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

[gakabani]

Is the president we want to elect? I think we can do better America! McCain is a parasite of the industrial military complex.

[Spazzers]

This is pretty much of a stretch even for Huffington. McCain celebrates his birthday on the morning Katrina hits and somehow he is at fault? I guess McCain should have been psychic and known not only where the hurricane was going to make landfall but that the hurricane would cause the levees to breach.

There is a lot of debate as to whether the 9th Ward should be rebuilt. I mean let's build a community in a bowl that is below sea level right on the edge of the ocean. That makes a ton of sense.

[combatveteran]

Spaz, the post did not say it was his fault. I am not saying it was McCains responsibility to do anything but are you seriously implying we didn't know of the severity of this storm?

[08timefortruth]

Much of the Atlantic coast, the tip of Florida and the rest of the gulf are just as far below sea level as the ninth ward so it seems if we can't rebuild there we should not rebuild anywhere on any coast......then we shouldn't rebuild after hurricains, tornados, floods, earthquakes, or any other localized weather related catastrophe because those people know they are living in areas where these events occur so no rebuilding there either.

[ejay579]

Your right we should not support any type of building anywhere there is a danger of flood. There is very little we can do to control mother nature but it is absurd to build below sea level. I would help the people there once - I would help them to relocate.

[LittleSanityLeft]

"This is pretty much of a stretch even for Huffington. McCain celebrates his birthday on the morning Katrina hits and somehow he is at fault?"

I call you on your weak spin sir! If McCain was at the airport with the President on his birthday. I have not doubt if McCain wanted to get to New Orleans he could have.

Even if I was willing to concede your point, it still doesn't address McCain's votes that were clearly in the interest of the Republican party and not the victims of Katrina.

"McCain voted against relief measures for Katrina victims multiple times, as well as voting against an investigation into the failures of the government response."

Nuff said.

[j.gold]

Spazzers-guess what, the 9th ward is already being rebuilt and we will do it despite what people like you think. If you don't like it tough.

And in case you don't know why there is a city built here maybe you should think about how 1/3 of America's oil comes from here, most of the natural gas, seafood, all your coffee comes through our port, most of your crap from China, cruse ships for your little vacations, and so forth. We also have Bourbon st. so the rest of our country can come here and get stinking drunk all night and flash their little titties for trinkets and then puke on the street.

If you don't agree with rebuilding then stop using our resources and stop using us.

Every little bit of oil you suck from our coast makes us sink more. So don't think you aren't part of the problem!

[Woggles]

My contributions to the world's leading discussions, are of epochal weight and consequence. Not being hampered with the canards, half-truths and dissimulation sweepstakes that characterize our media age. It's fitting therefore that I, as a millenial iconoclast and bellwether, have to say...Good God, I am impressed with myself.

[PioneerKing]

This guy is as bad as Hillary. Say anything do anything ... to get elected.
McCain's as apealing as a soiled diaper.

[urbanscorpio88]

He must be suffering from Alzheimer's. I mean imagine going around telling people blatant lies, when there is proof that such sayings are lies. Boy, I can't wait for the general election when the candidates will be under the microscopic scrutiny..........

[Satch]

John McCain will do nothing for New Orleans!!!

[coolrepublica]

So you can't disagree with someone and eat cake him or her at your party. He was not president. Did you want him not to have a birthday or not eat cake. I'm a bit confused.

[mtuckey]

Well, the cake really is just a symbol isn't it? The rich eating the poor? What I like about the photo is we can see how much fun the two of them are having together and to think he is in New Orleans to try and distance himself from Bush. Pure and simple irony.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Wasn’t Gorge Bush strumming a guitar at a birthday party for McCain after Katrina? I watch an interview on Q &A with a NY Times photographer who covered New Orleans after the flood and the images were beyond gruesome. Bloated bodies were everywhere, one elderly woman trapped on a fire escape looked like a mummy. I don’t blame George Bush for the storm, but his crony appointments broke FEMA, which used to be one of the most effective Federal agencies. The heroes of Katrina were private boaters, 1st responders, as well as the Coast Guard and what was left of the National Guard and their equipment. The Federal response to Katrina will always be a stain on American History, always.

[NelsonR]

McCain is similar to Hillary, well not the obvious liar as Hillary, but still having the same attributes. What, did anyone expect he would go to New Orleans and say all is rosy? The man was against Tax cuts for the rich who are becoming richer, Now he is for the tax cuts. Flip flopping on issues is a well known fact among politicians but Iraq John takes it to new levels with Hillary his close accomplice.

[Satch]

Question? What is the difference between John McCain and George W. Bush?
Answer: Both are full of sh*t..............

[aquarius2001]

Bush is an idiot and so is Hillary. She isn't even the presidential nominee and has managed to piss off the entire Middle East with her "obliterate Iran" comments!!:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/04/iran-hillarys-t.html

The Saudi-based daily Arab News trashed Clinton's comment today as insane:

"This is the foreign politics of the madhouse. It demonstrates the same doltish ignorance that has distinguished Bush"s foreign relations. It offers only violence where there should be negotiations and war where there could be peace. At a stroke, Clinton demonstrated to everyone in this region that if she were the next occupant of the White House, Iraq-like death and destruction would be the order of the day. "

This is EXACTLY why Senator Obama is the BEST person FIT to be Commander-­in-Chief!!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/04/iran-hillarys-t.html

[urbanscorpio88]

Preach it, brother/si­ster......­....

[aquarius2001]

=)

"sister"

[Charmed]

I sure hope the MSM reports how pissed off the middle east is at hillary but of course they are going to keep saying "this is a close race".....Maybe Keith will get a hold of this story or at least I hope so because we're not even out of Iraq and she's starting a war with Iran.

[EyeWantOneNation]

aquarius...why don't you try emailing this info to MSNBC...Keith Olbermann...and see if he runs with it ???

[aquarius2001]

I sent this to all of the networks. It will probably get no play. But what is interesting is the MSM spent more time talking about "Bitter-gate" (which most people felt was a true statement), and this gets absolutely ZERO coverage????? Give me a friggin break!

[Maddy08]

Please read the Op Ed piece by Mike Lupica!!! I couldn't have said it better mysself!!!!!!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/04/24/2008-04-24_why_hillary_is_still_eating_obamas_dust-1.html

[2CoolCats]

Hey flip-flopper... I guess you can have your cake and eat it too.

Choke on it.

[NU81]

P.S. I just threw up John McCain's cake.

[NU81]

Thanks so much for articles like this. I never ever would have voted for McShame anyway, but I hope others see this. Unfortunately, most of the people voting for him are diehard and nothing will change their mind, not even if McShame if exposed as a hypocrite.