WP, A01: White House Shifts Blame

[Rose Siding]

Tens of thousands of people spent a fifth day awaiting evacuation from this ruined city, as Bush administration officials blamed state and local authorities for what leaders at all levels have called a failure of the country's emergency management.
....
Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.

The administration had sought control over National Guard units, normally under control of the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request, noting that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. State authorities suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who is an adviser and does not have the authority to speak publicly.

Blanco made two moves Saturday that protected her independence from the federal government: She created a philanthropic fund for the state's victims and hired James Lee Witt, Federal Emergency Management Agency director in the Clinton administration, to advise her on the relief effort.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html

[Avalux]

1. Unbelieveable!

"the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans"

They tried to blackmail her into abdicating her power. :mad:

[rocktivity]

16. No different from when Bush tried to blackmail Dems

into abdicating their power to filibuster or declare war.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Nothing Without Hope]

105. This is MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR - please see if you agree with my posts

#98 and #101 downthread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1750979&mesg_id=1751981

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1750979&mesg_id=1752007

These are written off the top of my head, but I have been trying to rewrite a more comprehensive post on my fears about the progression to what John Dean calls a "constitutional dictatorship." I feel that the delays and the prevention of maintenance and strengthening of the levees and the blockages of aid from other states and from foreign countries are part of a deliberate use of this natural disaster and human tragedy to push forward the Bush Administration plans for greater power. They won't call it martial law (I sort of like "Operation Safe America," but they're better at these Orwellian names than I am) and it wouldn't happen all over the country immediately - it would be step by step - but that is what they want.

I also believe that the Administration, with the collaboration of its Poodle Press, is going to continue to try to hype the idea of class/racial violence. I believe they want to now use our fellow Americans as their domestic version of "TERRA-ISTS™" to stoke and inflame fear and tension so much that they will succeed in terrorizing the public into allowing them to institute a military police force and suspend more and more Constitutional protections until the Constitution itself is ultimately suspended. The long delays and the lack of direct contact with the areas make such class/racial tensions much more likely.

Yes, I believe it's deliberate. Of course they didn't cause the hurricane (though they had been warned that sooner or later it was likely) and they are indeed incompetent. But what they are doing now is deliberate and we ignore that to our peril.

[NYC]

142. What happened to states' rights?

Blanco was correct to resist. How can anyone give the power over a state or city to the federal government. With each passing day, the federal government tries to give itself more power.

[Nothing Without Hope]

161. Just like Congress giving blatantly unconstitutional powers to Bush

that allowed him to have his war on iraq and much more. You think he's going to give powers BACK after he gets them?

This is the next step.

Oh, and re New Orleans specifically, it's a crucial nexus for shipping and the oil industry's infrastructure. What if people like Hastert are saying it shouldn't be rebuilt in part because they want to hand over ALL the coast and inner land to corporations and refineries? Make it 100% for-profit. Yeah, I can believe that.

Here are two articles on why it's idiotic to talk about not rebuilding New Orleans:

http://www.xoverboard.com/blogarchive/week_2005_08_28.html#001439

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x152883

You need these as an antidote to toxic waste such as Hastert saying rebuilding New Orleans "doesn't make sense" and Clear Channel goons asking for MORE destruction in the city:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1744292

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x14377

[nicknameless]

143. These paint such a horrifying scenario (horrifying in their probability!),

that it would be great if you could start a new thread with this as the topic. (Disappeared before? Sorry I missed it.)

This is so likely to be BushCo's intention. What a nightmare.

[Nothing Without Hope]

162. Threads that say it's deliberate get disappeared. (not just locked.)

I really don't know how I can rewrite in a way that it won't get disappeared again. Even though I was calling for nonviolence and strategizing on how to counter these power moves, it was disappeared. What can I do? Some things we're not allowed to say here and that's apparently one of them: you can say it's "just incompetence" but you apparently cannot say and document reasons for believing you think any part of this was deliberate. This greatly disturbs me, because I feel we ignore it at our peril.

I am happy to send my disappeared post (fortunately, I saved a formatted version in Word before I posted, or it would be GONE) or my current working draft to anyone who wants to see them.

I'm going to re-write yet again with MORE information I've found before trying to post again. Unfortunately, though I go out of my way to say these are theories and show why I think they are convincing, I'm afraid that if I say I think there is deliberate planning going on it will be disappeared AGAIN. I saw another post on "deliberate" theories disappeared today too.

So anybody who wants to see the disappeared one or my current working draft, PM me and I'll PM them back.

[Trevelyan]

184. I believe you Nothing Without Hope and would like to read your

ideas but I don't know how to use PM and since I am relatively new there are some features I can't use.

Someone placed a message in my DU messagebox about the Conyers group but I could not post on the group according to a error message.

I don't know how to reach you using the DU messagebox but maybe you could contact me through the messagebox or my email [email protected].

Thank you for all your hard work, I am trying this time to follow all your threads and keeping the whole DU address, printing them out and cutting and pasting.

If anyone has any ideas on how to stop this Nazi takeover of our country, I would be very glad to hear them.

In the meantime every PLEASE take some time to email Congress and your support for arresting the entire bush regime now. Congress.org in addition to being an easy way to find members of Congress has a media section you can click on the left of the screen and you can send up to 5 email messages to National or Local newspapers, radio and TV and afterdowningstreet.org has a page with the email addresses for most of the major media.

Don't forget to ask about Shepard Smith, Geraldo Rivera and Anderson Cooper.

[bassman79]

179. I think you are right

this disaster is now being used as a dress rehearsal for federal martial law takeover of a major American city. I'm advising my family not to return to New Orleans, where I grew up and where my Grandfather has lived for 76 years. I believe it will be turned into a Police State for however long the Feds can get a way with it as a laboratory in martial law.
I myself in addition to questioning why federal funding for the Corp of Eng. was slashed, and why the federal response to the Hurricane was so inadequate, am suspicious that in fact FEMA has been actively working to THWART relief efforts and has worked intentionally to WORSEN the devestation. In addition I am also very suspicious about the origin of the break in the 17th street canal. This area of the canal had been recently enforced. How did it lose a 20 yard section of ground and concrete barrier? I suspect sabotage.
I hold BushCo responsible for genocide and the intentional destruction of my hometown New Orleans.

[PA Democrat]

38. Has this ever been done before?

Has the federal government in time of disaster asked a state and local authorities to sign over all powers?

Anyone know?

[AuntiBush]

70. It Sure Is!

The pile of "unbelievable" bull$hit from the most corrupt, evil ba#$tards ever to ruin our country, at least in my lifetime is piled so high, why aren't our Dem's demanding their resignation for the good of our country -- and I mean every House Rep. & Senator?

I mean that. Every one of our Democrat Congressional leaders! And I guarantee at this point, there has "got" to be more then a few Republican's that would join them at this point.

Has anyone seen or heard on TV today from any Congressional Dems? Or are they being shuffled to the side by the MSN?

Another thought: Maybe our Dem's are sitting back and letting * & CO hang themselves before the whole country and the world, since * & CO do a much better job showing their true disgusting colors, then our Dem's could ever do for them.

[smtpgirl]

147. Because the Dems

have no balls. I have written my state senators. I believe this is totally political bullshit. This is not 9/11. This catastrphe could have been averted to where we would not be in this crisis situattion.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

139. Spin This - Feds Verbal Response on Day Katrina Hit

The federal govt said this on Monday, hours after Katrina. We watched the response.



Bush, agencies pledge post-storm help

USA Today, Posted MONDAY - 8/29/2005 9:32 PM

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (AP) — President Bush on Monday pledged extensive federal help for victims of Hurricane Katrina to "get your lives back in order." The government put into effect a massive emergency assistance program that included rushing baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas.

------

"It's a storm now that is moving through and now is the time for governments to help people get their feet on the ground," Bush said. "For those of you who are concerned about whether or not we are prepared to help — don't be. We are."

He added, "We're in place, we've got equipment in place, supplies in place and once we're able to assess the damage we'll be able to move in and help those good folks in the affected areas."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had medical teams, rescue squads and groups prepared to supply food and water poised in a semicircle around New Orleans. (Related item: FEMA ready to test recovery procedures)

"I was impressed with the evacuation. Once it was ordered it was very smooth," FEMA Director Michael Brown said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-08-29-aid-agency_x.htm


Related (from Monday)

FEMA ready to test recovery procedures
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2005-08-29-katrina-fema_x.htm

--

[NYC]

144. What an outrageous lie!

In place? What place? Mars?

All I kept hearing while the people of New Orleans were dying was that help was "on the way". Why did the hospital ship leave Baltimore on the Friday AFTER the hurricane? People in Biloxi, where the flood was not a problem, were still looking for aid days later.

I hope they pay the consequences for what they have done to New Orleans.

