WP: Sympathetic Tone Eludes Some in GOP (Hit Jarring Notes re. Katrina)

[DeepModem Mom]

NOTE: I hope the mods don't mind my using the headline that appeared on the WP homepage, as well as the one with the article -- I liked the first one!


Some GOP Legislators Hit Jarring Notes in Addressing Katrina
By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 10, 2005; Page A04

Some lawmakers are still struggling to find the sympathetic but diligent tone that a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina -- and the lagging government response to its victims -- would seem to call for.

The latest elected official to step into the swamp was Rep. Richard H. Baker, a 10-term Republican from Baton Rouge. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that he was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

Democrats, of course, gleefully disseminated the report, saying they detected a GOP pattern. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) recently spoke of bulldozing part of New Orleans, they reminded everyone, and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) suggested punishing people who had ignored pre-storm evacuation orders.

Baker issued a lengthy statement saying he was "taken aback" by the Journal's brief item. "What I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it,' " Baker wrote. "Obviously I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state."

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Santorum was drawing a second round of fire, this time for saying the National Weather Service's forecasts and warnings about Katrina's path were "not sufficient." Democrats e-mailed audio links to a radio interview in which Santorum said that "we need a robust National Weather Service" that focuses on severe weather predictions. "Obviously the consequences are incredibly severe, as we've seen here in the last couple of weeks, if we don't get it right and don't properly prepare," Santorum said....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/09/AR2005090901930.html

[Mari333]

1. Ha! their true selves are surfacing..racist bastards

add to that Delays comment "are you havin fun?" to the evacuees..and Babs comments about "how nice this is for the
underpriveleged"..
cold hearted , unfeeling, slime.

[Hekate]

15. I wish I could believe they come from a different planet...

... because they are really an embarrassment to the human race. What exactly is in their chests where an empathic, compassionate heart should be?

Hekate

#Why won't the Chickenhawk cross the road?#
#Why isn't the Chickenhawk waitin' on the levee?#

[genieroze]

43. Read some David Icke, because that's what he says.

[meow2u3]

22. I'd like to see the (black) evacuees do this to Delay:

Choke the shit out of him, sending this racist asshole straight to hell :evilgrin::mad::grr:

[Trevelyan]

51. More information on the evacuees being held behind fences in

ar off states that they did not agree to go to. A photo of two very worn out looking,unhappy women separated from the press by an orange wire fence in Colorado.

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/005403.php#more

Welcome To George's Holiday Camp
Here we go again.

The other day, I wrote about Katrina evacuees being taken to Utah with no prior knowledge of their destination, and that they were reportedly being kept behind barbed wire. I mentioned at the time that I couldn't confirm this, and if any Utahns who read The Left Coaster could confirm or deny this tale, it would be reported here.

But this morning, what do I spy - to my shock and surprise - but a similar report from Aurora, Colorado:

I was afraid of this. As the great diaspora of New Orleans continues with evacuees not being told where they're going until the bus/plane cranks up or until they land/arrive, the police state tactics of some of the 'welcoming' communities are actually just housing people at remote locations, behind fences - like prisons, reallyVerne Stovall, foreground, and her daughter-in-law, Jacquelyn Augustine, stand at a
fence separating them from reporters and others Tuesday at the Community College of Aurora. Stovall recalled how she was rescued Sunday with 23 other people from a flooded house in New Orleans. (Denver Post / Glenn Asakawa)


And that's NOT all, folks!

Please go to the left coaster and read the rest.

[calimary]

83. That's the "Let 'Em Eat Cake" party for ya.

Either that or the "Go Fuck Yourself" party. GOP = GFY.

Good to see this pointed out. Everyone here is correct - this is merely evidence of their true selves. Sooner or later all the nice makeup and lipsdick wears off those pigs, and they're revealed for what they are. Just EXCELLENT that this is coming out.

[Tatiana]

2. And the hits just keep coming....

Now they are even quoting cogent reporting from from Democratic blogs critical of the Republicans' lack of sympathy.

[Lecky]

3. I'm sure it's difficult for some of those idiots to express compassion

It doesn't come naturally to them. So they just constantly stick their foot in their mouths...it's interesting to watch, they are so out of touch with the people it's ridiculous.

[Carla in Ca]

4. Oh, that Baker is good, isn't he?

and what was poppy's remark about the people on their rooftops? And Laura's hurricane, Corrina

[rodeodance]

7. slick--that is for sure!!

Baker issued a lengthy statement saying he was "taken aback" by the Journal's brief item. "What I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it,' " Baker wrote. "Obviously I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state."

[rodeodance]

8. note, he says he was talking to a 'a housing advocate"--aks lobbiest

[ClintonTyree]

60. Theres some PUBLIC HOUSING in Washington.............

that I'd like to see vacated VERY soon. It's at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Oh, how it would warm my heart to see Der Failure and Pickles standing on the roof waving a bed-sheet with HEPL written on it (the misspelling is intentional, for that's exactly how Der Failure would write it)! Now THAT my friends would be a disaster worth watching. :rofl:

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

61. Der Failure and Pickles

I like that

:rofl:

[54anickel]

23. Sounds like Pat Robertson's first defense - until someone reminded

him the comments about Chavez was on tape.

Liars.

[rateyes]

44. Yeah, so he is saying now that God...

killed all the poor and destroyed their homes, so that the Repigs can be nice and build better houses for them... What a sick, damned joke...No, those people that died and those left to rebuild their lives were there because of the institutional racism and classism that exists in this country, mainly because of Repig policy, and because * didn't do his damned job, and didn't make sure anybody at FEMA did theirs, as well.

People are starting to wake up out of their slumber and those who open their eyes and look at the situation without their "political filters" (rose-colored glasses) on, know what went wrong, and who should be held accountable.

[MisterP]

5. it's THE GOP pattern

[Demeter]

40. Urban Renewal---GOP Style

Kill off the poor and destroy their homes, then "gentrify" the place and sell to GOP cronies with inflated incomes.

