NYT: WH knew early about levee breaks - and BUSH POWER GRAB ALERT!

[Nothing Without Hope]

Former FEMA director Brown as quoted in the NYT article is already following previous WH spin that the fault is in the ORGANIZATION, that all disaster response should be given to the military under the President’s orders. Expect him to elaborate on this further during his testimony tomorrow. Expect the Congressional Republicans and the GOP-run media to follow this spin and push it.

When WE read about this we think "WH lies, WH deliberately letting New Orleans drown." When the WH and the media spin it, it's going to be "give us martial law, and we will protect you."

This major NYT article does show the lies of the WH in denying their culpability in the New Orleans flooding. But it also showcases Brown’s comments about how the problem was REALLY that there should have been immediate military command (and never mind the many warnings the WH was given or the fact that under the National Response Plan they ALREADY have that authority):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/10/politics/10katrina.html?hp&ex=1139634000&en=914abcf6c2b5fc5a&ei=5094&partner=homepage
The Inquiry

White House Knew of Levee's Failure on Night of Storm

Caption: (credit: Marty Bahamonde/FEMA) A photo taken by a federal emergency official the day Hurricane Katrina arrived showed the broken 17th Street Canal levee in New Orleans.

By ERIC LIPTON
Published: February 10, 2006

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 — In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Bush administration officials said they had been caught by surprise when they were told on Tuesday, Aug. 30, that a levee had broken, allowing floodwaters to engulf New Orleans.

But Congressional investigators have now learned that an eyewitness account of the flooding from a federal emergency official reached the Homeland Security Department's headquarters starting at 9:27 p.m. the day before, and the White House itself at midnight.

(snip)

This chain of events, along with dozens of other critical flashpoints in the Hurricane Katrina saga, has for the first time been laid out in detail following five months of work by two Congressional committees that have assembled nearly 800,000 pages of documents, testimony and interviews from more than 250 witnesses. Investigators now have the documentation to pinpoint some of the fundamental errors and oversights that combined to produce what is universally agreed to be a flawed government response to the worst natural disaster in modern American history.

(snip)

Mr. Brown acknowledged to investigators that he wished, in retrospect, that he had moved much earlier to turn over major aspects of the response effort to the Department of Defense. It was not until the middle of the week, he said, that he asked the military to take over the delivery and distribution of water, food and ice.

(snip)

We can't let ourselves be caught napping on this. It looks so obvious to us that this is all about massive incompetence and/or deliberate criminal negligence by the Bush Administration. But with the help of the media, they can continue their ongoing, relentless campaign to USE the hurricane disasters as a basis for a power grab for all domestic disaster/emergency response to be headed by the President, with full command of the military and national guard. They've been working this angle from the beginning:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4790112
thread title (Sept 16, 2005): Missing A KEY POINT in *'s speech: POWER GRAB FOR POTUS AND MILITARY
Go through the documents posted in the replies to this thread to see how this has been set up step by step FOR YEARS. They were waiting for an "enabling event" and thought Katrina would do it for them.

Bush attempted to blackmail Gov. Blanco into giving him command of the National Guard, as is clearly revealed by released documents:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5518358
thread title (Dec 4, 2005): WP:Documents Highlight Bush-Blanco Standoff(Vitter carried Rove's message)

Despite repeated lies from the WH, the EXISTING National Response Plan under the Department of Homeland Security gives them ALL THE POWER THEY NEED TO DIRECT DISASTER RESPONSE AND MAKES THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHERTOFF AND BUSH AS PRIMARY DECISION-MAKERS VERY CLEAR:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1805660&mesg_id=1808510
post title (Sept 27, 2005): OF COURSE THERE IS A NATIONAL PLAN!!! It is a DHS document and {it very clearly gives full authority to Bush and to Chertoff to do whatever is needed in an emergency}

And they were warned THE DAY BEFORE THE STORM HIT what would happen to the levees:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2061009
thread title (Jan 23, 2006): New Docs Show Gov't Forewarned on Katrina

As John Kerry said when this new information was released on Jan 23,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x230261

How is it that the White House Situation Room received detailed warnings 48 hours before Hurricane Katrina hit, that the National Hurricane Center was warning CNN and the world that Katrina could be The Big One, that FEMA reported two days before landfall that Katrina’s surge ‘could greatly overtop levees and protective systems,’ destroy nearly 90 percent of city structures, require ‘incredible search and rescue needs (60,000-plus),’ and displace more than a million people – and the President days later still insisted on national television, ‘I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees’ that left 1,300 dead and thousands more homeless? Where’s the accountability? Where’s the compassion?

