Newsweek: Aides didn't tell Bush extent of Katrina damage till Thursday ni

[lindisfarne]

ght.
(I don't recall seeing this; if it's a duplicate, please link to original).

So now the blame for the failure is on the Bush aids, not Bush.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287434/site/newsweek

Sept. 19, 2005 issue - It's a standing joke among the president's top aides: who gets to deliver the bad news? Warm and hearty in public, Bush can be cold and snappish in private, and aides sometimes cringe before the displeasure of the president of the United States, or, as he is known in West Wing jargon, POTUS. The bad news on this early morning, Tuesday, Aug. 30, some 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina had ripped through New Orleans, was that the president would have to cut short his five-week vacation by a couple of days and return to Washington. The president's chief of staff, Andrew Card; his deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagin; his counselor, Dan Bartlett, and his spokesman, Scott McClellan, held a conference call to discuss the question of the president's early return and the delicate task of telling him. Hagin, it was decided, as senior aide on the ground, would do the deed.
<snip>

[merwin]

1. His people are SCARED of telling him that his vaca is cut short by 2 days?

Damn

[FreedomAngel82]

3. Pathetic

I thought there was a photo of Bush watching the weather channel dated August 28th?

[Karenina]

67. Yes, indeed there was.

The *blivet was properly briefed but he thought he was there just to get his picture taken and heard NOTHING.

Absolutely Nothing.

[ladylibertee]

76. Oh Hell No !!! Seriously? That's too funny

[ladylibertee]

77. Oh Hell No !!! Seriously? That's too funny

OOps ....How do I delete?

[lindisfarne]

4. Bush apparently lives in a black hole and never watches TV (we know he

doesn't read the newspaper - he may not read at all).

[wake.up.america]

6. He should not be allowed to use the excuse that he cannot read....

and get away with it.

[Erika]

5. the elitists are that way

they like their "earned" privileges and want no interuptions

[Southpaw Bookworm]

64. Isn't that typical of most dictators?

Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Pinochet: Weren't most of them lied to about major issues because their aides were afraid of the reaction?

[Erika]

2. Bush isn't responsible for reading newspapers, watching tv

or having decent intelligence. He just rides his bike and depends on someone to tell him there is a problem? OK. The village idiot.

[tuvor]

7. Then it's bush's fault for surrounding himself with incompetents.

He's not a real president. He just plays one on TV.

[eleny]

9. I'm not a real president but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express

:eyes:

[calimary]

49. LOL!!!

Hey, ANYBODY who really did stay at a Holiday Inn Express would be better able to handle the responsibilities of the presidency than this turdhead.

[koopie57]

12. I thought it

was okay that he was stupid cuz he surrounded himself with the best people available?

[NYC]

24. He'll never win an emmy.

[Skittles]

8. people actually voted for this f***ing clown

it will never fail to boggle my mind

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

37. The media did not expose what a fucking clown he is.

They did not cover his weaknesses and still give him every benefit of the doubt, despite years of fuck-ups.

The Katrina coverage is the only thing resembling professional journalis I've seem from MSM in years.

[Skittles]

47. HIS IGNORANCE WAS ON DISPLAY IN ALL ITS GLORY

EVERY TIME HE FREAKING SPOKE - the fact is people KNEW he was a nitwit but OH "HE IS SURROUNDED BY SUCH GOOD PEOPLE". ALL THESE IGNORANT VOTERS HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS.

[lindisfarne]

10. I am still wondering whether there is some kind of battle going on within

the administration. Neither Rove nor Cheney seemed to make any effort to help him out initially. Guess who are involved in the Plame outing? Perhaps this was their attempt to let Bush know that he can't make it without their help - in other words, they better defend him when the fruits of the Plame investigation are revealed. Maybe Bush got upset with them for not being more clever in what they attempted to do.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing.

