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Bush Dissembles on GMA

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 09:21:15 AM EST
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Update: Crooks and Liars has the video:

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President Bush appeared on Good Morning America today. He said,

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."

Really? Didn't anyone on his staff tell him about the New Orleans Times-Picayune series Washing Away, which reported:

Though protected by levees designed to withstand the most common storms, New Orleans is surrounded by water and is well below sea level at many points. A flood from a powerful hurricane can get trapped for weeks inside the levee system. Emergency officials concede that many of the structures in the area, including newer high-rise buildings, would not survive the winds of a major storm.

...and in 2004, the emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana raised concerns that the president's budget shifted money away from finishing the levees to pay for the war in Iraq.

"On June 8, 2004, Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; told the Times-Picayune: 'It appears that the money has been moved in the president's budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that's the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can't be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us.'

< Editorials Blast Bush's Katrina Speech | New Orleans: Life and Death Crises Underway >

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    Bush Dissembles on GMA | 27 comments (27 topical)
    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#1)
    by Edger on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:13:15 AM EST
    "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
    The operative words here are: "I don't think"

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#2)
    by Joe Bob on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:19:21 AM EST
    "No one anticipated them flying airplanes into buildings." Sound familiar?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#3)
    by scarshapedstar on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:22:46 AM EST
    Ya know, I'm sure I'll take flack for bashing Bush every time something happens, but will the wingnuts at least concede that they should stop lying every time something happens?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:29:18 AM EST
    OMG!!! When the MSM pick up on this? Where's the "liberal" media when you need it? I, truly, do not understand how this man keeps his job. It's just one story after another of incompetence. Please make me understand why the W should not be railroaded out of town and tarred and feathered. How can anyone look at his work here and think it's good, honest and ethical? I would really like to understand.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:36:52 AM EST
    The worst part about GMA was W ducking questions about the War in relation to this latest disaster. He just replied "We will win the War on Terror" in reply to pulling troops from Iraq to help with our own dying people.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#6)
    by jarober on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:38:39 AM EST
    I guess FEMA under Clinton didn't get the memo either - or any of the administrations before then either, of both parties. It's time for TL and the Left to face a simple reality - the city (NO), the State (Louisiana), and the Federal Government have been gambling that a cat 4 or 5 storm wouldn't hit NO for a long time. Such a storm could have hit in 1999 - who would you have blamed then? Say the Yosemite dome blew next week, causing catastrophic damage throughout the west. Who's fault would that be?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:41:30 AM EST
    Then he gave a little speech about looting and the law...when people are resorting to this activity because they are starving to death and no stores are selling food, water, diapers, anything! When people have no choice and want to survive, they will do anything...especially when their government is more worried about the War on Terror.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#8)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:42:19 AM EST
    Ya know, I first experienced long ago as an elected member of my college's student senate, the curious phenomena that people with with no responsibilty for an issue are always the ones who think they know better about how to deal with the issue than those who do have responsibility for the issue. As a business owner and employer, I see it every day.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:48:22 AM EST
    ..and in 2004, the emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana raised concerns that the president's budget shifted money away from finishing the levees to pay for the war in Iraq.
    How was this Clintons fault? If this happened during Clinton's administration then we would have to blame him. Did they take money away from this fund then? What are the details, Mr. Robertson? Seriously, I would like to know.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#11)
    by squeaky on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:48:59 AM EST
    Sarc-I guess that sums up your college training. The lightbulb is burning pretty bright in yer noggin these days. Fascism is what you are offering here.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:49:22 AM EST
    sarcastic unnamed-- That's an interesting criticism, but why would someone who believes that be writing on a political blog. Being informed and sharing opinions leads to action, and I believe any politically minded person would be crushed to find out that this is not true.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:55:37 AM EST
    Stealing a TV is different that stealing ice. Why do you think it is that they keep showing the stealing of the TV? Don't you think there might be a deeper social meaning there? Consider the racial make up of New Orleans...is the media using that footage to manipulate the minds of the public? Just maybe? Most instances are not greed, but hunger...but we are made to be blind by W and the media.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:58:11 AM EST
    Jewel: yep, I thought they were going to cook and eat the big screen TVs that some were toting off.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#14)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:04:17 PM EST
    So I just got off the phone with an executive of a company that leases equipment from me in NO. He believes all the equipment (his and mine) is under about 8' of water. His entire staff evacuated to the Dallas branch last Saturday, so no one, thank God, was hurt. Anyway, I asked him if anyone had thought to load up any of his trucks with equipment when they evacuated. He said no, that it never occured to anyone that the city would flood. He's a born and bred NOian, btw.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:14:58 PM EST
    Jewl-good point. There is a message in the media coverage. Human nature, you know the sub human's nature. Shoulda never let them free. BTW-The looted goods will be claimed as a total loss for insurance purposes. The looters are keeping the shopkeepers honest. Where are the troops?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#16)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:16:06 PM EST
    He said no, that it never occured to anyone that the city would flood.
    Glad to hear your friend is safe, suo. I'm not surprised it didn't occur to him that the city would flood. It's really not something an ordinary citizen would spend a lot of time thinking about. He did quite enough to get his people to safety. However, the federal government does operate an agency--FEMA--that's responsible for planning for these events. Within the last four years, FEMA has recognized the flooding of New Orleans as one of the three most likely disasters to occur. Shouldn't somebody tell that to the President before he goes on the teevee?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:19:51 PM EST
    More about funding cuts I don't see this helping any.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#18)
    by squeaky on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:47:46 PM EST
    No anticipation? You had 36 hours notice, what were you doing? From Wesley Clark:
    . . . [J]ust this past week, there was at least 36 hours notice that a major hurricane was going to hit the Gulf Coast, including likely a devastating blow to New Orleans, which certainly came to pass. The President continued with his regular schedule on Monday and Tuesday in California, Arizona, and Texas to hold some staged Medicare events and enjoy more vacation time, while finally returning to the White House yesterday. The joint task force including National Guard set up by the Pentagon failed to be on the scene in New Orleans in a timely manner to stop the looting and assist in the evacuation. Where is the leadership?
    via kos

