A new edited video (this should be your first clue, folks) was somehow released to the media yesterday, and the Associated Press characterized it this way:
The footage — along with seven days of transcripts of briefings 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.
This, too, is a DEM clue.
Former FEMA chief Michael Brown said yesterday:
“President told everyone to shut up, that he wanted to hear from me and he said, ‘Brown, quick. Give us an update.’ And my first words to him were, ‘Mr. President, it is my estimation . . . at least 90 percent of the population of New Orleans has been displaced. He was truly taken aback by that.”
Brown described the president throughout the crisis this way: “I think he was engaged, but I think there was an overconfidence that FEMA had handled Sept. 11, we had handled the California wildfires, we had handled the 2004 hurricanes right in the middle of the presidential elections. Hey, we could do this, too.”
Homeland Security officials have said the “fog of war” blinded them early on to the magnitude of the disaster. But Brown said the transcripts and footage of the daily briefings conflict with that. “I don’t buy the fog-of-war defense,” Brown said. “It was a fog of bureaucracy.”
The video in question is available here.
As we all know, this will result in a media blowout; the first results are in with Mayor Ray Nagin saying that he is “shocked.” The CYA Mode is already beginning.
For those not aware, it is not FEMA’s responsibility to be a first responder. The FR would have been the local authorities first affected; in Nagin’s case, his city administration was the First Responder. Second response authority rested with the state. Further assistance can then be provided by FEMA.
The DEM will attempt to portray Bush as the absolute Anti-Christ, and Nagin and Lousiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco will do their best to obfuscate and Teflon out of their roles of responsibility.
Given, the federal response was mediocre; the City of New Orleans and Lousiana responses were infinitely worse — and it was their responsibility to have plans in place, and executed properly, before Katrina even got close.
Everyone involved knew of the nature of the City of New Orleans and the nature of its levees and water systems. All knew this was inevitable.
I think most people opinions on this is already set – and this tape just further confirms for me that Bush is an idiot. How does a man sit there and hear all of that information and not ask one question. Well, I will tell you how. He’s an idiot and until someone places the quesitons in his hand, he doesn’t have a clue. Well, that’s all I have to say about this – Oh, and it shows he’s a lier too. “No one could have anticipated the breech of the levees”… That’s a lie. Y’all just keep on supporting this idiot. He’ll be gone in two years and the next president, Democrat of Republican, will have a big mess to clean up.
I agree with Bush on some issues and disagree with him on others. Sometimes he’s smart; sometimes not so smart. But he’s not the Anti-Christ either. I think he and others were thinking it wasn’t going to be so bad. He took a chance, congratulated his team, and made an assumption: that the storm wouldn’t be as it was, and that everyone knew what to do.
No lie, James, it was a mess. And just with Fornicalia’s levee system, we’d best be fixing it now. Every prior administration put NO on Ignore Mode. Now they can’t. And every prior admin in Fornicalia has put the levees on Ignore Mode. And Arnold’s catching flak for making it an issue.
Overall, James I kinda disagree and I kinda agree with you. Which is why I like your style.
Well, BZ, I never hide the fact that I don’t like the man. In five years he has made only one speech that I was with on 100% – well, actually 2. I backed after 9/11 then he just started messing up everything. We’ll talk 10 years from and see what is happening in Iraq. That is his legacy. Katrina is a mess for decades to come but the war is his and his alone.
I could go off on this forever!! I have been going through hurricanes all my life for one Bush did not create the hurricane or the disaster. Several times I have posted on this situation in the past…Money was given for the levees..but the state of LA used it in corrupt ways i.e. casinos, etc. You brought up a two key words “first responder”(s) The city and state!! I remember Max Mayfield not being able to sleep that night without calling the GOV to warn HER AGAIN…about this. All the the idiot Libs in LA and the country…just loves blaming BUSH…I say it is bullsh*t!! Excuse my language Please!! I grew up all along the Gulf Coast and they did not care in N.O. about the people….and let those school buses sit there…and I could go on…but will stop! (smiling)
Oh yeah, if my memory serves me…the STATE has to ask the FED to come in…and the GOV refused to do that…she said she had it handled. Bush called her more than once prior to the storm hitting.
“Everyone involved knew of the nature of the City of New Orleans and the nature of its levees and water systems. All knew this was inevitable.”
BINGO!!!
The *ball* was dropped on so many levels, that all they have no is a finger pointing party…
Memo from planet Earth to the People of the United States: New Orleans is sinking.
You can put in the best levee, drainage, canal, and dehumidifier systems on the planet and it will *not* stop New Orleans from sinking. No matter *what* you put in today, you will be upgrading it in 5 years. Continuously. We have come out of the ‘easy’ cycle of hurricanes from the ’60s to the mid-90’s, now we get 15 or 20 years of bad hurricanes.
