How should we respond to: "It's the governor's fault"?

[young_at_heart]

My husband just came home from the barbershop where he heard some old geezers saying flatly that the governor of Louisiana didn't ask for help, so everything was her fault. My husband felt the need to interject, and said, "Yes, she did"! They turned on him with a lot of anger and said, "NO, she didn't". My husband then asked, "Even if that were true, does that mean you think protocol must always be followed in a major disaster or the Federal government doesn't need to be involved?" Their answer was, "Well, she should have asked". He gave up trying to talk to them...... I'm guessing this sort of thing is happening elsewhere because of Karl Rove and his "spin"!

[Bob3]

1. again - so *'s job is just to sit on his butt?

That's leadership? Vision? That's someone working for the DMV not being president of the United States.

[deutsey]

2. Plenty of info here

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

From this timeline (in chronological order):

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2005/tr20050901-3843.html

http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=976

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

[WePurrsevere]

16. Might be a good idea to print these articles up & hand them out...

to the sadly misinformed and ignorant.

Fight SPIN with FACTS, LIES with TRUTH

[stopbush]

Here's my answer: "She asked bush for help two days BEFORE

the storm hit. She followed all of the Feds procedures for asking for help. Are you saying she didn't ask hard enough, or that she needed to make the same request multiple times for it to be taken seriously? What would you have done in the same situation?"

[Walt Starr]

3. She asked for aid on August 26th, three days before the hurricane hit!

It's on Snopes!

[bribri16]

4. We expect the governor to be held accountable just as the we expect Bush

to be held accountable...for their own actions or inactions.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. The governor stayed on the job

and from all reports did everything she was supposed to do and a lot more, including dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Being a good bureaucrat is not what's needed in the middle of an emergency. Being there to make decisions under incredible pressure is what is important. The problem for Bush & CO is they didn't even both to show until 5 days later. The Bushbots have little right to complain.

[txaslftist]

5. This was a four-state emergency. How can that not be federal?

[sandnsea]

7. Never concede

Either be prepared to argue your first point to the death, or say nothing. The second we concede a point, we've lost. She declared a state of emergency on 8/26 and your husband really ought to print it off and go show it to them.

http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

[young_at_heart]

14. Believe me, he tried!!! They REFUSED to listen

If he printed if off, as you duggest, and then went back those same men would have been gone. They were getting their hair cut at the same time. He believes there is nothing anyone could say (or print) to make them change their mind. It's very worrisome that people can be so closed-minded.

[never_get_over_it]

8. My response to those stuck on stupid - I posted the other day

I am completely stunned and sickened by my fellow Americans who are so blinded by their loyalty to GW Bush that they would buy into the blame the locals defense. Did not GW Bush and Dick Cheney promise to keep us safe during last year's presidential campaign? In fact did not Dick Cheney even say vote for us and you'll be safe - vote for them and you will die? Has it not been four years since 9-11 - what have they been doing to prepare for a national disaster?

For those of you who are blaming the local and state governments - I ask have you ever had to evacuate? If you have you know how hard it is to accomplish. I live in Florida and have visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina and have experience in evacuating. This is how it works. When an evacuation is called you have three choices: stay at home and ride out the storm, get out of the area and travel away from the storm or go to local shelters. A local government does not have the resources or the authority to move people out of the jurisdiction. Local governments instruct their citizens to come to the shelters with a sleeping bag, food and water for two to three days, medicines and important papers. For those of you screaming about the school buses - here are my questions to you. Who was going to drive the buses? Most likely the bus drivers had fled the jurisdictions. If there were drivers, where were they going to take the evacuees? See it isn't all that simple is it?
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlo...

I am sure that local and state officials made mistakes. However, even if it is conceded that the state and local government completely screwed up - how do you justify the Federal government's outrageous delay after the storm? You can't plain and simple. George Bush did not even return to the White House for two days after the storm hit. He was busy vacationing, eating birthday cake with John McCain, strumming the guitar and trying to justify his invasion of Iraq by comparing it to WWII. A true leader would have had himself back to the White House or even to the disaster site to take control of the situation. GW Bush sure got himself back to Washington in order to meddle in the personal family tragedy of one woman on a feeding tube. While our fellow citizens were dying by the hundreds or thousands he was once again AWOL - oh let them eat cake George Antoinette. Be honest with yourself Bush supporters what would you be saying about this complete and utter failure and disregard for human life if Bill Clinton was still President?

Winston Churchill said:

The responsibility of ministers for the public safety is absolute, and requires no mandate. It is in fact the prime object for which governments come into existence.

If you have enough courage to look at the following web postings you will see that your Federal Government led by GW Bush failed the citizens of this country. Consider this, today is was poor black people - maybe the next time it will be you or your loved ones.

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

http://canofun.com/blog/videos/JeffersonParishonMTPviaD...
Http://canofun.com/blog/videos/olbermannwhostoblamecomm...
http://canofun.com/blog/videos/caffertyembarrassingsep2...
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/bushcaffertyblamegam...
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/angryreactionbroussa...
http://news.globalfreepress.com/movs/katrina/BBC_Katrin...
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/bushthinksfemadoinga...
http://www.praesentia.us/archives/This-Week-Landrieu-pu...
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/edhenryadminignored....
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/Itaintlootingitssurv...
Http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/pelosibushdangerous....