"There's a green one, and a blue one, and a pink one, and a yellow one

And they're all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same"

[catzies]

6. Santorum's saying that because he wants to eliminate the NWS & privatize

it to his cronies at AcccuWeather.

http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/santorum_weather_ban_accuweather_421.htm

[rodeodance]

9. sanny man sees lttle green people on his radar screen.

[Kber]

37. Well sure. "Cause privatizing FEMA worked so well.

[Cornjob]

10. Rick. What was "not sufficient" about repeated warnings....

of shear devastation? Their warnings included every possible and probable consequence of the impending hurricane.

I guess you didn't get the memo.

[iamjoy]

35. Well, I Suppose They Were Insufficient

if they were really adequate, everyone would have evacuated, if they had to steal the buses to do so.

besides, wasn't the NWS report that said "food and water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards" - well, that really is kind of vague. It should have said, "people will die of hunger, thirst and disease"

what about "all gabled roofs will fail" - really, what does that mean. So, I get a new roof. It should have said, "all gabled roofs will fail resulting in the serious injury or death to the people in that building."

Really, though, why so many details, people get bored and stop reading after a few lines. The notice was written at a 10th grade reading level, but many poor and uneducated people only read at like a 6th or 8th grade level. So really, the warnings should be more simple, more accurate and more succinct. Like, "leave or die"

[ClintonTyree]

59. If the warnings weren't sufficient.........

then how can he want to hold the people that DIDN'T evacuate responsible for THEIR actions? Which it it Sphinctorum? Were the warnings accurate enough so that everyone should have evacuated and now be held responsible if they didn't, or were the warnings as vague as you say, therefore these people shouldn't be held responsible for not leaving?
I'm really confused on this one, Ricky. Do you mean to say that you want it ALL YOUR WAY? That EVERYONE is guilty of SOMETHING, except of course the people that let it happen in the first place, which would be LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE WHITE HOUSE? :grr: These fuckwads really piss me off. :grr:

[hraka]

74. Truthfully, how many of your belongings...

...could you carry out on your back? How long would it take you to collect it all, along with your children, and get out of town - without a car? Only to have the only exit routes blocked by armed guards, telling you to get back or be shot. (A warning shot over the head is just that, a warning that you will be shot.)
They can say all they want about the victims' ethnicity, economic background, number of children (many are Catholics who do not believe in birth control, regardless of their color). But dang, they sure do like to go down there and partake of their hospitality when it suits them, don't they (Mardi Gras).

(edited for typos)

[faithnotgreed]

11. tell the truth this is fun isnt it

thanks delay - we knew we could count on your generosity and compassion

[KT2000]

12. Uh oh! Masks falling off

They have not learned anything in the last 50 years. They have not changed a bit. It's back to the 50's for these folks - cuz now they have the power.

[Blaq Dem]

13. That's why they call themselves CONSERVATIVES

They never change. They enjoy the old antebellum south of having someone slaving for them.

First it was the Native Americans. When the natives refused, they were practically exterminated. Soon they were replaced by stolen Africans.

Civil War broke out because the souherns wanted to bring slaves into the new stolen land out West. They lost and the slaves gained freedom. Oh no, cant have that.

Conservatives rolled back Reconstruction and ushed in Jim Crow laws to keep the black population as a permanent underclass. Blacks and other intelligent groups fought back for decent education and higher standard of living.

Still unsatisfied, Reagan comes along with that stankin' (may he rest in hell) Rehnquist to block further progress.

2005, inequalty STILL exists. But this time, they want a new permanent underclass who are not even citizens of this nation at all. Illegal immigrants. Use them til' their bodies breaks down. When done, replace them with fresh illegals.

[FourStarDemocrat]

21. Conservative=rationing and conserving empathy and compassion

No use doling caring feelings out now. They like to keep that kind of stuff close to the vest to be available for later use sometime in the future.

[maddezmom]

14. they are vile and evil

kick and recommended

[Beam Me Up]

16. FUCKTARDS! Every one of them.

Expose them for the lyinig, racists bastards they are.

[thebigidea]

17. the WaPo would NEVER say a Republican "gleefully disseminated"

Republicans always "slam" or "pound" in a rugged, masculine way. Democrats always do things "gleefully" or for political reasons.

fucking WP.

[Prodemsouth]

26. Echo- you called it- now I don't have to post a long one.

n/t

[NJCher]

47. hey you

:hi:

Where ya' been? Haven't seen you around for awhile!

Got any new creative stuff to show us?




Cher

[Judi Lynn]

78. Wow! "Slam" and "pound." That's two-fisted MEpublicans, alright.

They all take after their pRes, who can REALLY clear brush with the best of them.

[QC]

18. Santorum says the warnings weren't sufficient?

This sounds pretty damn direct to me:

***************

WWUS74 KLIX 282139
NPWLIX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA...
...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-290300-
ASSUMPTION-HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-
LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-
ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-
TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-
UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT...

HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE COASTAL MARSHES AND WILL
PERSIST FOR THE NEXT 26 TO 28 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL
ONSET AROUND MIDNIGHT NEAR THE COAST AND BY 3 AM CLOSER TO THE NEW
ORLEANS METRO AREA AND PERSIST FOR 9 TO 15 HOURS. MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS
AROUND 175 MPH ARE LIKELY IN THE WARNED AREA BY DAYBREAK MONDAY.

DO NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS ONCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ONSET!

$$

LAZ034>037-039-046>049-MSZ068>071-077-290300-
AMITE-ASCENSION-EAST BATON ROUGE-EAST FELICIANA-IBERVILLE-
PEARL RIVER-PIKE-POINTE COUPEE-ST. HELENA-WALTHALL-WASHINGTON-
WEST BATON ROUGE-WEST FELICIANA-WILKINSON-
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT...

HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA. TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE COASTAL MARSHES AND WILL
SREAD NORTHWESTWARD INTO THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AREA AND
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI LATER THIS EVENING. TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ONSET AROUND 9 PM TONIGHT AND PERSIST
FOR 22 TO 26 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL ONSET AROUND
DAYBREAK AND PERSIST FOR ABOUT 5 TO 10 HOURS. MAXIMUM WIND
GUSTS OF 80 TO 90 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN EAST-CENTRAL LOUISIANA
AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.

