OT: Lootings, Carjackings, and shootings in New Orleans

[pk500]

I heard a rumor that the levee was damaged by an empty grain barge in Lake Pontchartrain. Remember that the levee was breached after the worst of the storm.

Where did that rumor start, www.whitehouse.gov?

Seriously, any sourcing for this rumor?

Out,
PK

[pk500]

You blame the Bush administration for the disaster but you excuse the inept local officials who srewed up big time.

Reading comprehension -- it's a fundamental thing. I never blamed the Bush Administration for the disaster. How can a President create a Category 4/5 hurricane? Give me a f*cking break.

But I do blame Bush and his Administration for the pathetically late Federal <b>response</b> to the disaster, just like I blame La. Gov. Kathleen "Cry Like a Hallmark Movie" Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for their share of blame, too. They didn't do enough before the storm to prepare their residents.

But once the storm wreaked its havoc and New Orleans' and Southern Louisiana's infrastructure was destroyed, how the hell were state and city officials supposed to take the lead and fend for themselves without rapid, efficent, massive Federal help? No one defending Bush in here has answered that question yet.

Disaster relief is a local issue first and a federal issue last.

That's bullsh*t with a catastrophe of this magnitude. If so, then why even bother with FEMA? Why does the mission statement of the Homeland Security Department include a clause about assisting after natural disasters?

New Orleans is under 20 feet of water in some places. Levees are breached. There is looting. No power. No sanitation. No running water. What is Ray Nagin supposed to do? Sing Kumbaya and hope someone drops MRE's from heaven or that someone was having a massive gumbo cookout that can feed 100,000 on Sunday night, with plenty of leftovers?

The people on the levee board new about this problem and they sat on their hands!

True. But the Army Corps of Engineers knew the levees were substandard, but no funding was provided from a Federal level to fix them.

Bush cannot stop a Cat 5 hurricane or steer it to another location. He simply does not have that power.

Bush does have the power to lead a rapid, efficient response that saves lives, which he didn't do here. It's simply inexcusable that the U.S. can fly supplies to tsunami victims halfway around the world in two days yet takes FOUR days to aid its citizens in New Orleans.

You want Bush to be God but he is NOT.

No, I want him to be a leader based in reality, which he wasn't here. The man didn't even speak about the problems until Tuesday. He didn't show up until Thursday. His first speech focused more on the effect on gas prices and that his dad and Clinton were going to pass the tin cup instead of talking about specific ways the Feds were going to end hell on Earth in NO and Mississippi.

I don't want Bush to be God. He can't; he has a hard enough time being president.

When you suffer this much damage with limited relief supplies and resouces, recovery and disaster relief can take longer than most people would like.

Limited supplies and resources? Were all the water supplies and MRE's sourced from Monday to Thursday and then delivered? Give me a break.

It is NOT just New Orleans that was ravaged by this storm. In coastal Mississippi there was a 30 foot storm surge in some areas! A 30 foot storm surge is extremely devastating.

Agree here. The ravaged Mississippi residents are being somewhat forgotten with the media's justified focus on New Orleans.

Take care,
PK

[TRI]

I heard a rumor that the levee was damaged by an empty grain barge in Lake Pontchartrain. Remember that the levee was breached after the worst of the storm.

Where did that rumor start, www.whitehouse.gov?

Seriously, any sourcing for this rumor?

Out,
PK

This was mentioned by a resident of New Orleans who lived near where the levee was breached. He claimed in an interview that he saw a barge slamming into the levee and then saw a wall of water coming towards his home. He escaped.

[pk500]

This was mentioned by a resident of New Orleans who lived near where the levee was breached. He claimed in an interview that he saw a barge slamming into the levee and then saw a wall of water coming towards his home. He escaped.

Wow. I thought L. Ron Hubbard died about 15 years ago. Apparently he lives in New Orleans.

Take care,
PK

[bdoughty]

This was mentioned by a resident of New Orleans who lived near where the levee was breached. He claimed in an interview that he saw a barge slamming into the levee and then saw a wall of water coming towards his home. He escaped.

Wow. I thought L. Ron Hubbard died about 15 years ago. Apparently he lives in New Orleans.

