BUSH SAYS HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY FEDERAL GOVT FAILURES

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WBT003818.htm

13 Sep 2005 15:56:47 GMT

Source: Reuters

BUSH SAYS HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY FEDERAL GOVT FAILURES IN RESPONSE TO KATRINA

more:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_washington;_ylt=Av76mlJPa3DRDJu3x4Ngi6Ws0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Bush Takes Responsibility for Blunders By LARA JAKES JORDAN,

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday that "I take responsibility" for failures in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and said the disaster raised broader questions about the government's ability to respond to natural disasters as well as terror attacks.

"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government," Bush said at joint White House news conference with the president of Iraq.

"To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right, I take responsibility," Bush said.

[understandinglife]

1. Then he should resign immediately. And that should be everyone's demand.

Peace.

[Birthmark]

6. I concur.

A mistake of that magnitude MUST be paid for in a meaningful way.

[ajFromNY]

265. If Bush resigns or is impeached ...

Cheney will be president
Cheney is impeached ...
Dennis Hastert will be the president

Let's be careful what we wish for. Focus on 2006 and the Senate.
Then on 2008.

[texpatriot2004]

7. So what was that phone number to the White House so that I

can call him and tell him to step down.

[understandinglife]

51. Here's the one I've been using -- 202-456-1414. Switchboard.

Peace.

[texpatriot2004]

65. I called and told them that I was glad Bush finally took

responsibility for something. That, as I see it, the colossal failure of the Federal Government and in particular, the "President" of the United States, FAILED to immediately respond to American citizens who were in dire need. This was Bush's responsibility based on the OATH THAT HE TOOK ON THE HOLY BIBLE and he failed. Therefore, I demand that he resign immediately or be removed from office.

Comment to the White House Switchboard left at 12:00 central time on September 13, 2005 from a citizen in Texas.

[Radio_Lady]

138. I called and basically repeated what you wrote, understanding.

Thanks for the well-written script!

[demo dutch]

182. Fooled! - He's taking responsibility in order to avoid an "independent"

investigation, so more justification to investigate his "own" people!!!! Don't you people get it!!!!

[Radio_Lady]

215. All the more reason why there should be an "INDEPEDENT" --

investigation -- the purpose of which is to determine how much fault belongs to Bush versus other parties!

You spin is not the spin I'm getting here!

In peace,

Radio Lady

[zum]

270. The Buck Stops Here

means "I get a piece of ALL the action" to Bush, not the conventional interpretation. It's probably the only lateral thought that he'll ever have.

[FourStarDemocrat]

193. I called too...

Told them that it was good that he was taking responsibility and that he should proceed to resign immediately.

The young man replied, "OK, thank you for your call."



I wonder if he'd be as pleasant if they recieved several thousand of those calls.

[bribri16]

216. How about, He's responsible for the Federal governments failure?

I like the sound of that better.

[are_we_united_yet]

238. Resign

but take Cheney and Frist with him

[crispini]

19. Agree.

[ixion]

50. agreed...

not resigning would indicate NOT taking responsiblity.

[truebrit71]

82. Absolutely!!

Taking responsibility means, accepting the blame, and resiging before you get fired...

[bribri16]

87. He means his HANDLERS have finally told him to take responsibility.

eom

[grace0418]

98. Exactly, the spin machine wasn't working so they decided to

go with the mea culpa routine so all his stupid worshippers can say "The man took responsibility, what MORE do you want from him?"

I want him. In jail. For the rest of his life.

[TankLV]

232. Actually, they finally got the parrot to mouth meaningless platitudes!

There is no real meaning behind them.

No understanding of what they mean.

It's just like a child repeating something embarrasing he heard his parents say.

[Virginian]

258. They are just words.

First they accuse everyone of playing the Blame Game. A catchy expression, but it didn't catch on. The media was too smart for it this time. They wanted accountability. If you don't find the weakness, you can't fix it.

Brownie quits with the first excuse that wasn't: "...to spend more time with my family."

So what does it mean for Bush to say, "I take responsibility?" He didn't say, "People died and it was my fault." He didn't say, "I should have been paying more attention to this." He didn't mention how HE would make it up to the victims of his inattention and neglect. He just said words that make him sound like he is in charge. It is just another political ploy.

[Laurab]

249. I agree. KKkarl has been distracted lately

since he's in a bit of trouble himself, but finally decided he should "take responsibility", even though Georgie obviously doesn't know the meaning of the words. "Take responsibility" and this too will pass, just like all the other impeachable things you've done...

Maybe that's the new talking point - he "takes responsibility". Probably we'll hear it over and over, while he continues to act exactly the way he's acted all along. A resignation is in order, but that won't happen, so - how about rescinding tax cuts for the rich? Nah, that won't happen either. He "took responsibility", what more do we want?

I think, though that it's not going to work this time. I think he really will be forced to take responsibility - too many people were affected, and too many people are waking up. It's sad that it took a tragedy of this magnitude for that to happen, but I do think this administration is finally going to be forced to take responsibility, and it's NOT going to be fun for them.

[emrenz]

266. You hit the nail on the head.

[Dinger]

89. Exactly nt

[LaloBorges]

127. Do not be fooled - Best Karl Rove move yet!

This is a great move by Karl Rove, to have Bush apologize to ease the criticism that, rightly so, they have been getting. They saw themselves in a corner, and decided to do the only thing they could do, apologize.

Well, he is taking reponsibility? then he should be impeached!

Rove is trying to put some closes on the emperor, now that people ealize his naked.

Democrats, and anyone who understands we are under the wrong administration should continue to pound on the message of the failures this administration has, so consistently, produced.

[goclark]

229. Welcome to DU LaloBorges - great post! nt

[kipco]

259. damage control

Damage control was the first thing I thought of when I heard he'd "taken responsability" for the disaster that followed the disaster. It's a PR move, nothing more.

[twaddler01]

208. Amen to that

:)

[oxbow]

211. Taking responsibility means nothing without consequences

Consequences for his failure to act, for his gutting of FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, consequences for his spinning the truth all this time about the Katrina response. Anybody can take responsibility. It takes a man to hold himself accountable, George.

[fujiyama]

248. Very true

No more excuses. No more bullshit.

Time to leave.

Though even if he did leave, unfortunately true justice would likely never be served. This man should spend the rest of his life in prison, along with the other criminals in this administration.

[Annamaria]

269. La. governor takes blame for response

Wow. Who's next??

La. governor takes blame for response

MELINDA DESLATTE

Associated Press


BATON ROUGE, La. - Echoing the words of President Bush a day earlier, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco took responsibility Wednesday for failures and missteps in the immediate response to Hurricane Katrina and pledged a united effort to rebuild areas ravaged by the storm.

"We all know that there were failures at every level of government: state, federal and local. At the state level, we must take a careful look at what went wrong and make sure it never happens again. The buck stops here, and as your governor, I take full responsibility," Blanco told lawmakers in a special meeting of the Louisiana Legislature.

On Tuesday, Bush for the first time took responsibility for federal government mistakes in dealing with the hurricane and suggested the calamity raised questions about the government's ability to handle both natural disasters and terror attacks.

Blanco called Bush "a friend and partner" in the recovery effort. She described plans for a rebuilding effort that would span all levels of government but would be funded with all federal money.

The governor said she would appoint an outside financial adviser to oversee the cash flow. "I assure the Congress and every American taxpayer that every nickel will be properly spent," Blanco said.

The relief effort should include financial help to rebuild homes, tax relief and loans for businesses, and an extension of unemployment benefits, she said.

And she appealed to the more than 1 million Louisiana residents who have left the state to escape the devastation. "I am telling each and every one of you: We want you back home," Blanco said.

