Thursday, September 01, 2005

Opinions on Bush's response to Katrina

As President Bush finally decides to head down to the Gulf Coast (I know, he is the president and has important matters at hand- like unpacking), the "liberal mainstream press full of bias" is wondering about Bush's leadership (oh, the nerve of the press with an agenda of asking questions to a sitting war-time president at a time of national tragedy). Well, here are some of those questions and concerns from the media (just a few of the many)...

Evidently, Hurricane Protection is a low Priority for Bush according toThink Progress, while The Guardian thinks Politicians Are Failing Storm Victims and asks where is Bush's response. BoP News says If We Had a Real President This is the Speech He would Give and the Village Voice speaks of a leisurely Bush and bumbling feds.

It's Not Too Early To Find Fault from The Los Angeles Times (they mention what other papers are saying). While, they see this as an opportunity or disaster for a battered Bush according to his response.

And the bastion of liberalism New York Times is Waiting for a Leader (as I am). Its conservative commentator David Brooks is concerned about the Political Storm coming, while David Sanger thinks this is hard test for Bush (that he is not yet passing).

The Washington Post says "The Bush administration has long ignored Louisiana politicians' requests for more help in protecting their fragile coast," which may have lessened the devastation and is waiting for answers from Bush.

The Tampa Tribune thinks the government lacked a plan as USA Today thinks the relief is too little, too late. Lastly, a New Hampshire paper thinks it is time for action from the President, not aloofness.

Here is what the New Orleans Mayor says
"They don't have a clue what's going on down there," Mayor Ray Nagin told WWL-AM Thursday night. "They flew down here one time two days after the doggone event was over with TV cameras, AP reporters, all kind of goddamn - excuse my French everybody in America, but I am pissed."
In Washington, President Bush answered the criticism of the government response to the disaster by saying "the results are not acceptable" and pledged to bolster relief efforts with a personal trip to the Gulf Coast.

That is enough for now. The nerve of these papers, huh? Don't they have anything better to do? Don't I?

2 comments:

kidpositive said...

i caught the following off a video on cnn.com concerning the warnings about the disaster a hurricane like this could do to that region:

"shortly before 9/11, the federal emergency management agency (FEMA)declared that among the most likely disasters in america, a risk nearly on par with a terror attack in new york, was a catastrosphic storm in new orleans, like katrina.

"after six died in a flood ten years ago, congress created a massive project for the army corps of engineers to renovate the thirteen levy systems which protect new orleans. over the last five years, the bush administration and congress cut funding for the flood control project, known as SELA, by over 30 million dollars, at a time when the army corps is also stretched thin from rebuilding iraq."

the video went on to show an army corps engineer discussing the fact that having the levy system completed wouldn't have really helped in this case, because the massive flooding in new orleans is due to a breech in a flood barrier that was built for a category 3 hurricane, despite long warnings that new orleans could someday be hit with a category 4.

james said...

Wow. All these news links. All i pulled was a Greg Palast Op-ed piece.

Good work Rick.