Sunday Times: Bush’s key aide ‘missed’ Katrina (Rove)

[sabra]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1785729,00.html

Bush’s key aide ‘missed’ Katrina

“BUSH’S brain” was missing when flood waters swamped New Orleans. Karl Rove, the White House aide who goes by that unofficial title, was suffering from painful kidney stones and was briefly hospitalised in the middle of the biggest crisis so far of President George W Bush’s second term.

Once his condition improved it was Rove who urged the president to open his chequebook for the stricken city, against the advice of White House economists, and spend $200 billion (£111 billion) to rebuild it “higher and better”, as Bush went on to promise.

Although many Republicans are horrified by the cost, Rove is determined to revive Bush’s dormant image as a compassionate conservative, the theme of his first presidential campaign in 2000, and will be overseeing the reconstruction effort.

Bill Kristol, editor of the neo-conservative Weekly Standard, said Rove’s absence had made a significant difference after the hurricane hit. “He was out of commission for 24-36 hours and he’s indispensable. It’s a thin White House and it’s not a good thing that the government could become paralysed for a day,” Kristol said.

[jimshoes]

1. So we really do

have a useless twit as president. But we all knew that.

[Tesla]

3. So, what was his excuse Thursday??????

He was a useless twit then too!!!

[ignatius 2]

46. Exactly! He was paralysed for three days and was pretty useless

even after that. I bet Cheney was all over it though. If he was able to demand a gas pipeling to the NE be fixed on 8-30, he obviously was aware of what was happening. His phone and computer records need to be seized to see what else he was ordering done(or not done.)

[Tight_rope]

64. Duyba was born a useless twit...lived his whole life as a useless twit...

and will most certianly die a "USELESS TWIT".

[Frustratedlady]

5. I Truly Believe.......

that GW is loyal to his friends, because he can't function without them...he's as dependent as a newborn babe or as one totally paralyzed. Taking Rove away would be like cutting off his arms. How he got as far as he did is beyond me. Twice, at that!

[Carolab]

25. Stolen elections, that's how. n/t

[calimary]

30. Welcome to DU - I can certainly identify with your name.

Glad you're here.

Somehow I get the feeling that a president like Clinton WOULD have been able to function just fine if one of his top aides was out of commission for 36 hours. bush is like a piece of tripe laying on a plate without his "brain." What a disgrace. We are literally being held hostage by this idiot.

[nothometoday]

42. It is not unusual for

a " recovering addict" to have strong Co-dependency issues.
He holds the word of those around him as gospel, With himself as the christ-like central figure. They are all, a VERY sick bunch. It is next to impossible for them to see they are doing wrong. Anyone calling them wrong, Becomes the enemy. This just strengthens their resolve.
It is not unlike an abused wife, who keeps taking her husband back. They need each other, because only THEY understand each other.

[Lochloosa]

48. Welcome to DU nothometoday

enjoy your stay :hi:

on edit:...after reading that, it sounded like something we say to freepers. Wasn't meant that way. :blush:

[Tight_rope]

66. Welcome to DU!

[Peace Patriot]

50. This story is a load of hooey. Rove was negotiating his Treasongate...

pardon, and went on strike for 3-4 days, right at the worst moment for Bush. He planted the kidney stones story way afterwards (couple of days ago). Why no press release on it, at the time that it supposedly happened (his hospitalization)? Was that not news? Does he not have a full and well-larded staff? I'd have to see the hospital records, and even then I don't think I would believe it. I think people noticed the complete absence of the spin machine; questions were being asked, and he made this up (and he probably even had--or is having-- medical records forged to "prove" it).

The man is a venomous snake, and a congenital liar. You think ANYTHING he tells these jokers in the press is true--especially when he's having to cover his ass for being AWOL?

And Cheney was up to no good either--ordering up power to the gas pipeline to the NORTHEAST at the expense of rural Mississippi hospitals, one of which was already on generators. But that may not be the worst of it. I think he was blackmailing Bush--probably with a threat to rat on him re Treasongate*--and that's why Bush went down and tried to strongarm Blanco into turning over total control of her state to the White House. That was Cheney's price: martial law and control of Louisiana and all that reconstruction loot.