[Carla in Ca]

21. You're right

There is a battle going on in the WH. Rove's lost his touch and the media is finally reporting it. Maybe, just maybe he will not be able to get up from the one-two punch of Katrina and finally stay down for the count.
Look at some of the articles and news shows this week, including 'How * blew it'(Newsweek) and KO doing a 2 1/2 hr special called 'president in crisis, CNN had picked up and is reporting the story about WH cronyism and pork, WaPo has an article stating that we are NOT safer.

The battles being waged right now are in the WH. Their spin control is, well, out of control.

[benburch]

11. Hitler had the same "problem"

He was moving around armies on the planning maps that had been wiped out because nobody was willing to tell him bad news.

[sepia_steel]

13. You know what?

If you've hired a bunch of incapable fucks who can't even tell you that MAJOR DISASTER has struck, IT IS STILL YOUR OWN FAULT THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW. Presidents aren't supposed to get 'real' vacations. You are 'on' 24/7. You still have to know what in the fuck is going on in the country you're supposed to be leading. Nothing they can say and no one they can blame is going to save * from this one. Nothing.

edited for typos

[donheld]

14. Why do these fools suffer Bunnypants so gladly?

Why they would put up with his shit I'll never understand. They need to stand up to his ass and refuse to take this crap. They are complete idiots to put up with this. I'd rather work for just about anybody than be treated like he must treat them. They no doubt have tons of crap on Bushie they spill the beans and put him out the door.

This shows us all how the Bushie clan think all employees should be treated.

[LibDemAlways]

16. Working for the Bush Crime Family is a lot like

working for the Corleones. Cross them and expect severe retribution that very well could be life-threatening. That, I suspect, is why the toadies remain loyal.

[lindisfarne]

17. But Cheney has reaped millions out of the Halliburton contract.

He might be done politically (assuming the Bushes could arrange this) but does he care?

[GRLMGC]

15. What? Can't incurious George handle it?

Do they not tell him about the body count in Iraq? Does he fucking know anything? You know, something about him strikes me. Other presidents have obviously aged throughout their tenures. GW looks like the same douchebag we saw in 2000.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Paging Doctor Kildaire

we need a Psy eval on the Pres, for fitness to serve...

For the record Nixon was the same way too

[expatriot]

19. Not a cancer upon the presidency but rather a paralysis of the presidency.

the fact that George did not ask for any assessment or situational updates is impeachable IMHO. But then again, I am a bit partisan.

[OneBlueSky]

20. when they're done with this, Bush will be a hurricane VICTIM . . .

"his people let him down" will be the line . . .

[FlaGranny]

54. I wonder what everyone will say when

he gives all those people who let him down the freedom medal and promotes them?

[arcos]

22. this WHOLE article is a ***MUST*** read!! nt

[Diane R]

23. Confirms Capital Hill Blue account.....

About a month or so ago, Capital Hill Blue printed an article discussing his private demeanor, which is apparently quite different than his public face.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4636.shtml

[Diane R]

26. Correct link

I'm sorry. Here is the correct link to that article.
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/printer_7218.shtml

[applegrove]

25. As innocent as a baby. Dumb & innocent. And Cheney was away.

And Rove was sick. So it was nobody's fault. The callousness belongs to others.

[burrowowl]

27. JFK read zillions of newspapers

during breakfast! I'm sure had TV with the weather channel had existed, he would have watched it!
And guess what, there used to be AM radio that gave news to all on national emergencies, part of civil defense, and guess who cut the funding: RAYGUN and ILK! Used to be people with a battery-powered radio could tune in to a designated radio station and find out what the hell was going on and what to do! Verizon, Sprint, etc. just shut down and don't give diddly-squat. However, they will bill you for when your cellphone didn't work. Too poor to have a cellphone, according to the powers that be, tough titty!
I hope everyone has seen the Sunday Opus! GREEAAT! Go google it!

