Posted on 09/09/2005 7:20:15 AM PDT by ExitPurgamentum
Fri Sep 9, 6:06 AM ET
Colin Powell, the former U.S. secretary of state seen as a potential leader for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, has joined the chorus of Americans criticizing the disaster response at all levels of government.
"There have been a lot of failures at a lot of levels -- local, state and federal," Powell said in an ABC interview for the "20/20" program to be broadcast on Friday evening.
American political figures from both major parties have assailed the slow response to the hurricane's assault last week on the U.S. Gulf Coast, which devastated New Orleans and killed hundreds, possibly thousands, in the region.
"There was more than enough warning over time about the dangers to New Orleans. Not enough was done. I don't think advantage was taken of the time that was available to us, and I just don't know why," Powell said in excerpts on ABC's Web site.
He said he did not think that race was a factor in the slow response, but that many of those unable to leave New Orleans in time were trapped by poverty which disproportionately affects blacks.
Powell was the highest-ranking black official during U.S. President George W. Bush's first term and chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Gulf War. He is among various names mentioned in Washington as a potential "hurricane czar" to take over the long-term recovery effort.
Two senators from Bush's Republican party on Thursday proposed that such a job be created. White House officials have not ruled out the option, saying it is among several being discussed.
Some black leaders, including Democrats in Congress, have charged that racism contributed to the misery of New Orleans' predominantly black storm victims.
"I don't think it's racism, I think it's economic," Powell said. "But poverty disproportionately affects African-Americans in this country. And it happened because they were poor."
I think Hurricane Czar was a professional wrestler in the fifties. A bad-guy, loud-mouth Russian, who later became good, and then became bad again after that, and then got a job selling used cars and drank himself to death.
The Bushbots thought this guy walked on water and wouldn't listen to anything bad about him.
Total BS.
Actually, I think that the title deliberately distorts what Powell says here. President Bush said much the same thing. He said all three levels of government had problems and I have not heard any responsible person disagree with that.
If America actually had "black leaders" the "misery of New Orleans' predominantly black storm victims" wouldn't be used an an opportunity to exploit leftwing political positions.
He wants to be prezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Watch!
Just another pol following their liberal masters, the MSM, who write the script.
Powell, after all, is a democrat. and apparantly has now decided to run for office.
I don't care what it is, any massive undertaking such as this, is going to have it's share of mistakes. "A war is a series of calamaties that result in victory." The same goes for massive operations, such as this. We'll fix the problems, but the next time there will be even new situations that weren't anticipated.
I'd like to know how the Democrats attempted to help Blacks get out of poverty in New Orleans over the past 40 years? Oh, that's right, they "gave" them welfare.
I'm quickly losing the last bits of respect for Powell
Despite currying favor with the MSM, He is not Presidential Timber.
WTF? and why is that?
Lack of free education? nope
Lack of opportunity?, Nope
Help me here Colin, just why is it that Afican-Americans are disproportionately affected?
Here, let me submit my humble opinion, because we as a nation are now comprised of 50% who think that's OK.
I agree. The criticism of this effort borders on the insane, literally. The STORM combined with New Orleans' geography and inept evacuation plan killed people, and discomforted many many others. Criminals killed people. I think the federal government did well, given that it is government and is a huge creaking machine not run by one benevolent dictator (much less a czar).
The way you state it is very unfair. Sure, it will always be true that there are "mistakes made" in an operation as humongous as this one - that will never, ever, ever change. Every disaster will be unpredictably different and we will need to constantly evolve our responses. In this case, the local and state governments are primarily responsible for the mistakes and should shoulder 95% of the blame. Saying that "all levels" made a lot of mistakes is a lie.
Actually, I think that the title deliberately distorts what Powell says here.
That's exactly right. Powells comments are measured and not any different from what other responsible people have said. The headline writer turned them into something they are not.
Colin Powell is a decent man. If I was him I would stay out of it. Why come back in to this clusterf&ck?
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