* I guessed this (that Cheney was threatening Bush) from that strange photo op, early on, of Bush backed up by Daddy Bush and Clinton. I wondered and wondered about that. What was going on? And this is the theory that I think will be borne out: that it was a threatened Cheney coup, and he was bought off. And it's possible Rove was in league with him. I think the White House was in serious disarray during the first week of Katrina, not over the disaster exactly (side issue; looting potential), but over Treasongate, and it might still be divided along indictable vs. unindictable lines, or pro-Bush vs. pro-Cheney. It's certainly interesting that the spin machine started back up, as soon as the first chunk of billions went to Halliburton. (And look who was put in charge of the reconstruction--that old, experienced engineer, with a couple of major demolitions under his belt--Karl Rove!)

Anyway, don't believe anything you read in the war profiteering corporate news monopoly press. You might as well be reading "Mad Magazine" (--and, if you were, you'd be getting a lot more truth.)

[kestrel91316]

51. Heck, your theory sounds as logical as any other. I put NOTHING

past these incredibly evil people.

[KansDem]

62. Hahaha...Rove goes on strike for "better working conditions..."

...and went on strike for 3-4 days...

...like, staying out of prison. That makes sense:

ROVE: Hey, asshole! When Fitzi hands down his indictments, I wanna pardon...

BUSH: I don't know, Turdblossom, that might make me look bad!

ROVE: F*ck you, then! I'm walking...

[Tight_rope]

65. I must correct you on something....

Taking Rove away would "NOT" be like cutting off his arms. Because Rove is “BUSH’S brain”.

Bush is brain dead without Rove. What happen in New Orleans proved that.:spank:

[wtmusic]

2. And again Republicans try to buy their way out of failed policies

I truly wish it was just a matter of money.

[rodeodance]

6. It is true-Bush is buying his way of this incident!!

[wtmusic]

7. It reminds me of the original assault on Fallujah

when after wiping out 30-40% of the village we sent in a truckload of frozen chickens for the residents. Not one was claimed. One Fallujah resident's comment: "We will eat rocks before we eat chickens from the Americans."

We might have learned something from that.

[Mokito]

33. Yes, it is true.

Bush is indeed buying his way out of this incident, with your money!

[TahitiNut]

59. "buy their way out" ... with other people's money.

The Godfather was more trustworthy. Ted Bundy killed fewer people. And Adolph Hitler had a better service record.

[alittlelark]

4. W/ kidney stones R*ve is likely on a strong painkiller that dulls

his Nazi-perfect thought processes.

I now understand why the sh*t has hit the fan!!!


PS - Karl... don't drink any cranberry juice. Keep trying to ferment the Kool-aid.

[jimshoes]

8. Hope he

gets hooked, it'll be good for the planet.

[rodeodance]

9. Not a good story-as it does not tell us what days Rove was down.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. So when Rove is down, The White House folds like a house of cards?

Karl, why don't you do us a big favor and grow some more of those beauties?

[devinsgram]

19. This is proof positive that Bush cannot handle the job.

He is on the puppet being handled by puppetmaster Rove. Finally freepers get to see the real Bush. Cannot govern his way out of a paper bag.

[TheCowsCameHome]

22. He is indeed Bush's brain - Got that yet, Freepers?

[DemInDistress]

11. Who's keeping the books on Katrina's costs..

Any oversight committee's?Will minority firms be sub-contracted? The
gravy train has come to the Gulf Coast for those closely connected to
the Bush Crime Family.That Bacon Bill needs to be restored so thousands of Americans who lost it all can at least bring home the bacon.....

[bluestateguy]

12. This proves what I have said all along

Bush can't shit in his pants without Rove being there to wipe his ass.

[BeyondGeography]

13. "Paralyzed" without his propagandist

Not just Bush, but the entire government? And that's coming from a conservative, folks.

[jimshoes]

14. I'm guessing that

there is no way that kkkarl will be leaving this admin even if he is the leaker in the Plame case. karl is the government.

[Mist]

17. AND everyone was on vacation at the same time--and were

seemingly unwilling to tear themselves away for a crisis. "But who could have anticipated a crisis occurring during vacation?"

[Spazito]

15. This article showcases how truly pathetic bush is, imo

The difference between now and when bush's dependence on rove was pointed out previously is that the American people have witnessed, through the hurricane tragedy, bush's total inability to lead which, up to this point, too many were unaware or unwilling to believe.


