Mayor Ray Nagin's Response to AP Bush/Katrina Tape (Video)

[Penndems]

Link here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2006/03/01/VI2006030102014.html

"Shocked, just shocked."

[complain jane]

1. Why do you think the response was so slow?

Do you think it was part of a scheme to let Louisiana sink and then try and blame Blanco & Nagin afterwards or just sheer incompetence?

My guess is that it was both.

[Penndems]

3. My response would be that the Bush Administration simply

didn't give a damn. If Bush cared, he would've gotten his ass back to The White House pronto, instead of showing up at McCain's birthday party.

The "caring" didn't start until the horrible aftermath of Katrina, when the shit hit the fan - and it blew in their direction.

[JerseygirlCT]

That's my take as well

He simply didn't, doesn't, give a shit.

What president sits on vacation, strumming a guitar while a major city in his country floods?

Can you in your wildest imagination picture Clinton anywhere but in the middle of a bustle of activity, making SURE things were happening that needed to happen?

Bush just doesn't care. What a despicable excuse for a human being.

[Generator]

11. Yes exactly

All he cares about are his cronies. His oil contracts. His idea of remaking the middle east for whatever fucking ends. This is brought to you by the fact that he's not in New Orleans or Mississippi now-no he's in Pakistan and India. Claiming with a straight face that he's going to "get" Bin Laden. What a disgrace. What a sham. They lie about everything and the disgust is so palable by anyone with a a soul that to hear anyone defend this piece of shit excuse for a president is more than we can take.

I've said this so many times-and yes it is somewhat an isolationist view. BUT DAMN it-he's president of America. NOT IRAQ. NOT THE UAE. Who comes first in his eyes? Certainly America comes last. What a traitor.

[raccoon]

38. They hardly bother to conceal their contemptt for the American people. nt

[Higans]

53. Why should they, in't not like they count our votes thanks to Die Bold

<a href="http://www.netfreedomnow.org"><img border="0" alt="Keep your freedom of Internet choice and reasonable Internet cost" title="Keep your freedom of Internet choice and reasonable Internet cost" src=""/></a>

[PurpleChez]

27. Saw a great quote in another DU thread recently (paraphrasing):

"It's not that * hates Black people. That gives him too much credit. Rather, * just hates people."

The increasingly common labeling of our preznint as a psychopath is not unwarranted. As someone pointed out several months ago, the man couldn't fake a sincere emotion if he tried.

And thanks for the kind words about Mr. Clinton. This never would have happened under Bill. If the price of a competent executive is a blowie now and then, I'm for it.

[JerseygirlCT]

34. I'm still completely stunned that

a lie about a blow job was impeachable.

But Iran-Contra was not.

But the myriad offenses of Bushco are not.

There's something that just wrecks one's equilibrium, something that puts the entire universe on tilt, in that.

[PurpleChez]

42. Every day I find myself thinking "if this were Bill Clinton...."

It has almost become a cliche to continuously point out the bizarre double standard used by the RW to vilify Clinton while idolizing Chimpy -- except for the simple fact that the issue has never really been addressed. Let the Thug on the Street blather on about how Chimpy is a godly man -- I want to hear the RW's real thinkers and theoriticians tell me why it was necessary, even crucial, to spend millions of dollars investigating Socks the Cat's christmas card list but Preznint Bumblefuck's five-year murder spree doesn't even warrant looking into.

[aquart]

44. I was always for it.

I thought we should have lined up around the White House taking turns to make sure the job got done.

I considered making it a constitutional requirement that the president have sex in the Oval Office to ensure the well-being of the nation.

But that's me.

[Marthe48]

62. Bush didn't care that 9-11 was going to happen

why would anyone think he'd care about New Orleans, or any other disaster? If it isn't about Bush, it doesn't matter

[RazzleDazzle]

8. Good God, NO, people -- it was intentional from the get go

There were so many types of help actively turned away from all over the nation. Even the Red Cross was prevented from going in to N.O.

