Ray Nagin, what a dissapointment on meet the press : [

[inthebrain]

Anyone watch this interview?

This party really needs the Ray Nagin of last week. Not the newly invented "I'll go along just to get along" version. He should have spent this interview shoving his boot up Bush's ass and pointing out the hypocrisy of blaming local officials.

Still no mention of Repulican Haley Barbour and the steps he took? Joe Scarborough did a better job of pointing that out on Bill Maher.

Sometimes I feel like I fight harder for the Democrats in office than they fight for themselves.

[aquart]

1. Yeah. I disagreed with him about almost everything.

He wants to keep his people in Texas which destroys the New Orleans sense of community. I'm really uncomfortable with what he's planning.

[...of J.Temperance]

7. They never were "his" people...he's happy with them OUT of NOLA

Trust me on this and see my post below.

And Baton Rouge is in charge of ALL Louisiana and if Baton Rouge wants to bring those NOLA people back, or as many as they can as possible and house them in tents and trailers...then Baton Rouge should do that and tell Mayor Ray Nagin to fuck off.

A lot of people in the Crescent City called him Ray Ragin (pronounced Reagan) and for GOOD reason to.

[Helga Scow Stern]

2. Yes, it was very disheartening to hear him say

Bush good, Blanco bad.

And now Bush is spending the night?

I do not like the implications of that at all.

[Imagevision]

44. Bush good, Blanco bad? -Ididn't hear those words, do you know who Nagin is

[merwin]

3. He's doing his fair share of fighting. He also has a responsibility to

his city to get things back in order, and his time is better spent coordinating those efforts than bashing Bush 24x7 (considering they can't coordinate anything themselves).

[murielm99]

4. They probably did something to pull him back in line.

They threatened or bribed.

And remember, he was a repuke before he ran for mayor. I read that some blacks don't consider him a "brother."

[Erika]

6. Yeah, he backed W and was against Blanco

He's considered an elitist trying to pander to the commoners.

[...of J.Temperance]

5. Ray Nagin's a Republican and I've known for a week he'd do this

Nagin ONLY switched to Democratic to get elected Mayor. But now that ALL of the black people are out of NOLA and can't vote there again, he's gone back to his PROPER political party.

The whites that are left in NOLA will vote for Nagin because he's a Condi Rice and he'll do their bidding.

I wish Richard Pennington would have won that NOLA race for Mayor, I've never trusted Nagin...also he endorsed the Repuke Bobby Jindal over Kathleen Blanco when nearly EVERYBODY else had endorsed Blanco.

Remember: A leopard doesn't change it's spots.

[Psephos]

9. He has black skin, black parents, and Democratic Party registration card

Which, umm, means he's a black Democrat. A brother. The man is what he is.

Honestly, this secret-repug-oreo-bushco-lickspittle spin on Nagin is right out of Orwell.

If, as you say, a leopard doesn't change its spots, then should we disown Jeffords? How then to explain Zell Miller?

These are my opinions. Nothing more, nothing less.

Peace.

[Skwmom]

24. Haven't you ever heard of "Democratic Republicans?" In areas

where only a D can get elected, Republicans switch their party affiliation to D in order to get elected. Remember how they had to drag LePore to agree to the recount in Florida? She was a "Democratic-Republican." I remember LePore saying when the recount was all over - the voters needed to accept PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for voting incorrectly. It didn't matter that she and an underling designed the misleading ballot.

Right out of Orwell? Hardly.

[bullimiami]

29. black skin, black parents and used to be a republican....

[Psephos]

42. And I used to be a fifteen-year-old with a bad haircut

This kind of thinking drives me crazy. We are who we are, not who we were. I don't care if Nagin was a John Bircher or a bank robber in his earlier life...I'm judging him based on where he is NOW. BTW, there are more than a few DUers who once were repugs. Maybe we should abandon them, too?

I like to think that tolerance of other viewpoints is the hallmark of progressive thinking. When a dem or an African-American or a (fill in the blank) doesn't exactly follow the left script, we attack them and say they're not really a dem or black or whatever. It happens sometimes here, too, when someone posts an opinion that's not on script. Seems awfully close to purity purging sometimes.

