Important! New Orleans and the Demise of the Democrats

[IndyOp]

The Black Commentator Speaks For Me! DUers who are tired of people on DU 'attacking' Dems and who preach party unity are *not* going to like this piece. Whether you like it or not - it is very, very important for Dems to know that people feel this way:

New Orleans and the Demise of the Democrats

“They have M-16s and they’re locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so.” – Kathleen Blanco, Democratic Louisiana Governor

“But I want to thank the president.” – Mary Landrieu, Democratic Louisiana Senator

“…you and I are not in a position to make any judgment because we weren't there.” – Bill Clinton, former Democratic President

Democrats made these mean spirited and ignorant statements. The entire country is facing the plight of the people of New Orleans, coping with the dangers of Republican hell and Democratic high water. One party is proud of its viciousness while the other claims not to be vicious but proudly proclaims its willingness to shoot desperate refugees.

The degree of Democratic callousness in the New Orleans tragedy may be shocking at first, but it is actually consistent with the direction the party has taken for the past two decades. The Democrats are dying a slow political death. Their inaction and acquiescence in New Orleans is just the latest symptom presented by a terminal patient.

<snip>

In the face of the New Orleans disaster Bill Clinton, still the party leader, decided to cheapen himself yet again and fetch the stick when the Bushies threw it. On the same day that the Mayor of New Orleans begged for help and thousands of refugees told horror stories of being left to fend for themselves without food, water or adequate sanitation, Bill Clinton agreed to hang out with Bush 41 and raise corporate cash.

<snip>

...the former president had only these words of comfort:

”So I understand why they're so anxiety-ridden. But they have to understand, by the time it became obvious that they were in the fix they were in, there were a lot of other problems, too.”

Clinton could have been worse. He could have bragged about shoot to kill orders.

<http://www.blackcommentator.com/149/149_freedom_new_orleans_demise_of_democrats.html>

Edit: Emphasis & link!

[redqueen]

1. Clinton = the best republican president we've had.

Corporatist dems aren't really dems... just like neo-cons aren't republicans.

Wake the hell up.

[ima_sinnic]

2. I SO agree . . . was so disappointed in Blanco's "locked & loaded"

bullcrap. And Bill Clinton can kiss my @$$. FUCK the corporate donors, if they have to be lured out by Clinton and Bush I. This "fundraising" bullshit is just an excuse for doing nothing "controversial." I--and I assume any CEO with any heart at all--has known for over a week now where to send donations. If someone is inclined to donate they don't need prodding from Bill Clinton. Furthermore, millionaires and billionaires have the resources to start their own foundations/funds and to marshal the resources for aid, assistance, recovery and relocation. Yeah, right, I can just picture Warren Buffett scratching his head going, "gee, I'd send millions but nobody ever told me where to send them." Bill Clinton has just been taking the easy, noncontroversial way out to soften the face of DEATH AND DESTRUCTION of the globalists and he should have told the whole Bushitler clan to shove it up their ass long ago. The fact that he hasn't has killed any enthusiasm I USED to have for the phony fascist-enabling man.

[sui generis]

3. these comments are out of context

that's what the "other side" does.

There is quite a bit of context missing actually.

This is not the demise of the democrats. Just more hogwash by the die-hard 20% who wouldn't think badly of georgie if he was caught screwing dead baby ducks with a needle hanging out of his arm.

Why is this crap on DU? It is so clearly irrelevant to reality. Reality is that shrubbie made FEMA a desk job in the DHS and put an inexperienced cronie in there. REality is that New Orleans was going to get hit sooner or later and we would lose a major port, yet the federal government decided to re-appopriate federal resources to other projects.

Here's a crackpot idea: THEY WANTED New Orleans gone. It's a much more effective port city if it's purely port mechanics, and Halliburton gets to rebuild it, and they get thousands of people off the welfare and social security rolls.

Nah. Just as loony as yours.

[ima_sinnic]

4. your "crackpot idea" is exactly what happened.

I can just see Junior: "Daddy, there's a big hurricane coming, looks like New Orleans and that whole coast is going to be destroyed--what should I do?"
Daddy: "ah, fuck 'em! This will put several more billion in our pockets! Go through a few motions at first, but let the storm take out the coast and also take care of the people. WE WANT THAT COAST!"

[sui generis]

6. I am Conspiracy Cracker myself, but

this isn't true.

Evil by incompetence, negligence and neglect is just as bad as evil by intent.

It's okay to say they're too dumb to actually think of anything like this - but dumb enough to believe they didn't see it coming or that it would be so bad. The results are the same.

She's still dead, Jim.

[ima_sinnic]

10. the "incompetence" seemed rather well-orchestrated

wait 4 days before doing anything at all, then have every FEMA agent ACTIVELY preventing aid from getting in and people from leaving, sabotaging communications, hype up the "looting," use "too dangerous" as an excuse, then send in Rumsfeld's mercenaries to finish off the survivors. Meanwhile, get the contracts for rebuilding before the wind has hardly died down. "What didn't work out?" It all "worked out very well."

Eventually you'll come around. You just need a few more shock and awe catastrophes to see the light.

[IndyOp]

7. This *IS* what many people believe is true of the DEMS -

whether you think it is out of context or not - and the entire article - which refers to similar DEM behavior in regards to the Iraq War is spot ON.

DEMS - GROW SOME GONADS, NOW, FUCKING NOW!!

[sui generis]

9. this is bullshit.

We are fighting. It was out of context. We do have gonads. But you and I are going to have to walk into our congressman's office, democratic or otherwise, and into our senator's office, and state our case rather than just ranting on DU and then getting a good night's sleep.

It's not what I believe of the "DEMS" and it's not what MOST people who are democrats believe of ourselves.

