Making Baby Jesus Cry

[nononono]

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
As to Blanco, at least, the Congressional Research Service seems to put her in the clear.

Nagin, I think, goes down in the next mayoral election - sometime in probably oh say 2008, when there is a NOLA again.

I predict that Bush will, in a moment of dry drunk confusion, award Landrieu a Medal of Freedom.

Well, excellent, her job was done then. And even better, I note it says in the next sentence in the conclusion that the President did what he was supposed to do as well. So, no problems. Everyone did everything right. If all that matters is legal correctness.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by nononono
Put another way: "Wow, can you believe an elected official actually having the balls and the character to admit there were failures on his watch and accepting responsibility for them?" Despite the editorializing in the story itself, what comes through loud and clear is the President is the only one stepping up.

Or a third way: "Wow, it's impressive to see a President articulate responsibility for something, even if the effect is similar to Reno "taking responsibility" for Waco, and even though my admiration is further tempered by the laughable notion that Bush will investigate himself to figure out what went wrong, and rejects any notion of an independent investigation. I can't wait to see what the repercussions of this declaration of responsibility will be."

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
I think he said there's one in there, but he did not say how extensive it was and in what circumstances the government could abridge that right. No rights are absolute, so absent a definition of the contours of the right, it's an empty statement

So, lemme get this straight. According to Bilmore and Slave, I'm a ludicrous asshole for taking a position identical to the next Republican appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice.

If you think I'm being smug, I offer you this - my grin is actually beginning to cramp my lips, and I'm supressing about fifty obnoxious quips so elitist they'd make Prince Philip blush.

Literalism... Even the honest right can't get in bed with that pile of shit "interpretation."

[nononono]

Originally posted by Gattigap
Or a third way: "Wow, it's impressive to see a President articulate responsibility for something, even if the effect is similar to Reno "taking responsibility" for Waco, and even though my admiration is further tempered by the laughable notion that Bush will investigate himself to figure out what went wrong, and rejects any notion of an independent investigation. I can't wait to see what the repercussions of this declaration of responsibility will be."

You know, that is a bit laughable, actually. Investigate himself? For what? Well, okay. If something within his purview - say, failure to order busses to be loaded up with people and taken out of the city, just to take a random example of a task that needed to be done by someone and was not, or maybe taking an extra 24 hours to decide whether to accept help or not - did not happen, then go for it. But otherwise, first investigate those who were actually charged with making stuff happen, then work your way up to find out where the buck stops.

[Nut Penske]

Originally posted by nononono
You know, that is a bit laughable, actually. Investigate himself? For what? Well, okay. If something within his purview - say, failure to order busses to be loaded up with people and taken out of the city, just to take a random example of a task that needed to be done by someone and was not, or maybe taking an extra 24 hours to decide whether to accept help or not - did not happen, then go for it. But otherwise, first investigate those who were actually charged with making stuff happen, then work your way up to find out where the buck stops.

Cute.

First, Where were the Planes? Where was the army, too, by the way?

How about have an independent-of-everyone investigation into what went wrong and why, rather than assuming who we're going to blame and investigating them?

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by nononono
Well, excellent, her job was done then. And even better, I note it says in the next sentence in the conclusion that the President did what he was supposed to do as well. So, no problems. Everyone did everything right. If all that matters is legal correctness.

That's not what it says. It says that she correctly and promptly requested a declaration of emergency and a declaration of a major disaster under the Stafford Act, which the right wing media machine has been arguing she failed to do. The president properly and promptly granted her request, triggering Stafford Act emergency assistance and disaster assistance.

She asked for help, the Bush administration said, "Okay, we'll get right on it", then sat on its collective hands.

[nononono]

Originally posted by Nut Penske
Cute.

First, Where were the Planes? Where was the army, too, by the way?

How about have an independent-of-everyone investigation into what went wrong and why, rather than assuming who we're going to blame and investigating them?

I agree. I thought we should have had thousands of Guard or Army in there asap. Who cares if it looks scary - people needed to be rescued and (wrt criminals) calmed down.

