RW Spin on Mayor Nagin in Dallas - He was there last week 3 days

[RamboLiberal]

This bugs me - why was he in Dallas? I know he had to settle his family there, but shouldn't he have been in his city at this time? NO Time Picayune and TX papers report him being there. He gave the Wingnuts one helluva talking point. I just don't think it was great leadership for him to take this long a time out of NO. I know he visited the people in the shelters from his city, but I think there was more to do in NO last week than in Dallas! And note, I still put majority of blame on Bush and FEMA, but this doesn't look good IMHO. I think elected officials have to put all their citizens above even their family.

This is from Saturday - Scroll Down to Mayor Nagin Speaks Out:

In a stark reminder of how drastically Hurricane Katrina has impacted the lives of New Orleanians, Mayor Ray Nagin has purchased a home for his family in Dallas and enrolled his young daughter in school there.
Nagin, who spoke with The Times-Picayune by telephone from Dallas, where he has been since Wednesday, said he planned to return to New Orleans on Saturday. He said he will remain in the Crescent City while his family lives for the next six months in Dallas, making occasional visits to his family when possible.

It’s not clear where Nagin will be living: His home along Bayou St. John suffered massive flooding, the mayor said, although he has not inspected it.

In a brief but wide-ranging interview, the mayor reflected on the tragedies of the past two weeks, acknowledging that he may have made some mistakes but said that he hopes others in positions of authority – including President George W. Bush and Gov. Kathleen Blanco -- are scrutinized as closely as he and his staff have been.
“I’m not pointing any fingers at anyone,” Nagin said. “But I was in the fire. I was down there. Where were they? I’m confident the truth is gonna come out. But I want everybody’s record analyzed just as hard as mine.

“Listen, this was unprecedented. Nothing has ever happened like this. For people to sit back and say, ‘You should have done this, you should have done that’ … it’s Monday morning quarterbacking. They can shoot if they want, but I was there, and I will have the facts.”

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09_10.html

[henslee]

1. I am confused. What is your intention here -- getting down on

RW for pointing out that Nagin was out of town for 3 days -- or getting down on Nagin for being out of town for 3 days. Body of this post seems to be objectibe exerpts - so what is your beef?

[Bridget Burke]

3. Another chance to become aware of RW spin....

At least this is a change from the "I'm trying to convince a Freeper--please do my research." Or "I just received this e-mail..."

[RamboLiberal]

7. My spin is if I think a Dem did something that is less than

responsible that I will point it out and not absolve them of blame. We'd be all over a Repuke mayor for this. I don't drink liberal koolaid either.

And I think in the 2nd week of this disaster when your city is still being pumped out of toxic sludge, not everyone has been rescued, and there are still dead bodies being gathered is not time to be buying a house and putting your 6 year old in school in Dallas and taking 3 days out of your city to do it! Couldn't his wife handle that?

So flame away at me!

[Bridget Burke]

9. Nagin was on duty when he was really needed.

And he has serious family business for three days. He'll be able to concentrate on his job with his family settled.

Bush was on vacation or on silly field trips when the worst went down. And he still hasn't contributed a thing but inane speeches & photo ops.

[henslee]

26. No, I ain't flaming... sorry if it seemed so. Actually, I agree w/ you.

I wouldn't leve a city if I was mayor. However, in the future if you are ever flamed....

[abluelady]

2. Had a Phone Call Yesterday

I have young cousins who are now renting in Dallas. They put their children in school and plan to stay in Dallas for the school year. They had absolutely not one complaint about Mayor Nagin. If they were a little more together they would be writing LTTE's singing his praise. Many of the NO wives and children are living in Dallas and other cities while their husbands are trying to work out of cities in Louisiana. All in all everyone is suffering. These young families are struggling and doing the best they can. The rw idiots spewing such garbage is definitely out of place.

[underpants]

5. Yeah this talking point actually highlights the extreme change for many

ABC reported LAST TUESDAY that many of the kids were starting school that day. The folks were still in shelters but they made sure they kids went to school, any school. Psychologists were shown saying that getting kids back into school, out of the shelters, and into the normal flow was the best thing.

Nagin was a Comcast exec.-he has plenty of money so buying a house BAM! like that is nothing for him. Lots of people just got another mortgage and got another home.

This is a vivid example of their filling the airways with talking points AS they make them up.

[Horse with no Name]

4. And it was quite okay with the RW'ers

That their beloved leader finished his vacation less a day, ate birthday cake, and sang songs at a time when there wasn't ANY help on the ground, yet they begrudge someone the opportunity to get his family settled in a new town after losing everything they own AFTER there was help on the ground?
Umm okay.:eyes:

[K-W]

6. This Nagin stuff is getting rediculous

Who cares where the mayor is? Does a ribbon need to get cut? Does a budget need to be signed?

When your entire city is a state and federal disaster area, you as the mayor, dont really have much to do.

There is a reason the right wants people to focus on the guy with the least authority and power, its because the guy with the most authority and power screwed up.

[RamboLiberal]

10. No - that is still his city and he is it's elected leader

What if Giuliani had gone to another state the week after 9-11 while his firefighters were still digging their brothers and other victims out of the rubble? We'd have been all over him!

Bush is despicable just as he was on 9-11 for shirking his job! I'm not absolving him in any way.

