Hurricane Gustav and the GOP: Eating McCain's Cake

On August 29, 2005, just as Hurricane Katrina was inundating New Orleans and much more of a 3- state area of the American South, President George Bush was in Arizona celebrating Senator John McCain's 69th birthday with a large cake. The President then took off for Crawford, Texas and his annual Labor Day respite. En route back to Washington, DC a few days later, Bush asked the Air Force One crew to fly him over New Orleans so he could view the damage from 30,000 feet.

What followed would have been a comedy if it wasn't so serious.

FEMA was run by the ex-Director of the Arabian Horse Association, the infamous "Heck-Of-A-Job Brownie," and a bevy of political hacks put there in lieu of giving them jobs in other government agencies. FEMA's inability to manage a mass disaster quickly became apparent and what followed has been well chronicled. Three years later, little has changed in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward. One third of New Orleans' pre-Katrina population has not come back; two-thirds of its health professionals have not come back.

More interestingly, the Iraq War's domestic effects quickly became apparent in Katrina's wake. It had drained manpower and equipment from both state National Guard Units and US military bases all through the South.

What has not been reported thus far was the fact that the US government was forced to call in a German Army logistics unit assigned to NATO to help local military and National Guard units cope with the need for a professionally run logistics operation. The Mexican Army also came North to the Astrodome in Houston to cook for thousands of evacuees--which was well-reported at the time. But the NATO unit from Germany escaped notice and its presence was far more telling.

Gustav -- as of Thursday August 28 -- is still on a course which may take it towards New Orleans and the same areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama which was struck by Katrina and Rita. It may cause catastrophic damage if it ramps up to a category 2, 3 or 4 hurricane. Even without such intensity and damage it has, because of its timing, refocused attention on the failings of government at the national, state and local levels. Everyone is now acting properly concerned -- Gov. Pioush "Bobby" Jindal of Louisiana, is skipping the GOP nominating convention in Minneapolis; star-crossed New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is heading home from Denver as is Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Political conventions have a long list of things each party is concerned with, but the aftermath of Katrina and the pendancy of Gustav deserve top billing this week because they are emblematic of what needs to be done domestically in many areas beyond disaster relief.

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Comments

[RichardWalden]

When picking a charity to entrust with your donations for Hurricane Gustav, please remember that the Bush-Cheney people have pushed a number of GOP-run groups to the fore with US Government money through its faith-based initiative office or simply promoted them as friendly cooperating groups interested in peddling Bush's politics--family planning and HIV/AIDS groups which only promote abstinence, no condom use, no help to infected prostitutes; relief groups which thrived or were started up with Pentagon money during the Iraq War and who are the modern day "Crusaders" those in the Middle East have always feared; religious groups which both help people and proscelytize them for their own faiths.

I recommend people search out local area groups in the Gustav impact area starting with community foundations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Jackson and Mobile; including statewide nonprofit Primary Health Care Associations (La. PHCA in Baton Rouge; Miss. PHCA in Jackson) which represent and fund dozens of clinics helping evacuees; Children's Bureau- New Orleans; Hands On Gulf Coast; Foundation For The Mid-South (Jackson, MS) and, nationally, Operation USA www.opusa.orgg).

[cgr]

I'm really, really bewildered that the criminal neglect of the people of New Orleans and in Mississippi after Katrina wasnt addressed at the Democratic convention, or in any campaigning that I've seen. The pictures of those people dying, crying for water, in unspeakable conditions in blistering heat, For DAYS, still burns in my mind. While Bush was filmed laughing and riding a golf cart. Yes, I know, John Mc Cain has shown real disgust for this, too, but the fact is that that is the party whose leadership showed gross indifference to the suffering of its people, and that is the party John Mc Cain is representing, and make no mistake, the self-servi­ng,moneyed power-brokers behind the party remain, no matter who they elect.

Watch and see how they make that nasty little Troopergate potential scandal for Palin go away. They can do it. They're ruthless, they know how, and they'll do anything before they'll abdicate their power. An obscure legal system in remote Alaska will be a cake-walk for them; they're the Clydedales and manipulate power and control on an scale that puts Alaskan politics in the mosquito division.

[sandyfeets]

I think it's only fitting that after the fundamentalist Republicans prayed for rain to fall on Denver last week, that it comes back to them in a big way. We'll see if they learn anything this time around.

[Obibrenner]

It's a shame but McSame will close down the convention to show he is different from Bush. This also gives him the opportunity to keep Bush and Cheny from speaking with some credible excuse. Personally, I loved the idea of McBush photo ops for Obama campaign ads. Gustov actually gives them a way out. God is not on the Dem's side on this issue.

[Ozarks]

Well some religious hack from "Focus on the Family" or some other name for Rev Dobbs republican evangelists prayed for a rain out of Obama's speech at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Apparently, Dobbs and his cohorts must have mumbled the wrong words, cause it appears Gustav is gonna raid out the Twins in Twin city by hitting the Gulf Coast during the Repug convention. Well they won't be calling on Dobbs anymore, he got his signals crossed.

