Posted on 09/11/2005 8:23:58 PM PDT by InvisibleChurch
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005 10:27 p.m. EDT Mary Landrieu: School Bus Failure Bush's Fault
It was the Bush administration's fault that hundreds of city school buses weren't dispatched to evacuate the hurricane-battered residents of New Orleans two weeks ago before floods swamped the city, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu said Sunday.
Asked on "Fox News Sunday" why New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin failed to follow the city's evacuation plan and press the buses into service, Landrieu blamed Bush administration cuts in mass transit funding.
"Mayor Nagin and most mayors in this country have a hard time getting their people to work on a sunny day, let alone getting them out of the city in front of a hurricane," she said. "And it's because this administration and administrations before them do not understand the difficulties that mayors . . . face." Landrieu then added: "In other words, this administration did not believe in mass transit. They won't even get people to work on a sunny day, let alone getting them out."
Saying she was unwilling to criticize Louisiana officials, the Louisiana Democrat insisted that Mayor Nagin's evacuation efforts had been a smashing success.
"Because the mayor evacuated the city, we had the best evacuation . . . of any evacuation I've seen. I'm 50 years old; I've never seen one any better," Landrieu told FNS.
That prompted FNS host Chris Wallace to remind: "But there were a hundred thousand people left in the city."
Landrieu once again blamed the White House, saying:
"They did [have] a hundred thousand people left in the city because this federal government won't support cities to evacuate people, whether it's from earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes. And that's the truth."
"Let's review the concept of Time, ok? They are NOW underwater, Senator - but look...see? This is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The buses were NOT underwater those days, not even on Monday. THAT's when the buses were supposed to be used for evacuation. Are you with me?"
EXACTLY ..Thats my point and the thing that's starting to drive me mad..We here on FR have the facts , the maps , the pictures.Is there not ONE reporter in the entire USA , not ONE damn TV station willing to get out there and call these people on their sh*t!!! NO ONE ? this is getting like the Twlight Zone..Is every single news reporter AFRAID to slam these liars? I've yet to see ANYONE play hard ball with the Dems , not on ANY issue at all. Even Bush just rolls over and dies lately.
100's of buses.
couldn't get people to drive even on a sunny day - Got to listen to this.... It is a HOOT
"I can't remember when I have heard a more patronizing comment...what black women can't drive?"
They created an evacuation plan that involved school buses, because of all the "helpless, poor black people" (stereotype #1) in New Orleans. But, school buses apparently were deemed demeaning or something by Mayor Nagin after the fact, because they lacked air conditioning and did not have bathrooms. In attempting to further explain away this critical lapse (and effectively digging the hole deeper), Mayor Nagin commits another lapse, in claiming that most of the bus drivers were women, too afraid to drive them (stereotype #2), who had fled the city. Senator Landrieu then compounds the slur, by implying that these drivers are very unreliable under the best of conditions (stereotype #3), effectively slamming both blacks and women, and black women in particular.
It would be very interesting to keep adding to this and improving upon it, as all involved seem incapable of avoiding stereotypes in their assessments of just why this key element of their own evacuation plan was ignored.
message 13 has link to video...
Your Got to watch this........
landrieu is a ditz
Can you be a bit more more specific?
They're trial ballooning their talking points seeing which will fly when the real investigating starts.
Absolutely! I saw 2 different stories from different days here on FR. The stories make that clear simply be the descripiton of the facts, which conflicted with the authorities' reaciton. I never got a complete story, but apparently the LA authorities think they shpould have done things properly. That's whatever way the experts in charge were doing things.
At one point (actually many times), Chris asked her why Mayor Nagin didn't use the school buses. She looked at him like he was crazy and said "Those buses are under water." Chris helpfully pointed out how long the buses were dry and could/should have been used.
Does the Senator roll steel balls in her palm when she's in front of a camera? I haven't noticed...
I'm coming to the conclusion the Senator, Governor, Mayor and Chief of Police are all Andyites from DU in disguise...
Russert reminds Nagin "if you read the city of New Orleans' comprehensive emergency plan ... it says very clearly, "Conduct of an actual evacuation will be the responsibility of the mayor of New Orleans. It was your responsibility. Where was the planning? Where was the preparation? Where was the execution?
MAYOR NAGIN: The planning was always in getting people to higher ground, getting them to safety. That's what we meant by evacuation. Get them out of their homes, which--most people are under sea level. Get them to a higher ground and then depending upon our state and federal officials to move them out of harm's way after the storm has hit.
