The word from Landreau's office (202-224-5824):

[speedoo]

I asked why she is praising the president.

"She's trying to remain positive and save lives."

I said she could do a better job of saving lives if she demanded the resignation of the incompetent FEMA Director.

"If she thought she could make that happen by saying that on TV, she would do it."

I said, so in other words, when she praises the president on TV she's lying?

"Sir, she's just trying to save lives."

I said she can save lives by praising the efforts of those who are there on site actually saving lives, not by praising the worst president in the history of this country.

"Thankyou sir, I will pass that along to the Senator."

I got the impression they are getting a lot of negative feedback.

Pour it on.

[Eloriel]

1. Listen -- please don't pour it on -- here's why

she no doubt feels she HAS to suck up to him or LOSE more lives from more inaction.

YOU know how Bush is -- he's vindictive as all get out. We've got FEMA and Dept of Homeland Security heads already blaming the victims. I have a very strong sense that Landrieu feels that if she's the LEAST BIT CRITICAL of Bush, there'll be even more hell to pay.

I believe the staff person when she said the Senator is trying to save lives.

Now, whether or not her strategy is a good one is a whole 'nother matter. But I DO believe she's doing what she feels is absolutely essential to do.

PLEASE leave the Senator's office alone. I'm sure they're absolutely swamped. PLEASE.

Instead, call other Congresspeople and beg for them to see to it that WATER gets to the people on the streets. They've not dropped any water and there's no excuse for that.

[pimpbot]

how the fuck does that logic work?

What? If we critize him on tv he wont send aid and help? He aint doing that now!!!!!! Shes got her head up his ass, and still nothin. What a crock.

[Eloriel]

5. I was editing to expand on my thought as you posted -- please see

my expanded response, in which I basically agreed with you, but still -- while I'm not Landrieu fan, and I'm DEFINITELY no DLC fan (and yes she is), I feel VERY STRONGLY that she IS doing what she thinks is best, and really doesn't deserve a lot of hassle right now. She's not going to be more successful either way, I basically agree with you, but why further annoy the 800# cranky gorilla with an attitude to start with AT A TIME LIKE THIS?

[DebJ]

8. what she thinks is best is voting and acting Republican: no

compassion. She sounded like an automaton. I've heard electronic recordings for telephone bill paying services that sounded more human.

[eleny]

25. Eloriel, I understand what you're saying

But at some point ML has to ask herself what the hell it's going to take. She's voted along with W time and time again. To what end? Now that her state needs the Fed and its power, they're not prepared to go the distance. I wouldn't be surprised if the right wing tried to use this tragedy against her in the next election.

I guess that at some point, she needs to read the writing on the wall and stand up for what's right. The ass kissing isn't working no matter how sweet the lips.

I'm just beside myself. Anderson Cooper tells her he's seen a body being eaten by rats and she still remained calm. I see the new facial tics in her face. She knows the score. And she could be leading a charge here instead of being the nice girl she was rasied to be. Look at what Cindy Sheehan accompished because she was brave enough to tell the simple truth.

:cry:

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. So bush isn't a vindictive little shithead, who doesn't like to get

even with those who don't agree with him, who try to undermine his authority or shine light on his incompetence? I think the Sen. knows what she is up against and what she needs to do the help save lives.

[Pallas180]

38. That's possible. I 've thought of that - its the only explanation

otherwise its unfathomable

[SaveAmerica]

56. Please Guys, don't call the number, don't add to the confusion...

[Mass]

9. One of the best posts I have seen in a while.

[Jacobin]

10. I agree.

Why aren't people calling Vitter's office...he's the repub senator from LA

[AgadorSparticus]

54. they should call his office too. but i didn't see vitters out there

sympathetic to the nonaction going on like Landreau was. ANY politician saying that crap right now will get the same reaction from me.

[Piperay]

35. I agree with you

completely!

[Beelzebud]

39. Yeah lets just roll over AGAIN. ENOUGH. IT"S TIME TO DEMAND

ACTION.

