Gov. Blanco's grave mistake.

[Flubadubya]

Governor Blanco is guilty of making a bad judgment regarding the preparation for and aftermath of the storm, alright. I was just watching CNN where they discussed the timeline of events and Miles O'Brien did an interview with her (was rather nasty, accusative, and pugnacious, I might add). They even showed a clip where Blanco thought she was off-camera at one point and was talking with her spokesperson and said she probably should have clearly and specifically requested troops when she first spoke with Bush.

What she did do when she first spoke with him was to request ALL the feds had to bring to bear upon the emergency. What she didn't take into consideration was that she was talking to an IDIOT, unfortunately! She did not realize that you have to be very specific with Dimson... even have to draw him a picture, really. So, thus, she did not get the troops she needed until she specifically requested them on Wednesday.

So, to be factual, Governor Blanco's sin was not really one of omission, it was one of misplaced expectations. She certainly should have felt she had made the right request when she said ALL. Problem was, she just THOUGHT she was talking to a "real President" instead of that MORAN squatting in the White House.

Stop blaming Blanco, MSM, you creeps! You know damned well whose shoulders the blame rests on... when will they ever stop trying to cover his sorry ass? :grr::mad::argh:

[wakeme2008]

1. Problem with Blanco and the Mayor is they both know

they have to kiss Dimson's ass to get anything. :grr:

[Why Syzygy]

2. T.R.O.O.P.S

A.I.D. S.O.S.

Do these mean anything to that FUBAR?
After all! He was a CHEERLEADER. Can you spell 2-4-6-8?

Very well written OP. Thanks.

[Flubadubya]

8. Thanks... I just hope that one of the outcomes of all this will be...

that the American people will wake up, and once and for all, dispel this myth from their psyches that Bush is a "great leader in times of crisis". Unfortunately, this became a real strongly-held belief in the American collective mind after 9/11.

Of course, it was really just a media creation in the first place... and it is now the media who is trying desperately to perpetuate their little fantasy by trying to blame "anyone but Bush".

It is so hard to let go of delusion, I suppose. :eyes:

[liberal N proud]

3. So the media is now back on the drugs and spinning for the regime

That didn't last long.
I was hoping last week when I heard CNN reading letters from viewers commenting on their return to true reporting that we would see the media finally report on the bu$h regime as they have any other Administration, with honest and sincere criticism.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Karl was in the hospital and couldn't play enforcer. He seems to be back

now in full force.

[Why Syzygy]

5. I think they

have their own internal battles. The lines are not clearly drawn.
SOME of them are courageous American spirits.
And some sell their souls.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Plus she didn't send the request

signed, sealed, registered mail, certified receipt, return address requested. How can she expect the Feds to respond appropriately if she doesn't follow instructions to the letter?

[KharmaTrain]

7. Parse Parse Blame Blame Parse Blame And Parse Again

Let me start this post with my regular meme...if Blanco screwed things up so bad in Louisiana...then how about what Barbour and Riley were doing and why did it take FEMA as long to get into those areas? Did they forget to sign something?

The bottom line is it was known there was a serious Hurricane headed into a highly populated area with winds up to 130 MPH and 25 foot storm surgest. These were reported endlessly all weekend. Nagin and Blanco had several days to batten down the hatches. It's FEMA and the federal government that was on stand-by to come in once the storm cleared.

The game here is to look at how the Hurricanes were handled in Florida last year...when votes were at stake and it was the idiot bastard's bastard brother who was calling the shots...things got done. Or at least it appeared that way. So what did Jebbie do right all those times that all those other governors do wrong?

The blatant buck passing and lying to cover this regime's ass is incredible.

I need to find those talking points Randi Rhodes put up this weekend...looks like the talking heads and corporate media whores sure got the memo and followed it.

The problem is this story is now back in the studios in Washington...not on the streets of NOLA. It's back to the usual circle jerk and jerks.

[wurzel]

9. If I call 911 after a multi-car accident do I tell them what to send?

I would describe the accident scene as best I could and would expect them to know how many ambulances to send. The accusations against this governor are cruel and absurd.

[Why Syzygy]

13. That's called triage

Something done ON THE SCENE. Something FUBAR never is.

[MaineDem]

10. She asked for "everything you've got" - he went to bed

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9287434/

That NEWSWEEK article is amazing. Bush was not told the extent of the damage? The man is unbelievable.

