Bush Lied When Saying No One Anticipated Levees Breach

[JABBS]

Four days after Hurricane Katrina hit, President Bush said, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees" that gushed deadly flood waters into New Orleans.

But six days of footage and transcripts obtained by the Associated Press show in excruciating detail that federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, and made those concerns clear to President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff during an Aug. 29 government-wide briefing.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final government-wide briefing the day before Katrina struck on Aug. 29 but assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

Federal disaster officials warned Bush and Chertoff before Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, risk lives in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage of the briefings.

Now we know why Bush said "I take responsibility" for failures in dealing with the storm.

***

This item first appeared at JABBS.

[Dr Fate]

1. I demand that Democrats say this on TV- and use the word "lied."

Will they, or are they too frightened???

[Hosnon]

2. Absolutely amazing...I hope he chokes on a pretzel. nt

[dajoki]

18. and falls off his bike n/t

[aquart]

3. ABC News at 6 just covered it.

Making it very clear that he did know that the levees could be breached.

CBS covered it at 6:30, and gave the White House spin on it as well.

[Metta]

4. Everyone knew in '98 under Newt Gingrich et. al.

They knew they'd need $2 billion then and they denied funding. Short sighted and mean spirited then, paying dues now.

[calimary]

17. That's the mentality. Penny-wise, pound foolish. Started with Reagan.

Do it on the cheap now so you can pay through the nose later.

[pk_du]

5. He was told right at this point in the video (this pic from none

other than www.whitehouse.gov )

[JABBS]

6. unfortunately ...

Bush wanted to switch over to the Cartoon Network ...

[calimary]

16. What's he doing there? Starting work on a paper airplane?

Actually, I think he's partly telling the truth when he says nobody could have anticipated the breach of the levees. He was so disengaged during that briefing - hard work, dontcha know? - that it just all washed over him like some tsunami. I bet NOTHING hit home. I bet all that briefing work and all that talking and all those maps and all that weather video and all those statistics and minutae and everything else just bored the hell out of him. I bet he spent the whole meeting with his eyes glazed over, like some math-phobic kid in the back of the class during algebra. Probably too busy doodling on his notebook to pay any attention. Went straight in one ear and out the other. In fact, I'll bet he hardly remembered ANYTHING of the contents of that meeting. It just wasn't interesting to him, because it didn't involve him personally making any money, or anybody he knew closing any cushy business deals so they could make any money. NOBODY'S HOME, with him, if that isn't the subject of whatever meeting it is. Nothing here that spoke to him about adding to his power and might. So he just wasn't interested. Just sat there, going through the motions, wondering how soon this'd be over so he could get back to his cartoons or his golf game or maybe some smoochy calls to contradicta.

He's not a president. He's a frickin' SEAT WARMER.

[Radio_Guy]

7. He knew it would happen

Why do you think he sent that barge to ram the levee?

[Lone_Wolf]

8. NOLA residents should start a class action suit against Bush et al...

n/t

[JABBS]

9. agreed

[DemExpat]

10. Absolutely, LW!

:hi:

DemEx

[Lone_Wolf]

14. I wonder if it's possible...

I'm not a lawyer, but I do know in Clinton v. Jones that the Supreme Court ruled that a sitting President can be sued. It would be poetic justice to use this as a precedent against the Repukes beloved President.

In a perfect world, if Clinton can be sued for a drudged up charge of sexual harassment, then it stands to reason that Bush should be sued for the loss of thousands of lives.

[Tsiyu]

11. "We are fully prepared

to sit back and laugh while our fellow Americans die. I mean, who gives a crap about all those people who voted for Kerry? My base doesn't care, that's for sure.

"So, yeah, we're all prepared. Watch us and see!"

[radfringe]

12. I actually heard one blatherhead on CNN this morning

try to defend the bush* statement, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees"

by saying that bush didn't mean it that way

ohhhhhhhhhhhkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy

I guess Mr or Ms "ANYBODY" wasn't at the meeting. There were alot of people there but none of them went by the name of "ANYBODY"

[JABBS]

13. they'll always have an off-the-cuff response

You listen to conservative talk radio, and it's all about the liberal media bias and the hate-Bush-at-any-cost phenomenom. For the 34% of America that still supports Bush, there is no need for truth. It's us vs. them. Facts be damned.

[0007]

15. Yawn, wake me when junior tells the truth about something important, 'eh?

[dajoki]

19. ok, but...

you'll have to pull a Rip van Winkle.