Blame Game, Set and Match (Chris Floyd - Empire Burlesque)

[dutchdemocrat]

Blame Game, Set and Match

Wednesday, 07 September 2005

Look, it's really very simple. On Saturday, August 27, 2005 -- two days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall -- President George W. Bush assumed responsibility for the coordination of "all disaster relief efforts" in the State of Louisiana. This is the specific, undisputed language of Bush's declaration of a State of Emergency, issued that day by the White House, and still available for viewing on the White House website. The responsibility for coordinating all disaster relief efforts in New Orleans clearly rested with the White House. Despite all the post-disaster spin by the Bush Faction and its sycophants, despite all the earnest media analyses, the lines of authority are clear and indisputable. Here is the voice of George W. Bush himself, in the proclamation issued in his name, over his signature on Saturday, 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"

Bush goes on to say: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency."

There is really nothing more to be said about "lines of authority" and "who was responsible" for managing the relief effort. Two days before the hurricane struck Louisiana, the President of the United States assumed the responsibility for coordinating ALL disaster relief efforts. He then specifically designated FEMA as the lead agency in charge of this effort, giving it presidential authorization to mobilize any and all resources necessary to "alleviate the impacts of the emergency." What's more, FEMA was given specific, direct, presidential authority to act at its discretion -- it did not have to wait for approval from elsewhere in the federal government or from state or local authorities.

All of this is as plain as day; it's set down in black and white, in a direct, unambiguous document signed by President George W. Bush and available 24 hours a day on the official White House website. If any Beltway pundit or high media mandarin wishes to know who was responsible for the direction of "ALL disaster relief efforts" in the Gulf Coast during and after the storm, they need only consult the White House website.

Can we end this ludicrous "debate" about blame now?

SNIP

http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=1

[Guaranteed]

1. Great. Keep it kicked. nt

[Walt Starr]

2. This little document right here ends the debate?

Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana




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].

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

Copy and aste it into email after email. As of August 27th, all accountability fell to the Federal government.

Seriously, email blast it to the world!

[Guaranteed]

5. Yeah, I do think resignations are appropriate now. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. Prophetic Aug. 18 Cartoon

[Don Claybrook]

21. This needs its own thread, with a screaming subject line

Nominated.

[Land Shark]

22. kick

[rhino47]

3. Kick and nominated

Kinda says it all doesnt it?

[Guaranteed]

4. And it only makes SENSE.

Gee...A massive hurricane is coming. Maybe the federal government should do something.

They got as far as signing some papers. They forgot what the papers said, though.

Musta been a ball game on or something. Just a little distracted.

[Walt Starr]

6. Kick

[DELUSIONAL]

7. Great this gave me loads of ammo to send

got an email from a moderate Republican asking why the disaster drill hurricane Pam wasn't followed.

There are a few moderate Republicans who are still worth the time to re-educate.

[Dunvegan]

8. Kicked and Recommended...

...exactly.

It's about Presidential RESPONSIBILITY, Flubya!



Churchill, deeply troubled by England's lack of preparation for World War II, said, "The responsibility of ministers for the public safety is absolute and requires no mandate. It is in fact the prime object for which governments come into existence."

[acmavm]

9. Why did anyone doubt for one minute who was responsible for the

lack of action before, during, and after the storm? I didn't understand that before, during, or since. The reason we have federal agencies is to deal with these issues. Apparently the head of all these agencies must have thought that they were collecting a salary, and a lucarative one at that, for sitting on their asses doing nothing. And their fearless leader? Well, he's never done a damn thing right in his life, and he's never done the right thing either.

Who else would one blame? bush** is the nutjob who's always talking about how he's the president (right), how he can do what he wants.

People are such asses lately.

[cthrumatrix]

10. it's worse...FEMA was turning people away ....ask the mayor how he feels

about that

[lateo]

11. Chris Floyd nails it.

[Karenina]

15. Chris Floyd ALWAYS nails it!

:kick:

[glitch]

19. He does! Absolutely one of the best.

This key sentence sums it:
"If any Beltway pundit or high media mandarin wishes to know who was responsible"

They don't.

[Ninga]

12. Glad to help keep this good work of Chris Floyd up and running.

[enough]

13. kick

[berni_mccoy]

14. This is EXACTLY what I needed to Hear

This needs to get MSM ATTENTION NOW!!!

This is WHAT OUR DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO BE REPEATING!!!

