Bush shows up for this disaster

The National Post ^ | Friday, October 26, 2007 | Sheldon Alberts, National Post

[Squawk 8888]

preferring to savage the GWB Administration than to blame the poor blacks in NOLA

There's the problem- most journalists (and more than a few Freepers) thought that those were the only options. Few considered the possibility that it was not just the "poor blacks" who were to blame for that situation which was also the result of (1) the failure to evacuate the city and (2) using the Superdome as a shelter without adequate preparation.

[dixiechick2000]

You are absolutely right.

IIRC, Haley Barbour requested that President Bush not go to MS.

I wonder why, when Katrina is mentioned, the only locale discussed is NO?
MS had much more damage due to the hurricane itself.
NO’s damage was self-inflicted due to their neglect of the levies.

[flynmudd]

He was closer to NO while he was in Texas than if he had flown to DC. Seen a US map lately?

[Alberta's Child]

What's most pathetic about silly stories like this is that a presidential visit in the middle of a rescue/recovery operation is an enormous pain in the @ss for all involved.

If the National Post wants to engage in some serious journalism here, perhaps they should pay a visit to QualComm stadium and tell us all why things are so much different there than they were in the Louisiana Superdome.

[Squawk 8888]

Which is my point- this article is NOT about the response to the disaster, it’s about how they managed the political fallout. He’s pointing out that the WH screwed up with Katrina and discusses how they’re handling it now.

[Squawk 8888]

If the National Post wants to engage in some serious journalism here, perhaps they should pay a visit to QualComm stadium and tell us all why things are so much different there than they were in the Louisiana Superdome.

They already did- page 3, either Wednesday or yesterday. Can't recall if it was their own story or something off the wires.

[Badeye]

‘He was closer to NO while he was in Texas than if he had flown to DC. Seen a US map lately?’

Lose the failed attempt at sarcasm, and reread my post. I noted clearly it wasn’t about geographical location, its about exercising Leadership as the average voter expects to see it.

[AaronInCarolina]

The DBM and Dims SUCCESSFULLY pulled off the BLAME game hit job on Bush and Co for what was the worst NATURAL DISASTER in NO history.

While I agree with you completely on your point, I would argue that the biggest part of that disaster (at least in New Orleans) was not NATURAL, but resulted from a bone-headed decision to do large-scale development below nearby sea and lake levels. The failure of the dike system was an accident waiting to happen, and should not be blamed upon the natural disaster that was Katrina. Every bit of misery that followed the failure of the dikes should be blamed upon that decision and not upon how the federal government reacted to a hurricane.

[jws3sticks]

NO’s damage was self-inflicted due to their neglect of the levies.

That's a Chocolate City for ya!

How PC is that?

[Squawk 8888]

I’m glad someone recognizes the point of this article- bad enough when the Left read in something that isn’t there but I (naively) expected better from FReepers.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Big Lie repeated...

[AaronInCarolina]

I get so frikin' tired of "journalists" who don't know a damn thing they are writing about.

I think you are being too kind to the "journalists". I think they know what they are writing about... they just choose to present lies instead of the truth that they know.

[LibLieSlayer]

I want to speak up... did you go through Katrina with a direct hit? Did you lose three homes and two businesses? The FEDS and President Bush responded in outstanding fashion on the Mississippi Coast... and I watched on satellite TV and generator power as Louisiana descended into hell. brownie was an arse but he was fired... No... Louisiana has NO ONE TO BLAME but their own dim State government... The President did nothing wrong... but you just keep believing what the msm spoon feeds to you.

LLS

[Badeye]

Not sure what you are saying here.

[Squawk 8888]

Excellent point. That disaster, like the California fires and most other major disasters, are the direct result of a lot of bad decisions that were not the exclusive work of any particular politician or party. As the TSB philosophy puts it, “An accident is the end result of a chain of events. Break any link in that chain and the accident will not occur.” The same is true of disasters- while we could not stop the hurricane there were many decisions that could have minimized the loss of life and property- building below sea level, not maintaining the dikes, not evacuating sooner, not having a plan in place for dealing with evacuees, the list is endless and no reasonable person would pin the blame for all of them on any single person or entity.

[Squawk 8888]

This article is not about how the feds responded to the hurricane. It’s about how the White House managed the political consequences of the disaster.

[Squawk 8888]

Virtually every other poster here seems to think the article is criticizing the federal response to the disaster, when the article is actually about how they dealt with public perceptions. This isn’t comparing the federal response to the two disasters, it’s about how the WH is dealing with the media.

[MEGoody]

Exactly right.

[lonestar]

Actually, this article is pretty neutral- the author is (rightly) pointing out that Bush not at his best during the Katrina aftermath and mentions that he had done better in the past.

I don't know where you live but comparing the CA fires to Katrina is apples to oranges. The LA gov refused fed help --Bush called her BEFORE the storm and she said, "No." That's why Jindal, a Republican got 53% of the vote with 11 candidates in last week's election. The people who live in LA, not the media or celebrities, know who screwed up and it wasn't Bush.

Also, the destruction is different after a hurricane--highways and bridges are often gone.

Houston was as prepared to accept Katrina victims in the same amount of time as the shelters in CA. Now, Houston can't get them to go home and many still won't work!

[Mrs.Liberty]

I usually stay out of talking politics at work, because even though I work for DOD, I happen to sit in an office with a bunch of liberals/BDSers.

One woman started going on and on yesterday about how she wished Bush had just stayed home, that we didn't want or need him here (San Diego COunty).

I finally said to her that "You people would then whine and complain if he didn't come out here".

Fallout from his visit: People were ticked that the freeways had to close for his motorcade, and that all airtraffic had to reamin grounded while President Bush was here...including the choppers and planes dropping water. I don't know if that is true, but that is what news reporter was stating this morning (KUSI 9).