Can we get off of *blame* and get onto how to wisely figure out what to do with a city that will always be a disaster area waiting to happen?
Can we *stop* finger pointing and work together to make something reasonable with the money that will be spent unwisely just trying to rebuild New Orleans? And this money is *without* a high capability hurricane resistance system.
I offer two views on how to keep the city population safe, keep the historic areas and port open, and only protect that which can be reasonably protected. We cannot do all of that, protect the outlying areas and keep that vast sinking area protected without heavy year on year cash outlays.
One way is a remote population center with controlled access roads and high speed rail. The other is to fully fund a Freedom Ship concept.
Either of those will cost less than trying to rebuild a sinking city and protect it from natural disasters. It *is* a continual natural disaster and we had best realize that *first* and deal with it.
What do you expect when the French give you a city? Perfection?
Everyone needs to realize what the President’s job description is, and what it is not. It seems like Bush’s main job has been to take it in the ass for every problem this country has and has ever had. He’s busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest!
I’m really sorry the “leaders” in New Orleans didn’t respond earlier and felt they had to wait for direction from the President himself. I’m even sorrier that our tax money has to sink into an area that was already a big disaster just waiting to happen.
As far as Lying goes, he’s nowhere near as bad as EVERY OTHER POLITICIAN. He just happened to be at the top of the food chain when this happened. If everyone is going to blame him for this then I am going to blame Clinton for changing the definition of sex. I am still pissed off about having to explain all that crap about MS. Lewinski to my young daughters.
Man, I’m with TexasFred, there is blame to go around. Now, what they do next is something totally different. I think it’ll be another decade before they figure it out. But one thing is did show is that our government is not ready for something majore. Hurricanes happen every year, but Katrina just happen to hit a soft spot and boom, the entire system failed.
I’m in Cali and I can tell you that these folks, me included, are not ready for the day when folks will purchase beach homes in Las Vegas. Los Angeles is a disaster waiting to happen. You can’t get out of the city on a good day, so if they ever have to evacuate I’m just going to stick my head between my legs and kiss my ass good-bye.
Oh, and Bush is a spawn of the devil 🙂
Suzie: unfortunately, you are spot on when you indicate the most everything about NO involves corruption — its police force included. And you are right: there is a specific protocol that I tried to make clear, and the request must go through the official chains of command. But you knew that. Blanco made those precise indications: we don’t need you yet.
TF: It IS a finger pointing party — but only as soon as the finger does not point solely to the Fed. There is more than enough blame to go around and it starts at the start.
AJ: incontrovertible: New Orleans is sinking.
Echo: but that’s what you get when you find the MSM and DEM backing the Talking Points of the Dems.
James: I can sleep tonight. You have finally acknowledged the Spawn of the Devil origin of the President. Sheesh! It took long enough!!
Great post. Two things: 1) Everyone anticipated this, we ALL knew that it was a Cat 5 storm headed towards a city only built for Cat 3. We don’t need a “new” secret video to show us that Bush was aware of the impending disaster. He was on TV the day before telling the people of New Orleans to GET OUT. This video prooves NOTHING! 2) Quotes from Michael Brown: “These are not FEMA roles. FEMA doesn’t evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement. FEMA does not do communications.” That’s absolutely right. So, Mr Nagin, who’s responsible for these things?
John: you hit the quintessential LAST POST. Yes, I was listening to Hannity today and he played audio of the very same thing you’re indicating here. It was that simple: get out.
I will repeat until I am blue in the face: protection starts and the start — with one’s local community.
If you look to the Fed to run your life, you will now and forever be sorely disappointed.
Again this points only to obvious: it’s all about Bagging Bush.
And I’ll be the first to admit: Bush ain’t pristine. Never was and never will be. I have my own laundry list of Issues with GeeDub.
When one looks up the word “incompetent” there’s a photo of Nagin. Same photo under the word “fool.” Why is that?
Mr. Z – New Orleans *is* sinking. And fingerpointing now is not going to *help*.
Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative, neither side of the political fence is addressing the PROBLEM. It is not the Executive branch or the Federal Government, it is not the State Government, it is not even the City Government… all of those are an ongoing problem, but no one… NO ONE is offering a solution to a sinking city.
If we just let the money be spent to REBUILD it, we will pay until it finally sinks into whatever will be left of the delta because we have the strange idea we know how to manage it better than the Mississippi does. *Everyone* loves New Orleans, but no one wants to figure out how to save the place.
To all those pointing fingers for blame, remember that three others point back at you and one points downwards to remind you of the final fate of everyone. While your hand is held thus, it may not grasp, it may not write and it may not perform other useful functions. Give blame where needed, but please open your hand so that it may do other things so that the Republic can live on.
New Orleans must be *saved* not *rebuilt*. Rebuilding is not *saving* unless, in that rebuilding, a better way to keep and hold all that is vital from that place is performed.
Are we *still* stuck on stupid?
Left and Right?
Liberal and Conservative?
Can we not work together and *save* something?
Or have we decided that the Republic is at an end?
How many fingers point out in blame and how many back?
Give another finger if you *must* express yourself, but then open your hand to *help*.
Is that so very difficult to do?
When one looks up the word “incompetent” there’s a photo of Nagin. Same photo under the word “fool.” Why is that?
Because he is one! period! He was probably elected because of his color and not credentials. Any normal thinking person would have heard the call to leave. The people in Florida who choose to stay are usually above sea level and they have been through many hurricanes. So, maybe Nimrod Nagin could have called some contemporaries in Florida and said “Do I play Go-Fish or Gin-Running?”
I am surprised no one has blamed Bush for the US not being as successful in the Winter Olympics.
Well Neo Soc, according to Bryant Gumble…there were just too many whites at the Olympics. He compared it to a GOP convention. Maybe he saw Laura Bush cheering Chad Hedrick on. So somehow it may end up being Bush’s fault afterall.
Hannity pointed out that way before the hurricane hit Bush was warning people to get out of harm’s way, declaring Louisiana, Mississippi disaster areas etc.
Crazy Politico did a great post on this also.
While I like James, He is totally wrong about Bush, and honestly, I am sick of having to say..”i agree with some things Bush does, and disagree with others”.. why do we conservatives have to say that? I would hope all Americans agree and disagree with the presidents of their party.. That is normal, well.. wait a minute.. Most libs agreed with everything Clinton did and then some.
James.. Bush received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as an F-102 fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1975.
James, stupid people don’t get a bachelor’s and Masters degree from Yale and Harvard.. Also, you have to be VERY intelligent to be an F-102 fighter pilot..
Ajacksonian makes the most sense here.
“Ajacksonian makes the most sense here. “
– Rebecca
Then we are well and truly lost.
Blo, i had a troll just visit this morning calling Bush the anti-Christ.. This guy is nuts.. He wasn’t using it in jest like James does.. HE was totally serious.. You should read his post if you have time..
AJ: o gosh yes, NO is sinking.
And no amount of finger-pointing will solve the problem — at this point, only cash will solve the problem; and a lot of it at that.
The question I ask but a lot of others won’t: is it worth it?
Is “saving” NO “worth” that amount of cash? I honestly do not know. I am beginning to think this borders on the Monty Python bit in The Holy Grail:
FATHER:
Listen, lad, I built this kingdom up from nothing. All I had when I started was swamp … other kings said I was daft to build acastle on a swamp, but I built it all the same … just to show ’em.
It sank into the swamp. So I built a another one … that sank into the swamp.
I built another one … That fell over and THEN sank into the swamp ….
So I built another … and that stayed up…. And that’s what your gonna get, lad: the most powerful kingdom in this island.
Are we ’tilting at windmills’?
BZ
Mr Z – That was my *exact* feeling. After generations of mismanagement and diverting of funds to other projects the city of New Orleans wants federal help to pay for rebuilding, etc.?
Well, since its some of *my* tax dollars, I should at least get a bit of a say on how I would like them spent. Of course I expect that ‘business as usual’ will b e done and we will get another disaster waiting to happen.
Best thing that could happen is a couple of low Cat hurricanes this year to wash away some more of the delta and then a hardball, fast moving Cat 5. Then they would have no *choice* about what to do. Save what you can, rebuild safely elsewhere.
Thats why I give my ideas for something different, survivable, do-able with the funds being asked for *and* increases the safety of everything there. Some years to get done, yes. But we are in for the nasty years of hurricanes for a decade or so longer… Remember Galveston, remember the Keys in ’35… THAT kind of nasty. That Keys storm had winds at 160mph… possibly higher…
Now with the barrier islands no longer a barrier and delta flooding minimized by channelization and ‘flood control’ New Orleans is a sitting duck this decade… Katrina just winged it… even a number of ‘close calls’ Cat 3s will do a lot of harm there… Thanks to the North Atlantic Change in circulation this sort of thing may be expected as a periodic norm for the next decade.
AJ: I’m unsure of the answer, but if we had the ability to (hah!) ignore politics, we’d leave that sunken abortion and completely rebuilt some distance away.
Unfortunately, we are a politically driven nation and my fears are this administration will do what we’ve historically always done: act contrite, throw lots of money and do absolutely nothing with regard to monitoring where the money actually GOES.
I know that, when I ask for a grant, I am compelled to delineate, in great detail, precisely what I plan to do with the money, where it goes, produce receipts and complete monthly progress reports — with other regulatory strictures involved.
It seems to me that, the greater amount involved, the lesser accountability is attached.
Or am I just a nutjob?