[LittleClarkie]

44. That's sick, but make perfect "Bush sense". He is a small man

and even in the middle of a crisis, he would think nothing of being a petty bastard.

And she's a Dem. And so is New Orleans. That's almost enough for Bush.

[Malikshah]

47. Now is the time for all good people to stand up and speak truth to power

those who don't can go screw themselves

Yeah, I'm looking at you Senator

[samsingh]

62. appeasement or decency does not work with repugs

thousands of Americans have died because of repug lies and incompetance.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. bull. she was elected TO DO A JOB.

suck up works in kindergarden, not in the US Senate.
YES SWAMP THEM. Tell them to do their jobs. DO NOT leave her office alone. she has been pathetic. if not worse.

She, by her very negligence, is causing the deaths of her own citizens.

[scottxyz]

53. If I were Landrieu

I'd commandeer a helicopter, get a bullhorn/megaphone to say "WE'RE HERE TO HELP" and throw down bags of water and sandwiches to the people stranded above the water. She'd be a hero.

This kowtowing to the Republicans has gotten ridiculous now. If Republicans are trying to KILL your constituents via starvation and dehydration, are you supposed to shut up?!?!?

I don't give a fuck if Bush has closed the airspace over NOLA. For him to do that constitutes MURDER. Someone needs to airdrop in water and food to the survivors. Anyone who is preventing that is guilty of murder.

[Tomee450]

63. I usually agree with you

but can't this time. Mary Landrieu made me sick with her constant praising of Bush. She did not have to criticize but just say nothing that would lead people to believe that he is doing his best in this situation. Clearly he is not. I am disgusted at Bill Clinton too, who today, provided cover for the failures of the administration.

[deadparrot]

2. Save lives by propping up the idiot responsible for the travesty.

That's some logic.

[xray s]

3. She's been playing ball with BushCo for years

What did it get Louisiana? Did it get the levee projects funded? Help in this time of disaster?

This is a lesson in DLC politics at work.

[AgadorSparticus]

that's FANTASTIC!! thanks for posting the phone #.

[Mass]

7. Yes, that way, many people who need info about LA will not be able to get

it.

Sorry some DUers are the most callous people I have seen.

[AgadorSparticus]

57. There are many ways to get information.

And quite frankly, the only people calling her office to get information will get more information on TV.

What I do advocate is people calling these elected officials to let them know they need to represent the people and not their buddies in Washingtom. So far, her PC'ing has accomplished nothing.

Her defense of bush and the elected officials in Washingtom in light of all those suffering is indefensible. And if you saw this little segment, you'd understand.

The only callousness I see is exactly what Anderson pointed out: a politician protecting her colleagues instead of pushing for the obvious.

[pennylane100]

4. Just got through.

A guy answered and asked if she was crazy for praising the president while people are dying in the streets of New Orleans.

He said he would tell her and she understood (whatever that means)
I was too angry to say anymore.

[AnnInLa]

6. NO! DO NOT POUR IT ON

Mary has been there 24/7 working for the people of Louisiana, and you want to POUT IT ON? She NEEDS this distraction??? DO YOU LIVE IN LOUISIANA, OR ARE YOU SITTING IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER IN ANOTHER STATE? Leave her alone and let her work for our people here right now.

Your desire to be political and get at GWB is interferring with what she is doing. Leave her alone....we people in LA need her badly right now, and we need her focused....leave my Dem senator alone. Concentrate on YOUR OWN CONGRESSPEOPLE right now, and leave her alone.

Jesus Christ on a crutch...you are unbelievable. Politics above everything, huh? Above suffering, huh? Pitiful. You want to encourage we Dems eating our own....why can't you people EVER display empathy, are you that selfish in your desire to get at GWB any way you can. Leave her the fuck alone.

[Be Brave]

11. I agree. I don't see what "pouring it on" will accomplish for the

suffering people.

[Eloriel]

12. Right -- or AT LEAST WAIT TIL THE EMERGENCY IS OVER

or the worst of it.

