US lawmakers vow tough questions in Katrina probe (Collins - R)

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06584609.htm

US lawmakers vow tough questions in Katrina probe
06 Sep 2005 20:24:40 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The Republican senator leading a Senate investigation into the government's response to Hurricane Katrina said on Tuesday it was "woefully inadequate" and it had raised doubts about the U.S. ability to cope with a terrorist attack.

"If our system did such a poor job when there was no enemy, how would the federal, state and local governments have coped with a terrorist attack that provided no advance warning and that was intent on causing as much death and destruction as possible?" said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

Collins, head of the Senate's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, said the investigation into the Katrina response effort would start this week. She and the panel's top Democrat, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, promised a bipartisan, wide-ranging review.

....

"Katrina was a disaster that scientists, emergency management officials and political leaders had anticipated for years, yet the initial response was woefully inadequate," Collins said.

[stopbush]

1. "Who were the REAL Democrat culprits here? Don't just round up

the usual suspects. I don't even want to see Bill & Hillary mentioned for at least a week."

A tough question from the R Congress.

[ananda]

2. meaning weak and wimpy..

Tough questions? Oh pulleezze.

What we need are some tough firings, arrests, and immediate changes.

NOW!

Sue

[iconoclastic cat]

3. Watch: They will run in 2006 as anti-Bush Republicans.

That is how they will try to win. They may have no choice.

[liberaliraqvet26]

6. they don't have any risk...

they are seen as moderate and have high approval ratings, the people of their state hate shrub though so I have no doubt that they will be tough

[OregonBlue]

4. Collins is a pretty straight shooter. As another DUer pointed out

I think I trust her more that I do Lieberman. She might even actually try to get to the bottom of this tragedy.

[UpInArms]

5. and, yet, she (Collins) has supported almost everything that *Co

has proposed or has caved so that she can keep going to the best parties.