[lindisfarne]

28. Someone posted the Sunday Opus here Sunday. Here's the link

>http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4733534

[Borgnine]

29. I don't see this article as shifting blame to Bush aids.

If anything, this paints Bush in an even worse light.

[shayes51]

30. Do you think this could be a sign that * is drinking?

[leftylady]

35. It might be. But it is very odd that his aids don't want to disturb him

with even the worst disaster in history.

Its like they didn't tell him about the plane flying over the whitehouse until he got through with his bikeride.

[shayes51]

50. That's what I think, too. Makes me wonder if

they don't tell him about these very important things because he's not in the best shape to make any decisions.

[Pacifist Patriot]

61. Whether he is drinking or not, it smacks of a dysfunctional family

lead by an alcoholic father to me. Who wants to be the one to set daddy off?

[MaineDem]

31. "But the president ... went to bed."

Holy shit!!!

"Bush, the governor later recalled, was reassuring. But the conversation was all a little vague. Blanco did not specifically ask for a massive intervention by the active-duty military. "She wouldn't know the 82nd Airborne from the Harlem Boys' Choir," said an official in the governor's office, who did not wish to be identified talking about his boss's conversations with the president. There are a number of steps Bush could have taken, short of a full-scale federal takeover, like ordering the military to take over the pitiful and (by now) largely broken emergency communications system throughout the region. But the president, who was in San Diego preparing to give a speech the next day on the war in Iraq, went to bed."


The Governor asked for "everything you've got" and he went to bed!

[Kahuna]

32. It's his responsibility to be ono top of a situation where he already

declared a state of emergency.

[OneTwentyoNine]

33. BS,it was ALL over the news...Radar and Sat pictures by the minute..

Before it hit monday morning and then live video of the destruction shortly after it departed.

If Bush is that fucking brain dead then remove him from office NOW! How many people in his administration are going to CONTINUE to take the fall for the SOB??

[Totally Committed]

34. "So now the blame for the failure is on the Bush aids, not Bush."

I'm sorry, but a President that surrounds himself with aides who are so afraid to tell him about ANYTHING bad, because his vacation is more important than ANYTHING, is to be blames for not only picking weak and ineffectual aides, but also creating an atmosphere so pisonous and so scary that the American People are put at risk. Sure, he can always claim "Nobody told me", but the WHY of that is equally as damning as the disaster from which he "escapes" blame.

Am I wrong?

We are out here all alone, because of this President and his administration. Who cares WHY???? We just ARE. And, thousands of our fellow Americans have suffered and died because it.

TC

[OneTwentyoNine]

41. Exactly right....Hell,that story is a SCANDAL in itself n/t

[12345]

36. I thought that he was "monitoring the situation" while on vacation.

They kept showing photos of him watching tv coverage of the hurricane. Maybe it was over his head.

[onecent]

38. Could someone please tell me what POTUS means? Tks n/t

[Lisa0825]

39. President Of The United States

:-)

[Totally Committed]

40. It is an acronym for...

President of the United States.

:)

TC

[Coexist]

42. President Of The United States - substitute Supreme Court for SCOTUS

[onecent]

45. Thanks to all of you who answered... n/t

[lindisfarne]

65. I personally love "FLOTUS" -seems like more of an insult

First Lady OTUS

[OneTwentyoNine]

52. And Bush is a piece of shit would be-- that POS Bush.....heh he....

[Pacifist Patriot]

60. Projecting Oedipal Tyrannical Unhinged Sadist

at least when it comes to our current President Of The United States.

Haven't you ever watched "The West Wing?" ;)

[bluedawg12]

43. The madness of King George n/t

[npincus]

44. is that an EXCUSE?????????????????

the President has to be TOLD every fucking thing? He doesn't READ a newspaper? OCCASSIONALLY turn on FOX NEWS? Especially in a time of a National crisis? Next we'll hear that "no one told him about Hurricane Katrina"!!!!