I just don't think this was the time for Nagin to be leaving his city.
If this was my mayor I'd be all over his ass. And I've seen enough of local politics to know how citizens in my area would respond if the mayor left the city while they were still flooded and finding bodies.

[K-W]

11. Well you can worry about superficial stuff if you want.

What if Giuliani had gone to another state the week after 9-11 while his firefighters were still digging their brothers and other victims out of the rubble? We'd have been all over him!

That is a rediculous comparison. Giuliani's entire city wasnt a federal and state disaster area that was being cleared of people by the military so that the feds and state authorities could begin the process of cleaning and rebuilding it.

The two scenarios are NOTHING alike.

Bush is despicable just as he was on 9-11 for shirking his job! I'm not absolving him in any way.

Maybe you arent, but thats the entire point of the Nagin rhetoric.

I just don't think this was the time for Nagin to be leaving his city.

Actually, its the time for everyone to be leaving the city. Or didnt you notice they were evacuating it?

If this was my mayor I'd be all over his ass. And I've seen enough of local politics to know how citizens in my area would respond if the mayor left the city while they were still flooded and finding bodies.

Well, youd be just as misguided.

The people of New Orleans arent living in New Orleans right now. There is no New Orleans right now. The Mayor is not in a position to do ANYTHING to assist the state and the feds. His constituents are spread out accross the country and many of them are in Texas.

[RamboLiberal]

13. The boss should be with his employees

I sure wouldn't appreciate my boss bailing for 3 days while the rest of us rescued any who are left, worked to enforce the laws, fought the fires, found the bloated stinking bodies, worked to restore power, water, etc., pumped out the city.

In case you hadn't noticed the municipal employees who aren't dead, injured or bailed to be with their families are still working their butts off.

I think some DU'ers are blinded just cause this guy went on a rant against the Feds! Now he can do nothing wrong!

[K-W]

15. No, I just dont care about cliche's and superfialities.

Nagin is not in charge of the municipal workers still there. He isnt thier boss right now nor is he capable or qualified to be their boss right now. The operation is now completely under the control of FEMA.

I think some DU'ers are blinded just cause this guy went on a rant against the Feds! Now he can do nothing wrong!

Feel free to explain what we are missing instead of throwing vague generalities around.

[RamboLiberal]

19. No matter - he's still the mayor - those people who stayed

are his citizens and employees! They need him to look to for leadership and guidance and he wasn't there for 3 days.

BTW, I assume most here know he changed from Repub to Dem to run for mayor. I don't know the reason, but in this case I think he acted like a typical Repub, taking care of his own before he took care of those who elected him.

[K-W]

24. No, he has no role of leadership, that is FEMA's job now.

he can give no guidance.

It doesnt matter if he used to be in the bull moose party. The man was on the job when he needed to be and now he like the vast majority of New Orleaneans is taking the neccessary time to settle his family outside of the city.

There is no rational reason to care where Nagin is right now. He is a red herring.

[Patiod]

12. If all of NY burnt down and Guiliani needed to place the kids

in school in NJ once he had help all lined up for his city, we wouldn't be all over him.

I would hope that after 16 days on the job all day, all week, he could take 3 to get his family settled.

From a mercentary viewpoint, I would think he'd be a more effective leader once his personal business is handled and "out of the way".

[RamboLiberal]

14. Don't give me that BS - I've been at DU long enough to know

we'd be all over Rudy's ass if he had done that. I'm not begrudging Nagin being with his family, but I just think a week and a half after while bodies still hadn't been pulled out of hospitals, etc., for 3 days was not the time. Later in the month would've been better.

If I was working in NO as a municipal employee I would not be a happy camper over this if my wife and kids were in Dallas and I stayed to take care of my city while my mayor takes 3 days to settle his wife and kids. I think that too is classism. The mayor was saying - hey I'm better than you poor police officers, firemen, municipal schmucks.

Sorry, I think leaders should be hands-on during a crisis. Remember Blanco was screaming yesterday that FEMA wasn't getting quickly enough or showing proper respect to the dead!

[K-W]

16. How long do you have to be on DU to become a psychic? EOM

[RamboLiberal]

17. I've been here since quite awhile - don't need to be a psychic

I read the posts!

[K-W]

18. And tarot cards apparently.

Anyone who claims to have such mystical knowledge is grasping for an argument.

[RamboLiberal]

20. K-W I think you're the one who's grasping

I think my argument is legit.

[K-W]

25. You think that positing broad hypotheticals

and then claiming that you know what would happen because you happen to have posted on this site for a while is a legit argument?

...right

[tx_dem41]

21. "If this was my mayor I'd be all over his ass."

But he's not...and the people that do live in the city are pretty solidly behind him.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. He has a wife and kids. He moved them to Dallas. Do they expect his wife

to go out and buy a house, take care of the kids, cook their meals, wash their clothes, register them for school, take them to school, pick them up at school, comfort them because of the trauma they just experienced, buy furniture, arrange utilities, get the banking staightened out, ect... ALL BY HERSELF???? Oh, I get it! Those are them there family VALUES!!!! I forgot. WTF do they expect? The man has a family of his own to care for. Damn. They were left homeless also. They are human beings in pain too. Damn. :grr:

[Horse with no Name]

22. Not to mention that there were papers to sign

Think of the papers!!!!Who will sign the papers!!!:eyes:

[Catherine Vincent]

23. Three days isn't so bad.

I am sure he would have loved to stay longer just to rest but he had to get back to NOLA.