Bush's Gulf Coast photo op to counter "too-little, too-late" criticism

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Bush to Tour Battered Gulf Coast Towns

By JENNIFER LOVEN
The Associated Press
Friday, September 2, 2005; 2:39 AM



WASHINGTON -- President Bush hopes his tour of Gulf Coast communities battered by Hurricane Katrina will boost the spirits of increasingly desperate storm victims and their tired rescuers. The president's visit Friday also was aimed at tamping down some of the criticism that he engineered a too-little, too-late response.

Four days after Katrina made landfall in southeastern Louisiana, Bush was to get a second, closer look at the devastation wrought by the storm's 145 mph winds and 25-foot storm surge in an area stretching from just west of New Orleans to Pensacola, Fla. In all, there are 90,000 square miles under federal disaster declaration.

Beginning in Mobile, Ala., the president was to fly by helicopter over some of the hardest-hit areas along the Alabama and Mississippi coasts and stop at a few points in Mississippi to hear from those on the ground. Given the chaos of the early days after the storm, Bush's schedule remained fluid up until the last minute. Aides considered limiting his visit to New Orleans, mostly drowned in rank floodwaters and descending in many areas into lawlessness, to only an aerial tour.

Friday's trip follows a 35-minute flyover of the region he took Wednesday aboard Air Force One. It offers Bush more of a firsthand assessment of the progress that has been made since he raced back to Washington to oversee the recovery effort. But, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, the president also was going there to bring, on behalf of the nation, "support and compassion for the victims and our appreciation" for those helping with the ongoing response.

[aquart]

1. "Boost the spirits"????

Is he handing out sandwiches? Poland Spring? Mars bars???

Has he got a shipment of diapers to distribute?

Good lord, where is he going to get his canned audience?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. I can't tell if it's a case of cojones or stupidity...

...but with all of the anger focused on his "job performance," maybe he should just consider another fly-by.

[murielm99]

2. The three fucking stooges standing there.

And I LIKE Clinton.

[DemInDistress]

5. What's the deal with Bubba and the Bush crime Family?

Even before the Christman Tsunami I noticed Bill hanging out with Poppy Bush {head of the crime family} golfing,touring and in general
other things. Do you think the Bush Crime Family has blackmail material,I am a believer Poppy brought tons of powered drugs during the 80's when Bubba was Governor...The town/city Mena Arkansas comes up in stories.Its also a field where young george and jeb would meet
Barry Seals {cia} as he landed and took 2 kilos off the top for personal use..So I remained puzzeled by Bill's closeness to the Bush
Crime Family whose roots are deep into Nazi type schemes..

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. Fly by helicopter?

I thought "the thugs" of NO were shooting at helicopters.

[radfringe]

6. and how much fuel is going to wasted

so he can look "compassionate"?

[Totally Committed]

7. I feel totally abandoned by Bill Clinton. n/t

TC

[Clark2008]

8. Bill's just schmoozing on behalf of Hil.

It's really that simple, I think.

Too bad she can't win a general election in this country because she won't flip one red state (and may lose one or two blue ones) - Diebold won't even have to do any flipping to accomplish that trouncing. And, it doesn't matter who the Republican is. This country simply will not vote for a woman during a war, any war - whatever war we'll surely be involved with in 2008.

[yellowcanine]

10. He is just doing the job of ex-pres. If he didn't do it everyone would

bitch about it. Besides, if he can get Shrub to accept even ONE of his ideas for dealing with Katrina it will be worth it.

[yellowcanine]

9. Poppy looks dead. Is he being propped up. What is Bill thinking?

"Al lost to THIS putz?"