WES CLARK DECLARES BUSH Mishandled Storm! - DesMoines Register article

[FrenchieCat]

Politics
In Iowa, Clark declares Bush mishandled storm

By JOLENE STEVENS
REGISTER CORRESPONDENT
September 2, 2005
Sioux City, Ia. — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, traveling in Iowa on Thursday, was sharply critical of the Bush administration's preparation for and response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

"I think it's awful that we left 100,000 people stranded in New Orleans," Clark told reporters at a Sioux City news conference.

He said federal officials had plenty of warning and should have been more prepared.

"First of all, we all saw the storm coming. This did not come in the middle of the night like a terrorist attack. It was very clearly presented for hours before it struck," he said.

"We should have mobilized a joint task force, pre-positioned the National Guard, and lined up the evacuation assets," Clark continued.

"We can do much better than this in our country," he said.
snip
Addressing the high gasoline prices in the wake of damage to the oil industry on the Gulf Coast, he said that "assuming we can get the materials out and ease supply restraints," he would support a move to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at this point to ease gas and oil prices.
snip
For the longer term, he advocated an alternative energy policy, including using ethanol, to ease the country's reliance on fossil fuels. http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050902/NEWS09/509020383/1056

[bahrbearian]

1. Go Wes,, 2008

[Gregorian]

2. Exactly.

"Pre-positioned". I said this, and I'm sure everyone on DU said this.

Now I'll say another- Criminal negligence.

[Buford Pusser]

3. B-1 bomber sorties of 3000-lb sandbags would've plugged levee

Sortie after sortie after sortie of B-1 bombers, laden with 3000-lb sandbags, would've plugged that levee.

I invented that solution 10 minutes ago.

Why wasn't this part of a contingency that should have been planned for each Hurricane-vulnerable city in the US, with levels of response perhaps even tailored according to the category (Kategory?) of hurricane?

Bush signed the disaster declaration before the storm hit; why not trigger the response and get the trucks rolling?

[Usrename]

4. They have a plan: the future's unknowable

haven't you been listening? I've heard this one a thousand times.:sarcasm:

[JoFerret]

13. Looting is the pent up anger realeased

of those who seek freedom!
Oh! wait a minute - maybe they are insurgents!

[0007]

5. Sounds like it could of worked

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. Ummmmm....just exactly how is a B-1 bomber going to drop a

3000 LB sandbag with the pinpoint accuracy needed to plug a levee? As far as i know, they have yet to invent a laser guided sandbag and even a modern bomb sight isn't accurate to much more than a hundred yards or so.

Helicopters. Thats the only way. Until they can build a road to the breaches and use dump trucks, they'll have to use helicopters.

[Buford Pusser]

18. B-1b's are low altitude bombers.

That's one way you can gain some accuracy.

Fly low!

But why do you think it requires "pinpoint" accuracy?

It's not like there's: (1) a lot of valuable things left that could be collateral damage; and (2) sandbags don't exactly cause a lot of collateral damage, even if there were valuable things around.

So you'd just fly sortie after sortie until the thing's plugged up. It's not like sand bags cost a million a shot.

So, it doesn't take a genius, but there are always some people who will say it can't be done.

[xray s]

6. They should preposition assets in the southeast every year

During hurricaine season we should always have a contingent prepositioned in the southeast to meet the risk.

To bad they are prepositioned in Iraq.

[Emillereid]

7. Go Wes Go! His reponse is a lot better than that whore Clinton's!

I wanted to puke when I heard Clinton on TV goinig on about how everybody was doing the best that they could do and teaming up with the Bushits again! He's definitely gone over to the dark side!

[jen4clark]

20. Maybe during his surgery

they did a brainwash or something. He certainly has turned and I don't much like him anymore... Or maybe he's smarter than any of us think and he's trying to ruin Hillary's reputation! :evilgrin:

(of course I'm kidding - I'm one of those who doesn't believe Hillary will run)

[young_at_heart]

8. Fianlly.......a good response from a Democrat

I wish he was our president!

[David Zephyr]

9. That's my President Clark speaking.

:thumbsup:

[xchrom]

10. good -- as it should be.

[Dr Fate]

11. An ADULT speaks up. Thanx General.

n/t

[DinahMoeHum]

14. He's on the board of directors of a firm run by former FEMA head

James Lee Witt (head of FEMA under President Clinton)

http://www.wittassociates.com/

:kick:

[msgadget]

15. Serious question

because I went to the site: In your opinion, is that a good, bad or questionable thing?

[sharonking21]

16. Its a good thing

James Lee Witt was one of the few FEMA directors acknowledged by disaster preparedness people to have actually made something good and effective out of that agency--all of this was thrown away later by Bush.

[goforit]

17. Hmmmm, Gen Clarke?...The National gaurd is still waiting for orders

Ya wanna give them a few?

[FrenchieCat]

19. I'm sure he wish he could have......

unfortunately, it would be not enough too late.

This admin feet have got to be held to the fire on this one.

I mean, innocent lives being lost because of our government heads has reached a toll that is uncomprehensible!

[jen4clark]

21. Uncomprehensible!

Exactly FrenchieCat!! I was so grateful Gen Clark was blogging this week at TPMCafe. Just to hear a voice of reason and know he's out there was momentary relief. I really hope he'll decide to run in '08.

More than that, I hope the whole regime is convincted, thrown in the spider hole they stuffed Saddam in and a special election puts Gen Clark in the White House! before our country sinks any deeper into the pit these thugs are digging...

(well a girl can dream can't she?)

[ticapnews]

22. He'd love to...

Unfortunately he is retired and no longer in a position to give orders. I'm pretty sure his giving orders would interrupt the chain of command. :sarcasm:

If we had made him Commander-in-Chief I know he would have given these orders. The hurricane itself could not be prevented. The preparation and response would have been better. Lives would have been saved. Period.

[bpilgrim]

23. Got DAMN Right and the Dems better STEP UP, NOW!!!

http://media.globalfreepress.com

peace