My God. The Media is turning this into a Bush lynching.

[Paddy]

The leftist/socialist/liberal scum have been nurturing a dependent helpless multigenerational welfare class for the last 40 years.  It was the responsibility of the local and state governments to evacuate the city, and they failed.  The 'racist' accusations you hear are their full assault mode method of justifying their ineptitude.

[Standing Wolf]

The 'racist' accusations you hear are their full assault mode method of justifying their ineptitude.

I'm sure it's partly just old habit, too: after all, the leftist extremists have been screeching, "Racism! Racism!" for decades. Heck, it may be the only song they still remember.

[Antibubba]

ROFL!! Are you serious?

Yes Fistful.  Utterly.  It would be totally win/win for Bush.  The war is going poorly, the troops and equipment could be used to clean up the city, and Bush would have a truly grand gesture.  Remember, most of us here are unusual; we look at policies and underlying causes.  Most Americans settle for rhetoric and gestures.

Bush's sin on NO isn't that he didn't initiate federal response quickly enough.  It's that the actions he took appeared underwhelming compared to the scope of the crisis.  If upon first realization of the immensity of it Bush had sent in 40 choppers full of Rangers or SEALS (or Treasury agents, as long as they had black rifles), andhad  been down there in hipwaders passing out bottled water himself and holding up the hand of a rescue worker, or patting the head of a lost child, why, they'd be clamoring for his third term.  Doesn't matter that it probably wouldn't have done much (although killing a few looters right away would not have hurt); the fact that he did something that looked significant would have gotten more good press than any actual efficient doing could've.  But by responding in a standard but unassuming way, he's become the biggest race-hater since Hitler.

Not a cynic, a realist.

[Winston Smith]

+1 antibubba

[Warbow]

ROFL!! Are you serious?

Yes Fistful.  Utterly.  It would be totally win/win for Bush.  The war is going poorly, the troops and equipment could be used to clean up the city, and Bush would have a truly grand gesture.  Remember, most of us here are unusual; we look at policies and underlying causes.  Most Americans settle for rhetoric and gestures.

Bush's sin on NO isn't that he didn't initiate federal response quickly enough.  It's that the actions he took appeared underwhelming compared to the scope of the crisis.  If upon first realization of the immensity of it Bush had sent in 40 choppers full of Rangers or SEALS (or Treasury agents, as long as they had black rifles), andhad  been down there in hipwaders passing out bottled water himself and holding up the hand of a rescue worker, or patting the head of a lost child, why, they'd be clamoring for his third term.  Doesn't matter that it probably wouldn't have done much (although killing a few looters right away would not have hurt); the fact that he did something that looked significant would have gotten more good press than any actual efficient doing could've.  But by responding in a standard but unassuming way, he's become the biggest race-hater since Hitler.

Not a cynic, a realist.

Yeah, because it's logical to use troops and equipment already on another mission that would take months to arrive instead of the adequate troops with equipment that are already on scene. Great idea.

Newsflash: people would be trying to place blame on Bush and accusing him of ridiculous things no matter what he did -- including your "win/win" scenario.

[Perd Hapley]

Mr. Antibubba,

Let me understand.  You don't think pulling out of Iraq now would be good, do you?  Then again, you did say, "the war is going poorly," so maybe you're less connected to reality than I thought.  

Warbow is correct, though.  The man flew a jet onto an aircraft carrier, for crying out loud, and it has been made into a huge embarrassment for him.

[Antibubba]

You misunderstand, fellas.  "The war is going poorly" in the eyes of the media, and what the media show is what the people know.  I know we're doing great things over there, but until the reporting of same becomes commonplace, people will continue to wonder "why our troops are dying for nothing".

And Fistful, it isn't logical, but perception often isn't.  As I said, most Americans appreciate gestures more than success.  In a world where true ability is minimized and entitlement is paraded, "It's the thought that counts" takes on real substance.  Slick Willie understood this instinctively.  Clinton apologized for slavery and got himself declared the first "Black" President.  How are African-Americans now better off?

Perception still isn't reality.  No, it's better than that.

[grampster]

Probably about half of the people who vote fall into the category as described above by Antibubba.  I'll base that comment on notion that the the last couple of presidential election results might lead one in that direction.  One wonders what is going through the minds of those who don't vote?  How many categories may there be in that group and what are the numbers within each catgegory?