Take care,
PK

LOL more like the work of Art Bell. It was a Dick Cheney manning the barge. Hums X-Files theme music.



Of course there was more then one levee that broke so it is really a moot point.

[blueduke]

BD wrote:

I am sure the Mayor made some mistakes but what is to say he did not "try?" You saw some busses that were not used so apparently that means no effort was taken on his part. To think he could fully evacuate all the people in the limited time alloted with the resources available is not valid IMO. Your only backup is the one kid who stole a bus and got a few people to the Astrodome.

That's all I was trying to say, BD. The mayor nor the governor should get a free pass on this. Till now Bush has gotten it all. Blame Bush big (I do too), but he's not the only one that had a brain fart

To think he could fully evacuate all the people in the limited time alloted with the resources available is not valid IMO. Your only backup is the one kid who stole a bus and got a few people to the Astrodome.

No one thought he could evacuate them all. Name one he did. The scoreboard right now reads "one kid" :30+ Mayor :0

PK wrote:

But I do blame Bush and his Administration for the pathetically late Federal response to the disaster, just like I blame La. Gov. Kathleen "Cry Like a Hallmark Movie" Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for their share of blame, too. They didn't do enough before the storm to prepare their residents.

Bullseye

[TRI]

You blame the Bush administration for the disaster but you excuse the inept local officials who srewed up big time.

Reading comprehension -- it's a fundamental thing. I never blamed the Bush Administration for the disaster. How can a President create a Category 4/5 hurricane? Give me a f*cking break.

But I do blame Bush and his Administration for the pathetically late Federal <b>response</b> to the disaster, just like I blame La. Gov. Kathleen "Cry Like a Hallmark Movie" Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin for their share of blame, too. They didn't do enough before the storm to prepare their residents.

But once the storm wreaked its havoc and New Orleans' and Southern Louisiana's infrastructure was destroyed, how the hell were state and city officials supposed to take the lead and fend for themselves without rapid, efficent, massive Federal help? No one defending Bush in here has answered that question yet.

Disaster relief is a local issue first and a federal issue last.

That's bullsh*t with a catastrophe of this magnitude. If so, then why even bother with FEMA? Why does the mission statement of the Homeland Security Department include a clause about assisting after natural disasters?

New Orleans is under 20 feet of water in some places. Levees are breached. There is looting. No power. No sanitation. No running water. What is Ray Nagin supposed to do? Sing Kumbaya and hope someone drops MRE's from heaven or that someone was having a massive gumbo cookout that can feed 100,000 on Sunday night, with plenty of leftovers?

The people on the levee board new about this problem and they sat on their hands!

True. But the Army Corps of Engineers knew the levees were substandard, but no funding was provided from a Federal level to fix them.

Bush cannot stop a Cat 5 hurricane or steer it to another location. He simply does not have that power.

Bush does have the power to lead a rapid, efficient response that saves lives, which he didn't do here. It's simply inexcusable that the U.S. can fly supplies to tsunami victims halfway around the world in two days yet takes FOUR days to aid its citizens in New Orleans.

You want Bush to be God but he is NOT.

No, I want him to be a leader based in reality, which he wasn't here. The man didn't even speak about the problems until Tuesday. He didn't show up until Thursday. His first speech focused more on the effect on gas prices and that his dad and Clinton were going to pass the tin cup instead of talking about specific ways the Feds were going to end hell on Earth in NO and Mississippi.

I don't want Bush to be God. He can't; he has a hard enough time being president.

When you suffer this much damage with limited relief supplies and resouces, recovery and disaster relief can take longer than most people would like.

Limited supplies and resources? Were all the water supplies and MRE's sourced from Monday to Thursday and then delivered? Give me a break.

It is NOT just New Orleans that was ravaged by this storm. In coastal Mississippi there was a 30 foot storm surge in some areas! A 30 foot storm surge is extremely devastating.

Agree here. The ravaged Mississippi residents are being somewhat forgotten with the media's justified focus on New Orleans.

Take care,
PK

PK500

You must consider that this is the worst natural disaster in the history of the USA! The president cannot possibily get aid and relief to the diaster area as soon as people would like because much of the infrastructure and communications are gone. The towers in New Orleans were knocked out during the storm and the causeway bridge to New ORleans is severly damaged. Have you seen photos of I-10 and highway 90 in southern Mississippi? It is much worse than the photos of the devastation you are seeing on your television. It is not easy and this is the truth.

