Katrina Response Mismanagement

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by PanTheMan

Had the Mayor of NOLA grabbed people off the streets to drive those Buses, I'm sure the GOP would be screaming the Mayor hired a bunch of Crack-heads to evacuate the city.

With apologies to Gn2Dlnd.....

Probably so. Just like when Bush viewed the damage from Air Force one. Some were mad that he flew over in such a luxurious aircraft while so many were suffering. However, if he doesn't view the damage, then he's uncaring. In the game of politics, you can criticize literally anything by using arguments of how it would have been so much better do the something else. It doesn't matter what is done - both sides do it, so I don't really care about that kind of stuff.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

With apologies to Gn2Dlnd.....

Probably so. Just like when Bush viewed the damage from Air Force one. Some were mad that he flew over in such a luxurious aircraft while so many were suffering. However, if he doesn't view the damage, then he's uncaring. In the game of politics, you can criticize literally anything by using arguments of how it would have been so much better do the something else. It doesn't matter what is done - both sides do it, so I don't really care about that kind of stuff.

Appearances and actions mean so much. Had GW been in a helicopter, flown reasonably low enough around the city long enough to actually get a decent look, and, immediately upon landing, made a statement regarding what was being done right now, he wouldn't be seen as uncaring or inactive. Sides shouldn't enter into it, he's the President, he should act like it.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

Appearances and actions mean so much. Had GW been in a helicopter, flown reasonably low enough around the city long enough to actually get a decent look, and, immediately upon landing, made a statement regarding what was being done right now, he wouldn't be seen as uncaring or inactive. Sides shouldn't enter into it, he's the President, he should act like it.

Fair enough - but I have no doubt that should he have done that, with the necessary security entourage, etc, the criticism would be that he was in the way only to get a political photo op, much as it was when he was at ground zero post 9/11 clearing away debris and hugging and talking to the workers there.

No win situation no matter what he does. I believe you are sincere in your criticism. I have no doubt many leaders in the democratic party are not sincere, and are themselves only trying to score political points in their criticism of it. It is incredibly easy to find fault and present a different course of action as the better one, and use whatever that may be as an argument to support a position critical of your political opponent.

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Probably so. Just like when Bush viewed the damage from Air Force one. Some were mad that he flew over in such a luxurious aircraft while so many were suffering. However, if he doesn't view the damage, then he's uncaring. In the game of politics, you can criticize literally anything by using arguments of how it would have been so much better do the something else. It doesn't matter what is done - both sides do it, so I don't really care about that kind of stuff.

And if they did it perfectly, the other side would call it a carefully orchestrated photo op, or something along those lines.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

And if they did it perfectly, the other side would call it a carefully orchestrated photo op, or something along those lines.

You mean like the work on the levees that mysteriously stopped after Bush left? Or the town that Bush's motorcade drove through yesterday that miraculously regained power 30 minutes prior to said drive-through only for it to be turned off again an hour later? Naw, would never happen.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

You mean like the work on the levees that mysteriously stopped after Bush left? Or the town that Bush's motorcade drove through yesterday that miraculously regained power 30 minutes prior to said drive-through only for it to be turned off again an hour later? Naw, would never happen.

From Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9314188/#050916:

I am duty-bound to report the talk of the New Orleans warehouse district last night: there was rejoicing (well, there would have been without the curfew, but the few people I saw on the streets were excited) when the power came back on for blocks on end. Kevin Tibbles was positively jubilant on the live update edition of Nightly News that we fed to the West Coast. The mini-mart, long ago cleaned out by looters, was nonetheless bathed in light, including the empty, roped-off gas pumps. The motorcade route through the district was partially lit no more than 30 minutes before POTUS drove through. And yet last night, no more than an hour after the President departed, the lights went out. The entire area was plunged into total darkness again, to audible groans. It's enough to make some of the folks here who witnessed it... jump to certain conclusions.