Bush promises not to get in way of Rita relief (while doing photo op)

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23645428.htm

Bush promises not to get in way of Rita relief

WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush promised not to get in the way of relief operations for Hurricane Rita on Friday in a visit to Texas to check on emergency preparations and try to repair his image.

Bush, criticized for the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and drooping in the polls, planned to beat Rita to his home state by traveling to San Antonio for a first-hand look at hurricane preparations. It was his sixth trip to the hurricane-battered region since Katrina struck Aug. 29.

"We will make sure that my entourage does not get in the way of people doing their job, which will be search and rescue immediately. Rest assured, I understand that we must not and will not interfere with the important work that will be going forward," Bush said.

...

"It's an important relationship, and I need to understand how it works better," said Bush, who last week proposed the federal government and U.S. military have broader responsibility to respond to domestic crises like hurricanes.

* was actually answering a question, when making the statement.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050923.html

President Briefed on Hurricane Rita Preparations at FEMA
FEMA Headquarters
Washington, D.C.

Q Sir, what good can you do going down to the hurricane zone? Might you get in the way, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: One thing I won't do is get in the way.

Q But I mean, how -- what good can you actually do? I mean, isn't there a risk of you and your entourage getting in the way?

THE PRESIDENT: No, there will be no risk of me getting in the way, I promise you. We're going to make sure that we're not in the way of the operations. What I am going to do is observe the relationship between the state and local government, particularly out in Colorado Springs. That's what I want to see.

...

Q But critics might say this is overcompensation for the response to Katrina.

THE PRESIDENT: We will make sure that my entourage does not get in the way of people doing their job, which will be search and rescue immediately. And rest assured, I understand that we must not and will not interfere with the important work that will be going forward.

Thank you.

video here:

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/bushovercompensationsep2305.wmv

[Coastie for Truth]

1. His presence will really mess things up.

I can tell you that when a Council person shows up at a Fire Scene (where one Captain is diverted from fire fighting to escort the dude around) or in a Red Cross shelter (with aide, one or two media people, satellite truck) - the politician gets in the way.

Multiply that N-fold for secret service, advance people, media people, satellite truckS, people who want to be "seen with the President", all manner of local political hangers on, and the usual screening --- and Bush and his entourage will get in the way.

"Coastie"

Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team Captain/Shelter Manager
Lieutenant, United States Coast Guard (Honorable Discharge)

[Barrett808]

2. Saw this clip -- with Chertoff lurking in the background

What a pathetic, ignorant, arrogant...sputter...gag...ack

[dsewell]

3. Now if he could only extend the promise

to cover all the rest of the operations of the federal government...

Kerry and Edwards: "Help is on the way!"

Bush: "I won't get in the way!"

[reality based]

4. This presidentin' is gettin' even harder n/t

[GinaMaria]

5. ummm what about his car?

All the cars and the secret service and the roads that will have to be cleared to get him through safely? People are already moving at a turtle's pace to evacuate.

[fshrink]

6. Translation:

It's not because I am a coward, it's because I'm smart. Someone must have figured out that by comparing 9/11 and Katrina, people just might think, "Well... Each time something happens he's at a safe distance". That's the problem with lack of backbone: you're swaying with the breeze, even your own.

[central scrutinizer]

7. repugs love devastation

makes a good backdrop for photo-ops

<>

[Lisa]

8. he was trying to get out of the room so he wouldn't have to answer ...

I saw him hesitating on the tape, trying to decide whether or not to say anything. Finally he turned around and went back to the microphone.

If that's a sample of his super-athletic response reflexes, no wonder it took him so long to react to 9/11, Katrina, etc. -- "Mr. Dithers", indeed.

[VegasWolf]

9. "I understand good that dying people have to come first. " God, what

a fucking twit!!!

[Danmel]

10. His Entourage? Who is he, Sean Combs?

My daughter's not home so I don't know his latest nickname!

Really, what an arrognat putz.

[rodeodance]

11. Jr will be honkering down at the command center in Colorado Springs

said cnn. te he. the excuse they gave was that the hurricane shifted.

[rodeodance]

12. Bush Pledges to Keep Close Eye on Rita (jr is in "management mode")

well, i suspect there are still plenty who like to get their pic taken with the commander in chief!!