DO NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS ONCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ONSET.

[DeadManInc]

20. You have to have a heart to show compassion.

[Oreegone]

38. It is insufficient

Right, only if you can't read. This was a definite plug for his buddy who owns a privately owned weather reporting business.

At this rate I'm surprised he didn't say Halliburton could do a better job. Aren't they the only company in the US?
:sarcasm:

[hraka]

76. Well, there you go. monkey boy doesn't read the news

he doesn't read/watch/listen to the news. He gets a summary daily made up of what others think he wants to hear, not what is actually going on. Such things as we've deployed X numbers of trucks with X pounds of food. (No mention that they never arrived or were commandeered or turned back by armed forces sent there to restore peace.)
But America will get though this and will be stronger as a result. Yup, I can see it now. Just like invading - ne, overthrowing Iraq saved us from big bad Saddam with his WMD's.

[calimary]

84. Welcome to DU!

Nice people, aren't they?

Glad you're here. PLEASE help us get them OUT OF POWER!!!

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!
Then go DO something about it.

[hraka]

75. Wow. Don't know if this is appropo, but kick

nope, can't do it. great find anyway.

[robbedvoter]

19. "everything triggers a mass mailing" Democrats gleefully" - nice WP

is not biases at all when reporting this. You'd think someone would be disgusted by the content of the things said - but no, it's all a game to the fat alcoholic guy (MSM)

[Pithy Cherub]

24. Where ever will Republicans loot compassion from?

Their "Dear Leader", * is all tapped out, the cake eating, fundraising and cowpoke guitar playing for his base was just too much. Condi was too busy with the NY shoe shopping and Monty Python. Rumsfailed was at the Padre game. Chertoff & brownie don't watch TV so tens of thousand suffered needlessly. FEMA showed compassion only for rigid rules during a crisis, because to break a rule would have meant faster help, but alas it was against the rules.

Trent Lott sure didn't speak up when * offered to sit on his porch before saying anything about NOLA rebuilding. Haley Barbarian sure did blame the poor folks who couldn't get out. Sensenbrenner sure didn't vote for Katrina Aid because nobody he deemed important would be in charge of the republican piggy bank.

Yeah, compassionate conservatism of these republican politicians only lives in imagination, not in fact. Why do they spend so much time "cleaning up their words" but not their actions? :shrug:

[supernova]

25. What is this "TONE" business?

:wtf:

Whatever happened to showing simple human concern and caring? If you have that, you don't have to be concerned about the marketing weasel term "tone."

:grr: :grr:

[JerseygirlCT]

28. Should have read your post first

Just what I was thinking!

[JerseygirlCT]

27. Here's what I don't understand

why is expressing sympathy such a difficult thing? Why is finding the right tone something they have to work at? Would any human being with the smallest bit of empathy not have the ability to just express sadness? Frustration?

I don't understand people for whom this is a difficult task.

[calimary]

86. Because with them, image is everything. Perception is everything.

It's not as important to them that they behave as a compassionate, thoughtful human being. The only important thing is to make you THINK that's what they are. Because in their heart-of-hearts, they're NOT anything of the kind.

This is what we have to REMOVE from the seats of power.

[rocktivity]

29. Sounds like a job for the DU "Cry Me A River" String Quartet!

And-a one, and-a two...

:nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity:
rocknation

[calimary]

85. LOL!

Cue those violins!

[Straight Shooter]

30. Well, if Repubs have been trying for decades and can't clean up N.O.

Then it's obvious that the Repubs are incompetent.

[NuttyFluffers]

31. selfishness excludes sympathy. demoniac excludes humanity.

what's so hard and surprising about this to understand? oh that's right, it isn't what was said on the pamphlet the GOP and their media whores were peddling.

[mermaid]

32. Don't Buy It!!

anything Prick Santorectum has to say about National Weather Service...don't buy it!! He has his own ax to grind in that case. He's trying to get the National Weather Service replaced by Pennsylvania-based Accu-Weather. i'm a Pennsylvania resident, I know this to be true. This is a long-standing goal of Santorectum. He wants to have all national weather turned over to Accu-Weather. Then do away with NWS. Then force people to have to PAY to get any sort of reliable weather forecast whatsoever. Which would lead to more poor folks being stuck in places like New Orleans when bad weather strikes.

And the people who stayed should be punished, sayeth Prick Santorectum?? Haven't they been punished enough already, what with having lost everything they own, having maybe lost some loved ones, too...maybe even lost the family dog as well! Maybe lost their health and certainly their dignity. not enough punishment for being poor yet, in Santorectum's book!

Well, I got two words for you, Santorectum: "you" and "Fuck." Not necessarily in that order. And four more words for you, Santorectum: Bob Casey in 2006! And nine more words for you, Santoruectum: Go back to Virginia, you scum-sucking bottom feeder!

HGave I yet made it clear how much of an asshole I think Prick Santorectum is?

[DUBYASCREWEDUS]

65. APPLAUSE!

I LOVE IT!! I live next door in Ohio - whatever you do to get rid of that idiot that you have can you send some over to this state so we can dump DeWine?? Oh, that would be sweet. I am hoping that national attention will turn to my state so we can dump DeWine and that number one A--HOLE - J. KENNETH BLACKWELL.

[calimary]

87. More APPLAUSE!! And Welcome to DU, DUBYASCREWEDUS!

I've made that adorable individual a special personal project of mine next year. I'm saving some money so I can donate to whomever winds up taking him on.

[DUBYASCREWEDUS]

97. THANKS!

I have fantasies about "bitch-slapping" Blackwell everytime I have to visit the secretary of state website! I would donate to Mickey Mouse if he ran against that idiot -- and you know, the way things are going for the Moronarchy these days - Mickey could win!

[hraka]

77. I read that too

If the Weather Service is privatized, I can only imagine what would happen. The Weather Service's report worked. The emergency response sysyem worked. People either didn't or most likely couldn't heed it. And I didn't see any busses pulling into New Orleans or Mississippi to get those people out, before or after the storm and levee breaks. Those that got out did it on their own. They are truly survivors.

