This seems to be the consensus view:
President Bush told reporters on Friday that millions of tons of food and water are on the way to the people stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina — but he said the results of the relief effort “are not acceptable.”
“A lot of people working hard to help those who’ve been affected, and I want to thank the people for their efforts,” Bush said before leaving the White House for a tour of the devastated areas in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
“The results are not acceptable.”
Bush’s visit comes as stranded residents and frustrated officials expressed anger that relief has not come.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin lashed out at state and federal authorities saying they were “thinking small” in the face of the massive crisis.
I don’t think anyone would argue that what has happened has not been the desired response- I still have no idea why it has taken so long to simply fix the breached levee, let alone hundreds of other questions. The city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and FEMA will have a lot of questions ot answer at a later date. The efforts in Mississippi and in Alabama seem to be going along at a much better pace.
capelza
New Orleans has been the focus John Cole, but just this morning I saw that the residents of Biloxi are angry as well and that half of the areas affected on those coasts have not even been reached yet…
BinkyBoy
“The results are not acceptable.”
Ah yes, more of the “the buck stops here” kind of responsibility we all have come to expect from Dear Leader.
John Cole
Capelza- I have said it over and over again, but I think people recognize the scale of the human tragedy, which is easy to see from the simple pictures of the devastated people everywhere. Hungry, afraid, hurt, thirsty, angry,, despondent- it is all there.
But I don’t think people understand the scope of the physical devastation. This was the ENTIRE coastline of the Gulf, upwars of 70-100 miles inland. The city of New Orleans is under water. This has been so destructive that it simply boggles the mind. Even if New orleans had not been hit, and it was just Mississippi and Alabama, FEMA would be stretched thin.
Capriccio
I’ve been wondering: If the levees had been blown up by terrorists, would we have then seen some positive results from four full fucking years preparing the homeland’s security?
I’ll answer my own question: No.
Doug
President Bush: “The results are unacceptable.”
Boy, oh boy, is someone gonna get the Presidential Medal of Freedom for this.
over it
This is an interesting point:
The pictures of the catastrophe — which has killed hundreds and possibly thousands — have evoked memories of crises in the world’s poorest nations such as last year’s tsunami in Asia, which left more than 230,000 people dead or missing.
But some view the response to those disasters more favorably than the lawless aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering,” said Sajeewa Chinthaka, 36, as he watched a cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
“Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world’s population is.”
Now, I may or may not agree with his assessment….but it is an interesting comparison.
Whatever the case….the results thus far are indeed inadequate.
BinkyBoy
Doug:
will they then volunteer to go spend more time with their family?
Joe Albanese
from the Resident Spammer.
ppGaz
Well, within the last 5 minutes, I watched President Spud turn to FEMA director Brown and ….
Brownie. He called him “Brownie” right in front of the CNN camera.
Brown winked at the President for his kind remark.
This is the same Brown who was taken apart and filleted by Ted Koppel less than 12 hours ago on Nightline. Embarassed, and humiliated by a good reporter asking tough questions.
But he’s “Brownie” and he’s doing a terrific job.
You could not make this stuff up, nobody would believe it.
BinkyBoy
Augusta, Georgia:
“3/4 of our gas stations dont’ have any or won’ t let anyone get any gas”
Andrei
First, minor factual note, it was not the entire Gulf coastline. You are forgetting the entire states of Texas and Florida which make up far more coastline than the are affected. It was indeed a lonfg stretch, probably more in the 200 mile range actually.
Second, being stretched thin versus waiting 5 days to see a real response to this disaster are entirely two different things, imho. If so many of the media can get in and out over the course of the disaster, giving us the very pictures we see, the feds could have figured out something in that same 120 hour span of time. Air drops of supplies comes to mind as a starter.
Third, I just watched the President get off the plane and was seemingly “briefed” in front of the cameras on the ground.
WHAT THE FUCK? Was he not briefed on the plane? Why is he in front of the fucking cameras? foor this kind of transparent photo-op. Shouldn’t he be somewhere doing something else? If he’s in front of the cameras, I want to hear a TERSE alpha male leadership speech I’d hear from my commanding officer, then I want him somewhere doing something useful.
You want us to back off the partisan sniping and such Cole, but the more I watch this incomptent bunch of asshats work, the more I have to tell you there’s no fucking way I think many of us can.
