<<< AP Has Tapes of Bush's Pre-Katrina Video-Conference >>>

[Stephanie]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_video

Tape: Bush, Chertoff Warned Before Katrina
By MARGARET EBRAHIM and JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writers 5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane 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.

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."

Six days of footage and transcripts obtained by The Associated Press show in excruciating detail that while federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, they were fatally slow to realize they had not mustered enough resources to deal with the unprecedented disaster.

Linked by secure video, Bush's bravado on Aug. 29 starkly contrasts with the dire warnings his disaster chief and a cacophony of federal, state and local officials provided during the four days before the storm.

A top hurricane expert voiced "grave concerns" about the levees and then-
Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown told the president and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that he feared there weren't enough disaster teams to help evacuees at the Superdome.

<more>

These are photos I posted here on Sunday August 28. Both are handouts from the WH. The first is Bush being briefed on the hurricane, the second is from a pre-taped statement they released that afternoon. This was after a week where Bush had been completely isolated on his ranch, and then escaped to Idaho for a few days, to avoid Cindy Sheehan.









Blood On His Hands

[berni_mccoy]

1. K&R

:kick:

[RagingInMiami]

2. Can we just give him the honor right now instead of later

That he is, without a doubt: The Worst President in the History of the United States.

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. No competition and that's saying something.

I agree. No need to serve out the term. He can resign with that distinction this second.

[CottonBear]

3. The picture shows he only has 5 freaking pages of information to look at.

What an idiot. :grr:

edit: He didn't ask one freaking question? :( :( :(

[DoYouEverWonder]

21. They didn't even bother to plug in the phones

All the things in that picture are props for their photo op and Bush was put out to have to even do that much.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. As usual, the so called adults fell asleep at the wheel.

But knowing Bush, he'd probably blame Cindy Sheehan.

[Stephanie]

5. Some threads from that week to provide context >

This Is No "Working Vacation" - Do They Have to LIE About EVERYTHING? >>>
Fri Aug-26-05 03:33 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4466310

I PREDICT: Bush Will Not Survive This Storm >
Sun Aug-28-05 01:38 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4483423

NEVER FORGET: George Bush's Priorities Since Sunday ---PIX->>>
Wed Aug-31-05 05:00 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4532046

[madrchsod]

17. just looked up on search--over 1800 subject only posts

on katrina here at du...i wonder if bush asked a tenth of that many questions?

[TomInTib]

6. K&R...

Bastards.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. I thought he found about it after watching screaming people on TV...

...oh well. Another day, another lie.

Kicked and recommended.

:patriot:

[mandyky]

20. He didn't even watch TV

He was on vacation, and some aides had to make a DVD of the news coverage of Katrina and the aftermath.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

24. That's right, I forgot...

...probably because, if I'm not mistaken, Bush said something in the Vargas interview about "seeing it on TV," failing to mention that it was on his DVD from "Honest" Dan Bartlett.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. Bush didn't ask a single question during the final government-wide

briefing the day before Katrina struck on Aug. 29


SO TYPICAL! This is exactly what Paul O'Neill wrote in his book when he'd give Treasury briefings. Bush NEVER asked questions. He's intellectually bankrupt and Completely disconnected from reality.

[CoffeeCat]

25. He didn't ask questions of O'Neil...

...because he didn't like O'Neil--and probably because he didn't understand the big words.

Same goes for Katrina. The man didn't give a shit. He was disengaged because he just didn't care.

The sickest part of this entire piece of the puzzle--is that the Federal Government KNEW they were unprepared for this monster storm. They knew damn well that those levies would not hold. They should have been positioned within a couple of hours near NOLA with emergency supplies and relief. They did no such thing. It just boggles the mind to know that these jerks sat around discussing the horrid reality BEFORE the storm hit--but NOLA residents were dying of thirst a few days after the storm hit.

I'm convinced this was totally deliberate. NO one screws up this royally. This incompetence is totally off the charts. These people are not idiots. They knew exactly what they were doing. Failing to get someone a bottle of water...for four frickin days...tells me that these people wanted this suffering and loss.

So. Outrageous.

Thank God we have these AP tapes. Can it get any worse for Junior?

When his polls are in the 20's, I'm popping the expensive bottle of champagne that I've been saving for a special occasion. I have a feeling that won't be too far off.

[SeattleGirl]

9. Is this the video tape that was "missing" a week or so ago?

I wonder who decided to leak this to the AP. Whoever did, good for them.

[madrchsod]

10. we asked more fucking questions than the president

we knew more about what could happen before the storm hit than the president....he should be impeached

[Mr_Spock]

11. Ed Shultz is all over this calling it a BIG BIG story!!

This fool Bush thinks he's invisible - NOT!!

[Gabi Hayes]

13. fully prepared, or "better prepared than woefully underprepared?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=546151

BUSH: Listen, here's the problem that happened in Katrina. There was no situational awareness, and that means that we weren't getting good, solid information from people who were on the ground, and we need to do a better job. One reason we weren't is because communications systems got wiped out, and in many cases we were relying upon the media, who happened to have better situational awareness than the government. And when you have the media better situational awareness than the government, the American people are saying, "Wait a minute. What is happening? How come the federal Government and state government and local governments couldn't do a better job of providing information necessarily so that people could react better?"

VARGAS: So you don't agree with that report that calls the U.S. "woefully unprepared?"

BUSH: I think the U.S. is better prepared than woefully unprepared. There's no question we've got more work to do, and our report on Katrina outlined the work that needs to be done.

[oldtime dfl_er]

15. you mean he never even asked

What that pretty kaleidoscope on the teeevee was?


http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/801334

[Maraya1969]

14. How come I can't see the tape? I click on 'tape" and I get thrown

back to the same page. When I click on "Bush" is any of the other blue highlights I get an advertisement.

Can someone check this and/or put up a new link?

[Gabi Hayes]

16. tweety is SHOWING the tape, as I TYPE!

seriesly

[Fridays Child]

18. Having received that briefing, he never should have gone on his...

...cake-eating, guitar-strumming, fundraising jaunt. He should have been manning the helm at the White House. 'Pukes need to face the fact that he knew better and he didn't care. Their leader is a loser.

[RobertSeattle]

19. No time for questions, but time for CAKE!

[symbolman]

22. This was the infamous

"Phone is not plugged in - photo OP pic.." if anyone remembers..

[Nostradammit]

27. To be fair (not that he deserves fairness)

There appear to be two openings in that conference table, one at either end, through which the phone cords would be threaded. The position of the telephone in the foreground occludes its cord, I suspect.

As for the cord connecting the blivet's brain to his body, that is obviously missing.

[leftstreet]

23. "Yeah, but...we didn't expect a CAT 3 could break levees. Heh-heh."

"We knew a CAT 5 could, but not a 3. Heh-heh."

That's how they'll spin it.
:eyes:

[Swamp Rat]

26. kick and recommended n/t

[Bluebear]

28. And then he went for birthday cake with John McCain. nt