[defiant1]

81. Nope....

I think you need to be a tad bit clearer.

:toast:

[riverwalker]

33. the RW pretending compassion

is kind of like teaching them Portuguese. A few words may be correct here and there, but they babble nonsense like morons. They remind me of how psychopathic mass killers like Ted Bundy, attempted to pretend to have normal emotions, so they mimic what they think others would say or do.

[Divernan]

34. Evidently the Wall Street Journal thought this was great result of Katrina

We all know that if there is one newspaper which slavishly courts GOP/Bush approval and support it is the Wall Street Journal! So clearly it would never deliberately include a quote from a GOP congressman if that quote would reflect BADLY on that congressman individually or the GOP in general. There are two explanations:

(1) The reporter is also such a racist pig that he/she thought the destruction of public housing in Baton Rouge was just super, Buffy! To every cloud there is a racist silver lining, doncha know, all you Muffy and Trip readers out there in SUV land.
OR
(2)This reporter actually has a heart and a conscience, was horrified by the remark, and managed to slip it by the editor in order to hoist Rep. Baker on the GOP's own petard, ie., their pet publication.


As to Baker's claim he was talking with a "housing advocate", let me tell you I spent 10 years in a state legislature and never met a "housing advocate" for public housing. However, the capitol was absolutely crawling with paid lobbyists and state and national officers of Buidling Associations. These guys never built housing for the poor or even average people. They consistently built these gated, golf course communities for the upper middle class and the wannabe perceived as wealthier than they really were. These lobbyists fought tooth, nail and checkbook against establishing a statewide building code which provided a minimum standard of safe construction. They didn't want to spend one red cent on something like smoke alarms, which didn't add any sex appeal to their marketing, but did add minimally to construction costs.

So I would bet a bundle that the conversation between this
GOP congressman and the "housing advocate" concerned how those tracts of land with public housing could be bulldozed so that megamansions for the wealthy, built by the "advocate's" clients, could replace them.
Either way, I think it's great that Baker got screwed by that right wing rag.

[Mike_The_Computer]

36. But being nice is hard work! It's hard work!

Yeah, whatever. I only wish the 2006 midterms weren't so far off, because we Americans have such short attention spans.

[Autonomy]

41. By 11/2006 it will be "remembered" what a great job Bush did

in the aftermath of Katrina, just like it is "remembered" how great he did after 9/11/2001. He took charge immediately! He brought this country together! He displayed a leadership not seen since Saint Ronald Reagan walked on water to heal the sick and raise the dead and stop communism all by himself! HAH!

[calimary]

88. Welcome to DU!

Now that you're here, your mission is to keep hope, AND THE TRUTH, alive until then.

And Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!
Then go DO something about it.

[plunger]

39. Chertoff is the real disaster...

CHERTOFF IN CHARGE:

Thus far (leaving aside the failure to prevent 9/11 - and subsequently covering up the truth), our greatest national disgraces have been the Images of US Troops torturing detainees, and the images of our citizens being allowed to drown in their attics. What do these two things have in common?

Michael Chertoff.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.chertoff/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defending the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argued Saturday that government planners did not predict such a disaster ever could occur.

But in fact, government officials, scientists and journalists have warned of such a scenario for years.

Chertoff, fielding questions from reporters, said government officials did not expect both a powerful hurricane and a breach of levees that would flood the city of New Orleans.

"That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight," Chertoff said.

He called the disaster "breathtaking in its surprise."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/01292005C.shtml

Security Nominee Gave Advice to the C.I.A. on Torture Laws By DAVID JOHNSTON, NEIL A. LEWIS and DOUGLAS JEHL

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 - Michael Chertoff, who has been picked by President Bush to be the homeland security secretary, advised the Central Intelligence Agency on the legality of coercive interrogation methods on terror suspects under the federal anti-torture statute, current and former administration officials said this week.

Depending on the circumstances, he told the intelligence agency, some coercive methods could be legal, but he advised against others, the officials said.

Mr. Chertoff's previously undisclosed involvement in evaluating how far interrogators could go took place in 2002-3 when he headed the Justice Department's criminal division. The advice came in the form of responses to agency inquiries asking whether C.I.A. employees risked being charged with crimes if particular interrogation techniques were used on specific detainees.

Mr. Chertoff's division was asked on several occasions by the intelligence agency whether its officers risked prosecution by using particular techniques. The officials said the C.I.A. wanted as much legal protection as it could obtain while the Justice Department sought to avoid giving unconditional approval.

One technique that C.I.A. officers could use under certain circumstances without fear of prosecution was strapping a subject down and making him experience a feeling of drowning.


IMMINENT DOMAIN, Imminent:

Think about the passage of the law regarding imminent domain, whereby local governments are entitled to confiscate property where it can be put to a higher use (offer greater tax revenues) by a developer.

Now contemplate the unlimited greed that is about to descend on New Orleans chasing all of that "relief" money.

How many developers are presently working on plans to confiscate blocks of existing homes to convert to a "higher purpose?"

A: Allow the poor to die.

B: Force the survivors out of their homes at gunpoint.

C: Confiscate the property under the "Imminent Domain" laws.

D: Develop a completely new and improved New Orleans - absent the poor.

[existentialist]

48. a chilling post

I can just see the GOP running Chertoff for President in 2008.

[NJCher]

49. don't worry yourself

This guy is the most unphotogenic piece of crap since Jerry Falwell.




Cher

[Divernan]

50. Far scarier looking than Falwell - Dracula Redux

"I vant to drink your freedoms!"

[calimary]

89. Welcome to DU! Thanks for the info!

Help us GET RID OF THESE BASTARDS!

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!
Then go DO something about it.

[genieroze]

42. "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it,

but God did." Oh really? Maybe not.
Put this on before you read :tinfoilhat:

Locals believe Levees were Intentionally blown
Evidence suggests there were "cracks" in levees that were intentionally ignored, questions over how they failed.

Prisonplanet | September 9 2005
By Steve Watson

Could the levees in New Orleans have been INTENTIONALLY blown out in order to save sections of the city deemed to be more important?

