Five Days After Katrina Struck, Why Hasn't President Bush Taken Responsibility? Where is the Leadership, Mr. President? Washington, DC - A full five days after Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States, Americans are without food and water, and chaos has gripped New Orleans. Perhaps rather than posing for photo ops and making statements about the obvious truth the people of New Orleans already know regarding his failure to respond, we need leadership from the President. Again Americans are left to wonder, where is the leadership Mr. President? What is your plan?
DNC Communications Director Karen Finney issued the following statement:
"The number one job of the President of the United States is to keep Americans safe. We’ve heard the President’s rhetoric, what we haven’t heard is his plan to address this national crisis on the Federal level.
"As the President visits the Gulf Coast region, we hope he will tell us his plan to relieve the suffering of our fellow Americans and ensure that there is an acceptable response plan in place both in the gulf coast and for the victims who have been evacuated.
"As our leader and the head of the federal government he also has a responsibility to answer:
"Why is it that five days after hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast many of our fellow Americans are still without food and water, living in squalor in dangerous, inhumane conditions?
“Why is it that President Bush was able to send food and supplies to Afghanistan the same day our invasion began, but it has taken five days to even begin to send supplies to New Orleans?
"Why is it that Secretary Chertoff, while launching national preparedness month yesterday, still can’t answer basic questions about the Federal response and preparedness to this disaster, and instead blamed the victims?
"Why is it that five days later, as chaos ensues, it's still unclear who is in charge of leading and coordinating the Federal government's efforts?
"The victims of this tragedy are our friends, family, colleagues, our fellow Americans. The lack of leadership from President Bush is unconscionable. This is not the way we should treat our own.”
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Food Drops Began in Afghanistan The Day the Invastion Began. President Bush announced that food and aid drops would commence on the same day as the invasion in Afghanistan. By November 15, over 30,000 metric tons of food were moved into Afghanistan, exceeding records for food delivery into the country.
Three Days After Saddam Toppled Food Began to Reach Iraqis. "The first three C-130 humanitarian airlifts landed in Baghdad Saturday, bringing medical supplies into an area that's gravely hurting from lack of electricity and water. The 24,000 pounds of aid were sent by the government of Kuwait.”
The First Wave of Aid and Search and Rescuers Arrived in Tsunami Zone 5 days After the Devastation. “The first U.S. aid has arrived on the earthquake and tsunami-devastated Indonesian island of Sumatra. Helicopters from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln brought supplies and military officers to assess the relief needs in Aceh, the hardest hit Sumatran province. The U.S. military is also conducting search and rescue missions in other South Asian countries.”
Brown: Residents Bear Some Responsibility for Climbing Death Toll. FEMA Director Michael Brown said those who ignored the city's mandatory evacuation order bore some responsibility. "I think the death toll may go into the thousands and, unfortunately, that's going to be attributable a lot to people who did not heed the advance warnings," he said.
Chertoff: Residents Made a Mistake By Not Evacuating. “Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part.”
http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/federal_respons.php
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