My letter to PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler

The Virginian ^ | 2/3/2009 | Moneyrunner

[moneyrunner]

Last evening’s story on the tragic ice storm in Kentucky and surrounding states contrasted strangely with the reporting surrounding hurricane Katrina. The story was largely upbeat with local responders coping with the horrific after-effects of the storm. Note that dozens of people died as a result of the storm so it was not merely inconvenient. Hundreds of thousands are still without power or heat and may be for as long as a month in freezing temperatures during the coldest winter in a decade.

The primary contrast was the fact the report made absolutely no mention of FEMA or – for that matter – any federal response to this tragedy. The contrast between the party atmosphere in Washington and the cranked up heat in the Oval Office with people freezing to death in Kentucky could not have been more stark.

Of course, this lack of reportage on the lack of a federal response is not limited to PBS. The rest of the national media is equally incurious.

Best, XXXXX

[moneyrunner]

UPDATE:

National death toll hits 55 in ice storm, 24 in KY

UPDATE 2: The APObama says that FEMA "Gets decent marks."

And who awards those marks? Why Kentucky's Democrat governor who called the Democrat president asking for a state of emergency. So what's the opinion of the people on the ground? Here's how the article begins...

EDDYVILLE, Ky. – In the first real test of the Obama administration's ability to respond to a disaster, Kentucky officials are giving the federal government good marks for its response to a deadly ice storm.

Yet more than 300,000 residents remained without power Monday and some areas had yet to see aid workers nearly a week after the storm, a fact not lost on some local authorities.

"We haven't seen FEMA. They haven't been here," said Jaime Green, a spokeswoman for the emergency operations center in Lyon County, about 95 miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn.

[SECURE AMERICA]

Oh come on now.
Does anyone think that the ObamESSIAH is going to get any criticism from the National Media?
They invested 8 years of hatred into George Bush to get some loser like Obama elected. He is their butt boy and they are not going to allow any mainstream criticism to happen.

[an amused spectator]

ObamaAss! It’s what’s for the Media’s Dinner! Mmmmmmmm!