McCain And Katrina Ravaged New Orleans: Facts vs Spin

Lucky for GOP presidential candidate John McCain, The Associated Press has a report on his New Orleans visit that omits what he and his supporters have said about the city. McCain is in New Orleans on what he calls his forgotten areas tour.

John McCain toured still hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed his plane at the nearest Air Force base...

...McCain was unsparing in his criticism of the Bush administration. He said Congress must share some of the blame, too.

Drawing a sharp contrast to President Bush, McCain said he would have landed his plane "at the nearest Air Force Base and come over personally."

But on the day Hurricane Katrina actually ravaged New Orleans, Senator McCain wasn't far off from President Bush. In fact, the two were standing right next to each other. Check out the slideshow of the two celebrating McCain's birthday on the tarmac.

• • President Bush holds up a birthday cake for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., upon his arrival at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Az., Monday, Aug. 29, 2005. McCain turned 69 Monday. Bush is traveling and will attend "conversations" with experts and the elderly

While traveling in New Orleans today, McCain told voters that such a disaster of government response "will never happen again in this country." And yet, the Democratic National Committee points out that McCain voted against relief measures for Katrina victims multiple times, as well as voting against an investigation into the failures of the government response. McCain also voted against providing additional funding for first responders' communication systems, despite claiming today:

We know that we had a situation where first responders were unable to communicate with each other. Where government agencies were getting information by watching cable television, rather than having a flow of information themselves.

As for solutions, John McCain told reporters he didn't know if he'd rebuild the lower 9th ward as president. "That is why we need to go back is to have a conversation about what to do -rebuild it, tear it down, you know, whatever it is," he said.

While he was in Lousiana
Think Progress reports:

Pastor John Hagee -- whose endorsement Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said this past Sunday he was "glad to have" -- told NPR's Terry Gross that "Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans." "New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God," Hagee said, because "there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came."

McCain first dodged the issue of Hagee when he brought up by a New Orleans voter during a town hall. Watch here.

McCain later told reporters the comments were "nonsense" no less than eight times, despite saying this weekend that he still is glad to have Hagee's endorsement.

It's nonsense, it's nonsense, it's nonsense, it's nonsense, it's nonsense. I dont have anything additional to say. It's nonsense, it's nonsense, it's nonsense, I don't have anything more to say...it's nonsense. I reject it categorically.

McCain has still not rejected John Hagee's endorsement.

Comments

[TNFarmer]

"McCain said he would have landed his plane "at the nearest Air Force Base and come over personally­." What? Did he hear there was a big rug sale at the safe & secure Bourbon St. market??? So, Senator, why didn't YOU do more for those poor folks? BTW, how was that birthday cake?

[Davwbaird]

This is madness. put the gun down.

[CommonSensePlease]

McCain is discovering that the Katrina hurricane hit New Orleans a few years ago. Where was JOHN MCCAIN during those past years? He did not say anything, did not do anything at the time of the hurricane. What an HYPOCRITE!
Last week McCain discovered that there some black people leaving in Selma! Where was John McCain for the past 50 years! What an HYPOCRITE!
Do we want someone like that as a President? Another embarassment to the nation! I don't want a do-nothing see-nothing hear-nohing President.
From soneone from Phoenix, AZ who has watched McCain for decades!

[LiberTLover]

So what stopped him then? You didn't have to be President to help. Unlike many regular Americans who did go there and help out, McCain has access to a private plane and millions of dollars from his and his wife's $100 million plus fortune. He could have loaded up a few planes with supplies and taken them to New Orleans on day one or even paid someone else to do it. Then he voted against help for Katrina victims. Now he is giving Hillary a run for her title as most pathological liar. Spare me.

[LuckyDay]

So what stopped him then? You don't want to know, but I'll tell you. John McCain, war hero, POW, Senate lion par excellence, had his nose so far up Bush's anal cavity he could have tasted Bush's bacon and eggs before they reached his stomach. Now why would such a maverick put himself in that situation? So that he can tell us how wonderful he is and we can vote for him. This is his moment in the Sun. Never mind that he went to Selma to pretend to be sorry for voting against MLK holiday in Arizona. Now this is the story that needs to be told. Johnnie Mack is traveling around the country to "forgotten places, like a vulture going back to see if there is any carrion left on the bones of long dead animals. Remember this is the man who relishes the idea of following enemies to the gates of hell.

[ndnndpendent]

As I have said before, he can smell the death of D Party unity, travelling to places where the D Party is likely to disenfranchise the black vote. Thanks Hill......­.........

[ejay579]

He probably could have dipped into Cindy's private stash and tranquiized the entire city. Failing that, he could gotten Cindy to write prescriptions for the same.