The arrogance of some of these judgments against Nagin is breathtaking. Nagin IS black and IS a dem. Those are facts, and because of those facts he deserves our public support. Loyalty is more than just a platitude - but you never know who is loyal until it becomes inconvenient to be so. The RW is lacing into Nagin with relish, and our response is to throw him outside the castle walls?

Fuck that. It's the same with my family. They may not always be right, but I'll defend any one of them with my fists if I have to.

I may not agree with a lot Nagin has done but I will stay loyal to him because of who he is.

Peace.

[formernaderite]

34. hello...the man supported the republican Jindal over Blanco...

he donated to the Bush campaign....oh, but he's really a dem..you know he switched his registration just for the election...oops I mean because he's really a dem.

[Erika]

11. Well lets get the dems back in there

I've heard more and more that Nagin is in only for his own wealth.

[...of J.Temperance]

13. I want as many of the NOLA black people back in Louisiana

And I think that the proper Louisiana Democrats want that too...Blanco, Foti, Cleo Fields, Arthur Morrell, the Morial family, the Landrieu family etc.

It seems that ONLY Ray Nagin doesn't want these black folks back, he wants them to stay wherever they are scattered around the country. And one has to ask why?

All the solid Democrats want these black folks back, but the lifelong Republican-turned Democrat a few days before the election Ray Nagin wants them to stay out.

Nagin DOESN'T need these black folks anymore, because in the 2002 run-off election Nagin won 55% of the vote with the white voters.

Nagin is NOT a Jim Jeffords, trust me, I'm telling the truth here.

It's Governor Blanco that EVERYBODY should be defending.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. Uncle Ray is a cable TV exec. The Mayor thing is a hobby

and gets you into the best parties during Mardi Gras. He freaked out and acted all hysterical after the flood because he was a afraid he would get blamed. Now that everything is "cool" it's back to the old game.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Nagin apparently pulled a Teresa LaPore

in that he switched parties to win election in a predominantly Democratic jurisdiction. He donated money to bu$h 2000 and endorsed Governor Blanco's Republican opponent in the last election.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2069478

[Old Vet]

12. I didn't know that, That will teach me to assume............

Shit I had his back in more than one conversation. First I heard he donated to bush WTF?

[ElectroPrincess]

32. Oh man, that's just plain disgusting

:puke:

[boilerskip]

14. it is a power thing

I am from here in south louisiana but when I was talking to all of the NOPD wed when I was there(we had plenty of time because we had to keep stopping while they cut trees so we could get our boats by) I kind of picked up that he might not be really tight with Blanco. I just cant believe we left all of those school buses to flood, so we can buy some more now because those are ruined. They cant say the water flash flooded them in. That water was rising slow as heck all day mon. tue and alittle of wed before it topped out. I was hauling my boat with a Buick. All of the cops and local DWF(dept.wildlife and fisheries)I talked to gave me the impression most were not impressed.I sure wish we we could have brought Sen Breaux in to take charge. He is way to cajun to put up with all that bureaucratic BS,lol

But even monday around 3 in the afternoon we were talking about how lucky NO had been. All the word out of there was everything is peachy with some damaged houses on the east side. People were talking the rest of the day about how the water was starting to rise 12 hors after katrina. By noon the next day they were asking anyone with a boat to come down there. someone should have done the math and gotten those vehic. out. I am not a mental giant, but I would think after a storm like katrina that maybe a few hundred school busses might come in handy. There was a day and a half where someon could have gotten vhichles out with someone cutting trees to let em by.

[...of J.Temperance]

15. Governor Blanco's PR team need to nail Nagin on the buses

If he blames Blanco ANYMORE, she needs to slice and dice him and nail the 500 school buses and EVERYTHING else in NOLA to Nagin. Blanco needs to get the blame away from her and onto Nagin and the Bush bastard. IF she doesn't the Bush bastard, Nagin and the mediawhores are going to CRUCIFY her and I don't mean maybe.

Governor Blanco did ALL that she could do with what she had available. Ray Nagin SHOULD have bused those folks out, he had 500 school buses and he had drivers and fuel, they should have been bused out across Louisiana...not stuck in the Superdome and up in the 9th Ward.

