We need a thread showing what the Governor and Mayor did debunk the lies.

[jsamuel]

Please fill in info here:

One thing I heard about is a letter to Bush from the Governor asking for money to help the evacuation.

There is LA begging for funding for the levees.

... add more please

[ananda]

1. honestly..

.. I really don't know why Nagin and Blanco couldn't have activated buses to get their citizens out.

Can anyone help me understand this?

Sue

[mirandapriestly]

4. I'm trying to understand that too.

that is what the freepers are using as their main ammunition. So I want to be able to debunk it, but I'm not sure how or how significant it is.

[Dogmudgeon]

10. It's based on ONE PICTURE

We don't know what that picture shows other than a bunch of busses.

They may not have been busses that the City of New Orleans was at liberty to use, especially if bus service was privatized.

It could have been a factory, or a repair facility.

It will have to be investigated, but I suspect that it will turn out to be nothing more than a rightist diversion to keep the heat off of Bush.

--p!

[Maple]

11. How much power does a mayor have?

Enough to commandeer 100 buses?

Enough to commandeer 100 busdrivers?

And drive them to where? Thousands of people drove for hours, and found no room, and ended up sleeping in vehicles. How would this work for babies, the elderly, the ill?

And once you go over the city line...any power a mayor DOES have, disappears.

[jsamuel]

14. "once you go over the city line...any power a mayor DOES have, disappears"

I think that explains it.

He would need the Governor to do the rest and the Govenor needed funding to do that, which she never got from Bush.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. There's some great links

in some threads here. Here's part of a transcript from CNN:

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.

This is great to debunk those who say the governors didn't ask for the National Guard.

[Roland99]

3. I think Gen. Honore (John Wayne) said it best:

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.

Plus, there's this:
http://www.conjur.com/blog/2005/09/03/disaster-of-a-disaster-recovery-do-you-see-the-pattern-of-incompetence-intent-forming/

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Has anyone sent this to MSM? n/t

[Roland99]

9. I haven't sent it to anyone yet.

Feel free to media blast it.


I'm going to hit up the main CNN, MSNBC, FOX links

[Emit]

6. Been following this issue for a while

And I've got a lot of documentation here on this thread at this board:
Blanco's request...Bush's promise
http://discussions.pbs.org/viewtopic.pbs?t=36299&postdays=0&postorder=asc&topic_view=&start=0

Hope it helps!

[Be Brave]

7. CNN reported that on Wednesday, Blanco called Bush

to express her frustration at the slow federal response. The report says that Blanco was at Superdome (or is it conf center?) and did not see a single FEMA guy.

The report was at Friday's (8/02) Anderson Cooper.

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Don't forget homeland security said it is now in charge and first

to respond to all major emergencies and disasters.

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

[MnFats]

12. At one point Bush REFUSED TO TAKE Nagin's phone call...

it got attention shortly after but not much has been said about it since.....Nagin was flabbergasted.....

[Roland99]

15. Is that a fact or an exaggeration?

My understanding is that the Mayor's office was trying to reach the White House and wasn't getting ahold of whomever they needed to speak.

[MnFats]

17. Nagin was quoted as saying that himself.

it was some reasonable source such as AP or CNN.
I think when all is said and done it will be a big deal.

[havocmom]

19. Notice patterns around this thread?

:shrug:

[jsamuel]

20. you are right, I don't think Bush ever returned the phone calls... first

time Nagin talked to Bush was when he landed in NO.

[Roland99]

22. Damn....now *that* is downright treasonous by *!!

[havocmom]

13. Care for the pdf file of Gov Blanco's 4 page memo/request from 8-28-05?

This is good and important! I downloaded the file last night, expecting it to disappear pronto. Having trouble getting to it online today, but it could be my computer. Anyway, half way down this page you will find a bit about it:
http://www.americablog.org/

The state of Louisiana begged for help on Sunday August 28
by John in DC - 9/02/2005 10:19:00 PM

And Bush had no idea Louisiana needed help until after his vacation Wednesday night, at least that's what the GOP is now trying to spin. The state government NEVER said they needed federal help. Oh yeah, well here's the letter begging for it on SUNDAY, four days before Bush ended his vacation.

If anyone with websites would like the pdf of the document to put online, please PM me and we can make arrangements to email the file to you. I really think we need to get this mirrored in many places. Would especially like it hosted on sites which are based out of the US. You out there Canada, Britian, and OZ? ;)

edited to add: going offline for a few minutes. Think I best be burning that file to a cd or 12

[Roland99]

16. That's just for funding.

[havocmom]

18. It sorta debunks the junta's claim that she didn't ask for help until Wed.

And that is sorta important in debunking their lies.

[jsamuel]

21. kicker