Chertoff's Katrina Record
Two years ago this week, as Hurricane Katrina built into a "Category 5" and was threatening New Orleans, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff held to his scheduled speaking engagements as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Secretary Chertoff left the rescue duties to his friend, FEMA Director Michael "Brownie" Brown, whose main qualification for being responsible for thousands of lives in a major city was that he had been the "Judges and Stewards Commissioner" for the International Arabian Horse Association.
When "Brownie" briefly testified before the Republican Congress he blamed his own inept response on the lack of resources that his boss, Secretary Chertoff, had given him, saying that Chertoff ignored planning for natural disasters because he was only concerned about terrorism.
Chertoff should have known that "Brownie" was not up to the task, and he also should have been a major player alerting our somnambulant Chief Executive about Katrina's dangers. Instead, Mr. Chertoff failed the nation when it needed him most. He should be held accountable for the shameful display of government ineptitude that his bungling of the Katrina catastrophe exposed.
When the disaster in New Orleans dominated the mainstream media with heartbreaking images of people begging to be rescued from the rooftops of their homes and from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Chertoff appeared on several news shows. The principal protector of our beloved "homeland," Chertoff claimed there had been two distinct catastrophes, a hurricane followed by a flood, as if the two events were not connected.
At a time when chaos reigned in the city, he told National Public Radio's Robert Siegel "there is a more than adequate law enforcement presence in New Orleans." Chertoff also showed that he was unaware that there were several thousand people stranded at the convention center. When journalists described the conditions of people who were trapped in the squalid building without water, food, or proper sanitation, Chertoff denied the reports saying they were "rumors" and "anecdotal versions" of events.
Secretary Chertoff mismanaged the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, which was a severe blow to the United States' image in the world, and showed that our government is incapable of dealing with mass destruction within our shores. Bush thinks he can project American military power to "remake" the Middle East, but he could not give assistance to his own citizens who were desperately pleading for help and facing death in New Orleans. Michael Chertoff was a central player in this calamity that shamed the nation at home and abroad.
When the media spotlight exposed the weaknesses of the Bush administration's governing philosophy, Chertoff went into hyper-spin mode. He claimed publicly to have been in control of the situation when he clearly was not. He had less knowledge about the conditions in New Orleans than did the news media. And he felt it acceptable to lie to the American people about the botched government response.
At the very least, Chertoff should have been fired for his carelessness that cost American lives. For his criminal negligence in not rescuing the people of New Orleans, Chertoff violated his oath of office and his constitutional obligations. Wherefore, Michael Chertoff, by such conduct, should not even be considered to replace Alberto "Fredo" Gonzales as attorney general.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Let's hope Bush is just 'setting the bar low' with Chertoff.
His ultimate pick will 'seem' better than Fredo or Chertoff. Whoever Bush picks will get a recess appointment and 77% of the US will not approve.
Much as it pains me, Rwoodsathome--is that ROSEMARY Woods?--is right. New Orleans is in the wrong place at the wrong time, better to abandon it. Then there's MY town, LA, where 15 or 20 million people live in a waterless desert that would be hard pressed to support a tenth of that, and suffers from wildfires, mudslides, droughts, earthquakes and the occasional prize-winning riot. Wait a minute, I'm not done. I grew up in Oklahoma, and I can testify that every city, every town, every neighborhood in that beautiful state is at risk from cyclones (don't call them tornados around an old Midwesterner). Then there's Las Vegas, a giant metropolis in the middle of an even worse desert than LA's, and the Colorado River's drying up too. Is there any place safe? New York's a prime terrirst target. San Francisco sits on the San Andreas fault. And there's all those live volcanos in the Pacific Northwest.
And has anybody else noticed how much "Michael Chertoff" looks like Hafez Assad, the supposedly-dead dictator of Syria? I mean, who is this guy?
Thank you for bringing this to the forefront.
Chertoff doen't have the legal experience either that i would want from an AG.
Besides he is just another bush crony.
The Justice department MUST be independent in its actions or it is just a joke.(like it is now)
"Chertoff ignored planning for natural disasters because he was only concerned about terrorism.
Wake up progressives. Americans are fed up with the crying about Katrina. The taxpayer has funneled truckloads of cash to N.O. and many of us are fed up with the slug criminals that are still sucking on our good will.
N.O. is not being rebuilt for one reason only - it is below sea level and makes no economic sense.
The sooner the former residents of N.O. come to terms with that the better off they will be.
More "compassionate conservatism". Just what we freaking need.
Come on now. The twin catastrophes of the beginning of this century are 9/11 and Katrina/the New Orleans levee breaches. Now, I strongly doubt someone such as yourself would say that Americans are "fed up with the crying about" 9/11.
Why, then, do you say this about Katrina? The "truckloads of cash" you mention have not trickled down to the effort to rebuild New Orleans. And the only "slug criminals that are still sucking on our good will" are those bureaucracies who are keeping the money out of the hands of the homeowners struggling to rebuild, such as the company running the "Road Home" program. Due to its lengthy delays, some Louisianians have been waiting for 2 years for rebuilding grants. Some have gotten letters saying they could expect to receive one amount, only to get another letter months later saying they would be getting less than that, or even nothing.
That's only one example--I could discuss FEMA's atrocities and the preferential treatment accorded Mississippi and Alabama when Louisiana bore the brunt of the damage including 80% of New Orleans, but this post would have been several times as long.
Your attitude regarding Katrina survivors and New Orleans betrays an appalling lack of compassion and I hope your area never suffers a major disaster and encounters the same lack of caring.
Bush DON'T even think of Skelator Chertoff as Attorney General...
I know we housed 8 friends left homeless from Katrina in our home near baton Rouge.
Michael 'Skeletor' Chertoff is complicit in turning the U.S. into a third world country by standing idly by as 200,000+ Gulf Coast residents became REFUGEES with NO RIGHT OF RETURN.
In a word or two
You are absolutely correct. Chertoff is yet another example of incompetents being fired up the ladder in this administration.
Incompetence begins at the top.
But lets ignore that for a second and begin our housecleaning with Cheney.
Bob Higgins
http://wor
If Chertoff is nominated lets hope that the dems in clowngress don't approve him. Then when bush appoints him during a reccess lets convince them to impeach him as attorney general
I'm with you--Chertoff should have been fired following the Katrina debacle. And I hope that if he's even considered to replace Gonzales, he's raked over the coals regarding Katrina.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
