Posted on 09/14/2005 12:37:55 PM PDT by Chi-townChief
Every time I criticize President Bush for his administration's woefully inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, especially during those critical first few days, I hear from suddenly compassionate conservatives who say it's not right to play politics with a disaster. Besides, do I really think Al Gore or John Kerry would have done a better job?
Maybe and yes, in that order.
As for Bill Clinton, even fair-minded Republicans would have to acknowledge that he would have been more impressive than Bush in the immediate aftermath of Katrina.
I've also yet to hear from one conservative arguing that Bush's finest moments have occurred in the last two weeks. If you believe that to be the case, I would love to hear your case.
Beyond that, let's drop all this nonsense about whether it's appropriate to criticize the president when they're still finding corpses in New Orleans.
Of course it's appropriate. It's downright American. And any Republican who tries to tell me he would have laid off a Democratic president during a time of crisis is lying, either to me or to himself.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
http://www.suntimes.com/output/roeper/cst-nws-roep12.html
He sounds a little pissed and not his hyena-like self. It's a shame that Dopey doesn't share his e-mails; he probably got his sorry ass well-kicked.
"As for Bill Clinton, even fair-minded Republicans would have to acknowledge that he would have been more impressive than Bush in the immediate aftermath of Katrina."
If biting your lip makes you impressive............
Clinton woulda been off in some closet with an intern.
Clinton started the visiting of disaster zones during the 92 election when he beat Bush Sr down to FL after Hurricane Andrew. This is how stupid it has gotten - first one there wins!
Perhaps Doeper doesn't write his headlines, but if "we all know" already that his thesis-statement is correct, then why are you bothering to write your column at all?
Starting with a lie of a headline is usually a bad beginning.
It isn't right, you ghoul. Just as it isn't right to dance on the corpses of the dead to shout "I told you so!"
Email the cretin here: rroeper@suntimes.com
Maybe we should remind Roeper of the big difference between what Clinton did after a certain crisis in his administration called "Waco"
Bush "excepted" responsibility for the "slow" (not my opinion) Federal response.
When asked by a reporter if he (Clinton) was responsible for Waco he replied "Oh, That was Reno's deal! Ha Ha" I remember this very well and it was a measure of the person that Clinton was, liked the praise never the criticism!
No evidence of that. Clinton's FEMA never faced even so large a challenge as Andrew, never mind Katrina.But it is true that Clinton would have made a show of caring, just the way he did at Ron Brown's funeral. If that impresses you . . .
Clinton was in Australia on 9/11/01. Bush went out of his way to make it possible for him to get back to the US when normal civilian flights were grounded. Clinton then rushed to NYC to visit Ground Zero before Bush.
The only difference between Bush and Gore, Kerry or Clinton is the media with the latter would never tell you the problems. It in only due to Bush in office we get the negatives.
The writer forgets all the disasters under the previous administrations and the problems and lawsuits that exist today - the bridge in San Fan 10 years later has never been replaced.
The media has decided to cover the negatives against bush yet I don't see how it could have been handled better except for the local preparedness and response that was a disaster itself.
This writer, write with blinders and hurt the future since their approach would not help future events as their previous coverage did not help us now.
Far more impressive to whom? Is there any way to know who Clinton would have been in bed with when Katrina kit?
Remember the floods in North Dakota and Minnesota back in 1997. FEMA responded much later than they did in NOLA, but the press gave Clinton glowing reviews.
Clinton was and still is a media whore. I remember him at Ground Zero and I just wanted to punch him.
I'll let Investment Business Daily from Sept. 9 rebut this notion:
Does that mean Clinton's FEMA was the model of government efficiency and effectiveness? Or was it closer to the DMV and post office? Just ask the tens of thousands of people left stranded up and down the Eastern Seaboard by Hurricane Floyd in 1999."We're starting to move the trailers in," said then-FEMA director and current Hillary favorite James Lee Witt, nearly a month after Floyd first hit. "It's been so wet, it's been difficult to get things in there"
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