It would be unconscionable to harrass her and her staff now.

[Field Of Dreams]

15. Agreed

Direct your anger at the do-nothings in Washington D.C. for the time being.

[cybildisobedience]

13. Remember how long it took the Repukes to blame Clinton for 9-11

ON 9-11-- I'll give you the answer -- about an hour. Newt Gingrinch was on FOX news tearing Clinton a new one and placing the blame squarely on him.
Landreau doesn't have to be on a crusade against Bush right now, but how about putting the spotlight on him, when he DESERVES it, and forcing him to do the right thing. At least, if he fails again, people will know EXACTLY who to direct their anger and frustration at.

[AnnInLa]

18. Then tear GWB a new one, but don't do it thru Mary RIGHT NOW

Right now, while people are dying, do you really think it matters what Newt did? Do you really think it matters if Mary is Dino or Rino or shit-on-a-stick? Mary is here in LA helping our citizens....cast your politicizing in some other state for a little while....can you show that much respect?

[speedoo]

14. Do you remember how everyone (not me) lavished praise on Bush after 9/11?

The way your Senator is now? That did us a lot of good right?

Do you seriously believe her lying praise of this stupid Coward is getting any more assistance out of this corrupt administration than your state would be getting anyway?

The spotlight is on the Coward now and if he were to deliberately shortchange your state he would be asking for impeachment.

Wise up.

[wli]

27. the levees broke because Bush deliberately shortchanged LA n/t

[Pallas180]

19. Ann, it is unfathomable she would praise his incompetence and allowing peo

people to die, unless she is afraid of his being vindictive toward
New Orleans.

Is she afraid?

Is she playing possum?

Then it's understandable.

If not, she deserves to be straightened out.

WE ARE AMERICA/ If it's happening to Louisiana, it can happen to us

In other words, FEMA and Homeland Security are not there for any of us in a catastrophe . That's the point.

Now, what is Landreaux doing by praising the incompetence????

Please explain.

[AnnInLa]

23. She deserves NOTHING right now, but praise

Can't you vultures wait?

Why would you try to hamper the efforts of ANYONE who is helping our people RIGHT NOW?

Yes, I'm pissed...but, if you have any synmpathy for the people of LA, why harrass someone who is in a great position to help them?

My concern is for the help Mary can get for my state...and you want to harrass her right now?

I would support Ronald Reagan himself if he came back from hell and tried to help my people.

Leave Mary alone....vultures.

[speedoo]

26. I'm no vulture.

But I'll wait as you suggest. I've said my piece.

But I'll say this to you right now. If this were a disaster in New York and Schumer or Hilary were doing what your Senator is doing now, I would be calling their offices repeatedly. Because I understand that New Yorkers would be joining me and not tolerating my elected representative praising a Coward who deserves to be damned, not praised.

And I will be waiting for your Senator to do what she is implying she will eventually do, what she should do. If she does I will praise her as a great democrat who did the right thing. And I will call her office and thank her.

But if she does not, she will deserve what she gets.

[benito]

29. they don't get it Ann

Fuck em. We gotta do what's best for us and ours right now.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

52. The VULTURES ARE EATING CORPSES, if you missed it.

WE are not the vultures, we are sick of hypocricy. Dammit. She is NOT doing her job.
She is one of 100 of the most powerful people in the country. She has a responsibility to stand up and make things happen.

She is not doing her job. To the contrary, she is allowing things to get worse without any complaint.

Shame on you for blaming us for her inaction and travesty. We are observers, we care and we want things to change. Do you really think that slapping Bush on the back for a job well done makes things happen? If so, she does not deserve to remain in office either.

my gosh, this is life and death, and you are worried about her sensitivities. Where the heck is that coming from?

[pocoloco]

20. I can't imagine where these dumb fucks have been.

They sure havn't been paying attention. Mary is second only to Byrd in toughness in the Senate. She has been a thorn in the side of the repugs and that could be a factor in the LA funding cuts. She will be on their case when the time is right!

