Bush: Media had more details on Katrina than gov't

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28171764.htm

Bush: Media had more details on Katrina than gov't


WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, who has acknowledged failings in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, said on Tuesday that the media had better details about the catastrophe than the government did.

"There was no situational awareness, and that means that we weren't getting good, solid information from people who were on the ground, and we need to do a better job," Bush told ABC News in excerpts of an interview to be aired on Tuesday evening.

"In many cases we were relying upon the media," he said. "And when you have the media have better situational awareness than the government, the American people are saying, 'Wait a minute. What is happening?'"

...

"The chaotic scenes were very troubling. It just -- it was very unsettling for me to realize our fellow citizens were in near-panic, wondering where the help was," Bush said.

[reality based]

1. He was busy drowning government in the bathtub, I guess. n/t

[RagingInMiami]

2. Well maybe the fact that the media had at least a week to prepare for

the hurricane gave them that edge. What is your excuse?

[MadMaddie]

3. Brownie sent 1.....let me repeat 1 FEMA rep down to NO

and they didn't acknowledge the desperate messages he sent....

I don't even remember hearing if there were others sent to Mississippi and other Gulf locations.....


Are they going to rely on the media when another terrorist attack hits America.....they are incompetent....

The more statements he makes....the more it becomes apparant to repugs that the government is in chaos.....

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. Bush: John McCain had the BEST birthday cake

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

[Texacrat]

5. And whose goddamn fault is that?

n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

6. If they were relying on the media, they would have known just

how critical the situation was. I saw experienced journalists who have been reported on some bad scenes and disasters break down at the sights they were confronted with. For days I would see the people of New Orleans waiting for help to arrive when I went to bed at night and they would still be waiting when I woke up in the morning.

And then for this asshat to pretend that they just didn't know is inexcusable.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Of course, his incompentent administration wouldn't know what was

going on! Just look at his invasion of Iraq..his no-bid contracts with Halliburton...his intelligence gathering agencies. Why would they be aware of anything!

[pinto]

8. No, Mr. Bush - *you're* supposed to ask what's going on. It's part of that

job description you think you have to remind people about every time you get a chance. Geeez.

[uppityperson]

9. I hope you get what is coming to you Mrbush AND your evil minions

I do not have the words to express how I feel reading this claptrap. What is happening is your policies and arrogance and shortminded greediness have brought ruin down upon do many people in the world. You have blood on your hands Mrbush Cheney and the rest of you. Shame on you all.

[rodeodance]

10. sigh. How foolish he comes across to the world.

[Solly Mack]

11. he says that like it's a reasonable excuse for the lack of

governmental response

seriously - is that supposed to make us feel better about it all?

Bush admits his Whitehouse doesn't know shit.

Sorry - not buying. Now, admit you didn't give a flying fuck and that I'll believe.

[Plaid Adder]

12. YOU had no situational awareness, you piece of...

I'm sorry. I won't even go there.

The man had to be shown a DVD of the media's "situational awareness" because he doesn't give a flying fuck WHAT happens until it affects his vacation. I just...oy.

The Plaid Adder

[Rex]

13. Ya know, after years and years in politics

you would think Bush could learn how to speak english! Typical of Bush - blame someone else. :eyes:

[AzDar]

14. Is THIS supposed to 'reassure' the Public, somehow? Wonder if

Nero's relying on the 'media' for his UAE port 'intelligence' as well? Nope, nothing wrong here....JEEBUS!!!

[Demeter]

15. Or Read A Newspaper, Once in A While...

Listen to NPR (your head WON'T explode, trust me!) or stick your face in a crowd of real people and keep your mouth shut....

[wordpix2]

16. so where the hell were the gov people on the ground? * was clearing brush

at the ranch while media were in NO. Media were there when Katrina hit, they were there at the dome where they put all those people without food and water and working bathrooms. Poor Chimp had to cut his vacation short to ask some gov people to get down there but too late, the ass.

This guy has got to go---we can't wait 3 more yrs.!

[MichiganVote]

17. We KNEW what was happening Bush, you're the idiot

Sure everyone is "unsettled" by Grannies dying of the hot sun and thirst in wheelchairs in the middle of the damn city in front of the whole world, relatives, and little kids. "Unsettled" doesn't even begin to describe what should be called outrage.

Where is the outrage republicans?

[Judi Lynn]

18. The same administration which puts spies within war protestor's

tiny groups, which listens to brazillions of personal phone calls, watches e-mails, sends FBI agents to the door of apartment dwellers who are known to have anti-Bush posters on their walls, or to haunt the airports in Canada, Mexico, etc., combing passenger lists to discover which travelers arriving from Cuba are the Americans, suddenly is too understaffed, clueless, helpless, unable to grasp the simplest truths about the plight of New Orleans citizens, some of whom are DROWNING in their houses as the very water rises?

_Bush has the audacity to claim, "was very unsettling for me to realize our fellow citizens were in near-panic." Now I've truly heard everything.

[Mandate My Ass]

19. Ummmmm, no

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1158805,00.html?cnn=yes

On Monday night, Aug. 29, several hours after the levees broke in New Orleans, then-FEMA director Michael Brown called the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas and told his deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin, "we are realizing our worst nightmares... New Orleans is flooded." In his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security Committee today, Brown said he couldn't remember if George W. Bush got on the phone that night or not. He may have, said Brown. "Not to sound arrogant," he told the Senators, "but I speak to the President a lot."

Even as he contradicted the White House's previous contention that it didn't know the full extent of the Hurricane Katrina damage until Tuesday, Brown's testimony also exposed the two very different tracks of communication that exist inside the Bush Administration....

It is unclear how much Brown's direct line to the White House means the blame for the paralyzed federal response to Katrina lies firmly with the President. Brown couldn't remember precise details on what exactly he asked the White House for and when. Even so, his testimony that he placed repeated calls to the White House staff and spoke with the President multiple times in the immediate aftermath begs the question: Why didn't more get done? The White House for its part says that it was "well aware" of the flooding and were focused on saving lives, says Deputy Press Secretary Trent Duffy. "We got helicopters up in the air and into search and rescue," Duffy told TIME, adding that there was a torrent of information coming in and the White House was responding appropriately.

[chelsea0011]

20. So. He's admitting that he really never reads newspapers?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. More lies. No surprise.

[Rose Siding]

22. Look at him talk about how it affected him. Just like his dad.

pfttt (or other, abrubt sound indicating disgust)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

23. Cartoon Network doesn't broadcast news eom

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

24. They're STILL wondering where the help is.

For far too many it still hasn't arrived.

[MiniMe]

25. Perhaps if he turned on the TV and paid attention to the news......

for gods sake, the man sat in the hurricane center to watch it come in, lest we all forget the photo op.

[madmark]

26. hes getting better at this self-criticism thing; will it go to its logical

conclusion, him realizing that he is utterly incompetent and resigning?

[daleo]

27. After all the focus on homeland security for 4.5 years, and $$ billions

Bush says: "In many cases we were relying upon the media..."

[Auntie Bush]

28. He CAN'T watch TV because he will hear something negative

about himself and that's a no-no...will make him cry! "What, everyone doesn't love me and everyone doesn't believe me and everyone doesn't think I know what's best? I ain't listenen no TV. I's goin ta bed an git ma rest."