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'John Wayne dude' general blasts Katrina complaints as 'B.S.
AFP/Yahoo ^ | Sep 5, 2005

Posted on 09/05/2005 8:48:54 PM PDT by veronica

Lieutenant General Russel Honore lived up to his 'John Wayne dude' nickname, blasting complaints that red tape or poor security were snarling relief efforts as "B.S."

The fiery general, in charge of the military component of the mission, lost his rag during a press conference after President George W. Bush's visit to rescue coordinators here.

"That's B.S. It's B.S.," Honore raged.

"I can tell you that is B.S. We have got 300 helicopters and some of the finest EMS workers in the world down there.

"There is no red tape ... there are isolated incidents that people take to paint a broad brush."

Honore also lashed out at questions from journalists at the Baton Rouge emergency operations center concerning the security situation in New Orleans.

"You need to get on the streets of New Orleans, you can't sit back here and say what you hear from someone else.

"It is secure, we walk around without any issues. Why the hell are you trying to make that the issue, if you can help, get there and help," he said, saying that people were being scared away by reports of violence.

When one reporter argued that there still reports of bureaucracy and unrest stalling relief efforts in some outlying parishes of New Orleans, Honore fumed: "I don't care if it is Hancock County, Mississippi -- we are not going to have that kind of issue."

The comments that sparked Honore's verbal blast were apparently made by US Representative Bobby Jindal, who represents a New Orleans district.

"The bureaucracy needs to do more than one thing at a time. It's appropriate to save people with helicopters, but it can't be done to the exclusion of everything else," Jindal was quoted by Time magazine as saying.

Honore did not discount that Jindal may be basing his complaints on "isolated" incidents, and said he would follow up with him.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin dubbed Honore 'one John Wayne dude' in admiration for his efforts when he showed up in the city last week.

"He came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving," Nagin said in a radio interview on Thursday.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: honore; katrina; katrinafailures
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To: decal

I wondered that, too. It seems that one of the ways in which language changes is the gradual creep of slang/informal usages into what is considered to be correct. Another one that really jumps out at me is 'busted' to mean broken. This was definitely considered improper back in my school days...


41 posted on 09/05/2005 10:29:28 PM PDT by A. Goodwin
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To: Texasforever
OK, I saw this press conference live, and I had a very different read on it. The reporters were asking legitimate questions about the two chains of command in LA, because D Gov. Blanco had refused to federalize the relief effort, like Alabama and Miss. had (with R governors). That means the National Guard and the U.S. armed forces where under separate command in LA. Reports were coming in that this led to a lot of red tape and difficulty coordinating the relief effort. Director of Homeland Security came lame response that "everyone was in the same room and got along OK".

The general (who is not well spoken- uses a lot of dees and dats) went on a rant that was not dissimilar to the NO mayor. During his bluster he said the reports were B.S. He asked the source of the report and was told it from an area congressman. This was embarrassing to the general, not the reporter. He said he would have to apologize to the congressman later.

The follow up question had to do with violence in NO. The kind of stuff we've all been reading about for days on FR. He said there was no violence and everything was absolutely under control.

I don't buy it. This guy is all bluff and did not represent the armed forces well. He's covering up for the Democrat governor of LA and downplaying the armed thugs running around the city. He bluster is probably pretty effective in getting subordinates to hop to and for intimidating girl reporters, but if I was his commander I would question his veracity and ask some more pointed questions.
42 posted on 09/05/2005 10:32:47 PM PDT by BigBobber
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To: A. Goodwin
Yeah. The infobabe on Fox couldn't bring herself to repeat his saying "B.S." when she attempted to quote him...
43 posted on 09/05/2005 10:33:36 PM PDT by null and void (Does my life *really* need a sarcasm tag????)
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To: america-rules

"The GOP has been horrible every time I see any of them on TV."

Perhaps Jindal, Vitter, and a few others need to get a 'few' email w a cc to Ken at the RNC. Newtie should get a few mail, too telling him that he can kiss any slim chance he had in '08 goodbye. He can't support our President in time of need, we can't support him.


44 posted on 09/05/2005 10:44:55 PM PDT by Seattle Conservative (God Bless and protect our troops and their CIC)
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To: wardaddy

"started cussing
Nagin deems that a quality in himself he admires as well"

Nagin owes a lot of $$$s to the cussin' jar.
I'll forgive Honore his - -he can say That's B.S. to reporters all day long - -I'll put a quarter in my jar for him -- this guy doesn't suffer any fools - -he is GRRRRRRReat!


45 posted on 09/05/2005 10:51:23 PM PDT by Seattle Conservative (God Bless and protect our troops and their CIC)
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To: SlowBoat407

LOL! I laughed even more when I saw the picture together with your alias - a "Slow Boat" it was!


46 posted on 09/05/2005 10:52:59 PM PDT by Seattle Conservative (God Bless and protect our troops and their CIC)
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To: Seattle Conservative

Vitter was certainly a surprise.

I can see a Congressman like Jindal being a squeaky wheel to get some grease for his constituents as that's his job.

But Vitter? An "F" to the feds? Who pushed for the early evacuation? Who pushed for the early emergency declaration so FEMA could pre-position supplies, etc. before the storm?

One thing I'm going to be following now is this.

How much money did the feds send to the State of Louisiana to spend on emergency preparedness?