At the 11th hour (Friday night at Midnight), the Bush Admin tried to force Blanco and Nagin to relinquish control over the whole situation to the White House, which Blanco and her aides rightfully considered equivalent to declaring martial law and so said no after several hours' deliberation thru the night.

Herea re a few relevent articles and I think the article that describes the strongarm tactics by Bush admin is this one from WP:

**** WP, A01: White House Shifts Blame #
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1750979
(see several posts, incl #20 for FEMA,
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html


A Mole in Gov Blanco's office reports
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4644904

NPR Reports: GW to Blanco "I'll send in the troops if you answer to the WH"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4715924&mesg_id=4715924
and: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4714874&mesg_id=4714874
Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4839666



This is just a small sampling.

[Penndems]

15. Thank you - appreciate the information!

I'm going to bookmark this thread, so that I'll have these links available.

[magellan]

16. Exactly.

I think after Blanco told him no, Bush** assumed the attitude of a petulant child and refused to give the matter another thought...except in how to make her pay by showing her up. You know, "So she thinks she doesn't need us? Fine, then make sure she gets NOTHING." And he used the lives of the citizens of NOLA as pawns in his puerile game of revenge.

I shudder to think what Bush** would have gotten away with in NOLA if Blanco had said yes.

[gimama]

17. THANK YOU!

I recall Gen.HONORE,described Katrina comin' in like You'd plan to fight a war.."1st, You cut the communications.."

This is what I call "PLANNED chaos"..as in Baghdad,when all the looting appeared*poof!* all the artifacts of the OLDEST civilizations disappeared. {Now, if there's w-m-d, are y'gonna let delinquents & starving people go wild?}
I've got saved articles,links & pics of KBR bein' in NewOrleans,before fema or red cross showed up. Blackwater,armed to the teeth, patrolling in NewOrleans..but not near SuperDome, or Conv.Ctr.

In those locations, NO body came to hand out mre's or CLEAN WATER TO DRINK,till THURSDAY..4 days... but we air-dropped water,mre's,med supplies, tents,tarps & blankets in 2 days..to Pakistan Earthquake Survivors. 2 days.

And I will NEVER forgive children & elders evaced to one place,parents sent SOME where else.NO tracking system..but there are several pockets of SURVIVORS, from FLA to TX, who have yet to see a fema or red cross person. I firmly believe there are 10's of 1,000's dead..They are admitting over 2,000 children are missing,which means they are being ACTIVELY searched for;an acquaintance who knows reported that out of 1 Tribe of 15,000 Members, 5,000 MISSING..one community,on tx-LA border.

At the VERY least, it was criminal neglect. I'm thinkin' it was more deliberate,& that is called MURDER. Countless times,volunteers &/or SURVIVORS,too many PEOPLE were there, were turned away or denied access,tooo many times ,tooo many things went wrong,a 'domino effect'that made things exponentially WORSE. TOO MUCH, & too many PEOPLE,to keep the lie going,to excuse Mr.bush &chertoff. One problem, I often think it's so blatent,they don't really care enough to lie about these atrocities.

I thank God & ALL the Saints, for Gen.HONOR`e ~ HE saved the PEOPLE of New Orleans. Put Gen.Honore` in charge o'fema. God BLESS that awesome Soldier.

'over'
;}

[Syncronaut Seven]

19. It would be consistent with their behavior in Iraq and Afghanistan

Why do Americans think they're special. These bastards will kill anybody. Mostly for fun, as far as I can tell.

[Beam Me Up]

21. I said it then, I say it now: Not "incompetence" but POLICY. n/t

[ObaMania]

26. Time for a LIHOP thread! n/t

[calimary]

56. This had nothing to do with terr-ists. Nothing that could be milked for

some sort of "WE'LL keep you safer than the Dems will" self-serving PR purposes.

It was the weather. Shit happens. We've got bigger things to worry about. Nothing here to ring ANYBODY'S alarm bells. Besides, if they went whole-hog to save New Orleans (or heaven forbid that maybe they invest a little, pre-emptively - since they're SO in favor of this pre-emptive strike shit, already - to shore up the levees) they'd probably get reamed by the xtian wrong, for spending any money on "America's Sodom and Gomorrah." Them dayum gays, dontcha know?

