Here's the way I see it. Along with most people in the US. Keep up the attacks on the President you are playing right into his hands of "Well there they go again"

http://www.opinionjourna....com/extra/?id=110007219

"Many in the media are turning their eyes toward the federal government, rather than considering the culpability of city and state officials. I am fully aware of the challenges of having a quick and responsive emergency response to a major disaster. And there is definitely a time for accountability; but what isn't fair is to dump on the federal officials and avoid those most responsible--local and state officials who failed to do their job as the first responders. The plain fact is, lives were needlessly lost in New Orleans due to the failure of Louisiana's governor, Kathleen Blanco, and the city's mayor, Ray Nagin.

The primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his emergency operations center.

The actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of lives would likely have been saved."

Thank you, David, for posting the timeline. I wonder how many of our senators & congresspeople are aware of it.

I agree that the Mayor and Governor had very important roles to play.

But I totally disagree with the idea that the President should be on vacation, goofing around on the guitar, and raising money for his party when a disaster of this magnitude is happening.

On 9/11 I was glad it was firefighters that were dragging people out of the Trade Center instead of the President. But I would have been totally pissed if the President decided to go parasailing and take in a movie while people were being burned alive. He shouldn't smile. He shouldn't joke. He should at least appear to care. On 9/11, when it fit into his peurile fantasies about how rockin' it would be to be a "War President," he was on point. He treated the situation with gravity.

Like most Americans, I was paralyzed with grief over what was going on during Hurricane Katrina. People were dying on TV! Thousands of them.

When this is happening, there is something deeply disturbing about a President on Vacation, a Vice President on Vacation, Secretary of State on Vacation, a Secretary of Defense on Vacation, the Department of Homeland Security squabbling over red tape, a FEMA head who is clueless, and thousands of troops, billions of dollars, and hundreds of helicopters tied up in Iraq. It just lacks perspective.

Instead of getting down to business, he's like, "What went wrong?" What a doofus.

I respect GWB's right to delegate and get on with "his" life.... but not when he is in control of the greatest nation in the world. When you take the oath of office, you give up your personal life and relaxation regimen. If he wants to relax and get on with his life, he should have taken it in 2004 and let someone more serious run the country.

It's like he's got "senioritis" or something. I think that we should spend money running commercials of the President and his Cabinet on vacation constantly. People need to know what a serious job they are doing. People need to know that he is having a good time. Maybe it will make us all feel better to know that somebody is having a hoot.

These facts remain:

#1. New Mexico Gov called Blanco and offered his states reserves two days before the storm arived. Blanco accepted. Feds refused to allow this.

#2. Blanco declared State of Emergency, Bush accepted and agreed (before the storms landfall, dont think that has happened previous to this) to ensure that man power and their $'s can come in ASAP. There was an obvious disaster looming. Took 5 days for feds to show anyway.

So please.... Stop the spin. Bush and his horse traders are in are in the line of fire as should be.

One pissed off Cajun.

Brannon May

The time line is very handy, ....but as in most things written from a biased viewpoint, read carefully. In the governors declaration of a state of emergency, appendix (a) it appears that she is seeking $9,000,000 to offset the execution of the alleged New Orleans evacuation plan and fiscally augment other federal programs. I can handle critisism of the federal government on this, as they deserve it. There's a lot they could have done better. But face the facts.... there isn't anything the state of Louisiana and City of New Orleans could have done worse! Stop giving the local office holders a free pass on this!

On the bright side...... the displaced children of New Orleans will have a chance to get a better education in an area that undoubtedly will have a lower crime rate.

David,
You are totally unaware of Governments function and its operation. You are the same people who
complain that the Patriot Act will "Take away my rights". Yet at the first sign of catastrophy you expect that the Federal Government should break our laws and occupy New Orleans. Notice how the Mississipians and Alabamans handled the brunt of the storm. Do not worry Conservatives everywhere are busy giving and while that can't replace that which was lost, they will try to restore it.
I am sure that during this process we will here from the liberals how we are not doing enough. Maybe just once the liberals would actually do something and we could pick it apart. Maybe when the water is down, the Mayor might find the schjool buses(mentioned in the Cities evacuation plan) and realize he had them all along.

Buscaba un sitio para expresar mi solidaridad con los afectados por el huracan Katrina y desear mejores tiempos para las gentes de Nueva Orleans.