The faux emperor, indeed, has no clothes.

[Bumblebee]

16. Good -- that means once Rove is indicted, Bush is totally toast

[existentialist]

18. except that

Bush won't fire him if he is indicted--he might even pardon him.

[calimary]

31. Whaddya mean "might" even pardon him. I think that's a foregone

conclusion. Maybe it's why they're all so smug and so apparently unruffled and unconcerned about it. The fix is in. They know that no matter what kind of indictments come down, they'll all get pardons from dear george, and no one will have to pay for anything.

[never cry wolf]

20. This turns my stomache...

I have, most of us have known all along about the plastic turkey prezident. If ANYONE thinks they needed kkkarl to lend his brilliant disaster relief skills before they reacted then you are beyond hope. The disaster that was promugulated by kkkkarl being mia is the image, because that is what he does, it is all he does. Image over substance 24/7.

It is late and words are failing me but rove's ONLY skill in the situation is political propoganda and crony payback, nothing that would help the people in distress.

goddamnit, so they had to have a protege set up the photo-ops while people were dying........

fuck em all

[Olney Blue]

21. Its all smoke and mirrors by the puppet master, Rove.

"Although many Republicans are horrified by the cost, Rove is determined to revive Bush’s dormant image as a compassionate conservative,"


"image" as a compassionate conservative.....

[wisteria]

23. Kidney stones! Must have been sever , being hospitalized for

three days. As for the White House being out of commission, well that doesn't say much for Bush does it. Bush can't run the White House without Rove and he can't go to the bathroom without Condi's permission.

[dooner]

38. maybe he had a tummy tuck as well...

[Judi Lynn]

24. It it finally comes down to a claim it's Karl who runs things

in the White House, then they should have put Karl on the ballot, not _Bush. For what does anyone need _Bush? Karl should do his work in person, not from behind someone's back.

[verminator]

26. Oct 04: FEMA knew hurricane could flood New Orleans.

OCTOBER 2004:
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/

....Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.

When did this calamity happen? It hasn't—yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City.......

[Skittles]

27. I HOPE THOSE KIDNEY STONES HAD ANTLERS

INDEED I DO

[barb162]

54. with barbed wire at every tip

(that smarts )

[slay]

28. So let me get this straight - President Rove was unavailable?

Republican world = land of crappy, unacceptable excuses. :mad:

[dooner]

29. this explains a lot

I'd been wondering where Rove was in all of this. Rove's job is to control the media, and Bush's image. So why was the media allowed to document the horror without Rove stage managing Bush's immediate response?

I've been thinking Rove was mad with Bush about something related to the Plame Game, and possibly absented himself from the scene as some sort of blackmail. ("Look W/Neocons/Republicans, you are nothing without me...")

But now we learn he was hospitalized had kidney stones. Hmmm. Lots of medical problems cropping up lately. Cheney, Rove.

[0007]

49. I though he was at the ranch.

[Peace Patriot]

58. I'm just as sure as I can be about anything in BushWorld that this story

about Rove being in the hospital is NOT true. Bush was stumbling out there on his own, with his whole gang AWOL, but Rove the most noticeable of all. This went on for days and days--Bush getting caught on camera playing guitar and eating cake, and on and on, while a large chunk of the U.S.A. was getting blown off the map and thousands of Americans were dying. He was obviously without his normal support system, and there was no spin machine. Bush is a talentless, dimwitted puppet with no leadership skills. He is "handled," maybe drugged, and programmed to speak his lines, and his public appearances are highly managed. It was painfully obvious that he was without that support system. I was so amazed at the cake eating photo op that I thought someone was deliberately sabotaging him.

Then--way late--comes this planted story by Rove about kidney stones. When are we going to get savvy about this crap? It is total B.S., which war profiteering corporate news monopoly reporters swallow hook, line and sinker, or are TOLD to swallow hook, line and sinker. Rove plays them like pianos.

And my best guess about it is above--Rove was negotiating his Treasongate pardon and was withholding his services, and letting Bush sink like a stone, until he got what he wanted (promised pardon) and then some (chief dispenser of disaster loot).

