Brown: Bush played politics during Katrina

[BobcatJH]

Reprehensible:

Party politics played a role in decisions over whether to take federal control of Louisiana and other areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, former FEMA director Michael Brown said Friday.

Some in the White House suggested only Louisiana should be federalized because it was run by a Democrat, Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Brown told a group of graduate students at a lecture on politics and emergency management at Metropolitan College of New York.

Brown said he had recommended to President Bush that all 90,000 square miles along the Gulf Coast affected by the hurricane be federalized, making the federal government in charge of all agencies responding to the disaster.

"Unbeknownst to me, certain people in the White House were thinking we had to federalize Louisiana because she's a white, female Democratic governor and we have a chance to rub her nose in it," he said.

As I wrote then:

Why would Louisiana - a state just as hard hit as the rest of the Gulf Coast - be experiencing such tragic delays? Why would Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff - in addition to blaming those who were forced to stay for their predicament - incorrectly state that the Superdome was "secure," as The Sun reported? Why would anchors like CNN's Lou Dobbs run counter to the overwhelming tide of critical media members and shift the blame to Nagin and his predominantly African American administration?

Because the administration's terrible foot dragging is part of a larger, less overt, strategy to maintain Republican hegemony. Because both of Louisiana's squeaky wheels - Nagin and Blanco (to say nothing of Sen. Mary Landrieu, who has also called for action) - are Democrats, Democrats trying to lead in a time of crisis while being left behind by their president. Because politics - not assistance (especially assistance to the poor) - has always meant more to the Bush administration. Because, with the Bush administration, gross incompetence has consistently had a dance partner in political expediency.

(snip)

Is this simply federal incompetence writ large? Or is it a symptom of something more?

You're hearing nary a peep of this consternation aimed at Mississippi. Could it be due to the fact that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who has been doing a tremendous job at covering for the president's grievous failings since early in the week, is a Republican?

Yes. Yes, it could.

[SoFlaJet]

1. As if we didn't already know this was the case

I'm down here in south Florida and we always got number 1,first class treatment during hurricanes under Jeb-the sad truth for the Bush administration is they screwed with the big guy upstairs and their karma by doing what they didn't do for NOLA.They've been paying a price ever since-a BIG price

[Solo_in_MD]

2. Disagree...

FEMA like most Federal agencies is run on a day to day basis by career civil servants, many of who date back to the Carter Administration (the Federal workforce is quite old). They have seen administrations come and go and they remain, the professionals who in reality are really in charge. Those who claim that FEMA was out to get NO are saying that the career civil servants were out to get NO. Something I reject without some serious proof.

Yes there were tragic errors made, and yes people died because of it. But to blame it solely on high level administration appointees is hyperbole and tin foil hat stuff. If you want to blame the FEMA and the Government for screwing up, feel free, but don't limit it to just the Bushites.

[Doctor_J]

6. Are you saying that Time is making this up?

:shrug:

[Solo_in_MD]

9. My focus was the second part of the orignal post which was extracted from a blog of sorts

and the author clearly is clueless about how the Government (Fed/Sate/Local) really works.

Brown's statements to Time are self serving at best and shows typical appointee arrogance

[rudy23]

3. Today's paper: Blanco calls for federal Katrina probe --- I KNOW this is the road to impeachment!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=12179&mesg_id=12179

[KingFlorez]

4. It was obvious from the beginning it was political

[Doctor_J]

5. Waxman should have big fun with this one

I have no doubt that this was partisan. Can't wait for the hearings.

[catgirl]

7. Hmm Where were the National Guard units?

In Iraq! I was down there 4 times after Katrina hit, doing animal rescue.
The Guardsmen I met were all from other states and it took time to
get them there.

I could write a book about what I saw that went wrong. Most of the time
my rescue partner and I were alone in the devastated areas, no army,
no guard. There were houses that had "help" written on them and no
one came. People died from dehydration while waiting for help.

Why this has gone on for so long without anyone paying for it is
beyond me. Firing Brown was supposed to placate everyone?

[sakabatou]

8. .

[rudy23]

10. Rove also "swiftboated" N.O. after the storm, villified the people thru cable news, talk radio

I wonder when the administration decided to stop rubbing Blanco's nose in it?

Have they?

How many New Orleanians have died gruesome, horrific deaths since then as part of this political game?