[pk500]

You must consider that this is the worst natural disaster in the history of the USA! The president cannot possibily get aid and relief to the diaster area as soon as people would like because much of the infrastructure and communications are gone. The towers in New Orleans were knocked out during the storm and the causeway bridge to New ORleans is severly damaged. Have you seen photos of I-10 and highway 90 in southern Mississippi? It is much worse than the photos of the devastation you are seeing on your television. It is not easy and this is the truth.

TRI:

What changed between Monday and Thursday as far as the <b>transportation</b> infrastructure to allow the Guard to arrive in its big convoy? NOTHING.

Were the causeways rebuilt? No. Were the levees repaired? No. Were the bridges repaired? No. And Louis Armstrong International Airport has been above water and able to handle an airlift the entire time.

So please don't give me this "Have you seen the damage and its effects on transportation?" horsesh*t. I've been glued to the TV and Internet for hours on end since last Sunday night.

Your alibi is a total partisan cop-out.

As Newt Gingrich said, the Department of Homeland Security was created for the express purpose of ensuring the preparedness, security and safety of American citizens in time of terrorist attack or natural disaster. BILLIONS of our taxpayer money have gone into the creation of this department.

And what did we get for it? AMERICAN elderly, babies and regular folks sitting in OUR NATION for four days without food, water, sanitation and medical supplies, with their feces piled knee-high and their corpses bloating and rotting in 90-degree heat.

In its first big test, Homeland Security failed miserably. Call it an F-minus. I shudder at the thought of our nation's vulnerability to a nuclear or biological attack if this disaster is any indication of Homeland Security's ability to protect us.

Homeland Security should pay a little less attention to what's in my shoes at the airport and a lot more attention to disaster preparedness.

The bottom line is this: Sadly, Katrina may end up causing more deaths than 9/11, and unlike the attacks, <b>we knew Katrina was coming</b>, with a special Cabinet-level agency created especially to handle these kinds of things on a Federal level.

Chilling, if you ask me.

Take care,
PK

[TRI]

You must consider that this is the worst natural disaster in the history of the USA! The president cannot possibily get aid and relief to the diaster area as soon as people would like because much of the infrastructure and communications are gone. The towers in New Orleans were knocked out during the storm and the causeway bridge to New ORleans is severly damaged. Have you seen photos of I-10 and highway 90 in southern Mississippi? It is much worse than the photos of the devastation you are seeing on your television. It is not easy and this is the truth.

TRI:

What changed between Monday and Thursday as far as the <b>transportation</b> infrastructure to allow the Guard to arrive in its big convoy? NOTHING.

Were the causeways rebuilt? No. Were the levees repaired? No. Were the bridges repaired? No. And Louis Armstrong International Airport has been above water and able to handle an airlift the entire time.

So please don't give me this "Have you seen the damage and its effects on transportation?" horsesh*t. I've been glued to the TV and Internet for hours on end since last Sunday night.

Your alibi is a total partisan cop-out.

As Newt Gingrich said, the Department of Homeland Security was created for the express purpose of ensuring the preparedness, security and safety of American citizens in time of terrorist attack or natural disaster. BILLIONS of our taxpayer money have gone into the creation of this department.

And what did we get for it? AMERICAN elderly, babies and regular folks sitting in OUR NATION for four days without food, water, sanitation and medical supplies, with their feces piled knee-high and their corpses bloating and rotting in 90-degree heat.

In its first big test, Homeland Security failed miserably. Call it an F-minus. I shudder at the thought of our nation's vulnerability to a nuclear or biological attack if this disaster is any indication of Homeland Security's ability to protect us.

Homeland Security should pay a little less attention to what's in my shoes at the airport and a lot more attention to disaster preparedness.

Take care,
PK

I never said that there could not be air lifts. The Coast Guard was rescuing people from rooftops right after the storm.
The problem is the water flooding New Orleans and the thugs shooting people delaying relief to those in New Orleans. Many roads are blocked by debris and fallen trees.