[LynneSin]

30. AnnInLA - sign me up for your team - I so agree

This isn't the time to get political. You catch more flies with honey than with Vinegar.

At least Mary is out there in the press doing something. Where is Cochran, Lott, Shelby, Sessions and Vitter. All six of those senators out there should be hitting the press hard and getting the public on their side to help support recovering the area.

[Piperay]

37. Me too nt

:thumbsup:

[kstewart33]

17. I called and respectively requested

that the Senator stop thanking other politicians and air drop food, water and formula to those stranded at the Convention Center. I praised the Senator's previous work, but said that saving the people at the CC is the top priority.

[Pallas180]

21. good on you Kstewart.

.

[B Calm]

22. Will Bush get a bounce in the polls from this tragedy? Hell he

got one after 9.11...

[Hubert Flottz]

24. I was just wondering how Mary Landrieu voted on the things...

that may have had anything to do, with the stripping of funds from the Corps of Engineers! Is she trying to avoid talking about who is to blame, because she's ashamed of her voting record in the senate? I know that she is one Democrat in the senate, who bends to the will of the GOP on MANY issues. Maybe we should put her voting record under the DU microscope!

[liberalpragmatist]

46. She has been tireless in securing funds for La.

And been extremely outspoken for years about the need to restore wetlands and strengthen the levies, etc.

I don't have any links for you right now - but ask around, they were posted on the site earlier.

[AnnInLa]

28. I cannot wait until there is a major disaster in You Guys' states

I'm gonna sit here on my little computer and criticize and politicize every public official from your state that is trying to help the citizens. I'm gonna put their voting records under a microscope and compare them to Newt and diss them for kissing ass to get $$$ for your state to recover.

AND, I'M GONNA DO IT WHILE THE DISASTER IS GOING ON, WHILE THOUSANDS IN YOUR STATE ARE SUFFERING AND DYING. THEN, DURING THE ONGOING DISASTER, I'M GONNA HARRASS YOUR OFFICIALS AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT, OH NO....WHY WAIT WHEN THERE IS A POST ON A MESSAGE BOARD TO MAKE.

Not only insensitive vultures, but tacky too.

Mods, you'd better lock this thread.

[LynneSin]

31. Hey, Delaware is on your team!!! I so agree

:hug:

[Pallas180]

33. Foolish talk. DU'ers have been trying to get help for Louisiana

all day with phone calls to their reps and the media.

trying to get food and water to those at the convention center.

And here's the report why they're not getting help. A National guardsman just said "he'd rather be in Iraq" than helping these people.

nice huh.

and we're vultures for trying to save people in your state ?????

Yeah,. When it happens here, we'll have seen what happened in your state ANN....and we'll know we're on our own.

You owe the people here on DU who have been trying to save lives in
Lousiana an apology.

[SaveElmer]

36. I'm on board with you too!!!

This criticism of people who are only trying to help is unseemly and anti-American.

[Pallas180]

32. I just called - and asked cant she go over to the military & ask them to

drop MRE's and water at the convention center...I was crying that those people are dying, they've had no food and water in 3 days,
"she's doing everything she can"...it's not enough - she's got to get them to drop mre's and water dropped "she's doing everything she can" ---and stop lauding bush - I post whre 75,000 democrats post and
it doesn't look good her lauding him. Its obvious that Homeland Security and FEMA and first responders is a sham. We're on our own.
She has to do something.

"Thank you, I;'ll tell her"

[Swamp Rat]

34. Stop this partisan BULL SHIT!!! PLEASE!!! Mary is trying to save my

people in New Orleans.

Direct your anger at Bushler!

PLEASE!!!!

[AnnInLa]

40. Thanks Swamp...I'm so discouraged and disappointed by

my fellow DUers today...I joined DU because I thought they were a bunch of ordinary, working people, who believed in liberal but compassionate ideals.....so many, so many people on DU owe the LA posters apologies for their insensitiveness...I will hold my breath.

Maybe they will listen to you, Swamp, hopefully.

[SaveElmer]

41. I feel like you do...

It has been a disappointing day here hasn't it?

