A Mole in Gov Blanco's office reports

[Gruenemann]

Okay, I'm gonna come clean, because I see that Bush and his cronies are going to try to do what I heard they were going to do. I mentioned a few emails back that Bush was doing something despicable and cowardly.

Well, here is the story: a few nights ago, he met with Gov. Blanco. He isolated her, and attempted to get her to sign an agreement that partly would have exonerated the Feds and FEMA, and placed blame squarely on the state government. Well, I see in these NY Times articles that Karl Rove is orchestrating this cowardly attempt to diffuse blame. This story, by the way, comes from someone very high up in Blanco's administration.

From someone pretty high up in Mayor Ray Nagin's administration, word
also got out just yesterday athta Bush was going to try to aim blame at Nagin and his people. Believe me, this is serious shit. Both the state and city governments have real fears that their lines are being bugged by the Feds (not unfounded by the way). And all this during a disaster such as the aftermath. It is becoming painfully aware that Bush has no conscience, no integrity whatsoever. Okay, so I said if need be, I'd spill the beans on this, and I encourage all of you to pass it around.

[gollygee]

1. More money spent on covering their asses then saving people

How much time does it take to get a bunch of offices bugged? Could those government employees have been dropping water and food off to people?

[formercia]

8. It doesn't take any time at all

Just a work order to a tech at the telco central office. It could be done in less than an hour.

[ellenfl]

27. they don't have to. another thread says that the

military is in control of the cell phone bandwidth in the gulf coast.

ellen fl

[Tesla]

2. I saw Nagin's interview this morning, he seemed discusted at Blanco's

responce to what Bush and her said. He asked Bush what she said and Bush replied "She needs 24 hours to decide", now I see why.

[MadeinOhio]

3. What a sick bastard!!! We must force him to resign!

Nagin will have none of that shit! :grr: :grr:

Blame it on Nagin and then take over with the Federal government, take over the U.S. That is plain sick....

[Be Brave]

4. It's no secret. It's out in the open and being reported. n/t

[Jawja]

32. Yes, I heard it

on MSNBC when he arrived. They covered the whole story about Nero wanting federal control and Blanco refusing and now there is tension.

[ClintonTyree]

53. It's all about bush's "legacy".........

his precious legacy. He SOOO wants to be remembered as another Ronnie Reagan (why, I can't imagine) that RoveCo. has a full time job covering up his fuck-ups. The trouble is there's too many of them and their consequences have been too calamitous. There's no way Rove can keep bush's legacy out of the one place they don't want it; the dust bin of history. The worst and most failed administration in history.

They created this stupid little man out of dust, molded him, crafted his image, propped him up and stole elections to get him to the point he is today. The problem is, there's not enough substance to this man to remotely sustain this cardboard cut-out image. To dust he will return, the humiliated, disgraced empty shell he truly is.

[Ouabache]

80. Bush's Legacy - The Pile of Rubble Presidency

we've all seen the pictures, and will continue to see them as long as he is in office. Time for his removal. Send him out on a barge of rubble.

[mountainvue]

60. Is there a link to this anywhere? n/t

[Be Brave]

65. It's all over the news. n/t

[Vitruvius]

103. And threats -- like Bu$h's -- are a sign of WEAKNESS. He's vulnerable.

Anytime someone threatens you or tries to extort or blackmail you, they are in a position of weakness (people in a position of strength don't threaten, they do). And if Gov. Blanco remembers that -- and does't give in -- she can beat him.

And that she -- or her staff -- are leaking it, says that she won't give in & knows what to do...

[still_one]

5. the govenor seems to be handling it quite well

If this is as accurate as you say, the media should be called about it

[AnnieBW]

68. Independent LA Recovery Fund

http://www.katrina.louisiana.gov/donate.htm

Everything goes straight to Louisiana recovery. No Red Cross, no Fed involvement.

[Be Brave]

69. That was really an excellent move. n/t

[ohio_liberal]

6. People are already leaking information

Just heard about the meeting where Bush tried to get her to sign over the NG on MSNBC.