[TRI]

You must consider that this is the worst natural disaster in the history of the USA! The president cannot possibily get aid and relief to the diaster area as soon as people would like because much of the infrastructure and communications are gone. The towers in New Orleans were knocked out during the storm and the causeway bridge to New ORleans is severly damaged. Have you seen photos of I-10 and highway 90 in southern Mississippi? It is much worse than the photos of the devastation you are seeing on your television. It is not easy and this is the truth.

TRI:

What changed between Monday and Thursday as far as the <b>transportation</b> infrastructure to allow the Guard to arrive in its big convoy? NOTHING.

Were the causeways rebuilt? No. Were the levees repaired? No. Were the bridges repaired? No. And Louis Armstrong International Airport has been above water and able to handle an airlift the entire time.

So please don't give me this "Have you seen the damage and its effects on transportation?" horsesh*t. I've been glued to the TV and Internet for hours on end since last Sunday night.

Your alibi is a total partisan cop-out.

As Newt Gingrich said, the Department of Homeland Security was created for the express purpose of ensuring the preparedness, security and safety of American citizens in time of terrorist attack or natural disaster. BILLIONS of our taxpayer money have gone into the creation of this department.

And what did we get for it? AMERICAN elderly, babies and regular folks sitting in OUR NATION for four days without food, water, sanitation and medical supplies, with their feces piled knee-high and their corpses bloating and rotting in 90-degree heat.

In its first big test, Homeland Security failed miserably. Call it an F-minus. I shudder at the thought of our nation's vulnerability to a nuclear or biological attack if this disaster is any indication of Homeland Security's ability to protect us.

Homeland Security should pay a little less attention to what's in my shoes at the airport and a lot more attention to disaster preparedness.

Take care,
PK

The military does not station troops near the coast during a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. It is just too dangerous. I never said that there could not be air lifts. The Coast Guard was rescuing people from rooftops right after the storm.The problem is the water flooding New Orleans and the thugs shooting people delaying relief to those in New Orleans. Many roads are blocked by debris and fallen trees.

[pk500]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9166337/

I'm awaiting the expected "left wing media bias" claims to be made about this story.

Take care,
PK

[EDiddy]

I was amazed at the horrible response at the federal level. I can not think of a time of being more ashamed of my goverment than this last week. Now I have no background in military or civilan police work, but why would this be so difficult. Have personel staged away from the affected zone (texas) and as soon as the danger passes get some resources into the major areas. How wonderfull would our fellow countrymen in New Orleans have felt seeing some armor rumble into the downtown with old glory flying high. I get goose bumps just thinking about it, then I vomit because it did not happen!!!!!! You would hope also hope that the sight of some Personal Carriers with some of our countries finest young men M-4's pointed to the ground may deter some of the violence.

I really think someone will need to be held accoutable for this. This must be in the top 5 of goverment failures in the history of the United States of America.

[Inuyasha]

If there needs to be a guy thats gone its the FEMA guy. But knowing this administration, they probably will give him a medal.

I saw Meet the press and the La. guy was saying how comapnies like Walmart had delivered 3 truckloads of water last Sunday before everything went to hell and Fema told them to go back. The Coast Guard offered help too but was told to stand back by Fema. Numerous other stories how aid was there but Fema told them to stand back. So if heads should roll, get the FEma director out. Reading up on him, he has no experience in this anyway, he was an estate laywer.

Great job by our president appointing 'the best' to critical fed gov departments.

[DivotMaker]

To name a few. I hope you purchased alot of insurance for that glass house. It is one thing to be a sarcastic a****** (I have no problem admitting to it and DB is the posterboy with PK as his running mate) it's another to fail in seeing that you are in the same damn boat and pointing your finger around as if your s*** does not stink.

How typical of you to pull comments from other posts and present them out of context to make your "point". It also seems that Paul does not need YOU to respond for HIM. His subsequent response was as expected. Yours was completely unnecessary as it was not directed to or at you.

Your personal vendetta against me is really becoming tiring and ridiculous. I avoid responding to your posts because of your incessant bias and hatred towards me. I do not recall what I did to piss you off or even if I did anything at all, but your actions have convinced me not to care withewr way. If I want to communicate with YOU, I will quote you directly. Otherwise mind your own damn business. Everyone else at DSP manages just fine without any interference from you.