[Flubadubya]

11. I scanned this article...

looks like a great read (but a long one)... will read it as soon as I have time. Thanks for the link.

But you see, the print media more often tells the truth about the imbecile than any other form of media. I just feel that TV media has to continue to lie, spin, and cover for him because "Bush as God" was created by them in the first place. TV media has made the myth, they have to keep perpetuating it.

[anarchy1999]

12. I think I feel sorry for her. It appears as though she may have been set

up along with the Mayor to be the "fall guys" in this disaster of untold proportions. Not anyone in DC, just the gov and the mayor.

I have too far much insight into what is happening right now and I am sick at heart.

I really do not like the old school New Orleanians, the rich, the elite, whatever the F you want to call them. Most of you all have no idea of the social structure that existed in this place.

Yesterday my very best friend said to me, "You get to have "them" for a while". I'm still trying to get over his remark to me.

[wurzel]

14. She was "Plamed"

They intended to make a Dem Gov look as bad as possible for political gain. Just as they outed Plame to make her husband look bad.

[Flubadubya]

15. Yep, just as KharmaTrain noted...

you don't hear a "peep" about what the Gov.s of Mississippi and Alabama did (or did not) do. No blame for the Rethug governors, no siree... just that damned Dem one from Louisana! :puke:

[wurzel]

21. That is because the Repukes were coached by FEMA on what to do

There was an interview on TV with an ex governor. (Don't remember who he was). But he said in a situation like this the governor is coached and told what to do by FEMA. No one expects him to know the procedures. In this case this governor was given no guidance to make her look as bad as possible for political gain.

[RepublicanElephant]

16. Well...

...CNN just grilled gov blanco.

she is now officially the blame for the disaster because she didn't draw dubya a picture.

so now, if you don't specify you need an army to handle a cat 5 hurricance... tough.

[Dez]

18. The truth will be told

by an independent commision. Chimpie will be held accountable for his shit, in the end.

[marions ghost]

17. Splitting hairs as usual....

this is a great example of RW Republican tactics--ie. blow up the technicalities in order to obscure the Big Picture. This works for them every time. Legality over morality. HOW do we answer to this? Keep hammering the obvious when they seek to submerge the truth in a sea of obfuscation. Do not be pursuaded by these deliberate and lame distractions.

It is painfully clear that the federal govt should have been right in there on the Gulf Coast from the outset regardless of the semantic correctness of the LA governor's request. The governor's request is a mere formality in this case anyway. If the Feds were "confused" why didn't they express that to the governor? Why didn't they work WITH her? FEMA's job is to assess disasters and advise the governors--in this they failed. The administration is guilty of criminal negligence.

CNN stands to lose some of the general support they got for their noteworthy coverage in New Orleans if they continue to tar and feather the governor over this. Gosh, I was even saying positive things about CNN, esp Anderson Cooper --giving them some credit for once...(with one exception--the excessive replay of the damaging "looters" footage).

CNN needs to stop playing "the blame game" with Blanco. Am writing to CNN today. I hope others reading this will too. Thanks for reminder, flubadubya

[highplainsdem]

19. NOT her mistake -- the Feds BROKE U.S. LAW by NOT advising her

about how to request the help she was ENTITLED to.

See my post at

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4741514

[AnnInLa]

20. It's funny that the Governor of New Mexico

knew EXACTLY what Gov Blanco meant when she said, "Send me everything you got." I was watching her on local TV when she said this publicly, and she also said something like this....We are in crisis, this is a major catastrophe, we need help down here right now. Gov Richardson called out his part of the Nat'l Guard immediately and prepared to send them, but was stopped by Washington. After all, she didn't say the Magic Words, or fill in the proper forms. The mayor of Charleston, South Carolina (N. Carolina?) said he knew immediately that law enforcement would be needed and called his police dept together and started sending them immediately, but was hassled by FEMA because he was sending them too early and not sticking to the "plan." He sent them anyway. Should she have said the magic words earlier? Were the horrible images coming over the TV not enough? Heaven forbid that you call the police one night and scream "help, help, I need help right now!" And, the police don't come, because you didn't say specifically, "there is an intruder in my house, or someone is threatening me and my family!" This is a red herring when people are in horrible crisis, and that horrible crisis is being broadcast live to every house in this country.