Senate Kills Bid for Katrina Commission

[IChing]

By LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press Writer



WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Republicans on Wednesday scuttled an attempt by Sen. Hillary Clinton to establish an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission to investigate what went wrong with federal, state and local governments' response to Hurricane Katrina.

The New York Democrat's bid to establish the panel - which would have also made recommendations on how to improve the government's disaster response apparatus - failed to win the two-thirds majority needed to overcome procedural hurdles.

"Just as with 9/11, we did not get to the point where we believed we understood what happened until an independent investigation was conducted," Clinton said.

The Senate vote is hardly likely to be the last word on whether to create an independent commission or as an alternative a special congressional committee to investigate Katrina. The 9/11 Commission was established in 2002 after resistance from Republicans and the White House, and opinion polls show the public strongly supports the idea. In a CNN/USA Today Gallup poll taken Sept. 8-11, 70 percent of those surveyed supported an independent panel to investigate the government's response to Katrina. Only 29 percent were opposed.>>>>>snip

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KATRINA_WASHINGTON?SITE=MNMAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-09-14-13-47-05

[Bob3]

1. remember this - remember every name that voted against this

N/T

[TahitiNut]

4. Strict party line vote - no crossovers - 44 Yea,54 Nay, 2 NV

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00229#position

[Raster]

29. Why do the republicans hate America?

[confludemocrat]

31. R.I.P.: the myth that there is such a thing as a "moderate Repugnantlican"

All right-wing hacks, every one. And don't EVER pretend its any different or you are by definition seriously delusional.

[catzies]

58. Damn right. When push comes to shove they all get in line.

Not that our own leadership is any different most of the time. x(

[Seabiscuit]

90. Congressional Repukes are Shrub's SS

They all march in lockstep when KKKarl tells them to.

Sig Heil!

[Name removed]

82. Deleted message

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

[AirAmFan]

71. Especially Republicans up for election next yr: Dewine (OH), Allen (VA), ...

... See http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_I.htm for the whole list. Ohio and Virginia are red states that conceivably could go blue over this scandal and other Bush misadministration outrages.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

2. One day it's bound to happen, no matter what the level

over 70% of the country (and probably more) don't believe a word of bush's anymore. Him holding his own investigation isn't going to hold water. Somewhere, someday, someone is going to find the truth. It's far too big and bush is far too little in the eyes of the people.

[berni_mccoy]

3. I love it when repubs keep doing the unpopular thing

Real good re-election bids... but then again, since they've fixed the election process, they probably don't care what the people want or need.

[pushycat]

18. begin unpopular does matter

but I agree with you about elections in America. No matter what message the DEMS send out, they'll keep losing until our Congress gets a good housecleaning. Hopefully that happens and we hand-count our ballots again - right

[Imagevision]

57. Well, if you were guilty you would vote the same way - repugs fear 2006

election feed back from Bush bungling Katrina response as death numbers exceed 700+

[IChing]

5. 70 percent of those surveyed supported an independent panel to investigate

That is from CNN-Gallup

[Pacifist Patriot]

36. Which being from Gallup probably means the actual number is a bit higher.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Senate kills Democratic attempt to establish independent Katrina commissio

Sept. 14, 2005
Senate kills Democratic attempt to establish independent Katrina commission

LARA JAKES JORDAN
The Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Wednesday scuttled an attempt by Sen. Hillary Clinton to establish an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission to investigate what went wrong with federal, state and local governments' response to Hurricane Katrina.

The New York Democrat's bid to establish the panel - which would have also made recommendations on how to improve the government's disaster response apparatus - failed to win the two-thirds majority vote needed to overcome procedural hurdles.

"Just as with 9/11, we did not get to the point where we believed we understood what happened until an independent investigation was conducted," Clinton said.

The Senate vote is hardly likely to be the last word on whether to create an independent commission or as an alternative a special congressional committee to investigate Katrina. The 9/11 Commission was established in 2002 after resistance from Republicans and the White House, and opinion polls show the public strongly supports the idea. In a CNN/USA Today Gallup poll taken Sept. 8-11, 70 percent of those surveyed supported an independent panel to investigate the government's response to Katrin. Only 29 percent were opposed.
(snip/...)

