GOV. HALEY BARBOUR apologist for Dubya to CNN's Miles O'Brien

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

CNN LIVE TODAY transcript today Sept 1, 2005

"...M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the response and what was put into position in advance of this storm. We knew about Katrina. We knew it was a strong storm developing for several days before it ever made landfall. Do you have the sense -- because it's quite clear that state and local officials cannot handle this on their own. This is too overwhelming. Do you have the sense that the federal government has dropped the ball here, sir?

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR, MISSISSIPPI: I really don't. And I think it's very unfair for the federal government, for you to say we knew this was a great powerful storm. This was a category 1 hurricane when it hit Florida. Now that's the truth.

M. O'BRIEN: Governor, it was a category 5 storm.

BARBOUR: The federal government...

M. O'BRIEN: A category 5 storm when it was...

BARBOUR: No, it was a category 1 -- it was a category 1 storm when it hit Florida. It was a category 5 storm a few hours before it came ashore.

M. O'BRIEN: No, no, Governor Barbour...

BARBOUR: The federal government have been tremendous partners in this. They have helped...

M. O'BRIEN: Governor Barbour, surely there was enough knowledge in advance that this was a huge killer storm a matter of days, not hours, before it ever struck landfall. And it seems to me the military...

BARBOUR: Now, Miles, if this is an interview or an argument, I don't care. But if you want to let me tell you what I think, I will.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, go ahead.

BARBOUR: And what I think is this storm strengthened in the Gulf. We begged the people to leave, and thousands of people left. Thousands of people left New Orleans. The federal government came in here from the first minute -- in fact, in advance. They have been tremendously helpful, whether it's the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, FEMA.

M. O'BRIEN: But...

BARBOUR: I don't think it's at all fair...

M. O'BRIEN: But...

BARBOUR: ... and I'm not going to agree to that, because I don't believe it's true.

(END VIDEOTAPE)"

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/01/lt.01.html

[lancdem]

1. Barbour used to be head of the RNC

That should tell you all you need to know.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

2. If the interview didn't already...

:grr:

[onenote]

3. You want the truth, Haley? You can't handle the truth.

Here's the truth: Go to
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/refresh/KATRINA+shtml/145512.shtml
and follow the forecast history. Its true that Katrina wasn't declared a Hurricane until shortly before it made landfall on the east coast of Florida around 6:30 pm on Thursday and that it was a cat one storm at that time.

BUT -- and this is CRITICAL: as early as 5 pm Thursday -- when it was still a tropical storm, NOAA was reporting that certain of its computer models forecast that the storm would strengthen into a dangerous storm and that it could make landfall between Mobile and Grand Isle ... which is exactly what happened. Unfortunately, other computer models that had the storm turning more northeasterly towards the FL panhandle were viewed as more credible at that point. But it was well understood that this was going to be a very dangerous hurricane and with even a possibility that it could hit the Louisiana coast, much more extensive efforts should have gotten underway as early as Friday. Indeed by 5 pm the forecast was shifting towards a more westerly landfall and by 11 pm Friday the forecast was as follows:
MOST OF THE RELIABLE NUMERICAL MODEL TRACKS ARE NOW CLUSTERED BETWEEN
THE EASTERN COAST OF LOUISIANA AND THE COAST OF MISSISSIPPI.

Yet the mandatory evacuation order didn't come until Sunday as I understand it.

This was a major fuck up. And Haley can't cover it up.

onenote