Chertoff trying to cover Bu$h's ass on CNN now. LIVE.

[CottonBear]

God I hate these people. He's trying to explain why there is no help yet.

He says "...first priority is to save people." My God.

WHY AREN'T THE FEDS SAVING PEOPLE THEN? Please send help now!

[XanaDUer]

1. Watching here.

There is no low they will not meet, no lie they will not tell.

HAD ENUF FREEKTARDS??!!!

[Lindsay]

2. Well, Mr. Chertoff is doing his job then.

It's all about the butt coverage.

Shoot, if we could only harness all the spin coming out of the maladministration, we'd have had enough energy to solve the whole problem by now.

[BlueStateGirl]

3. Soledad actually called him on a couple of things. She told him

people have been writing about the flooding a levee breech would cause for years.

And that after a hurricane we should expect communication problems. And thatthey should have accounted for that.

[SW FL Dem]

4. and Soledad O'Brien isn't letting

him off easily. I am amazed!

[XanaDUer]

8. He got snippy with her

too. Saying 'let me answer.'

[merbex]

11. Good to hear, if I were allowed to ask a question it would be

"What is the point of having weather satellites able to predict a coming catastrophe if that 3 day lead time is squandered? What exactly was done the minute the National Weather service used the term Category 5 in relation to this storm? What did YOU personally doas Secretary of Homeland Security? "

[Don Claybrook]

5. So what's his excuse?

I'm sure that all of the citizens of the Gulf Coast will be very interested in hearing (yet again) why none of this is Bush's fault.

I never knew that an entire presidency could be based on nothing but blame shifting and refusal to accept responsibility for anything, ever. But here they are in all their glory.

[mrbill]

6. this Chertoff clown is homeland security boss????

wow, a total incompetent in charge.

[Maccagirl]

14. He only got the job because of his service

to the BFEE and especially his work re: sniffing Clinton's crotch. He's ugly inside and out.

[Vinca]

7. Is the medal ceremony scheduled yet? nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. Hey, give the guy a break

he hasn't even had a chance to set up his task force to figure out what to do. These things take time you know.

:sarcasm:

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Chertoff & Jerkoff - There's a great pair.

Unreal.

[Birthmark]

12. It sounds to me like they are making pre-emptive excuses.

I believe that many, many people will die today - and they know it. They want to cover their asses now. Of course, the "looters" will get the blame.

[kodi]

16. they're deathly afraid american popular opinion will solidify against bush

it is obvious how afraid they are that all this on tv and the information that is getting out will turn the american people against bush for his incompetence and they are trying to control the consensus on where the fault lies.

once again ideology trumps reality.

the press is pissed off at the excuses too. every time a republican comes on the press reporters are incredulous at their remarks, while the democrats speaking actually get it and are dealing with the situation instead of playing cover your ass.

it is amazing to hear the differences between the two parties. democrats are saying, "this is bad, we are here to do our best" the republicans are saying " hey, we didn't know it would be this bad, no one thought... fill in the blank"

same excuses as condi rice and planes flying in to the WTC

[HamdenRice]

13. Tell me that p.o.s. didn't say what I think he said!

I thought he said something like: state and local officials called for a mandatory evacuation. Some people did not follow that order. That was a bad decision.

Doesn't he know that the vast majority of people who stayed did so because they had no way of getting out?!?!? And that was the government's responsibility -- to evacuate both the well off and the poor.

He is such a piece of insensitive ignorant shit. He's supposed to be in charge of homeland security, and he doesn't know that some people don't own cars in the event of an emergency.

I have no words for how angry I am right now.

[Skwmom]

15. He said people "chose" to stay.

Many did not have a choice.