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breaking/091405Katrina_Washington.php

[shoelace414]

7. why can't the panel have a fair up or down vote?

[aquart]

8. A roll call vote. With cameras present.

[greekspeak]

76. That's only for ramming through RW judges

This is a bunch of hippie libruls trying to take down God's appointed mouthpiece and play the blame game. Please refer to Puke Talking Points Memo 666.

[Lasher]

9. That's OK, stay focused.

The Senate will establish an independent Katrina commission in January 2007.

[mod mom]

12. Are you unaware of the control of the voting machines? I say hammer the

sympathetic members of the press with this information! this is a travesty of justice!

[Lasher]

34. I am aware

But it would be very difficult to conceal election fraud if people vote by a very wide margin for Democrats.

[calimary]

15. Maybe they should just do one ANYWAY. Call CSPAN and set one

up and call people and get coverage. Maybe even CNN will cover it. Challenge the rest of the newly reawakened media to put their money where their mouths are.

BTW - we can give this support when we email or call CNN or NBC or CBS or ABC or MSNBC or whoever it is, and demand an independent commission - because we can't trust the republi-CONS to do one that's not a complete whitewash. And dammit, WE WANT ANSWERS!!!

They've gotten MUCHO calls, and MUCHO thanks from viewers, listeners, and readers, already, about their reemergence from their naptimes, their willingness to ask tough questions and to grill officials, and their long overdue determination to hold these people accountable. That should be encouraged, and even pressed harder.

We don't want them rolling over and going back to sleep, do we?

Well, then, WHY SHOULD WE DO THAT, OURSELVES?

[Trevelyan]