It WAS INDEED something about which they didn't give a damn. And since there's such an impressive track record here for paying attention to early warnings and detailed facts and findings, they probably also figured it'd all just blow over. Aaaaahhh, we've been through these things before. Never winds up being as bad as they say. Besides, that's big gubmint. No likey big gubmint. Don't wanna spend all that money on all those lazy, undeserving "welfare queens" there.

I've lost count of how many sentences to eternal damnation these negligent, incompetent, insensitive bastards have earned. ANY ONE of these world-class botch jobs would earn them a ticket. But there are SO MANY... So GRIEVOUSLY many...

[FlaGranny]

61. Sometimes I wonder if * really

just has no idea what is expected of him. I don't doubt that he doesn't care, but you'd think he'd at least try to APPEAR to do something just to make life a little easier for himself, but then, I guess, he'd have to possess foresight for that. Sigh!

[Slit Skirt]

10. I think it was all intentional

how do you explain why they held back supplies?

Cheney refers to the disaster as an "exercise"..........

The things some people say: TOXIC THOUGHTS FROM THE “KATRINA EXERCISE”
http://www.fnewsmagazine.com/2005-oct/politics_2.html

[raccoon]

37. Maybe an "exercise" to see just how much crap the murikan people

would take from the administration?

They'd been taking so much of it since the junta got into power.

[Slit Skirt]

66. exactly my thoughts

need to estimate how much military power they will need when americans finally lose their cool and take it to the streets

[TomChicago]

28. New Orleans response

We already KNOW that they knew about the potential for harm. This is not a regime that gives a damn about science.

[niceypoo]

32. New Orleans voted dem

[tom_paine]

46. No, now the mission to to make Louisiana Bushevik in perpetuity

Mission Accomplished!

Without the large Democratic population that has been scattered to the four winds wqith only a middling perecntage returning, Louisiana will now be a Buishevik enclave on par with Mississippi.

Now, wasn't that worth 4,300 dead "fodder units" (as Jeb calls American Citizens when he thinks no one is listening) and a couple billion in damages (mostly to the fodder units' property)? 3,200 of those dead are still listed as missing so the Busheviks don;t have to acknowledge how horrific the death toll was (greater than 9/11)

Oh, and did I mention all the Busheviks got rich off skimming recovery monies?

[Norquist Nemesis]

47. Faith-based incompetence

At every turn, Bush simply refuses to go beyond a certain point and demand contingency plans. He fails to ask questions and simply has "faith" everything's going to be juuuusssstttt fiiiiinnnnne.

The Don't Worry, Be Happy Syndrome

[spanone]

64. Amazingly though, he got back to town on the Terry Schiavo vote.

This entire administration is a SHAM. Fake. Phony. Commerce is ALL that matters. The people can go fuck themselves.

[central scrutinizer]

2. But they don't get to the blatant LIE issue

Despite this briefing, Bushco said a few days later that "no one could have imagine that the levees would breach" That was a bald-faced, conscious LIE to excuse their inaction. If we have learned anything, it is that even if the scandal is bad, the attempted coverup is what really gets the attention.

[Penndems]

4. You're right, but in this particular instance it wasn't just the cover-up

It was also the response to the death and devastation left in Katrina's wake.

It was not only horrifying, but absolutely frightening that our government was so callous, so inept and so preoccupied with self-preservation that thousands of people died, and many more have been homeless and ignored six months after the hurricane hit.

[PassingFair]

5. Let's ask Kanye West what he thinks of the video.

Wonder what HIS take on it will be?

Seriously, WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE to
flood these crooks outta the
White House?

[donco6]

12. You ever watch "Drawn Together"?

When this situation arises, they have this hyper-exagerrated "DUUUUUH" thing they do.

I think his response would be like that.

[Cha]

14. A tsumani of

people?

[VolcanoJen]

25. What's it going to take to run him out of town?

A blowjob, apparently.

Just when you think the truth can't get harsher, it somehow does, doesn't it?

