(I posted this as a response to another thread on whether Dems should be bitching and pointing fingers right now, or rolling up their sleeves and helping, and saving the criticism and demand for answers for later. A friend suggested I post it as a separate thread.)
New Orleans Changes EVERYTHING.
IMHO, it is VERY important to show REAL take-charge leadership, while ALSO keeping the fires of outrage STOKED TO THE MAX... and the BEST way for Dems to do that is to get off their asses and make VERY visible efforts to alleviate the suffering of the trapped victims, while at the SAME TIME taking a break each time they airlift another helicopter load of survivors to safety (are you listening, Al?) to totally REAM Butch out for the shit job all his new and innovative organizations are doing; to call attention to the stuff they're experiencing first-hand on these missions of mercy, and to marvel openly at the fact that the united states is acting with such incredibly shameful incompetence that it doesn't even deserve to be capitalized anymore (haha, pretty subtle, eh?)... then say, "Hate to cut this short, but I gotta go pick up another load of desperate people the administration has left to drown like rats. Stick around; I'm sure I'll have more horror stories when I return." Then go out and do it again; rest and repeat as necessary.
Not all could get that deep in the trenches; but some COULD work DIRECTLY with groups of the newly-released survivors, even help to assemble pre-fab temporary housing and the like which they've found ways to procure... and then they'd STILL have some first-hand experience, and could relate the horror stories of those who were left in that Hell pit for 5 and more days...
In THIS way, the people doing the criticizing would wield a greater authority in their claims of Butchian incompetence and dereliction of duty; if they themselves are on the front lines, doing the work neglected by the neocon asshats, won't they present the STARKEST and most OBVIOUS contrast of Dem's passionate and determined capability, vs. Republican casual indifference, rather transparent racist tendencies and total cluelessness?
Let our good Dems stand in bloodied shirts from helping to lift and carry wounded people, and keep repeating "WHY FIVE DAYS? WHY DIDN'T THEY AIRDROP WATER AND FOOD AND BASIC MEDICINES IN RIGHT AWAY? WHY DIDN'T FEMA KNOW THERE WERE 20,000 PEOPLE TRAPPED IN THE SUPERDOME UNTIL 3 DAYS AFTER EVERYONE ELSE KNEW? IS THIS THEIR IDEA OF SMART AND EFFICIENT LEADERSHIP? WHY WOULDN'T THEY LET THE STARVING PEOPLE SIMPLY WALK OUT ON WEDNESDAY AND GO TO WHERE FOOD AND FRESH WATER WAS? HOW CAN ANYONE FEEL SAFE WITH THESE INCOMPETENTS IN CHARGE?"
Then, AFTER the MAJOR crisis is over in a week or so, they can begin to present the EVIDENCE...
full text at
http://presidentevilonline.com/neworleans.html