Anderson Cooper ON FIRE! >

[Stephanie]

Did you hear him? Talking about the BushCO attempts to censor the news and Anderson saying the press are being respectful of the dead, but it is too late for BushCO to claim censorship on dignity grounds, when the dead have been tied to lampposts and laying in the street for two weeks. He is rigteously furious and I am so proud to see a human being reporting the news!

[Jacobin]

1. Reporter had to call their lawyer to make guard

let them film deceased, the the guard still blocked it.

its an improvement that a few in the media are starting to take their jobs seriously and are even getting court orders to allow america to see what BushCo has wrought.

I'm slightly encouraged, but not hopeful long term

[madmax]

2. Show your support

email Anderson Cooper:

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

C'mon show your :loveya:

[OneGrassRoot]

8. done..... for the third time since Katrina hit..... *S* n/t

[oasis]

13. Done. He got a nice note from me. thanks for the link.

[Booster]

36. Done. I got to say that since Katrina, I have grown to really admire

Anderson Cooper and Keith Olbermann. With these 2 leading the pack, maybe cable news can once again become relevant. And they're both really good looking, which never hurts.

[Carla in Ca]

38. Just sent my thanks

This should really send * over the edge. He just hates it when we are allowed to see the death and destruction due to his lack of leadership.
If he has to talk to the press too much, he'll slip into one of his rages. Fingers crossed!

[donheld]

42. done

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:

[AirmensMom]

3. Yeah, I heard it.

He sure is on a roll. :applause:

[nickyt]

9. I just wrote him

[ninkasi]

35. So did I

and a couple of my family members also sent him thanks and encouragement.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Lou Dobbs said last week that CNN has filed a lawsuit to stop the

government from controlling the media. He said no one will stop them from doing their jobs and that included taking pictures of the NOLA disaster. :bounce:

[Genki]

5. Superb job

~thanks for the contact info

[faithnotgreed]

6. love kick for anderson and all his humanity

anyone who loves animals like he does
and is not interested in heading back to his life of luxury in nyc so that he can help those who have suffered and are still suffering..

well that is a great story right there

[TomInTib]

7. Everybody is hot

Schieffer, Cooper, even little Paula and a large part of the rest of the pack.

This ship could be coming in.

[SeattleGirl]

11. Yeah, did you see Paula's segment tonight with Sharpton and the

other reverend? Can't remember his name, sorry, but he was blathering on and on about how the state and local officials failed the people, and Paula got in his face and said (paraphrasing), "How can you NOT put at least some responsibility on the federal level? How can you just place it at the local and state level? This was too big -- the fed has to have responsibility here." Wow!

[Sunkiss BlueStar]

18. Thats Right

even the nation chips in to help and donate. There are so many stories on DU of people in other states helping out in the Relief effort. My brother delivered some Ice last week. When something like this happens there is no infrastructure to lean back on. Everything was destroyed or Flooded. The First Responders were overwhelmed. So the people stepped up to help before the Government.

[TahitiNut]

31. That's exactly the point. Blaming local gov't is blaming the victims.

That's what's so maddening about the Bushbot Chatty Cathy's echoing Rove's latest blast-fax. NOLA evacuated 33% more than evacuation plans predicted - 80% instead of 60%. They did it even though it was NOLA people, including government people, whose homes were flooded or destroyed, whose vehicles were crushed or submerged, whose government offices were flooded or damaged, whose communications and power were out, and whose equipment was inaccessible.

And what did their neighbors and FEMA do? Blockaded the bridges and highways. It's a sad, sad commentary that Canadian relief workers got to the victims before the FEMA people!

[Canadian Socialist]

10. I don't have a tv

do you know where I can get clips of Cooper's interviews?

[Marie26]

12. Try crooksandliers.com; it has a few. (EOM)

[madmax]

17. Try this video clips and transcript

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/12/acd.01.html

[PowerToThePeople]

14. Glad to see this. Was pissed at him for Camp Casey B.S.

[OzarkDem]

15. Hope its not just Q rating talk

They all do that on CNN and MSNBC - spend a period catering to more liberal audiences, then drop interest later.

http://www.qscores.com/

[MiniMe]

16. Having seen some of Anderson's reports from NO, I don't think so.

He was one of the many reporters there that were just in shock and screaming out about the conditions. Of course, that doesn't mean that he will continue that way on other subjects, but I absolutely believe his anger about NO.

[dooner]

19. Earlier Anderson Cooper interviewed Chief of Police re:bridge incident

First he talked to 2 of the people who had been stopped on the bridge out of New Orleans. They had shots fired above their heads to stop them from proceeding. They had guns pointed in their faces. (I think we're all familiar with this story.) Then he talked to the Chief of Police of that town. (Sorry, I know it starts with a G.)

