White House: Leave Blame Game for Later

[sabra]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5259124,00.html

White House: Leave Blame Game for Later

WASHINGTON (AP) - Criticized for its sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina, the White House said Tuesday that ``we're not going to engage in the blame game'' but instead would keep its focus on rescue and recovery efforts across the heavily battered Gulf Coast.

``There are ongoing problems that need to be addressed,'' said Scott McClellan, the spokesman for President Bush. ``We've got to keep our energies focused on the task at hand.'' He said there would be time later for a thorough analysis of the government's response.

Bush was devoting the day to the recovery effort, meeting with his Cabinet, the congressional leadership, representatives of charitable organizations and with Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to talk about assistance for displaced students and closed schools. McClellan said the president also was increasing what he described as a sizeable personal contribution to the Red Cross and also was sending money to the Salvatation Army.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., had told reporters Monday that the Homeland Security Committee would convene hearings as Congress returns this week to examine the ``weaknesses and strengths'' of the federal response and to ``apply the lessons learned.''

[skooooo]

1. Looks like I'll have to call the White House again....

Obviously, they didn't get my first message.

[JuniperLea]

2. Now is absolutely the time for it!

Because we can't trust those morans to finish the job.

[ewagner]

8. Exactly

the Bush* "team" has screwed up royally and cannot be trusted to competently handle the remaining tasks.

Get them out of there and get a good team in place!!!

[The Backlash Cometh]

28. If you give them time, they'll just use it to bribe people to tell a story

that will cover the White House's ass.

[BootinUp]

3. We don't need to know about his personal contribution

We are paying him to do a job.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. It's not a fucking "game"

It is the deadly serious business of determining accountability.

The media should put quotation marks around the term "blame game," since it is nothing but White House spin. The determination of accountability is no game.

[GoSolar]

46. You are right.

Impeach Bush.

[iconoclastic cat]

Jedi mind trick. They always say this when they fuck up.

It's a tactic. I've used it before, and it works. Confuses you opponent.

[livetohike]

5. On August 29, while the rest of us knew a CAT 5 hurricane was

headed for the Gulf coast, Bush was partying in San Diego.

I blame Bush for the entire slow response. He had no sense of urgency.

His parents and all Bush apologists are out there with their PR machine rolling, trying to protect their baby.

[Demeter]

30. Bush Was Urgent Enough on Packing the Supreme Court Full of Hacks

His priorities are totally Wrong for a citizen of a democratic society (let alone a public servant or world leader).

[jsamuel]

6. WH may think this is a game, but I call it RESPONSIBILITY!

Why don't Dems stand up and say stuff like this?

[Justitia]

24. Right - ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY - We cannot trust them

to take care of and protect the citizenry, and I mean RIGHT NOW.

Being in Houston, I am seeing the suffering first hand.

This could happen to ANY OF US, even if in another form.

I want RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY - NOW.

[rkc3]

42. For repubs, accountability and responsibility only count when they're

pointing fingers at others. They have no shame when it comes to their own actions.

[ShockediSay]

57. Let's start w/ responsibility for 9/11 n/t

[habitual]

7. practice what they preach

they have spent their entire time playing the "blame game", trying to shift the blame to others. This is their game and they don't like when other people actually play!

[Lerkfish]

9. weird. Aren't they blaming Blanco and Nagin? guess they don't follow

their own advice.


nimnulls.

[LynneSin]

52. THey can't - both Homeland Security & FEMA websites...

..say they are the first level support for natural disasters. One only needs to publish a screenprint of the page to know that (well I'm sure the websites have been edited but you could go to the archives).

They have no way of blaming anyone else but you know they'll try!

[mod mom]

10. What? We should let incompetence kill more people? NO WAY!

[nyhuskyfan]

11. They just want to stall until after the '06 midterms...

That was the playbook with the 9/11 Commission -- stall until after the election, and then let it fade away

[Boredtodeath]

12. Money won't wash the blood off his hands

Sorry Scotty.........money doesn't make the stain of 10s of thousands of American's blood go away.

Bush can't buy his way out of this one.

[C_U_L8R]

13. Nice Try KKKarl

Ain't gonna happen.

This turd blossum is right on your boss' doormat
and y'all stepped right in it. Now get the hell out
of the White House - you're stinkin the whole place up.

[Liberal Veteran]

14. You'd like that wouldn't you Shrubby?

Wait until you've had time to spin up a slew of excuses?

I don't think so.

[underpants]

15. McClellan (later) "Look this has already been covered, let's move forward"

Just like they always have done.

[Roland99]

18. Hmm...seems someone up here hit on that a couple days ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2061500

[underpants]

32. It could have been 9/12 and they would say that

they probably did.

[underpants]

16. McClellan (later) "Look this has already been covered, let's move forward"

Just like they always have done.

[Roland99]

17. Is that why the WH has already started pointing fingers at Gov/Mayor?

All the right-wing AM talking heads are in full-on spin control, blaming the state and local officials. "A senior White House official" (Rove, no doubt) has apparently put out the talking points.

[Gregorian]

19. Worthless scum. Your little words. Your little words.

The world knows.

[elehhhhna]

20. Pile the bodies on the WH lawn.

[UTUSN]

21. Yeah, Later, When Orrin HATCH Will Say "That's ancient history."

Orrin's trademark is to put on his Shirley TEMPLE pout and say, "That's ancient history! We have to look to the FUTURE!"

