'John Wayne dude' general blasts Katrina complaints as 'B.S.

AFP/Yahoo ^ | Sep 5, 2005

[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.

[jslade]

Frankly, I cannot think of anybody who has stood up for Bush -- except -- much as I hate to say this -- Trent Lott.

You're forgeting Gov. Barbour (MS)

[jslade]

What did they do with the money?

"Invested" the money in casinos.

[AndyJackson]

conservative legislation

The only conservative legislation are bills that repeal liberal legistlation.

[petitfour]

I didn't know that Trent Lott had a 150-year-old house on the Gulf Coast. Or was he talking about Beauvoir?

[SlowBoat407]

"The fiery general, in charge of the military component of the mission, lost his rag during a press conference..."

Where did THIS phrase come from?

Apparently the word "rag" is an old British slang reference to the tongue, also called the "red rag". (No, don't go there). To "chew the rag" is to talk, and to "lose one's rag" is to lose control of one's tongue.

[nicmarlo]

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

Yet another [fill in the blank] from LA.

[pointsal]

Blame it on Edwin Edwards.... (sick humor)

[Guenevere]

bttt

[George W. Bush]

The only conservative legislation are bills that repeal liberal legistlation.

Agreed. Hence my comment. But after some of the liberal spending (aid to Africa, expansion of NEA funding, PBS funding, Pill Bill), you have to just hope to stop their expansion of liberal programs. Then start on repealing.

[jaydubya]

What's that white vest he's got on?

[SlowBoat407]

I think it's either a flak jacket or part of a white 3-piece suit.

[George W. Bush]

Just heard a radio report that mentioned Lott is intervening in a squabble between Mississippi emergency team and FEMA. The dispute is over 20,000 trailers that are apparently now in Georgia. FEMA is stalling their movement, saying they have to have contracts to release them.

Looks like Lott is actually representing his state's interests here instead of moaning for the cameras about his own house.

So I guess a Lott bump is in order. I expect we'll see a thread on Lott's intervention later today.

[petitfour]

I just found an article in the clarionledger that mentions Trent Lott's 150 year old home that was destroyed. I wonder when he bought it.

[WKB]

If he had said
"I wish that damn storm would have blown my house away"
Would you be happy?

[petitfour]

lolol

You know I have begun ignoring the bashing, but sometimes I just can't stop myself from replying. Have you read the CL story that has a link that talks about the President's visit to Mississippi? It is by some female named Ana _____. It does not paint a very flattering picture of MS pols nor President Bush. I'm too annoyed to go back to that site to find the link for ya!

[WKB]

Just think if the Continuous Liar
was the ONLY paper you had to read,.


Not long ago Ana wrote a story in which
she called Donald Rumsfeld the Sec of State.
I sent her an email pointing out D R is Sec of
Defense.
She wrote back
"Good catch "Neither" me "or" my editors were smart
enough to catch it".
She admitted they are dumb and used bad grammar
to prove her point.

[Howlin]

If you haven't read it yet, click on this link and scroll down to where Lott starts talking.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/02/acd.01.html

He absolutely cleaned Anderson Cooper's clock and almost made Gloria's boy cry.

Much as I hate to admit it, he is almost the only one who has stood up to the press and stood up for Bush.

[Howlin]

Yes, I did; and I apologize to Haley; he's been great.

[George W. Bush]

He absolutely cleaned Anderson Cooper's clock and almost made Gloria's boy cry. Much as I hate to admit it, he is almost the only one who has stood up to the press and stood up for Bush.

Yeah, I thought you might have just missed it in the torrent of Katrina coverage. Like Barbour, Lott has been pretty loyal to Bush and FEMA throughout. He's probably taking a little heat for it back home.

[George W. Bush]

I just found an article in the clarionledger that mentions Trent Lott's 150 year old home that was destroyed. I wonder when he bought it.

When Bush was there, they mentioned it was the home he raised his children in. No one said whether it was a home handed down in the family.