The indictments are due out in October. Rove is a known target, and may have been set up by Libby or Cheney (that cock and bull cover story about Rove leaking a CIA operative's name for political revenge). That is the most likely reason for Rove to be going on strike. I think ultimately he may have joined forces with Cheney to blackmail Bush, or they were working similar extortion schemes from opposite ends. They've got the goods on Bush. They can hand him over for public hanging at any time. They are using that power to extort pardons and to do one final "sacking of Rome" in Louisiana.

And that's where Daddy Bush and Clinton came in. I think that's WHY they did that weird photo op standing behind Bush Jr. It's just a guess, but it makes sense. The White House was in meltdown with these venomous internal conflicts during the entire first week of Katrina. Things are settled down now, just a bit. Spin machine back up. Halliburton pocketing billions in the first contract, with no performance requirements, no competition, and profit guaranteed.

The Bush Cartel is about looting. Their faux "conservatism" (what a laugh!) is just window dressing. They are gangsters. And this is what happens when a bunch of gangsters are in trouble with a tough prosecutor. They turn on each other like rattlesnakes--because the only thing that holds them together is greed.

The only difference is that THESE egocentric monsters have their finger on nuclear weapons and command of the entire U.S. military and intelligence establishments--and no qualms about killing large numbers of people to make money.

What was Clinton doing there? I think he may have been genuinely concerned about the stability of the government, and a Cheney coup.

[dooner]

63. Very interesting theory.

I've been leaning that way too until this "hospitalized" story came out. Seems like an odd lie, too easily confirmed, and not really essential?

Can't wait for Fitzgerald's investigation results... we're going to witness some really wild spinning.

[ticapnews]

32. Bush is opening his checkbook?

Now THAT would be news. Of course, what they mean is that Rove encouraged him to open OUR checkbook (or perhaps more accurately, get yet another loan from China)

Interesting comment by Kristol that this is a "thin White House." It makes one wonder where all the bright GOP'ers are who should be working in the White House. But we know they're all in the private sector, raking in government pork. Only suckers would work in a (relatively) low-paying government job when there's a cornucopia of taxpayer-funded business opportunities for well-connected members of the party. Reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon where they realize that "all the smart people quit" and Dilbert, Wally et al were too stupid/complacent to leave. Hmmmm...Andy Card is Dilbert, Rove is Wally, Rummy is Dogbert, Condi is Alice...and George is the pointy-haired-boss...

[LizW]

36. More like OUR line of credit

It's like those creepy commericials about identity theft where the person is talking in another person's voice about all the goodies they bought with someone else's card.

"500 billion dollars to rebuild a city? What do I care? It's not like I'm actually paying for it! (giggle)"

[newspeak]

52. right on-it's our checkbook

Of course they think it's theirs. I would rather my money be spent on the victims in NO, than a bogus venture like Iraq. Face it, these corrupt sociopaths are draining us. You know, I pray every day that there is such a thing as karma.

[KeepItReal]

34. Rove had to be outta action for more than 36 Hours, IMHO

*That's* why Bush & Co. after Katrina hit on Monday screwed around in Arizona and then San Diego before flying back to Crawford (Where they probably linked up with Rove) to spend the night and *then* "cut the vacation short" to fly back to D.C.

He was stalling for time for Rove to get his act together.

Like we say in the consulting biz, "If so-and-so gets hit by a bus, what happens to the business?" Apparently for Bush & Co., Rove being out of commission means the whole government stops. Who died and made Rove King?

[seemslikeadream]

35. 1/05 Flood experts warn Dennis Hastert FEMA to FAIL in FLOOD

BREAKING NEWS:
FLOOD EXPERTS WARNED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DENNIS HASTERT(R)THAT FEMA WOULD FAIL IN FLOOD DISASTER WHILE UNDER DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

I just found a January 2005 smoking gun letter from flood experts known as the Association of State Floodplain Managers written to Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert warning that FEMA had been dangerously weakened by being made part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Other warnings go back to September 2003 and include Congressional subcommittees!

www.floods.org

"Dedicated to reducing flood losses in the nation."

"The Association of State Floodplain Managers is an organization of nearly 7,000
professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National
Flood Insurance Program, flood preparedness, warning and recovery and the multi-objective
management of our nation's floodplains and waterways. ASFPM is a respected
voice in floodplain management practice and policy in the United States. It represents the
flood hazard specialists of local, state and federal government, the private sector, the
research community, the insurance industry, and the professional disciplines of
engineering, planning, hydrologic forecasting, emergency response, water resources, and
others."

www.floods.org/PDF/ASFPM_...inDHS_H...