[pk500]

Further proof that Chertoff's claim that "we couldn't anticipate such a disaster" was utter bullsh*t. From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

>>>>>>>

Officials were told Katrina posed serious danger to city, one says
By Mark Schleifstein
Staff writer

Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Sunday that officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA Director Mike Brown and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, listened in on electronic briefings given by his staff in advance of Hurricane Katrina slamming Louisiana and Mississippi and were advised of the storm's potential deadly effects.

Mayfield said the strength of the storm and the potential disaster it could bring were made clear during both the briefings and in formal advisories, which warned of a storm surge capable of overtopping levees in New Orleans and winds strong enough to blow out windows of high-rise buildings. He said the briefings included information on expected wind speed, storm surge, rainfall and the potential for tornadoes to accompany the storm as it came ashore.

"We were briefing them way before landfall," Mayfield said. "It's not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped.

"I keep looking back to see if there was anything else we could have done, and I just don't know what it would be," he said. Chertoff told reporters Saturday that government officials had not expected the damaging combination of a powerful hurricane levee breaches that flooded New Orleans.

Brown, Mayfield said, is a dedicated public servant.

"The question is why he couldn't shake loose the resources that were needed,'' he said.

Brown and Chertoff could not be reached for comment on Sunday afternoon.

In the days before Katrina hit, Mayfield said, his staff also briefed FEMA, which under the Department of Homeland Security, at FEMA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., its Region 6 office in Dallas and the Region 4 office in Atlanta about the potential effects of the storm.

He said all of those briefings were logged in the hurricane center's records. And Mayfield said his staff also participated in the five-day "Hurricane Pam" exercise sponsored by FEMA and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness in July 2004 that assumed a similar storm would hit the city.

FEMA's own July 23, 2004, news release announcing the end of that exercise summed up the assumptions they used, which were eerily close to what Katrina delivered:

"Hurricane Pam brought sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area. More than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal and volunteer organizations faced this scenario during a five-day exercise held this week at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge.

"The exercise used realistic weather and damage information developed by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the LSU Hurricane Center and other state and federal agencies to help officials develop joint response plans for a catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana."

That plan assumed such a hurricane would result in the opening of 1,000 evacuee shelters that would have to be staffed for 100 days, and a search and rescue operation using 800 people. The storm would create 30 million tons of debris, including 237,000 cubic yards of household hazardous waste.

Mayfield said his concern now is that another named storm could hit either New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf coast, as September is the most active month of the annual hurricane season.

"This is like the fourth inning in a nine-inning ballgame," he said. "We know that another one would cause extreme stress on the people who have been hurt by Katrina."

<<<<<<

Take care,
PK

[DivotMaker]

Further proof that Chertoff's claim that "we couldn't anticipate such a disaster" was utter bullsh*t.

The story is becoming clearer as we move along and I can start to see why people are criticizing the Fed Govt. and ultimately Bush. IIRC, Bush put Brown and Chertoff in their current positions. He know knows how they have reacted in at least one major situation. If what I am reading is undeniably true, then they have reacted about as poorly as one could imagine. I think criticism of Bush for putting these people in these positions is warranted, especially in light of their performances or lack thereof.

That being said, if Bush does not replace Chertoff, I will join everyone else in their criticisms. I am not sure how much Brown's hands were tied in this situation, but if his hands were not tied and/or he did not have to answer to Chertoff, then he needs to go as well. If his hands were tied, I get that. However, if that is the case and he did not go straight to Bush and tell him how badly Chertoff was responding, then he still needs to go....

[JackB1]

I really think someone will need to be held accoutable for this. This must be in the top 5 of goverment failures in the history of the United States of America.

You are right, but the Bush administration is not about being accountable......they are about never acknowledging mistakes and sweeping things under the rug or diverting interest. Chertoff kept repeating yesterday on TV...."it will be a mistake to dwell on this and not move ahead and plan for the future"......after a while, he said he wouldn't even answer any questions about what already took place. How's that for f-ing accountability? Chertoff was caught in so many lies yesterday by the TV Reporter, it was rediculous. They already knew from prior surveys that at least 25% of N.O. residents said they weren't going to leave if a hurricane hit. Why not bring cruise ships and buses in there a day or 2 ahead of time and get whover wants out, out. If the storm doesn't hit, bring them back the next day. Everyone saw the huge risk that was there of not reacting ahead of time. How embarrassing it was when all the network reporters were there the next day and there was no government personell to be found anywhere. How is it that they can get there but nobody else can?

