The White House is a command center.
It's the Command Center for saving your ass.
Posted by idiosynchronic at March 2, 2006 08:16 AMIt also shows that he should have know the levees could be breached. It just proves he lied.
Posted by Goose1 at March 2, 2006 08:17 AMHa! Your puny liberal "logic" is no match for RoveThink™!
Posted by dj moonbat at March 2, 2006 08:26 AMBush is finally having his 'blue dress" moment.
And this is much more serious.
You know what they say "When Clinton lied, nobody died."
History repeats itself.
So which news organizations did know of the existence of this footage and sat on it? From Think Progress.
Posted by bbtb at March 2, 2006 09:30 AMOnce again, that pawn of right-wing ideology – the New York Times – tries to cover for Bush:
“WASHINGTON, March 1 — A newly released transcript of a government videoconference shows that hours after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, federal and state officials did not know that the levees in New Orleans were failing and were cautiously congratulating one another on the government response.
In the videoconference held at noon on Monday, Aug. 29, Michael D. Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, reported that he had spoken with President Bush twice in the morning and that the president was asking about reports that the levees had been breached.
But asked about the levees by Joe Hagin, the White House deputy chief of staff, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana said, "We have not breached the levee at this point in time." She said "that could change" and noted that the floodwaters in some areas in and around New Orleans were 8 to 10 feet deep. Later that night, FEMA notified the White House that the levees had been breached.”
Bush was fully aware that Blanco was a democrat, therefore unable to possess the competence to know what a levee was, let alone if it was breached or not.
So…..It’s all Bush’s fault.
Posted by j.west at March 2, 2006 09:45 AMWest, once again you lie. No one said it was bushes fault the Huracane hit, It was his fault the didn't do anything after they found out the levee were breach.
Later that night, FEMA notified the White House that the levees had been breached.” He lied when he said no one could have know that they could have been breached. Deal with it and go away.
Posted by goose1 at March 2, 2006 09:59 AMBush was on vacation. He didn't want it interrupted. Just like in Aug.2001.
Posted by T2 at March 2, 2006 10:12 AMGeorge: you left the damn toilet seat down again, Laura. You know what my eyesite is like. Jesus and a pickle, I told you not to do that!
Jenna: it was me daddy. Mom hasn't peed all day.
George: well, that's all right my little one. You're the pride and joy of America.
Posted by tempus at March 2, 2006 10:17 AMThere are two aspects of this story.
First, there is Bush's "no one expected flooding" lie, which is what yesterday's AP videotape gets at.
Then, there is the (willful?) "failure" of communications story, the "fact" that after the levees failed, FEMA, the state and the WH were apparently unaware of it, according to today's released transcript. This is what the NYT story is about.
More misdirection by the WH (and their water carrying watermuddiers)
Posted by euzoius at March 2, 2006 10:22 AMWest: Do you honestly think that Bush has the vaguest idea of what a levee is? If you answer yes, you are to be sent on foot patrol in Samarra for the next ten years, or until the locals “render” you.
Posted by tempus at March 2, 2006 10:31 AMTempus, West doesn't know what honestly means.
Posted by goose1 at March 2, 2006 10:50 AMI have to admit, West and Honesty are as far apart as Bush/Cheney and the Truth. And the latter will never change.
Posted by tempus at March 2, 2006 11:03 AMEuzoius has started to touch on the truth, but just touching – not embracing.
Communications was indeed the major problem with the Katrina response. No one, federal, state or local could pass along information or coordinate aid to where it was needed.
Louisiana needed to have interoperable communications in order to deal with any disaster. As the head of Louisiana Homeland Security testified in the Senate hearings, it would have cost $24 million to equip the first responders, city, parish and state officials with this type of equipment. Why didn’t Bush make some provision to see that they had the resources they needed?
Well, he did.
When asked why Louisiana didn’t use the $56 million in unspent Homeland Security Grant Funds, dating back to 2002. which could only be spent on equipment and which had a particular emphasis on interoperable communications, this Blanco appointee didn’t have a clue.
Louisiana wasn’t saving up for something else, as an additional $64 million was about to be release for their ’06 allocation, along with extra millions specifically for New Orleans under Urban Area Security grants and Port Security grants.
