
Many are police reports about traffic, weather and crime, logs of calls from people needing to be rescued, plus public statements from the governor and day-by-day official reports on flooding, refugees and evacuation efforts.
Typo-laden e-mail messages deal with improving the public's perception of Blanco, who in the early days of the crisis appeared on television looking stricken and grim, and once wept during a news conference. In response, her aides sought ways to play up her strengths, even while the news media continued broadcasting images of thousands of people waiting to be rescued.
"We need to show the public that we've moved x number of people ... That all the shelters in La are full," speechwriter Chris Frink wrote in a Sept. 3 e-mail. "TV is giving the public a view of this entire crisis based on small, limited perspextives."
Blanco's aides were also aware of racial politics - an issue conjured up by the crowds of black New Orleanians who were forced out of their homes by flooding, then waited for days to be rescued, without food or water. When U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, a black Democrat from California, requested security escorts for a New Orleans visit, the head of state police denied the request, saying troopers were busy elsewhere.
Johnny Anderson, an assistant chief of staff to Blanco, warned colleagues to be cautious in dealing with Waters, who is often outspoken about race.
"Please handle this very carefully," Anderson wrote in an e-mail. "We are getting enough bad national press on race relations."
Other e-mails reflect the need to dampen rumors that swirled about violence and deaths. On Sept. 3, Blanco chief of staff Andy Kopplin reminded staffers not to pass on unfounded information, after he heard that evacuees had been quoted on the radio saying eight people per hour were dying inside the Louisiana Superdome. The report was false.
"Ok, please don't spread info like this even if conveyed by media as it is unconfirmed," Kopplin wrote.
Larry King, Dr. Phil, Oprah Winfrey and other television stars wanted Blanco on their TV shows; reporters from around the world wanted to interview her.
Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, contacted the governor's office on Aug. 30. He wanted Blanco to call him back to discuss Katrina.
"This might be one we should return as soon as possible," Paine Gowen, an executive assistant to Blanco, wrote in an e-mail.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro offered to send medical help. Louisiana economic development chief Mike Olivier wrote in an e-mail he had spoken with the Cuban ambassador. He suggested some sort of response to the dictator's offer: "Even a written email from the Governor would be good."
The documents involving the storm were requested by the House Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Blanco has said the documents will reflect that "dedicated employees of the state of Louisiana worked tirelessly and effectively during this period to save many thousands of lives."
Blanco initially opposed the congressional investigations, saying an independent committee should instead be formed similar to the panel that looked into the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The House committee has also requested documents from the White House and other federal agencies regarding their response to the disaster.
"Please handle this very carefully," Anderson wrote in an e-mail. "We are getting enough bad national press on race relations."
Blanco initially opposed the congressional investigations, saying an independent committee should instead be formed similar to the panel that looked into the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Jaaaaamie!! Please somebody call Jamie for me!! Hellllp!!
The only thing these emails confirm is how utterly leaderless and out-of-control the whole situation was.
"swamped". "Louisiana". Heh heh - funny.
I can only imagine how jealous the Dems must be!? Chavez or Castro? What choices ...
DemocRATS are always quick to accuse the Republicans of engaging in the exact type of activity that they themselves are engaging in. It's starting to become more apparent why the DemocRATS and their toadies in the national MSM were quick to accuse the Bush administration of a "slow response" because of "racism." This whole Katrina fiasco was a disgrace. We definitely need an investigation into WHO instructed the Black Caucii to go before the cameras before the wind had even stopped blowing and accuse the Bush administration of "racism." When Lewis and his ilk went to the "media" for their rich, white boy, DNC masters, and accused the Bush administration of "racism," they caused many Americans to turn away from this whole relief effort. Lewis did more to hurt the survivors of Katrina than he did to help them.
Check out this FR thread for far more damning e-mails.
"'I almost hate to ask but have we removed most or all of the people from big Charity?' Vandal asked."..............It's not apparent whether LeBlanc responded. However, the hospital wasn't emptied before the storm. The generator failed when the flood waters rose, leaving thousands of patients, medical staff and relatives in the darkened hospital for days. Some died before help arrived.
"Kopplin said in one message that national surrogates needed to promote the view that the federal response to the hurricane was 'anemic.'"
"Blanco has said the documents will reflect that "dedicated employees of the state of Louisiana worked tirelessly and effectively during this period to save many thousands of lives." "
I'm sure that is true, but she ain't one of 'em, and neither is Ray "The Noggin" Nagin.
"Why in the world would a return call to the President of Venezuela be considered a priority at a time like this?"
The mutual nature of all of their ideals, I would guess. (*shrug*)
A more accurate headline would read something along the lines of how Blanco allowed herself to be swamped by the storm.
great article.
Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, contacted the governor's office on Aug. 30. He wanted Blanco to call him back to discuss Katrina.
"This might be one we should return as soon as possible," Paine Gowen, an executive assistant to Blanco, wrote in an e-mail.
The Dims are bunk-buddies with Chavez of course. Ala President Peanut and other ties, you can be sure. He's one of their foreign toadies.
LOL!
repeat after me: Bush hates black people
Damage control. If the RATS were one tenth as good at National seucrity as they are at damage control, conservatives would have something big to worry about.
Meanwhile, in Mississippi, although just as devastated by Katrina as LA, the people picked up and started rebuilding under the genuine leadership of Haley Barbour.
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