Lott Diverts Hospital Ship from N.Orleans to Miss.- Last Minute Change

[JPZenger]

Sen. Lott of Miss. steps in to divert hospital ship.
Philadelphia Inquirer Sept. 9, 2005

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/12606840.htm
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"ABOARD THE USNS COMFORT - Most of this hospital ship's crew bunked down Thursday night thinking they were headed for New Orleans. They didn't know that Trent Lott had other thoughts. As the ship approached the mouth of the Mississippi River, it was turned around. Yesterday afternoon, the crew docked at Pascagoula, in the Republican senator's home state of Mississippi, waiting to receive victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The former Senate majority leader had pressed leaders of the relief effort late Thursday night to have the ship go to his state, saying three naval vessels were already in New Orleans and able to meet its medical needs now that so many people had been evacuated.

Susan Irby, Lott's communications director, defended the move. "All of our hospitals have been destroyed or damaged," she said. "Our folks in Mississippi are coming back in" to their homes. Capt. Thomas A. Allingham, commander of the ship's medical units,... said he had "sent messages up and down the line trying to get clarity on our mission here."

[Cassandra]

1. I don't see a problem with this.

They weren't sent in when they were needed in NO, so I don't see why they can't be diverted now that they are less needed in Louisiana. Mississippi is a serious mess.

[Autumn Colors]

3. Yeah, I agree

I have a friend who's up near Hattiesburg and even that far inland, it's still pretty bad. I don't blame him -- they got the shaft from the * admin, too.

[randr]

2. Good for T Lott

One more example of a leader having to step up and take control from FEMA.

[uppityperson]

4. Good, get help where it is needed elsewhere

New Orleans is not the only place impacted. Good to get help to Missippi (is that MS, MI, MP, ?)

[Geoff R. Casavant]

5. It is refreshing

I had fearfully expected at least one person to post a knee-jerk response to the effect that anything with Lott behind it was evil. I should have known better. Credit where credit is due all around.

[Hekate]

6. Haley Barbor boasted on tv about his "personal friendship" with *

He and Lott were speaking of getting Federal $$$ to Mississippi for disaster relief -- seemed to be implying that would have something to do with the speed with which it would get there. Hm.

Hekate

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