He said he was unable to use available school buses to evacuate people because many drivers had fled the city.
Boy , talk about NOT answering a question .
I think it's time for Free Republic to take the next step in the battle against the MSM. Although Free Republic and other sites have been immensely successful in countering the agitprop of the mainstream media, by making available information that the MSM lies about or ignores - it is still not successful in countering the IMAGES that the MSM is able to manipulate and pound into the public's heads on a day-to-day basis. The MSM easily sidesteps the facts that are primarily only printed words on the internet, then lies through its teeth with brazenly manipulated images, out-of-context quotes and blatant falsehoods from liberal politicians on softball MSM interviews. The facts are still getting trumped in the "seeing it and hearing it" category.
The technology is readily available for the next quantum step in Blog news - and that is video reporting and actual news show delivery. There are undoubtedly thousands of Freepers with digital video capability, who can go out to the same events that the media hacks go to - who can take and deliver the images that the MSM won't. Just as a small example, imagine the impact if a Freeper took images of NOLA cops on a looting spree, the Red Cross being forced to turn back by Louisiana troopers, or Mayor Nagin lounging about while New Orleans flooded/with a split screen of aerial pans of the flooded buses. Or just video of any number of these moonbats at their public events, spouting the insane and incendiary comments they make.
On the other side of the coin, Free Republic can deliver the positive news that the MSM won't. It can show and talk about competent management of crises anywhere outside the control of corrupt Louisiana Democrats, and deliver interviews with key leaders, who are asked fair questions. It makes a HUGE difference for the public to SEE and HEAR the things we can generally only write about. The broadcast MSM is solidly and shamefully dedicated to a 24/7 smear campaign against Republicans, with the debatable exception of FoxNews, and how do most people get their news? They watch it...
So...what if Free Republic were to set up a broadband news section? A full-up broadband news show wouldn't be easy, cheap or simple, but it could be started that way. A sidebar area could be created that would allow posters to put up video reports with reporter narration, or straight-up commentary, with extensive moderator control, of course...or maybe not. Eventually, this would grow of its own accord, as Freepers would review these video reports, then pass them to other people outside the Freeper network.
I humbly predict it would take off on its own after that. This section, which would start as a somewhat uncontrolled playground, would eventually coalesce into a more tightly organized news broadcasting service, with organized shows, guest commentators and near-live reports.
It would be interesting to get Freeper input on this concept, negative and positive. Both are useful - because the naysayers identify all the obstacles that must be overcome, and the enthusiasts identify ways it could get done.
Whatever respect I had for Mary Landreau went out the window with that interview.
"The planning was always in getting people to higher ground, getting them to safety. That's what we meant by evacuation"
Mayor Nagin attempts to redefine the meaning of "evacuation," and even then, fails to accomplish his own definition.
As far as drivers, Mayor Nagin's own description of most of them being women, fearful of driving the buses, prior to the latest spin of "they all ran away," and his previous insistence upon Greyhounds, apparently because they had air conditioning and bathrooms... well, people suffered and died because of this. He is culpable, no matter how many odd, stereotypical slurs of their own drivers Nagin and Landrieu spout forth.
Her statements are too dumb to be believed. I am starting to think that the Dems left people in the city deliberately just to get face time in the media.
I LOVE your idea. We make a big noise here and at times have made some difference out there(dan Rather for one ) , but it's not enough . Keep in mind the MSM has the ability to reach millions , they have the $$$ and the technology and support to do ANYTHING they want.The internet is wonderful but the bulk of America STILL gets all it knows from MSM and network news ( by far ) It's a start though . Please keep me informed of other ideas you may have. I'm seriously afraid that if someone dosen't counter the blatent avalanche of propaganda , the nonstop lies of the MSM , that it will be too late sooner than we all think .
Nice work guy ..........
Never mind that federal funds for mass transit have nothing to do with school bus operations.
Republicans are out front in demanding more money for social programs, and bailing out those that should suffer the consequences of building and living on a flood plain. This country is not long for this world as a power broker. The fat lady is not only singing, she is on her second encore. Thanks Republicans, for not even believing your own rhetoric of smaller govt, and a return to constitutional limits.
"I like when she danced the sidestep on why the Governor ..."
Now you see me, now you don't LOL!!!!
Wonder if anyone still rents "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"?
She's silly. I don't have much to add, just wanted to try my new tagline.
