Posted on 01/29/2009 12:25:59 PM PST by careyb
Your explanation of the ‘Brownie’ comment is enlightening. I’d bet Ms. Behar on the video - as well as most folks - are completely ignorant of the context you described. I know I was.
‘Your explanation of the ‘Brownie’ comment is enlightening. I’d bet Ms. Behar on the video - as well as most folks - are completely ignorant of the context you described. I know I was.’
I know, most don’t. Its infuriating, but that was a failure by the Bush Whitehouse. I suspect its what Rove is referring to when he said a couple of weeks ago ‘there were some things we should have fought harder about publicly’.
Whats really important is this. EVERY MEDIA OUTLET had access to the ‘raw video’ including FOX NEWS.
They all held a lynching. It was sucesseful.
Doug Brinkley’s book ‘The Great Deluge’ is a must read for anyone wanting to know what ‘really happened’ in the years leading up to Katrina, what happened in the year before as it relates to the idiot mayor of NOLA and the evacuation plan, and Governor Blanco’s freezing up at crunch time.
Whats amazing is its Douglas Brinkley, not exactly a fan of former President Bush, or Republicans in general. But he lives in New Orleans, he knows all the local and state players, and stayed there during the storm.
Its a helluva book, and a great read.
Actually, there WAS a good evacuation plan, the problem is, the Stoopid Governor Blanco (D-LA) refused to activate it.
It is THE GOVERNOR'S RESPONSIBILTY, not the President's to activate the evacuation. Once she refused, Bush could ONLY have activated it by arresting the Governor and declaring Martial Law.
I agree with you HOWEVER the state and local governments created that needy monster. They should have taken responsibility for the dependents they created instead of blaming the Feds.
Bush has always taken the high road, often at his own peril.
But his class should be our example. His low key exit from DC last week, and his graciousness towards Obama, were perfect examples of what a gentleman he is.
I hope he lives the rest of his years in peace.
I agree.
Bush should have headed back that day, rather than given a speech to veterans and playing a guitar.
It is about the appearances.
Perhaps it would not have stopped all of the unfair criticism, but it would have rendered some of it ineffective.
Yep. Water under the bridge...or over the city if you will allow...
Let's be clear, the optics of his response was terrible. In 1965, after Hurricane Betsy, Lyndon Johnson landed in the Deep South and mingled with the people, letting them know that he and the Government would be helping them in short order.
Bush's overflight of New Orleans was the beginning of the end of his Administration. It was fodder for a Democratic Party that wanted to paint the Administration as Out Of Touch.
Rice is right to defend Bush, and history will partly vindicate him, but his mishandling of the aftermath of the hurricane was what killed his second term. People turned him off after that.
As for Rice herself, I have always admired her, and have taken exception to the critiques of her on this board. She was much more of a Palmerstonian in the Second Term, and I was gratified by her hewing to a stricter sense of American national interest, and attempting to disengage us from overseas crusades which are none of our business.
Best,
Chris
Chris,
That’s an interesting and entirely reasonable take, perhaps too reasonable.
You missed the most important point - that the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party (aka The Mainstream Media) found, in Katrina, a way to mislead the public and take Bush down. He tried to overcompensate by giving too much largesse to NO and LA, thus losing support among conservatives as well.
bump
Fortunately, 80% of the city evacuated anyway.
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