Help me answer my freeper friend's letter

[Quixote1818]

I have what I need accept the part about the local and state govs. not doing anything about the problem. Anyone have the data on that? Thanks


Here is his letter

You're so right! Bush is completely responsible for the Hurricane, the damage, the flooding and the destruction. They've been predicting this possibility for 100 years and the State and local governments have done nothing, as has the Federal government during, but let's turn this tragedy into politics. There's been 1million people displaced, in a damage area larger than the country of Great Britain, but I see how Bush is the one who should have fixed it, prevented it or at least picked up his direct connection to the "All Mighty" and lightened the load.

I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing people play the blame game less than 1 week since the storm. Yes, there is blame, but we've got 1 million reasons to put it on the back burner right now. The Democrats are fucking gutless and have no shame. That said, had there been a Democrat in the White House, the Republicans would be doing the same thing. It makes me want to wretch!!!

[cynatnite]

1. Sounds like someone who is sick of politics on both sides...

That said, he needs to know the facts of just prior and the week following.

Lives were lost because of inactivity and negligence. He also needs to know that this proves just how little bush and his regime thinks of him.

[Quixote1818]

8. I was going to point out that the Dem's only responded yesterday

after Bush refused to take any responsibility as usual.

[Catch22Dem]

2. Here's where Blanco formally requested federal aid BEFORE the storm hit

It doesn't directly answer the question about what the state/local govt did, but it does debunk an increasingly popular RW myth. http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster%20Relief%20Request.pdf

[MichiganVote]

3. If a miracle happened tomorrow and Bush were credited

with saving the inhabitants of NO and those affected in other areas, would you accept waiting indefinetly to give him acclaim?

[Mythsaje]

4. Who wants to play the blame game?

Everybody, as long as no one points at this administration. How about a completely unqualified crony in the ultra-sensitive FEMA directorship position?

Gotta love that. Most administrations put these people out as ambassadors at least. Not in charge of an important federal agency.

Deliberately pulling the funding from the levee repairs by the Army Corps of Engineers was something of a screw up, wouldn't you say? How about de-funding FEMA in general, and reducing its effectiveness--rather irresponsible after 9/11, wouldn't you say?

And the word is "retch."

YOU are a "wretch."

:evilgrin:

Sorry--I couldn't help that last part.

[Quixote1818]

17. Here is the article I sent that caused him to respond back

FEMA packed with W's pals

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/344004p-293718c.html

[neuvocat]

5. Tell that dumb fuck to hurry up and wretch then.

No one had ever said anything like what he's saying in the first paragraph. Second, he needs to stop spreading out the GOP talking points and admit that Bush was responsible not only for preparing for the disaster but also to stop getting in the way of emergency workers doing their jobs. Those firefighters have better things to do than pass out flyers.

[KaryninMiami]

6. Try this-- the timeline of events prior to and following the hurricane...

Adapted from: Katrina Timeline,
http://thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline


Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana and requests troop assistance.

Saturday, Aug. 27: Gov. Blanco asks for federal state of emergency. A federal emergency is declared giving federal officials the authority to get involved.


Sunday, Aug. 28: Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. President Bush warned of Levee failure by National Hurricane Center. National Weather Service predicts area will be "uninhabitable" after Hurricane arrives. First reports of water toppling over the levee appear in local paper.

Monday, Aug. 29: Levee breaches and New Orleans begins to fill with water, Bush travels to Arizona and California to discuss Medicare. FEMA chief finally responds to federal emergency, dispatching employees but giving them two days to arrive on site.


Tuesday, Aug. 30: Mass looting reported, security shortage cited in New Orleans. Pentagon says that local authorities have adequate National Guard units to handle hurricane needs despite governor's earlier request. Bush returns to Crawford for final day of vacation. TV coverage is around-the-clock Hurricane news.

Wednesday, Aug. 31: Tens of thousands trapped in New Orleans including at Convention Center and Superdome in "medieval" conditions. President Bush finally returns to Washington to establish a task force to coordinate federal response. Local authorities run out of food and water supplies.

Thursday, Sept. 1: New Orleans descends into anarchy. New Orleans Mayor issues a "Desperate SOS" to federal government. Bush claims nobody predicted the breach of the levees despite multiple warnings and his earlier briefing.