Southeast Louisiana is beginning to recover, Blanco said, citing the reopening of the New Orleans airport, banks and hospitals, and the first docking of a ship since the hurricane at the city's port.

"New Orleans and the surrounding parishes may be ravaged, but our spirit remains intact," Blanco said. "To anyone who even suggests that this great city should not be rebuilt, hear this and hear it well: We will rebuild."

Legislative leaders have said they expect to call a special session in the upcoming months to address rebuilding and recovery needs. They also will have to grapple with crippling budget problems caused by Katrina, the movement of thousands of taxpayers out of the state and the shutdown of businesses, schools and government agencies.

[Skittles]

271. she HAS to suck up to that incompetent bastard

she knows she cannot afford to bite the hand that feeds her

[Oreo]

2. But the Fed didn't do anything wrong

was that his next statement?

[cmd]

13. That is his next point.

Faux responsibility from the faux prez.

[NYC Liberal]

18. Bingo. He doesn't feel they did a bad job and has said such.

So really there is no 'taking responsibility' here.

[jamesinca]

254. He takes accountability, but nothing went wrong

I bet what is going on here is this, he takes accountability for the Fed mistakes and finds none, he has a bump in the approval ratings for being such a stand up kinda guy. People love him again and they forget about Plame/Rove/CIA, the economy, the environment, no WMD in Iraq, to many Americans in Iraq, Bolton and the UN, that Roberts guy for CJ. The press backs off and hang their testicle up when they walk in the door again. That is where I think this is going. Unless you can get his fingerprints all over this hurricane, he will come out looking good for a natural disaster that he messed up responding to. If this comes back to point at the WH and its response, he is toast and I think the press in their current feeding frenzy will eat him alive. Karl Rove is betting Bush and the republican parties political life on this accountability thing. It is very important for them that nothing is found federally or that can be related to their actions or inactions.

By the way Joe Beiden, when you asked why the President should not have the people around him that he wants, this is why!!

[kliljedahl]

3. Of course he won't find any

[Stuckinthebush]

4. There has to be a caveat

I can't imagine him taking responsibility for anything

[DRoseDARs]

210. "To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right..."

There's the other shoe dropping.

[TankLV]

235. "I apologize if you took what I said the wrong way". Same crap.

It's not anywhere close to being responsible.

[TerdlowSmedley]

5. The catch is that he still thinks the feds did a "heckuva job".

[Atman]

8. Wow. Pretty lacking in details!

But thanks for the heads up. I'll be watching this one, to see what his angle is. It can't be genuine.

[Canuckistanian]

199. When does he ever mention details?

He always speaks using meaningless platitudes and vague statements.
Ever notice that?

It's all carefully crafted for the rubes, without giving anyone a chance to fault him on his lack of specific knowledge on any subject.

[proud patriot]

9. guess he figures he can't weasel out of it

[Scairp]

52. He finally read the papers

Saw his 39% approval rating, and decided drastic times called for drastic measures, he would actually say the words, "I take responsibility". However, I also am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[Spangle]

10. He should

He hired them. Gave them to his "buddy's" and his managment style is "Not to be bothered".

Sounds like JR took his meds this morning.

[berni_mccoy]

11. It's a breaking news headline on CNN's website right now

could he be preparing to resign?!?! :sarcasm:

edit: added :sarcasm:

[TerdlowSmedley]

27. Oh, you cockeyed optimist, you.

[berni_mccoy]

30. Sorry, fogort to put the :sarcasm: emote in there.

[rocktivity]

12. So what?

He's SUPPOSED to be responsibile for what the federal government does. Do something that REALLY counts--like resigning.

:boring:
rocknation

[TankLV]

236. You mean he needs to pay the PRICE of that responsibility.

Mouthing platitudes is meaningless.

[truedelphi]

14. Chicago had a lady mayor that went & lived in the projects

Bush should go live in a "refugee" shelter for a while.

[UncleSepp]

40. Was the lady mayor different from a regular mayor? ;-)

I know what you meant :-) but still, think about what you said.

[mermaid]

226. Don't Go There!!

I hate to be the pin in your balloon, but I was born and raised in chicago, and was there when the incident you refer to occurred.

Mayor Jane Byrne was to live for one month at the Cabrini O Green, a notorious public-housing project, located at Clyborne and Division Streets in Chicago.

Byrne stayed one day, and then fled, reneging on her agreement to live there for one month. Facts are ugly things, I know...but those are the facts. I was there, and I witnessed it.

sorry, bad argument.

[DeepModem Mom]

15. Rove is conjuring up a JFK/Bay of Pigs moment...

wel'll see if it works.

[truedelphi]

41. The Pigs Part of that should fit

Oink Oink. And give the pigs more cake.

[goclark]

242. Yea, but he is NO JFK

He is more like an F***! : )

[Betsy Ross]

16. But there are no "failures."

He already said that. We already know that there have never been any mistakes on his part or that of his administrations, either state or federal.

[Trevelyan]

247. Anderson Cooper is still doing a great job, Thank him, look at transcripts

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/13/acd.01.html

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a stunning sight, Chalmette Medical Center outside New Orleans literally drowning in flood water. Inside, patients too sick to be evacuated and only three doctors and a small staff too dedicated to leave them behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, what happened was like a nightmare.

GUTIERREZ: A nightmare being told for the first time, seen through the eyes of a now-weary physician who documented it with his camera.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were completely forgotten at the time.

GUTIERREZ: Dr. Bong Wei (ph) was chief of staff at this hospital. He took the photos from a window on the second floor. Did you think you were going to drown?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, the thought actually passed through my mind.

GUTIERREZ: But there was no time to worry. Soon the first floor was under water. Food had to be rushed to the second floor. The parking lot, a lake. Then, some 300 evacuees began to show up by the boatload.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of them came up with dogs, cats and even chickens.

GUTIERREZ: All in a hospital without electricity. Nurses worked by flashlight. The air was thick and hot. One storm-proofed window mad to be broken with an oxygen tank just to let fresh air in. And then, there were the patients.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He broke his attic and swam out. And he was drowned. And we had to treat him with the flashlight. You can see the flashlight here. But we saved him. And this is another man who is suffering a heart attack. And we also saved him.

GUTIERREZ: But four people could not be saved. At times, it became too much. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five of the nurses collapsed with dehydration, exhaustion. Two of them had panic attacks.

GUTIERREZ: But they kept on going. They had to. Too many people were
counting on them.

GUTIERREZ: After three seemingly endless days, help arrived. Dr. Wei and his Katrina family were finally rescued and taken to the New Orleans airport, where they were overcome by the sight of hundreds of sick people on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People in wheelchairs, people lying on the floor and all of them very sick.

GUTIERREZ: Dr. Wei and his staff immediately offered to help. But he said FEMA officials said no, because of liability concerns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They told us that, you know, you could help us by
mopping the floor.

GUTIERREZ: And so they did as people died around them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At that moment, both of us were just sitting there and I started crying. And it was that bad. Because we felt like we could help, and were not allowed to do anything.

[lilymidnite]

What Rovian scheme does this indicate?

... or is Rove still out peeing through a strainer?

[oneighty]

17. "any'

is the key word. Soon it will be declared that there were no federal failures. No mistakes as always were not made.

So there.

180

[FuzzyDicePHL]

132. Responsibility-dodge

Akin to saying, "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt when I said...," instead of, "I'm sorry I said something to hurt you."

[tridim]

20. "responsibility" is a wiggle word

If he would have said "blame" it would be different.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

95. he should take ACCOUNTABILITY--a he is unqualified and now admits it

Chimp has no qualifications, no specialized training, and has consistantly exercised failure in judgement---
Chimp has no business being in a position that has great influence over who lives and who dies in this country and in this world.

