Just heard it on FOX new talking point: Governor and mayor should

[bribri16]

have called up the NG sooner. Aside for believing the a mayor has no authority to call up the NG, didn't the governor request this on Sunday? I am puzzled. But the spin is in...Bush has no responsibility in this whatsoever. Please don't let them get away with this.

[Manix]

1. ...we can't let the lying bastards get away with this!

[napi21]

2. You're right, the Mayor can't and the Gov. DID!

FOX is just trying to cover Shrub's a** again!

[iamjoy]

3. Governor Requested It Saturday

according to another posting here.

[corkhead]

4. here is a post I started a little while back. there are excellent

contributions in it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4611518&mesg_id=4611518

[tjdee]

5. The Department of Homeland Security assumed responsibility

for all natural disasters, first thing, and secondly,

Northern Command (and one would assume the NG) get their orders from the PRESIDENT--although the request to the Pres comes from local officials. You'd think the "Pres." would see the situation and call her up to check?

If you recall, he was eating cake, playing guitar, etc. up until when? Wednesday night?

So fuck that. I'm looking for the appropriate email address so I can inform FOX of this.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Yes, never let people forget that

-----------------------------------------------------
Save New Orleans, then save this country!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/electionreform.htm

[JuniperLea]

6. Faux is, as always, a little slow

There are threads all over the DU showing links to where the responsibility in this lies... squarely in the hands of Homeland Security.

A mayor or senator have no pull with that bunch, none at all.

Bottom line is this: Many agencies were ready with aid and Homeland Security wouldn't let them on site. Period. Coming and going. Bush is to blame... again.

[Roland99]

7. Sooner than LAST FRIDAY?!?!

http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2005/tr20050901-3843.html

Q General, Jamie McIntyre from CNN. To what extent is this additional assistance you've outlined today a response to a request from the state governors in Louisiana, Mississippi? And if so, can you tell us when specifically you got that request?

GEN. HONORÉ: Yes, sir. The process starts, sir, in this particular event, with a request Friday of last week, as the approximate date for defense coordinating offices to be established in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Those were established in those states over Friday and Saturday.

Q Sir, I'm specifically interested in how soon after the hurricane hit and the extent of the damage became known did the governors request additional assistance above and beyond what they had requested before?

GEN. HONORÉ: Sir, that started to happen on Saturday, as the hurricane was approaching, and was executed with the movement of my headquarters on Sunday to Mississippi, where we established a joint -- JTF headquarters here in Mississippi with a forward cell of the 5th United States Army in Louisiana. And on Sunday we established JTF-Katrina, with myself as the task force commander.

And since that time, we've continued to flow naval air and Army helicopter support and other assets, as requested by the governor, through FEMA. And that is the process, and you know that works. The governor identified a requirement. It goes to FEMA. That requirement is sent to Northern Command, my boss, Admiral Keating, as parallel to General McNeill at Forces Command. And we have started to flow the forces to your region. Over.

[AlCzervik]

8. Are they bashing Haley Barbour too? Biloxi is like a war zone

and the Mayor said yesterday he's seen no one, not one federal official.

[SoCalDem]

19. Biloxi victims are not trapped, waiting for rescue

They are DEAD and washed out to sea or buried in rubble, to be found one at a time.. I do not recall ole Haley even asking for a mandatory evac.. I remember him blathering on tv, but I did not hear "mandatory" slip past those purdy lips of his:)

[Walt Starr]

9. DHS assumed all responsibility for this on MArch 31

They said so themselves on their own web site.

[bpilgrim]

10. they issued an emergency request on SUNDAY ----------- > LINK

http://news.globalfreepress.com/katrina/Disaster_Relief_Request

peace

[nonconformist]

11. THEY DID. It was a FEDERAL "paperwork" ISSUE

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_national_guard

WASHINGTON - Several states ready and willing to send National Guard troops to the rescue in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans didn't get the go-ahead until days after the storm struck — a delay nearly certain to be investigated by Congress.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson offered Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco help from his state's National Guard on Sunday, the day before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Blanco accepted, but paperwork needed to get the troops en route didn't come from Washington until late Thursday.

California troops just began arriving in Louisiana on Friday, three days after flood waters devastated New Orleans and chaos broke out.

In fact, when New Orleans' levees gave way to deadly flooding on Tuesday, Louisiana's National Guard had received help from troops in only three other states: Ohio, which had nine people in Louisiana then; Oklahoma, 89; and Texas, 625, figures provided by the National Guard show.

-----------------------

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE AND IN CHARGE?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4612144

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/theme_home2.jsp

Department of Homeland Security

Preparing America

In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort.

--------------------------------


MEDIA BOMB THESE POINTS.

[Catrina]

22. Thank you

And I agree, the media needs to get this. I'm listening to a Fema, Bush apologist trying to squirm away from very good questions from a CNN anchor.

I did not know that the DHS was supposed to take control of security after a natural disaster. The anchor is saying that because of the DHS being mainly concerned with terrorism, that might have caused some of the problem. Neither the Fema guy nor the anchor seemed to know that the DHS was supposed to take control of operations.

[rocktivity]

12. The president, governor, and mayor should have sat down together

and worked out a comprehensive evacuation and relocation plan when the levee construction project was de-funded. The de-funding didn't alter the fact that it was only a matter of time before a Category 4 storm would hit.

:headbang:
rocknation

[mom cat]

20. The prez was too busy helping Norquest drown the government!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. I've heard this

from a freeper and I set them straight. Luckily, the message board where I saw this has only one freeper, I think, and many many staunch liberals and union members, so said freeper is being well educated.

[daleo]

15. These lies won't wash

There are paper trails. There is the web. They won't convince anybody who isn't desperate to be convinced.

They tried to claim "nobody knew what was coming", but were refuted by alerts put on the web by the weather service on the Friday before landfall.

[BQueen]

16. Here's a way to make their heads explode...

I think I saw this on AmericaBlog - I'm paraphrasing, see http://www.americablog.org

1. You claim that W could not have foreseen the horrible consequences (levee breaking, flooding 1000s dead, etc) and so no reason to end vaca

2. You claim that Mayor and Gov (conveeeeniently Dems) should have acted sooner to evacuate and request help (they did, btw, 8/28, letter at TalkLeft), even though "no one could have foreseen it being so bad..."

sooo, was it obvious that things were going to be truly horrible, or was it not?

[applegrove]

17. They called for help in a letter on Sunday. They called for everything

the Feds have.

[Catherine Vincent]

18. I turned the channel after listening to his tripe.

What bullshit!

[Emit]

21. Even FEMA reports that NG was deployed 8/28

Doesn't say specifically to NO, but does say LA:

Homeland Security Prepping For Dangerous Hurricane Katrina
Residents in path of storm "Must take action now"
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18461
Release Date: August 28, 2005

<<snip>>

On Saturday, President Bush has declared an emergency for the states of Louisiana and Mississippi opening up FEMA’s ability to move into the state and assist the state and local governments with mobilizing resources and preparations to save lives and property from the impact of Hurricane Katrina. FEMA is moving supplies of generators, water, ice and food into the region for immediate deployment once the storm passes. FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) are also staged for immediate response anywhere in the region. The funding and direct federal assistance will assist law enforcement with evacuations, establishing shelters and other emergency protective measures.

<<snip>>

Both Mississippi and Louisiana have mandatory evacuation orders in place for some areas. National Guard troops have been deployed to assist law enforcement in evacuations.