Brownie is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee tomorrow (Friday, Feb 10). Expect the Congressional Republicans and the WH to use his testimony to fuel new calls - they never really stopped - for sweeping new presidential powers to deploy the military wherever and whenever he "sees fit." As with all the rest of their treason, the cover story will be that this is for the good, the safety of the American People. Terrorists and storms have very useful bogeymen indeed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Related current DU threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2097658
thread title (2-9-06 LBN): Paper: White House Knew About Levees Early
Comment/excerpt: AP/Yahoo News “WASHINGTON - Twenty-eight government agencies, from local Louisiana parishes to the White House, reported that New Orleans levees were breached Aug. 29, the day Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, documents released Thursday show. A timeline of e-mails, situation updates and weather reports, pieced together by Senate Democrats, indicates the Bush administration knew as early as 8:30 a.m. EST about levee failures that would ultimately lead to massive flooding of the city and its surrounding parishes.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x375953
thread title (2-9-06 GD): Strap on your helmet---tomorrow could be a big day.
Comment/excerpt: "There is no single issue that Bush is lambasted for more by EVERYBODY than Katrina. Tomorrow Brown is supposed to testify."

[Justice Is Comin]

1. Brown knows a lot

and obviously was one of the indifferent and complicit officials that had no interest in treating this with any priority.

His lawyer would not have made a statement like he did, actually threatening Bush to provide Brown a top legal defense at no cost, or else, unless there was a lot of damaging information that Brown will spill.

Bush is between the bull and the barbwire. And Brown is saying Okay, you wanna throw me to the wolves, two can play at that game. Bush is going to have this story right back in the headlines and now, he's got a real problem because it's his top guy turning on him. Nobody is in a position to know more dirt than Brown.

That's good for a quick box....:popcorn:

[0007]

14. I wonder if junior and his tribe can blackmail Brown into suicide?

It does appear that, that is their specialty.

Guess it depends on how much dirt they have on Brownie.

[Nothing Without Hope]

16. Yeah, I do believe that institutionalized blackmail is a major prop for

their power and also a reason for the NSA spy system. And I'm not the only one. Paul Craig Roberts came right out and said it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x338735
thread title (2-6-06 GD): Ex-Reagan official- Dubya uses spying to blackmail media & Dems

So when I read about Rove threatening GOP congress members with electoral non-support if they didn't support the WH on NSA Spygate:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x342591
thread title (2-6-06 GD): Rove Threatens Republican Senators...
Comment/excerpt: “Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.”
Keith Olbermann covers Rove’s “enemies list” on Countdown. VIDEO:
http://www.canofun.com/cof/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16329
I was thinking: "This is where all that dirt they got from their spy program is being put to use. The circle is complete. Spy to get blackmail material, use blackmail material to continue spy program to get more blackmail material."

[0007]

17. Thanks for the link, NWH

Somehow I didn't catch it when it was up.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. YVW. You might also be interested in another link I added on edit.

The WH is using a kind of blackmail already on GOP congress members - and I'm betting the hidden kind is being leveraged too.

[0007]

19. Many thanks again, I did check it out and did watch the video of

"Rove the Bully's Enemies List" Canoffun.

The razzle-dazzle dance that we do everyday, is just too much for a slow poke like me, to keep up to date on every dance.

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. This is probably too much, especially since it isn't broken into

categories, but I did post my own "top Janurary threads" list for people to see if they could get anything out of it. I collect threads I think are important not only as bookmarks but also, for some, in a running monthly Word fiile. I posted the one for January here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x353591
thread title (2-7-06 GD): COMPILATION: My own list of TOP JANUARY THREADS - add your own! (long)

I didn't make this thread list intending to share it, and it's certainly quirky and incomplete, but maybe there might be something there that would interest you if you skim through the titles.

