Full court press on Blanco

[Be Brave]

by the media. Or so it seems by what I've seen on cable news today. They're trying to pin her on the fact that she asked for full federal help ("I need everything you've got."), but that she didn't specify what kind of help. They're trying to emphasize that she asked for 40,000 troops only on the Wednesday after Katrina landfall.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Yep, bash and blame the Dems

because Bush stayed on vacation instead of returning to DC. It's much easier to blame people who were in the fire, they actually did something so their actions and motives can be torn apart. It's much hard to criticize someone else performance when they don't even show up for the party.

[wishlist]

2. She asked for 40000 after not getting the 17000 she asked for earlier

She asked Bush for full help on Monday, then when none came asked for 17000 troops on Tuesday, when none came she upped it to 40000 on Wednesday after conditions had become even more desperate. I watched several interviews with her last week and that was what she said.

[riverwalker]

3. how can they blame the governor

if the relief was slow to the entire gulf coast, slow to Mississippi too, not just Louisiana.

[krkaufman]

4. Assuming that's all she did, how is it not on the Fed's shoulders....?

... to question/interrogate as to exactly what is needed?

It's a nonsensical stance. Feds/FEMA obviously dropped the ball.

[wurzel]

12. It was deliberate. They wanted a Dem Governor to look bad.

[highplainsdem]

17. The feds are REQUIRED BY LAW to help her ask for assistance

in such emergencies.

See my topic on this at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4741514

[tnlefty]

20. Because it's not an election year in the state where someone's

brother is the governor and a state that is needed to keep someone's sorry, corrupt ass in the WH!

From the interview that I saw on CNN early this morning, Miles O'Brien was being a real jackass, BTW, I concluded:

One must ask for equipment and specify the number(s) needed of each type.

One must request ice including the number of bags needed, etc., and it would probably be a good idea to also request a certain number of pieces of equipment to transport it and possibly request 2 people for say every 100 bags of ice to distribute it.

Yes, it's ridiculous that a governor (other than in the state of FL) would have to do this, but this is the type of crap they're trying to hang her on.

[katsy]

5. And when did they get there?

Why weren't the troops there Wednesday night or Thursday?

Democrats are not and never will sink to the level of the gop. They'll take responsibility for their mistakes (or so I hope).

[iamjoy]

6. Wasn't There A Letter She Sent Saturday Before Katrina

I seem to remember seeing it posted here.
Why is she taking this crap now? She asked for troops before the storm.

Does anyone still have that link?

[GrantDem]

8. Here's the link...

"Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a
disaster."

Sounds like pretty specific request to me.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_08.html

[newyawker99]

18. Hi jmauller!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[GrantDem]

22. Thanks glad to be here.

[applegrove]

7. And by her admission - she just got that number 40,000 into the

air. She was getting absolutely no advice from anyone in power as to what troops were important and how many would do the job. Absolutely nothing. Plus they played telephone tap with her - or more like football and didn't let her talk to the President until she had been sent around the whole WH to talk to people.

Bush WH is sure partisan. They give no counsel, from the Pentagon right on down, to anyone who didn't vote for Bush. More bullying. More punitive action on their part.

[rocktivity]

9. If they didn't know what she meant, WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK

instead of sitting on your butts for a week?

:headbang:
rocknation

[creeksneakers2]

10. We had an exercise using FEMA when I was in college

In the exercise, the local government asked FEMA to "send everything." FEMA asked what everything meant. "Everything" was the response.

I think this is what panicked state and local elected officials always tell FEMA. The locals aren't experts. They expect FEMA, with multi-billion dollar budgets and 180,000 employees to know what is needed in an emergency. Its a very reasonable expectation.

[wurzel]

11. An ex governor said he was "coached" by FEMA during an emergency.

I don't remember who he was. But he said in cases like this FEMA contacts the Governor and tells him what to do. In this case it didn't happen. I wonder why?

[Tatiana]

13. She shouldn't have to explain to FEMA how to do its job.

Nor should she have to explain to Bush and the White House what steps they should be taking under their own National Response Plan.

[Mr_Spock]

14. Federal Emergency MANAGEMENT Agency

That is what FEMA means isn't it? Correct me if I'm wrong...

[jean]

15. Why no words about Barbour, repub Gov of MS? Is Alabama's

gov a dem or repub?

[Be Brave]

16. Alabama Gov. Robert R. Riley (R). Surprise, surprise! n/t

[Imagevision]

19. So if thousands were dying? must fill out proper paper work first?

Instead Bush is pissed because his 5 week vacation was cut short for a major disaster!

How rediculous must an event be before a President is held accountable??

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[TriMetFan]

21. Bush was already pissed....

Because a little women name Cindy Sheehan was making him look like a chicken shit. Also the Gov. of LA is women. He most have something against women or he is just scare of women.

[DemsUnited]

23. Bottom line, Blanco faced the Bushco and SHE won!

She DID NOT hand control of her National Guard and other resources over to the Feds.

She won a MAJOR battle and can stand to take a few hits in a few squirmishes.

Plus, this whole thing just points out what an idiot Bush is. She's saying "Catastrophic event over here! I need all the help you've got!" on Monday and Bush still spends the next few days eating cake and playing the guitar.

[izzybeans]

24. How more specific can someone be by saying "EVERYTHING"

I need it fucking all. Get out your f'ing list and get to f'ing work."

How much more plain do these shills need it?

It's not like she called up and acted coy. "Ahh. shoot mister president. I kinda like me some of that."

Some of what?

"You know silly, that." <pointing indiscriminately, eyes fluttering>

That's not what happened. "Everything, means F'ing Everything!" They know damn well what that means. The fucking plans defined it for them.