The letter reminds Hastert(R) that the General Accounting Office had warned that FEMA would be weakened under DHS back in September, 2003.

The letter also reminds Hastert that the House Judiciary Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees had agreed with the importance of FEMA staying independent of DHS to remain effective and recommended FEMA therefore be kept out of DHS.

The ASFPM letter describes exactly how FEMA was dismantled and buried under DHS:

"Since FEMA has become part of the Department of Homeland Security, it has been a
struggle. Funds have been raided, staff have been transferred into other DHS functions
without being replaced, slowdowns because of added layers of bureaucracy for nearly all
functions have dramatically increased, and there is the constant threat of reprogramming
appropriated funds."

"If FEMA is pulled apart, doesn’t have a direct link
to the President, and cannot communicate effectively with Congress, all of the progress
made over the last 15 years could be for naught."

THIS MEANS THAT THE GOP 'LEADERSHIP' IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE LACK OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO STORM KATRINA BECAUSE THEY TOOK APART FEMA AND DIDN'T LISTEN TO WARNINGS OF THE CONSEQUENCES.

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
--------------------------

(full transcript of letter to Dennis Hastert from pdf file at above url)


ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS, INC.
2809 Fish Hatchery Road Madison, Wisconsin 53713
Ph: 608-274-0123
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.floods.org
Email: [e-mail]

Dedicated to reducing flood losses in the nation.

Chair
Chad Berginnis, CFM
Supervisor
Ohio DNR - Division Of Water
1939 Fountain Square, Bldg. E-3
Columbus, OH 43224
614-265-6715
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

Vice Chair
Pam Pogue, CFM
NFIP State Coordinator
Rhode Isl. Emerg Mgmt Agency
645 New London Ave.
Cranston, RI 02920
401-946-9996
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

Secretary
Rhonda Montgomery, CFM
NFIP State Coordinator
Kansas Dept. of Ag.- DWR
109 SW 9 th St., 2 nd Floor
Topeka, KS 66612
785-296-4622
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

Treasurer
William Nechamen, CFM
NFIP State Coordinator
New York State DEC
625 Broadway, 4th Floor
Albany, NY 12233
518-402-8146
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

Executive Director
Larry A. Larson, P.E., CFM
Executive Director
2809 Fish Hatchery Road
Madison, WI 53713
608-274-0123
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]


January 6, 2005
The Honorable Dennis Hastert, Speaker
United States House of Representatives
H 232 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

RE: House Reorganization of Authorizing Committees involving FEMA programs
Dear Mr. Speaker:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is one of the 22 departments and
agencies that were combined to create the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
where the primary mission is to protect the nation against terrorism. The effectiveness of
FEMA's all hazards programs is increasingly threatened with regard to natural disasters.

As you are well aware, the Congress is in the process of reorganizing itself to better
consider homeland security issues. The Department of Homeland Security is now 2 years
old. As the organization of the DHS itself and Congressional reorganization are
considered, the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) urges you to make
sure that natural hazards programs retain their integrity and, therefore, their effectiveness.

The Association of State Floodplain Managers is an organization of nearly 7,000
professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, the National
Flood Insurance Program, flood preparedness, warning and recovery and the multi-objective
management of our nation's floodplains and waterways. ASFPM is a respected
voice in floodplain management practice and policy in the United States. It represents the
flood hazard specialists of local, state and federal government, the private sector, the
research community, the insurance industry, and the professional disciplines of
engineering, planning, hydrologic forecasting, emergency response, water resources, and
others.

FEMA, since its creation, had matured into an organization that became recognized for
effectiveness in carrying out its mission – preparing for, responding to, recovering from,
and mitigating against all hazards. Natural disasters are the most frequent and,
cumulatively, most costly disasters, including terrorist events. FEMA had established a
reputation for nimble responsiveness. This was closely related to the agency's capacity for
flexibility and especially well coordinated, genuine give-and-take partnerships with states
and localities. In addition to supporting responsiveness, these factors also allowed FEMA
to develop well conceived programs promoting hazard mitigation. Such programs sought
to permanently break the cycle, after a disaster event, of damage/rebuild/damage since
much of the recovery and repair costs were borne by taxpayers. After the terrorist attacks
on September 11 th and FEMA’s inclusion into the Department of Homeland Security, this
began to change.