92. MSNBC has site for Katrina Whistleblowers' documents

Just wrote several letters to MSNBC about vote against independent investigation and why it is needed.
~~~

The digital transom http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8045532/
NBC Investigative Producer Robert Windrem

Getting documents “over the transom” is an old journalist phrase. The phrase is archaic. It comes from a time when a small, hinged window, a transom, was placed above a doorway, mainly to ventilate a room… this was before air conditioning. The door might not be open, but the transom was. If a friendly source wanted to deliver an interesting document to a transom-equipped newsroom, he might throw it over the transom and into the newsroom… sight unseen.

Today, there is a “digital transom.” It’s called e-mail and over the past two weeks we have been the recipient of a lot of documents thrown over that “digital transom.” Whistle-blowers and researchers — people we know and have trusted before — have been providing us with documents laying out what they saw as the failings of relief efforts, at all levels of government, in both political parties. We promised them anonymity in return for their help —a standard practice in modern-day journalism.

The documents have taken a lot of forms. There is the Southeast Louisiana Catastrophic Hurricane Response Plan, the never completed plan put together by a FEMA contractor last summer as a framework for dealing with a major hurricane striking New Orleans. There is the exchange of letters between Louisiana’s congressional delegation and the Office of Management and Budget this January — the one on the need for emergency funding of levee repairs and maintenance; the City of New Orleans’ very limited and general evacuation plans. There is also a PowerPoint presentation on the now-famous “Hurricane Pam” FEMA exercise that predicted with Nostradamus-like accuracy what would happen to New Orleans if a Category 3 or bigger storm hit the city. And finally there are lists of upcoming FEMA and DHS exercises showing how the threat of terrorism had trumped natural disasters in the minds of emergency planners, at least at the federal level.

We have elected to post those documents, raw and unedited, on Katrina.MSNBC.com http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9107338/ (Click in the box on the right side labeled “Katrina Resources”), because they add to the research and understanding of what has taken place since Katrina struck. They can be viewed or downloaded. We have used much of the information in these documents on Nightly News, Today, MSNBC-TV, CNBC and here on MSNBC.com.

[Marnieworld]

10. How could you argue against this?

Really? What is the GOP saying to defend their position? We don't to be blamed so we won't blame anybody? We have to take the gov't back.

[joanski0]

17. The GOP didn't say anything in opposition.

They yielded back ALL of their time, and just went to the vote. And every single Republican voted against it, including those Senators in the disaster areas, e.g. Sessions, Lott, Vitter.

[NYC]

22. Vitter did not vote.

Landrieu voted for an investigation. See post #20.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

11. They'll stall until they f*ck up another natural disaster or man made one

[Dr Fate]

13. DEMs need to go on TV and ask "What are they hiding?"

And it needs to be famous, big-gun DEMs, like Kerry, Hilary, Obama & Dean.

[Pachamama]

73. No, not the Dems but rather THE VICTIMS OF KATRINA need to speak out!

Remember the 9/11 Commission? Bush and the GOP shot this down at first...it wasn't until after the 9/11 Widows and families spoke out and put incredible amounts of pressure and embarrassment on the politicians...

The victims of Katrina need to do the same...they need to make lots of noise and have their faces out their and be a reminder to Americans and especially the Bush Cabal and Politicians that they demand to have the truth....

:grr:

[Trevelyan]

83. But will the Katrina victims who speak up be sent with the 98% who are in

FEMA Concentration Camps? McKinney mentioned them in her speech.

September Monday 12th 2005 (18h52) :
Cynthia Mcinney censored in congressional record- Is someone afraid of the word IMPEACHMENT? By Rep Cynthia McKinney 9-11-5
http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=8235

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/fema.html/
I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp
I’m extremely depressed to report that things seem to only be getting sadder concerning the people so devastatingly affected by Katrina last week.

http://www.globalnewsmatrix.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2449

http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/evan/25229/
http://www.globalnewsmatrix.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2449

Refugees from New Orleans behind barbed wire in Utah
Posted on Wednesday, September 07

Utah’s Governor Jon Huntsman has taken in some of the New Orleans refugees, at Camp Williams. Replete with barbed wire, armed soldiers with weapons at ready, police and sheriff with weapons at ready, and hell, they must surely feel right at home. In America yet.

Evacuees’ stories are moving, but fence isn’t
Article Last Updated: 09/07/2005 03:37:49 AM
By Diane Carman http://www.denverpost.com/carman/ci_3006502

If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought I was peering through the fence at a concentration camp. (more)

