Did you hear Lauer interview Nagin? "Who sent them to convention center?"

[linazelle]

What a piece of shit.

Before the interview, they did a glossy timeline: "Monday" everything was OK, "Tuesday" no problem, "Wednesday" trouble, "Thursday"...you get the picture.

Then Nagin came on and maintained his cool and stated that their plan was always to send them to the dome but when that overflowed, the convention center became a second alternative. Without enough police and firemen, and only 250 national guardsmen, there was little else they could do.

Lauer then thanked him and ended the interview. Time for letters with questions like...

* Why, in the worst disaster in history, are we grilling local level officials when the federal government has ALWAYS stepped in timely in the past?

* Why do you seem to be protecting the federal government for their historical responsibility for large scale tragedies?

* Your timelines fail to take into account the HOURS, not days that are critical to human life and safety. People in New Orleans died because they could not hold out for another minute, not from Monday until Tuesday.

Finally, I will say in my letter, when Florida flooded, George Bush was there in a heartbeat. When foreign countries were devasted by nature, he was there--remember Spain? But in our own country, in a state not inhabited by his brother or republicans, Bush dragged hs feet to the horror of the world. Not only does he wait four days to show up, he sends little interim help and you have the audicity to try to minimize the travesty that the world has witnessed. You, NBC, are as responsible as George W. Bush for this tragedy as you try to bail him out of flood waters which still hold thousands of New Orleans dead.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Because FEMA told him it was a safe shelter

Even thought the Red Cross had previously stated that there were no shelters within New Orleans proper that they could certify has safe.

[kikiek]

2. What does it matter? We knew where they were at. There were thousands

of people in one place. Sounds much easier and quicker to rescue them there than going door to door or plucking them out of the water. Big problem was that in order to rescue people you had to send rescuers. That was the missing piece Matt. Ask the people who were calling for help, but none showed up.

[HereSince1628]

3. Exactly, the BS that Brown is pulling about official notification

Is an unacceptable attempt at an excuse.

[linazelle]

4. Write them: Today @ MSNBC.com ... my final letter

Why, in the worst disaster in history, is Matt Lauer grilling local level officials, who were THERE mind you, when the federal government has ALWAYS ALWAYS stepped in timely in the past?

Why do you seem to be protecting the federal government for their historical responsibility for large scale tragedies?

Your timelines, "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday..." fail to take into account the HOURS, not days that are critical to human life and safety. People in New Orleans died because they could not hold out for another minute, not from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Nagin was THERE. Where was Bush?


When Florida flooded, George Bush was there in a heartbeat. When foreign countries were devasted by nature, Bush was there--remember Spain? But in our own country, in a state not inhabited by his brother or governed by republicans, Bush dragged his feet. That is the story you should be covering. Not only did he wait four days to show up, he sent little interim, 250 national guardsmen at the outset. Yet you work on his behalf to minimize the gross negligence that once again under his leadership revealed out vulnerability to the entire world.

You, NBC, and your Matt Lauer are as responsible as George W. Bush for this tragedy as you try to bail George Bush out of flood waters which still hold thousands of New Orleans dead.


Signed,
A Concerned Citizen from Yeronyerownistan, USA

[Window]

5. I like it.

Short, concise and to the point...and LOL at "A Concerned Citizen from Yeronyerownistan.

[Clark2008]

10. It is a good letter, but I don't remember Bush responding

rapidly in Spain.

And, I also remember him dragging his feet in regards to the tsunami, too.

He's a fuckwit.

[robbedvoter]

6. Because blaming has to go one way only, silly. It's the patriotic way.

You point at W - you 'politicize". You blame dems - you "lead"

[laureloak]

7. Point is...our troops should have immediatey been all over

every building in harms way to assess needs for a rescue operation. If Bush refused to listen to NO officials, he should have had the troops to do it.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. Last night, Lauer slept by his fax machine waiting for...

...Rove's talking points.
:grr:

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. Lauer is a bush apologist and a golfing buddy of W.

I personally can't stand him or Katie Couric.

[OneBlueSky]

11. the thing to remember is that people were sent to the Dome to . . .

ride out the storm . . . fully anticipating that when the storm passed, they would be free to return to their homes or to evacuation shelters if necessary . . . then the levee broke, and they became stranded . . .

if the National Guard had moved in the morning after the storm (as they typically do in situations such as this), they could at least have maintained order, arranged for deliveries of food and water, and started bussing people out immediately . . . since they weren't there, the evacuees were stuck for days in horrendous conditions with virtually no organization or law enforcement to help them survive the ordeal . . .

[Tatiana]

14. BINGO!

I don't understand why more people don't get this! The Superdome, and later the convention center, were meant to be shelters "of last resort," according to the Mayor. There was not enough time to evacuate all the people left behind (the poor, the sick, the disabled) out of the area given the large number of those people vs. the personnel resources (police, firefighters, EMTs, physicians, etc.)

The Superdome and the convention center were used strictly as a safe place to ride out the storm and flooding. City (and I'm sure state) officials fully expected FEMA to be in delivering water, supplies, and transportation to evacuate the people who came to these shelters. Governor Blanco requested assistance on the 28th. I'm sure that they expected FEMA on the scene by the 29th or the 30th AT THE LATEST. That's why you have so many Louisiana state officials saying that the Feds abandoned them. They did their part. They were waiting for the government to show up and they were kept waiting for too long. While they waited, people died.

[Fleshdancer]

12. If the questions aren't asked, then Nagin can't give his POV

right wingers on tv and on the radio are blaming Nagin. If he doesn't have anyone asking him about the evacuation then he won't have the opportunity to defend himself and give his side of the story. It's a good thing that he can explain the situation to a national audience.

[UTUSN]

13. Yaas, Matt Was a Tool Before It Was Cool

He is following the wingnut memo saying that we-shouldn't-play-the-blame-game-----------UNLESS-it's-to-blame-Dems.