Even Aaron “I’m com’in to get you, Mama” Broussard who was sitting on the aisle, second row during the keynote speeches prior to the Hurricane Pam exercises, must have heard the feds pleading with the collection of state and local officials to sit down and select a system to buy. Apparently, the technical specifications could be worked out in an afternoon, but in Louisiana, the individual financial arrangements take a long time to agree upon.
Touching truth is such a messy business. It’s a lot easier to stay in the “reality based community” where the answer to all problems is “fuck’in Bush!”
Communications was indeed the major problem with the Katrina response. No one, federal, state or local could pass along information or coordinate aid to where it was needed.
That's funny because the press seemed to have pretty damn good communications ability.
And btw, u.jest, Bush already accepted responsibility for the failure of the federal government's response to Katrina - why can't you respect the words of Bush?
Posted by ann at March 2, 2006 11:27 AMWest, If the NG wasn't in Iraq with thier equipment, they could have used it in NOLA. But of course you know nothing of honor or truth.
Posted by goose1 at March 2, 2006 11:35 AMAnnie,
You’re right, as always.
Without the communications ability of the press, we never would have learned that “New Orleans dodged the bullet” after the hurricane swept through.
But that information paled in comparison to their reports on baby raping, corpse eating and helicopter shooting that helped in getting assets when and where they were needed.
Bush did take responsibility for the federal response, but as a curious person, I wonder if there is more to the story.
West: has you cortical implant gone awry?
West: "But that information paled in comparison to their reports on baby raping, corpse eating and helicopter shooting that helped in getting assets when and where they were needed."
You have a severe cortical malfunction, drone, and you will be terminated. You no longer contribute to the collective. Comply. Resistance is futile.
Goose,
Just under 40% of the Louisiana and Mississippi National Guard were in Iraq at the time. If the governors thought the remaining 60% couldn’t handle it, or would be too busy taking care of their own homes and families, they could use the Mutual Aid provision and ask for troops from other states.
Without the communications ability of the press, we never would have learned that “New Orleans dodged the bullet” after the hurricane swept through.
But that information paled in comparison to their reports on baby raping, corpse eating and helicopter shooting that helped in getting assets when and where they were needed.
On both points, neither here nor there. The press had the ability to communicate, therefore the fact that the federal government didn't means they are incompetent to do their jobs.
Bush did take responsibility for the federal response, but as a curious person, I wonder if there is more to the story.
The rest of the story is that Bush appointed Chertoff and Brown. He is responsible. He should be fired like any incompetent CEO would be. Accept it, he fucked up and people died.
west, you have NO Credibility. You have been Proven wrong so many times and you have no honor. Everytime you post you just make a bigger fool of yourself, but I am sure you can justify it somehow.
Posted by goose1 at March 2, 2006 12:12 PMActually j west, they DID ask for assistance from other states; Bill Richardson got one of those requests from Blanco and wondered why it had not been processed timely by the feds to coordinate the logistics.
Posted by Steve Soto at March 2, 2006 12:29 PMSteve,
After the hurricane hit and the flood occurred, Blanco panicked and asked for “everything you got”. It was up to FEMA at that late point to sort out the assets available.
New Mexico’s troops were probably held up for the same reason Alaska’s dog sled teams weren’t flown in – the need was already filled from some other area.
One thing you could do to advance the discussion on this topic…….
Host a thread on what should be done in the future under similar circumstances.
If a disaster hits that overwhelms the local and state resources, should the fed be allowed to take command/responsibility over the objections of a governor? At what point does that occur and who makes the decision?
I honestly don’t have any idea what the left side of the aisle thinks about these questions.
After the hurricane hit and the flood occurred, Blanco panicked and asked for “everything you got”. It was up to FEMA at that late point to sort out the assets available.
West stop lieing, Bush had declared a state of emergency BEFORE the hurcane hit that put FEMA incharge at that point. You were proven wrong on this before but you keep lieing about it, why?
Posted by goose1 at March 2, 2006 01:00 PMI posted this last night for Bagley, so I'll post it for you u.jest. The White House knew it was coming, they didn't respond, bu$h's job is to follow up, he did not, he was still on vacation. Bu$h screwed the pooch, plain and simple.