[Swamp Rat]

43. It's a matter of life and death n/t

[LittleClarkie]

45. Exactly! Do people think she doesn't KNOW?

What is she supposed to do in the middle of this crisis. Just stand there and rant? How will this help right this minute. It won't.

Give her a break, people. Her home state is in a hell of a mess right now. Surely she's doing the best she knows how.

God bless you Swamp Rat. Hang in there.

[bottomofthehill]

42. Be an asshole

Call her office, I am sure there is not enough for her and her staff to be doing. I really don't think they give two shits what you think at this time when hundreds of thousands of people are out of their homes dieing of thirst, contracting diseases, trying to find lost loved ones. Good idea call her office now to add to operation cluster-fuck. You are a great help. If you think really hard I am sure that you can come up with a few more helpful suggestions thet they are really interested in acting on.

[LittleClarkie]

59. Yeah, I'm sure she's just sitting in her office eating bon bons

Why doesn't she go wave a red flag at the most vindictive president in history and call him an assclown. Yeah, that'll help. They still won't be in any hurry to help that Democrat city, but at least we'll know that Mary fed y'all some red meat.

Because that's what's REALLY important. Red meat.

[newswolf56]

48. Particularly since watching Landreau respond to Anderson Cooper --

who was so angry at what he is witnessing his voice was shaking -- I am more than ever convinced that Landreau, the governor and the major of New Orleans have all been strictly gag-warned that any criticism against Bush will bring instant retaliation of further withholding and delay of aid. Yes, Landreau's response to Cooper was an especially nauseating example of a politician playing politics -- in truth the sort of thing you'd expect to see from some cringing local proconsul appointed by an exceptionally murderous and especially vindictive Caesar -- but at the same time perfectly understandable given the circumstances.

Meanwhile, the ongoing delays continues to raise the death toll, and the media's angry outcry is becoming unprecedented. To my knowledge no major media figure has yet called it "deliberate genocide-by-neglect," but several have come very close to it, and since that phrase has already been use here on DU and therefore among the grass roots, it is probably only a matter of time.

As to the likelihood what we are witnessing is indeed genocide-by-neglect, note the well-documented Bush/oligarchy attitude toward the poor and disabled -- especially the fact that the Bush Administration and the Republicans are now universally blaming the victims for failure to evacuate and using this plus the survival-looting to utterly belittle, discredit and marginalize them. The next step is to accuse anyone who speaks up on the victims' behalf as being "pro-looter" -- and don't for even a millisecond doubt it will happen. In this context, and given the already abundant evidence of genocide-by-neglect, consider these additional facts: that the population of New Orleans is 67 percent black, and that New Orleans voted 77 percent for Kerry/Edwards. Bush's motive for the savage reductions in levee-improvement and disaster-relief funds is thus grotesquely obvious.

Ultimately what we are witnessing is an extreme example of the class warfare Bush and the oligarchy has been waging against the rest of us ever since the Coup of 2000: Bush has unleashed capitalism at its pre-1917, Tyrannosauric worst. What is happening in New Orleans is merely a much more obvious and extreme form of the capitalist malevolence already expressed in outsourcing, downsizing, wage-reduction, pension-looting and the methodical destruction of the social safety net. For the oligarchy, the windfall profits produced by the skyrocketing fuel prices and the further degradation of our lives by inflation and potential economic collapse are all merely blended into frosting on the class-warfare cake.

As I have said before, the final irony is that Bush and his administration, capitalism's ultimate triumph, have made Marx again relevant -- perhaps, given the addition of the principles underlying the U.S. Constitution -- more relevant than ever. Just as the doctrine of class-struggle is the only adequate explanation for how we are being victimized, so are the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution the only adequate remedy.


Edit: added last sentence to third paragraph.

[speedoo]

49. Bush and his administration are not capitalism's "ultimate triumph".

They are an example of capitalism being twisted to serve the few at the expense of the many.

Capitalism at its best can be the greatest source of increased well being for all the participants in an economic system. But that is not what we have now.