[Ozarks]

Too bad the republicans didn't schedule their convention in New Orleans.

[ewoman]

McCain will use Gustav as Bush used 9/11 if possible.

[ersf]

As we painfully endured through the Tuesday Night Republican Convention, how many times did we hear about the hurricane that wasn't. True it hit Houma, LA, population 33,000, but did we hear about Houma? No, we just heard about "taking off our Republican hats and putting on our American hats."

When I put on my American Hat, I read the newspaper, watch the news and see that a party tried to manufacture, almost hope for a real hurricane, and some more levee failures in New Orleans. When I wear my American Hat, I remember Katrina, and know that Bush did nothing for four days, and McCain and Bush were in Arizona singing happy birthday to John as the City was flooding. Happy Birthday John.

When I put on my American Hat, I saw the Republican Party grandstanding for Gustav. In the end, the ploy didn't pay. The cancellation of the first day of the convention also showed that the Republicans don't want George Bush within 1000 miles of the convention.

When I take off my American Hat and scratch my head, I wonder what the Republicans were thinking with this 'hat' metaphor. I'll take my hard hat back. I have a lot of work to do, and make sure that another Republican President does not get elected in 2008.

When a real president gets elected, I can wear my American Hat with pride again. I am so tired of the Republican's sense of false, self interested, patriotism.

[blust8r]

Dubya is standing ready at the mouth of the delta in a long robe and holding a big stick... Gustav wouldn't dare mess with him... :8-)~

[mergina]

It seems like fitting KARMA for their party to be upstaged by a Hurricane, since they are the party GUILTY OF SO MANY CRIMES RELATED TO KATRINA.

[yvonne61]

I JUST THOUGHT THE SAME THING GOD DON'T LIKE ULGY. JUST LIKE THE MAN PRAYING FOR RAIN ON OBAMA SPEECH. NOW IT BACKFIRE ON THEM. WAS HE A PASTOR?

[cgr]

Ditto that!

[MPeter]

Karma is a bitch. I am loving it. Rethugs are now is full retreat mode with W, Cheney and so-called Super Stars now canceling plans for the convention. It is as if nature is telling us, Avoid McCain. He will be a worse disaster than Bush. It is as if it is saying, if you think Gustav is bad, wait and see what a McCain administration will be like.

[wm1066]

We all watched in horror as it unfolded on our TV sets (I am in Minnesota) .
And then we all watched in horror as the bush administration didn't respond.
And then we saw the Republicans trying to make a buck and political gain on this tragedy.
Gustav is God talking to the Republicans!

[Clairvaux]

"Do they think we are stupid?"
The repugs DO think we are stupid.

They have gotten away with rigging the voting machines in at least 2 national elections.

They have gotten away with giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

They have gotten away with falsifying pre-war intelligence.

They have anesthetized our brains with the corporate media.

The list is endless ...

We are stupid.

But maybe we are beginning to wake up.

[Centaur]

It seems like the GOP( "GOD's ONLY PARTY) is being taken to task for all their wrongdoing by GOD. As has been noted earlier on, the right-winged nut preacher who called on his "flock" who pray for rain during Obama's speech has got to be wondering who's side god is really on. I understand the incompetents Bush and Cheney won't be attending the convention and perhaps McCain and his gal "Pal" won't be either as they are apparently going to the Gulf Coast(wonder did he bring a piece of his birthday cake). It may be best that they cancel their convention altogether.

[RichardWalden]

It will be interesting to see the theatrics if Gustav hits Louisiana as a major storm. For one, on Tuesday, look for President Bush to reprise his mid-September 2005 speech in Jackson Square in New Orleans where White House flacks brought in electric generators and lit the Square beautifully for the President's "I won't leave til this place is fixed" speech and then went home...WIT­H the generators. They handed out food for Bush's approval and then folded up the tables and took the remaining food with them as soon as Bush left. A German camera crew without White House credentials was left behind and they fell onto this vignette.

Arianna's best line has always been, "Do they think we are stupid?" Yes, they do!

[ChaoticGood]

If Gustav hits anything like Katrina, the best thing the Republicans could do is close the convention early and go to assist the victims. Show the "bleeding heart" liberals that they have something in their chests other than cash registers. I fear that action more than anything they could say or do in their convention. But, if I know "my Republicans" there is no chance of that happening. So we are safe from them showing any hint of humanity. What a relief

[Daly]

$500 bucks shoes on 72 year old feet trudging through the muck to help poor disenfranchised voters?

Don't hold your breath.

[laylahb]

Quite the opposite. They will all run down to N.O. for photo shots and develop a public relations spectacle to help try to redeem themselves. It'll be Bush, McCain, his new protege Palin standing in high boots in the dirty water, 60 days before the election. They'd hope to try to wipe out some memories of Katrina.

[sadler05]

"Cash registers in their chests" - that is very good. When I use your line I will hope to give you credit.

But what really concerns me is that Repubs will never miss a photo op. My biggest fear is that they will "assist" despite their "cash register hearts - and that people and, of course, mainstream media will fall for it since it will get wall-to-wall coverage.