Absolutely there should be a non-agendaed investigation. But until that happens, some people will stand up and risk "I told you so"s, and some will apparently continue to be hidden behind accusations of others.

[nononono]

[i]

She asked for help, the Bush administration said, "Okay, we'll get right on it", then sat on its collective hands.

Sorry, where's that part in the document?

So, her job was done at that point - except for her mandate to cry and whinge on tv.

Originally posted by nononono
Well, excellent, her job was done then. And even better, I note it says in the next sentence in the conclusion that the President did what he was supposed to do as well. So, no problems. Everyone did everything right. If all that matters is legal correctness.

If this was Bush doing everything right I'd hate to see him fuck something up.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by dtb
Uh huh.

So, Penske, IYHO, was the federal government responsible or not?

Before he answers, he might want to read this:

• "Even before the storm struck the Gulf Coast, Chertoff could have ordered federal agencies into action without any request from state or local officials. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown had only limited authority to do so until about 36 hours after the storm hit, when Chertoff designated him as the "principal federal official" in charge of the storm...
  
  But Chertoff - not Brown - was in charge of managing the national response to a catastrophic disaster, according to the National Response Plan, the federal government's blueprint for how agencies will handle major natural disasters or terrorist incidents. An order issued by President Bush in 2003 also assigned that responsibility to the homeland security director.
  
  But according to a memo obtained by Knight Ridder, Chertoff didn't shift that power to Brown until late afternoon or evening on Aug. 30, about 36 hours after Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. That same memo suggests that Chertoff may have been confused about his lead role in disaster response and that of his department.
  
  "As you know, the President has established the `White House Task Force on Hurricane Katrina Response.' He will meet with us tomorrow to launch this effort. The Department of Homeland Security, along with other Departments, will be part of the task force and will assist the Administration with its response to Hurricane Katrina," Chertoff said in the memo to the secretaries of defense, health and human services and other key federal agencies.
  
  Chertoff's Aug. 30 memo for the first time declared Katrina an "Incident of National Significance," a key designation that triggers swift federal coordination. The following afternoon, Bush met with his Cabinet, then appeared before TV cameras in the White House Rose Garden to announce the government's planned action...
  
  White House and homeland security officials wouldn't explain why Chertoff waited some 36 hours to declare Katrina an incident of national significance and why he didn't immediately begin to direct the federal response from the moment on Aug. 27 when the National Hurricane Center predicted that Katrina would strike the Gulf Coast with catastrophic force in 48 hours. Nor would they explain why Bush felt the need to appoint a separate task force."

[nononono]

Originally posted by ironweed
If this was Bush doing everything right I'd hate to see him fuck something up.

Why do you limit that comment just to President Bush?

Originally posted by Sexual Harassment Panda
She asked for help, the Bush administration said, "Okay, we'll get right on it", then sat on its collective hands.

They couldn't make it with the food and water, but there were lots of hugs.

[nononono]

Originally posted by ironweed
They couldn't make it with the food and water, but there were lots of hugs.

Are you the creator of those strips, or are you just taking all your talking points from them?

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by nononono
Sorry, where's that part in the document?

What part? Be more specific. The document shows she asked for help, Bush's granting of her response was the government saying "We'll get on it". As for sitting on its hands, see my previous post.

So, her job was done at that point - except for her mandate to cry and whinge on tv.

Perhaps she was a little bit upset. Or is that more compassionate conservatism? Clearly you don't know anyone down there.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by nononono
Why do you limit that comment just to President Bush?

I acknowledge that your comment is to Weed, not me, but FWIW:

* As both Ty and Penske have aptly noted, we don't live in Louisiana or Mississippi, and the actions of the federal government have a more direct bearing on my ability to survive, for example, the Big One in California, so my attentions are somewhat more focused there.

* I've already stated that I think Blanco, Nagin, et al at the local level contributed to the problems, don't really care about their political fortunes, am perfectly happy to see their governance end tomorrow, and offered to Penske to have them shot. Curiously, this doesn't appear to be enough.

Gattigap