[liveoaktx]

7. Vid Clip

Spiteful


Political Videos

[AlCzervik]

10. he is such an ahole!!!!!

this clip backs up the story in the NYT and the WAPO.

[rateyes]

57. It sounds as if Blanco was saying...

"No way. I've seen how you've fucked up on your end already...I'll be damned if I'm handing over MY JOB to you." I'm glad she told him where to get off. And, if I were Blanco, I'd stay out of small aircraft.

[undeterred]

9. What a fuckin bully

He bullied Nagin too
He bullies anyone who doesn't kiss his smarmy ass

[FreedomAngel82]

29. It's so disgusting

Everybody should Email this to Anderson Cooper. He's already seems pretty disgusted with everything so I'm sure he would blast this around. No more of this crap!

[ultraist]

89. Agree! We should email this info to the media. eom

[jasmeel]

11. If she needed 24 hours to decide she should have decided

by now whether to sign the doc. Has she. I hadn't heard that. And why the hell would she sign such a doc? I hope she's not that stupid. I'm still struggling to understand this power struggle between * and the governor and mayor.

[Be Brave]

12. She DIDN'T agree to the deal. That's why Bush is pissed at her. n/t

[AlCzervik]

15. and the people of NO are paying the price because he's a petty bully

This is without a doubt criminal negligence!

[Texas_Kat]

33. AND she hired James Lee Witt

who built up FEMA to begin with.... bringing in reinforcements!

[bribri16]

13. It's a struggle between Republicans and Dems.

Very close elections in all cases. Rethugs can't afford to lose anymore support.

[annabanana]

16. it's a struggle between B*sh and all goodness and mercy..

CNN said that B*sh had been accused of "strongarming" re federalization..

[Spazito]

21. It didn't take 24 hours, bush is lying, as usual

Here is what actually happened:

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html

Talking through the night doesn't equate to 24 hours.

[Booster]

47. I have yet to see a post that says Bush asked the other two

governors of states that were hit almost as hard have been asked and then signed such a legal letter. Does anyone know if they did? And how has a disaster that hit 3 states get blamed on just the governor of one of those states?

[Hekate]

66. Gov. Blanco is a Democrat; the others are Republicans

Note that Hayley Barbour has all the help Mississippi needs. Ole Miss has a Repub. Gov and Senators. Louisiana has a Democratic Gov and congressional delegation.

As for Gov. Blanco saying she needed 24 hours to decide: she was stalling the most powerful lunatic on the planet.

What would you have done if pulled aside for a private chat? Dubya is a known bully with a bully's body language -- he has the power of life and death over us all at this point -- and he is a lunatic.

Hekate

#Why won't the Chickenhawk cross the road?#
#Why won't the Chickenhawk be waitin' on the levee?#

[Virginian]

14. Nagin said on TV that Bush told him he had made an offer to Gov. Blanco

and she had not made a decision on it.

So, it sounds like Bush is withholding help to the state because the Gov's office hasn't taken blame off him.

Don't take the blame off! Expose his plan to the public! If he blackmails with this, what is to stop him from other evil. Take the paper to the public. Let the outrage force him to do the right thing.

What is the worst thing he can do if exposed? He can try to smear the whistleblower. I don't think that will wash if the Gov has the paperwork to back up her claim. She will become even more popular if she stands up to him and still gets aid for her state.

Bush is already pushing people to contribute to the American Red Cross. While that is a noble organization, he should be allocating federal funds and not expect to tap funds through donations for work that should have been done by the government. This amounts to double taxation of the people who donate and no increase of taxes to the wealthy beneficiaries of his tax breaks.

[donsu]

17. is there some way to let Blanco and Nagin know that we know and

that we are on their side?

[Prodemsouth]

35. What do you mean their side. I am not sure Nagin is on Blanco's

side.