He must resign and go work for his daddy or something.

[onehandle]

21. No, no, no. Not you! Blame the House and Senate.

Spend the next 14 months blaming the House and Senate on everything.

Then you'll get yours.

[sui generis]

22. it's a lot of haaaaaard work you know

picking your idiot inexperienced friends to head up federal agencies that people's lives depend on.

It should be impeachable, whether he "takes responsibility" or not.

Bush's "responsibility" isn't going to bring those people back to life, it's not going to reconstruct those lives and families.

That's why you appoint qualified, experienced people to those positions. Oh wait, half of America voted for this unqualified inexperienced BOZO, and they're Proud Of It.

[underpants]

23. Bush Takes Responsibility for Blunders

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_washington


WASHINGTON - President Bush on Tuesday that "I take responsibility" for failures in dealing with Hurricane Katrina and said the disaster raised broader questions about the government's ability to respond to natural disasters as well as terror attacks.



"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government," Bush said at joint White House news conference with the president of Iraq.

[hippiechick]

24. Ok, George, sowhatchagonnaDOaboutit ???

:freak:

[olddad56]

25. He takes responsiblity so that is that, now he can move on.

[Rose Siding]

33. CNN gave it the red banner

currently:

BREAKING NEWS President Bush says he takes responsibility for the federal government's failures in responding to Hurricane Katrina. Details soon.

http://www.cnn.com/

[barbaraann]

37. It's breaking news that our President takes responsibility for something.

Boy, that is telling.

[DearAbby]

48. Hey Freepers...Do you feel safe now? Terra was *ie's campaign strategy

Ask yourself are you safer today?

scary thought, if you are living in a blue major metropolitan city and a desaster occurred?...take that thought, bang it around a bit.

[Nite Owl]

34. So are the key words

"...government's ability to respond" and he will want to put disaster relief in the hands of the private sector?

[LisaM]

73. Exactly what I was thinking

I can't trust him for one second to not find some way to twist this to his advantage.

[BrainRants]

26. Nice start lame duck, however we will hang this failure on the GOP

not just the chimp.

His failures are the de-facto albatross around the GOP's next in all future elections.

[swag]

28. He's just trying to get out of being grounded.

[confludemocrat]

29. Yean he needs to expand on that or it is totally empty of meaning

And answer questions on the extent of his responsibility for the failures. We cannot go on as before and the media better see that. He needs to reform. Staring with reversing his Davis-Bacon Act waiving.

[0007]

31. Good! Now I hope junior takes full responsible for the lies

he told the American people about WMD and the invasion of Iraq. I HOPE he TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THE DEATHS IN IRAQ.

[barbaraann]

32. He's responsible because he appointed GOP hacks to FEMA and DHS.

And that's exactly what he's trying to do with his nomination of Roberts to the Supreme Court.

If he truly feels responsible he will remove every GOP hack he has ever appointed from the Federal Government, starting with Karl Rove.

[w13rd0]

35. PRELUDE TO A PRIVATIZATION

Read his words people: "Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government," Bush said at joint White House news conference with the president of Iraq.

He's going to propose that disaster relief be further privatized. Drowning in the bathtub. This is BULLSHIT. He can take responsibility by RESIGNING.

[mermaid]

227. Things That Make Ya Go Hmmmmm.....

Ya think he mighta failed on purpose?!? In order to create a case for privatization? Are you really cynical enough to suggest that Bush used these poor black people...and their suffering...to further an agenda that will serve to further hurt poor people in America? Are you truly that cynical that you would suggest something like that? I know I AM thaty cynical, and I AM suggesting exactly that!

[w13rd0]

253. Yes, that's exactly...

...what I'm saying. 3000, 10 thousand, 100 thousand. All of that blood shed so he could win a couple political points. That's the bottom line.

[brainshrub]

36. I must have slipped into an alternate dimension!

In my home dimension, which is otherwise identical to this one, George W. Bush doesn't take responsibility for anything.

Oh, and Europe is ruled by an alien race of benevolent female space-vixens.

[demnan]

38. The next question is,

how will he screw us all over to pay for his big mistake? Sounds like they're planning another fullscale assult on our civil rights. Maybe Patriot Act III is in the works.

[Newsjock]

39. Parse his full quote: It doesn't mean squat

"To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right, I take responsibility," Bush said.

And we've known all along that they're playing the "blame game" to pin the tail on state and local officials. Ergo, the "extent" of the federal responsibility is next to zero, and sure, Rove will let Chimpy take "responsibility" for that.

[Carolab]

205. Exactly. It's a completely qualified statement.

You know he intends to own the LEAST amount of responsibility for this, since they've been trying to put this on the state and local governments.

This is just PR to try to rescue his free-fall in the polls.

He looked like he was about to choke on the words. It's just THAT hard for him to even hint at having done something wrong.

[kestrel91316]

246. I heard the audio clip and it SOUNDED like he was choking on his words

Somebody ORDERED him to go and say the words. So he said the words, BFD. It means as much as when he says the Magic Jesus Words.

[momster]

209. To the extent

This is exactly what I thought when I read his statement. First they'll 'investigate' and determine that the feds weren't to blame for anything much. Whatever miniscule fault they find, he'll 'take responsibility for.' He's doing the same kind of weasel-wording that he did in the Plame case.

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

214. Thank you for posting this...

...I was concerned that people missed those "weasel words".

I would just like to say that "to the extent that I am responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, I take responsibility". :eyes:

[Eurobabe]

42. So what did they up his meds to now?

Must be pretty high, in fact delusional to admit f-f-failure.

[Spazito]

43. This sentence, imo, is a good indicator of where they are going to

take this:

"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government,"

Watch for the next set of talking points to be about how the private sector did a much better job and Congress needs to look at that, how government needs to reform it's response to enable the private sector to re-act instead of government being the body to do so. Translation: More contracts to our corporate friends such as Haliburton, Bechtal, etc.

I already heard the repub Senator use this meme on Sunday and have no doubt many more will be regurgitating this as well.

[dubyaD40web]

44. I am in complete and udder SHOCK!

Nominated!

[IA_Seth]

46. What's wrong with your udders?!

That is utterly crazy!

[olddad56]

57. it is those electric milking machines, they short out all of the time.

[symbolman]

45. HAW HAW

He just "Blame Gamed" HIMSELF..

What an idiot.

[Jacobin]

47. "To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right"

Is NO ONE seeing the conditional nature of this claptrap?

[HoosierClarkie]

49. Only means that "blame game" wasn't working. n/t

[mcscajun]

53. "To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right..."

Weasel Words.

"...serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government."

More Weasel Words.

In short, "we're still going to try to blame State and Locals wherever we can, but I'll take a hit, too, okay?"

[Bob3]

54. you'll notice he didn't say anything about his failures

like going to bed after the Governor of Louisiana said "send me everything you have"

Or eating cake while New Orleans drowned.

He is only taking responsibility for what other folks did (not that they did anything wrong).

This might satisfy freepers but Human beings can smell the bullshit.

[skypilot]

55. Hurricane Katrina or no Hurrican Katrina...

...he should accept responsibility and be held accountable for appointing someone with NO disaster relief experience to be the director of FEMA. Michael Brown's lack of experience should have been an issue long before Katrina and it should remain an issue along with Bush's tendency to appoint unqualified people to other important positions.

[tives12]

56. agree

I have a feeling that he doesnt realize the extent to which the Feds messed up.

[wicket]

58. RESIGN NOW!!!!!

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[LiberalinNC]

59. Bullshit!! He's only trying to get his approval rating up!

[Mad_Dem_X]

79. That's what I'm thinking - I don't trust him

I'm at the point where he could say the sky is blue and I wouldn't believe him.

[Imalittleteapot]

Next photo op.