[dutchdemocrat]

17. Curious Lacuna - A follow-up to "Blame Game, Set and Match"

Curious Lacuna

Wednesday, 07 September 2005

Reader Brian L. at This Modern World (which linked to my "Blame Game, Set and Match" post today) notes a curious lacuna in Bush's declaration of a national emergency in Louisiana prior to Hurricane Katrina. While giving FEMA full responsibility for coordinating all disaster relief efforts in "those parishes in the path of the storm," the Aug. 27 declaration leaves out the specific parishes in and around New Orleans and along the coast -- the very areas mostly likely to sustain the most catastrophic damage. I must admit that my rage-dimm'd eyes failed to pick up on this strange omission when I was writing the post last night.

What does this mean? I'm not sure. Was it some kind of conscious subterfuge to skirt responsibility for what everyone knew would be the worst-hit areas? Was it some kind of bureaucratic snafu or arcane matter of procedure? (Either of which could have been overridden by direct presidential intervention at any time.) As with so many of the disasters under Bush's rule, we are left with the same old question: Was it deliberate malevolence or just criminal incompetence?

Bush himself was touting his Aug. 27 declaration the very next day, at a press appearance at his fake ranch in Crawford, saying, "Yesterday, I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana, and this morning I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi. These declarations will allow federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials. We will do everything in our power to help the people in the communities affected by this storm."


Now that seems a pretty broad brush -- broader than the narrow gauge used in the actual declaration. In his public statement -- again, before the storm hit -- Bush is clearly giving the impression that the "federal agencies" will "coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials" in "the communities affected by this storm."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4678373

[Booster]

18. I'm sure Gov. Blanco used this little signed document to make her

decision about not giving all her power to Bush. Really, what a bunch of idiots, but then when you have the media willing to spin whatever you want, you've got at least a chance of fooling 50% of Americans. Again, it goes back to the damn media. Every email sent to the MSM should end by calling them "rumor mongers" cause that's what they are. I usually put in that they are becoming trivial in getting real news out, and that I get real news from the internet. I believe we might see the death of TV as we know it; all we have is "CSI", "Law and Order", and reality shows, with the MSM being as useful as tits on a boar, TV is becoming increasingly irrelevant and they can't seem to figure out what went wrong. Corporate America must be totally made up of wannabe Bushitas.

[krkaufman]

20. Somebody has their dates wrong... Friday or Saturday for LA emerg decl?

When did Bush declare a State of Emergency for New Orleans or Louisiana?

Sat, Aug 27th? -- Chris Floyd...
http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=1

- or -

Fri, Aug 26th? -- georgia10...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4668155

According to the White House press release, dated August 27th, the State of Emergency was effective "August 26th, 2005, and continuing."

Statement on Federal Emergency Assistance for Louisiana

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.

...

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

So the WH announced on Saturday that a State of Emergency in Louisiana had been initiated on Friday -- though exact time of day is unknown. This is just the press release. Is some paperwork necessary to declare a SoE? And, if so, when exactly was the SoE declared?

[slay]

23. Screw the facts - for BushCo it's all about spin and misdirection

I'm in hopes they won't be able to spin their way out of this one - he did basically take the blame as you said. How long are the decent people of this country going to be made to suffer under the non-leadership of BushCo and their cronies? :(

[blitzen]

24. We should blast this to ALL congresspersons and MSM n/t

[Freedomfried]

25. Kinda like the Captain saying "I've got the helm"...

than sneaking back down to his cabin for a nap.

[texpatriot2004]

26. Yes. I know, and we all know, where the blame lies. n/t

[cyberpj]

27. AND - It's possible he only authorized it for 2/3 of the state. See here:

http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/637/1

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. yes, that's bizarre. Being discussed in this DU thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4692732

I've emailed Keith Olbermann about it. My top speculation is that there is some error in the online version of the 8/27 WH Press release, which is where parishes appear to be "missing" from the emergency declaration - including New Orleans and the other southern parishes. Surely reporters would have noticed such an omission, and surely Gov. Blanco or someone in her office would have noticed it if it was in the official letter she received from Bush (which I have not seen online anywhere).

But we do need to find out for certain what is going on here. I invite anyone reading this to join the thread on it I've linked to above.

[Nothing Without Hope]

28. The NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN of Homeland Security makes the responsibility

very, very clear. The buck stops with the President and the federal authorities. Period.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4668155

[SammyWinstonJack]

30. KICK nt

[DemReadingDU]

31. here is statement concerning coastal parishes

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050829-2.html

from comments here
http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=1