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/005403.php#
Thursday :: Sep 8,2005
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.......

And then there is that report I have noted in recent days of the 1,000 evacuees flown to Roosevelt Roads naval base on Puerto Rico’s eastern tip. What of them?

[Dr Fate]

85. How about some Democrats doing it too? n/t

n/t

[WePurrsevere]

14. But Repubs are always saying if you haven't done anything wrong then...

you have nothing to be afraid of. At least that's what they say when folks protest parts of the Patriot Act, etc.

What's good for the goose eh?

Perhaps their constituent needs to ask themselves what are their "leaders" so afraid of AGAIN?

Personally I'd like to see an independent investigation for Katrina-Gate that's much better then the one for 9-11.

[ThoughtCriminal]

16. I'll be throwing this in the face of a few (R)'s

A few days ago they were doing the party line that all of the foul ups were state/local. But they would agree with me on an independent investigation of all levels. They insisted that the Democrats would not want one since all the skeletons in the closet would turn out to be their own.

[KamaAina]

19. Partisan politics is woefully incapable of dealing with this

their priorities seem to be: Screw the Dems (Blanco, Landrieu) first, then if possible, throw the victims a bone. :puke:

[NYC]

20. List of Senators in alphabetical order:

Note that Landrieu voted for investigation; Vitter didn't vote.

YEAs ---44
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---54
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

Not Voting - 2
Corzine (D-NJ)
Vitter (R-LA)

[IChing]

24. Thanks for the role count n/t

[LSK]

45. straight party line

What could these idiots possibly be thinking??? God I hate repukes.

[sickem]

52. I smell a cover up

and these representatives are going to be guilty of much more than failing to perform their sworn duty. As the 06 election nears we need to be posting the names of these traitors on billboards all across the country. We need to flood the presses with their names so that everybody goes to the polls knowing which of these worms stood for America and which ones facilitated the cover up.

[NYC]

75. Save the list.

They're not interested in New Orleans. They are interested in party loyalty.

[AirAmFan]

70. Interesting--Vitter (R-LA) doesn't come up for re-election until 2010, but STILL

would not vote with the rest of his party. This fact indicates just how wrongheaded and indefensible the Republican stand against an independent commission is.

(See http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/two_column_table/Class_III.htm to verify Vitter's next election date).

[malaise]

21. Big cover-up

They can run but they cannot hide.

[edhopper]

23. All I want say is

that if any of the DINOs agree to take part in the Repukes cover-up hearings they will now hold in the senate they should be thrown out of the Party. A big tent is one thing, treason is another.
Yeah, I'm talking to you Leiberman!

[LeahD]

74. THE TRUTH! n/t

[SillyGoose]

25. They've put their partisan politics ahead of the security of the US.

Here we have a massive failure on the first major test of the new DHS and these idiots don't want an independent commission to look into what went wrong and how to fix it? How truly pathetic, transparent and un-american. They've put their partisan politics ahead of the safety and security of this country and I am steaming mad about it.


:grr:

[The_Casual_Observer]

26. The gop investigate bush? Right.

[fleabert]

27. sadly, I am not surprised, but this tidbit is telling...

Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Not Voting

[deacon2]

33. Yup. Vitter pulls a CYA as New Orleans drowns.

Unbelievable discipline from such an undisciplined group of carpetbaggers. What is it? Mandatory kool-aid assemblies? Motel pictures? What does it take for them to get out of lock step and do the right thing? Do they lack the DNA required to recognize what the right thing is?

[Pacifist Patriot]

38. Yes, I thought that was interesting.

[President Kerry]

94. or Lott (R - MS) Nay, Cochran (R-MS) Nay.. plus the AL

dickheads.. way to represent your people.

[sweet_cobun]

28. That's so ridiculous. I hope they don't get away with this.

How can these people live with themselves? Why would anyone in their right mind oppose this? Well, okay, I know the answer to that. :eyes:

[deminks]

30. What are they (Bushbots) hiding?

Why are they afraid? What will we find? Like we found today that Cheney's office was spot on the ball during and immediately after the hurricane trying to protect their oil interests, diverting power to oil pipelines rather than life saving activities.

We must have an independent investigation. We must have an independent investigator. There are too many dubious, intentional activities being reported. We must, we must, we must. E-mail your congressional reps now. 70% of Americans in the poll want an independent investigation. When are they going to start listening to the majority of Americans? When?

What are you hiding, Mr. Republican? You can tell us now, or later.

[Roland99]

32. Yay for the Bully Majority!

Fucking assholes.

[damntexdem]

35. This needs to play big in 2006.

Even if an independent panel is instituted before then, the vote to reject it needs to be used as a weapon against the GOP.

Then we need to push for an independent panel to investigate corruption in Washington, and in U.S. efforts in Iraq.