On his knees, praying for forgiveness.

[Kazak]

60. What didn't go right?

Aha! I expect his resignation immediately, then.

[livetohike]

61. To the extent he was told to cut his vacation short, to the extent

he couldn't get his ass back to Washington, DC until sometime on August 31, etc.

He is responsible for the lack of sense of urgency and the disorganized federal response.

[Mr_Spock]

62. Holy smoke! I think I just saw a pig fly by the window here!!

It's about time is all I can say. I can't criticize him for finally doing what is right...

[Blaq Dem]

222. I saw it too!!!!!!!

Wow! Didn't know pigs could do such a thing!

[Kazak]

63. He's responsible eh?

Some call that NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE!!!

[Lindacooks]

64. Yeah? And is he going to DO anything about it?

This is a great time for survivors to file class action suits against the chimp - he's just admitted culpability.

[powergirl]

66. ARE PIGS FLYING???

I have never heard that man take responsibility for $%#&. I guess desperate times (crappy poll numbers) call for desperate measures (admitting fault). He will do or say anything to get the poll numbers up. He bought and paid for his elections and it's payback time to Halliburton, the credit card companies, and insurance companies and he needs to be in a position to give them what they want!:mad:

[barackmyworld]

72. no, hell is freezing though!

breaking news on cnn: Devil reports minus 20 temperatures

[meganmonkey]

67. OMG - What is that I see out my window?? Is that a flock of....

[Bob3]

107. Like Pink Floyd said:

You know that I care what happens to you,
And I know that you care for me.
So I don't feel alone,
Or the weight of the stone,
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone.
And any fool knows a dog needs a home,
A shelter from pigs on the wing.

[goodboy]

68. he's never taken responsibility for anything in his fucking life. he's

a failure.

[Patsy Stone]

69. President heading to Louisiana on Thursday for primetime speech

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/

From MSNBC

[Roon]

70. Bush takes blame for flaws in Katrina response

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Tuesday that he takes responsibility for any federal failures in dealing with Hurricane Katrina, adding that the disaster raised broader questions about the government’s ability to respond to natural disasters as well as terror attacks.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/

[gldegl]

99. New Orleans

I have heard that there are people from Blackwater security down at New Orleans. I heard that they are being paid $350 a day. One question I have is why would we pay mercenaries, to walk around with guns, who are use to working above the law and shoot people on sight, to patrol the streets in New Orleans?


I have heard that some of the mercenaries have been deputize by the governor of Louisiana. With all of the friction between the two that I have seen, like Bush wanting to take total control of New Orleans and Blanco not wanting that to happen, why would she now choose to go with the Bush plan of having mercenaries patrol the streets and deputize the mercenaries?


Why is FEMA taking all the guns from the citizens of New Orleans and allowing hired killers to walk the streets with guns and be armed to the teeth? Why is the NRA being so silent about that and yet promote gun legislation that would let people have automatic weapons?


I have heard stories about the police getting in gun fights with the military and five or six police getting killed on a bridge. I want to know what is happening down there.

Why is Bush willing to pay $350 to Backwater’s mercenaries to kill US citizens, but doesn’t want to pay a family wage to people who will rebuild America and its dreams down in New Orleans?

Why don’t we pull back the National Guard from Iraq to take care of the flooding in New Orleans? It seems like the National, in National Guard would mean that is what the “National” Guard is suppose to do.


How come mercenaries can be pulled from Iraq, and be paid a much higher wage than the National Guard is, to patrol the streets of New Orleans and only a token amount of National Guardsmen can come home to take care of the US? It seems like the National Guard is suppose to take care of National emergencies and that the Army is suppose to fight foreign wars.

Does Bush refuse to sign an international war crimes treaty because of his support for organizations like Blackwater Security? It is because of there shoot on sight and operate above the law privilege that Bush wants them to have? How many Blackwater personnel and Blackwater Bush supporters would be in jail if we had sign a war crimes treaty?


I think about 911 sometimes. I think of the 911 commission report. It seems like the republicans in the committee took advantage of their majority and only let the commission go so far and not make a complete investigation.
In light of that and how the republicans have sent bills to congress and not give the democrats a chance to look over them before they want a vote on the bills, I think that we need an independent investigation into the flood in New Orleans.

The republicans have shown that they are not willing to work together in a fair, non partisan way and will do what ever it take to protect Bush, no matter how many documents they have to hide and not allow to see the light of day. In light of the 911 commission committee, and the handling of the Valeria Plame case, I think that we need an independent investigation into the New Orleans flood.

When the Plame case first made the news, Bush said he would investigate fully and that all people in his cabinet would cooperate or be fired. We have seen that has not happened, and that the republicans in congress have put no pressure on Bush to make that happen. Therefore, the only way that justice will be served is to have an independent commission investigate the flood in New Orleans.

I have heard stories about people who have survived the flood, and are staying in their flood damage house, are being forcibly evacuated. Why is it that when Blanco first ask for help, and didn’t get it for days, that the republicans said that the only people who were in New Orleans are the people who didn’t want to leave?

Why does the republican spin machine say that the people can stay in New Orleans, and basically die, and now they are being forcible evacuated.

It seems like if Bush is allowed to carry on his own personal investigation of the New Orleans flood, that it will be nothing more than a white wash of a black community.

Sincerely,
Jeff

[meganmonkey]

111. I offer you a belated welcome to DU, Jeff!

That is quite a post, for your first one! You raise many good questions, and I can only hope we get the real answers to them someday.

Hope you stick around and post some more!

:patriot:

[leesa]

225. Those are some very good questions.

[Az_lefty]

71. "I can't think of any mistakes we've made"

:puke:

[Rude Horner]

74. The thing that jumped out at me when I read it...

was "to the extent". See, those three words are the key. It would be an entirely different statement without those words. "I take responsibility - period". But he doesn't do that. He's gotta throw these three words in there and that's the hook.

With chimpy, there's always a catch.

And ditto to the person who pointed out the word "responsibility". That's a lot different than "blame".

I have no doubt that these words were chosen VERY carefully before being uttered by shrub.

[Whoa_Nelly]

76. Bingo, Rude Horner--People need to listen to the real message given

Bush said. "I want to know what went right and what went wrong."

This is too similar to his statement regarding the outing of Valerie Plame. By stating he "takes responsibility" means absolutely nothing beyond trying to exert more damage control, and to take the focus off the real issues involved in how badly things went went wrong and how he totally fucked up. In part, the hidden response is that it's NOT HIS FAULT! This also could represent the preface to a completely partisan investigation that he wants to head; the statement of him leading an investigation re: Katrina that has pretty much disappeared from the WH media spin when he first stated this is what he wanted. Don't fool yourself for a minute that this more than likely Roverian tactic has been forgotten as part of a larger plan that is in the works.

As is par for the course, and well worth paying attention to, is that whatever this asswipe says, he means and/or does the opposite. This has been his MO in the political arena, as well as his personal life, for many years.

[demo dutch]

185. At least he didn"t fool you- totally agree!

[maxrandb]

75. "Mistakes Were Made...

but it's important that I get on with my life". "Now, watch this drive."

Just my prediction.

[Kenneth ken]

77. it means nothing

it's just a vague statement that leaves every question open to debate over whether this or that "went wrong"

Does he accept that it was wrong to put FEMA under DHS? Will he revert it back to a cabinet-level department independent of DHS?

Does he accept that it was wrong to replace emergency response professionals with political hacks? Will he be removing Chertoff and finding someone who might actually know how to run FEMA?

Does he accept that it was wrong for his maladministration to cut funding that should have gone to reinforce levees so that he could "afford" his tax cuts? Will he call for reversing those cuts in order to fund recovery and reconstruction in the gulf coast, rather than simply increase the national debt?