Hopefully you looked at all or some of these sites and now I have one final question for you:


What in God's name will it take you to let go of this blind following of this disastrous man?
I often ask Bush supporters what he has accomplished in his almost five years as President. I have yet to get a good answer. Many of you feel that the tax cuts are fabulous. Unless you make over 200K a year you didn't get much of a break - and have you noticed what has happened to your state and local taxes - they have sky rocketed because money is not being put back into the states. So I bet if you checked you're actually paying more in taxes. Bush has accomplished nothing but death and destruction. His government was warned over and over again before 9-11. He received a Presidential Daily Briefing on Aug 6, 2001 that Osama was determined to strike US with planes - he did nothing but continue his vacation (sound familiar) and 3,000 people died. He started a war because of WMDs. No WMDs, no connection to 9-11, no Osama. Then instead of taking RESPONSIBILITY he changed the reasons over and over again as to why we invaded Iraq. 2,000 US troops killed in Iraq, tens of thousands innocent Iraqis dead, 200 to 300 billion dollars spent so far, our surplus replaced with 300 to 400 billion dollar deficit, National debt close to EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS, our standing in the world greatly diminished, Iraq turned into a breeding ground for terrorists which it was not before and now this. For God's sake what will it take you to admit you were wrong about this man and his policies. Do you have to be waist deep in water before you WAKE UP? At the very best the man is completely incompetent and at the worse he is a selfish, greedy, power hungry maniac who only cares about his RICH friends and political contributors.

[young_at_heart]

25. Thank you, thank you......I agree completely

The frustration we feel at our inablility to get these "die-hards" to listen or even have a rational response is off the charts! It's so hard to understand the mind-set of people such as these (not on the same planet)!

[Imagevision]

9. Compare it to Bush's response to last years tsunami

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[Deja Q]

10. Would th same apply to Clinton then?

[kster]

11. If true * couldn't protect the people of NO from their Governor'

once * arrived on the scene and saw that she made a bad decision, as commander and chief should have made an executive order.

[Raydawg1234]

12. Just tell them not to play the blame game!

[ThoughtCriminal]

13. If the buck stops at Gov Blanco

for decisions made at the Louisiana DHS, then we should hold Bush to the same standard. The buck for foul-ups at FEMA stop at Oval Office desk. As them if they have a problem with that.

[bluestateguy]

15. You tell them that THEIR president should be a man and take responsibility

and that the Baby Bush has done nothing but whine, complain and eat peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches while the adults attempt to fix his mess.

[rniel]

17. One fact I heard

80% were evacuated from the city which is higher than the estimated 60% that FEMA thought they would be able to get out.

[Avalux]

18. I had someone say that to me today -

I told her that Governor Blanco had requested help and that the Federal Government had declared NO a disaster area before the storm hit.

I then told her that when things were bad, instead of moving in, Bush sent a legal document to Blanco wanting her to abdicate her power as Governor. She refused and there was a delay in aid, as if he was punishing her.

I then said that any disaster of this magnitude requires the Federal Government, and that everyone knew the devastation from Katrina would be widespread. Areas of Mississippi didn't get aid for days.

Talked about the lack of funding for improving the levies, lack of funding for first responders.

Explained the NG angle (troops and equipment in Iraq) and FEMA incompetency (Brown).

Also pointed out that Katrina was mother nature's WMD, and it's no different than a major terror attack. How safe do you feel now after the billions of tax dollars spent to keep us safe, and the Federal Government can't do it?

ANYWAY - by the time I was done (as she stood there staring at me), she had absolutely nothing to say and looked really scared.

[young_at_heart]

21. At least she listened

These men basically told my husband they had no interest in anything he had to say. A frustrating experience to say the least!

[gratuitous]

19. Two responses

Yes, it certainly is the governor's fault that she asked an incompetent like George W. Bush and his corrupt administration for help in this catastrophe. Why couldn't she wait until he'd finished his vacation?

Or

You're right. There's a lot of people in Mississippi who'd be alive and whose homes would be intact if Haley Barbour wasn't such a toad suck.

Feel free to use either, or both!

[Corgigal]

20. ask them to name ONE state

that has handled a category 4 or 5 hurricane without federal assistance? There must be a reason the federal govt must become involved and it's because no one state can afford it.

[Walt Starr]

22. Tell 'em the governor perofrmed better than expected

and the feds were abysmal.

Then send 'em this document:

http://democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20050909123505-34183.doc

[Just Me]

23. She had no control over the feds' failure to respond.

She gave them advance warning IN WRITING that the state HAD TO HAVE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE because the state did not have the resources to deal with such a massive catastrophic event. Moreover, the feds knew well beforehand that the state did not have the resources to deal with such a massive catastrophic event and that IMMEDIATE federal response and assistance would be necessary.

[Touchdown]

24. 23 responses and not the obvious one.

Now is not the time to be playing the blame game and pointing fingers!

[VOX]

28. Ohhh -- touchdown, Touchdown! n/t

[VOX]

26. "Forget the governor, this is a disaster with major NATIONAL impact..."

"And that it was known that, if Katrina hit, it would be of this magnitude DAYS before the storm actually made landfall. It was obvious to any thinking person that a hurricane as monstrous as that, slamming into a city as big as New Orleans, would impact our national economy, our national trade, and possibly our national public health. The FEDERAL government should have been prepared and on alert **before Katrina hit**, because NO local government, even the state, is equipped to handle something that thoroughly devastating. So, don't believe everything you hear on Rush and Hannity, fellas."

I've got this thought primed in my head, and am waiting to use it myself if necessary. It's certainly what I would have spat at the other patrons of the barbershop.

:grr:

[young_at_heart]

31. I agree.......but I guess some people just won't listen

These men did not care one iota about any of these things....and I ask, why don't they? I just don't understand how so many people can be so callous!

[Beaverhausen]

27. even Snopes has it covered

http://www.snopes.com/politics/katrina/nagin.asp

[VOX]

29. Freepers just dismiss snopes.com as a "liberal Web site"...

They just don't like the sound of truth.

They'd still insist that the Earth was flat if Rush, Hannity and Jerry Falwell told 'em so. :grr:

[Beaverhausen]

30. there are links there to prove the truth - not that truth matters to them