This was out first true post 9/11 test of reacting to a disaster and we failed miserably. I bet the terrorists are thinking "why did we never think of destroying those flood walls.......look how easy it would have been to kill thousands". What's even sadder is that 2 weeks of the Iraq War's cost could have paid for a rebuilt levee and flood system for N.O. I guess Bush felt it was more imortant to spend the money on a foreign country that was no threat to us, than to take care of our own problems at home first, which were a very real and documented threat. Chertoff will not be replaced.....I can guarantee that. He is one of Bush's habd picked cronies and replacing him is like admitting you scewed up in putting him in that position in the first place. Will never happen. Lets wait and see what happens when the water recedes and they start pulling out body after body.

[Jackdog]

I really think someone will need to be held accoutable for this. This must be in the top 5 of goverment failures in the history of the United States of America.

You are right, but the Bush administration is not about being accountable......they are about never acknowledging mistakes and sweeping things under the rug or diverting interest. Chertoff kept repeating yesterday on TV...."it will be a mistake to dwell on this and not move ahead and plan for the future"......after a while, he said he wouldn't even answer any questions about what already took place. How's that for f-ing accountability? Chertoff was caught in so many lies yesterday by the TV Reporter, it was rediculous. They already knew from prior surveys that at least 25% of N.O. residents said they weren't going to leave if a hurricane hit. Why not bring cruise ships and buses in there a day or 2 ahead of time and get whover wants out, out. If the storm doesn't hit, bring them back the next day. Everyone saw the huge risk that was there of not reacting ahead of time. How embarrassing it was when all the network reporters were there the next day and there was no government personell to be found anywhere. How is it that they can get there but nobody else can?

This was out first true post 9/11 test of reacting to a disaster and we failed miserably. I bet the terrorists are thinking "why did we never think of destroying those flood walls.......look how easy it would have been to kill thousands". What's even sadder is that 2 weeks of the Iraq War's cost could have paid for a rebuilt levee and flood system for N.O. I guess Bush felt it was more imortant to spend the money on a foreign country that was no threat to us, than to take care of our own problems at home first, which were a very real and documented threat. Chertoff will not be replaced.....I can guarantee that. He is one of Bush's habd picked cronies and replacing him is like admitting you scewed up in putting him in that position in the first place. Will never happen. Lets wait and see what happens when the water recedes and they start pulling out body after body.

Jack,we agree on something political!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean maybe not everything you posted but most of it.

I think the city and state should have been bucking for the type of floodwall needed to protect their citizens from this type of flooding. They knew it could happen,it was just a matter of when. Hell all the casino's they have moored on the Mississippi could have chipped in and fixed that damn levee.

Don't forget to add the Mayor of New Orleans to the list of people that need to be fired. What a scumbag.

I think your right. We won't see anyone fired from Bush. That would make him look like he doesn't know it all. God knows that will never happen.

[wco81]

As you guys may recall, Ridge didn't want the job any more because it didn't pay enough.

And it took awhile to get some other takers to accept the job.

After this, if they let Chertoff go, who's going to go on this hot seat?

Also, it's not easy to evacuate over 100k people in a couple of days. Not easy for the city or state nor the federal govt. It's one thing to announce on TV that people should leave. But supposedly a lot of people didn't have cars and even if they did have cars, they couldn't afford to stay at some out of town hotel. So the task would have been to locate those people who couldn't leave and evacuate them. Almost have to do a house-to-house thing in certain parts of town.

Of course, the solution was to herd them into the Superdome and Convention Center but they didn't offer the services. They said in the first day, they lost water pressure and the bathrooms all went down.

[bdoughty]

To name a few. I hope you purchased alot of insurance for that glass house. It is one thing to be a sarcastic a****** (I have no problem admitting to it and DB is the posterboy with PK as his running mate) it's another to fail in seeing that you are in the same damn boat and pointing your finger around as if your s*** does not stink.