[Hekate]

67. You mean Bushco has driven a wedge between them; divide and conquer nt

Hekate

#Why won't the Chickenhawk cross the road?#
#Why won't the Chickenhawk be waitin' on the levee?#

[MelissaB]

18. And the truth shall set you free. Hopefull, it will set all of us free.

[katinmn]

28. Well said.

[Swamp Rat]

19. I am from New Orleans... please help us... expose this monstrosity

before it is too late. :cry:

[Be Brave]

20. The media already has an angle on it. The only thing they're not saying

is the cover-up part.

[wake.up.america]

30. Ray must be one angry dude, trying to help a screwed up situation...

made worse by a screwed up white house, who then in turn, attempts to make him the fall guy.

The dude will win re-election if New Orleans survives, so need to play politics.

I hope he unloads on Bush and the other idiots when this is over. It could save lives!

[Qibing Zero]

71. That's been the problem from the start IMO.

The local officials NEED help from the federal ones, but if they talk too loudly, name too many names, they risk being left out to dry and blamed for all of this. The locals have to try their best to help their people, and the feds are playing them like pawns. How fucking sick is that?

[Pirate Smile]

38. The COVER-UP is what always nails them!

I've been wondering how to nail them for this horror but what can we do. We need investigations, etc.

But as the saying goes, it is the cover-up that usually nails people. I wonder if that will be the case here.

Although it is truly disgusting that the unnecessary deaths of so many, and physical and emotional torture they put so many people through wouldn't be enough to run the entire Administration out of town on a rail or into jail.

[Be Brave]

39. Yes, presence of malice and motive are tricky to prove. n/t

[Alpharetta]

73. It's true. The cover-up requires more conspirators than the negligence

It was easy for Brown, Bush, Rumsfeld, etc. to sit on their butts leading up to Katrina, the failure to shore the levees, and the concentration camps at the Superdome and Convention Center.

To ask for collusion on the cover-up will cost them. One of those arrogant White House staffers will get busted trying to convince one of the mayors to go along with the plan. Somehow the orchestration of a coverup and the plan to blame the governors will come out.

Videotape, audiotape, call records, emails, paper trails.

[Gregorian]

22. Our hands are tied!

We're in a position whereby we cannot do anything due to the infrastructure of injustice these thugs have set up over the years. They got to where they are by illegal actions, and some very shady legal ones. How can we possibly reverse the situation through actions that are legal? This seems to be the dilemma. I believe nothing can be done in the short term, legally. But a slow recovery may happen. But only if a huge reversal takes place.

Maybe the Fitzgerald decisions will be the beginning. Maybe.

But if FEMA cut phone lines, and people were dying, and the entire country did not hit the streets in protest (and how could they without a media), then this is going to go nowhere in a hurry.

I've never been more discouraged than this morning. Chief Justice Roberts. That has a scary sound to it.

[Peace Patriot]

36. Gregorian, I agree. And the key to the "infrastructure of injustice" that

these thugs have set up is their control over the counting of our votes, with two Bushite companies--Diebold and ES&S--tabulating 80% of the nation's vote with SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code--code so secret that not even our elected secretaries of state are permitted to review it.

This is where we must begin--by restoring our right to vote! It's still doable. The power over election systems still resides in local/state venues, where ordinary people still have potential influence.

We need to throw these electronic voting machines into 'Boston Harbor' (so to speak) (--or a Louisiana levee will do).

Specifically what we need is...

Paper ballots hand-counted at the precinct level (--Canada does it in one day, although speed should not even be a consideration, just accuracy and verifiability)

or, at the least...

Paper ballot (not "paper trail") backup of all electronic voting, a 10% automatic recount, strict security, and NO SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code! (...jeez!).

--------

PLEASE, my friends, understand that the REASON that so much is being done that most Americans disagree with is our loss of our right to vote. Without that power, politicians have no reason to listen to us. You wonder how we can have such an idiot puppet as president? THIS is why. And we MUST get this fixed, while we still have the power to do so.