BinkyBoy
I think Brown is bucking for an Appointment.
Trent
Actually, in the aftermath of the tsunami, children were kidnapped and sold into prostitution rings. Of course there was criminal exploitation during the tsunami. We just didn’t see it on the news every hour.
Now you sound like them “libruls” who claim that the Indians were pure, wholesome and peaceful people who never waged war.
capelza
Oh John Cole…I agree, the scope is beyond our comprehension. I might know a little, inhabiting Kodiak Island as I do part time. One can drive by (on a boat) abandoned villages 40 years after the fact. And the population was very small comparitively so it was much easier to deal with the catastrophe. Hell, I was very near Cresent City when it was destroyed down in California from the tsunami that followed it. That event (the Good Friday earthquake) was one of the most influential of my then young life).
I may have not said it well, but I wanted to point out that N.O is so prominent because of the concentration of misery. The small towns stuck out in the hinterland don’t receive that kind of attention. I didn’t know that Hattiesburg was even invovled until this morning (I am embarrassed to say).
Tim
“I still have no idea why it has taken so long to simply fix the breached levee” Are you mad? Can you describe a “simple” fix to a TWO-BLOCK failure of a wall to hold back water? Bear in mind of course, you cannot get cranes or large trucks anywhere near the breach, as the city is flooded.
Trent
No John. The NY Times wasn’t asking for more press conferences, it was hammering him for the bullshit one that he gave.
Don’t confuse the issue.
map
Did you happen to see either Joe Scarborough or Tucker Carlson last night? They were livid because there had been no sign of relief in either Mississippi or Louisiana. These are hardly partisan Democrats. I have never been so pissed.
Tim F
That is likely because New Orleans in underwater.
About this politicization, I’ve passed thourgh angry. When I see Bush now I just feel sad. If he gets a bounce out of this, or starts waving the dead bodies around for political gain like he did in 2001 I suppose I’ll rediscover my inner stores of outrage. But for now I’m spent.
Trent
Hehe, wrong thread
mac Buckets
Good to see the Worst Mayor in the World is trying to save his political hide rather than helping. After all, first things first! I hope the citizens of New York realize how good they had it with Rudy in charge.
Trent
Are you telling me that Rumsfeld sent in too few troops? Get outta here!
capelza
Mac buckets, you think Rudi might have a bit more trouble if his entire city was underwater and people trapped in it with out water or food?
Honestly, at this point I don’t think Nagin is thinking about his political hide, which he probably knows is already tanned. He’s crying out…and rightly so, for tens of thousands of people trapped…
BinkyBoy
Good thing Nagin controls the National Guard and FEMA, huh?
Jesus mac, you really are trying to clap harder, arn’t you?
Joe Albanese
So it seems the “consensus opinion” has gavitated to what of the “stupid left” have been saying (a very poor federal response indicating poor planning, preparation and execution) than to JC’s position, which was, and I’m paraphrasing here, “they are doing everything they possibly can”.
I take no comfort in being right on this issue. I wish I wasn’t. The consequences have been/are too grave.
mac Buckets
I never meant to equate the two disasters. I think it’s pretty plain that Mom Nature did us worse than 20 Muslim hijackers. (Would it be gauche to point out that I think a little Northeast bias is at play in the relative news coverage of the NO disaster? I mean, there was no prime-time TV for a week after 9/11, but for the Hurricane, they didn’t even pre-empt one re-run of Desperate Housewives!)
mac Buckets
No, you’re right, Bink. I stand corrected. Nagin did a super job getting the city that elected him prepared for this hurricane, and in getting the NOPD ready to keep order! What a great public servant and pillar of strength for his community! He should be made mayor for life…of your town.
Jorge
I’m watching video firefighters trying to put out a building in N.O. and again I am reminded that despite our leadership, the rank and file serving our country – from firmen to national guardsmen to nurses – consitute some of the finest people in our nation.
BinkyBoy
mac:
Nagin will get his, but the fact remains that at this point all he can do is gnash his teeth and wail. He’s pretty powerless, yet those in power are running around for photo-ops and congratulating each other while people are dying.
But I’d rather have Nagin as my mayor than Bush as my President.
