Transcript: New Orleans' Mayor C. Ray Nagin's Interview

Jackson Free Press ^ | 09/02/05

[Balding_Eagle]

I cannot believe the biggest disaster to ever hit the United States is turning into a blame game. There will be plenty of time for that later.

You've made that statement on the wrong board, try and get that posted on DU.

You're also confusing response with laying blame.

The Left is laying blame. We are responding.

The left has hired airplanes to fly banners around the Houston Astrodome towing "Blame Bush" banners so they appear on national TV, and you want us to sit politely and wait until 'things settle down'? Well, by God, I've waited 30 years to respond to those bastards. Is that long enough? How much 'wait until later' do you think is appropriate when they are trying to destroy this presidency?

We would be utter fools not to respond at once to the hurricane of criticism coming from the left. That is what THIS thread is all about, and I for one am grateful for the talent FR has on board. I say bring it on, it's time drown a few RATS.
 

[Bommer]

NAGIN: I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. We ain't talking about -- you know, one of the briefings we had, they were talking about getting public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out here.

I'm like, "You got to be kidding me. This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."

That's -- they're thinking small, man. And this is a major, major, major deal. And I can't emphasize it enough, man. This is crazy.

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

thinking small, man! thinking small!

[pillbox_girl]

NAGIN: You know what really upsets me, Garland? We told everybody the importance of the 17th Street Canal issue. We said, "Please, please take care of this. We don't care what you do. Figure it out."

Excuse me? What the hell is Nagin doing asking others to "please take care of this"? Isn't he the mayor? Isn't New Orleans his city? Doesn't that empower him to solve these problems himslef before they become a crisis? Doesn't it actually make him responsible to solve these problems?

Why isn't anyone asking Nagin what he actually did himself to solve these problems before disaster struck?

People vote for liberal democrats because they want someone to do for them the things they should rightly be doing for themselves (like feeding them, clothing them, providing them with medicine, and housing them). Is it any wonder the people they elect behave the exact same way (like maintain levees and pumping stations and evacuating citizend before disaster hits).

[smonk]

the president wanted to visit the region earlier, but governor Haley Barbour, who is apparently the only leader in the entire region with any sense, asked him to wait.

[Lunkhead_01]

Nabob on gin.
Nabobongin.
Na bon on gin.
Na bon bon gin.
Na bon gin.
Nagin.

[Lorianne]

Poor, Black, and Left Behind

http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/09/09_414.html

September 24, 2004

This article has plenty of ammo to use against those blaming Bush re Katrina ..... Seems as though Ivan was a dry run for the incompetent leaders of Lousiana, so they could botch it big time for Katrina.

I tried to post this as a separate thread but the mods pulled it.

[Sidebar Moderator]

Only use the headline found at the source. It prevents duplication. Thanks.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

They ought to give that guy -- if they don't want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done

Well they certainly are not going to give it to you!! You already dropped the ball. In fact Mr. Nagin I am convinced you couldnt manage a bowl of jello never mind a devastated city

[G.Mason]

"Secretary of Transportation??"

That would be a good start. A win for him and certainly a win for New Orleans. ;)

[bethtopaz]

Yeah, if my memory serves me (and it seems like yesterday) - Rudy took the bulls by the horns and didn't blame anyone (no time). He did say: "Thank God, George W. Bush is president!"

[dufekin]

"How does a light weight flake like Nagin get elected mayor of a big city?"

How did a light weight flake like Jimmy Carter get elected President of the United States? Like Carter, Nagin proved well-meaning but incompetent.

Nagin wants to control crime, but he hasn't a clue how to do it. He wanted to evacuate his city, but even after two failed trials and three failed simulations, he couldn't think of a plan. He really wanted to put the poor on buses to send them to safety, but he proved too incompetent to make it happen.

The threats of lawyers haunt Nagin tremendously; the ACLU threatened to sue him a trial evacuation ago, so he figured that not evacuating at all would save him some legal troubles.

I'm not sure how he got elected. He probably told the citizens that he'd do his best to control crime, provide public services, and ensure safety during hurricanes [okay, maybe not; Louisianians are notoriously incognizant of tropical storm perils]. And he probably even tried to do just that; maybe he even outlined a plan. But it didn't work; he didn't execute it. No one knew their role. It sounded good, but it fell flat.

And don't get me into obstructionist Blanco, who must be a DNC shrill and perhaps a racist. But will Nagin achieve re-election? Let's put it this way: will there be two people left in New Orleans come election day, one to run for mayor and the other to support the one? Otherwise, bet your book on Mayor Nagin for Life.

[G.Mason]

they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!
they're thinking small, man!

I'll tell you what. I am sure glad I'm not Hiz Honor! ;)

[torchthemummy]

Like all pols, this guy wanted to move up eventually - governor, congressman, senator. What this guy realizes is that not only has his incompetence resulted in the deaths of thousands (consequences to follow in DC on a national stage) but his chance to have shined - ala Guliani - is long gone. He now will have to deal with the fact that instead of skyrocketing political advancement with a successful evacuation and a quelling of looters he now will have the blood of thousands on his hands that will essentially end his political career. I am not asking for this to happen but would not be surprised if in the long run Nagin literally bites a bullet.

Many NO and some LA leaders will be convicted legally and, even more so, publicly once a federal review of NO and LA has been completed. The tragic good that will come out of this is that the corrupt gov't that is NO will be cleaned out and the successors will have a certain level of federal review for a long time.

[torchthemummy]

Right on! Wait until joe shmo from the hood gets close enough to Nagin. 'Course this would only happen in the short-term if the constituent travels to Baton Rouge.

[go-hyde-go]

NAGIN: I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. We ain't talking about -- you know, one of the briefings we had, they were talking about getting public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out here.

I would be will to bet that at least 100 times as many school buses were instantly available. What a shame.

[wotan]

Actually, Nagin says some sensible things.

Excellent hindsight, sometimes, too.

Too bad he didn't bother to think about anything before the hurricane hit.

[Jim_Curtis]

You might think all the Bush bashing over this flood is merely typical "get Bush" stuff but the left and their media have a much more pressing problem for which they need to deflect attention by piling on Bush.

The Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor should be in jail for criminal negligence. The left must throw everything they have into a push to create a perception that counters that reality because this could possibly sink the Democrat Party if the reality of the situation were allowed to stand.

The media might even start mentioning Nogin as Presidential material for 2008. That sounds insane but when you need to counter reality, insanity is the weapon to use.

[dollar_dog]

Facts show supported our President in 2000.

[faithincowboys]

Was with Kerry in 2004. Is a Democrat-- elected by Democrats. Trust me, he ain't a conservative Republican.

[Zack Nguyen]

How does a light weight flake like Nagin get elected mayor of a big city?

The bigger the city, the more likely they are to elect a lightweight flake, in my opinion. Large cities are pools of political backscratching, massive bureaucracies, public works projects, sweetheart deals, and frankly, corruption.