[0007]

21. Wow! I'm impressed and will burn a CD of you're archives

That toon "Whack a Whack" was a great one. Thanks again, and rest assure that you're work won't go for naught.

[sarcasmo]

31. That was my thought exactly, when does the Brownie suicide watch begin.

[Nothing Without Hope]

33. I think he's already said what he knows. They wouldn't have waived

so-called "executive privilege" if they thought they had anything to fear from him. Now Gonzales - he knows it all and they can't let him testify under oath. Unless they asked puffball questions like about his hairstyle, he'd run into perjury jeopardy very quickly.

So if he's already been emptied of what he knows, he's no longer a danger to them and he should be safe. But of course he'll be blackballed in his career.

[fed-up]

2. A reminder of the fed response to Hurricane Charley-FL key state to Bush

ust did a quick google to remind myself about the response to Charley

Here is an article on fed response to Hurricane Charley:

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/17/Weather/Unlike_Andrew...

Hurricane Charley
Unlike Andrew, aid's right on Charley's heels
By STEVE BOUSQUET, BILL ADAIR and CHASE SQUIRES
Published August 17, 2004


..Gov. Jeb Bush sought federal help Friday while Charley was still in the Gulf of Mexico. President Bush approved the aid about an hour after the hurricane made landfall...

..After Andrew, 48 states and Congress approved an agreement making it easier for the states to offer mutual aid. That agreement, which was first sought by Chiles, made it possible for three emergency management specialists from Kentucky to arrive at the Tallahassee command center last week before Charley hit...

..After Andrew, FEMA director James Lee Witt overhauled the bureaucracy and improved communications with the states. Witt established centers around the country to store water and disaster supplies, and he made agreements with other federal agencies so supplies and personnel could be sent before a storm...

..With Florida again playing a pivotal role in the presidential election, the Bush administration in Washington has moved quickly to make sure Floridians get what they need. The president visited Punta Gorda on Sunday and said: "The government's job is to help people help rebuild their lives, and that's what's happening."

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. This is an important piece - more evidence of DELIBERATE inaction

with Katrina. Thank you for adding this documentation.

We MUST stay on top of the spin and see that the US public gets the TRUTH: what happened after the hurricanes was NOT due to forewarning, to insufficient presidential/military power, or too much power vested in the states, or the absence of ability to call martial law. All of that was ALREADY available. What happened after the hurricanes was a CONSPIRACY OF INACTION AND BLOCKING OF AID. The evidence is absolutely damning. So is the clear, repeated attempt to use these disasters to enable more power grabbing by this president.

They LIKE that the poorer areas of New Orleans were destroyed and the people dispersed, the land increasingly up for grabs.

They LIKE that New Orleans will be whiter and more Republican.

And most of all, they LIKE the idea that they can use all this death to "justify" more power centralization in the president as an unchecked dictator. Just as they used the 9/11 attacks.

[OrcaStraight]

4. Damn right they knew!

Shoot, in '93 we went on vacation to New Orleans for 3 weeks. Amidst tons of sightseeing, cruising on the Natchez, visits to swamps and cemeteries, we took a Grayline city tour just to get a feel for the whole thing.

As we rolled through the Garden District, by the Superdome, and up by Lake Ponch, our tour guide spoke at length about the city flooding, and the state of the levees, in the event of prolonged rain or hurricane. He explained the low-laying parts of the city, pointed out the areas most likely to be hit first and worse--and made the sign of the cross over his chest when we asked about future storms.

Oh, they knew--lots of people KNEW--and for a damned long time. This was no surprise birthday party; people KNEW!:spank:

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Welcome to DU, OrcaStraight! And thanks for your post.

yes, they not only KNEW, they were delighted.

And now they are still trying to escape culpability and turn this into a gain for Bush's dictatorial powers.

[EFerrari]

6. The NeoCon response to most situatiions is to throw an army

at it and to leverage the contracts. They never realy address any problem. And that's why Poppy is mad. Naked powermongering and greed undermine the longterm viability of the BFEE. Junior is blowing his cover and, badly.

