An all-star lineup of GOP pols has gathered in New Orleans for the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. But do they have any idea where they are?
Here's what J.C. Watts told the conference-goers:
"Some might think that George W. Bush had his shortcomings," said Watts, "but let me tell you something -- history's going to be kind to George W. Bush."
That was probably the low point in a catastrophic breakdown of government capacities at all levels -- local, state, and federal. But the biggest single failure was at the top: George W. Bush was the one man who would have cut through it all. But he was oddly disengaged for the balance of that terrible week. Some of it wasn't his fault. The New Orleans hurricane levee system had never been a national priority, so it's hard to lay their flawed designs on the Bush White House. But the Bush administration made an organizational hash of FEMA and Homeland Security, and, populating offices throughout the federal government with Mike Brown and other political hacks, degraded its capacity to act.
So no, I doubt that history is going to vindicate Bush on this particular point. No amount of retrospective scrubbing can erase the image of that week or the remaining empty stretches of cityscape. It would be helpful -- to them and to the nation -- if the Republican Party acknowledged the reality around them in New Orleans, a city that is coming alive five years after Katrina but still in great peril from hurricanes. The combination of bottom-up civic activity (in the face of fumbling bureaucracies) is something both parties can learn from and put to use. And the challenge of protecting the city -- a partnership between government at all levels and private industry -- is ongoing, and a good template for future challenges in a time of unpleasant environmental surprises.
This post first appeared on my True/Slant blog.
Follow John McQuaid on Twitter: www.twitter.com/johnmcquaid
Major General Paul D. Eaton: Two-Party System at Risk
In her diatribe last night, Ms. Cheney accused the President of being an apologist for America, for abandoning our allies and for appeasing our enemies. She truly accepts the notion that if all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks to be a nail.
Food
Water
Law Enforcement
Medical
Sanitation
Communication
Transportation
Or any other kind of help
"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring hurricane-ravaged Mississipp "
"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them. Barbara Bush
She's talking about aduts, children and the elderly as they slept on the floor of a facility in Texas.
Let's not foget the MSM calling the citizens of New Orleans, "refugees."
It is a unique city with beautiful people and a rich culture and the stench of the Rethugs is probably out of the city already.
The Rethugs were in New Orleans, because they are completely out of touch with the American people. It's revenue for the city and that's the only positive thing about their presence.
Ive read some of the posts where some are still blaming the victims. That;s the easy and cowardly thing to do. I have never heard a kid say that s/he wants to be poor when they grown up. Many are 1 paycheck away from being homeless. The current economic crisis has made things progressively worse. Think about that when you point fingers.
The Amercan people and people around the world were appalled witnessing how the Fed. Government nd some of the media responded to this tragedy.Some of these quotes give you an idea of the level of insensitivity. ---see next post.
HE SOME WHO DID SOMETHING... AND THE LEVEES BROKE..TRUST ME!!
What has become of the nation that went to Germany and Japan after World War II and helped them rebuild? These people would such policy incomprehensible. (Yes, U.S. did drop some rather nasty bombs in Japan, but let's leave that out of it for the moment.)
Actually, based on my encounters with veterans of recent wars and comments from many senior military leaders, the recognition that such policy (and the generous spirit motivating it) is the true root of our power seems to have survived far better in the U.S. military than among U.S. civilians. An apparently rather large number of our civilians take the protections they enjoy so much for granted that they fancy they alone are responsible for their safety and comfort - and they think anyone lacking such must be undeserving. (These would be the same folks always going on about other people's misbegotten "sense of entitlement.")
I beg your pardon..... That is extreamly insulting. Do you realize what the surrounding people did for these refugees? And how we were "thanked"?
http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/09/hull1.shtml
http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon2006-01-04ng.html
Bottom line, we all need to be prepared to take care of ourselves or don't bitch when you're not the first one in the "rescue" line".
There's a reason why they tell their selfish little sheeple to loathe government: they don't know HOW to govern.
And my particular "insult" referred to "an apparently rather large number of..." It's called *qualifying* one's statement - saying that some but not all persons in this group behave in a certain way. "Apparently large" was very much intended. I don't think this group of people is so much large as it is loud. Most Americans are as fundamentally decent as they ever were.
As for the "thanking" - well, that's where qualification would serve you well. Yes, some bad people left New Orleans, and didn't stop being bad people after they left. So did a lot of good (and probably grateful) people.
Personally I am thrilled they are there. I hope they all max out every credit card they have. I hope they hang on Bourbon Street every night. I hope they have the greatest time ever and spend every dollar they have. It is great for the economy of the City. I just wish they could all take the Gray Line Katrina Tour just before leaving the City...just to see if anyone might have any conscience at all.
Future: Quantico, VA-Pensacola, FL-Kingsville, TX-San Diego, CA
http://thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline/
There's no talking to a closed mind, Callyson.
(sarcasm)
I guess you forgot about the state and city's responsibility that comes long before W's
BTW, don't give me this garbage about people can't get away from the city.