Anderson Cooper seemed like smoke was about to come out of his ears, you could tell he was pissed. But he kept asking the "good ole' boy" questions that will surely lead to some serious consequences for that police dept.

The Chief said that he doesn't know about any shooting by his people, but he couldn't let those people from New Orleans into HIS town, because his residents were counting on him to keep their property secure. They didn't have the resources to provide for anyone.

Bear in mind, the bridge people said that in their group there were old people in wheel chairs, a person on crutches and some small children. AND they had been told by the New Orleans police to go over that bridge to get busses. These people were desperate, with no other options. The Superdome and convention center were full.

So Anderson asked the Chief if he couldn't have allowed these people to safely cross the bridge, to give them some food and water, and keep them "contained" so that the property of the town would be safe.

The Chief said no, that he couldn't accommodate them in his town.

It was incredible. Anderson Cooper says he can't believe this story and he's going to follow up on it until he gets answers.

[donco6]

20. I'm so glad he's verifying this story.

It had the ring of truth from the beginning, but Freeps were discounting it right and left. The only reason they *discount* stories is when even THEY are embarrassed by them. Now that it's been proven beyond doubt - well, I guess they'll just have to be embarrassed.

[txindy]

23. It certainly does show one of their repeated battle cries to be ludicrous

I remember the wingnuts and the freepers saying, "If the media can drive in, why can't these people just walk out?" Weeeeell, could it be the guns pointed at their faces and the attack dogs jumping at their throats, all courtesy of the Gretna PD? Those big brave men shooting over the wheelchairs and toddlers? Could that be it?! :grr:

There's a special place in h*ll for those people and their defenders.

I'm with you: I'm glad Cooper is verifying and publicizing these actions. People need to pay for what they've done.

[Marie26]

25. Chris Matthews also had them on his show.

This story makes me madder than anything else about this whole catastrophe. (And that's saying something). The whole scene brings to mind the Krakow ghetto or something - Facists with guns trapping innocent people in a starving city. We always talk about "human rights abuses" abroad - I never thought I'd see a day when the human rights of Americans are violated by our own police. I couldn't believe the casual way the chief just stated that they did that; he actually seemed a little proud. Then he says the mayor was "misinformed" - misinformed about what? You just confirmed the whole story! Between Cooper, Chris Matthews & the earlier reports on Hannity & Colmes, it really does look like the media is going to bring these actions to light (and hopefully, to criminal charges).

[donco6]

27. I read the whole original story and just couldn't even

think of anything to say. Appalled just doesn't even BEGIN to cover it. Shocked. Disgusted. Enraged. I was up half the night after reading it. Just couldn't believe people could be so cruel. But then I guess I've just been THAT naiive about relations between black and white.

[faithnotgreed]

28. you are so right marie - welcome to du

[Stephanie]

33. Welcome to DU, Marie26

It's been an astounding display. I think that it's been quite illuminating for many Americans to see these types of actions employed against American citizens. I think it has been a real eye-opener.

[Garbo 2004]

39. Abrams on MSNBC interviewed the couple Sunday also, then the Gretna Chief

of Police who said much the same as he apparently said to Cooper.

[donco6]

26. YES! It just kills so many Freep arguments.

Particularly the one you mentioned: "They're so lazy they wouldn't even walk out of the city, but had to wait for people to come get 'em." Then you see the pictures of all the sick, elderly, wheelchair bound - and THEN you hear this story about Gretna. Jeez. You just want to smack those a-holes upside the head.

[Catherine Vincent]

34. I just saw the repeat not too long ago with Cooper.

And this doesn't surprise me at all. It just goes to show you how some people show their true colors. They rather shoot starving and innocent people just to protect the fucking property in their small town. :mad:

[IntravenousDemilo]

43. Delete - dupe

[IntravenousDemilo]

44. Gretna is the seat of Jefferson parish, which voted overwhelmingly

Republican in 2004, with large margins for Bush/Cheney and for both the GOP senatorial and house candidates. Are we even a little bit surprised that they behaved so abominably?

[radfringe]

45. so much for

compassionate conservatives, christians and "moral values"

[never_get_over_it]

21. I'm hoping that Anderson Cooper will help us

get the real number of deaths. I want the numbers to be low - but I don't think they can possibly be lower than 9/11 - I mean total - and I fear they could be much higher - I just hate the fact that they won't tell us the truth.

[Arkham House]

22. It Isn't Agreeing With Us That Matters...

...it's simply acting like he has a brain, can see what's in front of him and report on it accurately. With having some professional pride, and some human dignity. With not acting like a member of some Versailles-like parasite class of courtiers. God bless him. Maybe it'll be catching.

[dooner]

24. Transcript of interview with *Greta's* Chief of Police

From today's 360 w/Anderson Cooper. Earlier in the transcript is the interview with the folks from the bridge.