Jaysus and IF they'd had of been bused out across Louisiana, they WOULDN'T now be scattered all OVER the country.

Oh and welcome and hello to you by the way :hi:

If any of Governor Blanco's people read this DU board...CAN I come and work for her? I'll work for FREE and everything.

[Griffy]

17. the buses dont matter.. no one answers WHERE was he going to take them?

ok, so Nagin has buses.. fine.. he needs what.. several hundred drivers.. and where do you go? Was Houston going to take in buses of people with no money (thats why they didnt leave) BEFORE the storm? It's a ridiculous arguement.. the city didnt have the resources to do it on its own!

The Superdome DID shelter them from the actual storm, and had the levee held those people woulda gone home to clean up... some woulda need shelter, but the city did flood, and the federal government just watched as they died. Actually blocking the bridge and stopping aid. Nagin didnt expect that, in fact I would bet he expected something more like what FL. got.... silly man, all life isnt equal to bushies! :mad:

[rfkrfk]

21. evacuating the busses, would have been helpful

the busses could then have been used to
transport people out of the Superdome,
much faster than was actually done.

Some times, it is better to do something yourself,
rather than depend on others to find a bus fleet.

The busses might come in handy during recovery,
but now, they are flooded, don't know how bad.

[Roland99]

31. It's "buses", but, Nagin answered that on Sunday. No drivers.

The New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Plan called for taking people to shelters in the city and, when he announced the mandatory evacuations, he told people to bring food/water. The mayor said they had some food/water there already.

Nagin said he was fully expecting "the cavalry" within that 2-3 days but it never showed up. WTF is he supposed to do?

[rfkrfk]

36. taking to shelter, should not be confused with 'evacuation'

you will find these links, of interest

http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans/EOPSheltersupplement.pdf

..........
excerpt from N.O. plan, section, IV - C.

C. Evacuation Routing and Traffic Control

New Orleans is surrounded by water. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway leads to the north, the I-10 twin spans head east, I-10 runs east-west and the Crescent City Connection and the Huey P. Long bridges cross over the Mississippi River. Evacuation presents unique and distinct challenges.
..........

from the La. plan
pdf page 14, {document page 9}, Item D,
The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles.
However, school and municipal buses and, where available, specialized vehicles will be used to transport those hurricane evacuees who do not have transportation.
..........

IMO, if the 'evac' part of the plans had not been skipped,
there would have been less suffering a the Convention Center
and the Superdome.

[Roland99]

38. Guess it depends on the definition of "evacuate". From your 1st link:

The City of New Orleans will utilize all available resources to quickly and safely evacuate threatened areas. Those evacuated will be directed to temporary sheltering and feeding facilities as needed. When specific routes of progress are required, evacuees will be directed to those routes. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate persons unable to transport themselves or who require specific life saving assistance. Additional personnel will be recruited to assist in evacuation procedures as needed.

The Superdome and other facilities were where the people were taken.

[flpoljunkie]

30. Remember the Crescent Connection Bridge to Superdome never closed.

It was being used by the media to go in and out of New Orleans. Check out this google map.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Crescent+City+Connection+Bridge,+New+Orleans&spn=0.034900,0.063030&num=10&start=0&hl=en

The New Orleans Picayune pointed this out in a open letter to the President:

Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.

Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.

Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a "Today" show story Friday morning.

Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.


http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_09_04.html#076771

[fooj]

16. One thing was quite apparent from the start, IMO.

Blanco and Nagin didn't read from the same script. Period. That, in itself- was painfully obvious. I noticed that from day one. IMO, he didn't work very hard at masking his disdain for the Governor.

I'm having a hard time with why 500 NO Police would walk off the job. How in the world did they manage to get a concentration of cops who would be willing to walk? I realize that some may have turned their back on their city. However, 500 seems like an unreasonable number. You mean to tell me that the death toll hasn't even reached 200 people, yet 500 cops (over double) just vanished? IMO, something just isn't right. Cops are trained for disaster and crisis management. What gives?

As for Nagin saving 80% of the city evacuees(someone mentioned 80% on an earlier thread)...

