Posted on 11/11/2009 7:15:30 PM PST by neverdem
As Hurricane Katrina zeroed in on New Orleans in 2005, government at all levels was lethargic, seemed unprepared, and to some, even uncaring. In the wake of last week’s massacre at Fort Hood, we are learning that the United States Army knew quite a bit about Major Nadal Malik Hasan -- but did not act on the information. Fort Hood could become Barack Obama’s Katrina.
In 2005, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff designated the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Michael D. Brown to lead the government’s response to the hurricane. Even though there were charges of mismanagement and delayed reactions to the devastation, President Bush was famously quoted as saying to Brown: “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
The apparent nonchalance would dog the Bush administration to the very end.
In the Fort Hood case, we’re now discovering all kinds of things about the “suspected” shooter. (We have to say “suspected” even though there were dozens of witnesses because Hasan has not been tried. His lawyer, John Galligan, has advised him to keep his mouth shut.)
The Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. George Casey was made available to three of the Sunday morning TV discussion shows -- presumably to show how concerned our government is about the rampage. Casey, on all three shows, made it clear what the military is concerned about: First, he told America that he had ordered his officers to make sure that muslims serving in the military do not become the victims of a backlash. Second, Casey stated, “It would be a shame -- as great a tragedy as this was -- it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty as well.”
So thirteen soldiers and civilian workers lay in area morgues -- fourteen counting the unborn child of a pregnant solider -- and about thirty more were in various hospitals, some in critical condition, and the Army Chief of Staff is concerned about Muslim soldiers and diversity.
Echoing what President Obama had said on the day of the shootings, Casey warned that no one should jump to any conclusions based on early information. After all, such speculation “could heighten the backlash.”
On Thursday afternoon, the day of the shootings, President Obama was politicking at an Indian Reservation and was expected to comment to the nation about the events at Fort Hood. When he finally went on national TV, he chattered about his visit there and gave a “shout out” to Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- before finally getting around to the events in Texas.
His lighthearted mood and his apparent lack of concern eclipsed anything we saw in the aftermath of Katrina. Oh, well. At least he remembered to tell us not to speculate.
Talk radio and cable television speculated anyway. The truth turns out to be beyond most of the speculation. Hasan had been talking and a lot of people knew what was in his head. He had attended a Mosque, the same one that some of the 9/11 hijackers had attended, and he had come under the influence of a fiery, radical imam. Federal authorities knew about this just as they knew about web postings that may have come from Hasan about suicide bombings and other Islamic threats. Now we learn that Hasan may have tried to contact al Qaeda.
So what, exactly did the military know, and when did it know it? And why was no action taken? Could it be to preserve Casey’s precious diversity?
The attitude of our Commander-in-Chief and others sworn to protect us is frighteningly reminiscent of what happened with Katrina. All we need from Obama is a hearty, “Gen. Casey, you’re doing a heck of a job.”
The ennablers in our media will make sure it isn't.
The analogy is based on a false premise. The blame for the Katrina fiasco should be laid at the feet of local government (i.e. Nagin) and not the Bush Administration.
No, Obama’s flying Air Force One at New York City was his Katrina!
It was the media that turned Katrina from a natural disaster into a Bush disaster. The media will not do this to Obama on any issue.
Please. Last week everybody said swine flu was Obama’s Katrina. Next week it will be the Obama logo on White House basket balls being his Katrina.
Somebody is gonna have to show me that part of the Constitution where it says it's the job of government (tax payers) to do one damn thing about a hurricane.
Ya right, the media is and will continue to cover for obumber. Bush did everything he need to do and more after Katrina, the media made an issue of it just to heart Bush. The sad thing is that now it’s accepted fact that it was a Bush screw up, even here on FR.
Katrina wouldn’t have been seen as a Bush debacle without the State Run Media. The SRM will never turn against their man. Never.
Barry is a POS President. Pray for a real leadership!
Barry is a POS President. Pray for a real leadership!
That actually called for a double post.....
The blame for Katrina should be at the feet of both Nagin (for his incompetent inaction) and Blanco (for her IMO criminal obstruction). Bush had assets mobilized and ready to go, however by law needed state permission to get them there. This is overlooked by the MSM, which blamed Bush for the sun rising in the morning.
well, after hearing all the positive comments by Freepers about his "performance" at the memorial service yesterday, i think it might turn out to be his Oklahoma City Bombing... remember how Clinton's popularity soared after that?
Nothing will be ever be Obama’s Katrina until the media holds him responsible for his own actions. That’s not going to happen in the short term or, most likely, ever.
Ducking responsibility is the number one skill of sociopaths.
The same thing was done to the first Pres. Bush. Gov Lawton Chiles of Fla. sat on his ass for 5 days allowing the Americans in Homestead to suffer because he did not give permission to Bush to send in Federal aid. And the media showed Bush out on his boat in Maine.
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The reason I cancelled cable TV was Fort Hood lib bews media spin and the other reason was Larry David urinating on Christ. I can think of a million other things I can do besides watch TV.
If there is something I need from TV - I can get it free off the internet.
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