Didn't Clinton read 3-4 newspapers at the start of every day?

SO, WE HAVE AN IMBECILE IN THE WH AND THAT'S THEIR EXCUSE???? IF YOU DON"T TELL HIM EVERY FUCKING THING, HE WON'T KNOW ANY FUCKING THING?


Tell me, does he need to be told how to wipe his ass or put on his pants in the morning? I tell my 3-year old "which is the front and which is the back" of her panties, but she makes an EFFORT to do things on her own, to learn new skills and information on her own.

So, Bush does not have the intecllectual curiousity of my 3-year old daughter?

[Pacifist Patriot]

62. The disconnect between WH psychology and reality grows

ever wider if they think this is a good explanation.

Oh, well see, it's not his fault because he was uninformed. Ah....an uninformed president is somehow better than an indifferent one.

[Amonester]

69. Exactly. All he really likes to do is to tell everybody watching:

"Watch that drive."

or

"Watch that cake."

or

"Watch that guitar chord."


Everything else to him is just too "boring" to even mind about it.


There must be a specific term for it in psychology courses...

[leesa]

46. Newsflash to Newsweek...Bush is cold and snappy in public as well

Republicans...always blame the little guy when you are in charge. Are Republicans stupid enough to swallow this one?

[OneTwentyoNine]

53. Yeah,Bush FLIPPING OFF America wasn't very warm and fuzzy was it??

[sepia_steel]

66. wait wait wait. is that photo REAL?

i've ever seen that.

[OneTwentyoNine]

68. Yeper....Bush was asked a question about SS I believe....

And kept walking and flipping off America. Scott the snot said that Bush was giving a thumbs up or something to that degree.

Look like a thumbs up to you??

[nadinbrzezinski]

74. Definitely that is the thumb, :Snarf:

[SillyGoose]

48. This screams failure of leadership. When the President's aides

are afraid to bring him bad news and "cringe" at his displeasure, there are serious problems in the way this country is being run. Couple this with the fact that many of his appointees are not qualified for their positions and you've got a full-scale disaster in the works.

This whole miserable episode exposed a dirty little secret - that we are totally unable to adequately respond to a crisis here at home. This is directly due to the inept reorganization of FEMA after 9/11, poor hiring decisions by the President to lead vitally important agencies and a desire by the leadership to exist inside the insulated bubble of an alternate reality.

[glitch]

57. Failure of Leadership indeed. BLAME BUSH, he hired the cowardly aides. nt

[mcscajun]

51. Okay...We Know He Doesn't Read Newspapers, but...

...did No One, from Bush on down, never hear of a news clipping service?

:WTF:

Oh, I'm sorry,:sarcasm: I expected rational behavior and competent action here.
Oh, and I forgot,:sarcasm: the President doesn't even read all his PDBs (Presidential Daily Briefings).

What would EVER make me think he'd read a compliation of the most important daily events from a news clipping service.

[The Backlash Cometh]

55. So why does he insist that he surrounded himself by good people?

NOLA indicates that his judgment is faulty.

[Pacifist Patriot]

56. Everyone around him tiptoes on eggshells ...

it's like a family taking care not to set off the alcoholic father. The press does it too. They look like timid offspring in desperate need of an al-anon meeting, not journalists.

This is also very reminiscent of Senator Mel Martinez' modus operandi. Responsibility flows down hill with Republicans.

[AirAmFan]

72. GREAT INSIGHT! Being a "dry drunk" once again explains quite odd behavior

by the Toxic Texan.

Can you just imagine how insufferable he must have been when he was drinking?

Makes me want to read "Bush on the Couch"!

[Pacifist Patriot]

78. Read it.

I think it falls short in one area, but understandable because it goes beyond the scope of the author's expertise. I would like to see a connection drawn between Bush's mental state and the goals of PNAC.

[mogster]

58. So, he didn't watch TV?

Or read the newspapers?

