E-mail suggests govt seeks to blame N. O. flood on environmental groups

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

E-mail suggests government seeking to blame New Orleans flood on environmental groups
Posted on Saturday, September 17 @ 10:02:11 EDT

By Jerry Mitchell, Clarion-Ledger

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=22789&mode=nested&order=0

Federal officials appear to be seeking proof to blame the flood of New Orleans on environmental groups, documents show.

The Clarion-Ledger has obtained a copy of an internal e-mail the U.S. Department of Justice sent out this week to various U.S. attorneys' offices: "Has your district defended any cases on behalf of the (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers against claims brought by environmental groups seeking to block or otherwise impede the Corps work on the levees protecting New Orleans? If so, please describe the case and the outcome of the litigation."

Cynthia Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said Thursday she couldn't comment "because it's an internal e-mail." Shown a copy of the e-mail, David Bookbinder, senior attorney for Sierra Club, remarked, "Why are they (Bush administration officials) trying to smear us like this?"

The Sierra Club and other environmental groups had nothing to do with the flooding that resulted from Hurricane Katrina that killed hundreds, he said. "It's unfortunate that the Bush administration is trying to shift the blame to environmental groups. It doesn't surprise me at all." Federal officials say the e-mail was prompted by a congressional inquiry but wouldn't comment further.

[bullimiami]

1. Is it finger pointing time now?

LIARS.

[tanyev]

2. *gasp* Are they playing the blame game?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

3. "There'll be plenty of time to play the blame game later"...

...and I guess "later" is "now."

:grr:

[blondeatlast]

4. Blame Game=pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

until we tell you it's okay to look back there.

Notice how KKKarl rove is the man in front this time...

[Art_from_Ark]

5. And here I'd thought the blame could be mainly attributed to

appointing totally unqualified political hacks to key positions in disaster management agencies, cutting funding for levee reinforcement, developing barrier marshlands, preventing relief workers from entering stricken areas, and taking no action while the disaster was occurring because the prezuhdenshul schedule was already booked solid with fundraisers, irrelevant speeches, brush-cutting on the ranch, and cake-eating photo-ops with stooges.

Silly me :silly:

[shireen]

6. Keith O reported that last night

Named Dept. of Justice #2 of the 3 worst people in the world. O'Reilly got #1. Can't remember #3.

[prole_for_peace]

7. if NO and the surrounding area had listened to environmentalists

there probably wouldn't be as much damage. the rivers and wetlands in that area have been disturbed and destroyed by developement. if they had been protected they would have buffered some of the storm surge and flooding from kartina. i heard that each mile of wetlands reduces flooding by 1 foot. and the extra distance would have equaled a lessening in force of the storm.