I just knew it was Bush's fault that all those folks did not have a ride out of town. Now the mystery is solved and there is no need for a commission or hearings. Thanks Mary L.
And the fed. gov. did not have the athority to take over the evacuation because the Gov of LA was sitting on her hands. I say the LA Gov and Mayor were acting on Democrat party orders. What other excuse is there for leaving that many people in such a fix when you don't have to.
Never trust anyone who ends a sentence with "and that's the truth."
Words just fall short. Landrieu is a lying weasel, unworthy of being elected dogcatcher by any group of sane voters.
HA! That's a HOOT! :-)
Why?
I'm getting tired of elected democrats pretending that the United States doesn't have a government, that they are not a part of it, and that instead we have some monarchy with the president as king.
Landrieu is also wrong on the facts, but she should have the guts to say "WE failed to fund the cities", since she is part of the government that she says fails us.
"I'm 50 years old; I've never seen one any better,"
that's what living 50 years in a cacoon does
Landrieu lied her way into office, and hopefully, she has just lied her way out. While campaigning in 2002, she lied to the people of Louisiana by telling them about her wonderful working relationship with the President and how she supported him. After the election, they realized she had lied again and she did not support the things she promised to. I wish everyone in Louisiana could have seen her rude performance today. She was 3-D today....dishonest, disgusting and disgraceful.
Landrieu is trying to cover the Democrats butts, long after everyone has seen them mooning us during the whole crisis. Please, quit embarassing yourself, Mary.
Sounds like Vitter is trying to backpedal a little himself.
It's no longer just the feds fault. He must have realized how big a mistake he made by shooting his mouth off and not speaking for his constituents.
This was a great interview. He didn't cut her any slack for spouting her political bull.
I don't have to rent it...I own it!! :)
Actually, she managed in a single interview to both say that the evacuation of New Orleans was a SMASHING SUCCESS, and also to say that the failure of the evacuation was Bush's fault.
Great Pic!
So I immediately went to Google maps to see if I could do it myself. Easy. 100 N Gayoso St, New Orleans, LA to 1500 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA is "1.8 mi (about 3 mins)" by bus.
I thought that, but she means that without mass transit, people can't get to work -- not that the government can't get the drivers of the buses to work.
Given that New Orleans has a great mass transit system, and had a ton of city transit buses sitting around under water just like the school buses, the whole argument is absurd.
BTW, I don't dismiss Nagin's assertion that he didn't drive the rest of the people out because there was no place to take them. I don't see much evidence that there was another place within 100 miles of New Orleans that was prepared to shelter 100,000 more people DURING the hurricane, or in the day or two after.
I realise that was his third excuse, but it does seem that the New orleans evacuation plan counted on other counties to provide thosands of extra spaces as part of THEIR evacuation plans to handle the New Orleans people.
That's the problem with building a city under sea level. You just don't have any good places to build shelters in your own domain. Even the Red Cross refuses to operate shelters in the city because they won't set up a shelter where there might be flooding.
Wow...I never actually checked the "true" milage. As "the crow flies" I suppose it really is a little shorter, but even with what Google told you it's a deplorable blunder.
She really did insult the bus drivers. They could have told them load your family on the bus. Go to the bus stops and pick up as many people as you can. When the bus if full, use the one incoming lane that we have designated for bus evacuation and head to this location. They could have distributed the buses between the available shelters.
But, she is saying that the bus drivers if given the choice would not have chosen to save as many people as they could. Mary, speak for yourself. At least you had the chance to speak in the Governor and Mayor's ears and help these people evacuate the hell out of the city. Just because you and them were too worried about tourist dollars and lawsuits and failed to try and save people doesn't mean the bus drivers would have.
I'm thinking of writing my local supervisors to suggest we put a plan together to provide bus drivers for evacuation drills that aren't the normal school bus drivers.
Of course, our county isn't likely to ever end up under 20 feet of water, because who would be that stupid? But there could be other disasters that prevent us from using our SUVs.
"too afraid to drive the buses."
"I can't remember when I have heard a more patronizing comment...what black women can't drive? But Mary will get a pass on it..."
Ain't that the truth, BUMP!
Disgusting.
Spitz'
FR's successful responses in the past in countering the MSM has always been retort. There's a great track record amongst Conservative blogsites in picking apart a lie and forcing a retraction, but that's always long after the lie has been heard when few are still following the story.
The future belongs to 'report', not 'retort'.
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