Two years ago today: key moments in Bush admin's Katrina response

[ProSense]

What Me Worry?

by digby

August 29, 2005:



Two years ago today:


7AM CDT — KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE (CNN)

7:30 AM CDT — BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED OF THE LEVEE BREACH: The administration finds out that a levee in New Orleans was breached. On this day, 28 “government agencies, from local Louisiana parishes to the White House, (reported that) that New Orleans levees” were breached. (AP)

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11:13 AM CDT - WHITE HOUSE CIRCULATES INTERNAL MEMO ABOUT LEVEE BREACH: “Flooding is significant throughout the region and a levee in New Orleans has reportedly been breached sending 6-8 feet of water throughout the 9th ward area of the city.” (AP)

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MORNING — MAYFIELD WARNS BUSH ABOUT THE TOPPING OF THE LEVEES: In the same briefing, Max Mayfield, National Hurricane Center Director, warns, “This is a category 5 hurricane, very similar to Hurricane Andrew in the maximum intensity, but there’s a big big difference. This hurricane is much larger than Andrew ever was. I also want to make absolutely clear to everyone that the greatest potential for large loss of lives is still in the coastal areas from the storm surge. … I don’t think anyone can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not, but there’s obviously a very very grave concern.” (AP)

MORNING — BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION: “I spoke to Mike Chertoff today — he’s the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue (), so we got us an airplane on — a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are.” (White House)

MORNING — BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (White House)

11AM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE: “Brown’s memo to Chertoff described Katrina as ‘this near catastrophic event’ but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, ‘Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities.’” (AP)

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11AM CDT — BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “This new bill I signed says, if you’re a senior and you like the way things are today, you’re in good shape, don’t change. But, by the way, there’s a lot of different options for you. And we’re here to talk about what that means to our seniors.” (White House)

4:30PM CDT — BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “We’ve got some folks up here who are concerned about their Social Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with us. … I could tell — she was looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was wondering whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security check.” (White House)

8PM CDT — RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld “joined Padres President John Moores in the owner’s box…at Petco Park.” (Editor & Publisher)

8PM CDT — GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH: “Mr. President, we need your help. We need everything you’ve got.” (Newsweek)

LATE PM — BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO’S REQUESTS (Newsweek)

[CatWoman]

1. KICK for more pics

post them, folks!!

:kick:

[poverlay]

2. Has anyone yet mentioned that * hates black people? I'm not sure if anyone has brought that up yet.

It sure would be nice if someone had the sack to say it on national t.v....
What's that you say? Someone did? OOOOh, oh yeah.
:freak:

[sakabatou]

3. There's a song too

"Goldsigger George Bush ver." by Kanye West

I ain't saying he's a goldigger,
but he ain't messing with no broke niggas
I ain't saying he a goldigger,

but he ain't messing with no broke niggas

George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people

Hurricane came through, fucked us up round here
Government acting like it's bad luck down here
All I know is that you better bring some trucks round here
Wonder why I got my middle finger up round here

People lives on the line you declining to help
Since you taking so much time we surviving ourself
Just me and my pets, and my kids, and my spouse, trapped
In my own house looking for a way out (pause)

Five days in this motherfucking attic
Can't use the cellphone I keep getting static
Dying 'cause they lying instead of telling us the truth
Other day the helicopters got my neighbors off the roof (off the roof)

Screwed 'cause they say they coming back for us too
That was three days ago, I don't see no rescue
See a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do
Since God made the path that I'm trying to walk through

Swam to the store, tryin' to look for food
Corner store's kinda flooded so I broke my way through
I got what I could but before I got through
News say the police shot a black man trying to loot

(Who!?) Don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like 'em

I ain't saying he a goldigger,

but he ain't fucking with no broke niggas
I ain't saying he a goldigger,

but he ain't checking for no broke niggas

George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people

Five damn days, five long days
And at the end of the fifth he walking in like "Hey!"
Chilling on his vacation sitting patiently
Them black folks gotta hope, gotta wait and see

If FEMA really comes through in an emergency
But nobody seem to have a sense of urgency
Now the mayor's been reduced to crying
I guess Bush said, "Nigga's been used to dying!"

He said, "I know it looks bad, just have to wait"
Forgetting folks who too broke to evacuate
Niggas starving and they dying of thirst
I bet he had to go and check on them refineries first

Making a killing off the price of gas
He would have been up in Conneticut twice as fast
After all that we've been through nothing's changed
You can call Red Cross but the fact remains that...

George Bush ain't a goldigger,

but he ain't fucking with no broke niggas
George Bush ain't a goldigger,

but he ain't fucking with no broke niggas

\Come down Bush, c'mon come down
Come down Bush, c'mon come down
Come down Bush, c'mon come down
Come down Bush, c'mon come down

George Bush ain't a goldigger (Hmmn)
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people
George Bush don't like black people

Come down George, c'mon come down
Come down George, c'mon come down
Come down George, c'mon come down
Come down George, c'mon come down

[poverlay]

4. Now that's talent. I must admit, to my shame, I didn't know the real words to that song

until they used them in a spoof interview on TDS. I still laugh my ass off every time I think of that skit though. Completely top-notch.

[sakabatou]

5. Link to the skit?

[poverlay]

6. Darn, I can't find it. If I can discover it later, I'll PM it to you and post it here. It's a

classic. Sorry not to have it at hand.

[sakabatou]

7. Thank you

[ProSense]

8. More photos

posted http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3486595&mesg_id=3486595">here.