I believe this article is credible - up to a point.
But he got the bad news delivered, allright. By the media, for the first time in years reporting news unbuffered. I live on the other side of the Earth, and I was informed.

Interesting thing:
"It's a standing joke among the president's top aides: who gets to deliver the bad news?"

This is one of the foremost signs of fascism; a leader who shoots the messenger. Makes the line of command go slower, and often results in erroneous desicions. Hitler was subject to this - in fact I've always counted this as fascism's weak point (and why Hitler lost), and why it isn't even considerable as a viable system for progress. (If you look away from all the other backdraws in terms of human cost, of course, and look at it from a pure cynical perspective).

Fascism invites to groupthink and faulty processing of information, exactly because of behaviour like this; people in the chain fear to bring bad news to the leader - who of course are the only one who gets to decide what's to be done - and as a result, wrong desicion are made. No one dares to question the desicion after the 'verdict' either, a factor that amplifies the 'delivered to late/altered/never delivered'-error already in progress.
The more acute and stressful the situation (war, disaster etc.), the more bad the news, resulting in higher treshold for the messenger, creating more dire consequences for the outcome of the final desicion of what's to be done. If it is taken at all.

Fascism is so dumb it's kinky!

And in addition, it is ugly because the people acting it out just care for themselves, and even uses disasters like this to further their own politics.

I have already made up my mind that Bush and company does this out of purpose, and his dumb, slow, inadequate attempts of doing anything are a result of planned inaction and just plain indifference to other peoples pain -not only a slow/defunct chain of command.

But it may have amplified the effect after he actually made the desicion to do something.
Or - was forced to take it by the media, that is :D

[WCGreen]

59. The boy king couldn;t look at a televisions set.....

[Holly_Hobby]

63. DUH

Ignorance is NO EXCUSE. Try it in a court of law, DUHbya.

[Kber]

70. OK - so what other things are his aides hiding?

And who's running the store?

[Contrary1]

71. A real man, let alone the President of the United States,

wouldn't have to be told to cut his vacation short when disaster strikes. Likewise,
he wouldn't need to be coached on how to pretend he gave a damn.

What he has been doing since vacation interuptus is damage control...nothing more.

[baron j]

73. Anyone seeing the size of that hurricane in the satellite images could've

predicted that the outcome would be disastrous, but, then again, our pResident doesn't look at newspapers--or probably even dispatches--if he gets them at all.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

75. I thought that was Chertoff's job.

Is it the Aides' job to inform him of the damage?

Or the cabinet level Chertoff's job?

[staticstopper]

79. I'll always remember that Thursday night

as the worst night of my life, and I'm hundreds of miles from the Gulf Coast. I felt sheer horror for those people and for our huge leaderless country on the edge.

Why did they sit on their hands from Aug 27th to Sept 2nd, 05?

Why did they sit on their hands from Aug 6th to Sept 12, 01?

[The Wielding Truth]

80. Why does Bush ALWAYS plays the Blame Game???

Why does Bush ALWAYS plays the Blame Game???
Message:
Not my fault---- Blame bad intelligence!~
Not my fault---- Blame Clinton!~
Not my fault---- Blame Brown!~
Not my fault---- Blame the Liberal media!~
Not my fault---- Blame Abu Graib Soldiers!~
Not my fault---- Who would think anyone would slam airplanes into buildings!~
Not my fault---- Blame faceless Evil Doers!~
Not my fault---- Blame all whistle blowers!~
Not my fault---- Blame Peace-workers!~
Not my fault---- Blame Local Governments(esp if they're DEM's)
Not my fault---- Blame Obstructionist (power stripped) Congressional minority!~
Not my fault---- Blame UN!~
Not my fault---- Blame VietNam Vets!~
Bush, I guess you can blame us for asking you to do your job.

You are welcome to contribute your list of Presidential scapegoats.
THIS HAS GOT MY BLOOD PRESSURE UP again.