Posted by bbtb at March 2, 2006 01:01 PMu jest is our huckleberry but isn't smart enough to realize it....
Posted by headxray at March 2, 2006 01:11 PMGoose, bbtb, sunshine,
Take a few minutes tonight to learn how our country is organized and why.
Tomorrow we can talk about what a bad idea it would be for a president to be able to take over the responsibilities of a state simply by declaring it a disaster area, without the permission of the governor.
Trust me, you wouldn’t want to live in a country like that.
u jest..you ever honor anything? we proved you said you'd stay off here after losing your bet..but your sorry ass remains..what a rank liar...
Posted by headxray at March 2, 2006 01:28 PMWest, I will never trust you, You are a proven liar.
just go away. This point was aurged a long time ago and you lost. Deal with it.
I don't know if j west's endless stream of "facts" withstand scrutiny, but I'll wait to see an actual government finding that Louisiana's failure to upgrade its "interoperable" communications was the reason that the president of the US was unaware that the levees had failed for 12 hours after it happened.
And great work by the crackerjack Homeland Security Gang if they were unaware of this supposedly decisive failure by Loiusiana to upgrade its first responder communications equipment. They must have really had a well coordinated advance plan for the long expected hurricane descending on NO.
Finally, this "Blame Democratic Loosi'ana" excuse seems awfully similar to the Bushco excuse as to why there's no electricity and sewer in post-war Iraq: "We couldn't possibly know Saddam had broken Iraq so badly!" The poor Bush team---how could they know that the Dems had done such a bad job of running Loosi'ana? It's just not reasonable!
Posted by euzoius at March 2, 2006 02:38 PMIt was up to FEMA at that late point to sort out the assets available.
That's FEMA's job. They come in after the disaster to coordinate. Now, back in the Clinton days, we had a FEMA chief who could do this very well, James DeWitt. Of course, since Bush appointed a crony horse judge to head FEMA, he just wasn't up to the task. The fact that FEMA couldn't do the job that they are paid to do is not the fault of the Lousiana state government or the New Orleans city government. Bush appointed buffoons, he is negligent in hiring.
Posted by ann at March 2, 2006 02:51 PMTomorrow we can talk about what a bad idea it would be for a president to be able to take over the responsibilities of a state simply by declaring it a disaster area, without the permission of the governor.
Trust me, you wouldn’t want to live in a country like that.
But we're getting closer and closer to that everyday. Isn't that the Bu$hCo plan? A questionable declaration of war on false pretenses, illegal eavesdropping , quietly pushing through the Dubai port deal, no bid contracts to his cronies in Iraq, completely screwing up the balance of the court system, and hiring ass clowns like Snow and Chertoff...
I love it, each and every day some other issue is brought up. Not many would mind if he took another month's vacation or something. He's better not working than F'n something else up...
What I'd like to see jest is a new thread with a timeline of EVERY THING bad, wrong, greedy, questionable, illegal, and plain ignorant with Señor Chimp. I can wait for the book though...
Posted by Dishwashing Engineer at March 2, 2006 05:42 PMDumbya Dumbfuck was probably just jerking off under that table he's seated at during the conference call.
Posted by red_neck_repub at March 2, 2006 11:51 PM"Dumbya Dumbfuck was probably just jerking off under that table he's seated at during the conference call."
Jerking himself off is possibiliy the only thing he might be successful at.
Posted by Judith at March 3, 2006 01:17 AMOne reason that there was a delay in confirming the status of the levees is that on the 29th the hurricane was still blowing (i.e., no helicopters are going to be doing any assessment, no smart people are going to be patrolling and inspecting areas else they get hit by flying debris, no communications are going to be very reliable at that point). Anecdotally, there were unconfirmed reports coming in--we now know some of these were false or partly false. The point of having a working plan is to assume certain conditions and act on those assumptions, rather than to wait until a fully confirmed assessment has been made before deploying assets. Leadership was hoarding assets for four days in an attempt to wrestle all authority from the gulf states. It was criminal intimidation and it cost lives.
Posted by obelus at March 3, 2006 05:16 AM