[smtpgirl]

153. Yes

she wanted to punch him with that Matt Laur interview. I think this is a woman with a mission

[Nothing Without Hope]

167. If you are surprised, you have not been paying attention.

The surprise is that it was reported in the WaPo, though they buried it under an irrelevant title that just got even more bland. Can't criticize Our Leader Bush, eh? They want to own New Orleans - it's critically important for oil and shipping interests and there'd be more space if they could kick the people out. I do wonder if a similar letter was also sent to the other two governors and if so, did they sign.

I do and have believed that martial law under a sugar-coated Orwellian name is one of the things they're aiming for. The lead-up evidence cannot be interpreted any other way.

What I can't understand is the people who still insist this is all "just" incompetence. Yes, there is incompetence, but there is also a a plan and they have gained so much of what they wanted already. Not all that many Constitutional protections left, but they want those gone too.

[Trevelyan]

185. Did anyone receive their Sunday Washington Post?

We didn't and the link to a WaPo article on the front page of Ed Shultz is not working.

[Placebo]

2. Thank God she's gonna have a CLINTON person helping out!

[roguevalley]

3. they are beyond words. I am beyond the ability to find words.

[barbaraann]

5. You'll find the words in this language:

http://terengo.tdonnelly.org/borg/borgless.html

[gulfcoastliberal]

52. LOL

The democrats have been assimilated. Can you translate?

[susanna]

37. That's my reaction too... n/t

[Kagemusha]

4. This is a bad joke.

If it was to actually save lives I'd have been ALL for taking control of the Guard but... on Friday (i.e. yesterday)!? The hell? I can see why the state officials think that's a pure political blame-shifting exercise.

But why wasn't this issue addressed earlier in the week?... For that matter, what about New Orleans isn't a national disaster, given the strategic nature of the port? It's crazy.

[ECH1969]

6. Incredible

The Governor controls the National Guard and overseas such matters and * tried to take that power away from her. Asshole.

[CityDem]

The shit rain is going to fall on Blanco

The Bush administration is releasing this to demonstrate they wanted to take charge of hurricane relief before it happened. The shit rain is going to start dropping on Blanco and the mayor -- big time. You can bet the sunday talks shows will be filled with Bush apologists.

[are_we_united_yet]

7. You're kidding.

Tell me you're kidding. Tell me. Tell me tell me....

[barbaraann]

8. Did they do this to Jeb?

or Haley Barbour?

[FloridaPat]

43. Federal control would also be federal control of news media. How many

reporters do you think the insurgents in NO will shoot? Or the military that mistook those big cameras for big guns. Too much truth this week.

[kestrel91316]

48. Nope. But then, she's just a woman. Weak, unstable..........YOU KNOW.

[smtpgirl]

150. ....

that is what I am trying to figure out.

[Spazito]

9. Disgusted, yes, surprised, no

There is nothing too low for these pond scum, nothing.

[stillcool]

10. this sounds big... n/t

[ECH1969]

18. It is very big deal

He tried to urserp the power over the national guard and emergency planning of state officals. If he did that he could say I didn't have the power over the national guard until friday.

[KittyWampus]

30. Local Officials Sent Requests SUNDAY White House Ignored Them

[Igel]

36. The letter sent Sunday did not request National Guard.

It was actually long on recovery, short on specifics for evacuation.

It's a tough read, but worth it.

[July]

100. Governors involved requested fed help before that letter.

And whether there is specific mention of the Guard or not, any leader with half a brain might have come up with that idea on his own, given the traditional role of the National Guard in assisting during disasters.

Department of Defense interview with General Honore says that the governors asked for help on the Friday before the hurricane. Transcript is on DOD website.

[tanyev]

11. Is that why the reponse was so slow?

If there's one thing the Bush gang excels in, it's vindictiveness.

[barbaraann]

14. I think that's it.

God, these people are making Richard Nixon look like Mother Teresa.

[DBoon]

87. No, they are making Mussolini look like Mother Teresa

nt

[barbaraann]

89. That's a better analogy.

Sadly.

[Fozzledick]

175. I thought they were making Tony Blair look like Mussolini

but that's another story!

[barbaraann]

12. Sen. Vitter was talking about abandoning posse comitatus today.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4617385&mesg_id=4617385

[Maccagirl]

13. Every American should know about this

The thugs in the WH are evil!

[finecraft]

15. Crap! The Crackhead is coming back??

snip- "Bush canceled a visit with Chinese President Hu Jintao that had been scheduled for Wednesday and made plans to return to the Gulf Coast on Monday. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice scheduled visits to the region, as troops continue to pour in."

Keep the hell away from us! Just what we need, another photo-op since the first one bombed. I truly am bitter and angry and hate these people with a passion.

[UpInArms]

26. WTF?? here's the headline: China's Hu cancels White House visit, cites Kat

China's Hu cancels White House visit, cites Katrina

http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=9552271&src=rss/topNews

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A planned visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House, set for next week, was canceled because of Hurricane Katrina, the White House said on Saturday.

that was the complete article.

:eyes:

Another lie?

[finecraft]

42. Well, that sure is interesting

Gotta keep that "take charge pResident" image intact now, don't we?
These people disgust me beyond belief!! So now next week we'll have to see Rummy, Condi (in her new shoes she just bought on Tuesday during her excellent vacation!), the Crackhead, and if they are feeling especially threatened, the corpse of Dick Cheney, standing on top of the superdome with a smoldering city in ruins behind them talking about how they will rebuild a "fantastic house for Trent Lott out of the rubble of his old house". Get these people away from me. I never want them to set foot in my state again.....ever.

[leftyleftist]

60. The corpse of Cheney

Just got dragged out tonight. Interestingly, shortly later they announced Rehnquist died. I think they are really the same person...

[0007]

94. I noticed that one also. junior is so busy working hard to save

fellow Americans, he had to put Chinese President Hu Jintao on the back burner.

It is another lie for sure.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

107. Caught that one immediately, too.

Idiots.

[Pirate Smile]

17. OMG - just imagine if she had signed it and then today all of a sudden

all the help arrives. It would have been spun as - the Feds took over so now everything is great but, you know what, she didn't sign it and they still had all the military finally in there today. Signing it wasn't a requirement to get the help. The help should have been there on Tuesday or Wednesday by the latest.


Did they withhold help just to try to force her to sign?

Before I thought it was incompetence and apathy, it is starting to look much more sinister.

[Avalux]

21. I no longer think it was incompetence.

These are truly evil people running our government. I think I need to vomit....

[Maccagirl]

27. Yes, you raise great questions

Were the people of NO being used as pawns in a power play? If I was Blanco, I'd shout from the rooftops-damn the consequences-this is too important.

[Rose Siding]

53. She sent bush a letter yesterday to follow up the one from the 28th

She asks for everything she believes she needs now, and reiterates that she had made a previous request:

Based on our initial assessment, I have previously requested significant federal support to include: an additional 40,000 troops; trailers of water, ice and food; commercial buses; base camps; staging areas; amphibious personnel carriers; deployable morgues; urban search and rescue teams; airlift; temporary housing; and communications systems. Even if these initial requests had been fully honored, these assets would not be sufficient to address our critical, immediate needs. Additional assistance requirements for the federal government are outlined below. As we continue to assess our needs, I will ensure you receive our updated requirements.

And the way she closes, leave him NO opportunity to evade his total responsibility:

Mr. President, only your personal involvement will ensure the immediate delivery of federal assets needed to save lives that are in jeopardy hour by hour. I know you will take the actions necessary to make this happen. As the recovery efforts continue, I will provide you a reassessment of needs. Again, thank you for your support of the citizens of Louisiana.


Sincerely,
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
Governor
State of Louisiana

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=4900

[FighttheFuture]

66. Hey, you're getting paranoid now! Next thing you'll be asking about 9/11,

Iraq, UniCol Oil Pipelines in Afghanistan, Downing Street Memos, and Venezuela 2002 attempted Coup, and Haiti successful coup, and Saudi Arabia, and...

Go back to sleep, can't have that reality intruding!!

[goforit]

119. LOL!!....Yes this has been nothing but a bad dream.

[Nothing Without Hope]

166. OF COURSE the feds would suddenly start working after she gave away

the state control to them and turned over New Orleans. OF COURSE they would spin it as "proof" of what they are saying every chance they get now already - that the delays and obstructions of aid are NOT Bush's fault, but that of the inept state and local officials who got in the way.

They are already saying it. If Blanco had signed that martial law plus New Orleans giveaway, you bet the aid trucks and rescue equipment would move in right away. This is blackmail pure and simple.

Thank heaven there's a Democrat with spine as governor there. What if it was Jeb Bush? What if it was Alaska's extremely slimy Murkowitz or Ohio's Taft?

[daninthemoon]

19. How many NG troops were actually at her disposal, and how

many were already doing "other things" for Shrub. I'm also tired of hearing all these insistances that there are plenty of NG left to go around.

