In many respects, there was a dichotomy between two republicans, Huckabee and Hunter, two individuals who personally provided service to the Katrina victims. While Huckabee focused upon the devastation quality of nature, Hunter, to the dismay of many in the crowd and seemingly to Soledad O’Brien--engaged in a debate with the CNN moderator over the philosophy of rebuilding New Orleans and the type of hurricane protection needed. Hunter implied that the federal response should be dependent upon the number of people needing protection and said that government, in general, was incompetent.
Major BTTT for Hunter: the Conservative who knows no fear!
Louisiana/Hurricane Katrina ping.
Bump
His speech there was simply Stellar:
Two years ago, when I entered New Orleans with Rescue Task Force, the onslaught of flood and destruction dominated this great cit With Andrea Becks, former NFL cornerback Scott Turner, Yuma Mayor Larry Nelson and businessman Roy Tyler, we brought food, water and 1,000 beds to the folks who were in the city and the refugee centers.
With the aid of an airboat driver who could do everything but fly, we were privileged to be a small part of the rescue effort. In those days the headline stories were all about the failure of government – the bureaucracy of FEMA, the difficulty in handling the looting and the snafus of evacuation.
But I saw a different story. It was the story of the great National Guard troops who we found holding the city together, the law enforcement personnel, and the fireman and rescue workers from all over the United States who interrupted their lives to rush to help the people of New Orleans. It was the huge team of volunteers I saw at Houma who were operating the rescue center to clothe, feed and care for people. It was the huge room of clothes stacked so high, with a sign that said, “Please no more clothes are needed.”
Today, $116 billion has been appropriated to remedy the effects of Katrina. The rebuilding effort includes: $17 billion for housing and community development; $8.4 billion for levees and flood control; $10 billion for Small Business Administration loans; and, $3.5 billion for highways and bridges.
But more important than the government programs is the way the citizens of our nation shape and are shaped by this massive hurricane disaster and its aftermath. There are those who portray the people of New Orleans as permanent victims, to whom government owes lifetime entitlements. They view every aspect of Katrina as somehow a reflection of the need for bigger, stronger government, almost to the point to where one wonders if they won’t assign political blame for the winds and waters of the hurricane itself.
I don’t see it that way. I see a great future for New Orleans, based not on what government does for people but because of what free people do for themselves. For every cynic who sees only government as the answer I see people as the answer.
I see optimistic professionals and business people coming to New Orleans to meet the challenge and the opportunity now presented by the rebuilding.
I see young people who might have fallen into a hopeless cycle of dependency on government welfare, now finding fulfillment in the hard work of rebuilding New Orleans.
I see top notch school administrators and educators picking up the challenge of Americans in New Orleans, who have new education dreams for their children, 57% of who attend charter schools.
I see rising from the destruction of Katrina, a new and profound appreciation for freedom. The real story of Katrina and New Orleans is not the inefficiency of government. That is a truth we have always known. The real story of New Orleans and Katrina is the millions of Americans who responded from their hearts, for their fellow citizens who live in this city.
From the senior citizens who gave a part of their fixed income, to the school children who assembled food packages, to the doctors and nurses who volunteered, to the fellow citizens of this state who donated mountains of clothes and food — every nation of the world has a government that responds to its disasters, but no nation has as many citizens willing to share what they have with their fellow man as this blessed land called America.
In 1812, Andrew Jackson and his frontier militia blocked a small passageway of land between an enemy army and this great city. American determination carried that day and New Orleans survived. Since that day, more than 800,000 Americans have given their lives on battlefields around the world so that we may walk, worship and work in freedom.
We succeeded in protecting our nation because we had faith in God and confidence in the goodness of the American people. If we here in New Orleans ask the question, where is the success of our future; is it in government? The answer is and has always has been; no. The success of our future, my friends, is within us, individual people.
It is within our character, the American character of faith in God, of honesty, of hard work, the willingness to take risks, individual accountability and a heart for our fellow citizens.
New Orleans, based on these values, will stand, always.
And after 2 years,there are still some who continue to sit on their butts waiting for the government to do wave it's magic wand, and make everything better.
Hunter should have someone on his staff read these Katrina Live Theads, the timelines, the statements, orders, phone calls, pressers, ect.
It is amazing evidence of the lies of the MSM and the Dims.
Actually it should be published in book form for history, real time facts, decisions, and events.
Seriously.
Huh?
Hey buddy, is there a video of this?
It was also mentioned that New Orleans prerequisite Emergency Preparedness Plan, that are designed to take action immediately and hold the fort for the first 2 or more days while the Fed. Gov't gets equipment, etc, to the state...that plan, in NO, was only a paper-plan. No stocks of water, food, or evacuation measures. (I betcha there had plenty of money spent, on paper, for the nonexistent supplies, though.)
Also, some enterprising investigative reporter, or maybe even some Senator or congresscritter has put together a committee to get a concrete report on where the millions and millions of aid/rebuild monies that have been funneled to NO since Katrina, has been spent...
And Nagel will be indicted any day now to answer for his colossal negligence in his NON response during the emergency - and...
I'm sure these points were all brought up - I just missed 'em
“I love it. Just like at NALEO, Hunter carries his message to potentially hostile arenas...and doesn’t flinch. I LOVE it!”
I’ll never forget THIS:
“The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials invited all Republican presidential hopefuls to its annual convention at Disney World in Buena Vista, Fla.
Only one showed up — Rep. Duncan Hunter, of California.
A grateful audience gave Hunter a standing ovation Friday and some convention goers posed for snapshots with the congressman after his question and answer session.
Standing at the lone candidate podium which was decorated in red, white and blue, Hunter was asked about his plan to fix the nation’s immigration system.
“We need to build the fence and build it quickly,” he said.
An 854-foot fence would help national security, stop crime along the border, and protect the United States from terrorists, he said.
After the forum, he told reporters the fence would also keep people from dying in the desert of heat exhaustion.
“If 200 kids a year were dying in a canal the first thing you would do is fence it,” he said.
On Saturday, seven Democratic presidential candidates were slated to attend a forum at the NALEO conference, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Joseph Biden of Delaware, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio.”
“Huckabee and Hunter, two individuals who personally provided service to the Katrina victims.”
I heard that they helped. Does anyone happen to know what they did?
Former Republican presidential hopeful, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (”former candidate”?)
The GOP had been in power of the federal government since the beginning of 2007. (what?)
The Hope and Recovery Summit provided solitude to some and questions to many. (The summit provided solitude? Did no one show up?)
Glad to know that the best and the brightest are journalists.
Hunter scores again!
Man I wish more people would vote for him in the straw polls. This guy’s definitely the best candidate for president.
It’s weird how the perverts in the Democratik party are always whining that we need to forget 9-11 and “move on,” while at the same time, they are shoving their dumbass hurricane down our throats at every turn. It’s time for the ‘RATS to get over Katrina, get a life and “move on.” Dumbasses.
Oh, Mercy no!! Someone told them the truth!! UGH! The public can't deal with the truth!
Bless Duncan Hunter. Time to republish Emerson's Self Reliance and hand it out in the schools.
The Katrina and Rita “Send Us Some Mo Free Guvmint Money Summit” in New Orleans
ONLY a rat could critisize Hunters compassionate and inspiring speech! Unbelievable.
BTTT!
Hunter is awesome.
Don’t build below sea level...
Don’t build below sea level...
Don’t build below sea level...
When you are told to leave, leave...
When you are told to leave, leave...
When you are told to leave, leave...
>>>Former Republican presidential hopeful, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee
Huckabee dropped out?