"We were briefing them way before landfall," Mayfield said. "It's not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped."
It isn't just this. I knew this, or at least most of it. Then I read this where the Bush administration is making a concerted effort to blame the states and local governments.
Aaron Broussard, president of decimated Jefferson Parish in Louisiana, broke down in tears on NBC's "Meet the Press" as he chided officials. "Nobody's coming to get us," Broussard said, his head sagging. "The secretary has promised. Everybody's promised. They've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences. For God's sake, shut up and send us somebody."
In public statements and even more bluntly behind the scenes, Bush administration officials have questioned local efforts to rescue thousands of people who were stranded for days without food, water and shelter, resulting in death of an unknown number of Americans. The Bush administration says the death tolls will reach into the thousands by the time New Orleans is drained, and three top officials were dispatched to survey the region.
snip____
Bush is trying to undo what many Republicans described as considerable damage to the White House inflicted by Bush's crisis management. "Almost every Republican I have spoken with is disappointed" in Bush's performance, said William Kristol, a conservative columnist with close White House ties. "He is a strong president . . . but he has never really focused on the importance of good execution. I think that is true in many parts of his presidency."
As president, Bush typically has been loath to admit mistakes, and this situation is no different.
Anonymous said I was too hard on the church, yet the conservative church tells me continuously that this man is a good Christian. Yeah, just like Jesus would do--he refuses to accept any blame and turns it on others. Pardon me for wanting to puke. Please don't ask me to respect that. At least until someone, anyone, can give me something beyond lip service that shows Bush really believes and takes it seriously. Jesus truly cared for the least of these--and Katrina has exposed the least of these. Bush mustered a fake photo-op.
We will continue to do things to help. We will do what limited things we can. I will try to stay away from the news for a while. The horror of the hurricane's aftermath is bad enough. The unbelievable callousness of the Bush administration is more than I can bear. But maybe we will get that tax cut we need so badly! :(
1 comment:
I've been reading your posts the last couple of days and feeling some of the same frustrations. I am glad, though, to see "mainstream" journalists openly criticize the Bush administration's response to the disaster.
Post a Comment