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Landrieu Fights Back

By TChris, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Mon Sep 05, 2005 at 12:19:42 PM EST
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by TChris

Thousands of people (perhaps as many as 10,000) have died in New Orleans. Frustrated by the Bush administration's strategy to blame state and local governments for the failure to save more lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Sen. Mary Landrieu is ready to lace up the boxing gloves:

Underscoring the strain of the disaster, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., lashed out at federal officials who she said have denigrated local efforts to deal with the catastrophe.

"If one person criticizes them or says one more thing, including the president of the United States, he will hear from me," she said on ABC's "This Week."

"One more word about it after this show airs and I might likely have to punch him. Literally."

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    • Landrieu Fights Back | 16 comments (16 topical)
    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#3)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    Plus, political figures aren't held to the same laws as the rest of us.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    You'll be pleased to know that I invited her to my house to take a free shot - because I sent he an email pointing out the various local failures of command and control by Blanco and Nagin. The bottom line is, the first level of reaction is local, the second is state, and the third is federal. The Coast Guard was there far, far faster than the Louisiana Guard. Far be it from TL or TChris - who seems vastly more clueless - to understand who commands state level guard units.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#5)
    by LorettaNall on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    "One more word about it after this show airs and I might likely have to punch him. Literally."
    I LOVE IT!! A politician with some grit!!

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:17 PM EST
    Federal crime to threaten the President, Mary, as many a mental patient client of the Federal Public Defender's Office has found out the hard way. Not funny, and not a good idea.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#2)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:17 PM EST
    Peter-It depends on what she meant by "him". But, if the SS arrests her for her emotional venting it will bring fearless leader down so fast no one will ever be able to pick up the pieces, ever.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:17 PM EST
    Can the Dem's get her on the 2008 ballot? ;-)

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    The bottom line is, the first level of reaction is local, the second is state, and the third is federal
    Actually, the patriot act gave the feds the option to usurp that. That aside, the governor declared a state of emergency before the hurricane hit. And apparently even good kool-aid drinkers don't read WH.gov and know that
    The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 26, 2005, and continuing.
    Also, the govs didn't send the Nat'l Guard to iraq, gwb did. And I'd LOVE to see her get arrested for threatening to punch the prez. Like he doesn't have enough bad press already.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    BREAKING NEWS: Former FEMA Director and Clinton Appointee James Lee Witt has been hired by LA Governor to run relations between Federal and State authorities. There is more here.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#9)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Far be it from TL or TChris - who seems vastly more clueless - to understand who commands state level guard units.
    Bush could have nationalized the guard whenever he wanted, just like Poppy did for the LA riots. Come on man, quit shilling so hard. Even Bush admitted that the response (including the feds) was not acceptable.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#10)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Federal crime to threaten the President, Mary,
    If she's prosecuted, she'll probably have to join a very, very long line of people from down there.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Posted by Peter G: "Federal crime to threaten the President, Mary" Actually, that's Senator Landrieu, unless you know her personally. And HILARIOUS about 'federal crime' -- what do you call LYING the country into invasion of a disarmed country? Bush is neck-deep in impeachment causes, and YOU LOT are going to take the blame for supporting his crimes. So it's lovely to hear about your concern for the law. James: "understand who commands state level guard units" Obviously not the states, or 40% of Lousiana's NG, dragooned into Bush's illegal invasion, would be on the job right now. 78,000 National Guard deployed in a WAR for profit. ...and you idiots have the nerve to blame anyone but Bush and his lying cronies. Nominating UNQUALIFIED PERSONS to lead FEMA: Kerik (at least a policeman), Allbaugh (completely unqualified), Brown (even less, unbelievably) -- it's an(other) impeachment offense. Forcing such candidates through the Senate, by threats, is Bush's modus operandi. Now we see how wonderful it is to nullify the wisdom of a balanced Senate, in the effort to pack cronies into gravy positions so they can FAIL, UTTERLY, when the sh*t goes down. Mission Accomplished.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Maybe TL, TChris, and Senator Landrieu should take a few minutes to read about the city of New Orleans plan (read: Mayor Nagin's plan) for a hurricane - and ponder Brad DeLong's take on it:
    They were going to make a DVD. A DVD saying, "you all are on your own." They didn't even care enough to make the DVD before the hurricane season began.
    No. New Orleans did not have a functioning government as of the summer of 2005. This is a catastrophic failure of local governance--much worse than FEMA's failures.
    Last time I looked, DeLong didn't fall into the "Bush shill" category. As to federalizing the guard - in order to do that on US soil, the President has to invoke the Insurrection Act - no small matter. Regardless, for the guard to be effective, they would have to be called up with 3 days (ideally more) lead time.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#13)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Paul in [the other?] LA - remind me to be less ironic when you might be reading, ok? My comment (the first in this string) was about the different standards to which ordinary people, in particular poor and mentally ill people, are held, as contrasted with politicians. How you inferred from what I wrote that I support any of Bush's misdeeds (which aren't crimes, at least not in the domestic legal sense -- but so what, that's just a technicality) is beyond me.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    JR...you still haven't answered why the people in Mississippi didn't fare any better under a Republican governor and a Republican president.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:19 PM EST
    Ernesto: Perhaps it has something to do with the disaster covering an area 1/2 the size of France - and the First Responders throughout the area either scattered wit h the evacuees or became victims themselves. The problem in New Orleans isn't so much the response afterwards - it's the utter lack of planning by the local officials before hand. You can blame the feds all you want, but local officials are far better suited to solve local problems.

    Re: Landrieu Fights Back (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:19 PM EST
    Posted by Peter G: "Paul in [the other?] LA" It's not a postal abbreviation. "My comment (the first in this string) was about the different standards to which ordinary people, in particular poor and mentally ill people, are held, as contrasted with politicians." That's real interesting, but hardly pertinent. "Bush's misdeeds (which aren't crimes," That's hilarious. Bush has committed crimes on just about every level there is law, from graft and bribery to war crimes and genocide, inclusive. James: You just want to ignore that Bush and the rightwing dominated Congress cut FEMA funding, cut ACE funding for NO, and removed TWO OUT OF EVERY FIVE Louisiana National Guard from the region, where they are EMBEDDED with the population for a very good reason. Must protect the Leader! Must protect the Leader! Gentlemen, we have had a Class 5 Political Incident. James, you go over to TL and sling the sh*t. Blame the locals. Blame the locals. Blame the locals. And don't forget our favorite tactic: Blame the victims.

    Landrieu Fights Back | 16 comments (16 topical)