Posted on 12/07/2005 5:30:59 PM PST by caryatid
For the first time, Governor Kathleen Blanco has responded to those Hurricane Katrina e-mails and documents her office has turned over to Congress and the media. They detail, in some cases, minute-by-minute staff decisions, and some of those e-mails talk about how the governor should dress and ways to make her look more commanding.
The governor was forceful Wednesday when addressing those documents and didn't mince words. Working with our colleagues in New Orleans, 9 News asked her about whether she was embarrassed at an apparent focus during a crisis on how to improve her image. She told us she's not an e-mail governor, that the e-mails don't tell the whole story, but that she released the documents to make sure Congress has no excuse not to help Louisiana.
"In the end we're getting punished in Congress... for reasons I can't understand, they don't want to help us, so I thought being brutally honest and putting everything out there would be the ticket to help getting some of these things," said Blanco.
"On the personal e-mails, I didn't know those existed. I don't e-mail, I give approval to some things on somebody else's blackberry -- you know, those little hand-held e-mailers -- on some documentation."
Blanco was emphatic about her actions during and after Katrina. She told reporters, "My full time and energy was focused on saving lives, saving lives, saving lives."
Some e-mails that went to Blanco's staff in the days just after Katrina suggested that she should wear certain kinds of shoes and other clothing, and be seen hugging at shelters. Working with WWL in New Orleans, 9 News asked the governor whether that kind of talk embarrassed her.
"The clothing issues are kind of funny when I think about it," she said. "They don't come from my staff -- we had all kinds of people out and about in the world giving us advice. I thought that was pretty funny when I look back on it."
The governor's staff pointed out that the e-mails about the clothes are only a handful out of 20,000 or more e-mails and that they didn't come from her staff. In fact, one top staffer with the governor said Wednesday that the only time they talked about clothes was finding clean clothes as the days wore on there at the state emergency operations center.
Trying to put a good face on it.
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so I thought being brutally honest and putting everything out there would be the ticket to help getting some of these things," said Blanco.
----B**ch, you wouldn't know the meaning of the word "honest". The "ticket" to getting anything is for you to step down.
I wonder how anyone can be sure that 'an approval made on someone else's Blackberry' actually came from Blanco?
I smell a big rat, a DemocRAT.
That is exactly why she is named BlanKo
First, of all, is she telling the truth? And, to what extent does she "not" e-mail? Does she exchange e-mails with the First Gent [who lives in Lafayette, not Baton Rouge] or with any of her children [if she has children]?
Any prudent politician, or any prudent wheeler-dealer in business, would be wise to eschew e-mail as a means of not leaving a paper [wireless] trail. That is the first thing a good lawyer does -- go after documents and e-mails.
[Trust me, there are many, many people in the world who still do not e-mail.]
"Any prudent politician, or any prudent wheeler-dealer in business, would be wise to eschew e-mail as a means of not leaving a paper [wireless] trail. That is the first thing a good lawyer does -- go after documents and e-mails."
Those of us who post here are in a heap of trouble. Years and years of opinions on all kinds of subjects will almost certainly keep me off the supreme court.
I heard something to the effect that Blanco was napping when Chernoff called. Is this right?
As in draws a complete Blanko!
Yep! LOL
who cares what she was wearing? she should have been in a wet suit the way she was handling things. all of this just amazes me. napping? why wasnt she doing her best to help her people, the people of LA? if i lived in that state id want her out ASAP. she should be ashamed & step down if she cant do her job correctly.
I remember everyone trashed Brown over some comment he made about wearing FEMA clothes i.e. "I'm a fashion God." Maybe floods cause the high and dry to make clothing jokes.
Perdogg, I had not heard that she was napping when Chertoff called. Many people on Free Republic have suggested that she was heavily tranquilized throughout the Katrina ordeal. There, again, I have no personal knowledge. If you have been watching the Katrina threads there were some wonderful pictures of Blanco with her eyes barely open.
Heck, I was tranquilzed throughout the Katrina ordeal and I'm not even governor.
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