The locals certainly seem to think so, yet, as usual, the mainstream media is barely picking up on this wave of opinion, so it is left to us once again to bring the issue into the open.


When Katrina hit, it drifted 15 miles to the east of where forecasters said it would strike. Therefore it wasn't quite the monster described. The storm passed through with relatively minor damage, it was the the storm surge from the Gulf that caused Lake Pontchartrain to rise three feet and the subsequent flooding. Katrina hit early on Monday 29th August, the levees broke in three places - along the Industrial Canal, the 17th Street Canal, and the London Street Canal.
The main storm surge from Hurricane Katrina washed into Lake Pontchartrain at around 7AM on August 29th when the counterclockwise motion of Katrina was pushing water from the Gulf of Mexico into the lake.

http://www.infowars.com/articles/new_orleans/locals_believe_levees_blown_intentionally.htm

[hollowdweller]

45. The Reagan Revolution

I am SO glad the press is finally starting to report on the actual mean spiritedness of the Conservative Movement.

Really Reagan began it all with talk of "Welfare Queens", "The Liberals" and homeless who really wanted to live like that.

The whole appeal of things like blaming the victims, abortion, gay marriage, etc, is to allow large numbers of people to feel morally superior to others without really focusing on any of the sins that they normally do themselves, while at the same time not feeling bad about being selfish.

One of the first things to teach a kid is how to share and to think about others. Only by having these things will he be able to love and be loved. Yet the Conservative movement is really like the selfish bully, and their supporters like the weaker kids who buddy up to a bully so they can feel big too.

[savemefromdumbya]

46. Funny that, the hurricane experts were pleading with the government

Quote: Santorum was drawing a second round of fire, this time for saying the National Weather Service's forecasts and warnings about Katrina's path were "not sufficient

*** where was he when the hurricane experts of the weather centers were pleading with the governemnt to DO SOMETHING?

[plunger]

52. Chertoff's history...

When the attacks on 9-11 occurred, Michael Chertoff was placed in charge of the investigation (HOW CONVENIENT). On Oct. 25, 2001, CBS reported that the Feds had launched Operation Green Quest in an attempt to stop the financing of terrorism. Here's what Dr. Magdy Elamir's former attorney had to say on the subject:

"The lifeblood of terrorism is money, and if we cut the money we cut the blood supply," said assistant attorney general Michael Chertoff, the head of the Justice Department's criminal division.

The next day, on October 26, 2001, Michael Chertoff testified before Congress and had this to say: "As an integral part of this national effort, the Department of Justice and the FBI have established an interagency Financial Review Group to coordinate the investigation of the financial aspects surrounding the terrorist events of September 11th and beyond. All members of this Committee recognize the importance of understanding the financial components of terrorist and criminal organizations. These financial links will be critical to the larger criminal investigation, while also providing a trail to the sources of funding for these heinous crimes. The importance of "following the money," in this instance, as well as in the investigation of all criminal enterprises, cannot be overstated.

The members of this Committee are also well aware that money laundering constitutes a threat to the safety of our communities, to the integrity of our financial institutions and to our national security." On March 25, 2002, CNN reported:

"Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff is the Dick Cheney of the Justice Department. Brainy, intense and well connected, the former federal prosecutor can usually be found at Attorney General John Ashcroft's elbow as the department's top counterterrorism tactician. And last week Chertoff vanished to an undisclosed location.

With no deputies along and no publicity, Chertoff was on a stealthy swing through France, Belgium and the Netherlands. His mission: sell Western European governments on a new Bush Administration plan to post U.S. Justice Department prosecutors overseas in unprecedented numbers. "The sinews that hold a terrorist network together are money, communications and transportation," Chertoff told TIME before his trip. To help sever those sinews, Chertoff wants to have American prosecutors stationed in key capitals, where they can work behind the scenes with their counterparts to overcome the legal and cultural obstacles to shipping evidence to the U.S. for use in court."

I find it very interesting that Michael Chertoff, the man tapped to cut off the flow of finances to known terrorists, had in fact represented a man from 1998-2000 who allegedly had ties to Osama Bin Laden and may have sent millions of dollars to him.

I also find it interesting, that while Michael Chertoff served as Assistant United States Attorney and then United States Attorney for New Jersey from 1987 to 1994, that terrorist acts, including the first World Trade Center bombing, were perpetrated under his watch and were fueled from a mosque in Jersey City that was never shut down and still exists today. Chertoff's former client, Dr. Magdy Elamir, is known to have supported the mosque financially while having suspected ties to Osama Bin Laden. Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 bombing, just happens to be the nephew of the 9-11 mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0505/S00129.htm

And remember the story that was written in Popular Mechanics debunking all of those conspiracy Theories about 9/11?

Well check this out…

LET IT BE NOTED, THE PERSON WHO WROTE THIS IS BENJAMIN CHERTOFF, THE DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY MICHEAL CHERTOFF'S COUSIN.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/science/1249302.html

If we were looking for evidence of a coverup, wouldn't this be a good place to start…or should we all just be "Coincidence Theorists?"

[plunger]

53. National Guard - MIA

I received a news letter from John Mauldin, and therein was found the following from a Brigadier General in the National Guard. Note the reasons for the lack of an organized response to the Katrina Crisis, and remember who is ultimately to blame. To the best of my knowledge, Brown didn't slash his own FEMA budget or alter FEMA's mission away from preparedness (that was Chertoff's doing), and Brown didn't send 80% of the National Guard to Iraq either, did he Mr. Bush?

Brown is guily as sin and needs to be fired, but so do Chertoff and Bush.

Dear Mr. Mauldin,

I command a Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in the New Mexico Army National Guard.

I understand your frustration and perhaps anger at the seemingly slow response to the disaster in New Orleans and Mississippi.

Let me offer a re-cap from a soldier's perspective.

First, New Mexico Guardsmen arrived in Louisiana on Friday. It's important that you understand that over 80 percent of the New Mexico National Guard has been deployed. Many of our soldiers who are now trying to restore order in the Superdome have already been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, or the National Capital Region in D.C. They volunteered for this duty…as they volunteered after 9-11.