----------------------------------
Page Two

The ASFPM has been concerned from the beginning that inclusion of FEMA in DHS
might not bode well for the progress the nation has made in reducing the nation’s risk to
natural hazards. We fully recognize the need for our national emphasis on terrorism;
however, the effectiveness of natural hazards programs and the all-hazards concept must
not be sacrificed in the process. Due to the sheer number magnitude of impact of natural
disasters, FEMA's work is more heavily focused on these events.

The ASFPM is not the only organization that has these concerns. The General Accounting
Office, in its September 2003 report, said the following:
Moreover, the placement of FEMA within DHS represents a substantially changed
environment in which FEMA will conduct its missions in the future, and missions
that focus on reducing the impacts of natural hazards, such as hazard mitigation
and flood insurance, may receive decreased emphasis. Sustained attention to
these programs will be needed to ensure they maintain or improve their
effectiveness in protecting the nation against, and reducing federal costs
associated with, natural disasters.

It should not be surprising that there is concern about FEMA’s organizational structure or
its loss of focus on a multi-hazard mission – it is merely a continuation of the debate that
began in Congress when DHS was created. The House Judiciary Committee and the
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committees had misgivings about the inclusion
of FEMA in DHS and both recommended that FEMA remain an independent agency to
preserve the traditional mission of FEMA. Also, a Brookings Institution analysis in 2002
raised concern that much of the progress FEMA has made over two decades could be
reversed.

Since FEMA has become part of the Department of Homeland Security, it has been a
struggle. Funds have been raided, staff have been transferred into other DHS functions
without being replaced, slowdowns because of added layers of bureaucracy for nearly all
functions have dramatically increased, and there is the constant threat of reprogramming
appropriated funds. Strongly felt worries about such matters led the ASFPM Board of
Directors, in August 2004, to pass a resolution recognizing FEMA’s accomplishments and
its challenges. The resolution calls for FEMA to be removed from the Department of
Homeland Security and for its ability to report directly to the President to be restored.
The Board, made up of state and local officials, felt strongly that FEMA doesn’t have to
be part of a larger agency to share its expertise and utilize its network of state and local
officials for all hazards management. If FEMA is pulled apart, doesn’t have a direct link
to the President, and cannot communicate effectively with Congress, all of the progress
made over the last 15 years could be for naught.

The Association of State Floodplain Managers recommends that
1) Congressional
reorganization for homeland security reflect attention to the importance of natural disaster
programs and policies and that
2) the Congress undertake an evaluation of the structure of
DHS and FEMA as it affects retention of an effective capacity for natural hazards
response and mitigation programs.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Page Three

Natural disasters impact Americans every single day. In 2004, 35 states had Presidentially
declared disasters – all as a result of natural hazards. Please do not allow the agency that
is in the forefront of dealing with these hazards to be made less effective or pulled apart
altogether. Please make certain that the Congressional structure reflects appropriate
attention to the frequency and the magnitude of impact of natural disasters. If you have
any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact Larry Larson, ASFPM Executive
Director, or myself.

Respectfully,
Chad Berginnis, CFM
Chair

from my friend JohnOneillsMemory

[ticapnews]

40. That's just more hooey from scientists and such...

There's no real way of determining if what they are saying is real. We'll need to study it for a few more years. :sarcasm:

[indepat]

37. W wasn't out of commission for 24 to 36 hours was he? Does government

not function if KKKarl is indisposed?

[ticapnews]

39. Apparently that is the case.

The proof was on our television screens.

The creepy thought I had was that if Karl had been up to speed when the disaster hit lives would have been saved, if only because it would be the politically expedient thing to do. Without Karl around to tell him what to do, Bush fiddled around while New Orleans drowned.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

41. On Tuesday August 30 Karl Rove Was in Crawford Making an Anti-Cindy Visit

Let them claim it was due to his illness, it's bullshit all the same. He was well enough to be in Crawford Texas on Tuesday August 30th 2005 doing an anti-Cindy performance.