[Gregorian]

41. Voting is one facet.

And it's the only one that can be done right now. The other is The People. And that comes down to The Media.

One thing- Canada only has 30 million people. So our hand count might take a week. Not a big deal.

Thank you. I needed to find something to hang onto today. Nice to know we're not alone. Thank goodness for DU, and people like us.

[In Truth We Trust]

95. Exactly! ding, ding ,ding! Paper ballots NOW! Hand counts NOW!!!

[Blaq Dem]

96. Solution: Have more babies...

increase our liberal population for these reasons:

(1) Increase the electoral power of blue states. More people, more representation in the House.

(2) Increase the number of votes for more liberal candidates.

(3) We actually love children, unlike the Rethugs who sat idly by as thousands were starving in the hurrican ruins.

[fearnobush]

97. I have twins on the way.

They will be raised as good liberal people.

[Webster Green]

23. That's why the feds are cutting the communication lines?....

Because they aren't in full control, they will hinder the efforts of the local rescue teams?

Motherfuckers need to resign NOW!


Demand resignations! Now!

[stepnw1f]

24. Stay Safe and Thank You

for speaking out.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. This all backfiring big time on Bush & Co

The more they try the deeper they are digging their own hole.

Everyone see the emperor has no clothes.

[jeffreyi]

44. The MSM has to turn on him...

Maybe there's a crack or two in the facade, Please G_D let it be so!!!

[katinmn]

26. Faked recovery efforts, outright sabotage of relief efforts

Impeach the lying, sick fuck!

[Cha]

31. It was "clear" to me from

day one..it just hadn't been played out yet..5 years down to line.

[Karmadillo]

34. Here come Leading Democrats to her defense.

Not now, of course, but later, when the time is right.

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. LOL

Nicely done. :rofl:

[SlowDownFast]

48. Oooooh. That's a well-deserved cut.

So true it's pathetically funny.

:rofl:



:cry:

[earth mom]

37. Kick!

[wryter2000]

40. NY Times?

What article in the Times? Can anyone point me to it?

Fucking Rove. The sooner he's behind bars, the better off the entire planet will be.

[blitzburgh55]

51. NYT article

In a reflection of what has long been a hallmark of Mr. Rove's tough political style, the administration is also working to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana who, as it happens, are Democrats.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national/nationalspecial/05bush.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1125915140-pzA1buYgkIfTegeZA8Qo0A

What a bunch of fucking bastards.

[Cassandra]

42. Is that why the FBI was at the phone company offices...

before Katrina hit?

[Sydnie]

45. First I have heard of this - when and where? n/t

[Cassandra]

49. It was in TPM cafe and I'm looking for the link

to the specific discussion. With some of our functions here down it's hard to keep track. They are compiling responses to Bushco lies and someone mentioned that.
Edit:
Here
http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/9/4/124241/5233
"Josh - I would be really interested in some kind of follow-up to an interview I heard in passing yesterday on MSNBC. It was Rita Crosby? (the annoying hoarse blond) yesterday afternoon. She was interviewing an FBI agent who was saying that the FBI had been pre-positioned in New Orleans before the storm hit to protect specific national secuirty assets which he could not name. The example was communications for the entire southeast, I think it was, and I recall an earlier report about a telephone building having been secured through which all calls in a good quarter of the country pass through. I'm assuming there were considerably more issues involved than that one public building. In any event, the FBI were supposedly there all along, had been ordered in before the storm, and were there undercover.