[IndyOp]

it's not what MOST people who are democrats believe of ourselves...

It does not matter what people who are dems believe of themselves - it matters very much what the people who we want to move to action think of dems.

I cannot align myself with 'dems' - I can help them if there is a moral imperative, but I align myself with 'progressives' - the CBC, Dennis Kucinich - these are the only truth-talkers we have left.

If the dems cannot push legislation through Congress - the LEAST they can do is TALK TRUTH.

I need someone in a high, public position to express my RAGE. We need someone to lead us in communal grieving. This is a horror for the whole nation and because we have no DEM LEADERS who LOUDLY confront the lies about current events the freepers can stay in 'happy land' of denial and self-absorption, corruption, filth.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. I do think Bill Clinton as a former President is more or less required by

propriety to be a bit guarded in his public comments. It is up to other Democrats to let loose.

[IndyOp]

13. Walter Cronkite spoke out very bluntly before the

last election cycle - emphasizing that because he is retired now is the time that he can give his opinion - something he would have never done while anchoring the nightly news.

My point here is that NOW is exactly the time for HEAD of the party to SCREAM - not 'let loose' - SCREAM, ACCUSE, EXPRESS MORAL OUTRAGE, SLAP THE SICK, SELF-ABSORBED FUNDIES DOWN!

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Clinton complained "NO ONE IS IN CHARGE"--media did not report it.

Media makes much about him working with *, because the MSM is kissing *'s ass, but when Clinton surveyed the scene in NOLA and offered criticism of the federal response, the MSM kept its mouth shut.

Hillary is being vocal in her complaints about the lack of federal response. That is her style. Bill isnt. That is his style. You cant make a politician change his or her style. Bill's big thing is to give people a sense of security and confidence, and he worries that a fight makes then more anxious in a time of crisis. This is his personal prejudice and good luck changing the mind of a typical Leo like him.

[confludemocrat]

15. Clintons' coziness w/Bush re N.O. is of a piece w/ their Iraq war support

Both murderous, disastrous, crimimal fuckups that Clinton has either supported or enabled.

Running interference for the idiot son by parrotting Bush's "no one could have known that the levees would give way". Unforgivebale and a sign of the precipitous decline of the Democratic Party.

The situation calls for outrage and he tries to finesse it, as seems to be the explanation I hear from his apologists here, who say he is using some "smart strategy" by doing what he is doing.

Where is the outrage? From big-time Democrats little is heard in proportion to the magnitude of this disaster.

[oasis]

11. The Black Commentator has provided no evidence to support the

title:"New Orleans and the Demise of the Democrats."

He, of course, is entitled to his opinion.

[IndyOp]

12. It is an opinion piece, if you want proof that

Dems have suffered a major blow from their reaction to Katrina check you'll have to wait for opinion polls that express what African Americans are thinking/feeling about the Congressional response.

What I know is that they have written legislation that sounds good. Nothing else.

We are in a dire situation - we need a LEADER - an IDEA person who draws media attention, who speaks to our common humanity.

[oasis]

14. The Congressional Black Caucus has been hitting hard on FEMA/Bush's

feeble reposnse to victims in New Orleans.

They are all Democrats.

[IndyOp]

16. As I said in a post above - the CBC and Dennis Kucinich are

the ONLY dems who I have heard expressing appropriate OUTRAGE!

[oasis]

18. Rep. Pelosi and other prominent Dems are calling for FEMA's head to

roll. It's hard to guage "appropriate OUTRAGE".

[KoKo]

17. The comments about Landrieu are unfair ...she wanted to punch Bush

out when she talked about his lies with reporter as she helicoptered over LA. She also told of NO Police Officers swimming with handcuffs to the prison to rescue the inmates so they wouldn't be released into NO and she said this with tears streaming down her face.

I don't think Blanco deserves to be trashed either on this.

Bill Cliton deserves the derision he gets in this article, but I get flamed every time I say that and it's implied I'm a bitter Harpy. I think the Black Commentator and Ariana Huffington got it right about Bill. And, I think he's correct that many Democrats didn't view any more seriously than the Bushies...at the time. Dems are good at legislation to help folks when there's an outcry and when they have Power...but now they have nothing except words and legislation to propose that will go nowhere with these thugs controlling it all.

We are in a terrible fix in this country...It's a mess.

[oasis]

19. Pelosi was pulling no punches in today's bout with CNN's Kyra Phillips.

What would you have Dems do short of setting themselves on fire?

[Tatiana]

20. About Sen. Landrieu.

It's obvious she was kissing a$$ in a desperate effort to get needed assistance to LA. When she first spoke to the federal officials, she said they thought she was overwrought because her childhood home was gone. They didn't take her seriously.

I think she was just trying another tact, anything to get some damn assistance on the ground. I don't think she honestly wanted to thank Bush. That became crystal clear later on in the aftermath of the disaster when she threatened to punch him.

[IndyOp]

21. I'm kickin for the evening crowd...

this is an important article!

[tlsmith1963]

22. This is Why the DLC-types Have to Go

They are absolutely useless, as useless as Bush. America needs leaders right now, & we don't have any. Maybe we need to be leaders ourselves instead? What do you think?

Tammy

[IndyOp]

23. When the people lead, the leaders will follow --

Amen Sister!

And welcome to DU -- :hi:

[seabeyond]

24. very selective on the many quotes that could have been gotten

from democrats over the last handful of days. this story is just that for agenda, not for showing the big picture. many many democrats have attacked what happened in no, and some two of the three quoted have been aggressive in things they have said about no, just not mentioned for this article.

[oasis]

25. The prosecuting attorney fails to disclose exculpatory evidence. Nothing

new here just another variation of a Clinton bashing thread.:boring: