"We have been abandoned by our own country"

Funds have been repeatedly requested.

Andrew Jackson introduced patronage, or cronyism, when he appointed hundreds of friends and acquaintances to federal offices in the 1820s. Every president has done it since, but Lincoln and the two Roosevelts enforced certain standards - you didn't really want to give Defense to a total nitwit, for example - the appointee had to have some kind of credibility or professional record.

More than any other president since the Republicans of the 1920s, George W. Bush has flouted that Lincolnesque-Rooseveltian standard. His appointments have often been determined by comfort-level or favors owed - his current Supreme Court nominee is a good example.

He certainly seems to love the idea here...

And Bush has done a damned poor job of implementing something he opposed - and that bit of political animus has risen up and bitten him in the ass, now, hasn't it?



You're perhaps a hundred and forty years behind the times - this bit of legal fiction died at Appomattox in 1865 - a fact declared time and again by the Congress and Supreme Court during the civil rights era of the 1950s through the 1980s. Federal leaders like to dredge up this doctrine from time to time to cover their own asses by sharing "responsibility" for failure or inaction with states or localities. It's a sham, they know it, apparently you don't.



Yes. I agree with you here. Local authorities share the blame. Doesn't excuse the gross incompetence of the Bush administration, to whom we grant more responsibility and expect more from - and rightfully so - than the mayor of New Orleans.



Agree here, too. Unfortunately, city, parish, and state authorities, along with the Army Corps of Engineers have been requesting that level of support of 20 years. The Clinton administration finally took it seriously and began planning to divert the resources.... Guess who shut that process down after the 2000 election?



Same question I asked in the other thread: Are you serious? I hope not.

Yes, Seth - he is. Blindly following. Lovely, isn't it?

Two words.

KARMA
KALASHNIKOV

(Just kidding, SS! Please don't goosestep to my home. I won't have any tea to serve you, and I've only got one comfortable chair.)

It sound as if you, and other are asking that one's opinion of George Bush in other maters not influence our judgment of how he handled this.

Well... try this on for size.

The Pentagon is now (yes the freaking PENTAGON) blasting the federal response. Seems they had the USS Bataan ready to deliver and process tons of drinkable water, plus other rescue help.

It just SAT off the coast of of Louisiana for DAYS because they can't do a thing without the presidential say so.

So there they sat... Mr. President? Mr. President? They asked...

I think my logic is sound and not mixed.

Predicting the hurricane can be ignored
The levees could have been much stronger but could have broken anyways
The citizens could have done more to get out (yes some where too poor but SOME just stayed)

But I know this... once the crisis did happen. George Bush sat on his duff while personal waited ONLY for his order/approval to deploy.

*sigh.. thank god cuba has offered to send doctors... I mean who could afford an american doctor? what? oh?? nm they refused the offer. The help would have gotten here till Wed.. oh wait. that's LAST wednesday at the end of August!

Oh well.. what does Commie Cuba know about hurricanes.

Just 'cause they survived a category 5 (Ivan) with ZERO casualties. Yes zero because of a GOVERNMENT run evacuation. Communism does some amazing things compared to a broken Democracy.

We are so blinded that "Democracy is better" that we can't see ourselves falling behind other nations. I *DO* feel Democracy is better but you can't just blindly say "we're free" and wave flags and ignore people dying.

Let it be noted that water (from Wal-Mart) and doctors (from Cuba) where refused by this administration and I hold it personally responsible for EVERY death related to death form lack of medical care or just plain water.

10,000 deaths and rising, but at least we can say we refused communist help.

At nearly a week past... there are still people on rooftops screaming for help.

100 degree temperatures in stagnate water filled with corpses and toxic chemicals are the background.

No time should be spent doing anything but getting help.

Yet the Bush admisitration is hard at work this weekend where they (according to the NY times) "rolled out a plan to contain the political damage from the administration's response to the hurricane"

So while people are still in trouble with their LIVES, Bush is trying to protect his image. Not by DOING anything for people in need mind you... but via the right press and photo-ops.

Clinton has said that the time for finding responsibility needs to take pause with the fact that people still need help.

But I'll be curious to see just what is found out.

The war in Iraq seemed semi-resonable.. then we found out about the lack of WMD's being found and no connection between Al Kaida and Sadam.

What will we find out this time?