[jamesinca]

86. Some of the numbers I have heard

I don't have a link, but they are somewhere on one of the many threads here and those numbers are: 3,700 national guard in LA, 4,000 in Iraq. They have a majority of there troops in Iraq and most of their equipment there too.

I have also heard that when Andrew hit FL in '92 there were 30,000 Natl Guard that were brought in, and brought in early as in pre-deployment.

These are only if I am remembering correctly, I am sure that I am in the ballpark though.

[UpInArms]

20. also from the link:

Bush, who has been criticized, even by supporters, for the delayed response to the disaster, used his weekly radio address to put responsibility for the failure on lower levels of government. The magnitude of the crisis "has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities," he said. "The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable."

I don't think that is going to work. I just heard a KC news (10 pm) broadcast where there would aid workers with ambulances now traveling to NOLA - they were just leaving - the news person stated that they were ready to go Wednesday morning, but they were told no by FEMA. Then she went on to say that FEMA just called them back this evening and they were ready to go within the hour.

hmmmmm.....

Shifting the blame? I don't think so.

:popcorn:

[leveymg]

93. What are they going to need all those troops and ambulances for now?

After a week without access to clean water, the vast majority of those who were not evacuated, are dead. Those who made it to designated shelters, have finally been removed to Texas.

Who's left? What do they plan to do with them and the ruins of the city of New Orleans that will require armed troops and ambulances?

[goforit]

120. Great point!!

[FighttheFuture]

128. Well... there are many more bodies to collect than there would...

have been if they, Mayor Daley's Chicago help, and all these volunteers you are starting to hear about were allowed to help, ratter than being urned away.

George Bush and the neo-cons, the masters of Death, Destruction, Disaster and depleted societies. I am starting to believe that vampires exist!!

[NYC]

149. That needs to be constantly repeated.

I just heard a KC news (10 pm) broadcast where there would aid workers with ambulances now traveling to NOLA - they were just leaving - the news person stated that they were ready to go Wednesday morning, but they were told no by FEMA. Then she went on to say that FEMA just called them back this evening and they were ready to go within the hour.

The federal government prevented others from helping.

[madaboutharry]

22. You know what people,

I more now than ever believe that Bush is going down. The administration is in a panic. Now I understand Sen. Mary Landrieu dissing Bush in her press release today. The Governor, the Senator, and the Mayor are now a threesome and they are going to stick it good to Bush. I saw a clip of Nagin this afternoon from the Hotel and he is on his game. I think he has emboldened Blanco and Landrieu and they aren't taking the fall for this. They are three angry people. It is over for Bush. I do not believe he is going to serve out his term. He is going to leave in disgrace. It will be worse than Nixon.

[Drum]

28. From your keyboard to God's monitor! n/t

[goforit]

121. LOL!!! Well prayed!

[chomskysright]

82. KICK BUSHCO'S ASS: Gov; Sen; Mayor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mad_Dem_X]

103. I hope you're right!

As long as the local authorities keep fighting back, it could just happen! (crosses fingers)

Don't give up - keep speaking the truth!

[shanti]

133. but but

that would leave......cheney. :evilfrown:

[SharonRB]

155. Is he still alive?

I haven't seen him in at least two months.

[NYC]

151. I can't tell you how desperately I hope you are correct.

The entire city of New Orleans was a very high price to pay for this.

[despairing optimist]

23. A smoking gun on page one of the Washington Post

It's a good start. Imagine the gall of the Bushistas cutting the funds to shore up the levees and then trying to pass the blame for the flooding and its aftermath onto the state and the city. Again, blame the poor for their inability to be affluent enough to fend for themselves. How 19th century. At least there were poorhouses then.

MSM isn't going to let Bush get away with this one. It's going to be an interesting fall in Washington.

[Nothing Without Hope]

168. Even the WaPo covered it up with a bland and unrelated title and

in the text they were ridiculing Blanco's concern about martial law.

Question: how widely is this blatant powergrab and monstrous blackmailing known? Is it being suppressed? The White House will surely push for its suppression.

[speedoo]

24. IMPEACH this Mofu NOW!!!

Thde Coward is insane.

He has clearly lost his mind.

[PurpleChez]

56. The fucker is a rabid dog and should be dealt with accordingly.

How can we get Pat Robertson's 700 Club Special Ops team to take him out? Start a rumor that he supports gay marriage.

[Drum]

25. Go Governor Blanco!

...and Where are the Governors of other states, their Congressmen? Isn't THIS a worthy thing for our Dem officials to come out of the shadows for?

Shouldn't EVERY state be worried about this constitutional move? This is bigger than this storm...it worries me that states have or will surrender too much power to the Feds, and particularly so in the case of such an orgiastic and devious executive branch as this.

Definitely a story to pursue and to follow.

[onenote]

29. what bs

For a disaster like Katrina, it is up to the federal government to take responsibility. People have to be moved across jurisdictions and multiple states are involved. There is no way that individual mayors and governors could co-ordinate such an effort. The fuckers in the White House are spinning and trying to save their asses, but people will see through this I hope.

onenote

[susanna]

40. If you don't mind, I'll borrow this sentence...

"People have to be moved across jurisdictions and multiple states are involved." (therefore it's Federal)

I'd like to use this analogy for beating stupid wingnuts over the head. IMHO, you hit the nail on the head with that one.

[daleo]

69. Yes, that is an excellent point. n/t

[July]

99. Let's not forget, either, that FEMA FEMA FEMA FEMA FEMA

has been holding back the Red Cross, food drops, ambulances, Al Gore, etc. In other words, FEMA (federal) has been directly controlling how much help gets into NO from the beginning. Many, many deaths are likely to have occurred because of FEMA's "I'm the boss, nobody moves without my okay" approach.

[Evergreen Emerald]

31. Someone said that Bush and co were only good at running a campaign

They do not run the country but continue the campaign. This is an example of that. They are concerned with their appearance and use power, time, energy and resources in damage control for their own behalf--rather than using those resources to help the victims. (Victims of their ineptitude).

[natrat]

34. yea it's like they are professional politicians

[Garbo 2004]

35. Years ago someone told me Repubs are not good at governing because they

don't believe in government (not for the people, anyway). A oversimplification perhaps but I've seen more to support the contention than to discount it.

[jimshoes]

47. They don't

I just read another DUer's post of a Grover Norquist quote about cutting the Federal goverment down to where they could drown it in a bathtub or something to that effect.

[AirAmFan]

57. new Orleans is a "bathtub" that could "drown" the Republican Party, if

Democrats like John Edwards can get their message out next year and in 2008.

Katrina was our own tsunami, several times worse than 9/11 because it devastated 90,000 square miles that looked a lot more like most Americans' homes than did the WTC. Millions of Americans could be persuaded never again to look at homelessness, poverty, lack of medical coverage, credit card company greed, redlining, living paycheck-to-paycheck, etc in the same way.

[goforit]

122. I hope you're right. Now we have the Renquist trifecta via Rove.

[Garbo 2004]

32. White House said now is not to point fingers....at them. Bet they're

spending more energy on discrediting the local Dem pols and whipping up their Republican noise machine to try to save their sorry asses PRwise than actively pushing relief efforts and ongoing assistance to survivors.

[FighttheFuture]

67. Steve Gilliard has a good response to this...

"You say this isn't about politics? Fuck you, this IS politics, real time, real life politics, where the insanity of all your ideas are exposed to the world for the fraud that they are. Tax cuts kill. Ask the relatives of the dead of the Gulf Coast."

much, much more...

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/09/we-told-you-so.html

[WCGreen]

33. I can't believe they are in a pissing match when there is

so much work to do....

Not one of those officials was blaming anyone but Michael Brown. They were all gracious and asked, pleaded for help....

And nothing came...

And so, instead of firing people, Bush blames everyone else...

What a fucking putz....

[peaches2003]

41. Just a warm-up

EVERY move the Bushies make now has to be studied and rejected. They are seeing what will work and just how far they will have to go to get all the power in their hands which is their ultimate objective. They have 3 more years to perfect his attempt at martial law and this is the beginning.

[NYC]

156. ...how far they will have to go to get all the power in their hands...

This is indeed a power grab. It has nothing to do with saving or helping the people of New Orleans.

[1democracy]

158. You forget they never do the work

they truly don't know how. Rove taught them to spin spin to cover themselves but no one taught them to care, to work hard, to achieve. I bet none of them lost any sleep until the PR started going badly.

[Nothing Without Hope]

171. You think the neocons are interested in frigging PUBLIC SERVICE? Or even

saving lives, if they belong to non-donors?

This isn't a pissing match. It's a power grab and what they are gaming as another (there have been a lot already) step to what John Dean calls a "constitutional dictatorship." Martial law under Pentagon-directed federal troops/police - but count on it, they'll have a great Orwellian name. My favorite candidate so far is "Operation Save America."

