La Rep. Richard Baker: "We finally cleaned up public housing in NO"

[npincus]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/opinion/10dowd.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists

Does anyone have a WSJ online subscription to access (and post) the article?

From Maureen Dowd:

"While many see the hideous rescue failures as disaster apartheid, Barbara Bush and other Republicans have tried to look on the bright side for the victims. The Wall Street Journal reported that Representative Richard Baker of Baton Rouge was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

Even those who believe in intelligent design must surely agree that Brownie and Representative Baker weren't part of it."

[DemInDistress]

1. here it is...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/opinion/10dowd.html?th&emc=th

[npincus]

2. thanks, but I was asking for the WSJ article Dowd quoted from

You can't access anything on that site unless you subscribe.

[DemInDistress]

3. sorry,my mistake....

[AirAmFan]

4. Baker ADMITS saying this to a Baton Rouge paper (but with plenty of PR 'spin')

See http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/091005/new_misquote001.shtml , for a quite memorable "non-denial denial"

'Baker, a 20-year congressional veteran, said he has been part of hearings into poor housing conditions in New Orleans. One of those inquiries concluded that the housing authority in New Orleans squandered hundreds of millions of dollars and that families were forced to live in substandard, indecent conditions.

With that as a backdrop, Baker said, he expressed in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of his staff: "We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it."

Baker called himself a "champion of public housing" and said he has expressed nothing but sympathy for hurricane victims. "Obviously, I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state, and my comment was a demonstration of my frustration over this unacceptable, longstanding inability to improve the living conditions of New Orleans public housing residents," Baker said.'

[dR. O]

5. seriously

is that quote legit?

[Contrary1]

6. Here's a denial, I think...uh, maybe, could be, well; sort of...

Baker statement on public housing Friday, September 9, 2005
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, released the following statement today in response to a quote attributed to him by the Wall Street Journal regarding New Orleans public housing:

“Today I am taken aback and perturbed by a comment wrongly attributed to me. For almost two decades I have fought for New Orleans public housing residents, touring Desire and other housing residences many times, conducting field hearings, and requesting HUD Inspector General investigations over the poor conditions. One of those inquiries concluded that the housing authority in New Orleans squandered hundreds of millions of dollars and that the families were forced to live in substandard, indecent conditions, and led to an actual takeover of the housing authority by federal authorities. With that as background, what I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that ‘we have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it.’"

“Obviously I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state, and my comment was a demonstration of my frustration over this unacceptable longstanding inability to improve the living conditions of New Orleans public housing residents. Since Katrina struck, I have visited thousands of New Orleans-area evacuees in relief centers in Baton Rouge and have arranged for federal agencies to visit them and provide them with assistance. And I have been working with area Congressmen, particularly Congressman Jefferson who represents so much of the hurricane-damaged area in question, to press for needed changes.

“The people in my district know that I led the effort to improve public housing in Old South Baton Rouge through obtaining an $18.6 million HOPE VI grant. Those who know me know that I am a champion of public housing residents and would never have meant them any offense. And those who know me also know that I will be a lead advocate for making sure Katrina victims have the best housing opportunities and options available going forward.”

http://baker.house.gov/html/news_item.cfm?id=463

Yep, he can remember exactly what he said.

[dsc]

7. I have to say those are two different things

I have no idea which report of the statement is correct but saying that the clean up happened is much different from saying God is making us do it now. The first statement's implications are obvious while the second ones are not. The second statement could mean that they are finally going to do low income housing right.

[Contrary1]

8. Actually, I agree...

I don't think we will ever know exactly what was said.
I hope Rep. Baker is being honest in his denial. I don't
dismiss it just because he is a Republican.

There are good and not so good on both sides, politically.