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Senator Landrieu would you please answer the question...

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
From the VERY Liberal Daily Howler:

THE JOY OF FAKE FACTS! Even when people are suffering and dying, they just won’t stop making up facts: // link // print // previous // next //

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

THERE’S NOTHING ABOUT MARY: We thought Chris Wallace was a bit unbalanced in the way he went after Mary Landrieu on yesterday’s Fox News Sunday. (Senator David Vitter, R-LA, appeared with her.) On the other hand, Landrieu’s performance was so utterly woeful that it deserves recording. Being good liberals, DAILY HOWLER readers care about the poor—and we care about little else. Surely, therefore, we will all want to condemn this senator’s hapless performance.
Wallace started with tape of Landrieu’s heartfelt statement on the floor of the Senate. “I intend to find out why the federal—particularly the response of FEMA—was so incompetent and insulting to the people of our states,” the solon had declared on Thursday. But uh-oh! Wallace wanted to know if Landrieu was troubled by the performance of local officials, too. Before we look at Landrieu’s response, here was his first specific question:

WALLACE (9/11/05): Senator Landrieu, I want to ask you—and I'll ask you both, but let me start with you about the local response. Was it “incompetent and insulting” for Mayor Ray Nagin to order a mandatory evacuation, but then to leave buses—and we have a picture of them—hundreds of buses idle, so that they could be flooded, instead of using them to get people out?
Here at THE HOWLER, we’d like to know more about the shortcomings of the city’s pre-flood evacuation. Should Nagin have had a better plan to get poor people out of their neighborhoods? In our view, Wallace’s question was confrontational, but perfectly sensible. But Landrieu’s answer was so absurd that—well, we’ll guess that any good liberal will find it “incompetent and insulting.” For starters, Landrieu pretended that she had been asked about two neighboring governors:
LANDRIEU (continuing directly): Well, Chris, I was there, as you know, through the whole ordeal with state and local officials, and was right there with Louisiana Democrats and Republicans, city council members, police chiefs, mayors, the governors, and could watch what [Mississippi governor] Haley Barbour was doing and Governor Riley in Alabama. I am not going to level criticism at the local level. These people did—
Say what? At this point, Wallace jumped in to get her on track. But Landrieu continued her wandering:
WALLACE (continuing directly): But I'd like you to answer, if you could, this one specific question.
LANDRIEU: Well, I will. I will answer it. I am not going to level criticism at local and state officials. Mayor Nagin and most mayors in this country have a hard time getting their people to work on a sunny day, let alone getting them out of the city in front of a hurricane. And it's because this administration and administrations before them do not understand the difficulties that mayors, whether they are in Orlando, Miami, or New Orleans, face.

Huh? Wallace tried to refocus Landrieu again. Amid endless [CROSSTALK], her point emerged. The problem was, the Bush Admin doesn’t believe in mass transit:
LANDRIEU (continuing directly): In other words, this administration did not believe in mass transit. They won't even get people to work on a sunny day, let alone getting them out—
WALLACE: But Senator, there were hundreds of buses sitting in that parking lot. Can I just ask the question?

LANDRIEU: You can, but let me finish, if I could, please.

WALLACE: Well, look in the picture here. There were hundreds of buses in parking lots. The city and the state—

LANDRIEU: That is underwater. Those—

WALLACE: It wasn't underwater before the—

LANDRIEU: Those buses were underwater. Those buses—

WALLACE: They weren't underwater on Saturday. They weren't underwater on Sunday.

Wallace was asking an obvious question: Why weren’t these buses used to evacuate poor people before the storm hit? But Landrieu pretended she didn’t understand. And now, she fell back on a much-ridiculed Mike Chertoff soundbite—New Orleans had been hit by twin disasters!
LANDRIEU (continuing directly): We had two catastrophes. We had a hurricane and then we had a levee break. When the levee broke, not only did New Orleans go underwater, but St. Bernard when underwater and St. Tammany Parish went underwater.
WALLACE: But they weren't underwater on Sunday.