Jorge
mac wrote “No, you’re right, Bink. I stand corrected. Nagin did a super job getting the city that elected him prepared for this hurricane, and in getting the NOPD ready to keep order! What a great public servant and pillar of strength for his community! He should be made mayor for life…of your town.”
OK – The left agrees that we’ll have the entire Nagin team step down if the right agrees that the entire Bush team will step down. Deal?
Doug
The damage done on 9/11/01 simply pales in comparison to the damage done by Hurricane Katrina. The sense of violation is different, however, since 9/11 was caused by humans who were actively seeking to harm us.
Mother Nature couldn’t care less about us. She’s just more than we can handle from time to time. (Though there are questions of whether our priorities have been such that we mitigated damages as best as we could in this case.)
John Cole
No, Joe. That was your viewpoint on Monday, before the Hurricane had even passed. Before the levee had broken.
You might go through and look at some of your old statements. Like the comments here where you were jeerring me for stating that RedDan’s bullshit charge that budget cuts by Bush caused the levee to fail:
This has been an exercise in partisan bickering for you since the MOMENT you saw an opportunity to savage anyone you disagree with. And you threw in the whole laundry list of shit you dislike, called me a sycophant, and apologist, etc., over and over and over again. You cherry pick stories that show hgalf a story, ignore those that contradict you (an interesting position for someone who claims Bush lied us into war and cherry-picked intelligence), and you simply have no credibility as far as I am concerned.
Cromagnon
I guess all that hype about Bush being a ‘strong leader’ have been completely shattered now. What a truely pathetic display of mis-leadership by non-example
Trent
And the horror of this disaster is that people that we entrust with protecting us have failed due to incomptence, negligence and apathy.
jobiuspublius
Ah, there is some wiggle room there. I think we were saying that what they are doing is tragically inept and inadequit.
Jorge
Exactly – sure, they’re working the hinds off today. But what was Bush thinking when he gutted FEMA? Or when he put someone completely lacking in experience in charge of the operation? Why did Bush not start preparing on Saturday or Sunday for what would happen if a cat 5 hurricane slammed into his country? Why was he not coordinating efforts with all of the governors in the area in case of a worst case scenario? And of course, some of us are wondering why so many of our resources are currently in Iraq? Man, I wish Bush had been competent for the past four and a half years. Then he could have sat on his butt this week and a REAL department of Homeland Security and Fema could have handled the disaster.
Joe Albanese
I think all of us tend to do that John, dont’ you think?
And I stand by what I’ve said. The experts said the levee’s needed to be upgraded. It was a disaster waiting to happen. It was one of the three most likely disasters to hit our country (earthquake in SF and terror in NY). But the Bush adminstration cut the budget requests. Period. Now I’ve never said that had the Army Corp of Engineers and ALL of the experts had gotten all they asked for that the levees would not have been breeched, but it is a damn good question to ask isn’t it? To question? To inquire about? You make it sound as if it should be off limits because, well a category 5 storm would still have breeched the levees. Huh? Thats your argument?
There will be questions about the policy decisions this adminstration has made and just what their priorities are. Money to firm up, what everyone recognized, was a disaster waiting to happen, or more tax cuts for Bill Gates? And trust me John, I won’t be the only one bringing this up in the coming weeks.
Those of us on the left had complained that sending our National Guard to Iraq would hurt us if there was a disaster BEFORE Katrina hit. Do you want me to find the links?
Those of us on the left clammored for more money for First Resonders BEFORE Katrina.
the Bush adminstration decimated the FEMA agency by all accounts I have read. Tons of documentation on that. And that was said BEFORE Katrina hit.
Have any of these POLICY DECISIONS had an impact on the admitted (now) incredible poor performance of FEMA these past few days? I dont’ know.. but damn it we should be asking that shouldn’t we?
Policy decisions have CONSEQUENCES John, and I think America is well within its rights to question the decisions this adminstration has made and how those decisions may have had an impact on this disaster. Your continuing inabiltiy to see it that way is truly remarkable.
Oh, and you saying i have no credibility because you disagree with my opinions is really a cheap shot isnt’ it?
mac Buckets
Sorry, I forgot we were still in an election cycle. All conversations for the left must revolve around hatred for Bush. Now go back to blaming him for the levies not being built strong enough…
And I predict that Bush will get the same amount of votes as Nagin in their respective next elections.
jobiuspublius
Not for the insurance industry. If they can get there way, they;ll argue that lake ponchatrain flooded N.O. because the levee’s were not maintained or improved. That may qualify as a man made disaster. They might not have to pick up the tab.
