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National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hyatt Hotel Guests

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Fri Sep 02, 2005 at 06:06:56 PM EST
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This is pretty incredible: The National Guard today stopped evacuating those trapped in the Superdome in order to move 700 Hyatt Hotel guests and employees who had just arrived to the front of bus lines, letting them board the buses first:

At midday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses rolled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line - much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the stinking Superdome since Sunday.

``How does this work? They (are) clean, they are dry, they get out ahead of us?'' exclaimed Howard Blue, 22, who tried to get in their line. The National Guard blocked him as other guardsmen helped the well-dressed guests with their luggage.

...National Guard Capt. John Pollard called the decision to move the Hyatt people to the head of the line ``very poor.''

< Bus With Evacuees Overturns, 1 Dead, 10 Injured | Kanye West Blames Bush at Hurricane Concert >

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    National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hyatt Hotel Guests | 18 comments (18 topical)
    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#1)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    Then they wonder why some people are taking pot shots at the rescue crews.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#2)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    So much for Trent Lott and his 'justifiable anger' when his little feathers were ruffled by Anderson Cooper's questions tonight.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    Ah ça ira, ça ira, ça ira, les aristocrates à la lanterne; Ah ça ira, ça ira, ça ira, les aristocrates, on les pendra. And why do we think there was a French Revolution?????

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    Compassionate conservatism in action. A good example of what's left of social programs in America. Bus the well-off out first. If there ever was a time for politicians to congratulate each other, this is it.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#5)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    The same thing is happening at the hospitals. Helicopters transported the remaining staff out of private Tulane hospital while patients on mechanical ventilation died on the top of the parking structure waiting for rescue, according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN, with the video to show it.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#6)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    Speaking as one of the mud people, one of the dregs of society, let me just make this statement steeped and dripping with the greatest possible irony and sarcasm I can muster, racism, sexism and classism here in America are a thing of the past. President Bush's recent photo opp hugging a couple of Black (apparently South African, no small irony there) female refugees in Mississippi (no small irony there either) was completely coincidental and spontaneous, and I defy any of you squealing liberals to prove otherwise. All we have to do is look back on our history to see the progress, if this was 1924, these two girls would have been found hanging from a local tree for causing this disaster with their African voodoo magic. Who can deny that we've come a long way? We're all the same here in America regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status etc.. And when the chips are down, according to all natural law, the cream rises to the top, and cream coincidentally just happens to be rich and white.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    My disgust with inept politicians, and particularly, thier "leader", was dam near outweighed by the Hyatt Hotel Article! But then, thier evacuation seemed ordered by Bushwhack himself. It's got his kind of stench on it...

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#8)
    by aw on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:06 PM EST
    French revolution sounds about right.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    TL's apparent motto: "criticize no Democrat, but imply malfeasance by others when a Democrat missteps". Here's the paragraph TL decided not to share:
    Mayor Ray Nagin has used the hotel as a base since it is across the street from city hall, and there were reports the hotel was cleared with priority to make room for police, firemen and other officials.
    In the linked article, that came right before the "poor choice" quote TL included. Seems "get off their a***** Mayor Nagin had a "more equal than others" moment of his own. Fascinating editing job TL.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    Only James would criticize the Mayor of a flooded city attempting to manage rescue efforts for establishing his HQ in a dry area. How some people live with themselves....I'll never know, nor much care.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    Adept: The question is, who bumped those 700 people to the front of the line? Based on that article and network reporting, it looks a lot like the Mayor. My comment was mostly on the interesting editing job by TL, which explicitly dodged around that paragraph. If you think that bumping those 700 people up was wrong - and I certainly do - then you might care who authorized it. Clearly you only care if it opens up an opportunity to cast aspersions at your political opponents. Otherwise, it's a "nevermind" moment.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#12)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    My guess would be the National Guard authorized it, what with the whole martial law thing.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#13)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    I heard the mayor pulled string to get the folks out. AP was reporting it for a while, as well as a few networks. I’m sure he’s just being swiftboated for his criticism of the president. Or is that Sheehaned?

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#14)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    “the cream rises to the top, and cream coincidentally just happens to be rich and white.”
    A priori, none of the hotel employees or guest were black. Likely the only brown skin within a mile of the hotel was attached firmly to the token a$$ of New Orleans’ mayor.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:07 PM EST
    money talks and bull sh@t walks, in other words. the poor are killed by the NG's And the rich have a helicopter called in. Normal business as usual, in all cultures and all nation so called states, oh yes i now know why the NG'S Are in new Orleans, halliburton is coming to remove the dead and clean up the city, gas up two dollars a gallon.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#16)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    “the cream rises to the top, and cream coincidentally just happens to be rich and white.”
    "Cream rises... sh*t floats..." - Ken Kesey I'd like to see the Hyatt guest list - anyone want to bet against there being Bush League buddies on that list?

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    Times like this we see the true nature of our society -- and in our society, money equals value -- whether you're talking about material wealth or people. The hotel should have been commandered by the Government for relief efforts, civilian orgs or otherwise.

    Re: National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hya (none / 0) (#18)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:09 PM EST
    If you think that bumping those 700 people up was wrong - and I certainly do - then you might care who authorized it.
    James Robertson...champion of the people! (but only when it makes someone of the opposing political party look bad) Need to work on your consistency in support of the huddled masses, JR.

    National Guard Gave Special Preference to Hyatt Hotel Guests | 18 comments (18 topical)