The way I see it, that means communications with the federal governement were never lost. They were there already. And did nothing. Nothing to communicate, coordinate, etc. As near as I can tell, the whole damn government should resign. And while there's no question Mississippi and Alabama have massive, though "normal" and expected hurricane damage from bearing the brunt of the hurricane, we should never lose sight of the fact that the loss of New Orleans is first and foremost a self-inflicted wound, not a natural disaster. And for damn sure not the TWO natural disasters of hurricane and flood that the administration is spouting. Don't forget we had a full day of nothing but calls to repair the levy and a mayor all but losing his mind when the arrangements he'd made to attempt to prevent the flooding completely undermined by someone diverting the helicopters to search and rescue. If ever there was a choice between saving one versus saving thousands, that was it, and whoever bolloxed that one should be shot on sight. "

[Sydnie]

64. Thank you for that - I had no idea they had been there before the storm

And what happened to them AFTER the storm? They must have stayed to protect those "security areas". Not all the phone lines went down because we still have that guy blogging from his 10th floor high rise. I think the site is www.mgno.com . And why would they cut Jefferson Parish lines if they were all down as they were claiming?

[Double T]

46. The republicans have always been cowards.......

that attempt to blame everyone else and take no responsibility for their own f-ups. bush is the ultimate coward and always has been. Now bush is going to get what he deserves.

[Imagevision]

50. I BELIEVE/SUPPORT BLANCO - I BELIEVE SUPPORT CINDY!

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[mom cat]

52. Bush will do anything to hold onto power....kick

[txindy]

54. Junior looks worse than his Poppy in this picture.

The evil inside is eating away at his exterior. He'll go all Emperor Palpatine on us, next.

[Flying Dream Blues]

56. Is his shirt two sizes two big or what?

And whoever dubbed the FEMA head "Skeletor" has it right. Yikes, what a scary pic.

[hippiechick]

62. His shirt's 2 sizes bigger to accomodate the flak jacket

that he wears out in public ...

[carpe diem]

59. exactly what is wrong with Chertoff...

he looks really ill...since the first time I noticed him. Is he on something? He really looks like he has cancer, aids, or some drug addiction.

[Spiffarino]

84. Chertoff isn't sick

...he's just in way over his head. No way he, nor Brown, nor anybody else in the Bush administration ever thought they'd have to do any real work. Remember, it's all about politics. They truly believe that they can fail miserably and still not pay for it politically. And, sadly, they've been proven correct many times.

[RandomKoolzip]

55. delete

[carpe diem]

58. The effort to blame local officials in LA...

....i started the thread below from a post on tpmcafe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4647247

[MadeinOhio]

61. I wonder if the lines are still being bugged....

My letter to the idiot!

President Bush, you must resign now.

Your callous ineptitude in the face of a natural holocaust is inexscusable. You lied everyone into the war with Iraq, and not only that failed to help the minorities and people of New Orleans, Louisiana.

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp...

For this and the crimes of letting black and poor people die you should be incarcerated!

But rather than talk about that I and the rest of America will settle for your immediate and unconditional resignation. On top of failing the world, you have failed Americans. You have failed to follow the law of office, and your staged photo-ops with victims is unbelievable and insensitive.

RESIGN RIGHT NOW. DO NOT FORCE US TO IMPEACH YOU, OR THROW YOU IN THE HAGUE.
Do the right thing and resign. Almost everyone hates you now and your failed presidential cabinet, do the only choice.

[NYC]

76. A heartfelt letter. I like it.

I assume the lines are still being bugged.

[Ernesto]

63. Keep this kicked! n-t

[elehhhhna]

70. kick

[liberaliraqvet26]

72. Can't they just do whats right???

I can't imagine why 90% of Dems hate this son of a bitches guts, can you???

[raysr]

74. "attempted to get her to sign"

does that mean she didn't sign? Why doesn't she go public with this meeting? Fuck Bush the SOB POS fucking fucker!

[bliss_eternal]

75. kicked--interesting reading...

:scared:

[Jon8503]

77. Definitely for The Greatest Page, Kicked, Sad & Unbelievable: N/T

[ignatius 2]

78. The man on MTP yesterday said that FEMA cut their emergency phone

lines,why would they do that? They also would allow NO emergency staff to pick up 1000 gallons of diesel fuel from the coast guard and wouldn't let 3 truckloads of water to be distributed.

This,besides all the stories of FEMA turning away food,water and help from volunteers. It almost seems as if they were working against rescue efforts.