To give you a clearer idea of the scope of what is moving here, please read this article, written in Dec 2003 as a response to Gen Tommy Franks' unusually - well - frank statement that one more hit (like 9/11) and the Constitution would be suspended. Read the whole article, please, but I'm going to give you the paragraph that sticks in my mind. Think of it when you see all the hyped and fabricated reports of "rampaging looters™" and "out of control roving gangs™" coming soon to get YOU!!! The neocon leadership thinks they can get us to view our fellow Americans as their next model of "terra-ists™" and scare us into letting them "protect us" from these non-existent hordes. Hey, look how well it worked for them since 9/11!

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/07/Columns/From_Tommy_Franks__a_.shtml

It was the Nine Years' War in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World that facilitated the seizure of power by the world reformers who then took control of nearly all human and social development. In 1984, George Orwell described Oceania as in a constant state of war with a changeable enemy who "always represented absolute evil." These inventors of the great dystopias understood the way governments use war and its associative fear and instability to consolidate power. Despotism thrives on insecurity. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts safety right behind food, water and sleep. Humans naturally crave stability and are willing to sacrifice values such as liberty in its pursuit.

[Igel]

39. It's good that she didn't accede to their request.

But in other news, this post will create heartache for those that are convinced that FEMA was entirely responsible for the evacuation.

Until there's an accounting of who requested what when, and what FEMA (etc.) supplied when, with due regard for reasonable turnaround times, there's no point in fixing detailed blame for much.

I do find hiring Witt to be an informative act, though.

How have things gone in Mississippi?

[WCGreen]

44. She wrote a letter to Mr. President......

And nothing happened.....

We should see what the republican governors of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi did or did not request and if their National Guard had been abducted by the Feds

[Spazito]

157. There are already timelines with documentary evidence and

links showing that she 'jumped the hoops' to get federal help BEFORE the hurricane. Here is an article with bush's statements on federal help on Aug 29th, BEFORE the hurricane hit:

Bush, agencies pledge post-storm help

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (AP) — President Bush on Monday pledged extensive federal help for victims of Hurricane Katrina to "get your lives back in order." The government put into effect a massive emergency assistance program that included rushing baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas.

snip

It's a storm now that is moving through and now is the time for governments to help people get their feet on the ground," Bush said. "For those of you who are concerned about whether or not we are prepared to help — don't be. We are."

He added, "We're in place, we've got equipment in place, supplies in place and once we're able to assess the damage we'll be able to move in and help those good folks in the affected areas."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had medical teams, rescue squads and groups prepared to supply food and water poised in a semicircle around New Orleans. (Related item: FEMA ready to test recovery procedures)

more

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-08-29-aid-agency_x.htm

[young_at_heart]

45. I guess the buck doesn't EVER stop with Bush

They have perfected "Blaming" into an art form!

[despairing optimist]

46. This should be on the home page. How to recommend it?

[chomskysright]

83. KICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trevelyan]

118. Kick Thank you DUers for your using your abilities at research and

analysis to help save America.

Try to post some of this stuff on "neutral" messageboards like AOL and Yahoo, they had been unbelievably racist but the good people are taking over with the truth now.

During the 2004 Presidential "Election" nite someone on Kerry's blog said a Chicago board had been taken over by the FReepers and to get there and post.

It is great that you are helping each other to find the truth and Conyers' request to Patriot to do the SOAPBOX4TRUTH so that we can all find the truth together by putting up information about our elected officials and the DINOS and NeoCons actions will be there for all to see.

After I went to Lindsay Graham's site after the Senator purportedly was supporting a investigation into the torture to make sure it didn't happen again, I saw on his site a filthy document he had sponsored giving Bush even more power to detain anyone at all for as long as Bush or whoever is President sees fit because a President needs MORE AUTHORITY TO ARREST AND DETAIN PEOPLE AT WHIM.

I also wrote some good responses and votes by Democrats but this is beginning to look like long-term Nazi Resistance. Who do you think is running things? I don't know, some people say it is the Saudis, some the Israeli GOVERNMENT, not the Israeli people, some say PNAC some say Bilderberg, some say Skull and Bones and the rest of the interconnected Illuminati type Secret Societies. It may be an answer we will never come up with and fighting each atrocity and power grab is important but if anyone has any thoughts on who is really in control and making these long term plans I would like to hear it.

Bush is only the puppet front guy I know that but even Cheney and Rumsfeld, both PNAC, I believe are taking their orders from somewhere. Is PNAC in charge or are they taking their orders from somewhere else?

I am going to post this article and some of the responses on AOL Messageboard and I ask people to please not just preach to the converted but to take steps to let people know either on neutral messageboards or printing out flyers and information and leaving them in restrooms, benches on malls, aisles and grocery baskets when you leave the store.

Only 41% of American households have Internet Access, some are the superwealthy and probably wouldn't be interested, but a lot of people who have made money say in Hollywood or music or inventions, weren't always rich and the example of Hollywood usually going for liberal causes makes that seem true. Hollywood would probably know where to go but there are people who have made money with inventions, etc. who might be sympathetic but not know where to go and ordinary people like me might suspect something is wrong but until you start looking at the huge alternate political web and I didn't know about it for quite a while and only when pursuing some links on AOL did I find Smirking Chimp, DU and other places.

Once you get started there are links upon links on every truth page but until you visit your first one, you don't know they are there so please post links for people not in the know but who get the vibes that the MSM and bush are not telling the truth and are not good for America to say the least.


:kick: :dem: :kick:

[NYC]

159. Excellent post, Trevelyan.

Thank you for your sage advice.

Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Riverman]

49. Pretext to Test Marshall Law!

The Bush and Neocons have been itching for a pretext to test imposition of Marshall Law - bring in federal troops into local communities suffering from a disaster and shoot the survivors! They have been practicing with concentration camps in Guantonomo, now its the next step - use the looting in New Orleans by desperate, hungary, sick, extremely poor black people and whites as an excuse to declare Marshall Law, suspend the constitutional rights for US citizens, put the refugees in concentration camps - more testing of incarceration and intellegence gathering (torture) techniques.

[ohtransplant]

50. It's the cover up that always gets them. n/t

[goforit]

123. I wish. But they are still in office aren't they.

[wisteria]

51. Bush deserves the bulk of the blame for this catastrophe

He is the Commander and Chief. It is his job to protect our country and its citizens. He failed miserably. I think it is despicable that his administration is pointing fingers everywhere but where they should be pointed.

[grasswire]

54. conservatives better start screaming about this...

...Pat Buchanan, where are you? Bob Barr? This is the biggest encroachment on states rights under the Constitution that I can ever recall.

[Palladin]

74. PALEOCONS, that's who we are...

Be assured, Pat Buchanan, Bob Barr, and Paul Craig Roberts will have much to say about this. Check antiwar.com in the upcoming days.
The governors ought to be getting together and yanking their state National Guard troops away from Cheney/Bush/neocon control also. I've written to the governors of Washington and Oregon; y'all should too in your home states.

[Shipwack]

85. I wish the paleocons luck in taking back their party....

And welcome to DU!

[McCamy Taylor]

55. OMG! Do they want to kiss the Southern vote goodbye? Yankee Occupation???

Martial law in a Southern State is all it would take to tip any borderlin southern states back into the Democrats Camp. Rove and Co, are as srupid as they come.

[Raksha]

84. That was my first thought too. The whole idea is crazy....

...but to try to pull off this affront to states' rights in a former Confederate state is downright suicidal.

[goforit]

124. Interesting point. Independence is there moto alright and should be!

I hope they throw that damn tea overboard.

[Catt03]

58. Bush is saying he wants complete control of New Orleans

Imagine the consequences......

Forget rebuilding the city, just the port and the oil fields. Fuck the people, except Trent's house.

This administration has succeeded in removing the entire African American community from New Orleans....and if they could not afford to get out, they can't afford to get back. Now Lott, Vitter and David Duke can create their own plantation.

What sick human beings.

[leveymg]

95. What do you think they plan to do with the ruins? Bulldoze and burn

everything but downtown and the more expensive (white) neighborhoods built on high ground.

FEMA is going to issue a declaration federalizing the area, allowing them to carry out a slash and burn program on public health grounds. That will begin to happen in the next few weeks. This struggle with state and local authorities is the beginning of that program.

Of course, they won't allow most of the former residents (black) back in. That's why they need all those troops at this late date. It's to ring the city to prevent people from trying to interfere in the mass destruction of what's left.

[goforit]

125. Irradication.

[leesa]

131. Well, if Halliburton's work in Iraq ia any indicator, they don't plan to

fix anything but a few photo-op spots, and keep collecting public rebuilding funds for years to come.

[Jose Diablo]

170. Forced relocation I believe is the term

in the tradition of Stalin.

[chomskysright]

136. that's RIGHT: BushCo would turn NOLA into oil(igarchy)!!!!

[gristy]

59. Very interesting

Very, very interesting!