The media saved his people. He did not. The media insisted that the injustice be publicized. He did not. The media begged for the people to be released. He did not. The media screamed and actually DID SOMETHING about it. He did not. The American people SAW who took care of who. The media showed us that. For a change. A welcome change to be sure. Why wasn't Nagin screaming down at the Convention Center and the Superdome? Does anyone realize how many thousands of people were left there to die?


The Oprah interview was less than genuine, IMO, as well. Flags are just popping up all over the place for me. He doesn't strike me as authentic. Not in the least.

Peace.

[AtomicKitten]

19. You're so right.

For once, the media let the narcotics wear off and did their damn job!
It was their heartwrenching nonstop coverage that shamed some action albeit way too late for many.

[Skwmom]

26. I agree. I think some people were initially blinded by the

"D" in front of his name.

[ChowChowChow]

18. He's a RePUG and was prob. threatened

By the chimp at their meeting.

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. Ah, yes the hourly DU let's bash the Mayor thread

Karl Rove is smiling.

[Psephos]

45. Exactly n/t

[inthebrain]

46. Karl Rove is smiling

Because Tim Russert followed the script.

Ray Nagin could have replyed with, "Where does Haley Barbour fit in all of this?"

I think the school Bus talking point is completely fucking ridiculous. Where the hell is he supposed to come up with available bus drivers to evacuste the city on a weekend?

I am upset to see Nagin nail Bush one week and completely back down the next. Too many democrats are too willing to ecuse this as "playing the game". It's more like "another opportunity for the right to tilt the center in their direction".

Everytime a Democrat speaks for constituency and hammers Bush for his failures, they apologize within seven days.

[win_in_06]

22. I'll bet Nagin will run against Blanco in the next Governor's race

with the backing of the GOP machine as repayment for not trying to bury Bush on this.

[Mass]

28. And Blanco will win again

One of the reasons she won was that her adversary was not white, and racist republicans voted for her.

[bklyncowgirl]

23. Blanco isn't bashing Bush either both are playing the game.

Let's face it. The State and local politicians are doing what they have to do which means playing the game.

Nagin and Blanco don't like each other much. That's no shock. I lived in New York City for years where Mayor Ed Koch and Governor Mario Cuomo (both Democrats)couldn't stand each other either. Intraparty feuds go on all the time.

I don't like it either but if they want to salvage anything for their people, they have to work with Bush and his gang of crooks. That's reality.

[Freddie Stubbs]

37. Koch had some very valid reasons to dislike Cuomo

Considering the nasty smear campaing that Cuomo's backers ran against him.

[bklyncowgirl]

40. Vote for Cuomo not the homo

Posters planted in working class neighborhoods in NYC.

You're right that was nasty. Cuomo and Koch also couldn't agree on lunch.

[inthebrain]

43. Maybe Cuomo had a calid reason to dislike Koch?

Afterall, Koch also backed Bush in this past election. How could anyone back Bush and call themselves a Democrat?

[Roland99]

25. Geez...will you all knock it off? Ridiculous

The mayor wants his city rebuilt. What's he supposed to do? Completely ignore the President?


Get a clue...it's politics.

[bullimiami]

27. It all changed the day he met with Bush.

Why?

[Bridget Burke]

33. Because he cares about New Orleans?

He wants it rebuilt? Perhaps with some of the actual inhabitants getting jobs and/or funding--rather than just Halliburton, etc.?

As anonymous posters, we're free to criticize Bush. He isn't. Of course, many here who are criticizing Nagin and/or Blanco are more circumspect about criticizing Bush...

[formernaderite]

35. What makes you think he gives a shit??

Because he happens to be black? He left the city when things got ugly.

[Bridget Burke]

39. I heard him on TV before Bush made it to NO.

He cares. His family has moved to Dallas for 6 months, but he's still doing his job.

Hey, formernaderite, Thanks again!

[Imagevision]

41. Nagin Said on MTP: "everyone on the record needs to be

investigated, from Myself right up to the President's response, so Nagin is still telling it like it is in my book...let the dust settle, see if there is an independant investigation - then I'll be satisfied.

Nagins comments still stand...!

Bush: "there will be plenty of time to play the blame game" - and when this prez is ready/ ... he'll let ya'll know.