I believe Bush and his cohorts have abused capitalism. Blame them, not the system.

[newswolf56]

55. Sorry but the hideous truth is that capitalism is the only system...

in human history that elevates humanity's most murderous traits to the status of holy virtue: infinite greed, relentless exploitation, sociopathic indifference to human and environmental consequences. Other systems have surely committed their share of atrocities, but only capitalism sanctions the extermination of whole peoples for economic gain: American aboriginals, infant-formula victims in the Third World, the black/poor/disabled residents of New Orleans (where every death reduces social service costs and puts that much more money in the pockets of the oligarchy), etc. ad nauseum. Capitalism is, was and always will be nothing more than a rationale for murder and enslavement in the name of maximum profits. Bush has merely discarded capitalism's camouflage and restored it to the obscene malignance that was terrified into remission by the Russian Revolution.

[Jose Diablo]

61. Bravo, well said, at last a voice of sanity

Capitalism is medieval. It was able to lift people out of feudalism, but then showed itself in its true greedy form in the 1800's and early 20th century.

When FDR's populist economy ended mercantile or monopolistic capitalism, it brought huge amounts of wealth to the most people. But it did not contain the ambitions of the extremely wealthy for much more than only 3 decades. It started to weaken when the wealthy killed JFK and with Reagan, they marched right back into power and started dismantling FDR's 'New Deal'.

Communism as practiced in Russia fast became a police state with a huge bureaucracy. As did China's form of communism. But China and Russia both had huge bureaucracies had police states before, so what was the difference, the people expected it having never passed through the relatively wealthy middle class the western Europe had enjoyed when exiting feudalism. It was more or less normal to them.

So what is the alternative to capitalism?

I kinda like socialism as we see in Europe and Canada. A mixture of a regulated capitalism with a lot of socially funded large industries, like health care for one or maybe electric power and communications and of course transportation.

There is a guy in Africa, Mugabe I think his name is, although his administration is as crooked as they come, I remember reading one of his speeches many years ago. He said that in the industries that tend to grow large, socialism and regulation should be used as a model to insure the most good for the most people. As for those industries that tend have smaller operators or companies, then capitalism seems to be the most efficient and best serves the most people with the most good. In other words, the Europe model of socialism. At least I think it was Mugabe. Was he the guy that was in jail for so long?

But I don't think Mugabe was completely free to do what we wanted to do to set-up his form 'ideal' country. Thus he has big problems now. Some of which continue to be clandestine European interference, I think.

Anyway, what you have pointed out about capitalism at its worst, you are right on the money thats its true cost in misery to humans is far too high.

:applause:

[scottxyz]

51. I just called

got through to an intern I guess.

I was polite, but firm.

I said Landrieu should NOT be praising Bush, because Bush is screwing up.

I said that Chertoff (a former estate lawyer) is not competent to be an elementary school crossing guard, let alone head of a disaster-preparedness agency.

I told her I'm a "desk" person myself my whole life, and even *I* know what needs to be done first: AIRDROP IN WATER AND SANDWICHES TO THE SURVIVORS CONGREGATED ON ROOFS, HIGHWAY OVERPASSES AND THE SUPERDOME.

I told Bush and Chertoff, for whatever reason, have not done that for the past three days. And Landrieu should not be talking about "thinking positive". She should be talking about airdropping in food and water to the survivors.

She thanked me, and I think she agreed with me (I think 99% of the country is aware that you can't survive more than a couple days without water). I told her it was important for her to know that the whole country is against Bush on this, so Landrieu shouldn't be afraid of going against Bush on this one either.

[mitchtv]

58. boy, that Bankruptcy bill she voted for

Is gonna come in real handy, isn't it?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

60. yeah, a great dem senator working for the people

DAMMIT! How dare she congratulate this slo mo murder of her own constituents?

How can anyone protect her from the wrath she has so deservedly earned?

I feel the same way about Obama and Durbin, because their silence is disgusting. reprehensible. vile.