StupidityRules
Bush never was a strong leader. Not before 9/11. Not on 9/11. And it’s now clear that 9/11 didn’t change anything about his leadership qualities.
Trent
Their best is not good enough. Their best is like Dennis Hastert trying to win the Tour de France. It’s never going to happen.
We have fat, lazy, incompetent cronies in power doing “their best.” “Best effort” is no excuse for this miserable failure of the public trust.
jobiuspublius
Basketball
John Cole
And I stand by what I’ve said. The experts said the levee’s needed to be upgraded. It was a disaster waiting to happen.
I am not defending the budget cuts. I, one more time for the intermminably slow, a category you fit in, do not know why these levees were not graded for Cat 5 and the money spent ovewr the past thirty years.
More dishonest bullshit. You stated, unequivocably, that Bush’s cuts were what led to the failure. They didin’t. I never argued that a cat 5 levee would be breached by a cat 5 storm, but I did argue, accurately, that a cat 5 storm directly hitting New Orleans would overwhelm the existing levees, even if they were in perfect order. And, as it turns out, I was right. Where the levee failed, it was in perfect order having just been upgraded.
I am fine with questions. What I am not fine with are your disingenuous accusations and attempts to hang these dead around Bush’s neck.
jobiuspublius
Biloxi
Accountability is a dirty word
Now that Brown seems to have attained the level of screwup that Rummy and Wolfie have displayed in Iraq I wonder what promotion he’ll get now?
Jorge
“Sorry, I forgot we were still in an election cycle. All conversations for the left must revolve around hatred for Bush.”
I love to point out when statements like this are made that I voted for Bush in 2000 and it is his continued and monumental failure as a leader that has bothered me so much. It isn’t partisanship against the right. It’s Bush’s repeated failures. As far as the levees, again, I’m much more concerned about why he wasn’t on his game before and immediately after this event than I am about his marginal role in the building of levees across the nation.
Joe Albanese
Weren’t you the one that said we should wait to see what actually happened? Lol.. now that you “cherry picked” one article that said that he levee had been upgraded and still failed you’re ok with these “premature” conclusions. btw.. wasn’t there more than one breech at more than one levee?
John, I am insignificant in the scope of things. Just a disingenious, uncredible spammer right? If bush gets those dead around his neck its not going to be because of anything I say, it will be what the American people determine after much debate I imagine. Lets just see where this goes John. I just see a failure on so many levels it it inconceivable to me that the American people will not hold Bush accountable for ALL the policy decisions his adminstration has made over the last five years that have negatively impacted our ability to deal with this disaster.
jobiuspublius
You don’t understand, that is his game. It’s just that we are finally waking up to how crappy it is. It’s a most rude awakening.
tBone
I thought that Katrina had been downgraded to a Cat4 and turned slightly east when it hit LA, so that NO “only” got a glancing blow. (Please correct me if I’m wrong – not trying to pick a fight here, just pointing out that your statement doesn’t jibe with the news sources I saw.)
mac Buckets
Yeah, and I voted for Gore and Kerry…and I’m a former Socialist Democrat…and I’m ashamed that I worked for Clinton. Does anyone still buy the “I was once a ________, but then I learned the error of my ways” garbage on the intertronetics?
John Cole
Umm. Yeah. I would think one could safely conclude that if this overwhelmed the levees (albeit in a novel way), then it is probably safe to say that a direct hit with 20-30 ft storm surges from a cat 5 hurricane would also have caused the levees to fail.
tBone
Sorry – from your wording, I thought you were implying that Katrina was Cat5 when it hit LA and that NO got hit directly. (/quibble)
Andrei
John asked:
Well… this obviously wasn’t a good set of first answers from “Brownie”:
The big disconnect on New Orleans
George Turner
If a true Cat-5 had hit NO, half the people there would probably be dead, as most of the houses they were using for shelter would’ve been leveled by the winds. That’s why they were told to evacuate before the storm hit.
But I suppose that outcome would’ve somehow been Bush’s fault, too…