Bush apologizes

[Nash]

This got burried rather quickly, so once more: Hows about them apples?

-- All necessary conditions for federal relief were met on August 28. Pursuant to Section 502 of the Stafford Act, "(t)he declaration of an emergency by the President makes Federal emergency assistance available," and the President made such a declaration on August 28. The public record indicates that several additional days passed before such assistance was actually made available to the State;

-- The Governor must make a timely request for such assistance, which meets the requirements of federal law. The report states that "(e)xcept to the extent that an emergency involves primarily Federal interests, both declarations of major disaster and declarations of emergency must be triggered by a request to the President from the Governor of the affected state";

-- The Governor did indeed make such a request, which was both timely and in compliance with federal law. The report finds that "Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco requested by letter dated August 27, 2005...that the President declare an emergency for the State of Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina for the time period from August 26, 2005 and continuing pursuant to (applicable Federal statute)" and "Governor Blanco's August 27, 2005 request for an emergency declaration also included her determination...that 'the incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of disaster."

Of course, it aint Drudge. But being the first official document to emerge since this disaster, I thought I'd go out on a limb and post it anyways.

[ASTAC]

What I want to know is, why this whole disaster immediately became about the politics? It wasn't even 24 hours after the storm passed and accusations started to fly...maybe the president dropped the ball, maybe the local officials did, who knows really. Instead of just movong on into the relief and recovery stage, we have to pause and figure out who is responsible and who will have to pay for their irresponsibility. Meanwhile the victims are forgotten by everybody except the communities who are taking them in and providing help without the help of Federal or State aid.

[rpm]

Maybe because the bodies of dead Americans were floating in the streets?

[ASTAC]

Originally posted by rpm
Maybe because the bodies of dead Americans were floating in the streets?

And the government is responsible for that? Just because these people were morons and didn't leave? I don't recall our constitution giving any garuntee of your personal safety.

[Nash]

Originally posted by ASTAC
"... Instead of just movong on into the relief and recovery stage, we have to pause and figure out who is responsible and who will have to pay for their irresponsibility. Meanwhile the victims are forgotten... "

Ever heard of multi-tasking? I don't see any politicians or talking heads tasked with rescuing people, so it's probably safe to assume that these two things can happen at the same time. There is no "pausing." All the same, I don't actually believe that matters of taste nor concern for the victims (or in your words - "morons") prompted your reply.

[ASTAC]

Originally posted by Nash
Ever heard of multi-tasking? I don't see any politicians or talking heads tasked with rescuing people, so it's probably safe to assume that these two things can happen at the same time. There is no "pausing." All the same, I don't actually believe that matters of taste nor concern for the victims (or in your words - "morons") prompted your reply.

Frankly I don't have much concern for the victims..even attempting to walk out of town before the storm came would have been smarter than trying to stay there. As far as I'm concerned those who stayed couldn't have expected any more than what happened. Did you happen to see how they treated the very expensive shelter they were provided with? And their behavor inside that shelter before and During the storm?

[Nash]

Originally posted by ASTAC
Frankly I don't have much concern for the victims...

Then you'll excuse everyone for trying to get to the bottom of it without your feigned concern for these "morons."

[rpm]

Originally posted by ASTAC
And the government is responsible for that? Just because these people were morons and didn't leave? I don't recall our constitution giving any garuntee of your personal safety.

Forgive them, for they know not what they speak.

Originally posted in the Declaration of Independance
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

[ASTAC]

geesh Nash what did I do to you?

Look, I do care, but the fact that NOTHINg can happen today without someone pointing a political finger at someone in order to win brownie points with the public is EXTREMELY frustrating...I've watched the news and read newspapers all my life, and NEVER until about the mid 90's did I see verything that goes on in life have some sort of POLITICAL stuff associated with it.

I'm just sick and tired of it is all. The "victims" are the ones everybody should be concerned with. As with everything mistakes were made by EVERYBODY in charge. No plan and no person is perfect so stuff will happen. Why can't we just pick up from the mistakes and move on?

And RPM the Declaration of Independence is NOT our governing document:lol

[rpm]

Yeah, the Declaration of Independance is just another LIBERAL rant. Sorry ASTAC, you've lost all cred.

[ASTAC]

Originally posted by rpm
Yeah, the Declaration of Independance is just another LIBERAL rant. Sorry ASTAC, you've lost all cred.

It was an document of ideology, but not a foundation for our government. It also was a document of accusations to justify our split from england..have you ever read the whole thing? It's a great peice of work, but not what governs our land.

[rpm]

0% cred.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by rpm
I can't believe you guys are defending Dubya after he stepped up to the plate and apologuised for his obvious failure in handling this disaster. On second thought, yes I can believe it.

Why don't you pick up a copy of Newsweek and read just exactly what happened and how it was handled? Oh wait, that is just the liberal media. Perhaps you should tune to your "Fair and Balanced" Fox News Channel and watch their coverage, or are they now just the liberal media?

It's pretty a universal conclusion that Bush screwed the pooch on this one. It's also his own conclusion. Or is he just some ignorant liberal?

Enlighten us. How is it "Bush" failed?

Seems to me the organizations under him failed in the disaster. Not him personally other then by doing what every political person in power does in both parties. Which is putting beurocrates into positions they arent qualified to run.

That was resolved though after the fact by the resigning (read firing) of Brown

But he is top dog so its only natural that he accept responsibility for what happened. Still the blame isnt all Bush's either. Plenty of blame to go around still all the way down to the level of the N.O. Mayor. Whom if he had done like he should have in the first place alot of people woudlnt have been stuck there and alot of people would still be alive now without the need for federal assistance

But as the person in charge you expect the people under you to do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it. When things go wrong you take the responsibility, just as when things go right you accept the credit. Even though you personally may not have been the one to have done anything other then issue the order of "get it done"

So unless Bush specifically didnt do something he was supposed to and I havent seen any indication of that he personally didnt fail.
the people under him did. And as the man in charge he is naturally accepting responsibility for the failure of his subordinates.

While Newsweek is certainly a credible publication
I think two weeks after the fact is probably still too soon to know everything there is to know.

And this story seems to be changing almost by the day
And it will take some time before everything is correctly sorted out as to who did or didnt do what,when, and how

[Nash]

pssst... DREDIOCK... you didn't really say anything there.

I do it all the time too... that's how I can spot it.

[ASTAC]

Originally posted by rpm
0% cred.
quote:We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Where does it say that your life is the responsibility of the Government?

The local and state Governments fulfilled the part of "promote the general welfare" when they told people they need to leave BEFORE the storm.

Of course what hurts the most is I've lost all credability with yet another faceless typist on a BBS, that has no effect on my day to day life...guess I should be lucky you aren't soemone that matters.