“This is what I absolutely could not stand about the Bush administration. They would let the media paint them badly at every turn with no pushback whatsoever. On and on for years.”
Bush would not use the bully pulpit. His public relations staff and press secretaries were inept at managing any story. If the administration really believed the city was in danger and the state/local government was not taking necessary action to save lives, Bush could have publicly called for the governor to evacuate or he could have sent “Brownie” out to give a news conference imploring local leaders to take action. Instead, Bush chose to work quietly behind the scenes with Democrats playing politics instead of taking care of the public. He allowed them to set him up to take the blame.
Bush did! He went on national television, I believe it was a Friday night, and he begged the mayor and governor to react. But he also told the people directly to evacuate. I t was during prime time.