Tape: Bush, Chertoff Warned Before Katrina

[Don Vito Corleone]

From Yahoo!-AP:

WASHINGTON - In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

. . .

This tape is pretty interesting stuff. Brownie actually comes off pretty well - he clearly took the hurricane very seriously, and it appears President Bush was given ample warning about the potential seriousness of Katrina, to include the possibility of a breach of the levees. All this is water under the bridge (or, in this instance, over the levee), but one hopes they'll do better next time if we experience another catastrophic event under the Bush administration.

 

[Harvey]

I just caught it on TV. If the job is BS'ing the American people, yer doin' a heck of a job, Bushie. :roll:

 

[TylerP]

They were ready. Near every report says they were. The governor of LA (that is a state abriviation) and the gov of NO (that is a city abriviation) are the ones that didn't make the call.

Just take a look at the Ferderal Laws and LA state laws that are in place for situations like this.

Also, this same info was made available to LA officials.

Just saying.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Harvey
I just caught it on TV. If the job is BS'ing the American people, yer doin' a heck of a job, Bushie. :roll:

Yeah, it was just on Countdown. I still can't figure out how some people can support this administration. They are incompetent with everything they handle. They make reckless spenders of the past seem reserved. They are for big and intrusive government.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: TylerP
They were ready. Near every report says they were. The governor of LA (that is a state abriviation) and the gov of NO (that is a city abriviation) are the ones that didn't make the call.

Just take a look at the Ferderal Laws and LA state laws that are in place for situations like this.

Also, this same info was made available to LA officials.

Just saying.

Actually I believe Governor Bianco asked in writing for a designation of a federal disaster area before the storm hit.

If the federal assets were ready, why did it take 5 days for them to arrive?

For my part, I certainly understand that Louisiana of all places is hardly a paragon of excellent (or even competent) governance, but it's equally clear to me the Feds dropped the ball on Katrina, big-time.

 

[techs]

Here's what we are absolutely sure of.
Bush boldly lied to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it.
Shame on you Georgie.
If you have any shame left in you.

 

[TylerP]

He had it in writting, but he didn't submit it. That is in the commisions report.

And as for the arrivel....the 5 days is not what it took the first responders to make it there. The commission reported the 5 days in context to armed military.

 

[TylerP]

Originally posted by: techs
Here's what we are absolutely sure of.
Bush boldly lied to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it.
Shame on you Georgie.
If you have any shame left in you.

Isn't that the same decry during Clinton's time in office?

 

[Zebo]

Does'nt surprise me one bit he does'nt worry about the little people. Bush MO is strictly to enrich those of previledge like him.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: TylerP

Originally posted by: techs
Here's what we are absolutely sure of.
Bush boldly lied to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it.
Shame on you Georgie.
If you have any shame left in you.

Isn't that the same decry during Clinton's time in office?

And I called Clinton to task on it.

 

[jlmadyson]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: TylerP
They were ready. Near every report says they were. The governor of LA (that is a state abriviation) and the gov of NO (that is a city abriviation) are the ones that didn't make the call.

Just take a look at the Ferderal Laws and LA state laws that are in place for situations like this.

Also, this same info was made available to LA officials.

Just saying.

Actually I believe Governor Bianco asked in writing for a designation of a federal disaster area before the storm hit.

If the federal assets were ready, why did it take 5 days for them to arrive?

For my part, I certainly understand that Louisiana of all places is hardly a paragon of excellent (or even competent) governance, but it's equally clear to me the Feds dropped the ball on Katrina, big-time.

Blanco dropped the ball just like the rest of them, an utter failure at every level of government. One can only hope that when the next one hits they will be ready to respond quickly and effectively, I have my doubts.

 

[TylerP]

And to think....hurricane season is what.. 4 months away...maybe 6? Funny.

Plus, when your entire community economics is based on the service industry....you don't bounce back overnight...nor should you expect to.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: TylerP
He had it in writting, but he didn't submit it. That is in the commisions report.

And as for the arrivel....the 5 days is not what it took the first responders to make it there. The commission reported the 5 days in context to armed military.

Am I missing something? Blanco=female? Shows how much of the situation you understand. You= lost all credibility.

 

[Hacp]

Btw, looks like brown was the scapegoat and the real people to blame for the lack of federal response was Bush and his cronies.

 

[TylerP]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: TylerP
He had it in writting, but he didn't submit it. That is in the commisions report.

