Posted on 09/15/2005 10:26:20 AM PDT by kddid
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's abrupt decision Wednesday night to take responsibility for her state's inadequate response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster followed an inadvertent confession that was caught on camera where Blanco admitted she blew it.
"I really should have called for the military," Blanco said, while chatting with her press secretary in between TV interviews. "I really should have started that in the first call."
Unbeknownst to Blanco, her bombshell acknowledgment was recorded on a network satellite feed, and by Tuesday the clip was getting wide exposure in Louisiana news broadcasts.
In the early days of the Katrina crisis, disaster management experts repeatedly blamed the failure to send in the National Guard for the city's descent into chaos.
Most observers blamed the White House for the blunder - a misconception that was thoroughly dispelled by the governor's inadvertent confession. Some say Blanco's blooper was responsible for the abrupt change of tone in her speech Wednesday night to the Louisiana legislature.
Where earlier she and her aides had openly blamed the Bush administration for bungling Katrina rescue efforts, Blanco announced: "The buck stops here, and as your governor, I take full responsibility."
Just as surprising were Blanco's words of praise for the White House: "I want the people of Louisiana to know that we have a friend and a partner in President George W. Bush. I thank you, Mr. President."
"Just as surprising were Blanco's words of praise for the White House: "I want the people of Louisiana to know that we have a friend and a partner in President George W. Bush. I thank you, Mr. President."
Uh, and I want my share of the 200,000,000,000 Benjamin flood coming down here, at last a $ flood LA pols can come to love.
11:27 A.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government should have pre-positioned more sandbags and helicopters in the New Orleans area before Hurricane Katrina struck so that repairs to broken levees could have started sooner, the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday.
"In retrospect I would say yes, we could have, we should have, in anticipation of this," Lt. Gen. Carl Strock told a Pentagon news conference.
"Bush will roll over as usual"
I don't see it this way. Look, the damage is done to her, the cat is out of the bag and she's doing the right thing by not hiding it. Bush shouldn't do anymore than he has been. He IS ultimately responsible for the federal government's response - but I say both the bad AND the good. And she's finally owning up to her side - her considerably large side of it. If Bush decides to be nice about it, that is because our president has class. We elected him for many things, and his and Laura's class was something often admired here at FR.
She should have called the military? I thought the only person who could call the military was the Federal Executive, AKA The President!?
Here is the video of her saying it
http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/09/12/blancocnndaybreak/
And even when Blanco finally decided it was time to use her National Guard for "law-enforcement" purposes, she still had waited 4 days (9/2) before making that decision. What was worse is that she only sent in 300 at this time:
"US troops with shoot-to-kill orders have been deployed in New Orleans to restore law and order after days of chaos and looting in the hurricane-devastated city.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco says the 300 troopers from the Arkansas National Guard has been authorised to open fire on "hoodlums" who have been terrorising the flooded city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Their deployment came amid intense criticism of the government for a tardy response to the disaster, which is feared to have killed thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands more stranded and homeless.
"These troops are fresh back from Iraq, well trained, experienced, battle tested and under my orders to restore order in the streets," the governor said."
No. She had to ask. Original "jurisdiction" for recovery vests in the state, not the feds.
Gee, ya THINK?!?
I'm sure he will step forward, make a reference to President Bush's and Gov Blanco's statements and proclaim - "See I told you it wuz they faults!!!"
A misconception that was "thoroughly dispelled"? Don't count on it...the media is still committed to putting all the blame on Bush, regardless of the reality.
As a true Believer with the responsibility to command and lead, it is his responsibility, as well as others, to help his fellow man with focus on the 'less fortunate'.
Nagin and Blanco have seriously damaged the DNC in the eyes of Americans of all political persuasions from the screw-ups. In those terms, both the mayor and the governor can be considered less fortunate IMHO.
MST3K would be great on this story.
I miss that show.
The people who would normally be up on the levees looking for weak spots and respond immediately were gone from the city," he said. "So that is one of the things that made it difficult for us to respond here.Were these folks that worked for the ACoE, state employees, or something else?
now, who's going to reveal the devious reaction of the Congressional Black Caucus whose performance was even more disgraceful than the Gov and Hizzoner? Cummins, JJ, et al, have got to be held resonsable for once in their lives for the unjustified attacks they have launched on a vulnerable population. And let's not even get into Howard Dean ! WHat a pathetic lot the formerly grand Democrat Party has become
Miss Blanco will soon be out with a press conference saying "You didn't hear what you thought you did. I didn't say what you heard me say."
It won't matter. She will NEVER pay a price for her bungling. The Dem's will close ranks and blame Bush because Bianco was so stupid from the stress of the situation and the Feds didn't step in. The shrinks will back that up saying she had Post Traumatic Stress from her responsibilities.
I do not know.
Are the DUmmies under suicide watch?
If this is Blanco's and the admission had to be caught off-camera where she would never admit on-camera, where's New Orleans Mayor Nagin's admission of guilt? Hundreds of buses underwater when he could have used them to evacuate people.
Kathleen Blanco: I Should Have Called the Military
YA THINK?! But noooo, you blame everything on Bush in the early days after the disaster...this woman is inept. The people of LA deserve better.
http://www.newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/1/105333.shtml
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.