Does he accept that it was wrong for him to send so many National Guard troops off to Iraq for his misguided, mishandled invasion and occupation? Will he bring at least the NG hoome so they can be available for future disasters?

These questions need to be asked and answered just for starters.

[Phlem]

78. Yes pigs are flying

which means they've executed they're response to this disaster and his decline.

Meaning don't pay to much attention to his admission of responsibility, but everything else he say's after that.

This is a maneuver so blatant I'm annoyed, shrub never takes responsibility for anything.

Wonder whats up they're filthy sleeves.

Phlem

[fooj]

80. So? We should award him a medal for this?

Once again, shrub has made it perfectly obvious that the rules don't apply to him. Lip service, Mr. President. For goodness sake. He can't even come up with his own talking points. He uses the "blame game"...just like his Poppy did during Hurricane Andrew.

I am not impressed. One expects him to take responsibility for appointing a buddy with absolutely no experience in disaster relief. That's a no-brainer, IMO.


Zero tolerance, remember?

Peace.

[crispini]

81. Yawn. BFD.

What are you going to DO about it, George?

[confludemocrat]

83. He tried everything in their playbook first, but couldn't escape-for once

Now admitting the obvious is gonna earn him credit? NFW. Ram that Crow down his goddamned throat.

[RamboLiberal]

84. Watch out folks here comes the other shoe - attack Syria

In MSNBC's story on his taking responsibility. And looks like he's going to use Thursday night's speech to shill for his other favorite things.

<snip>

Bush’s meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani came as the Bush administration’s top envoy in Iraq is warning that the U.S. is running out of patience with Syrian interference across the border and refusing to rule out military strikes or punishment from the United Nations in retaliation.

<snip>

Bush planned to publicly thank the global community for their contributions to storm relief but focus his speech on international issues like terrorism, trade and debt relief.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9324891/

Katrina, Iraq, 9/11, Tax Cuts, blah, blah, blah

[Dr Fate]

85. Which particular failures?- details please, Mr. Bush.

For instance- did you know or should have known that "Brownie" was lying?

[defiant1]

86. Take a look at this....

*snip*

The president was asked whether people should be worried about the government's ability to handle another terrorist attack given failures in responding to Katrina.

"Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack? That's a very important question and it's in the national interest that we find out what went on so we can better respond," Bush replied.

*snip*

So is that a no?

:scared:

[ThoughtCriminal]

88. Well, since he thought Brownie was doing a great job

and didn't seem to think anything went wrong. So what?

The critical thing is - when does he get those vacation days back?

[skygazer]

90. Step in the right direction HOWEVER

I don't trust him as far as I could throw him. This strikes me as a back-against-the-wall response and we all know it should have come much earlier - would have if it were truly sincere.

At this point, they're mere words. To truly take responsibility, he needs to appoint an independent, bi-partisan commission to discover just where and why the screw-ups occurred and to recommend actions to take to avoid the same thing in the future.

Yeah, I know - to truly take responsibility, he needs to resign but that's not going to happen and we all know it.

[Old Mouse]

91. This is no joke

This is unexpected, and we on the left were stupid not to imagine it. This move... its language... gives his base the rationale they need to keep the faith that Bush is a responsible and intelligent leader. The way Bush is doing this allows him to take responsibility but not BLAME.

The democratic leadership was wrong not to press the emotional attack with the full indignation the situation demanded.

[Danieljay]

113. BING! BING! YOU ARE RIGHT ON OLD MOUSE!

You win the prize. Bush is now a hero, polls will go up. Lets move on now and nothing to see here anymore. Our saviour is forgiven.

[stepnw1f]

218. It Was His Only Choice

It won't save him in the end.

[FlaGranny]

92. I think Mr. Bush has hired a new PR man/woman.

Someone has finally told him he needs to accept responsibility to try to regain credibility.

[janetle]

117. Bush has to be told to care...

....and this is what really infuriates me. A president who has to be told how to feel and when to express it---he is incapable on his own.

And he has to be told when to accept responsibility "to the extent" he's responsible which is like saying "sorry IF I did anything to be sorry about." This isn't anymore real than anything else he has done.

[msrbly]

93. Finding out what "went" wrong is not taking responsibility.

He wouldn't know responsibility if it bit him on the ass. That's like saying "I'm sorry you are upset" instead of "I'm sorry I upset you." He's a irresponsible little boy whose never learned how to take responsibility or apologize.

[janetle]

121. You heard the same thing I did.

[confludemocrat]

126. We need to flesh out all dimensions of this ongoing criminal negligence &

massive fraud just getting rolling now.

[Name removed]

94. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

100. No, actually it wasn't

And why do you think he made this statement? What's your take on it?

[Name removed]

137. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

180. Here's something...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301653_2.html
<snip> After Hurricane Hugo hit in 1989 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, federal response was panned, and FEMA was due for an overhaul. It got it in 1993, when Clinton brought in James Lee Witt, a veteran emergency manager and political ally, to take over, granted the agency Cabinet-level status and gave it a highly visible role it had not previously had. Its response to crises such as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing received high marks, though some Republicans complained that it was used as a pot of money doled out to bolster Clinton's political standing.
But after 9/11, FEMA lost out in the massive bureaucratic shuffle. <snip>

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

187. Here's an article

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=108858

Spend some time googling and I'm sure you'll find some more

What other president's throughout history have appointed incompetents to important positions because they were campaign contributors?

[Lecky]

96. I'm waiting for him to take responsibility for Iraq and his war crimes...

...something tells me I'll be waiting for a very long time.

[Ron Mexico]

97. "To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right..."

..."I leave open the possibility that people fucked this all up looooooong before I had a chance to."

Asshole.

[bitchkitty]

101. The ONLY reason

he's taking responsibility for this is because he can't lie his way out of this one.

[Misunderestimator]

102. Is that like when he promised to punish the Plame leaker?

Mmm hmmm

[dhinojosa]

103. I am going to be fair and say "Thank You".

I don't like anything about his presidency, except this. This is the first time he has done something that I agree with and which also has brought something to a sucessful close. There is no more "blame game". It has been brought an end to the feud between New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the Fed. We can clean up, say goodbye, heal, and eventually all enjoy a beer and gumbo in a brand spanking new Big Easy.

For that, I have no other response except, Thank you.

[Hardknock]

104. BUSH TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOMETHING?!?!?!?

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

[TankLV]

237. It's MEANINGLESS. He mouthed words like a parrot.

He needs to PAY THE PRICE of his newfound "responsibility".

I am entirely NOT SATISFIED with his latching onto a new set of MEANINGLESS WORDS!

Don't be fooled by the shiny new wrapper. It's still shit.

[ramapo]

105. Did hell freeze over?

Bush has never taken responsibility for much of anything in his life. He must be desperate to save his sullied "reputation".

Maybe he'll apologize during his Thursday address for his slovenly self and pledge to try and pay attention and do some work during his last three years.

[Fluffdaddy]

109. God yes, hell must have freeze over.

[Politicub]

106. My message to Bush, Talk is cheap

I'm a man of action, and words are worth crap to me. If he really wants to take responsibiliy, he will resign.

[Graf Orlok]

108. Bush?? Taking responsibility for an action???

It's the big one Elisabeth!!! I'm coming Elisabeth!!!

[Massachusetts]

110. Bush Takes Responsibility for Blunders

Everyone LOVES a matyr..........PATHETIC spin ploy!

[GayCanuck]

112. Amazing

that our Mounties made it there before bush! What a dope.

[Danieljay]

114. Our saviour is now forgiven. Bush will be the hero...brilliant

...and all is now well with the American people. brilliant move on Roves part. This not only bides well for this disaster, it will appear that he was more "right" in previous fuck ups such as lying about the war. After all, he takes responsibility when he is wrong, he must not have been wrong before now. Get it?

