Blanco and Nagin defend hurricane preparations in Washington

AP via NOLA ^ | 12/14/2005 | MELINDA DESLATTE

[ncountylee]

Under scrutiny from a congressional committee, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin defended their Hurricane Katrina evacuation decisions — as Republican lawmakers questioned Wednesday why thousands of people were left stranded in New Orleans without transportation as the storm barreled toward Louisiana.

Blanco, in often tense exchanges with committee members, said the mass movement of citizens was one of the most successful evacuations in Louisiana's history, saving more than a million people from harm and Katrina's devastating flooding.

The Democratic governor told a U.S. House committee investigating the government's response to the hurricane that mandatory evacuations were issued over two days before the hurricane struck so people in the lowest-lying parishes would avoid gridlock that could trap them in the path of the hurricane.

"We're not concerned about people who can drive themselves away from danger. They did so, and we're grateful," said U.S. Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky.

Rogers and other committee members questioned whether the mandatory evacuation order for New Orleans — issued the day before Katrina struck Aug. 29 — gave the poor and elderly enough time to leave and whether the city and state provided enough means for them to evacuate.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said Blanco's description of a successful evacuation was "a story that's not acceptable," and he compared the deaths caused by Katrina to the U.S. deaths in Iraq, saying the nearly 1,100 Louisiana residents who died was half the number of people who have died in the war.

"You lost that many in one day," Miller said.

[ncountylee]

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said Blanco's description of a successful evacuation was "a story that's not acceptable," and he compared the deaths caused by Katrina to the U.S. deaths in Iraq, saying the nearly 1,100 Louisiana residents who died was half the number of people who have died in the war.

"You lost that many in one day," Miller said.

One of the few sharp exchanges.

[RTINSC]

"Blanco said the mass movement of citizens was one of the most successful evacuations in Louisiana's history."

Who you gonna believe -Blanco or your own eyes?

[silentknight]

Quote "Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin defended their Hurricane Katrina evacuation decisions"

SNORT SNORT..SNICKER....SNICKER....HABABAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH....ROFL....OMG....SNORT SNORT

[silentknight]

I repeat...

SNORT SNORT....ROFL...OMG...LOL...BAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA....SNORT SNORT

You are kidding me right?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Cue the pics of the buses underwater...

[Williams]

facinating. I have always said the federal government did an incredible job of relocating people. Now Blanco is saying the evacuation went great. So I must be missing what President Bush did wrong.

Don't worry, I haven't and won't hear much of this on the news, because people actually confronted that dope Blanco on her culpability.

Did anyone ask her why she was getting "disaster relief" advice from Mike KcCurry and other national dems, which consisted of telling her how to blame all this on President Bush? Democrats are very immoral people. She let her own citizens die for politics.

[silentknight]

Yeah please post the bus photo
hehe

[F.J. Mitchell]

No one can accuse LA of not having a pair. They even have a name for theirs-Blanco and Nagin. Now that's a pair of nuts.

[citizencon]

The Dems are adept in re-writing history. Learning from the master, Clintonius...

[USNBandit]

Ask and ye shall receive.

[exit82]

Nagin skated around the school bus issue. It's bad enough he didn't just take charge of them, instead of saying"oh, those are the school board's buses". So what, just commandeer them--you're the mayor.

And he didn't even mention the 400 city transit buses that he was in charge of--that got flooded and rendered useless.

These two clowns should have been hammered on how they left the elderly and the poorand the hospitalized to fend for themselves, being the "caring Democrats" they make themselves out to be.

A better meetng outcome would be to have sliced and diced Blank-o's arguments and her leaving the meeting while heaving in loud sobs.

And no, the rest of us aren't paying for sections of New Orleans to be rebuilt ubderwater. We now KNOW where the flood plain limits are, so DON'T BUILD THERE.

[USNBandit]

Here is a picture of a real hero, Jabbar Gibson. He didn't wait for help to arrive. He did what neither the governor nor the mayor could do. He acted decisively.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Jabbar Gibson for Mayor !

[USNBandit]

At least he knows what a bus is for.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Which is one thing more than Nagin knows.

[Doogle]

Blanco and Nagin defend hurricane preparations in Washington

..that took all of 42 seconds

Doogle

[bybybill]

It`s shameful that US REP.Miller is trying to shift blame for what happened in LA. to Blanco and Nagel when we ALL know that it was Carl Rove and Bush with their big oil Texas friends that are responsible.Why we just learned that Bush had the levees blown up so that black people would die and any survivors would be pushed, at gun point,by armed white National Guardsmen with guns, into concentration camps.
The Congressmen should just shut up and send these poor folks the $250 billion down payment they need so that the citizens of New Orleans can come home , get back on welfare, and vote often in each election for the RATS.

[Diddle E. Squat]

And there were some idiots here that wanted him thrown in jail.

[WireAndWood]

"She let her own citizens die for politics."

Absolutely. I believe those buses were left abandoned by direct order.

BTW: Didn't I read a few days ago that Ol' (young) Jabbar, our ersatz bus driver/hero is in the slammer for dealing crack (or some such equally interesting hobby)?