Friday, Sept. 2: Karl Rove begins Bush administration campaign to blame state and local officials—despite their repeated requests for help. Bush stages a photo-op—diverting Coast Guard helicopters and crew to act as backdrop for cameras. Levee repair work orchestrated for president's visit and White House press corps.

Saturday, Sept. 3: Bush blames state and local officials. Senior administration official (possibly Rove) caught in a lie claiming Gov. Blanco had not declared a state of emergency or asked for help.

Monday, Sept. 5: New Orleans officials begin to collect their dead.



From Moveon.org

Those are the facts. State and local officials BEGGED for help as people in their city suffered. The Bush administration didn't get the job done and when their failure became an embarrassment they attacked those asking for help.

The New York Times reported on Friday that Karl Rove and White House communications director Dan Bartlett "rolled out a plan...to contain the political damage from the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina." The core of the strategy is "to shift the blame away from the White House and toward officials of New Orleans and Louisiana."

This is the same pattern of smearing that the Bush political machine has used for a decade. John McCain and John Kerry had their war records smeared. The CIA cover of Ambassador Joseph Wilson's wife was blown after he criticized the Bush Iraq policy. Now, Hurricane victims are attacked when the Bush administration failed to do their duty to help them.

[Birthmark]

7. Here's the answer:

Acquaint them with the actual facts - which are easy enough to find. If they persist in their defense, then treat them as you would any other accessory after the fact in thousands of cases of negligent homicide. Because that is what they are. They are helping a criminal. I wouldn't waste my time even talking to such a person.

Btw, the problems with levees have no bearing on the negligent homicide committed by the Bush Administration - and certainly can't be used to explain ANYthing in Mississippi where the response was equally slow.

[noamnety]

9. We are STILL in hurricane season

If another storm just as bad shows up in 2 weeks, does your friend really want FEMA's response to be the same as it was this time, because assessing what went wrong and holding people accountable was put "on the back burner"?

The reason we want to dump the folks responsible is that we don't want MORE people to die in an identical scenario. That's not "politics" - it's life and death.

Some of us think it's urgent.

[iamjoy]

10. What Is Unforgivable About Dubya

We could play the blame game, and certainly, one could argue local government could have done a better job. However, ultimately Bush should be held accoutable, and here is why

1) Responsiblity, at least it should, go up to the highest level of command.

2) Where was Bush for four days after the storm hit? He was playing guitar and promoting his Medicare plan while people were dying. Whether it serves a practical purpose or not, the president visits disaster areas. He visited Florida two days after Hurricane Charley, and FEMA was already on the ground the day after the storm.

[Barrett808]

11. Refer him to this story: Seattle Weekly: Bush Blows Katrina

Seattle Weekly: Bush Blows Katrina
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x154401

That should set him straight.

[walldude]

12. The republicans are doing the same thing...

"Not my fault".. Not a real fucking man in the bunch of them.

[Quixote1818]

15. Exactly, and thats why the Dems FINLAY did response yesterday

They got sick of Bush NEVER taking responsibility for anything!

[justgamma]

13. Nobody said Shrub was responsible for the hurricane.

But, as the leader of the free world, he certainly could have picked up a phone and demanded that food and water be delivered! He could have demanded that they get those people out. He could have demanded that they let the relief workers in. I think he could have shown a little leadership. According to the pugs he's such a great leader and now they are claiming he has no power to pick up a phone??

Just one more thing, people were getting outraged at the treatment of the victims. It took Shrub 6 frigging days to do something. How long would it have taken him if there were no outrage?

[ClassWarrior]

14. As another wise DUer said today... Children "play the blame game"...

Responsible adults are accountable for their actions.

NGU.

[mitchum]

16. Uh, that "blame game" phrase sets off a warning...

despite your friend's "even-handed" outrage.

Mmmm...blame game....now where have I heard that?

[Redstone]

18. There's an alarm bell, all right. "Talking points," anyone? Besides, your

friend needs to consult a dictionary so he can find out the difference between "wretch" and "retch."

Redstone

[Quixote1818]

19. Absolutly! He has the talking points and I am not buying his

even handed response.

[pinto]

20. I'd tell him to contact the Red Cross and help out. Or...

one of these:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4508159

(ed to post relief agencies)