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. So far the media have been able to cover the blown cover pretty well

but even they can't keep the lid on forever. I think Poppy is also mad because Shrubbie's not LISTENING to him. Poppy thought his dumb son would provide a puppet so he could continue to pull the strings. But he reckoned without his son's hatred and jealousy. Lovely family.

[Stephanie]

7. Of course they knew. WE knew, why wouldn't they?

DoYouEverWonder
Sun Aug-28-05 10:49 PM
OMG, I've never read a Hurricane Advisory like this one
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4490806

Sunday August 28 - Bush, in Crawford, gets briefed on the approaching storm



Monday August 29









Tuesday August 30



Wednesday August 31



September 12



September 15

[Stephanie]

8. Katrina Timeline >

http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. ***Please also see THIS THREAD on the disaster of Katrina evacuee housing

and the reasons why the BUshies made the choices they did:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x377263
thread title (2-10-06 GD): LAT: "The Land of 10,770 Empty FEMA Trailers" & Katrina housing EXPLAINED

The whole unfolding housing scandal is another crucial and revealing piece of the picture with disastrous consequences for Katrina evacuees and clear implications about the motivations of the Bush WH.

[Tesla]

10. I hope Mr Brown is as big of pussbag I think he is

And tells on everyone like a 3 yr old.
Of course he would have to go into hiding.
Maybe get him a job at Hermes, he likes fashion.

[Disturbed]

13. Criminal Negligence!

The Congress does not have the guts to bring the charge.

[seemslikeadream]

11. Thank you so much Nothing Without Hope

again for everything you are doing :hi:

[dbeach]

27. AWOL DESERTER TRAITOR and the NG's give em a statue

what a insult to over 58,000 who died in VN and an insult to any
VN Veterans who are not brainwashed by the MM fasciscimo conditioning system...and thats plenty of my pals..

I wanna know who covered bush records from AL TX Air Reserve

[Nothing Without Hope]

12. Please also see Stephanie's photo essay, which eerily parallels Oliphant's

cartoon:

The photo essay:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x377207
thread title (2-10-06 GD): George Bush & Katrina >

The great Oliphant cartoon - he truly is a genius:



That's George's only interest in the victims of his policies - PROPS.

[Nothing Without Hope]

22. one kick and I have to leave for hours. Let's hope Brownie rats out

the BUshies big time today - though I'm not expecting it.

[fed-up]

23. Kicking for the morning crew n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. Break this down for me, please. Did Brown leak this stuff and also did

he testify at the hearings about not knowing about the levees?

[Junkdrawer]

25. The new WH Motto: "Though Incompetence, Strength"...

"Through Scandal, Power"

[dbeach]

26. martial law and the crushing of dissent

endless wars and endless profits

KBR is building detention centers

[texpatriot2004]

28. Bush FAILED. The Federal Government failed. I will never forget

how Bush and his CRONY friends let American citizens, babies and the elderly die in the streets...

There is no excuse for this!

Impeach the lying evil cheating bastard NOW!

[Nothing Without Hope]

29. ***ANOTHER THREAD TO SEE, including a post where I tried to lay out

my reasons for believing the Katrina catastrophe is LIHOP at least:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x381143
thread title (2-10-06 GD): KATRINA was LIHOP
I put my thoughts and a number of links in this reply:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=381143&mesg_id=382254
Reply #39: I've believed that from the beginning and I still do. **HERE ARE THREADS**

Many good posts in that thread.

[Nothing Without Hope]

30. ***Don't miss the VIDEO of Olbermann re the Brownie Bake. He mentions

this NYT article:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x384242
thread title (2-10-06 GD): VIDEO- Olbermann on the Brownie Hearings

he begins by saying that this could be the tipping point for the Bush administration.

[Nothing Without Hope]

32. kick n/t

[stickdog]

34. Thanks for this useful thread. (nt)

[Nothing Without Hope]

35. one more kick and I'm gone for the night n/t

[wakemewhenitsover]

36. Was Bush-had-to-watch-DVD story a big fake?

Wasn't Laura watching T.V.? Isn't this a way to pretend he was ignorant of the disaster? Remember how we were told Andy Card had to show him a DVD he made himself, as if Bush was the only one in the country who was unaware of the extent of hurricane damage?