Do we need a major military rescue effort in MS and LA ?

[kentuck]

With new reports of waters rising and people stranded in the ceilings and rafters of their homes, just how serious is this?? Shouldn't our President be flying over the area today, rather than out in San Diego? Just a thought...

[The Magistrate]

1. It Does Sound Like It, Sir

Though it would surprise me if there were military assets available to carry such a thing out today....

[kentuck]

5. Yes. It's possible they could be somewhere else...

with all their helicopters and rescue vehicles that could be used here... A lesson too late for the learning.

[GumboYaYa]

31. The assets are close by at Barksdale in Shreveport.

Helicopters would not even need to stop for fuel to get to NO. If they let people die with all of those assets sitting at Barksdale, it will be a dark day for our country.

Helping these people will be easy if they just do it.

[bryant69]

2. What exactly is President Bush going to do in New Orleans?

At any rate, I'm sure he'll tour the area soon enough.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[kentuck]

9. He could survey the damage and make a decision...

whether or not people are dying from lack of rescue equipment, military assistance, more National Guards from other states, etc... and stop eating cake...

[bryant69]

13. I hate Bush

I just want to make that clear before I say anything.

But I also know that if President Bush was there right now we'd be complaining about how he was trying to cash in on a tragedy to deflect attention away from other problems.

Bryant

[kentuck]

14. No matter...

He shouldn't be concerned about what we say or complain about. He should be where he should be and, for once, not worry about how it will look politically one way or another. It seems to me the leader should at least look at the damage, which I'm sure he will in the next few days. But, people are dying and need help which only the President can offer, with military assistance etc. It seems to me.

[bryant69]

32. Fair point

I wonder how many governors Karl ROve is calling up and saying, in effect, "you damn well better not even hint that you don't have the men to do the job!"

Bryant

[joanne]

10. He cant do anything

but attending fundraisers under these conditions is reprehensible.

[cascadiance]

16. Someone should ask him if he's afraid of tough women...

Cindy, KATRINA, Sibel, Valerie, Indira, Bunnatine, etc. etc.

Instead he stays in hiding... He's worse than Saddam hiding in a cellar!

Watching local news coverage this morning where all they were showing was short clips of the minutia of counter demonstrators to his speech instead of the *real* demonstration and glorifying his speeches made me ill. When are we going to have a "news" media instead of a collective propaganda relations (PR) campaign that we see every day on MSM?

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Unless he announces a change of plans and declares

that everything raised at these fundraisers will be donated to flood relief.

Like that's ever going to happen.

[Horse with no Name]

18. You know what he could do?

He could act fucking Presidential and not be out partying while bodies of our citizens are floating down the fucking street.

I don't give a shit if he is staged at the WH to LOOK busy and to LOOK like he cares...but eating cake is totally inappropriate.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Nothing, he needs to cancel his vacation

and go back to DC to coordinate the response and lead this country. That is his fucking job, isn't it?

[ohio_liberal]

3. Yes, absolutely

The areas affected obviously need amphibious vehicles/flat bottomed boats/helicopters and all the manpower to be had.

[bottomofthehill]

4. Call out the National Guard

Oops, oh shit they are in Iraq so they are not able to help.

Maybe some good will come out of this terrible hurricane after all, maybe the Commander and Chimp will bring home some troops to help in the war on hurricanes.

[jsamuel]

6. yes NOW

[Bridget Burke]

7. Most of our military are busy elsewhere.

But rescue efforts are urgently needed. Surely, the Federal government should help. This is beyond the food & shelter usually supplied after a disaster.

The President should not waste resources by making an "apperance." But he should at least be in DC looking busy.

[lonestarnot]

8. Do we all need to fly there with axes to get these people out?

For shit sakes! Get them out!

[madokie]

11. Its probably better he stay the fuck away.

I think the last thing they need down there is for him to come and throw a wrench into the works. I mean he makes such good decisions and all. But you are right a real president would have had a handle on this long before today. Just another example of his failed presidency.

[PA Democrat]

12. And why hasn't the "liberal" media covered the fact that there are

thousands of National Guardsmen in Iraq along with their equipment, which is hampering the rescue efforts? Why is this not newsworthy?

[Princess Turandot]

15. I think they need rescue squads that know what they are doing..

a california group is en route which is experienced in looking for people stranded in floods, keeping aware of power lines & other risks in the water etc. I also heard the Coast Guard is coming into the NOLA area.

They might need a reserve presence for some things & obviously Bush should already be on his way there, but I'm not sure if every national guard unit or even military unit can pluck people off of roof tops with helicopters.