Next, please recall the first two days following Katrina there was very little visibility regarding the extent of the damage. We were flying blind with little or no communication. Nonetheless, my Adjutant General put us all on alert (without orders) with the quote, "I am not going to sit around and let Americans die, while we wait for orders." Thus, we started getting ready.

At this exact same time, my brigade was deploying soldiers to Iraq and we were trying to get them out the door with all their equipment, records, medical supplies, etc. That mission could not be put on the back burner. We have Americans dying in Iraq, too.

Then, we found out the news that set us back two days -- we couldn't simply send our remaining soldiers to Louisiana, because there was no command center or means of support. Our soldiers had to take everything they needed to sustain themselves for 10-14 days on the ground. We were told, "If you don't bring it, you don't get it."

The reason for this was a good portion of the Louisiana Guard was also currently deployed the Mid-East, so those who were left behind were short on both personnel and equipment. They had no support to offer any incoming troops.

Mr. Mauldin, sending troops can be done quickly. Creating a supply line -- sending soldiers with Humvees, water, MRE's, Deet, tents, weapons, ammo, commo, updated shots, and everything it takes to support a battalion takes a little planning. Do it wrong and you are more of a hindrance than a help.

The staff and soldiers of the New Mexico National Guard worked around the clock to make a rapid deployment possible. We are a large state. Bringing soldiers from Farmington to Las Cruces (after they have been released by their employers (hopefully), and getting their families squared away) takes time. We got the official go-ahead on Thursday. Friday morning our soldiers were gone. I couldn't be prouder.

Beyond this, we coordinated transportation with our Air National Guard brethren who came through like champs. We do not have air lift capability organic to NM. Therefore, the good men and women of Kansas, Delaware, South Dakota, and Arizona came to our assistance. Yes, our soldiers traveled in KC135 refueling vehicles instead of the preferred C-130s. But the Air Guard got us there and even made multiple runs to make sure we got everything on the ground that we needed. Meanwhile, the "Red Chile Express" is convoying across your great State of Texas at this moment to make sure we can sustain our soldiers for what looks like the long haul.

Right now, I have soldiers defending the National Capital Region as Air Defenders. Many of the soldiers who just got back from Iraq volunteered to go to New Orleans and place their "boots are on the ground" or in the water as the case may be. Plus, we have soldiers in route back to Iraq and Afghanistan. Oh, and Kosovo is next for more of our soldiers before year end. One last thing: my soldiers also have civilian jobs and usually take pay cuts (or risk losing their jobs despite legislations that supposedly protects them) when they deploy.

My guess is that any soldier in any state could write this same basic letter to you. We are all stretched thin.

So, forgive me if I sound a little testy. Still, I felt compelled to defend my soldiers, their admirable performance, and amazing sense of duty. If you knew them as I know them your chest would swell with pride.

Gregory Zanetti Brigadier General Commander, 111th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade

[plunger]

55. Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Absolutely mind boggling! Why were Israeli explosives experts, posing as "art students" roaming the halls of US Federal buildings? Why were Israeli army vets, armed with explosives and detonators, roaming the halls of the Mexican Congress? Why were Israeli "movers" caught in vans with explosives residue ? Might some of these shady characters have once also "roamed the halls" of the World Trade Center prior to 9-11?

"Investigators within the DEA, INS, and FBI have all told FOX News that to pursue or even suggest Israeli spying is considered career suicide."

On December 11, 2002, Senator Bob Graham (D-FL), a leading member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appeared as a guest on the PBS Newshour with Gwen Ifill. Graham surprised Ifill by expressing his belief that a foreign government or governments had to have funded and supported the hijackers. Here's part of the exchange:

IFILL: "Are you suggesting that you are convinced that there was a state sponsor behind 9/11?"

GRAHAM: "I think there is very compelling evidence that at least some of the terrorists were assisted not just in financing – although that was part of it – by a sovereign foreign government and that we have been derelict in our duty to track that down, make the further case, or find the evidence that would indicate that that is not true and we can look for other reasons why the terrorists were able to function so effectively in the United States."

IFILL: "Do you think that will ever become public, which countries you're talking about?"

Now listen to Graham's bombshell.........: GRAHAM: "It will become public at some point when it's turned over to the archives, but that's 20 or 30 years from now. And, we need to have this information now because it's relevant to the threat that the people of the United States are facing today."

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/hundreds.html


WHY DID CHERTOFF SET THEM ALL FREE?

[savemefromdumbya]

79. I wonder what else Sibel Edmonds found?

Something else must be really crucial that they are gagging Sibel.

[NYC]

91. Cousin Benjamin Chertoff was senior researcher,

and editor of the Popular Mechanics article re 9/11.

[Rex]

54. Bullshit! This is a backtrack, identical to Rush and Pat retractions.

Republicans are the only creatures on Earth that can spew shit from both holes at the same time. :eyes:

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

56. How long until The Wall Street Journal is called

a member of the "lib'rul" media assault on the right wing?

Any bets? Has it happened yet?

[ClintonTyree]

57. Why would we expect anything different..........

from these pieces of human garbage? These elite, white Republicans have no feeling for anyone but "their own kind". They've fooled many other lower class Americans (freepers, fundies etc.) into thinking that THEY REPRESENT THEM, but in truth they only use them to further their own agenda of serving just themselves. These comments fit that profile. They're making scapegoats out of our nation's poor and blaming them for all of our country's ills. They have to look no further than the nearest mirror to see who's REALLY bringing this country to it's lowest level of civility ever.
God damn them, god damn them all to hell. There was a thread the other day about how we shouldn't blame Republicans for this mess we're in, how we should be civil and treat them with respect and dignity. NEVER! Respect and dignity are earned, and these people have done NOTHING to earn the respect and dignity of anyone other than themselves. Fuck 'em.

[racer-x]

58. quotes

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/currentevents/a/katrinaquotes.htm?nl=1

some interesting quotes by our great government officials.