Weird. I actually thought about this scenario this morning on the way to work and how it would play out.

I honestly hope it doesn't work, but judging by the stupidity and short memories of those who voted for this idiot in the first place...I have little hope he will step down OR be impeached as he should be.

[Danieljay]

118. he is an ass clown and should resign. Period. N/T

[Catboater]

115. RING! RING! RING!

Store Clerk: "Hello............Who?..........What?..........How many?....................You sure?...............OK, bye."

Boss: "Who was that?"

Clerk: "Some guy Satan. He says they need all the mittens and scarves we've got."

[nolabels]

116. Yea, just like his first and second election, 9/11, Iraq, the national....

debt and deficit,Iraq, global warming, job flight, crumbling infrastructure, growing racial inequality, nuclear proliferation, welfare (mostly corporate), yada, yada, yada,

Fool me once..........nah, I never was fooled in the first place :puke:

[Megahurtz]

119. So NOW What? n/t

[Javaman]

120. Wow, his personal investigation into the matter got quick results..

Is he now going to fire himself?

Smoke screen folks, smoke screen.

"feel sorry for meeeeeeeee!!!! Feel sorry for meeeeeeeee!!!!"

Sorry dope, with a fuck up like this, just because you take responcibility, doesn't get you off the hook.

Now someone fire this asshole*, so WE as a nation can go on with OUR lives?

colossal racist failure*.

[confludemocrat]

122. he's trying to preempt talk of an inquiry or a Special Prosecutor

All is forgiven, you confessed! Right. Like the matter ends here.

[killbotfactory]

123. Great, so what is he going to do about it?

Give himself a medal of freedom? A raise?

[RevolutionStartsNow]

124. Clearly a reaction to the polls, but...

I am still surprised. This guy is like the Fonz, unable to utter the words "I was wrong."

[W2Hague]

125. Might I suggest....

If Governor Bush is truly serious about taking responsibility for the needless suffering and death in New Orleans, he should do the right thing.

I would suggest Ritual Seppuku for the Entire Administration.

-Not too flashy, but it'd save a whole lotta taxpayer dollars.



Peace
D.L. Bruin

http://www.bruindesign.com
Dedicated to Regime Change At Home

[Olney Blue]

212. LOL.

Welcome to DU, W2Hague!
:hi:

[Singular73]

128. There is something BIG we don't know about

He wouldn't take responsibility if something huge was not about to surface.

[Joe Chi Minh]

129. Hilarious that Bush couldn't 'take responsibility

for what went wrong', without taking responsibility for 'what went right...' first. Such incredibly low expectations!

Instead of 'things going right' being the baseline expectation, all things being equal, 'what went went right' appears to be as inscrutable and compelling a mystery to him, as 'what went wrong'; indeed more so, since it appears to be his priority! 'Gee, you can learn as much from what went right as what went wrong. The world is truly a never-ending mystery'.

[Sleepless In NY]

130. Has he taken responsibility for cutting funds for the levees?

doubt it.

Reuters: (Bush) Budget cuts delayed New Orleans flood control work Bush administration funding cuts forced federal engineers to delay improvements on the levees, floodgates and pumping stations that failed to protect New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters, agency documents showed on Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050901/pl_nm/weather_katrina_funding_dc_1

Before 9/11 the Federal Emergency Management Agency listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America: a terrorist attack on New York, a major earthquake in San Francisco and a hurricane strike on New Orleans. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70915F63C550C718CDDA00894DD404482

He has nearly ruined Manhattan & New Orleans in less than 5 yrs in office. Screw him & his "apology"

Reminds me of Reagan's 1987 "apology" about Iran Contra. All show, no substance.

[Joe Chi Minh]

131. I've never heard such a half-assed excuse for an apology

in all my born days, but it just makes him seem childish - like Shakespeare's schoolboy reluctantly straggling his way to school.

[tuvor]

133. Waitaminnit, waitaminnit, waitaminnit...

What didn't go right?

:shrug:

[progressivebydesign]

134. Actions speak louder than words. Same bs, different day. n/t

[maxsolomon]

135. wasn't he already responsible?

pitiful

[Goldensilence]

136. If his speech in is La...

then set up a rally for survivors. Set up demostrations. If there's no public show of outrage at that speech. This all means NOTHING. I hope that bushville idea follows through. It's also time since the Media has formeda sense ofa backbone that the Dems need to form one too and start to organize what their true base should be. The poor and working class people.

[truthpusher]

139. Bush: 'I take responsibility'

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050913/us_nm/katrina_bush_responsibility_dc_3

Bush: 'I take responsibility'
----------------
10 minutes ago
----------------
President George W. Bush took responsibility on Tuesday for any failures in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and acknowledged the storm exposed serious deficiencies at all levels of government four years after the September 11 attacks.

"To the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility," Bush told a White House news conference at which he openly questioned U.S. preparedness for another storm or a "severe attack."

Bush's rare admission of "serious problems in our response capability" came as the White House stepped up efforts to repair his public standing. Bush will address the nation at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT) on Thursday from hard-hit Louisiana, his fourth visit to the disaster zone since Katrina struck.

(snip)

Asked if Americans should worry that the government remains unprepared to respond to another major disaster or a terrorist attack, Bush said: "Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government."

(snip)

"Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm? That's a very important question and it's in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on so we can better respond," he said at a news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

(snip)

complete story: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050913/us_nm/katrina_bush_responsibility_dc_3

[fooj]

140. "stepped up efforts to repair his public standing."

Need I say more?

Peace.

[saigon68]

147. he has to get rid of the bodies in the streets

[Catfight]

160. Help me with this picture? What is it and what's going on? nt

[geniph]

169. That's what a body looks like after a week in the water

[saigon68]

173. Here's the url

http://ancapistan.typepad.com/

[NYC]

268. The bright yellow

is the clothing on a body. (I also had trouble discerning it.)

[Dr Fate]

141. And he literaly admits that 5 years after 9-11, he still cant protect us:

...The president was asked whether people should be
worried about the government's ability to handle
another terrorist attack given failures in responding
to Katrina.

"Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack?
That's a very important question and it's in the
national interest that we find out what went on so we
can better respond," Bush replied...

Gee- I thought we were already doing that every day
after 9-11- he even campaigned on that "fact." He has
had 5 years to "find out."

[dhinojosa]

142. LBN, usually has stuff within 2 seconds of it happening

"9 minutes ago" won't cut it, you need be quick like a ninja! ;)

[Child_Of_Isis]

157. I had it out in two seconds.

But, I heard it on the tele, and I put it in GD. If that counts... I'll take a bow now ;-P

[Skip Intro]

143. then be a man for once in your life and resign

[NoSheep]

158. And get Cheney as Prez? Bwaahahahahhahahaaaaa!

:scared:

[rustydog]

144. Too bad there wasn't an every day American behind Bush

saying; "Go fuck yourself Mr. President, go fuck yourself Mr. President."

[bemildred]

145. I look forward to the public sepukku ceremony

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepukku

[judy]

Ha! LOL!

There ya go!

Where is the Samurai code of honor when you need it ? :)

[Up2Late]

155. I'd like to see him do the "Executive Retraining" like in "Gung Ho"

Where he has to ware all of his "Ribbons of Shame."

Now that would be worth "pay per View," the money might even balance the budget.