[lonestarnot]

61. Go Blanco!

[rodeodance]

63. 2nd that!

[alfredo]

62. You actually think the bush junta would take responsibility

for their actions? Fucking assholes.

[nookiemonster]

92. It'll never happen.

That's why it's our duty to remove him. Forceably, if need be.

[alfredo]

115. Congress has the right to correct the great wrong. Let's see if they

do the right thing, or continue bush's agenda against America. If they push to make the estate tax cut permanent, then we will know for sure they have turned against the American people.

they must impeach, indict, and imprison bush, cheney, and the rest of the junta. To do anything less is an act of treachery.

[Trevelyan]

186. Go to John kerry.com HE HAS A PETITION AGAINST MAKING

THE TAX GIVEAWAYS TO THE ULTRA WEALTH PERMANENT.

IN THIS SHORT PETITION HE CONDEMNS THE BRINGING OF THIS BILL TO THE FOREFRONT NOW WHILE PEOPLE ARE GRIEVING AND ENDS IT WITH "DON'T YOU DARE."

The Oligarchy who are not suicidally insane may decide to use Kerry to get rid of Bushco. I think they may be the only ones who can so whatever you hesitations about what Kerry did after the selection, please support him now, it can't hurt.

[troubleinwinter]

64. This is important. Kick. ....n/t

[FighttheFuture]

65. Just wait until the next disaster. This is the neo-cons training ground..

for taking over the country!

[AuntiBush]

68. Gov. Kathleen Blanco: You Make Us So Very Proud!

This folks, is our hero today. Along with the Mayor of NO. These two minorities (a woman and a black man) stood tall, and throughout the worst natural disaster to strike our nation in my lifetime came out of it all protecting their people.

They knew in that emergency meeting what Bush & those corrupt neo-cons were about to do to them and their people, and held firm.

While saddened beyond belief by this horrific tragedy, all I can say is as Democrats whom day to day feel we have no heros to look up to, here are 2 Democrat leaders without their people (taken from them and placed in Texas). They literally are Gov. & Mayor of swampland with no voters other then obvious Republican voters left, still they held their ground and their dignity.

They are the true heros of this event. One that will plague the Republican party (at least) in our generation.

Note: I'm so sick of this administration I'm weary of Praying to God that they'd just step down, something they'll never, ever do. My only question is, "What is going on with that Fitzgerald Grand Jury?"

[Giant Robot]

71. Wow this is a real shock to me

The Bush administration refusing to take responsibility and being vindictive and neglectful. I tell you, this is just more than I would have ever imagined from them, those fine upstanding citizens.

OK, snarkiness aside, I have one question. I know this is a time to rescue those in danger still, and provide comfort and aid to the victims, but WTF are the Democratic members of congress doing with themselves?? Someone should be screaming from the rooftops about how this situation has gotten seriously out of control, and how neglectful Bush has been. Someone. Anyone. And way to go Gov. Blanco! I'm glad to see you stand up to a bully, and to do it in writing so there is a convenient paper trail for all to see.

[rhosgobel]

72. Blanco requested federal assistance Aug. 27

She wrote a letter to Bush requesting federal aid, and stating that she had already declared a state of emergency (contradicting one administration statement in the WP article). She also wrote:

"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster."

The full letter can be found at <http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=4843>, and I've posted about it here <http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2005/09/louisiana-governor-requested-federal.html>.

[daleo]

73. Bush ate cake and strummed on a guitar the day after the levee broke

And he continued to goof around for another two days.

Those pictures, and that symbolism will follow him until the end of his term, whenever that may be. All the blame shifting in the world won't change that.

[Palladin]

75. Bush serenade

Note, his favorite middle finger position....

[daleo]

78. The guitar picture just keeps on giving.

That one is excellent. Just excellent. The longer you look, the more it speaks.

[DoYouEverWonder]

90. Yes, we named it the NOLA G Chord the other day

because it's not even a proper G chord.

It's just W's little way of telling the people of New Orleans to go fuck themselves.

[mwb970]

102. It's a G chord that slid to the right. (n/t)

[nicknameless]

173. Maybe he's flipped us off so often that his fingers have frozen with the

middle one extended.
(Akin to parental admonishments over their kids making faces. ;))

[AlCzervik]

76. She is one smart Gov. She knew what would happen if she let Bush take it

over---they would blame the locals so she's protecting them and she knows the FEMA is now basically a paper tiger---if even that.

[Labdad95]

77. Bush is so fucking predictable

Because of his incompetence, Bush lost control of every aspect of the Katrina disaster. He can't control the media, his fellow republicans, celebrities and other organizations helping with relief. He's just grasping for straws.

What a frickin' piece of white trash.

[829FIRE]

79. Backfire

This will backfire big time. So glad Wapo put this front & center. Feds blame locals for worst natural disaster in US history. What a joke.

[librechik]

91. Tin Foil Hat

I've been terrified of the martial law thing all along--cuz once they get it in NOLA, it would start to spread. In six months we have it in Buffalo for a big snowstorm. Then in St Louis for a tornado. Pretty soon the Pukkkes have what they want: total power.

This ends my daily Tin Foil Hat moment.

[cmdrxog]

111. It will spread without the need for natural disaster

This winter should see heat and food either unavailable or priced out of reach of most of us. No plans for rationing or price control, and by now probably too late anyway. Freezing, starving populations w/no transportation are likely. I suspect one of the reasons for the NO "failure" was to deflect attention from the energy crisis.

[IceOwl]

80. Harry Truman is puking in his grave.

Whatever happened to THE BUCK STOPS HERE??

[pursuivant]

108. The only bucks that Shrub ever stopped . . .

were directed towards his reelection campaigns.

[chomskysright]

137. But the KINGFISH'S spirit is hanging w/ Blanco:. 'ain't no Standard Oil...

men gonna run this state...gonna be run by little folks like me and you.

Here come the KINGFISH THE KINGFISH. Randy Newman: Good Ole Boys lyrics next post

[chomskysright]

138. Newman's lyrics: AINT NO STANDARD OIL MEN GONNA RUN THIS STATE....

Kingfish from Good Ole Boys: Randy Newman

(I think you can substitute 'Bush Men' for 'French Men' here)

KICK THEIR ASS BLANCO: KEEP THE SPIRIT OF THE KINGFISH WRAPPED TIGHT AROUND YOU

There's a hundred-thousand BushMen in New Orelans
In New Orleans there are Bush Men everywhere
But your house could fall down
Your baby could drown
Wouldn't none of those Bush Men care.

Everybody gather round
Loosen up your suspenders
Hunker down on the ground
I'm a cracker
And you are too
But don't I take good care of you

(HERE WE'D NEED TO SUBSTITUE WHAT BLANCO/ MAYOR NOLA, LANDREAU ARE DOING)

Whou built the highway to Baton Rouge?
Who put up the hospital and built you schools?
Who looks after shit-kickers like you?
The Kingfish do.

Who gave a party at the Roosevelt Hotel?
And invited the whole north half of the state down there for free.
The people in the city
Had their eyes bugging out
Cause everyone of you
Looked just like me

Kingfish, Kingfish
Everybody sing
Kingfish, Kingfish
EVERY MAN A KING

Who took on the Standard Oil men
And whipped their ass
Just like he promised he'd do?
Ain't no Stnadard Oil men gonna run this state
Gonna be run by little folks like me and you

Kingfish, Kingfish
Friend of the working man
Kingfish, Kingfish
The Kingfish gonna save this land.

[Raksha]

81. Sheesh, talk about totalitarianism!!!

This is an unbelievable abuse of power, absolutely unheard of! Effing bastards--I'm SO glad she stood up to them!

[oasis]

88. gop going down kick

[12345]

96. did Karl Rove write this?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

97. Bush declared a state of emergency on Saturday before the storm

here is a link to an article on Fox news no less. It seems to clearly state that all are communicating and FEMA is in charge. So, if it's ALREADY a FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY that BUSH declared BEFORE the storm - how can they even attempt this stupid attempt to deflect criticism of their actions or inactions.



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,167240,00.html

[Strawman]

109. Now watch this drive...

[rfkrfk]

113. authority stays with Blanco with/without "emergency', and rightly so

shrub, stfu and don't try to take authority away from Blanko.

[Nothing Without Hope]

98. OH. MY GOD. It's Tommy Franks' "one more hit." They want to suspend

the constitution and they think this is their chance. I've been increasingly convinced that the blocked maintenance of the levees in the last years and now the monstrous and inexplicable delays and blockages of civilian and foreign aid are DELIBERATE.

They are blackmailing to get the turnover of civilian powers to the federal government. There is no reason for it excerpt for their desire for institution a domestic Pentagon-driven military police force.

I posted on this a day ago and the post was "disappeared" - guess my language must have been too strongly showing my belief that this is deliberate and part of their ongoing plan to take the last steps in turning this country to a "constitutional dictatorship." John Dean said it is possible in this 2002 article; http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/columns/fl.dean.powers.0607/

I've rewritten the evidently offending post that documents what is at stake with NorthCom being allowed to take over and how any reports of violence or other "scary" things - real, hyped or faked - plays into these plans perfectly. They won't CALL it "Martial Law," of course. It will be called something nauseatingly Orwellian, like, say "Project Safe America." If they can scare enough Americans about "danger" from other Americans, they think they can get us to trade the few Constitutional liberties left for their promised offer of bogus "safety."

Here is an article written in Doc 2003 in response to Franks' amazing interview, the one in which he said that one more hit would be enough for them to suspend the Constitution. This entire article is excellent and prescient, but I'm going to quote the paragraph that especially grabbed my attention.

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/12/07/Columns/From_Tommy_Franks__a_.shtml

It was the Nine Years' War in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World that facilitated the seizure of power by the world reformers who then took control of nearly all human and social development. In 1984, George Orwell described Oceania as in a constant state of war with a changeable enemy who "always represented absolute evil." These inventors of the great dystopias understood the way governments use war and its associative fear and instability to consolidate power. Despotism thrives on insecurity. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs puts safety right behind food, water and sleep. Humans naturally crave stability and are willing to sacrifice values such as liberty in its pursuit.

The rules of the LBN forum have never been more unfortunate: THE REAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE IS ABOUT BLACKMAIL BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO FORCE FEDERAL MILITARIZATION - VERY, VERY DANGEROUS AND ONE MORE STEP TOWARD SUSPENSION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND PENTAGON-DRIVEN MARTIAL LAW, BY WHATEVER COMFORTING EUPHEMISM THEY CHOOSE TO CALL IT.

I believe that the Bush Administration wants our fellow Americans to be their next "TERRA-ISTS™" that are hyped and twisted into objects of such fear that they can take away the rest of our Constitutional protections from military dictatorship. It's happening right now. Look at those faces of the suffering poor, mostly black people in the South: Bush wants you to see them as your enemy, and he wants to you to let him "protect" you from them. NorthCom, created in 2002, is the Pentagon entity which would manage domestic martial law. Too few people have been paying attention.

Now they are making their move, and they are blackmailing the civilian authorities to get their toehold, their precedent of military police under Pentagon command. How long do you think it would take for them to extend this step by step - always to "protect" citizens from all those "violent" fellow citizens - over the rest of the country?

Think about it. This is the turning point. Thank whatever good powers there are that Blanco didn't sign on the dotted line. NOW do you see the reason for the delays and the fact that aid from other states and from foreign countries and even the Red Cross has been blocked and refused by the Bush Administration?

They don't care how many people die, especially if they are poor. But power and the precedent for a military police force and Pentagon rather than State control of the National Guard - that the neocons want very, very badly. Step by step, it would spread, always for "protection" and "efficiency." No, they won't call it martial law. We could have a naming contest - I'll submit my candidate "Project Safe America" for starters. I'm sure the Bushies already have their own name already all picked out, though.

[goforit]

127. If they couldn't test it on this Hurricane, another Wag the dog is near?

I do take this as a threat from the administration.
Especially Tommy Franks of the St. Petersburg Times.

A Bushbot all the way.

And this is count down and another MIHOP in the process.

Katrina brought their intentions out early and is exposing them.

Who ya gonna call for help???

[Nothing Without Hope]

129. The three MOST LIKELY catastrophes predicted in a 2001 study were a

San Francisco earthquake, a terrorist attack on New York City, and a hurricane hitting New Orleans. Guess they got tired of waiting, so we had 9/11. By the way, in case you're feeling comfortable, the same General Eberhart who was in charge of NORAD on 9/11 was promoted by he Bush Administration (you'd think he'd be court-martialed) to head NorthCom.

For the two natural disasters on this list, it's just a matter of time and statistics. They did what they could to prepare by preventing levee maintenance (levees are sinking) and buildup. After the storm, we have this unspeakable, unexplainable delay in allowing rescue or even food or water drops to dying people stretching out day after day. Meanwhile, aid from other cities is blocked and offers of desperately needed help from a list of foreign countries is refused by Bush.

And racial tensions rise. See, that's part of their plan too, I believe. Just like they terrified enough Americans about those "evil" Iraqis that were going to come and get them, now they are setting up a situation where they can hype racial/class tensions and foment violence, which they will spin into truly frightening images. They want us all - all races, rich and poor - to be so frighted and distrustful of one another, so propagandized with constant stories of our fellow citizens being scary and hateful, that we will willingly allow them to bring in federal military domestic "protection." It would spread, as I see it, until they reached a point where they would be ready for "patriot act II or III" - which effectively suspended the Constitution. All for our own good, of course.

I am shocked that not only rather few people see this bigger picture here on DU, but that it is derided as foolish tinfoilhattery. My post on it yesterday, giving documentation and calling for a nonviolent coalition, was "disappeared" - not merely locked - minutes after it hit the Greatest Page. People are insisting that all the things that have happened have been just incompetence. I am pulling my hair trying to figure this out and find a way to get that information posted without being "disappeared."

I hope that the blackmailing of Governor Blanco to try to get her to sign away civilian powers and hand over control of the state National Guard, opens some eyes to just how much trouble we are in. The title on that WaPo article is so foolish, I can't stand it. (Unfortunately, the LBN title had to be the same.) The WaPo article denies that this has anything to do with martial law or pre-emption of state power by the Administration. So silly of Governor Blanco to suggest such a rude idea! Oh no, they have decided it's all about SHIFTING BLAME. My God!!!! All these days after days of delay, all of the setup to intensify this dreadful situation in the south, and they think it's about frigging finger-pointing?

[goforit]

132. Yep, this is scary, and am glad Blanco exposed them. Many people

are so ignorant and brainwashed.

People, including some of the direct vistims of 911 are in absolute denial and still can not concieve the idea that Bush/Chenny could commit such an atrocity.

But hopefully, though way too late, some will wake up.
Yet I'm afraid this all will come at a huge cost that many
innocent will have to bear.

I do hope that people will choose to stand up against this tyrranny.
Because they will parish choosing not to stand at all.
Apathy will parish all whom choose to follow it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

134. Gov Blanco saw through their blackmail scheme. I'll bet they are after

the other two governors too, and they might sign.

And in the Washington Post article, the authors ridicule Gov. Blanco's very fortunate insight as being really too, too tinfoilhat. The REAL reason for asking her to sign over authority, they insist, is that the feds want to shift the blame to the local and state author ties. Unbelievable stupidity, willful blindness, or corrupt coverup for the Administration.

[nicknameless]

141. Damn, Hope. I want to nominate this post!

"Project Safe America" sounds spot on. I can't believe how terrifying this gov't. has turned out to be.

“No matter how cynical I get, I just can't keep up.”
-- Lily Tomlin

[Nothing Without Hope]

163. OK, maybe I'll give a try to posting it in its own thread and see if it

gets disappeared. Maybe I can at least get an idea of what we are allowed to say and what is forbidden. As it is, I can only guess. I'm not using bad language or calling anyone out or saying something kooky like "Bush robot lizards created that hurricane and sent it to New Orleans." I'm not asking for violence, in fact I plead for a nonviolent national movement to unity and resistance to Bush crimes and power politics. So I don't know what I said that is forbidden.

I'm glad you like it and appreciate your support. I'll PM you when I start that standalone thread tonight or tomorrow.

:hi: Hope

[Olney Blue]

164. How about: "Operation Restore Jazz"

[Nothing Without Hope]

169. Hmmm... has possibilities because it implies several false things, which

is one of their favorite Orwellian themes.

"Operation Restore Jazz" would
(a) show how cool they are
(b) emphasize that they are oh-so-dedicated to RESTORATION instead of ripping it down and turning it over to more oil refineries and shipyards
(c) offer some great theme music possibilities for the TV ads

[Nothing Without Hope]

101. THE WAPO ARTICLE TITLE (and thus the thread title) ARE SO DAMN MISLEADING

Thank whatever good powers there are that Rose Siding excerpted the vitally important part for us to all see. We had better pay attention, because this is a turning point, or it will be if the Bush Administration succeeds in this monstrous blackmail of Blanco or any of the other governors.

The Bush Administration is trying to use the suffering, dying people of the South to blackmail a governor - you can bet they're also working secretly on the other affected governors - to turn over civilian power to the military. THIS IS MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR. NorthCom was created in 2002 with this as one of its intended jobs: administering domestic martial law if it was established. This is FACT. (By the way, the first head of NorthCom, Gen. Eberhard, was promoted from his previous job: head of NORAD when all interceptor flights were called off during the very long flights of the hijacked planes on 9/11.)

I wrote more in my previous post in this thread. I put it together in a long post a day ago, but it was "disappeared." Guess I sounded too angry or too sure that these delays and the blocks of civilian and foreign aid and the prevention of levee maintenance despite predictions of an emergency of of this kind might be DELIBERATE.