[Pacifist Patriot]

37. Indeed! We need Democrats with spines and fangs.

This is huge. Much bigger than Katrina. This cock up is just the loose thread that needs pulling to unravel the blanket being used to smother the American people.

[deadparrot]

39. Scream it from the rooftops...

70% of Americans want one, and not one Republican voted for it.

[bee]

47. yep. Republicans dont give a damn about people.

let alone what people want! :mad:
Ill be writing a nice little LTTE about the assholes in my state. Got that BOYS? Sununu, Gregg... thats right Im talking to you. Its a small state, Ive got a really big mouth and you two make me SICK! :puke:

Isnt there ANY way at all to hold these SOB's accountable for turning their backs on the people of this country?! Can the *people* request a federal grand jury???? As Americans cant we put our collective foot down in the interest of our Nation??? WTF!!!!

[indigo32]

40. BASTARDS

[VegasWolf]

41. Control the news, control the people! Stay the course! nt

[Berserker]

42. I can see clearly what the

subject of this weeks LTTE will be about. I have wrote two recently and both have been published. I hate those repuke bastards.

[fshrink]

43. What is it already?

Ah, yes: "Get Over It." Has become the core of bi-partisan weltanschauung. Should become this country's motto.

[Megahurtz]

44. COVER UP!!! COVER UP!!!

Sneaky, slimy, evil bastards!:mad:

[drone]

46. Guilty

Do you supposed they enjoy looking guilty?

[jzodda]

48. Ya know that is disgusting

This tragedy goes way beyond politics and the only way to take politics out of it would be to get people who do not have to look at polls for all their decisions.

I think I know whats going on here. The administration is angry at the 9/11 commission for being in their minds "pain in the asses". They still have not met many of the recommendations presented by the 9/11 commission and even in the areas they did it seemed like they had to be dragged kicking and screaming all the way.

So now they are deep sixing this so they have nobody to answer to. I think its disgusting.

[dbt]

49. Kick.

Freeps need to see this shit near the top of the stack for a few days. (It's over, boys.)

Remember New Orleans.

[dusty64]

50. Let this be a final

nail in the silly belief in the "moderate" rethug. collins, snowe, chafee, smith, they ALL need to go. The sooner the better.

[Rude Horner]

51. Remember this vote. Remember it well.

Because as we get closer to the 2006 elections, there are going to be plenty of Republicans who, all-of-a-sudden, are going to try to distance themselves from the most unpopular president in modern times.

That's going to be the time to throw this vote right back in their fucking faces.

[lizerdbits]

53. Find out if anyone in the NO area got a blowjob in the last 2 weeks

THEN they'll investigate.

[ignatius 2]

54. How much money did the independent investigation against

Clinton's sex life cost and how long did it last? How the fuck can the repukes think that is more important than finding out why so many Americans are now homeless or dead?

This is an outrage and a slam to ALL Americans no matter their political affiliation.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

56. There were billions of dead soldiers on Monica's dress.

That is the new standard.

[0007]

55. Things are going bad when ya see Tom DeLay walking around

as a free man. Ken Lay hasn't been brought to trial and Bin Laden can't be found. junior takes full responsibility for Katrina and the repukes won't let him and no bats an eye.

[Penndems]

59. Dupe

Posted earlier:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4772529

[tinfoilinfor2005]

60. It is now up to the media to make certain that this is reported to

every citizen with a television, radio or newspaper. And up to the bloggers to report it to everyone online.

The republicans are counting on the pre-Kristina reporters and journalists to yawn at this and not consider it news-worthy. This will be the proof of the pudding as to whether the media actually did wake up. IMHO.

[dusty64]

62. I've already seen enough

proof that the corporate media hasn't really changed. Wheres the coverage and outrage about the cutting off emergency communication lines, forcibly keeping people in the disaster zone, crashcarts cutting off power to hospitals to keep his precious pipelines flowing, and other evidence of blocking rescue efforts by fema, etc., etc., etc. Compared to the wall to wall about "travelgate", "whitewateter", and a blowjob. Nah, they haven't really changed at all.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

69. I tend to agree...

the usual wingnut journalists have gone back to their roles as apologists; I was proud of Joe Scarborough for his honest coverage in the first couple of days, and then he started in with "but FEMA did such a wonderful job in Florida last year, blah blah blah." Since I live in Florida and know this to be hogwash, I emailed him and nicely explained the inaccuracy of this statement. But tonight he was at it again.

But in fairness, there are still a lot of reporters who aren't giving in.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

61. Convert Floodgate truth into power. They can run but they can't hide.

Floodgate is to Bush as Watergate was to Nixon. He resisted but got exposed.

The Truth Party (Dems) needs to defeat the Power Party (Repubs) by converting truth into power. The Repugs don't care about truth, only power, but the American people including the Republican's base is very upset and wants the truth.

