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Ex-Secretary of State Powell Slams Storm Effort
Reuters ^ | Sep 09, 2005

Posted on 09/09/2005 7:20:15 AM PDT by ExitPurgamentum

Ex-Secretary of State Powell slams storm effort

Fri Sep 9, 6:06 AM ET

Colin Powell, the former U.S. secretary of state seen as a potential leader for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, has joined the chorus of Americans criticizing the disaster response at all levels of government.

"There have been a lot of failures at a lot of levels -- local, state and federal," Powell said in an ABC interview for the "20/20" program to be broadcast on Friday evening.

American political figures from both major parties have assailed the slow response to the hurricane's assault last week on the U.S. Gulf Coast, which devastated New Orleans and killed hundreds, possibly thousands, in the region.

"There was more than enough warning over time about the dangers to New Orleans. Not enough was done. I don't think advantage was taken of the time that was available to us, and I just don't know why," Powell said in excerpts on ABC's Web site.

He said he did not think that race was a factor in the slow response, but that many of those unable to leave New Orleans in time were trapped by poverty which disproportionately affects blacks.

Powell was the highest-ranking black official during U.S. President George W. Bush's first term and chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Gulf War. He is among various names mentioned in Washington as a potential "hurricane czar" to take over the long-term recovery effort.

Two senators from Bush's Republican party on Thursday proposed that such a job be created. White House officials have not ruled out the option, saying it is among several being discussed.

Some black leaders, including Democrats in Congress, have charged that racism contributed to the misery of New Orleans' predominantly black storm victims.

"I don't think it's racism, I think it's economic," Powell said. "But poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: blahblahblah; katrina; powell
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Once again Powell fails to stand up for Republicans and promulgates the same mantra as Jesse Jackson: it's not the lack of personal responsibility, it's not the communities' values that rendered it unable to come together in crisis, but economics that determined the outcome.
1 posted on 09/09/2005 7:20:16 AM PDT by ExitPurgamentum
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To: ExitPurgamentum
He is among various names mentioned in Washington as a potential "hurricane czar" to take over the long-term recovery effort.

I think Hurricane Czar was a professional wrestler in the fifties. A bad-guy, loud-mouth Russian, who later became good, and then became bad again after that, and then got a job selling used cars and drank himself to death.

2 posted on 09/09/2005 7:22:43 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: ExitPurgamentum

The Bushbots thought this guy walked on water and wouldn't listen to anything bad about him.


3 posted on 09/09/2005 7:24:03 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: AppyPappy
The Bushbots thought this guy walked on water and wouldn't listen to anything bad about him.

Total BS.

4 posted on 09/09/2005 7:27:19 AM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
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To: ExitPurgamentum
I'm having a hard time finding something in his remarks to disagree with. There were a lot of mistakes made at all levels of government and we did not make the best use of time ahead of the storm.
5 posted on 09/09/2005 7:28:43 AM PDT by 12B
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To: ExitPurgamentum
Once again Powell fails to stand up for Republicans and promulgates the same mantra as Jesse Jackson: it's not the lack of personal responsibility, it's not the communities' values that rendered it unable to come together in crisis, but economics that determined the outcome. No, there is a HUGE difference between the message that Powell is trying to deliver and the ones of Jackson and Sharpton. Powell is clearly (and rightly) stating that it is a statistical fact (and unfortunate one) that blacks are affected more by Katrina because more blacks are in poverty. He is in fact saying that there is no conspiracy against African Americans, which is the implication (or worse, blanket statement) that many black leaders are making. Powell does not have to tow the republican line just to make you happy. It's not ALWAYS about politics.
6 posted on 09/09/2005 7:29:49 AM PDT by z3n
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To: ExitPurgamentum

Actually, I think that the title deliberately distorts what Powell says here. President Bush said much the same thing. He said all three levels of government had problems and I have not heard any responsible person disagree with that.