*sigh*



this whole situation has me pretty steamed. I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I really wanted to go down and help, but college started this week and there was just no way I could do it. then after reading those reports of the 1000 firefighters who got to hand out fliers... ugh...

:-(

[antigone382]

69. Welcome to DU, racer-x!

We're all pretty steamed...even moreso now than we have been for the last five years.

Thank you for being a volunteer firefighter...makes you a hero in my book, even if you couldn't help in this situation. I'm in my third week back at school, so I know how it is. :hi:

[calimary]

90. Yeah, think of it, you might have been one of those lucky fellows to

get plucked out of the masses to have their pictures taken with the pResident! Wowee.

Glad you weren't used. I feel embarrassed for those who were.

Welcome to DU!

Help us GET RID OF THESE SCHMUCKS!!!!!11

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!
Then go DO something about it.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

62. How Christian of them

Compassionate conservatives? Come piss on it conservatives is more like it.

[Borgnine]

63. These people have challenged my notion that evil doesn't exist.

Besides a few isolated incidents shown throughout history, I've always believed that there was no legitimate evil. Mentally unbalanced people, but none that were just plain nasty.

The current GOP has changed my mind on that.

[NightOwwl]

64. I want to WaPo to give me one actual example, just one...

of a "gleeful" Democrat.

Disgusting.

[DrCorday]

66. Some Repubs have just been disgusting on this one.

You would think, in a time of national tragedy, people would consider the day-to-day realities of a situation and not simply "tone" and political spinning.

Most horribly, some nutcase posted a horrendous article in response to the tearful pleas of the President of Jefferson Parish, Lousiana, who went for days without help (and in fact, with hinderance from FEMA).

The painful video is located here: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2678978

And one absurd Freeper nutcase had this to say:

No one should have to "swim" to anywhere because of their opinions. The ability to express one's views is one of the freedoms many people around the world do not have and we sometimes take for granted in the United States.

But I also believe that the biased attacks on our President be tempered with the truth. For elected officials and celebrities to spout lies to accuse our leaders as racist or murderers is outrageous. The inaccurate statements expressed in the many blogs on the IFilm site would be hilarious if they weren't so sad. That many of you actually believe the things you write is quite disturbing.

To accuse that President Bush is responsible for destroying the entire supporting infrastructure of New Orleans after 5 years in office is absolutely outrageous. Let's blame it on Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton. They were in office 8 years before President Bush and didn't spend any money on levies... They took it out of U.S. Intelligence which led to the success achieved by the terrorists on 9/11. They are not to blame for the New Orleans mess either. Spending the money on levies is a LOCAL and STATE issue people... Not FEDERAL!

To say that the money for support was spent on Iraq is totally wrong. Why not say it was spent on Social Security, Welfare or other Social Programs? Those programs are a bigger part of the Federal budget by a long shot!

And this “Bush Lied” mantra... Libs, you are such HYPOCRITES!!! Bill Clinton lied, Under OATH, while he was President of the United States! He was impeached and disbarred for it. Bush did not. There have been no trials... No Investigations... Only Liberal posturing and politics. President Bush relayed what the CIA, FBI, U.N., U. S. Congress, Bill Clinton, John Kerry and the intelligence agencies of every other free nation were saying at time. No one can deny that the world is a better place without Saddam in power. Especially those people in Iraq that can now stand up with a free voice and express their opinions without being slaughtered for doing so.

The "blame" for the massive loss of life in New Orleans first begins with the local and state governments that have known for decades that the levies could not withstand the type of storms likely to hit the area. Spending the money on those improvements could have saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. New Orleans spent money on other "Priorities" such as Aquariums, Convention Centers, Beads, etc. because they generate more income than levies do. Just think if they had put a 10 cent per String of Beads Tax for the Levies... They would have made Billions over the years for their Levy reconstruction.

Secondly, all those people that refused to leave and "ride out the storm." They tied up rescuers that could have been saving those that were truly unable to leave because of financial or health implications. A HUGE chunk of these people had the means to leave - but didn't. They hold responsibility for their own deaths and the deaths of others.

Thirdly, the looters. By their actions put terror into the lives of those that were attempting to rescue people or those that were attempting to be rescued. I'm not talking about the families looking for food and medical needs, I'm speaking of the Electronics, weapons, etc. looters that took advantage of the situation.

And lastly, poor communication and planning. The local and state officials did a horrible job of understanding the logistics of moving a massive amount of people from a controlled area in a short amount of time. The entire mess was "Dumped" on the Federal government after Louisiana already FUBARed it. Every city government should take heart and evaluate where mistakes were made as this will not be the last city that will ever need to be evacuated.

Look to all the people with their hands out, embracing the refugees! Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia. Our hearts go out to you for your kindness and good will. You give so much without asking anything in return. And the response of the rest of America and the world. Giving your money and prayers to help people you've never met.

To all of those... Thank you and God Bless you.

Please, do remember this day next election Libs... The DEMOCRAT Mayor, DEMOCRAT Governor and DEMOCRAT State Legislature made huge errors in both protocol and judgment. Looks like they need a true house cleaning there and put some staunch Conservatives in office to fix the problems they’ve made for themselves. :)

Sickening. Especially disgusting is the last paragraph, where the nutbag cackles with joy (and adds smiley face) over the horror the locals of Louisiana have suffered. All this is done in response to a real-life person, Aaron Broussard, who was on the ground and supervising the day-to-day events.

This sums up, generally, much of the Republican response: Blame the victims. What is most disgusting about the whole tragedy is that, with the sidelining of Michael Brown from the hurricane response oversight, they are fully aware that they did at least a little something wrong.

And still this hackery?! It's like, they're actually evil. They really know, at least internally, that they blew it, but still wish to exploit this horrible tragedy and generate spin as quickly as possible. The lack of any sign of remorse or guilt is just appalling. I feel guilty every day I watched this thing go down, even as I donated and signed up for volunteer training to head down there later this week. Republicans? NOOOO... No guilt, no compassion, just party loyalty.

Never before have I seen such a disgusting display of party loyalty above all else: above compassion, above reality, and above the basic characteristics of our humanity. UGHHHH.

