McCain says he would have responded differently to hurricane

Breitbart.com ^ | 4/24/2008 | AP

[CarmichaelPatriot]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - John McCain toured still hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed his plane at the nearest Air Force base. The Republican presidential candidate is campaigning this week in what he calls forgotten areas of the country. He offered a pledge Thursday to New Orleans residents that their situation will not be forgotten and that such a botched disaster response will never happen again.

McCain was unsparing in his criticism of the Bush administration. He said Congress must share some of the blame, too.

Drawing a sharp contrast to President Bush, McCain said he would have landed his plane "at the nearest Air Force Base and come over personally."

[JZelle]

“And? Like that would have done what?”

Maybe lift all those school buses out of the water.

[Prokopton]

You really don’t get it.

No, you really don't get it. McCain has no fear of being branded "Bush lite" as he's already established himself as "Kennedy lite".

[bilhosty]

“If McCain will say anything to get elected..he doesn’t deserve to be President”

Sorry but this one needs to be won.

[Mr. Jeeves]

I can absolutely see McCain behind closed doors with a bottle of whiskey in hand saying, "That frackin' toaster Huckabee's gonna pay for this!" ;)

But in this case, he's saying exactly what he has to say - "Bush did everything right" would be a politically suicidal comment, true or not.

[theDentist]

Sen. McCain-in-the-a$$, landing AF1 at the nearest base would have accomplished NOTHING. The winds would still blow, the rains fall, and the floodwaters wouldn’t have receeded a single effing inch.

[John123]

Off...OFF damned sarcasm!!!!!!!!!

You sound a little bitter...

[wilco200]

Yet another reason not to vote for McCain — Katrina apologist

Is there anyone left that thinks this guy is still the lesser of three evils?

[penelopesire]

Well then somebody better tell McCain to shut the hell up then....(eye roll)

[AnotherUnixGeek]

And? Like that would have done what?

If Bush had done it, it would have helped to defang some of the mindless criticism aimed at him. What McCain is describing isn't a course of action that could have changed anything, but a PR exercise that might have produced meaningful political results. It's easy to dismiss public relations, but showing people that you care is now apparently a requirement for the presidency. And sustaining a war effort in the face of left-wing forces determined to end it certainly takes more public relations effort (in terms of reminding people why we are fighting, what our goals and objectives are, and what we're doing to attain them) than this administration has put forth.

[roses of sharon]

McCain has BDS too?

[pikachu]

The nearest AFB took a lot of damage and, if I remember correctly, most of the buildings on the base were outright destroyed.

[Sacajaweau]

Union drivers!!! “Not my job”. Nice folks down there...

[mort56]

Does this guy even have a clue? It seems to me he is trying to lose this election not win it.

[HappyinAZ]

Politics folks...tis the “political season”...what did you WANT McCain to say....that we handled it WELL?....It sucked...we’d never been through anything like that before...and well....we were NOT good at it.

Vote for things that matter...this does not.

[Yo-Yo]

And? Like that would have done what?

Pimp slapped Mayor Nagin? Forced Governor Blanco to Louisania National Guard under Federal control? Lead a rescue mission to the Superdome with Porta-Johns and MREs?

[TigersEye]

But in this case, he's saying exactly what he has to say - "Bush did everything right" would be a politically suicidal comment, true or not.

Exactly! Same reason he supported Kerry and trashed the Swiftboat Vets. He had to.

[penelopesire]

I still don’t know what all the fuss was about during Katrina! Facts are stubborn things and we were in NO pulling people out on the very first day the levee’s broke.

They were all out in less than a week! They were dropped water and food on the third or fourth day.

Everyone knows that if you decide to ride out a hurricane , you need enough food and water to last 4-5 days!!

You folks are buying into another liberal premise that somehow the federal government did not ‘handle’ Katrina well.

It’s BS!!

[Romulus]

Next time you hear somebody bitching about the federal response to Katrina, tell them the Navy was there before Katrina was.

Thanks, but that was only a tiny single piece of the task. Helicopters are fine for people who needed evacuation. I was on the ground at my home, where I witnessed hundreds of flyovers daily, from sunup till after dark -- including one Orwellian experience of an aircraft hovering over my house after dark, shining a spotlight through the windows. Damn right I was hiding out. I was there by choice, and managing just fine with my own supplies.

The federal response was inadequate for people who needed evacuation or supplies because of the flooding caused by the FEDERAL levees.

[Night Hides Not]

I was going to hold my nose and vote for him too...but this is really pissing me off!!

Every time I get weak-kneed, and think about changing my mind (about not voting for him), Juanito McCain always does or says something that reaffirms my stance.

[Romulus]

Source?