[tuvor]

22. Scotty's back at work.

:popcorn:

[fasttense]

23. Rove really screwed this one up when you think about it.

Brush wasn't even acting concerned when the hurricane hit and three days after. Where were his political advisers? I mean any idiot could have told the pResident that he should have at least "acted" like he cared. Kids learn this in first grade. Politicians always know how to pretend they care. So what happened this time? Was Rove busy vacationing? Or did Rove not see what was so transparently obvious to the rest of us?

[raccoon]

25. Crossed my mind, too. What the hell was Rove thinking about? nt

[alarcojon]

27. Reason # 12,764,397 that Rove is NOT some sort of genius

His M.O. is accusing his opponents of what he himself is trying to do. When he screws up, all he can think to do is pass the blame or lamely ask us not to play the "blame game." Too bad it doesn't seem to be working this time - too many dead bodies, too many displaced people, and this time they are AMERICANS (for the most part) on our own soil.

Although, in Rove's defense (I can't believe I just typed that), it must be awfully hard to get Bush to give a shit or even to pretend that he does.

[Demeter]

31. Rove Was In Hiding From the Grand Jury

He only resurfaced with the Labor Day Weekend--he figures the lawyers all went out of town for the holiday.

Same with Condi and Cheney, only she's too stupid to keep a low profile.

[AlCzervik]

41. Rove is way out his league here, this is just too damn big for

someone who basically only deals in dirty tricks. You cannot slime your way out of maybe 15,000 dead.

[Lorien]

26. Bad press is the only thing motivating these assh*les to do anything

at all! And we're STILL only halfway through hurricane season... :grr:

[Justitia]

40. Amen! The real reason.

[mod mom]

55. They went into NO to take the cameras off the streets. Cold blooded MFs!

[tabasco]

29. The game is over, assholes.

You lost. Bush cut the funding for the levees. Bush is the Commander In Chief of the military and did nothing.

Bush is responsible !

[AlCzervik]

33. no i don't think so, now is the right time for pointing what they haven't

done. Just becasue the WH doesn't want to hear it doesn't mean it goes away.

[silvermachine]

34. Translation...

..."we'll just try to run out the clock on this one. Just like the stolen election(s), Plame leak, WMD's, DSM's, John Bolton, 9/11 commission, etc."

[rocktivity]

35. TRANSLATION--White House: We Know It's Our Fault

so stop saying that.

At any rate, I'm sure Stephanie Miller is glad that Puffy McMoonface is back.

:headbang:
rocknation

[leveymg]

36. Yeh, sure, save blame until after the 2008 elections.

Can we convene our white-wash commission now? Don't assign any blame, just identify institutional "causes."

It was all the bureaucracy's fault. Too many laws. Where have we heard that before?

[Fuzz]

37. Same tactic-Get their talking heads to blame any Democrat

Like Fox news and the right wing radio nuts.

Fox new actually had a little banner that said 'stop the blame game' but all they were doing was blaming anyone that wasn't a republican. It was so freakin' obvious. Hannity and Rush have been doing nothing but trying to deflect blame. This country is fucked.

[Catfight]

38. No sweeping this under the rug, Bush FAILED! nt

[harlinchi]

39. A 'Katrina' investigation will occur immediately after...

Sen. Roberts' Phase II investigation into the events surrounding 911, i.e., the 'Use of Intelligence' investigation!

[jwirr]

43. Sure, later, give them time to bury the evidence.

[0007]

44. 'Tis no blame game, it is a reality.

junior is playing the word game cuz he's to chickenshit to say he fucked up!

[bluedog]

45. Nope..He was autographing T-shirts

and they think thats not a "political" move?..........No they will be blamed loud and clear........

[anotherdrew]

47. why? It's YOUR fault this is a fiasco bush baby, you pay now and forever

the peopel actually doing work don't care at all about what 'blame' is being thrown around they're too busy. You on the other hand you worthless piece of human trash, can take hits from now til your end. Same with your no-good dad too. why don't you just resign and go live in another coutry.


-hope somehow he reads that-

[adigal]

48. Bummer - they had to delay abolishing the

Death tax for a few weeks - Grover Norquist must be weeping in his beer.

[Massachusetts]

49. "White House: Leave Blame Game for Later"

"F" you georgie * NO WE WILL NOT!!!!!!!!!!

The Bu$hco Titanic is taking on water, the engine rooms are flooding.

[Buns_of_Fire]

50. Leave it for later? Guess what, you idiots -- it IS "later!"

Too late for the poor souls who died in New Orleans, later-than-they-think for the cabal of monsters running the country.

So they don't want to play "The Game?" Pity, since they're the ones who invented "The Game." After the dead of New Orleans (and Iraq) are counted and buried, let's just see how many real Americans are "up" for this game!

Enough is enough. Bring it on, you bastards. :mad:

[LynneSin]

51. Of course they aren't - because they know they totally fucked up!!

If they had done everything right OR if they found a way that without a doubt the blame could be put on someone else you know they would be doing the blame game.

Pathetic fuckers.

Bush - when you head to hell (because you have broken more of the 10 commandments then I think I ever could!) your hell should be putting you in a room filled up to your neck in sewage filled waters.

:D

[Arkana]

53. No, it's time to play the blame game.

And just because the finger is pointed at your craven asses doesn't mean you can take your ball and go home.

[txaslftist]

54. ...Like, I don't know...say three years from now?

[JoFerret]

56. Steve Bell's view

[warrens]

58. It's not a fucking game

Let's throw the whole lot of them in the Superdome and lock it up.