Posted on 02/02/2006 9:59:47 AM PST by frankjr
As was reported yesteday on NewsBusters, Democratic Senator John Kerry wasn't challenged on the Today show after he claimed that 53% of Americans don't graduate from high school. Well on this morning's Early Show, New Orleans Democratic Mayor Ray Nagin made an equally silly claim, "50% of all residents in the United States live along the Gulf Coast." I listened to the soundbite several times to ensure I heard him correctly.
The claim came during an interview with Harry Smith about President Bush's State of the Union Address and the challenges in rebuilding New Orleans, but was Harry Smith even listening to Nagin? One would think a competent journalist would have picked up on such an outragreous claim and challenged Nagin on it, or asked Nagin to clarify his remarks. Would Smith had let that slide if it were a Republican making such assertions?
A transcript of the exchange in question follows below.
Harry Smith: "That's quite all right. Let me ask you a question here. The President paid scant attention to New Orleans, the whole Gulf Coast in general and Katrina during his State of the Union Address two nights ago. What is your reaction to that?"
Ray Nagin: "Well, you know, my reaction is similar to most people along the Gulf Coast. We were very disappointed. We thought that the President would come out and reaffirm his commitment to rebuild in the Gulf Coast, which is a very important portion of the country. 50% of all residents in the United States live along the Gulf Coast. So, you would think that he would demonstrate a firmer commitment to rebuild than what we heard."
Nagins exaggerated claim wasnt his only inaccurate statement of the day. At the very beginning of the interview, after he is introduced, he calls his host by the wrong name, "David." The transcript follows:
Harry Smith: "A new congressional report on the poor federal response to hurricane Katrina notes "a lack of leadership." It suggests the White House and the Homeland Security office both failed to take decisive action. Meanwhile, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was on Capitol Hill to answer some questions too yesterday. Mayor Nagin joins us this morning from the crescent city. Good morning Mr. Mayor?"
Ray Nagin: "Good morning David how are you?"
Smith: "It's Harry Smith here, but that's all right, we'll keep going."
Nagin: "Harry?"
Smith shrugged it off after correcting him, but what else could Harry do? Its not like Harry hasnt forgotten names while conducting interviews before.
Hey, give ol' Ray a break. What does it matter if it's 50 percent or 50 million, at least he got the number part down, just not the measurement scale. That's close enough, right?
Nah, he was using the New Orleans voter registration total...
"50 Percent" of Americans Live On Gulf Coast.
OK,, then Mayor Chocolate must have the biggest tax base on the planet. What's he doing asking for money??
If liberals could do math, they never would have become liberals. ;)
The environmentalist exagerate pretty well too. I remember statistics many years ago on how many acres of rainforest are burned every year. By now there should not be one green leafy tree left in the Amazon basin.
Did he say he's bringing back his family from TX. to chocolate city.
Did he say he's bringing back his family from TX. to chocolate city.
Stupid doesn't begin to cover it.
I think Nagin is using the Drunken system of counting- the Democrats are quite fond of it.
There you go...the same system that results in 110% voter turnout in certain Philadelphia precincts.
"50% of all residents in the United States live along the Gulf Coast."
Wow, who knew?
Are they chocolate, too? ;)
Only if you take back your mexicans that are over in New Orleans doing the clean up!
Who cares? You are really obsessed with that aren't you?
"who cares" me for one,I'm just keeping it in front of the public to remind them what a bozo this jackass is.
No one needs to be reminded of that. lol
Now THAT is funny! LOL!
Well...don't dead people in New Orleans still count as living folks? If you go out and count all the dead dudes since 1800...I think you might get up to 70 million just in Louisiana alone. The thing about this...is that Zombies ought to count for something. You don't build a major city in the US on Voodo...and just wipe the slate clean on dead folks. Something has to count. And the big thing...is that you need to hire and pay them dead folks....as seen with the Police dept there in Chocolateville. But...paying taxes is illegal...even by IRS standards...for dead folks. So someone did alot of thinking and realizes the value of hiring dead folks and registering them to vote as well.
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