[Guest]

...  One wonders what is going through the minds of those who don't vote?  How many categories may there be in that group and what are the numbers within each catgegory?

Some are market anarchists that consider democracy an evil institution and don't want to participate in choosing those who will later tax, regulate, incarcerate, kill and rule them, and others. I would imagine that this is a small percentage, however - the Remnant, if you will. As you might guess, I am in this small group.

[Bemidjiblade]

Does it occur to anyone that Louisiana had a safe plan including evacuating everyone without private transportation using public transport?

I guess it IS Bush's fault.

The president actually expected the worthless, corrupt, democratic representatives to enact their emergency planning rather than ponitifcate and allow their constituents to die.

He should have known better.

[TarpleyG]

Wait, how come we keep hearing about the abysmal failure in LA when two other states incurred devestation equal to or greater than LA?  MS and AL seemed to be able to pull themselves up by the boot straps and get what they needed done and they have plenty of poor black people too.  Am I the only one asking this question?

Greg

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

I am in AL and I can tell you first hand, there are about 75 families staying in our area.
The Red Cross is here and operating almost seamlessly with all manner of churches (although our area is highly segregated,  both black and white churches are involved and in harmony on this) and local civic and gubmint agencies.  
I just got an email from my pastor that said that they are literally turning help away because there is TOO much.
All meals have been covered for the next month.
All housing has been provided for the foreseeable future.
Now, they are looking for jobs, immediate needs re: clothing and enrolling in school, reproducing birth and legal documents, and restarting their lives.

I am a supporter of President Bush, but I'm really sick of the spectator-evaluators standing on the sidelines and spewing commentary as the rest of us live our lives.  

I guess there you have it: The TeeVee Generation.  What's on the tube?

[El Tejon]

Tarp, geez, aren't you paying attention.  Look, Bush may be eeevil incarnate, but he can only be in one place at a time.

The answer is obvious:  Bush was in LA wrecking confusion, chaos, and evil.  This allowed MS and AL (more Republican states) to access federal aid while women and minorities suffered in New Orleans.

[Perd Hapley]

reaking confusion, isn't it?

[Waitone]

Democrats have been looking for something to stick on Bush.  Scandal de jour is all we've seen.

Well, now they got something to stick and they have to act before it slides off.  Eventually it will.  Eventually we will see what was going on or not going on in LA and NO.   Eventually we'll hear about the rampant corruption.  We'll hear about the crime organizations to whom elected officials owe allegiance.  Eventually we will see how corruption on the part of elected officials determined the slow pace of local response.

Meanwhile democrats have to act fast and get the punches in early.

[El Tejon]

fist, yes, that's Tejonese.

[Antibubba]

Fistful,

   Sarcastic, yes.  But not tongue-in-cheek.  I meant every word.  I wish I didn't believe it, but the evidence is overwhelming.

[auschip]

Tarp, geez, aren't you paying attention.  Look, Bush may be eeevil incarnate, but he can only be in one place at a time.

The answer is obvious:  Bush was in LA wrecking confusion, chaos, and evil.  This allowed MS and AL (more Republican states) to access federal aid while women and minorities suffered in New Orleans.

I thought Bush was in MS & AL, but because he is stoopid he did a poor job of destroying things, while Karl Rove was responsible for NO & LA and because he is evil incarnate he did a better job of spreading destruction and chaos.

[RocketMan]

Actually, Fistful and LT, that's "wreaking".

"Reaking" is Jinglish for "leaking".  

[Perd Hapley]

Thank you.  

fist "too-lazy-to-look-it-up" ful

[Ric Allen]

My God. The Media is turning this into a Bush lynching.

and why does that surprise you???

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

D-ric,

I guess I had hoped that Demonrats would have laid aside low blows against the Prez, at least long enough to get people out of imminent danger and strife.

The veneer on their "compassion" for their fellow man is wearing mighty thin.  Too busy placing blame to help alleviate human suffering.

I think I hate them.  

[Lee]

I've been thinking that it might be a good time to pay up the "Forty acres and a mule" to the survivors. Forty acres in Alaska and a mule- a real mule - not a worthless stinking Democrat.