I want the 34% who still dig this guy to stand up and tell me why.

[raccoon]

39. Me too! What happens, most of the time, is they just start attacking

Clinton. They can't defend THEIR fearless leader, so they attack Clinton. Who as we know hasn't been prez for the past 5 years.

[VolcanoJen]

48. God, that is so true

Right after Cheney shot the old rich guy in the face, we were laughing about it at work and wondering how drunk he must have been to wait 22 hours to tell anyone, and our shrillest, wingnuttiest coworker came screaming at us like a mad banshee woman...

"HOW LONG DID IT TAKE CLINTON TO ADMIT TO THAT BLOWJOB!!?????"

We all just kind of looked at her like, "Wha....?" and then we burst into spontaneous laughter. :-)

[raccoon]

51. Wish I could've seen it. nt

[Catrina]

65. *rotfl* ~ comical!! ~ Would love to have witnessed that in real life

I see it on internet boards all the time, and in emails from wingnut acquaintances, but have yet to see it in real life!

Oh, wait, I got a ride a while ago from a friend when my car was in for repairs. I had NEVER discussed politics with her (she loves animals and that's all we ever talk about). She must have assumed I would agree with her politics, for some reason.

Out of the blue she asked me if I had seen the CNN video of Cheney with the X on his face. I said 'no' but had read about it and that apparently it was a mistake. She went wild 'mistake my foot (probably her Republican foot, as freepers call them) it was DELIBERATE!' she yelled! 'Oh, okay, maybe so', I replied deciding to let it go (and actually hoping it WAS deliberate'). :rofl:

She then brought up Chappaquidick and how Ted Kennedy had gotten away with murder. I replied that it was an accident!! Then I reminded her that Laura Bush had also killed someone, but that that too was an accident.

I've been friends with her for about ten years, but after I mentioned Laura's little accident she yelled: 'if you are going to do this, I will ask you to get out of the car!!' I was totally taken aback by the anger of someone who is normally very calm. Also by the fact that while she could bring up all these things, apparently I could not!

It really was disturbing to see such anger and I simply said I didn't mind walking, as it was a beautiful day. She replied that as long as I didn't 'attack Laura' all would be well ~ there was no point in saying 'okay, as long as you don't 'attack Teddy' all will be fine'. She couldn't have taken it ~

I don't know what is the cause of this anger and blindness and refusal to listen to an opinion, or even a fact, that contradicts their pre-conceived ideas of reality ~ I haven't seen her since. I like free speech and have no real interest in having mine restricted ~ I hope she will one day get help for this affliction, whatever it is.

[Roland99]

31. Thank you!!! That was my first thought, too! The multitude of LIES!!

[underpants]

43. It's not a lie its just that W is a figurehead he just sat thru 5 minutes

said ""go get em boys" and then went back to whatever it is that he does.

[tridim]

6. I'm shocked that Nagin is still "shocked" that Bush is a liar

I don't think most of us were shocked to find out that Bush lied yet again.

[Penndems]

9. Because Mayor Nagin, like quite a few folks in this great country,

don't realize that the Bush Administration hires loyal sycophants who can be very convincing liars.

[Massachusetts]

7. "Shocked, just shocked."

Little W is just like Grandaddy Prescott Bush...Just FUCK America as much as you can and RAKE in the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

WHEN WILL A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF AMERICANS DEMAND THAT THESE ASS HOLES BE IMPEACHED AND INDICTED????

[OKNancy]

13. AP news story: New Orleans mayor expresses "sinking feeling"

http://www.cbs47.tv/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=300458FC-2B19-493C-8CB4-062446109B48

New Orleans mayor expresses "sinking feeling" about Katrina video
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says he has a "sinking feeling" after seeing video of President Bush and key administration officials being warned of the catastrophic damage Hurricane Katrina could produce.

The videotape, obtained by The Associated Press, shows Bush and top officials were warned that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers.

Nagin, who watched the tape on a reporters' camera, recalled that federal officials blamed a "learning curve" for their slow response. But Nagin says the officials were apparently "fully aware."