In the words of Jon Stewart: "Now, for people who are saying 'well, stop pointing fingers at the President,' 'oh the left-wing media is being too hard,' blah, blah, alright. No. Shut up. No. This is inarguably, INARGUABLY, a failure of leadership from the top level of government."

The original post is here: http://forums.ifilm.com/posts/list/1632.page
(if anyone feels the urge to overwhelm it with condemnation.)

[Teena]

67. CALL NOW!

Unhappy with the way things are going in the United States?
Launch a complaint. Let the Commander in Chief know you think
it’s time he and his cabinet stepped aside so that competent leaders
can begin to restore dignity, order, and progress to our nation.
The phone number for the White House is as follows:
[phone]

[calimary]

93. Welcome to DU, Teena!

Here's another number - (877) 762 - 8762 - It's TOLL FREE to the Capitol Hill switchboard, which will transfer you to anyone's office in the House and/or Senate.

You can call ANYBODY's reps, not just your own. I recommend it, in fact. And it's free!

And when you do, remember that they need to be reminded - it's IMPEACHMENT season!!!

Visualize IMPEACHMENT!!!!
Then go DO something about it.

Honest-to-GOD, we've GOT to get RID OF THESE COLD-HEARTED Party-of-Cain types.

If we don't, WE will have to answer to God as to why we saw a problem and didn't try to solve it.

[dchill]

68. I've been saying for years now...

that these people can't even fake empathy or compassion. Truly, truly they can't - and God can't help them.

[Mz Pip]

70. Democrats

should not appear "gleeful". This is serious and somber. Now is not the time for glee.

If we want to have any politcal gains from this we need to be respectful and serious and not go off half cocked. Any appearance of "glee" will not serve us well.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Eric J in MN]

71. When Republicans send out press releases criticizing

something a Democrat said, does the Washington Post use the phrase "gleefully disseminated."

[arwalden]

72. Why Are Republicans So Evil? So Cruel? And So Heartless?

[Joyce]

73. Oops! Did I really say that?

:eyes:

Baker should have to answer this question: So why did you have to wait for a disaster ("God"?) to make you correct the housing problem in your state? You've been in the House for ten terms. What's the rush now?

[calimary]

94. Welcome to DU! He's a JAB. Just Another Bastard.

These people turn my stomach. PLEASE, now that you're here and sounding off so well, HELP US GET RID OF THESE BASTARDS!!!!!!

IMPEACHMENT!!!!!

NOW!!!!!!!

Sorry to yell, but the hell with it - I'M YELLING!!!!!

[yellowcanine]

80. Selective memory is such a wonderful thing. Heh.

"What I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it,' " Baker wrote.

Kind of like Nixon "remembering" that what he really said about getting the hush money for the watergate bunglers was, "We could do it, but it would be wrong."

[freestyle]

82. Sympathy requires a heart, something they lack.

You can't, unless you a really good liar, convey a sympathetic tone when you don't have sympathy. These fuckers just don't care, and won't care, and can't care because it would require seeing people different from them as people, as full citizens. They can't do that. They can't find the tone because they lack basic humanity.

[redqueen]

92. Awww... are they regretting feeling so at ease

that they let their true colors show?

[Joey Liberal]

95. Santorum (R-Moron) blames the National Weather Service?

Pathetic.

[JugDack]

98. Aren't the Cons trying to eliminate the NWS?

Isn't this just trying to drum up support for their crazy plan to privatize weather reports?

[Piscis Austrinus]

96. We all know about how seriously Santorum et al take their faith

....straight to the bank.

Santorum's forecaster-bashing is brought to you by:

** Accuweather **

"If we can't do our jobs well, we'll pay someone to make sure no one else can!"


As far as "punishing" the people who couldn't leave New Orleans...where's that Bible... Ah! Let's look at what Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23, for starters:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others."

Translation: you can't buy your way out of hell. So: why punish those who couldn't even buy their way out of New Orleans?


Moving on, same chapter, verses 27-28:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Translation: (I'll leave out the obvious racial comparison) Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone. Every rip in false beauty spills out a whole lot of ugly.


Now consider what he says about their followers in the same chapter, verse 15:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."

Translation: Rush Limbaugh is heard on over 600 stations in America every weekday. We all know what his listeners can be like. And we know what Limbaugh thinks of the folks in New Orleans.


Now let's go to I Peter, 2:12:

"FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." (Caps in text, not mine.)

Translation: God's not necessarily on anyone's side, but it's clear whose side He's not on, and I'm not just talking gangs of looting rapists here (though Halliburton falls squarely in both groups).


Even better... same book, 5:2-3:

"shepherd the flock of God among you, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to your flock.

Translation: the sheep (sheeple) follow the shepherd. So the 700 Club is told to support assassination of foreign leaders innocent of overt action against our nation. So Santorum's constituents are told to be willing to defend any position for a price. So Bush's followers are shown that.... oh, good grief, there's too many to list, but letting people starve and suffer and drown while you play guitar seems to be a fair microcosm.


Again... same book and chapter, from verse 5: FOR GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." (Caps in text, not mine)

Translation: Who do we know that has trouble admitting mistakes?


OK, I know some of you are probably unhappy at all this Scripture, but that's OK by me. You are absolutely free to take this any way you wish. I encourage this. What I am trying to show conclusively here is that this administration's purported faith flies directly in the face of everything that faith purports to be true. I will close with a final verse that should tie it all up neatly, in James 5:1:

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming on you."

Translation: If these people genuinely believed in the truth of their Bible, this verse should long ago have changed their minds about some of their business dealings. Look how rich many of the higher-ups in the GOP are. Look at the $25 million Limbaugh pulls down. Pat Robertson would need all 700 of his Club to spend six months working as a team to count all his money.

This last verse is the ultimate proof that they're all bogus. I would commit this verse to memory and shout it at every cross- or fish-bearing vehicle over $25,000 that you will ever see. Or put it on your own car. Remember, it's not what you believe, it's what they've sworn before their God that they believe. Hold them to it.

Thanks for reading all this... Peace brothers and sisters!

PsA