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#19)
    by Edger on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 12:57:25 PM EST
    The President continued with his regular schedule on Monday and Tuesday in California, Arizona, and Texas to hold some staged Medicare events and enjoy more vacation time... Where is the leadership?
    Posted by Molly, NYC at September 1, 2005 11:12 AM: In N.H. Editorial Blasts Bush's Response to Katrina
    ...that boy has just had the worst luck. Why, shucks, coulda happened to anyone.


    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#20)
    by DawesFred60 on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 01:14:02 PM EST
    Oh that is nothing, old my boy Newt Gingrich just said this is an act of God, is newt now a shiite or a sunnis? or out for what? why would he say that? or is newt putting bomb under the levees or what?

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 01:23:03 PM EST
    Sen. Hastert thinks it was an act of god as well and that gods work should not be messed with. Let em squirm and die, sinners all of them

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#22)
    by Johnny on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 01:50:49 PM EST
    Loters! The new insurgents! Yes Wile, I am sure all that is being taken is a TV. You are being had. The media is portraying those that stayed behind as criminals beyond reprehension. Scum. Just like insurgents in Fauujah. Constant reports of "firing upon helicopters". Police being shot at. CNN talking about how the Sporting Goods stores were among the first hit, implying that those that were left behind had some grander plan to loot and kill cops after the storm destroyed their homes, their jobs, killed their children... After the police start shooting on sight anyone seen entering any business, those that have been convinced they are nothing but common terrorists will not think twice about it.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 02:16:06 PM EST
    When I was a young man, in the vernacular of the time, a bush was a bit of a c*nt. So no change there then. Or to paraphrase Pratchett, “The Whitehouse staff has a knob on the end”.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 02:22:45 PM EST
    Indeed imPOTUS might be a better monicket for George Junior right now.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#25)
    by kipling on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:01 PM EST
    I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.. Oh. And I thought disaster/emergency relief operations involved BEING READY for unanticipated events. Silly me! But I still can't get over the zillions of news bulletins for several days prior about how a huge hurricane was on its way. Perhaps what Shrub means is "Nobody I talk to, anyway". Heigh-ho.

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#26)
    by kipling on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:01 PM EST
    UnFairWitness asks the obvious question: "Is this how the much-vaunted Homeland Security Department handles a real disaster?" Yeah, all those of us who thought that's what the Dept was created for... Silly us!

    Re: Bush Dissembles on GMA (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:01 PM EST
    I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. O'Reilly! That's odd, I wonder how FEMA came up with an estimate of '40-60,000 dead from a Cat 5 hurricane in Louisiana,' according to the mayor of New Orleans. That was BEFORE the disaster hit. Back when it looked like the levees would hold -- but defunding their repair wasn't such a cool idea after all. Tax breaks for the rich -- fatal flooding for the poor. Well, at least most of the floating bodies are black, right, James?

    Bush Dissembles on GMA | 27 comments (27 topical)