[Bridget Burke]

24. A Texas team was sent...

In College Station, the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management approved the deployment of a 35-member water rescue team from Texas Task Force 1 to Baton Rouge, La. Texas Task Force 1's 70-member urban search and rescue team left Shreveport, La., at noon Monday, heading for Baton Rouge where it will be under the direction of FEMA.

Texas Task Force 1 is a part of the Texas Engineering Extension Service, part of the Texas A&M University System.

Other aid efforts, from several states, are mentioned here:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3330581

(May need free registration--or use Bugmenot.)

[rateyes]

17. You know, * declared it a disaster area..

before the hurricane struck--sounds like he knew how bad it was going to be---somebody help me here, please--why couldn't the military have gone in there with military transports and gotten all those people out BEFORE the hurricane hit? Seems to me it would have been easier to get them then, rather than now.

[AlGore-08.com]

34. Because the mayor and other officials (I think FEMA, I'm not sure)

Looked at all the possibilities and decided that opening the Superdome was a better option. The fact that the Superdome is still standing, and nobody died inside it, suggests it was at least a good decision.

[Junkdrawer]

20. Fix the levees and pump the water or thousands more will die...

and this time it won't be a "natural" disaster.

[bluedog]

21. bush did hand out ICE in Fl

but that was an election year...............


you know what he can do......the base hes going to to RAH RAH his war..these men and women are just sitting there.......they can be sent in to help in these S states......they may not be the guard and it may not be their "duty"......but the Guard is doing a job in Iraq that is not their duty......the guard was forced to go to kill in Iraq.....and the Guard is meant to be helping in situations like this.I wrote to CNN and MSNBC,,,to suggest that bush mobilize these "photo-op" troops.

[Jacobin]

22. Yes. Clearly

Since the head of this administration is a fucking idiot, the administration is paralyzed and without a brain.

Besides which fact, the resources that always deal with problems such as this are all in IraqNam force feeding 'democracy'(sic) to the Middle East.....or is it going to be a fundamentalist Islamic state.

[CitrusLib]

25. This is one instance where Bush needs to remain out of the way

Seriously. I despise the man as much as the next DUer, but trust me. He would only be in the way and any security needed for a visit would pull away much needed resources who could be doing far more good elsewhere.

Granted the prick should be working, just not in LA, MS or AL right now.

[cascadiance]

27. Perhaps not get in the way of those dealing with the problem!

But he should at least show that coordinating and getting other governmental agencies working on this disaster is a priority of his. Cancelling his trip and returning to Washington at a minimum is a must! We're talking about the worst disaster that the Red Cross has had to deal with in its history! Don't we feel that that requires some federal help as well?

[CitrusLib]

33. Oh, absolutely!

As a matter of fact, I'm rather pissed Federal agencies weren't used more PRIOR to the hurricane hitting. There were plenty of people who couldn't evacuate because they either couldn't afford it, didn't have transportation or didn't have anywhere to go. We had plenty of warning and time. Buses should have been chartered to take EVERYONE out of the low lying regions who wished to go but couldn't. I think more could have been done and Bush could have provided more leadership 48 hours ago.

Yet again, it boggles my mind that people saw him as having better 'leadership' qualities than Kerry. What were they smoking????

[Strelnikov_]

26. Yes. Think Of What LCAC's Could Do In Moving In Heavy Equipment

and supplies to areas cut off due to destruction of roads and bridges.

[seabeyond]

28. how about coast guard,...... bring all rescue in. NOW n/t

[AlGore-08.com]

35. F.Y.I. The Coast Guard was moved into place before the hurricane

As was FEMA, and they went in the moment it was safe to move in after the storm. There are already search and rescue teams from other areas (like CA) who are helping to find and rescue folks stranded in flood.

[seabeyond]

36. cool, thanks for the info

i know......they are working their butts off. i see threads talking 80's underwater. then i have to realize...... that maybe i am not seeing it right. i have just spent 24 hours in awe of the construction of this citty. visually water above on three sides. someone had a really cool graphic. i hear levee breached, water coming in, i see damn busting.

i know their priority. they sit in disaster.

[Ilsa]

29. CNN just reported that Rummy has authorized a joint military/NG

task force to handle rescue/recovery/rebuilding in affected areas. A general will take charge.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4506957&mesg_id=4506957

[AlGore-08.com]

30. CNN reports that the Pentagon has recommended a 3 star general coordinate

The entire military response for all the effected states. The military are already working as part of the rescue efforts. It is Rumsfeld who has to approve or deny the request, F.Y.I.