[magellan]

81. That's what I don't get. Why were FEMA being so uncooperative?

Maybe it was as it seems, to dangle the carrot in front of Blanco and pressure her into federalizing operations. If so they put too much faith in Rove's ability to cover up their failure to act and save lives.

[more_pain_please]

83. FEMA (my hunch)

"Why were FEMA being so uncooperative?"

What is FEMA's real training for? I assume they are not really trained to help in emergency, are they trained to quarantine? Allot of useless medical aid was sent into the city as well via FEMA(anthrax medication and such)

They seem like they are trained to be the guards of concentration camps. I pray you never have a viral outbreak, seems these guys are there to watch people die and make sure nobody gets out.

[Robbie Michaels]

79. Nothing Surprises Me Anymore

:kick:

[DemocracyInaction]

82. This disaster is an inconvenience that got in the way of the rest

of their agenda. They are not through raping all the people yet and need to have support (at least in the 40% range)over these next three years to finish the job. The poor of the Gulf got in their way and they need a scapegoat. By the way, doesn't that make you wonder how fast they worked to errect scapegoats for 9/11???

[bloom]

85. kick

:kick:

[interestedparty]

86. Extraordinary revelation. I do hope someone follows up.

If I had enough posts to recommend, I surely would.

[ultraist]

88. Welcome to DU, interestedparty!

:hi:

[LincolnMcGrath]

87. bump

[doc03]

90. I heard Mayor Nagin say something like "the CIA

may get me but I will keep speaking out" this morning.

[Blaq Dem]

94. They may come after Aaron broussard too

He really lashed out at the feds. Did you see him on "Meet the Pres" Sunday morning as he cried his eyes out about the deaths in his parish? If one is not careful, the Rove gang can fix a "suicide."

[Carolab]

91. It's quite deliberate and obvious. An attempt to get martial law.

Which gives the Feds control over EVERYTHING there...all property, rights, etc. It was planned this way, to leave them all out in the cold until things got so bad they'd beg for help. Then, in their distress, they are trying to get the state and local officials to exonerate them "in exchange" for holding them blameless AND giving them the full authority over the town.

DISGUSTING. AND PREMEDITATED.

[Blaq Dem]

93. So you're saying under martial law, the feds wouldn't have to pay victims

for lost of property, etc??? And on top of that, they could easily hide their mistakes and control the media?

I see.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

98. no, they are going to steal their property!!!

carpet bagging is what they called it after the civil war

[Blaq Dem]

92. What? Blame Blanco for Mississippi and Alabama too???

What's going to be Bush's excuse for not getting into republiKKKlan domaniated Miss.?

[MadeinOhio]

99. These guys are so stupid. They will blame everyone.

The no-accountability idiots! :crazy:

[Dunvegan]

100. From the blogger in NOLO that had power through the flood...

http://www.mgno.com/

Sunday, September 4th, 2005

"Law enforcement have absolutely lost their minds. Some guy wearing khaki fatigues and black vests which say Police on them have their faces covered in black ski masks and are touting M4-A1s with front hand grips -- like they're some kind of Delta Force operators waiting to hit the tire house. They're guarding the four corners around the Bell South building for crying out loud. And what, they need secret identities? Come on. You can just tell some of these guys have never gotten out before. Now's their big chance to play Army."

[auracat]

101. idiots just discovered that oil spill

81. there is not much on the scanner anymore but this


just came in:

"couple days ago one of the refinerys erupted,{?} 20,000 gallons in area. "
"is that residential? "

"yes, it's about 2.5 - 3 sq. mi."

"oh larry that's {awful?} anybody out there?"

"i haven't been able to get out to look at it"
"i don't blame you, "

"larry i'll get back to you as soon as i get some information."

"larry i don't know why they're picking on you this morning, anyone shaved your head?


-aurcat and scanner monitors knew about this spill a LONG time ago..--

maybe someone there could make a phone call?

[sniffa]

102. kick

[kma3346]

104. Kick

Kick