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050923/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush;_ylt=Atrn2oNGAyRcF0WpaJb.FmmMwfIE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXIzMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-
Bush Pledges to Keep Close Eye on Rita

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 37 minutes ago

WASHINGTON -
President Bush switched to hurricane management mode on Friday, pledging at his administration's disaster headquarters to keep a close eye on the federal response to Rita.

Bush had planned to go to San Antonio but dropped that visit because search and rescue teams there were being relocated as the huge storm shifted course, the White House said. Bush still was going to Colorado to monitor Rita's progress from the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs. The facility was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as the military's homeland security command center.

Bush was trying to walk a line between helping in a crisis and being seen as interfering. "There will be no risk of me getting in the way, I promise you," the president said.......

[Richard D]

13. Yup, he (hic) dropped the . .

(hic) visit to Texas. Been visitn his ol friend Jim again, no doubt.

[opihimoimoi]

14. If he doesn't take Control...then he is in the WAY....

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. HE HAS BEEN IN THE WAY FOR FIVE DAMN YEARS!

Sorry.

I had to.

[hogwyld]

20. Damn!

You beat me to it! The only way he won't be in the way is if he resigns!

[calimary]

16. Get BENT, bush. As Craig Crowford put it - you could throw a

trillion dollars at hurrican relief and it would still not be enough to wash away the memories of those four days when you were AWOL (AGAIN!!!).

ASSHOLE.

You're late again.

[Virginian]

17. But it is after 5:00 on a Friday night.

He can't be expected to work during the weekends, can he?

[not fooled]

24. yeah, those storms...

...just show no respect for his chimpiness.

Mother Nature's way of saying "go eff yourself"

[DemsUnited]

18. Wish the reporters would get the chronology right. He was at

FEMA headquarters (for photo op) in Washington, gave inane comments to press, then was walking out the door on the way to San Antonio when ace NBC reporter David Gregory shouted out "won't you just get in the way?" to which dim son turned around and answered "me and my entourage won't get in the way."

A couple of hours later came the announcement that, nope, dim son and entourage wouldn't be going to San Antonio after all because he didn't want to get in the way.

Once again, White House is schooled in Hurricane emergancy management by press.

[Buns_of_Fire]

19. Watch out -- Tinkles is in "CEO Mode"

Everywhere I've ever worked, when the shit REALLY hit the fan for one reason or the other, the CEO wanted to be close by to "monitor the progress." In my experience, all the CEOs ever accomplished was getting in the way of the people who knew what they were doing and were trying their damnedest to fix whatever broke. No one ever bought the "I'm there to give moral support" bull, since the other 364 days a year, they were nowhere to be found (unless you checked the local golf course) -- some occasional "moral support" then would have been nice, and some resources to head off the problem before it became a problem would have been appreciated.

Tinkles is just the same. Problem is, too little, too late. The people of NOLA and east Texas will get through this without his "supervision," thank you very much.

Of course, if he wants to put his vaunted experience in brush-clearing to good use, I'm sure there are enough opportunities to keep him busy for the next... three years or so...

(On edit: Actually, this was supposed to be a response to the OP, but it could just as well be stuck in here anywhere. Chalk it up to another one of my blinding flashes of the obvious...)

[Sydnie]

21. Now, if they could only teach them to pick up a downed tree limb or

rescue a person or pet while they "tour" then they could say that they weren't in the way. Damnit, he has a chain saw and he says that he knows how to use it ... why not bring that along and actually HELP inatead of "observe"?

Oh, wait ... I know. He only clears his OWN brush for the cameras. Never mind.

[hippywife]

23. It's what he does best

...manage disasters.

[ruggerson]

22. He starts to get really pissed off

when he wheeled around and pointed his finger. then you can see his brain clicking "i'm on tv. must calm down and try to not let them see the angry, overbearing W, they must see the avuncular, aw-shucks W, as that is the image we have tried so hard to create"

Then he tries to snicker and calm himself down.

The man is thouroughly transparent. How could we have elected such an angry, unlikable boob.

[TankLV]

25. Unless he's resigning, along with all the repukes, HE'S IN THE WAY!

Nothing short of turning over the keys to DEMOCRATS will change anything.