CNN: Nagin interview - - heads must roll, "thousands" have died

[AlGore-08.com]

He didn't know how many have passed away, but thinks that there are about 50,000 people who stayed behind and have not been evacuated yet. He said that 5% to 20% of those may have died.

According to the CNN corespondent, he said after everybody was rescued and out of New Orleans he was going to demand from Smirk that people are held accountable for the Fed response to Katrina.

[Junkdrawer]

1. My spider senses are saying this man has spine....

I think he means what he says.

[Lindsay]

2. He's got spine and

a helluva lot of us have got his back.

[geomon666]

3. I think he'll be the only one held accountable

These people never hold themselves accountable and they're already blaming Nagin for everything.

[gennifer6]

6. I don't think he'll let them

This guy is really PISSED. Anything the feds do to pass blame backon him will only fuel the smoke coming out Nagin's ears....
He'll come out with language people use in the real world and hand their asses to them

[Sugarbleus]

24. Dear Buddha, I'd LOVE to see that...

I caught his rant with radio WWL last thursday night/fri morn. I sat bolt up in my bed, ran to the computer and emailed Ray Taliaferro. KGO. Thought he might dig it as Ray was royally pissed off too by that time.

Funny ain't it? The NEXT day, all sorts of aid started rolling in...
:shrug:

Go On, brother Nagin! Tell it like it is...

[linazelle]

23. Who here is supporting Nagin and more importantly...HOW?

Write your representatives, write the media. Support him! He is the ONLY one speaking up now.

Here's a LTTE I wrote this morning. Not sent yet, so if you have input, it's appreciated.

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

In the days immediately after the disastrous levee breach in New Orleans, I listened to right wing political radio. I couldn't find a stations where the listeners weren't asked to withhold blame. Wait until all the facts are in, they said.

There is still human suffering that needs to be addressed and yet, watching Sunday Insights I see nothing addressing the claims that funding was cut by the federal government for this anticipated breach; that we were unable to respond in time because all of our resources are deployed abroad; or even that FEMA officials withheld help that was at the doorsteps of the dying--from Walmart, from private citizens, etc.

None of these issues were addressed yet, the mayor of New Orleans was blamed for not being Rudy Giuliani. May I remind you, that 80% of New York City was not under water when Rudy Giuliani walked the streets of New York after 9/11? Emergency officials were not blocked by flood waters from responding on 9/11. How can you begin to compare the situations when the mayor of New Orleans clearly needed help because 80% of his access to resources needed to avert disaster were not available? There were no people dying or drowning when Rudy Giuliani "bravely" walked around New York and held press conferences.

Jessica McBride Sunday morning quarterbacked, laying all blame at the feet of the "local authorities"--a phrase being spouted by Republicans all over the country as if they were following some orchestrated talking point. (It makes you wonder.)

McBride says there should have been "plans," that New Orleans officials knew 1 in 6 people did not have cars and should have planned for that. Not one guest mentioned the fact that the Bush administration knew that New Orleans needed federal funding beyond the capacity of local government to prevent the levee break and that the Bush administration's response to preventive measures was to slash funding. Not one guest spoke up regarding the Bush administration's failure to plan for Iraq, for 9/11 or for New Orleans even though both 9/11 and the New Orleans disaster were laid out as major threats in 2001.

Other guests were equally audacious. Likening the disaster to 9/11 Jeff Fleming said there is no villain which is why the response was not as galvanized. Is that true, or is villain status only open to "local" officials who are being demonized while federal officials and the ultimately responsible President are unmentioned. What kind of people would protect a president who does not protect the people of his country?

Perhaps the most astonishing of all remarks came from Joel Keefish (R. Okauchee) who had the audacity to say that this disaster was not handled badly--"absolutely not." What planet was he on?

I am sick and tired of hypocrisy that allows people to selectively deny and ignore suffering, deflect blame, criticize lower level people in government who don't have the resources or power to avert disaster while they protect those ultimately responsible from criticism in the name of loving America and Christian values.

What kind of madness allows a human being who witnessed this tragedy of admitted biblical proportions to brush off the sorely needed discussion and exchange that will begin to get to the bottom of this bureaucratic failure? Charlie McBride nominated as his losers of the week those who blamed the Bush administration for Katrina's disaster. In the face of our institutions completely failing us repeatedly under the reign of George W. Bush (following prisoner torture, failure to plan for Iraq, intelligence failures and corporate scandals) I hereby nominate Charlie McBride and his ilk on the "local" level as those most likely to destroy democracy in America.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. It seems that ** threatened Nagin during that fly over photo-op

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4624237

[wli]

14. yep, the Wellstoning threats are real n/t

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

26. Yes, all too real. nt

[AngryOldDem]

5. I have a lot of respect for Nagin

He handled himself with class and grace last weekend, and has since been right on with his criticisms of how God-awful badly the government has handled this disaster.