7 posted on 09/09/2005 7:31:21 AM PDT by twigs
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To: ExitPurgamentum
Some black leaders, including Democrats in Congress, have charged that racism contributed to the misery of New Orleans' predominantly black storm victims.

If America actually had "black leaders" the "misery of New Orleans' predominantly black storm victims" wouldn't be used an an opportunity to exploit leftwing political positions.

8 posted on 09/09/2005 7:31:32 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: ExitPurgamentum

He wants to be prezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Watch!


9 posted on 09/09/2005 7:33:29 AM PDT by bubman
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To: ExitPurgamentum

Just another pol following their liberal masters, the MSM, who write the script.


10 posted on 09/09/2005 7:34:26 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: ExitPurgamentum

Powell, after all, is a democrat. and apparantly has now decided to run for office.


11 posted on 09/09/2005 7:34:41 AM PDT by hombre_sincero (www.sigmaitsys.com)
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To: 12B
I'm having a hard time finding something in his remarks to disagree with. There were a lot of mistakes made at all levels of government and we did not make the best use of time ahead of the storm.

I don't care what it is, any massive undertaking such as this, is going to have it's share of mistakes. "A war is a series of calamaties that result in victory." The same goes for massive operations, such as this. We'll fix the problems, but the next time there will be even new situations that weren't anticipated.

12 posted on 09/09/2005 7:35:29 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: ExitPurgamentum
"I don't think it's racism, I think it's economic," Powell said. "But poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor."

I'd like to know how the Democrats attempted to help Blacks get out of poverty in New Orleans over the past 40 years? Oh, that's right, they "gave" them welfare.

13 posted on 09/09/2005 7:35:42 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: ExitPurgamentum

I'm quickly losing the last bits of respect for Powell


14 posted on 09/09/2005 7:36:12 AM PDT by pissant
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To: ExitPurgamentum

Despite currying favor with the MSM, He is not Presidential Timber.


15 posted on 09/09/2005 7:38:50 AM PDT by Steamburg (Pretenders everywhere)
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To: ExitPurgamentum
But poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor

WTF? and why is that?

Lack of free education? nope

Lack of opportunity?, Nope

Help me here Colin, just why is it that Afican-Americans are disproportionately affected?

Here, let me submit my humble opinion, because we as a nation are now comprised of 50% who think that's OK.

16 posted on 09/09/2005 7:38:50 AM PDT by strange1 ("Show the enemy harm so he shall not advance" Sun Tzu The Art of War)
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To: twigs
Actually, I think that the title deliberately distorts what Powell says here. President Bush said much the same thing. He said all three levels of government had problems and I have not heard any responsible person disagree with that.

I agree. The criticism of this effort borders on the insane, literally. The STORM combined with New Orleans' geography and inept evacuation plan killed people, and discomforted many many others. Criminals killed people. I think the federal government did well, given that it is government and is a huge creaking machine not run by one benevolent dictator (much less a czar).

17 posted on 09/09/2005 7:38:56 AM PDT by Puddleglum (Thank God the Boston blowhard lost)
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To: 12B

The way you state it is very unfair. Sure, it will always be true that there are "mistakes made" in an operation as humongous as this one - that will never, ever, ever change. Every disaster will be unpredictably different and we will need to constantly evolve our responses. In this case, the local and state governments are primarily responsible for the mistakes and should shoulder 95% of the blame. Saying that "all levels" made a lot of mistakes is a lie.


18 posted on 09/09/2005 7:39:08 AM PDT by Timothy
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To: twigs

Actually, I think that the title deliberately distorts what Powell says here.

That's exactly right. Powells comments are measured and not any different from what other responsible people have said. The headline writer turned them into something they are not.


19 posted on 09/09/2005 7:39:57 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (Is your problem ignorance or apathy? I don't know and I don't care.)
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To: Diddle E. Squat; AppyPappy

Colin Powell is a decent man. If I was him I would stay out of it. Why come back in to this clusterf&ck?


20 posted on 09/09/2005 7:40:06 AM PDT by conserv13
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