And as for the arrivel....the 5 days is not what it took the first responders to make it there. The commission reported the 5 days in context to armed military.

Am I missing something? Blanco=female? Shows how much of the situation you understand. You= lost all credibility.

I was thinking of the gov of NO, as they both had it. And I am not good with names, sorry.

Think what you will of me...but at least go read the facts for yourself instead of relying on forum posts. That is just intellectually stunted.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: TylerP

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: TylerP
He had it in writting, but he didn't submit it. That is in the commisions report.

And as for the arrivel....the 5 days is not what it took the first responders to make it there. The commission reported the 5 days in context to armed military.

Am I missing something? Blanco=female? Shows how much of the situation you understand. You= lost all credibility.

I was thinking of the gov of NO, as they both had it. And I am not good with names, sorry.

Think what you will of me...but at least go read the facts for yourself instead of relying on forum posts. That is just intellectually stunted.

You mean mayor?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: techs
Here's what we are absolutely sure of.
Bush boldly lied to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it.

 

[TylerP]

Yes I meant mayor

Holy junk I am tired.

I need to leave the internet tonight.

Yeesh.

but the point is the powers that be...had what they needed. The ball was indeed dropped, but not all blame lays at the feet of Bush or his administration, no matter how popular that path of thought is right now. Did he have a hand in it...yes, no one denise that...was it his fault completely...no.

*off to bed now*

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: TylerP
Yes I meant mayor

Holy junk I am tired.

I need to leave the internet tonight.

Yeesh.

but the point is the powers that be...had what they needed. The ball was indeed dropped, but not all blame lays at the feet of Bush or his administration, no matter how popular that path of thought is right now. Did he have a hand in it...yes, no one denise that...was it his fault completely...no.

*off to bed now*

All I have to say is PWNED. What you just said is discredited.

 

[CycloWizard]

Why is the government responsible for any response in the first place? We're simply paying taxes to FEMA as an insurance policy with an insane overhead. Couldn't this money go much better towards the poor people who suffered the worst? Had they had this money up front, they most surely could have afforded the evacuation. Hell, they could each have their own car and a tank full of gas for the amount of money that we threw at the problem.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: TylerP
Yes I meant mayor

Holy junk I am tired.

I need to leave the internet tonight.

Yeesh.

but the point is the powers that be...had what they needed. The ball was indeed dropped, but not all blame lays at the feet of Bush or his administration, no matter how popular that path of thought is right now. Did he have a hand in it...yes, no one denise that...was it his fault completely...no.

*off to bed now*

I'm sure all that flailing around, spinning and apologizing for the Bush administration has you completely dizzy by now.

 

[DealMonkey]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
Why is the government responsible for any response in the first place? We're simply paying taxes to FEMA as an insurance policy with an insane overhead. Couldn't this money go much better towards the poor people who suffered the worst? Had they had this money up front, they most surely could have afforded the evacuation. Hell, they could each have their own car and a tank full of gas for the amount of money that we threw at the problem.

That's precisely the sort of thinking that led to FEMA staff and funding being cut as the Bush administration viewed FEMA much like you do -- an entitlement program. And the same for the Army Corp plans to reinforce the levies -- cut. Funding that was cut to help pay for war in Iraq.

And yet, they've flip-flopped on that too. Now in addition to all of our tax money funding FEMA, we're blowing $85 billion on reconstruction. I guess it's an "entitlement program" when there are no natural disasters to speak of, but a poltiical liability when one occurs and the public finds out you had your head straight up your arse. When you claim that you had no idea the kind of damage caused by Katrina would occur and yet you discussed those exact sorts of things before the storm hit. And when you claim there was no way to anticipate the kind of damage caused by a levy break and yet you have a report sitting on your desk since 2001 that lays out the 3 most likely natural disasters to hit the U.S. and levy failures in New Orleans as the result of a hurricane makes the top 3.

It's like Condi acting surprised and shocked (Shocked!) to learn that a report hit her desk way before 9/11 entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Attack Inside U.S." and then you sit there with your mouth agape like a jackass at the charges that you could have known something was coming.

 

[beyoku]

see sig

 

[Reckoner]

Can't we go one week without hearing about a new screwup from the Bush Administration?

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: techs
Here's what we are absolutely sure of.
Bush boldly lied to the American people about what he knew and when he knew it.
Shame on you Georgie.
If you have any shame left in you.

Clinton was impeached for lesser lies. Way to go Bushie ...