He won't back down from Bush and the feds. It is really very heartening to see that in any public official.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Angry Black Man: White America's Nightmare

Wolf Blitzer asks, "Has he gotten control over his emotions?" Angry black men are held to this standard. When Bush choked up after 9/11, he was never accused of "losing control over his emotions." Rather, he was "emotional," y'know, in a good way? When Bush flashed out in anger over 9/11, he was never accused of "losing control of his emotions." No, it was justifiable anger.

Black men can't get angry in America. When a black man is angry in America, they are only an inch away from a suburban home invasion. When a black man is angry in America, generationally embedded visions of Nat Turner wash over people: slave revolt, the blood of the other Masters dripping from their faces, knifed in your bed by the darkies, and you know you really deserved it anyway, which makes it that much worse. Fear of a black planet...

Has he gotten control over his emotions....

[Poppyseedman]

8. Nagin might want to temper his remarks.

The bush administration made a legal request to the state government on the Sept 26th before the storm to authorize the local, state police and La. national guard under federal control.

The Governor told them no because she was concerned if things went bad the locals would be blamed by the federal.

Bush has his ass covered. We keep underestimating him

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Sept 26??

[freeplessinseattle]

10. where did you hear this? usually it's the other way around.

why on earth would it be otherwise?

[KharmaTrain]

11. That Was Superceded When A State Of Emergency Was Declared

By the Chimpster himself on August 27th!!!

FEMA was given cart blanche that Saturday evening to take control of any evacuation and relief efforts for the region.

Next, Nagin declared an evacuation that Sunday morning. The National Guard now was to be activated. He handed off civil authority over to the military and the federal government at this point.

This dog doesn't hunt since the main force that was responsible for immediate hurricane relief has and always is FEMA. There's a reason Chimpster declared that disaster declaration BEFORE the storm rather than after.

The problem is there were certain provisions Blanco felt were political, but as the storm was bearing down on her state and she also handed off to FEMA to handle the storm's aftermath.

Still...none of this excuses why it took 4 days after the storm abated and 3 days after the levee was breeched for relief operations in New Orleans to begin.

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana
Office of the Press Secretary
August 27, 2005

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Representing FEMA, Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named William Lokey as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA [phone].

[Spazito]

17. Bull, bush wanted her to hand over her authority so he could

cover his ass and say it was all the state and local officials fault. The Governor was a very smart lady and said no, instead she hired the former head of FEMA, a man with REAL, extensive expertise in disaster situations.

Nagin does NOT need to temper his remarks, he needs to keep telling truth to power.

[Sugarbleus]

27. I agree. Bush's ability to run any operation is, well, historically

FUCKED UP. It was FEMA'S responsibilty to take care of several details before and after said disaster. They are connected to BUSH'S HOMELAND SECURITY. Zillions of dollars spent on all of these new agencies and what do we get? BONEY FINGERS

The Governor called and called for help but was stonewalled unless she relinquished ALL her power to the FEDS w/NO input from her and her office allowed. Political games...but not from the state of LA...political games from BUSH BUSH BUSH BUSH BUSH BUSH...HE is the fucking cowboy here. Want's to "control" everybody and everything..'cept he is an ignoramous who can't even master the english language.

All a state should have to do in a disaster is declare a state of emergency and the FEDS should come galluping to the rescue..like they USED to BEFORE Bushco Inc.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

12. They're blaming Nagin- a black Republican. Colin Powell retired

because he didn't want to take the fall for the next f*ck up. Black Republicans should know Republicans eat their young. Starting with the dark meat.

[Zodiak]

16. Nagin is a Republican? n/t

[CanOfWhoopAss]

18. Republican and a $1000 Chicken George donor.

[Zodiak]

19. wow...

how could that have escaped me for all of these days?

That puts the RW spin on blaming Nagin in a different light. Someone had posted that Nagin was DLC...and I guess I just believed it.

I'm so gullible.

[qanda]

20. I don't think Nagin is a Republican

He is a Democrat. Very conservative and often supports Republicans.

[Zodiak]

21. oh dammit...

now look what you made me do.....I'm looking it up.

He's a fairly conservative Democrat, but he is a Democrat...also won in a tight race, like Landrieu.

[Sugarbleus]

22. Yeah, I thought I read someplace that he rolled over to Dem

I could be wrong..haven't checked it.

[enki23]

25. i'm not positive, but i think he switched to dem when he ran for mayor

it's new orleans, after all.

[chalky]

29. Nagin's a FORMER Republican. He turned Dem before his election.

And after the vindictive treatment of his city, I doubt he'll ever darken the door of the Republican party ever again.

[lonestarnot]

15. NIGAN FOR PRESIDENT 2008!

[Catchawave]

28. State of Emergency means

the feds should have been helping with the evacuation too?

Were they?