[Dawnn]

Ah, well said LiberTLover.

Finally, someone making the connection that Hillary and McBush are really the same. They both support each other and would have the same policies. For example, she wants bomb Iran AND no surprise here, so does McBomb. No wonder such an alarming amount of people supporting Hillary would support Mr. McSame.

It's a damn shame really.

[aquarius2001]

McCain is such a loser and a flip-flopper. Does he really think he can say s**t and people will forget? What a loser!

[TrueBlueMajority]

didn't McShame also say that he didn't think it was necessary to rebuild the Ninth Ward? those "compassionate conservatives" will abandon you every time...

[spyder03]

McCain has been in the senate over 25 years ,what has he done in that time for the poor ,the working poor, the middle class and the workers in this country? He has done little to nothing for these people ,but he is good at pandering to people he won't do nothing for after the elction whether he wins or loses. After Katrina he voted against extending unemployment benefits to the many displaced workers in New Orleans, this is what he thought back then about the people in New Orleans,he goes along with PRESIDENT 28% Approval ratings Bush and nothing will change if he is elected the next President.

[jwsub28]

I would never cast a vote for McCain, or for that fact any Republican. I consider Clinton to be just as bad as McCain. As an Obama supporter I will not vote for her. I will stay home. She has done so much to divide this party and continues today with her "MATH" . I will not support her. I don't know where our pundits over at CNN got the polls regarding the Clinton voters that would not vote for Obama vs. the Obama voters that would vote for Clinton. Who did they poll? PA voters? Who cares, those people are so out of touch with reality, it is sickening.

[CarlyCorday]

But what do you REALLY think is the difference between Hillary and McCain? You know he will continue the war for 4 more years, that another 4,000 Americans will die, young men and women who are being sent back for fourth and fifth tours, sent back without reprieve or mercy until they die. Hillary won't do that. If she does, we will "attack the Bastille" and she surely knows it. I'm for Obama too, but if he isn't the nominee, I'm voting for the lives of our military people, the young, strong and brave, men with little kids, men with wives who ache to have them home, men with parents who've lived right and don't deserve to have their children SACRIFICED for the prosperity of the few, soldiers who are needed ELSEWHERE, not Iraq, but who will pay the WHOLE PRICE for the decision of any Democrat to STAY HOME in November. To stay home is to vote for McCain on your knees, instead of just standing up and doing it at the ballot box.

Don't think you won't pay a price too, if you stay home and McCain wins that way. He WILL win, and everyone will pay dearly. This BushCo nightmare has to end. It has to END.

Anyone But McCain '08!

[jakie]

THIS MAN IS LYING WHERE WAS HE WHEN IT HAPPEN REPUKES DON'T LIKE POOR PEOPLE....­..........­..........­....MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE....­..........­..BLACK PEOPLE....­......NOW THAT HE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT HE CARES ..........­SNAKE

[WinslowLeach]

I don't believe if McCain were president during Katrina that things would be different.
And..to keep beating a dead horse....W­here's McCain's f#$king flag pin?
Unpatriotic elitist.

[DJJD10]

HA! Where is that flag pin??!!!!

[Podewumun]

If "Crash McCain" expects to finish his "Forgotten Places Tour", he'd best step up the pace.

After all, the man is 71.

[sandyfeets]

At least Marie Antoinette had the guts to tell Paris, "Let them eat cake." In McCreepy's case, he steals the whole cake, eats it, and denies, denies, denies.

[pinkerman2]

Thank you sandyfeets for the Marie Antoinette comparison. I believe it is a legitimate one and would not be surprised if Marie McCain doesn't replace "Hero" McCain. He is not a hero! The poor man was unlucky enough to be shot down and captured. He sat out the rest of the Viet Nam fiasco in a cell, and I am sorry for that, but that does NOT make him a "hero"!!!!!!! unlucky, not heroic.

[haleywins]

McCain's voting record relative to Katrina event wherein the federally built levees failed in New Orleans has proven successful and why they are calling it the POVERTY TOUR.

[wm1066]

I think we all saw how you(McCain) did react, you fawned over Bush.
And you can't rewrite history when we all saw it in real time on TV.
You didn't lift a finger to help anybody!

[Podewumun]

If Obama wants to win in November, all his team has to do is to replay that image of "Crash McCain" bear-hugging Bushboy. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

[Virago55]

(John McCain toured still hurricane-damaged areas of New Orleans and declared that if the disaster had happened on his watch, he would have immediately landed his plane at the nearest Air Force base...)

and then McSame would have just bombed New Orleans...­.

[Dawnn]

Virago55,

Of course McSame would have bombed New Orleans.Th­e word Bomb is one of the few words in his vocab.

[haleywins]

Let them eat cake!