Free Republic

On Wednesday and Thursday nights, FNC’s The Five co-host Greg Gutfeld offered moving commentaries about how the liberal media’s attempts to indict the American people as perpetually divided have utterly failed as exhibited by the Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. Gutfeld also discussed how Harvey has shown that the basic safety of each and every person in the face of death is what matters and not petty debates like replacing Columbus Day and taking down Confederate Statues. Gutfeld: Harvey Response Shows Americans 'Aren't What the Media Says We Are'“So, you know else takes a hit when disaster strikes? Opinions slingers like...

Rabbit Hole Wednesday again…so soon? It’s beginning to feel like we live here.For starters we drop our jaws as ex-Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco criticizes Houston for their lack of an adequate evacuation plan:   “You have to have a coordinated effort so that people have confidence in Government getting them out of harm’s way, in a sensible way.” I guess in her mind the evacuation of New Orleans after Katrina went smoothly.I’ve got a plan! Everyone to the Superdome! Former Governor Kathleen Blanco says she’s curious to why Houston never developed an evacuation plan like Louisiana had in 2005.“We developed...

The Democrats game plan was in full view after the Kansas tornado, and, unfortunately, some of the country seems to buy into the nonsense and the propaganda. Their plan is to seize on everything that happens and turn it into a scandal. We are still in the midst of the Alberto Gonzales fiasco, as if a president did not have the right to fire and hire federal prosecutors for any reason. Again, Bill Clinton fired 92 of 93 prosecutors as well as the Travel Office staff the day he took office. He also transferred 500 raw FBI files on individuals...

Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s decision not to run for re-election has forced state Republicans to throw out much of their 2007 campaign playbook, political experts said. Blanco’s exit from the governor’s race amid heavy criticism appears to affect, and possibly help, Democrats more than Republicans. “Democrats feel a lot better today than they did a week ago,” said former state Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown, a Democrat. “Blanco was running, and Jindal was going to beat her very strongly.”

Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s new senior adviser’s job is to advise her, to help her communicate and to be on hand at all times by living at the Governor’s Mansion. Aprill Springfield, 31, holds a law degree from Georgetown University and worked for U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Capitol Hill. As Blanco’s senior advisor, she will earn $80,000 a year. Springfield is one of three executive staff members that Blanco hired this week. She is the only member of the Blanco administration to have the distinction of living at the 25,000-square-foot mansion that also is home to Blanco and First...

Katrina: Six months after the hurricane, at least two things are clear. One is that Washington can be as much a problem as a solution. The other is that Republicans should have known this. As the Gulf Coast struggles to rebuild and the blame game rages, we're wondering what Ronald Reagan would have made of all this. Reagan, of course, was a critic of the federal government even as he skillfully led it. One of his core principles was that there was much that Washington did not do well and that other public and private entities closer to the people...

Expensive materials hit sixth-floor work The cost of renovating the governor’s sixth-floor offices in the State Capitol more than doubled — largely because of fancier materials — during the life of a project that has attracted international comment. A review of e-mail communications, contracts, reports and other records indicates cost estimates rose by 169 percent — from $111,400 to $299,605 — for work that began two weeks after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the state. Costs increased partly because the Office of State Buildings hired a private company rather than using state workers. But the single costliest portion of the...

BATON ROUGE, La. - A Republican who says she has never worked on a political campaign filed documents Tuesday launching a drive to oust Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who was harshly criticized for her response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Kat Landry, who filed a recall petition with state elections officials, said Louisiana needs new leadership to recover from the storms' back-to-back blows. "What we have seen in the past few months is a lack of leadership, a lack of communication, a lack of understanding of how to get things done," Landry said. In Louisiana, getting a recall on the ballot...

Gov. Kathleen Blanco left for Holland on Monday to learn how the Dutch created the huge flood-control system that protects a land much farther below sea level than Louisiana. The trip means the Democratic governor will miss President Bush's visit to New Orleans, scheduled for Thursday... The governor was among more than 40 government, business and education leaders - including Sens. David Vitter and Mary Landrieu ... Landrieu said the ambassador told her about that country's flood of 1953, when 1,800 people died. "He said, `Why don't you all come over and see what we've done since then?'" Landrieu recounted....

Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard is going to be frustrated -- and ineffective -- if he spends his time and energy trying to silence everyone who thinks it was a mistake to send drainage pump workers away before Hurricane Katrina struck. East Jefferson Levee District President Patrick Bossetta is just one of those critics, but his comments have, in part, prompted Mr. Broussard to ask Gov. Kathleen Blanco to boot him off the board.

Mayor Ray Nagin's proposal to make New Orleans' central business district a Las Vegas strip of giant gambling casinos explains the business community's disappointment with elected officials reacting to Hurricane Katrina. Before revealing the idea, Nagin did not consult his own commission on rebuilding New Orleans. "It's not going to happen," one commissioner told me, dismissing the mayor's gambling scheme. Nagin is described by business leaders as overwhelmed. His disorganization was reflected when neither the mayor nor his representative attended the first planning meeting last week for next year's Mardi Gras, an event essential for reviving the city. Nagin at...

Gov. Kathleen Blanco is paying a disaster counseling and lobbying firm to advise her on Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, but her staff could not provide the contract or payment details until after deadline Monday. The state has agreed to pay Washington-based James Lee Witt Associates an undisclosed hourly rate, though the firm's leader and namesake continues to work for free, according to company spokeswoman Kim Fuller. Blanco's top communications official, Bob Mann, did not mention the contract Thursday when questioned about the state's ties to Witt and the amount Louisianians are paying for his services. Mann did not respond to...

Impeach Kathleen Blanco This is a sad time for all of us who live in Louisiana. While I'm personally thankful for the efforts of thousands of people from across America who have helped us in our state's greatest time of need, I'm enraged by the lack of responsibility displayed over the last few weeks by many of the officials we elected. Kathleen Blanco, the Governor of Louisiana is completely responsible for our state's lack of preparedness and for mishandling the rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Governor Blanco's incompetence and disregard for the citizens of Louisiana...

Bloated blowhard Michael Moore says George Bush is a racist and intentionally delayed Hurricane Katrina relief because he hates blacks. The remarkably wealthy and obese Moore, who makes more money during lunch than most Americans make in a month, refuses to take some of his scores of millions and mount a rescue and relief effort for the very blacks he claims to love and care for. Self-proclaimed scientist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says Bush created Hurricane Katrina because he wouldn’t sign off on the Kyoto Accords. He fails to mention that the Accords came about during the Clinton years and...

New Orleans' local newspaper, the Times-Picayune, is blasting President Bush for his handling of response to Hurricane Katrina, and is calling for heads to roll within his administration. "Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired, Director Michael Brown especially," the paper states today in an open letter to Bush in its print edition.

For those who lived in SOuth Carolina or are still living in SOuth Carolina now, we all remember Hurricane Hugo back in 1989. It was the most costly natural disaster in US history until Andrew hit 3 years later. Now Katrina has passed Andrew as the most costly natural disaster in history. Going back to Hurricane Hugo, we had two leaders in former South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley during this crisis. How would you rate them compared to the incompetent leader of the current Governor of LA Kathleen Blanco and NO Mayor Ray Nagin? Campbell...

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco On January 12, 2004, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco became the first woman to serve as governor of Louisiana. In her long, distinguished career, Governor Blanco has served the people with a vision of creating a new Louisiana, filled with hope and opportunity for all citizens. As Governor, her top priorities include: providing affordable, accessible healthcare, improving the state’s education system, and creating a strong and vibrant economy. In her inaugural address, Governor Blanco outlined her priorities as governor: “We face important challenges in this new century: expanding our economy and creating quality jobs; building an effective health care...

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.

Press Release Date: 4/4/2005 Contact:Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037 Governor responds to the death of Pope John Paul II In response to the death of Pope John Paul II, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has sent the following letter of condolence to His Excellency the Most Reverend Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States: April 2, 2005 His Excellency the Most Reverend Gabriel Montalvo Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Apostolic Nunciature 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008-3687 Your Excellency: It is with sorrow and deep respect that I join millions around the world and the faithful...