[indepat]

148. When will W take responsibility for massive tax cuts skewed to mostly

benefit the most affluent and large corporations and causing ruinous and unsustainable budget deficits; unilateral abrogation of international treaties, the law of the land; an assault on the environment along a broad front, always to benefit of large corporations; immeasurable damage to the economy, stock markets, jobs market, and value of the dollar; dissing of the UN; wrecking international law, order, and goodwill; and starting a pre-emptive war based on skewed intelligence and lacking UN sanction which some say is in violation of international law and if so, illegal; the vast mismanagement of the war, the expenditure of hundreds of billion of dollars with little or no accountability, much on no-bid contracts to friends, and the associated torture; and fill in your own blanks.

[Mithheru]

149. What Bush should really be doing right now.

I've been a lurker here for a long time, but I feel this is my turn to emerge from the shadows and say one thing:

Bush needs to stay away from the hurricane area. His 4th visit there since the disaster? How many resources are being halted or delayed while he's there?

All the sucking-up and damage control he's doing can easily be done at the White House. People may not like what I'm saying here, but Bush is only making things worse by constantly going there.

Many thanks in advance for the welcomes I'm sure I'll receive,
Mithheru

[truthpusher]

151. Excellent point and welcome.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

154. Welcome, and you are right!

I know we were all calling for Bush to be there right after the hurricane, but the reality is that he just gets in the way. He is neither comforting nor helpful, so he should just stay away.

[cliss]

166. Welcome to the

DU, Mithheru!

And a fine post it is. I agree with you. Bush needs to stay away. All he's doing is clinging on to black folks for photo-ops. No one believes him.

[leQ]

174. yes, excellent points, and welcome to freedom land (eom)

[truthpusher]

150. What else do you take responsibility for Mr. Bush? n/t

[Nostradamus]

152. so what does someone usually do when they take responsibilty for a fuckup

[gauguin57]

153. Yeah, it's all B.S. But the fact that he used those three words ... well,

Satan is making snowballs and Babe is sailing through the air.

[marshall]

156. Right on!

[WhiteCastle1968]

159. FREEPERS: "BUSH TO RESIGN"

A startling series of post have been placed (and quickly removed) on the FreeRepublic board indicating that senior Republican officials, including Vice President Cheney, met with the President last week and strongly requested (ordered) him to apologize publicly for the Federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

Senior officials say the President's delay in this response may result in a suprise announcement during Thursday night's speech to the nation by Bush. After leading the nation thru several of its most horrifying national disasters (WTC, Pentagon, Shuttle Columbia, 2 large flordia hurricanes and Katrina) and two overseas wars, has Bush finally tired of the criticism??? Has he decided the job just isn't worth it? Or could it be an attempt by Cheney and his cronies to oust the president, preparing the VP's way for the nomination in 2008 and the complete global domination of the world by the governing boards of the Oil Industry??? Stay tuned!!

[420inTN]

163. Pull the other one, it's got bells on it. n/t

[truthpusher]

167. Don't you mean "Freeper"?

[Hardrada]

177. Wait....if they say it's going to be a surprise announcement

then well how could it be a....oh never mind.

[NoSheep]

161. A first. I almost can't believe it.

:shrug:

[Mikimouse]

162. What a man, what guy!

what an empty piece of shit. I love the way he phrased his 'accountability' moment: "Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm? That's a very important question and it's in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on so we can better respond," he said at a news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Psst, George...I can tell you what went wrong...YOU FUCKED NEW ORLEANS, foresaking it for a birthday party and a guitar, not to mention YOU appointing political cronies to high level positions for which they were completely unqualified. Need more?

[ShockediSay]

164. Rove must be desperate n/t

[Tracer]

165. The words "I Take Responsibility" ...

have degraded to be just an empty platitude.

After all, doesn't every Tom, Dick & Harry suicide bomber "take responsibility"?

And so what's the result? Absolutely nothing.

And I expect absolutely nothing from the A**hole either.

He's going to "find out"??? Don't make me laugh.

[indeman]

168. The BUSH/ROVE Strategy for Katrina/Iraq contrast - It has begun!

Bush had no choice but to admit that the Federal Government failed in its response to the Hurricane. His back was against the wall. Thus, he "admitted" that the Federal government (notice how he did not admit to any personal mistakes) made mistakes with respect to the Hurricane, proving that Bush indeed can admit mistakes.

The next phase of this strategy, which we will see beginning in his speech on Thursday, is to draw a contrast between the Federal Hurricane response and the Iraq war. Bush will again admit that the Federal government made mistakes in its Katrina response, but will become even more resolute than ever about the mission, purpose, strategies, success, etc. of the Iraq war.

The goal? get the public to think, "well, I now know that Bush is humble enough to admit mistakes, because he quickly did so with respect to the Katrina response. So the fact that Bush has not wavered in his support for the Iraq war makes me really trust his leadership and judgment. So there really is a 'noble cause' after all!"

[Sleepless In NY]

170. Has he taken responsibility for cutting funds for the levees?

doubt it.

Reuters: (Bush) Budget cuts delayed New Orleans flood control work Bush administration funding cuts forced federal engineers to delay improvements on the levees, floodgates and pumping stations that failed to protect New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters, agency documents showed on Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050901/pl...

Before 9/11 the Federal Emergency Management Agency listed the three most likely catastrophic disasters facing America: a terrorist attack on New York, a major earthquake in San Francisco and a hurricane strike on New Orleans. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70915F6...

He has nearly ruined Manhattan & New Orleans in less than 5 yrs in office. Screw him & his "apology"

Reminds me of Reagan's 1987 "apology" about Iran Contra. All show, no substance.

[demo dutch]

186. Humble enough.. to let him investigate his "own" people instead of

an independent committee doing the investigating. The American public is getting fooled again!

[Redstone]

171. And for anyone who beleves he's sincere, I have a great used car

for you, right here.

Owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays.

Redstone

[Rob H.]

172. Like I said over in a similar thread in GD

It's a half-assed acceptance of responsibility, if that.

Notice how he qualified it: To the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right.... Sorry, but that doesn't sound like he's accepting responsibility to me and I wonder how hard his handlers had to push to get even that. (Remember that this is the same man, when asked if he'd made any mistakes during his first term, couldn't think of even one.)

I like this part:

"Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government," Bush said.

Funny, seems to me like it "exposed serious problems in our response capability" mostly at the topmost level of government.

[Danieljay]

175. NO NO NO.."to the extent the government didn't fully do its job right"

He takes responsibility. He asked Pelosi what she thought the government did wrong! He doesn't believe the government did anything wrong. Remember? This is a crap PR gig!

[twaddler01]

206. omg...

This article made me laugh! LMAO!

[louis-t]

146. "to the extent" leaves him wide open to say

"I never said that, never took the blame for anything".

[JoFerret]

176. This is NOT Tylenol George...

- this was not an evil act by a malicious individual but a systenmic failure with roots in incompetent leadership and negligent deliberate policy.

[demo dutch]

178. Politics-He's taking reponsibility to avoid an "independent" investigation

and to justify his "own investigation" into the failures of FEMA etc. Consider it a smart political move. Hopefully it won't work. Polls are already going up, the American people are stupid!

[Zhade]

179. Then resign, you stupid crooked motherfucker.

NT!

[Democrats_win]

183. If he doesn't resign is he really taking responsibility?

Responsibility has consequences!

[demo dutch]

184. Fooled, all it is, is a reason to justify his "own" investigation rather

then in "independent" investigation. Don't be fooled!

[Zhade]

192. This is all a ploy on his (well, Rove's) part.

I don't buy it for a second - but I DO call his bluff, and raise him resignation.

It won't happen, of course. But it feels good to call him a stupid crooked motherfucker!

[L84TEA]

181. doesn't this mean he could be charged with say...

murder? ... I am thinkin soo...

[Maggie_May]

188. Bush did feel the noose around your neck

well its a little late. You couldn't give up I minute of the 5 week vacation time. You have never taken responsibility for anything in your life.