[zydeco]

63. They don't want an Independent Commission so let's

start a heavy drive for the immediate resignation of chertoff.
Public outcry removed brown and I feel it would be easy to do the same for chertoff. Then we move on to the next one.
This is not an issue for just the affected states this is a homeland security issue!

[leesa]

64. What cowards those Republicans are!

[OregonBlue]

65. So the white wealthy wall street types in NYC deserved to know

what happened but, the poor, black urban citizens of NO dont? This is a race thing. If this was whites, they would not stand for it.

[Lilith Velkor]

78. They blocked that investigation, too.

I'm just saying.

[OregonBlue]

81. Yes they did but a lot of what went wrong was exposed. Only problem is

who would appoint the members of the investigation team? Can dems select their own?

[Lilith Velkor]

91. The attorney general or the prez appoints

The Dems can only block a selection, like when Bush picked Henry Kissinger for the 9/11 commission and they pretty much laughed him out of the building.

I admit I'm not 100% certain how it works.

[jillan]

66. Now we know why he said "blame me" but

Didn't the bushiter originally say not to play the blame game, and that an independent commission will find out what went wrong?

I don't have a link, I really thought he said this:shrug:

[Laurab]

67. I'm just surprised that the administration still has the power

to make them vote in lock-step like this. It is incredible - there's a sinking ship, and these rePUKES are going to go down with it. It makes no sense to me - They KNOW the people want it, and it's going to hurt them in the long run, yet they still vote against it. It makes me think Shrub/Dickhead/KKkarl and the boys still have power over ALL of them, and that scares me. At this point, the repukes should be distancing themselves from the administration, and fast...I don't get it, and I sure don't like it.

[stevietheman]

68. This is Repubs *admitting* the Bush admin is to blame. n/t

n/t

[ladylibertee]

72. I was so totally ticked off when I heard that.

[Imagevision]

77. Like any Bush/Rove cover-up -no investigations mean they fear the outcome

Bush would be booted if the truth came out!

[wryter2000]

79. 2006 vs 2008

This is why I'm becoming more and more convinced that the 2006 election is more important than the 2008 election. (Not that I'm willing to concede either one.)

[LSK]

80. roll call link from senate.gov

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00229

[stubertmcfly]

84. Just got off the phone...

...with the office of Wayne Allard (R-Colorado). I expressed that I was appalled that the Republicans in the Senate voted this way and was told that the reason why Allard voted against the measure was because it was attached to an appropriations bill and voting for it would have broken Senate rules. What horseshit. I replied, "How convenient" and hung up.

These politicians make me furious and this administration more so. Makes me ashamed and embarassed to be an American.

[bostonbabs]

88. no investigation...no protection for next time!...

how unbelievable.....I feel as if I live is a surreal country. Up is down and down is up....
Bush said yesterday to the WORLD at the United Nations:

The U.N "should be strong and efficient, free of corruption and accountable to it's people".......can you believe the hypocrisy?

What about America Mr.President?

[Skidmore]

86. This is outrageous!!

Ramp it up. This needs to happen. Justice for the people of NO!

[savemefromdumbya]

87. Bush knows he can get away with it with a GOP majority Congress

We already know the answer. The White House was oblivious to what was going on. The Gov of LA couldn't even find the President on the phone or anyone iin authority to ask for help!!!!

Jebb bush's comments praising himself on Florida's response to Hurricanes and blaming LA, Miss etc. were just plain stupid!

[tal]

93. A Grand Jury Investigation

...is the only possibility of having a shred of truth come to light. Does Louisiana have a non-corrupt Attorney General? Lawsuits should already have been filed by the citizens of the Lower 9th Ward against the owner of the barge that crashed through the Industrial Canal. The 17th Street canal should be considered a crime scene and lawsuits should be filed against the corporation which recently 'upgraded' that portion which 'failed'.

[savemefromdumbya]

96. maybe they were?

levees sabataged?

[OregonBlue]

89. Contact Committee Members - link will take you to Committee Members

Click on each for contact information. Demand Dems refuse to particpate. We need independent, bicameral commission!!

http://hsgac.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=About.Membership

[Kurovski]

95. We all saw what happened, as it happened.

We saw as the feds and the Bush admin purposely stood down.

we saw local government in LA begging, pleading, we heard the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, the fury and the anger at the Bush neglect.

We've read the timelines.

America knows what happened, and so does the filth, and yes, I'm calling everyone who voted against this the name they've earned: filth. They obviously know there is no way to put lipstick on the pig.

We all heard it, we all saw it. George Bush and his administration must go. He is destroying what is left of the soul of the Republican Party.