[gimama]

18. Do we dust off those old photos,links & articles

like the San Antonio express reports on several 1,000 MEXICAN ARMY TROOPS in San Antonio,to fix 1,000's of meals for evaced Survivors?
(apparently no US Army cooks in Mr.bush's Military.) and 300 MEXICAN ARMY TROOPS on the ground in Mississippi, doing recovery work.
Bless the Mexican PEOPLE for their generosity, & doing what OUR agencies couldn't..but why weren't the National Guard doing these things..? oh,yeah.
And it sure seems freaky to me to have foreign Troops in AMERICAN cities.
Yes, I think I'll get some of that out.

[Swamp Rat]

20. "Why was the response so slow?"

Down here in New Orleans we ALL wanna know! :mad:

[Disturbed]

22. Depraved Indifference.

A felony with up to 25 year prison term.

[Swamp Rat]

23. ... too light a sentence

My stance against the death penalty has been challenged to the extreme.

[A Simple Game]

33. My stance on the death penalty hasn't changed one bit.

These people need to be put on trial, convicted, and put on display. They should be placed in a glass trailer and towed from town to town. Public encouraged to view the murderers, mandatory for all local politicians and high school ethics and government classes.

[Swamp Rat]

49. Good for you.

I do not feel so magnanimous these days.

You are not from New Orleans are you? If you saw your pets, friends and neighbors die, you might feel differently.

[A Simple Game]

52. I know what you mean, the closer something hits to home

the worse it is.

I wish the best for Louisiana and New Orleans.

[Marie26]

41. there still doesn't seem to be an answer

In spite of all this new evidence, I still don't understand the answers to some simple questions: Why didn't anyone call for buses at the Superdome? Why didn't FEMA get people out (or at least supplies in) to the Convention Center? Why didn't they have supplies & troops pre-positioned to quickly enter & help people? Why did Brown call off rescue efforts in NOLA? Even w/all the hearings & interviews, it still doesn't seem like anyone has answered these questions.

[MadMaddie]

55. Actually there were transportation options FEMA turned them away

FEMA said that busses were on the way...they lied
Amtrak was moving their trains to higher ground and offerred to take citizens out of NO and FEMA said no....
FEMA turned away a lot of transporation options.....

As far as I am concerned it's criminal negligence that attributed to many if not most of the deaths and suffering....they must be prosecuted!!

[planetc]

57. Dear Swamp Rat;

The reason the response was so slow was that the administration is extremely competent at what they are really doing, which usually has little to do with what they say they're doing. In the case of New Orleans, it was the opposite of what they said they were doing. The reason the response was not just slow, but criminally murderous, is that New Orleans is a hotbed of Democratic voters. Obviously, the hurricane itself and its aftermath of stranded people was a good chance to just kill some of them off. The administration also wanted to try out declaring martial law, a move the governor rejected. The slower FEMA moved, the more people would die--hence FEMA keeping the Red Cross out of the Super Dome and the other location for survivors, and cutting police communications in, I believe, St. Bernard's Parish, and turning away the Florida air boat club who could have rescued trapped people--the more of this sort of criminal obstruction of rescue efforts they did, the more people would simply die. Doubtless the survivors would learn too, about how much help they could expect in the aftermath of the next hurricane, and think twice about rebuilding or resettling in New Orleans. I'm convinced that racism was secondary to the objective of simply clearing out a large collection of Democratic voters. You'll remember the Texas redistricting scheme, and how much they risked to secure four more congressional districts for Republicans. More than one New Orleans survivor's tale that I have read reports that they felt the government wanted them to die. I think they are right on the money. Mayor Nagin didn't; Gov. Blanco didn't; but the federal government did.

And as soon as we get the vote back, we are going to call in some Dutch engineers to build NO the same kind of protection from the sea that The Netherlands has, and hire local labor to rebuild the city, and ...well, that's what I would like to do, but it will take some time. In the meantime, all New Orlineans (sp?) should have an escape route ready to go for the next hurricane.