[mermaid]

228. If Bush Were On Fire

I wouldn't piss on him to put out the flames. Fuck him.

[L84TEA]

189. yup... he just confessed to Murder.

he is a goner!

[nytemare]

190. Well, some monkeys just flew out of my a**!!

[stevietheman]

191. I still think Bush/Cheney should resign, but I will be charitable.

Bush took _one_ step in the right direction with these remarks today. Now, he needs to follow through and do his best to make it all right, especially for the disaster victims.

As we all know, saying "I take responsibility" is but the beginning of actually taking responsibility.

And, as always, watch what Bush does, not what he says.

[Bravo411]

194. Bush is just the puppet...

Beware of the puppet masters. They'll still be there.
This entire administration needs to go. Without tranparent and varifiable elections there's no way to WIN the country back.

[catabryna]

195. My, my, my....

will wonders never cease. It's too bad that he's doing it to try and prop up his sagging poll numbers. Gee George, why'd it take ya so long to finally accept responsibility for something, anything even?

[Canuckistanian]

196. With reponsibility comes consequences

Without consequences, responsibility is just empty rhetoric.

[FighttheFuture]

197. So? He accepts "responsibility", but he will not accept "Consequences"

One without the other is meaningless.

[seeker4ever]

198. Pure Rove genius!

This will make him the steadfast, resolute, war president the assholes of America are infatuated with. There will never be a Liberal president in my lifetime.

[stepnw1f]

204. Why... Did It Work On You?

Without the media Rove is nothing more than a punk who gets away with shit because of the people he works for. That's not genius.

[grahamhgreen]

200. If he is responsible (for the negligent deaths of Americans), then he must

step down.

[sakabatou]

201. Yeah. Fucking. Right

[stepnw1f]

202. Screw Resign... He Should Be Indicted for High Crimes

Shit... this guy should be in the Hague.

[artzykat71]

203. Carl's fingers must be very nimble...

to be able to manipulate his puppet w/such dexterity. Gotta work quickly when your polls are so low.

[shayes51]

207. Wonder when he'll take responsibility for mistakes in Iraq?

[Deja Q]

213. He's claimed responsibility for things before.

Didn't stop him then either.

[ashling]

217. a non-acceptance acceptance of responsibility

"To the extent the federal government didn't fully do it's job right,

I take responsibility," Bush said.
Remember his statement to Pelosi: "what went wrong?"

[CHIMO]

219. Bully Bully

Any idiot must realize that if you have the authority for something you atomically have the responsibility.

You accepted the responsibility when you accepted the authority.

No one can reject responsibility when they have the authority!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

220. Doesn't work for me, I gotta have more cowbell!

[Bravo411]

221. I just saw the video of it...

It was played on the evening news. Bush had a really hard time saying it. He looked like a kid that has been forced to apologize for doing something he did wrong even though he doesn't want too.

I'll look for it on the net and post a link.

Update: Full video can be found here http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050913-5.html#

It's at the White House Website. Click on the video to open it. It's about just past the halfway mark where Bush is questioned on the response to Katrina and where he makes his remarks. I also recommend watching a bit more of the video as well. He's got the President of Iraq there and apparently nobody to translate. A reporter asks a question in Arabic and Talabani answers back in Arabic. Bush asks Talabani to answer in english, but he doesn't. It was pretty funny to watch.

[opihimoimoi]

223. But but....isn't he the one in charge? Bush and his entire crew let peeps

die, starve, get raped, etc etc for 5 days...Not one of them, Cheney included watched the News...is that what they telling us????

Fucking full of shit....

He apologizes now..takes full responsibility? He should now commit hari kiri///and Cheney too...

[mermaid]

224. 'Bout Fuckin' Time!!!

'bout fuckin' time that asshole took responsibility for anything! Now, what's the hidden agenda, and what strings are attached to this "admission of responsibility?"

[jwirr]

230. Be warned, this sounds like the typical repug

rhetoric "The government doesn't work" not an acknowledgment of his own administrations failings. FEMA has done a good job in the past.

[TankLV]

231. It's just word that mean NOTHING to him in the hope of getting us off his

back. Nothing more.

He needs to PAY A PRICE of that responsibility.

Mouthing platitudes like a good parrot means nothing.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

233. Too late. He should be charged along with the nursing home owners.

[spacelady]

234. Chimpy Made a Mistaa-aake, Chimpy Made a Mistaa-aake

Neener, Neener, Neener.


Yes, I know Childish, But he needs to understand & that's the level that he is.

[blonndee]

244. LOL! That was cute. =)

[TWIM]

239. for those who like rap

check out this song

http://www.woochild.com/Woo%20Child%20-%20Guilty.mp3

[Bravo411]

241. Well worth a listen .. n/t

[Festivito]

240. Does this mean he'll have a press conference and actually respond???

BAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAA
Response able?
What a liar.
Best he can do is take the blame.
He cannot respond.

[Kurovski]

243. Good-bye George.

Good-bye.

[Tight_rope]

245. Well it's about time the he admit to being a major fuck-up...now resign!

[strategery blunder]

250. Meh, he's only covering his ass.

He wants to defuse the "conspiracy theories" surrounding his reaction to Katrina and doesn't want pressure to investigate possible coverups. He doesn't want to go the way of Nixon.

The scary thing is the way the media has operated ever since he took office, he might get away with the diversion.

[ladylibertee]

251. Yeah, I saw that. Here's what I don't get though. Why the hell did

he say it standing next to the President of Irag? He just totally sent the wrong message.Well, now Iraq knows what it has to look forward to.How embarrassing for the US.

[Nothing Without Hope]

252. EXCUSE ME? Just a couple of says ago he was CONGRATULATING himself

for the "extraordinary" speed with which he signed the state of emergency orders and barking about how it was "just preposterous" for anyone to suggest that having the National Guard in Iraq made any difference at all in the hurricane response. Watch it yourself and see if he doesn't look like a proud first-grader crowing over making his letters straight:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4752689
thread title: VIDEO - Bush on CNN: self-congratulatory about his handling of Katrina

[Fluffdaddy]

255. GOP SPIN on this."This shows you a Great leader taking responsibility"

Funny :rofl:

[Chalco]

256. He didn't apoligize. Anyone that knows how to evaluate

whether someone's telling the truth will tell you that. When I saw the video of his so-called apology, he was blinking and ducking and dodging. He appeared very distant from what he was saying. He made no apology. He took no responsibility.

[GinaMaria]

257. Of course he did. Look at his approval ratings

They couldn't get any worse and this action might make them a little better. He gains from this. How much remains to be seen but I'm sure his advisors already calculated it.

[emald]

260. then fall on your sword you sob

guess thats too much responsibility.

[msgadget]

261. He had to

Even though it took way too long and he sputtered very defensively over many days, this could help redeem him in the eyes of nervous followers who believe their president to be an upright, straightforward man of action. I'm sure the "To the extent..." part was a grenade tossed into the laps of Louisiana's government. The right can now piously holler about the dems there not offering similar words of contrition.

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

262. seppuku. it's the only honorable thing to do.

[grahamhgreen]

263. Question to be asked?

Q: Now that the President has accepted responsibility for failures at the federal level which resulted in the negligent deaths of innocent Americans, will he also hold himself accountable and accept the consequences of his actions by resigning?

[TOOLZ]

264. Bush retracted that comment when someone told him what "Responsible" meant

[Mazie Gordon]

267. Why is free republic so quiet on this?

I've searched - as well as is possible on that site - I can't find any posting pertaining to this. There is an article about the news conference where bush dropped this gem, but most of the comment was on the Iraqi president's upbeat assessment of the situation in Iraq, not about bush. Maybe they thought he was infallible, like the pope?