CHIEF ARTHUR LAWSON, GRETA, LA POLICE DEPARTMENT: We had no preparations. You know, we're a small city on the west bank of the river. We had people being told to come over here, that we were going to have buses, we were going to have food, we were going to have water, and we were going to have shelter. And we had none. Our people had left. Our city was locked down and secured, for the sake of the citizens that left their valuables here to be protected by us.

COOPER: One person is a paramedic. What they say basically is that they marched with this long group. They were told by New Orleans police to come, and that there were four patrol cars on the bridge and that your officers fired shots in the air. Is that true?

LAWSON: To my knowledge it's not true. We certainly will look into it. Once this is over with and we get back to a level that we can investigate it.

COOPER: If they were firing shots into the air, would that be appropriate.

LAWSON: Well I don't know the circumstances. It's hard for me to answer, you know, if that happened, exactly what went on.

COOPER: But to your knowledge did any officers explain why -- you're essentially saying you didn't want those people coming here, because you were afraid about, what, the safety of this levee?

LAWSON: I was afraid to have the people coming here for the safety of this levee, as well as evacuation. We had no place to house them, to feed them, water. And there was security issues. Our city was already locked down. Our borders were closed at the time. And our city was locked down as far as safety for the citizens of Gretna and their property.

COOPER: There are going to be some that see this and say, well, look, you guys were dry. You knew generally the mayhem that was going on in New Orleans. Couldn't you have just allowed them, you know, sanctuary on this side, and just, you know, sort of tried to corral people in one area, give them what you could and try to call in reinforcements, call for help, call for buses?

LAWSON: Who were we going to call? We had no radios. We had no phones. We had no communications, as I just told you. We had not spoke to the city of New Orleans prior to or during this event. Who were we going to call? What were we going to do with thousands of people without enough water to sustain them, without enough food to sustain them, or without any shelter?

COOPER: Just one final question. Sunday, I saw the mayor of New Orleans going on TV and he mentioned this -- this, you know, the allegations of what happened on the bridge, people -- officers firing over his citizens' heads. He seemed to indicate, you know, maybe race played a role. He seemed to indicate that this was just outrageous. When you hear the mayor saying that kind of stuff, what do you think?

LAWSON: Well, I think the mayor is misinformed. I think he's making statements based off of news coverage that, you know, I still don't know all the facts. For him to stand there and pass judgment not knowing all the facts would be the same as for me to stand here and pass judgment on them not evacuating the city of New Orleans and not being adequately prepared for the disaster that they had and being able to evacuate their people.

***
COOPER: The chief of police categorically denies race played any role in this. But when I asked him later on about who he had talked to, what officers he had talked to about this, he said he hasn't talked to any officers about what went on that bridge. So when he said he has no knowledge of them firing over -- or believes that is not true, about them firing over the heads of these people, he simply doesn't know because he hasn't talked to his officers. He says he will. He's going to investigate it. We're going to keep investigating, find out exactly what happened.


http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/12/acd.01.html

[donco6]

29. Classic "See no evil, hear no evil" bullsh*t.

So the entire city of Gretna had NO WATER? No water for thirsty people? I just can't comprehend that. They obviously DID have some water, because there weren't any people on the GRETNA side of the bridge looking for water in NO! But the fact is, they just didn't want to share it with "those people."

Just fucking disgusting.

[Tatiana]

32. "Well I think the mayor is misinformed." Uh, I think LAWSON is misinformed

I think Mayor Nagin knew exactly what he was talking about when he said the following on Meet the Press:

MAYOR NAGIN: Well, you know, I don't know who hates black people, but I will just tell you this, that I think the imagery that came out across the nation portrayed that this was primarily poor black people that were affected. And I don't know if that affected the response or not. But I got really upset when I heard about some of our residents walking to one of the parish lines and were turned back by attack dogs and armed guys with machine guns. Then the secretary of Homeland Security came and he asked me to meet him at Zephyr Field, which is near the Saints' training facility. And when I walked over there, I just started to pay attention to things and I saw porterlets that we didn't have. I saw ice. To this day, Tim, no one has dropped one piece of ice in the city of New Orleans to give some people relief. I saw lights that we were begging for for the Superdome and for the Convention Center that made that a horrific environment. I saw all of that sitting on the ground and not moving to New Orleans. So someone has to explain that.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

30. He's been great...

...lately, I just hope CNN doesn't do to him what MSNBC did to Ashleigh Banfield. She tried to draw attention to the suffering wrought on innocent civilians by our invasion of Iraq and paid for it with what should have been a very bright career.

[Dr Fate]

37. CNN is intentionaly going after the internet audience.

And I aint complaining- it's nice to have some moving pictures with your news now & then.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. it is not only CNN

also CNBC and even FOX has had its moments

My theory... this even radicalized them

[fooj]

41. CBS Evening News was all over BushCo...

IMO, they are up shit creek.

Peace.