I'm hoping that all of you that still trust that all the days of delays and the rest are "only" incompetence are beginning to re-evaluate. This is the Bush Administration's toehold - as they see it - to get a legal precedent and beginning point for military control of civilians. They won't call it martial law, but that's what it is. They would then encourage Americans to distrust and fear each other, hyping and fabricating reports of class/racial violence to drive that fear to the point that they could get away with effectively suspending the Constitution. It would be step by step.

They are currently trying to blackmail at least one state governor into giving them that next crucial step toward a "constitutional dictatorship." John Dean warned us in 2002 that it was possible (http://archives.cnn.com/2002/LAW/06/columns/fl.dean.powers.0607/) and now they are using this national tragedy to advance their plans another step.

[Vinca]

104. Note to lurking Canadian real estate agents:

here's your chance to get rich.

[Catchawave]

106. The buck stops with you Mr. PRESIDENT...geesh

What a horrible, miserable leader.

[rfkrfk]

110. how so?, Blanco didn't give shrub her {Gov.'s} authority. n/t

[bajamary]

112. Impeach CEO Bush-Now

Enough is enough. I've emailed my Senators Durbin and Obama and my congressperson to begin an impeachment hearing immediately.

We the People should demand that this president be the CEO that he claims to be and resign from his position of honor and trust. Any other CEO whose horrible job performance caused hundreds, perhaps thousands, to die would be fired by the corporations board of directors.

WE (the People) ARE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of this beleaguered country, and it’s time we demanded our hired CEO leave his job. If he doesn’t, we throw him out via impeachment and a trial in the Senate.

[seleff]

187. CEOs only seem to go during aquisitions and mergers

This is Bush's longest run because there's no recognized bankruptcy or merger to let him get out graciously with his golden parachute. I've always likened him to a failed CEO. Unfortunately we are not the Board of Directors. It's the repuke Congress. We are the shareholders and we haven't won the corrupt proxy counts for the election of the BOD. We are going to have to change the makeup of the BOD in 06 and then demand the resignation of the CEO. CEOs never seem to step down for the good of the company, do they? x(

[0007]

114. Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano could have done a better

job even without help from John Gotti. Why are we still putting up with this little four footer?

[Romulus]

116. the latest meme? "Bush SAVED thousands"(?!)

In another internet forum, that claim was made, based on this story, dated Aug. 27:

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?base/news-18/1125239940201382.xml&storylist=louisiana

And specifically, this quote from the story:

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.

The same forum poster made the unsubstantiated claim that:

"President Bush had ordered FEMA into place on 8/27 two full days before the hurricane and 3 before the levee was breached.

FEMA had pre-positioned 500 trucks of ice, 500 trucks of water and 350 of MRE's prior to the hurricane."

Yeah, whatever

Strap yourself in, it's going to be a r-i-i-d-e! . . .

[whatelseisnew]

117. Emergency Response Standard Operation Procedure

The authority would/should have been clearly stated. No questions during the aftermath needed.

[barb162]

126. This administration is so good at lying and shifting blame to others

[Rose Siding]

130. WP's new title "Many Evacuated, but Thousands Still Waiting" n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

165. Geezus - THAT'S EVEN MORE MISLEADING!!! Coverup city.

Do they still include that part of the article you excerpted, the blackmailing attempt to force martial law and ceding of New Orleans to the Bush Administration?

Methinks, by the way, that they would ike to tear New Orleans down and give the land entirely to commercial interests and oil infrastructure. This would give them the chance to to that - they would just say the place is not suitable for civilian homes and businesses. Can't argue with them, they control the government and the military police that they would have patrolling the area.

No, they won't call it martial law. It will be something Orwellian, but I'm still pushing for "Operation Safe America." Maybe there'd be another good one for what they want to do with New Orleans itself. The thought makes me so angry and sick that I don't even want to try to make one up.

[Gregorian]

135. The buck stops somewhere else.

This inaction was done on purpose.

Bush. Did nothing.
Next in line- Cheney did nothing.

If the number one person in charge doesn't get the job done, then the number two person (ha, number two) would be the one to catch the mistake. This is like an airliner crashing because the captain died. AND the copilot didn't take the wheel.

New Orleans was two birds with one stone. Dark skinned, Democrats.

[NYC]

140. This doesn't even make sense.

...request a federal takeover of the evacuation...

It was the federal government who failed so miserably.

I don't think this is an attempt to blame the locals, though they will. It is an attempt to "federalize" the city and state.

I'll do more reading, and come back.

P.S. We elect governors for a reason.

[54anickel]

160. Did Jebbie have to "federalize" FL? Can't find anything stating he

did. Here's a story from last September regarding the destruction of FEMA

http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2004-09-22/cover.html

snip>

As storms continue to batter the Panhandle, no one would call Florida lucky. But with national elections just around the corner, the hurricanes could scarcely have hit at a better time or place for obtaining federal disaster assistance. "They're doing a good job," one former FEMA executive says of the Bush administration's response efforts. "And the reason why they're doing that job is because it's so close to the election, and they can't fuck it up, otherwise they lose Florida--and if they lose Florida, they might lose the election."

Such political considerations may indeed make this round of recoveries go better than most. But long before this hurricane season, some emergency managers inside and outside of government started sounding an alarm that still rings loudly. Bush administration policy changes and budget cuts, they say, are sapping FEMA's longterm ability to cushion the blow of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornados, wildfires and other natural disasters.

snip>

In the 1980s, the Reagan administration endowed FEMA with extraordinary powers to keep the country running--powers bordering on martial law, critics argued. The agency became responsible for "continuity of government" plans devoted to salvaging national authority in the event of a nuclear attack. Other plans, drafted by the likes of National Security Council aide Oliver North, laid the groundwork for rounding up rabble-rousers in the event of societal breakdown, whatever the cause. (The troubling implications of the agency's early work had a long legacy in popular culture, thanks to the X-Files TV show and movie, which often referenced the specter of how FEMA-rule would supplant constitutional government.)

As the Cold War ended, FEMA turned greater attention to handling natural disasters, but the agency proved unequal to the task. In August 1992, Hurricane Andrew assaulted Florida and other Southern states with 170-mile-an-hour winds, killing 23 people and leaving a trail of devastation. The severity of the storm caught FEMA off-guard, and the agency did too little, too late to help the state recover, enraging thousands of storm victims. Several days after Andrew dissipated, Dade County's emergency manager famously pleaded, "Where the hell is the cavalry?"

snip>

At FEMA, President Bush appointed a close aide, Joe Allbaugh, to be the agency's new director. Allbaugh had served as then-Gov. Bush's chief of staff in Texas and as manager of his 2000 presidential campaign. Along with Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, Allbaugh was known as one part of Bush's "iron triangle" of professional handlers.
Some FEMA veterans complained that Allbaugh had little experience in managing disasters, and the new administration's early initiatives did little to settle their concerns. The White House quickly launched a government-wide effort to privatize public services, including key elements of disaster management. Bush's first budget director, Mitch Daniels, spelled out the philosophy in remarks at an April 2001 conference: "The general idea--that the business of government is not to provide services, but to make sure that they are provided--seems self-evident to me," he said.

snip>

William Waugh, a disaster expert at Georgia State University who has written training programs for FEMA, warns that the rise of a "consultant culture" has not served emergency programs well. "It's part of a widespread problem of government contracting out capabilities," he says. "Pretty soon governments can't do things because they've given up those capabilities to the private sector. And private corporations don't necessarily maintain those capabilities."

The push for privatization wasn't the only change that raised red flags at FEMA. As a 2004 article in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management would later note, "Allbaugh brought about several internal, though questionably effective, reorganizations of FEMA. The Bush-Allbaugh FEMA diminished the Clinton administration's organizational emphasis on disaster mitigation."


snip>

Allbaugh's troubled tenure at the agency would be a relatively short one. In December 2002, he announced he would leave his post. While political observers expected Allbaugh to join the Bush re-election effort, instead he set about creating a string of lobbying firms, including New Bridge Strategies, which helps U.S. companies win reconstruction contracts in Iraq. This summer, he started another consulting company with Andrew Lundquist, the former director of Vice President Dick Cheney's secretive energy policy task force. The firm's first client was Lockheed Martin, one of the country's largest defense contractors.

[high density]

145. Wow, Bush even used his radio address to blame local and state governments

Yet on Saturday morning, Miles O'Brien on CNN was saying how "reprehensible" it was that Democrats were making political comments on the matter. :eyes:

[ElectroPrincess]

146. The Media Whores are Shameless ...

I wonder how they can look in the mirror each morning? I guess all that extra payola keeps them safe and warm.

Ain't these putrid shills proud that they've still got faces? :puke:

[amber dog democrat]

148. N e v e r A c c o u n t a b l e.

Unless the American People choose to act otherwise. Bet its not much fun being president NOW, is it. Posturing only gets you so far.