[Swamp Rat]

58. Well, I was speaking rhetorically, but I agree with everything you said...

with a little ethnocide/genocide sprinkled on top.

[aaronbees]

24. Criminal negligence is still...

criminal.

[rocktivity]

29. I thought the Super Dome as "shelter of last resort" was Nagin's idea.

Of course, if FEMA had sat down with Nagin, Blanco, and Landrieau when Bush pulled the funding on the shoring up of the levees, it COULD have been blamed on him!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Media_Lies_Daily]

30. The Super Dome has been a "shelter of last resort" for....

...New Orleans for quite some time, long before Nagin took office as mayor.

[VP505]

35. Whats that

I keep hearing, could that be an approval rating hitting the floor???

[misscoko34]

36. people just dont want to hear the truth about PapaChimp

This is true. I have argued with countless of chimpzens about this mans policy or lack thereof and they always say that a majority of americans dont agree with me. These types of chimpzens refuse to fault their guy even if the truth was painted on their assess. Some of these chimpzens know PapaChimp is a liar and thief and they still back him!

[The Wielding Truth]

54. Doesn't it remind you of an abusive relationship? The abuser smacks

around a spouse or loved one then comes up with some little lame explanation and is forgiven and taken back.
He's not even a bit competent. He is supposed to work for us not just the RW or the Corporations,but all of us. Darn, I hate this cycle of avoiding reality of the deaths and suffering of the failure to run the problems of our democracy. Fire the Republican administration. Let's get back to a smartly run Dem administration,even if it's not perfect it's not even closely as bad as this abusive folly.

[sellitman]

40. All Katrina was to * was a "redistricting plan for African Americans"

All junior was doing was following Delay's lead.

[savemefromdumbya]

45. Bush has failed the people

[Lena inRI]

50. Because Bushco=white racist backlash. . .

neglecting New Orleaneans was revenge of the deep-rooted bigoted white subculture that comes from as far back as the early Jim Crow Reconstruction era (1867-77) trying to avenge their world-view that losing the Civil War was the "nig*. .'s " fault:

All interconnected: Ku Klux Klan. . . Jim Crow and de facto segregation law. . .murdering JFK-MLK-RFK-Malcolm X. . . .Wallace American Party. . .Reagan Republicans. . .Bushco and his phony bubba-Texan PR image.

And Condi Rice/Colin Powell are just token blacks paid handsomely for their cooperation. Both a sneaky diversion orchestrated by Mr. Bubba Rove.

It's all been a pitch (Bush 2000/2004) to the white racist electorate that lost to the liberal policies for minorities since 1877.

Now "Aye-rabs" have been added to the bubba bigots' scapegoats.

The current 34% approvers of B* are like their white bigoted predecessors of the Civil War. . .pure race-hate.

Our federal equity principles/laws are the only defense against these radical sickos.

Pray for the success of Fitzgerald prosecution and a Katrina legal commission.

Amen.

:rant:

[hedgehog]

59. And you thought that Dilbert was fictional

it's a documentary.

I've been in that situation myself watching people who absolutely believe that up is down and that 2 gallons will go into a 1 gallon jug if that's what they need the facts to be. If you try to tel them otherwise you become the whistle blower/trouble maker and are kicked to the door.

Truth to tell, I suspect that Mayor Nagin and his police chief weren't really prepared for the hurricane themselves, but they certainly didn't get the outside help they needed!

[BlakeB]

60. Nagin wasn't prepared.

Neither was Gov. Blanco. Neither was Bush or any part of the federal government. What we have here are a whole bunch of politicians trying to play a game of PR and not really doing their job. I've met Gov. Blanco, she's a great lady, but she didn't do her job as well as she should have. And... well I don't even need to say what Bush and FEMA did wrong, it is more than blatantly obvious.

That said, I'm supporting Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu for NOLA mayor and hopefully John Breaux for Gov.

[hedgehog]

63. Finally - someone willing to admit that no one was ready!

Although Bush is the most guilty - he took a working system and tore it to pieces. There is such a thing as a functional bureaucracy, but it takes work to build one and keep it running smoothly.