How typical of you to pull comments from other posts and present them out of context to make your "point". It also seems that Paul does not need YOU to respond for HIM. His subsequent response was as expected. Yours was completely unnecessary as it was not directed to or at you.

Your personal vendetta against me is really becoming tiring and ridiculous. I avoid responding to your posts because of your incessant bias and hatred towards me. I do not recall what I did to piss you off or even if I did anything at all, but your actions have convinced me not to care withewr way. If I want to communicate with YOU, I will quote you directly. Otherwise mind your own damn business. Everyone else at DSP manages just fine without any interference from you.

I have no vendetta against anyone, I just call them as I see them. You seem to enjoy dishing out sarcasm but can't take it thrown back your way. If you do not care for the my replies and observations simply avoid them. Pretty simple stuff Maynord.

[DivotMaker]

I have no vendetta against anyone, I just call them as I see them. You seem to enjoy dishing out sarcasm but can't take it thrown back your way. If you do not care for the my replies and observations simply avoid them. Pretty simple stuff Maynord.

Bullshit. I have taken every cheap shot you have dished out, MANY times not responding due to considering the source and the obvious hatred and bias you display. I have been avoiding your replies, but when you call me out and post comments I have made out of context because of your overt bias against me, I WILL respond and if you do not like the responses, don't start it. Got that?

In the future, if you have something to say to me, take it to PM to spare the rest of DSP your obviously biased agenda towards me. Nobody really cares or wants to participate in such ridiculous garbage.

[bdoughty]

Your personal vendetta against me is really becoming tiring and ridiculous.

Nobody really cares or wants to participate in such ridiculous garbage.

I guess that is why threads have never been locked in the history of DSP.

Final Score

Figment of your imagination - 1
Reality - 0

I never mix personal vendettas with compliments on taste in golf screenshots. I will save Jared the time and back away from this thread before you escalate this into something it never was.

[blueduke]

wco wrote:

As you guys may recall, Ridge didn't want the job any more because it didn't pay enough.

And it took awhile to get some other takers to accept the job.

Good point. Does anyone else seem to think Bush just hired one of the few willing to take this job? HSA is good in theory but in it's first big test it proved it's been more trouble than it's been worth. Before the creation of this boondoogle I thought we already had homeland security in the FBI, CIA, National Guard, etc. Scrap this agency already

[pk500]

wco wrote:

As you guys may recall, Ridge didn't want the job any more because it didn't pay enough.

And it took awhile to get some other takers to accept the job.

Good point. Does anyone else seem to think Bush just hired one of the few willing to take this job? HSA is good in theory but in it's first big test it proved it's been more trouble than it's been worth. Before the creation of this boondoogle I thought we already had homeland security in the FBI, CIA, National Guard, etc. Scrap this agency already

Agreed, to the syllable.

Take care,
PK

[wco81]

Looks like their first priority is spin control.

Now will they try to make DHS better prepared for the future? Or if this strategy of blaming the state works, then what incentive will they have to do better if they can just blame the state and local govt?

With no elections to run for, why not fix DHS and worry less about the poll numbers?

It orchestrated visits by cabinet members to the region, leading up to an extraordinary return visit by Mr. Bush planned for Monday, directed administration officials not to respond to attacks from Democrats on the relief efforts, and sought to move the blame for the slow response to Louisiana state officials, according to Republicans familiar with the White House plan.

The effort is being directed by Mr. Bush's chief political adviser, Karl Rove, and his communications director, Dan Bartlett. It began late last week after Congressional Republicans called White House officials to register alarm about what they saw as a feeble response by Mr. Bush to the hurricane, according to Republican Congressional aides.

As a result, Americans watching television coverage of the disaster this weekend began to see, amid the destruction and suffering, some of the most prominent members of the administration - Richard B. Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Donald H. Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense; and Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state - touring storm-damaged communities.

Mr. Bush is to return to Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday; his first visit, on Friday, left some Republicans cringing, in part because the president had little contact with residents left homeless.

Republicans said the administration's effort to stanch the damage had been helped by the fact that convoys of troops and supplies had begun to arrive by the time the administration officials turned up. All of those developments were covered closely on television.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/natio ... 5bush.html