What did they do with the money?


47 posted on 09/05/2005 11:37:47 PM PDT by patriciaruth (They are all Mike Spanns)
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To: Howlin

Take that, you Commie bastard!

48 posted on 09/06/2005 12:34:06 AM PDT by devolve (------- http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/0access/LakeNagin.gif -- & LakeNagin.jpg ---)
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To: devolve

Has *anyone found a site offering the *whole* blistering
that Honore gave the Press Corps? Since it was originally
broadcast, all i've seen is sanitized clips that over up the fact that Honore tore the Press a "new one" and called them what they are: *Liars*, even if not using that word.

I'd love to DL it, or even just watch it agauin and again, on streaming Vid...:o)


49 posted on 09/06/2005 1:06:32 AM PDT by NickatNite2003
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To: NickatNite2003


I have not seen that

I'd like to get some short audio
clips in .mp3 or .wav to link


50 posted on 09/06/2005 1:32:43 AM PDT by devolve (------- http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a156/0access/LakeNagin.gif -- & LakeNagin.jpg ---)
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To: Texasforever
The press conference? Yes once the good general cut loose the press became very quiet. I think he may have shot the next one to make a smart-assed remark

What a nice image. Arrogant ignorant self important jerks think they are above any sort of "rules". Nice to see someone stomp them. I suspect you are going to see more of this. My toleration for their utter stupidity is gone. These jerks want to play "hardball" fine let's play hardball. Think a guy that has combat experience is going to play it a lot better then the moral cowards of the "news" media. He hit it just right. When a person gets trapped in one of these self feeding hysteric emotional feed back loops, as so many "reporter" are right now, the way to snap them out of it is to verbally hit back at them hard.

51 posted on 09/06/2005 2:31:35 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If it is all Bush's fault, why will Gov Blanco still not let the Feds take over?)
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To: Howlin
Frankly, I cannot think of anybody who has stood up for Bush -- except -- much as I hate to say this -- Trent Lott.

You must have missed Haley Barbour. He did well for himself and deflected attacks on Bush and the federal effort. I thought Lott's remarks and the focus on the destruction one of his three known homes was more harmful than helpful to the GOP PR effort.
52 posted on 09/06/2005 3:09:31 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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To: BigBobber
He was talking about the situation on the ground NOW, not four days ago. He specifically asked the reporter if she had been out on the streets. She said yes. He asked her if she had been accosted. No, she replied.

He also told the reporter who was questioning the slowness of communications restoration if they knew so much, get out there and help! Also with some cussing, which I thought was well-deserved.

He has a Cajun accent. I like it. I like the general, who is getting things done and has put the reporters in their place.

And I don't much care for Bobby Jindal, who has done nothing except whine about FEMA, and has never said one word of criticism against Blanco or Nagin.

Your opinion is off the mark. If you want to know other Freeper's takes, read the live thread, or the thread on General Honore in the General forum.

53 posted on 09/06/2005 3:19:27 AM PDT by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's son and keep him strong.)
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To: BigBobber

You're thinking about the 1st half of the game. The general said in another interview that now it's halftime and he's only going to concentrate on the 2nd half of the game.


54 posted on 09/06/2005 3:28:36 AM PDT by Rebelbase ("Run Hillary Run" bumper stickers. Liberals place on rear bumper, conservatives put on front bumper)
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To: Sthitch

Nagin is embarrassing on every level!


55 posted on 09/06/2005 3:28:42 AM PDT by mcg2000 (Mike Tyson: "It's hard to be a nigga in this world." Rita Cosby: "But you're a rich one?")
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To: veronica
Link to the video if not already posted.

Smash here

56 posted on 09/06/2005 3:30:38 AM PDT by GretchenM (Hooked on porn and hating it? Visit http://www.theophostic.com .)
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To: BigBobber

I had the same general reaction on first seeing the back and forth as you did. It stood out to me that the reporters' jobs are not to go out and do the rescue and recovery, which he told them to do rather than ask questions about it (meaning: verbally sniping at those who are doing the work).

However, as Miss Marple said, he served a very useful function in that the press were more afraid of him than of Rumsfeld. That was worth a lot.


57 posted on 09/06/2005 3:38:05 AM PDT by GretchenM (Hooked on porn and hating it? Visit http://www.theophostic.com .)
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To: George W. Bush

Trent did no honor to himself during the self-pitying interview he gave after talking on TV about his 150+ year old house that had "withstood everything" nature could throw at it, till Katrina ... it disgusted me.


58 posted on 09/06/2005 3:40:19 AM PDT by GretchenM (Hooked on porn and hating it? Visit http://www.theophostic.com .)
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To: NickatNite2003; Howlin; Texasforever

Video link posted at #http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1478209/posts?page=56#56 .


59 posted on 09/06/2005 3:41:10 AM PDT by GretchenM (Hooked on porn and hating it? Visit http://www.theophostic.com .)
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To: GretchenM
Me too. But he generally annoys me anyway so I'm hardly impartial. When it comes to GOP senators, I try to tell myself that that's their choice. Well, Trent isn't high on my hit list of most undesirable GOP senators. He's not currently a problem for passing conservative legislation on those rare occasions when we actually get any. And my own GOP senator makes people mad too.
60 posted on 09/06/2005 3:47:05 AM PDT by George W. Bush
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