CRAWFORD, TX - Driving his own pickup, with two trucks blockading both sides of the street, Bush Administration Senior Political Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove made a surprise sunset visit/photo-op Tuesday night to the half dozen or so Bush supporters camped across the street from "Camp Casey" in Crawford, Texas where Cindy Sheehan -- whose son, Casey, was killed in Iraq -- originally made her stand requesting a meeting and an explanation from George W. Bush, The BRAD BLOG has learned from eye-witnesses.
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001784.htm

People were suffering and dying in New Orleans at this time and he was concerned with what bush's base thought about Camp Casey and their precious war in Iraq. :grr:

[Garbo 2004]

43. Kristol: US fed gov't becomes paralyzed because a white house aide is

unavailable???? While likely true in the case of the Bush Administration, Billy don't you see how incredibly dammning this is?

"It's not a good thing...????" Lessee, the Constitution gave us a Congress and an Executive branch with a President and VP....but hey, Karl's indisposed so it all gets put on hold? Don't you see anything incredibly wrong with your statement??? And the reality???

Of course, you're talking primarily about the political response because that's what paramount not that health and safety, duty to protect the American people crap...that's just for the fools who think that should be the primary role of gov't.

But still....so we should hope if there's a terra attack or another natural disaster Karl will be on hand so the President can be told what to do and what to say, since he clearly can't deal with that Presidential stuff on his own without direct hands on supervision?

Cool, Billy, just what we thought, thanks for confirming it. :sarcasm:

[fearnobush]

44. as I've said since I can remember, Rove is Bush, take out Rove from

the equation and you get a post Katrina, apocalyptic world run by a complete incompetent asshole.

<>

[ChairmanAgnostic]

45. or even with Rove. . . same result, different press coverage.

i agree, though. A man that needs a permission slip to pee, needs a major brain to help him determine which DVDs to choose for last month's news.

[newspeak]

53. lackeys

if Rove and Bush weren't there the "powers that be" would find some other lackeys to prompt. I believe they are just doing their "masters" bidding.

[skooooo]

47. Tweaker probably.

[applegrove]

55. Tornado Karl the Tsar: How tornadoes work.

A tornado starts as a mass of hot air & water in the sky. From above.

It sends down a funnel - usually through a chosen and controlled local leader - and if there is enough hot air there - it may touch the ground and garner support and suck in all the locals.

Beware of tornado season because of the Tsar. Weak and pliable local leaders filled with hot air will be how the storm above tries to connect to the ground.

To fight against tornado Karl - in its many "touchdowns" - demand that the hurricane Tsar deals only with grassroots & established leadership. Following religious, cultural & political leaders who have their feet on the ground and a long history of respect and relations with locals - is the only way to avert tornadoes & touchdown from the Tsar.

Beware of "newly christened leaders". Beware of newly "religious or newly neocon leaders".

Tornado Karl requires indirect rule through local leaders.

FEMA Tornadoes for kids: http://www.fema.gov/kids/tornado.htm warns that tornadoes only touch down from the months of spring through fall. Tornado Karl runs the campaign all year long.

[rocktivity]

56. Rove encouraged Bush to "open HIS checkbook?"

It's OUR checkbook, and we're WAY overdrawn to be able to foot the bill without cancelling the tax cuts or cutting services even more--which is how we got into this situation in the first place! And by the way, what are Rove's qualifications for overseeing the rebuilding effort?

:headbang:
rocknation

[applegrove]

57. Sinking government in bathtub at accelerated speed since they

know now the Karl's "empire" will not be 30 years.

Plus - they will continue to pump up the market with tax cuts & the like - so that the next Dem gets the recession of 2001 and has to govern through it.

They are just putting off the recession with 'one-time' dumps of cash (tax cuts, they tried SS dump, war spending, death tax, etc.) and have been for 4 years.

War is keynsian in that it keep an economy from going into recession like spending on unemployment insurance or schools or infrastructure. Except that you have nothing - nothing domestic to show for it.

So when the Dem does get the presidency - they will then have to spend on schools, infrastructure, etc. And will be so in debt that anything deemed not absolutely necessary will have to be cut.

[JoFerret]

60. This filmstrip explains just why

http://filmstripinternational.com/index.php?asshole

[Supersedeas]

61. Paralyzed with the art of political manipulation