As for the " liberal media " saying how reprehensible Democrats are, well it comes with the territory. Their guy fucked up - big time and the MSM does not want to admit it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

172. PEOPLE, HERE IS A QUOTE FOR THE DAY FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS:

The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.

-- Frederick Douglass

We must inspire and unite our whole country in a nonviolent, forward-looking movement to bring aid and help to the suffering people in the hurricane's path and get our country and its soul back.

NO MORE. This is the turning point.

[JoFerret]

152. Guardian: Bush team tries to blame local officials

http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1562882,00.html

[rhosgobel]

154. WP posts correction to the article

They now have a correction at the top saying, "A Sept. 4 article on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina incorrectly said that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) had not declared a state of emergency. She declared an emergency on Aug. 26."

It looks like they're leaving the article un-changed (with the erroneous statement still in it), but if they remove it I've got the erroneous portion of the article quoted at <http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2005/09/louisiana-governor-requested-federal.html>.

[jamesinca]

174. I have copied it too

This completely makes liars of DHS Sect. Jerkoff and FEMA director Mike Brown. I am making a file of the news reports because I know this will be the subject of much discussion for days to come. There will be many lies by the republicans as they try to CYA this. There have already been many LTTE in my local paper criticizing Dems and the rest of the world for not doing anything. I know it is coming, I am just preparing for it.

[stevenleser]

176. Katrina Shows Failure of Republican Philosophy on a Grand Scale

http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2005/Sep/EEN431b8a869dc5c.html

September 3, 2005

Anti-Federalism, the idea that to the maximum extent possible, the federal government should not be involved in the affairs of the people and that state and local governments should take on more of a role is a cornerstone of Republican philosophy. In following Anti-Federalism married with Supply-Side economics, Republican Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush and now George W. Bush have pursued agendas that reduced taxes, in turn, reducing the funding and capabilities of various parts and agencies within the Federal Government.

A few days ago, I wrote about how the disaster in New Orleans had been foreseen by all of the right people, including FEMA, it’s just that FEMA wasn’t given the funding needed to do anything substantive about it. What I didn’t realize was that not only did FEMA not have the funding, but that FEMA has been subjected by this administration to no less than a complete undermining of its efforts. Lowered from its status by having its head stripped from cabinet level status and placed under the heading of Homeland Security, subjected to constant attacks on its funding since 2001, and its leadership handed to a clearly over his head college buddy of President Bush, FEMA has been an agency taken anything but seriously and marked for death by Bush and his neoconservative cronies. FEMA isn’t alone, thanks to the Bush tax cut and war in Iraq, various federal programs and agencies are hurting like never before or subjected to outright cancellations. The negative effects of these policies just haven’t been as obvious until now.

There is a reason that we need a federal government, funded by our tax dollars, to have the capability to not only react to these kinds of disasters effectively, but mitigate them before they occur. When we cashed those $100-$300 checks that this President and administration gave us, the loss of these and various other federal government capabilities was the price. There was a project put on the table in 2001, early in the current Bush administration that would have cost $14 Billion dollars that would have fixed for several lifetimes the problems with the levees and pumps protecting New Orleans. Of course, with FEMA and the Federal Government starved for funds, this project could not be undertaken. Incidentally, I used the word ‘starved’ intentionally. Republicans and proponents of Supply Side economics and Anti-Federalism have a policy they call “Starve the Beast”, the beast in this case being the Federal Government. The policy involves intentionally cutting off the funding to various federal government programs until they die of their own accord, rather than having to go through the bruising and very public process of killing the programs off via specific and deliberate congressional action.

Another casualty of Katrina is Republican philosophy on race issues. Republicans like to say that the playing field is now level, ones efforts are all that matters and race is no longer an issue in hiring or anything else, than to suggest that it still is, is nothing more than bleeding heart Liberal politics. Therefore, if you follow this reasoning, affirmative action is no longer necessary. This idea too has died as a result of Katrina in a most interesting way. It only took two simple photographs and captions to show how deeply racism is still embedded into the sub consciousness of this nation, even that of our supposedly liberal press corps. Two photographs, both showing people who had, without permission, gone into a grocery store and removed food so that the people who in effect had stolen could survive had divergent captions. In the photo showing a person of color who had done this, the caption called them a ‘looter’, in the photo showing a white person who had done this, the caption read something along the lines that they had “’found’ food from a grocery store”. Is it any wonder that African Americans claim that racism still is a potent and negative force in their efforts to work for a piece of the American dream?

The last important piece of the Republican philosophy that we can put to rest is the idea that Republicans have better values than Democrats or espouse some sort of better value of life. If that were true, the most important risks to loss of life would be addressed by Republican administrations and Republicans would be the strongest advocates of things like healthcare for all, rather than one of the ideas strongest opponents. As with the other parts of their philosophy that I have mentioned above, Republicans are great at ‘talking the talk’, they just don’t ‘walk the walk.’

When it comes down to it, Katrina has shown Republican philosophy to be a failure on almost every level, by virtually every expectation one has of government. If you think I have gone too far with that pronouncement, consider the preamble to our Constitution which describes the very reason one forms a government, or at least why we formed ours. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” By its failure to plan for and mitigate the effects of this hurricane, Republicans have clearly shown themselves and their philosophies lacking.


Steven Leser - [email protected]

[Gruenemann]

177. From a Mole in Blanco's office

Via a friend in Baton Rouge:

Okay, I'm gonna come clean, because I see that Bush and his cronies are going to try to do what I heard they were going to do. I mentioned a few emails back that Bush was doing something despicable and cowardly.

Well, here is the story: a few nights ago, he met with Gov. Blanco. He isolated her, and attempted to get her to sign an agreement that partly would have exonerated the Feds and FEMA, and placed blame squarely on the state government. Well, I see in these NY Times articles that Karl Rove is orchestrating this cowardly attempt to diffuse blame. This story, by the way, comes from someone very high up in Blanco's administration.

From someone pretty high up in Mayor Ray Nagin's administration, word
also got out just yesterday athta Bush was going to try to aim blame at Nagin and his people. Believe me, this is serious shit. Both the state and city governments have real fears that their lines are being bugged by the Feds (not unfounded by the way). And all this during a disaster such as the aftermath. It is becoming painfully aware that Bush has no conscience, no integrity whatsoever. Okay, so I said if need be, I'd spill the beans on this, and I encourage all of you to pass it around.

My god, this son of a bitch has no plan to save people, but he has a plan to diffuse blame. It's time for people like us to wake America up and work towards getting rid of this cancer before it kills us all.

[PATRICK]

180. When you meet the pRez

wear a wire. Doesn't anyone realize that a major barrier insulating this criminal is not having those intimate moments of brutal clarity on tape? There are a number of conversations like these that would have found the entire Bush clan and the Cheney thugs dangling from nooses before cheering crowds. As bad as all the clear signals and actions and words that we get past the gauzy filters of courtier media are, the bar for the smoking gun just gets razed, the habit of non-accountability worsens.

People who know should try treating the administration as it truly deserves. As a criminal organization that needs to be exposed and opposed. Anything less makes you a collaborator or victim. Where is even the sense of self-preservation, the consequences for people's very lives?
Playing the system straight up in any sense without taking Bush on is obscenely ineffective and confused. the only people who are not confused are the Rove ops who bulldoze over their own disasters to make way for their own new constructions.

Impeach, try and jail these perps.

[oasis]

178. CNN's Kyra Phillips was quite adept in expressing what Rummy/Myers had

to say in their press conference. She stated that the "WH reporters" had trouble understanding the big picture. Awfully nice of her to fill us in.:eyes:

Actually CNN cut the breifing off when a reporter asked for a timeline.

[Nothing Without Hope]

181. IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM NPR re Bush blackmailing Blanco for civil powers

See these two threads and the additional information in their replies:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4715924
Thread title: NPR Reports: GW to Blanco"I'll send in the troops if you answer to the WH"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4714874
Thread title: NPR-ATC - aired "Katrina Timeline Unexecuted plans - Shocking!

If anyone STILL doubts that the delays and blocks of aid to hurricane victims was deliberate, they need to take another thorough look.

And I am wondering about that confirmed incident in Jefferson Parish where FEMA agents cut the emergency phone lines and armed guards had to be mounted to protect the lines after they were repaired. HOW MANY OTHER COMMUNICATIONS LINES DID FEDERAL AGENTS CUT WITHOUT BEING DETECTED??? We've heard authorities say that the unexpectely poor communications, bad phone connections etc., undermined relief/rescue efforts. How much of THIS was deliberate too? And who gave those FEMA sabateurs the order to cut the Jefferson Parish emergency phone lines?

[oasis]

182. Blanco blackmailed. Monday press confernece by house and senate should

take place.

[0007]

183. To the recuse, one that could use another medal