Posted on 09/05/2005 8:52:42 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch
Monday, Sept. 5, 2005 11:38 p.m. EDT Mayor Nagin: Gov. Blanco Delayed Rescue
After days of blaming the federal officials for not responding quickly enough to the Hurricane Katrina crisis, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin praised President Bush on Monday - and charged that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco had delayed federal rescue efforts by 24-hours.
"I'm so happy that the president came down here," Nagin said of Bush's Friday visit to Louisiana in an interview with CNN. "He came down and saw it, and he put a general on the field. His name is General Honore. And when he hit the field, we started to see action."
But Nagin had harsh words for his state's leaders, telling CNN: "What the state was doing, I don't frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn't adequate." The New Orleans Democrat said he urged Bush to meet privately with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco during the visit. The meeting took place aboard Air Force One, he said.
After reviewing the crisis with Gov. Blanco, Bush summoned Nagin for a private chat - where, according to Nagin, Bush explained: "Mr. Mayor, I offered two options to the governor. I said . . . I was ready to move today. The governor said she needed 24 hours to make a decision."
Reacting to the governor's footdragging, Nagin lamented: "It would have been great if we could of left Air Force One, walked outside, and told the world that we had this all worked out."
"It didn't happen, and more people died."
How come you didn't use those thousands of buses we see sitting in water up to their windows, to evacuate your citizens to Arkansas or Missouri, in the week you had after being warned, Mayor Nagin? Did the Governor take your switch keys away?
"And it's truly naive to expect local buses to move 1/3 of the city in less than 48 hours. Even assuming that everyone was standing and waiting at bus stations with important medicines and papers in hand."
Why is it that you who discount bussing people out of harms way as a viable option, which is part of the mandatory evacuation plan for New Oleans by the way, seem to think that unless total success is to be had, it's a bad idea?
The levee was engineered to withstand a category 3 hurricane. The state government knew the storm heading their way was a category 5, and that the levees could easily break. If they didn't know that, maybe they weren't qualified for their positions. They should have let the Feds deal with it from the beginning. Look how many people have been saved since Bush took over. Imagine how many could have been moved BEFORE the flood!
Oh boy, now their going to go after each other. This should get interesting... I'll predict Blanco, ko's the mayor, in the 4th round..
It was Jindal who made the asinine complaint that FEMA still (STILL!) hadn't gotten tetanus shots to all the rescue people. At first I thought Jindal had a brain, but I guess I was wrong. General Honore was totally right to ream him.
She did what all good Democrats do..... OBSTRUCT
"Nagin endorsed Jindal in the governor's race over Blanco."
I did not know that. Perhaps that's why Jindal keeps blaming FEMA and/or saying there's enough blame to go around and not saying much about the lack of local response.
........So did your wise city council vote to send help now, ----or in the morning?
And traffic was moving how fast out of the city? It was at a crawl and only because not everybody was on the road.
Every day, 1/4 of Philadelphia rides on SEPTA's buses. I doubt it is any different in New Orleans. I'm sure that given 48 hours, they could have ferried everyone out had there been an actual plan.
And WHY was traffic crawling? Because some local LA DEM pols in charge failed to make traffic ONE-WAY in BOTH SETS of LANES until TOO DAMN LATE. But let's blame FEMA and Bush . . . .
Total success is inconceivable. I disagree with the idealistically hopeful numbers that people imagine could have been off better under the circumstances. There are simply too many management steps and countless difficulties.
I love Gen. Honore! The way he talks to the press is priceless hehehee
President Bush has a knack for knowing just who can do the job right. Misunderestimated once again!
Never trust a democratic leader.I still cannot understand why Bush brings Clinton into anything.It gives him a louder voice to stab him in the back with and he undoubtedly will.
Who?
Who?
One thing about Democrats they stick together with the game play unlike the Republicans.
Ping for later.
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