Reply #15: Pay attention to the dates!!!

[rocktivity]

8/27: Blanco requested aid for "the state of Louisiana (link)...for the time period beginning August 26, 2005, and continuing. The affected areas are all the southeastern parishes including the New Orleans Metropolitan area..."

8/27: Bush responds (link) by authorizing "...Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing...(T)o coordinate all disaster relief efforts...to save lives, protect property and public health and safety...in the parishes of Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn."

8/28: Gov. Blanco responded with a letter requesting aid for the Southern counties (link): "I am specifically requesting...assistance...for the following parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Calecasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Orleans, Plaquermines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Marin, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tragipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana."

Sure, the FEMA letter vaugely mentions "parishes in the path of hurricane Katrina" just as Blanco's first letter generalizes that she needs aid for "all of Louisiana." But while Blanco proceeds to get specific, FEMA lists the parishes that SHOULDN'T get priority. WHY? These are the people who waited until the sunset was just right before they flew Bush in for his Mission Accomplished speech. Now I'm supposed to believe that somebody's arms got too tired, or doesn't know the difference between north and south?

Were they trying to snub Blanco because those parishes are predominately black and Democratic? Were they hoping that she'd gloss over the discrepancy, which would give them ammunition for public ridicule? We know that Bush asked Blanco to give him control of the LA National Guard. Were they trying to generate blackmail leverage for so that she'd HAVE to?

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rocknation