LANDRIEU: And Plaquemines went underwater. And because the mayor evacuated the city, we had the best evacuation between Haley Barbour and Kathleen Blanco of any evacuation I've seen. I'm 50 years old; I've never seen one any better.

WALLACE: But there were a hundred thousand people left in the city.

LANDRIEU: They did a hundred thousand people left in the city because this federal government won't support cities to evacuate people, whether it's from earthquakes, tornadoes, or hurricanes. And that's the truth. And that will come out in the hearing.

In a prize fight, a referee would have stepped in and called the whole thing off. Already, this may have been the worst performance ever seen on a Sunday show. But now, Wallace posed his second question—and Landrieu’s response, if anything, was worse. Gaze on the caliber of public official now defending the interests of the poor:
WALLACE: Senator Vitter, do you think it was—and I'll get you in this in a moment, Senator Landrieu—do you think it was “incompetent and insulting” for Governor Blanco not to bring in the federal guard—or, the National Guard, rather—into the city of New Orleans in force until Friday of that first week?
VITTER: Yes.

WALLACE: Senator Landrieu?

LANDRIEU: Can I—

WALLACE: Yes or no?

The die had been cast—how had Blanco performed? Wallace had asked an obvious question. But just try to believe Landrieu’s “answer:”
LANDRIEU (continuing directly): Well, let me add something about our Guard and Reserve. We have 3,000 Guardsmen coming back from Iraq after they've served, sometimes twice. Our General Landreneau (ph) has said that he's giving them a break. Thank God we have such a good leader. They need a break. They need to get with their families—many of them, their homes are destroyed.
I read in the paper this morning, alarmingly, that the Mississippi governor is not going to allow the Mississippi Guard, or whoever is making that decision. And I'll plead for the Mississippi, for the Alabama Guard, and for the Louisiana Guard: please give these guys a break. They're carrying the weight of the world, literally, on their shoulders.

And we cannot continue to burden the Guard and Reserve. Now, some of them can volunteer; that's great. But we have to be very careful about putting that burden on them.

Asked about Governor Blanco’s performance; she replied by discussing Governor Barbour’s, raising a wholly irrelevant point. But to see how hapless this solon can be, just check out what she said next:
LANDRIEU (continuing directly): And let me say one thing I do agree with David about—and we agree with many things; he and I have worked very closely together this week: Everyone will be held accountable. The president himself will be held accountable. This administration; I will be held accountable; Senator Vitter will be held accountable; and all state and local officials. Now is not the time for finger-pointing. Now is the time to rebuild. So, I'm asking the White House to stop sending out press releases blaming local and state officials.
Now is not the time for finger-pointing? Landrieu had been “finger-pointing” all week! Indeed, Wallace had just played the tape of her finger-pointing statements! Landrieu’s response was completely absurd. And Wallace, quite fairly, said as much:
WALLACE: OK, thank you. But you're the one who's done the finger- pointing. You were the one who, on the Senate floor, talked about the federal response being “incompetent and insulting” to the people of Louisiana. You were the one—if I might—and, I want to ask you, also, because you've also pointed the finger at the Bush administration for failing to spend enough on flood control. Here's what you said this week on the Senate floor. Let's take a look...
Wallace asked two more questions—one about Landrieu’s past conduct concerning some alleged pork, one about the amount of flood control spending requested by Presidents Clinton and Bush. The pork allegation was so obscure that even Landrieu could handle the query. But here’s what she said about flood control spending by Clinton and Bush:
LANDRIEU: Number one, it is true that the president gave slightly more than Bill Clinton. But what is also true is Bill Clinton was running the largest deficit created by the Reagan administration before him and the Bush administration before him.
President Bush was running a surplus. Yet, when he had a surplus, he didn't invest it in levees and flood protection for people from Miami to Orlando to New Orleans to Biloxi or to Mobile. He had other priorities. And I have a letter I will submit to Fox Network.

But is that true? On Friday, Media Matters said that the Washington Post bungled when it made this claim about Clinton/Bush spending. (Wallace cited the Post in his question.) Who’s right about this? We have no idea. But would you bet your house on Landrieu?
We thought we’d seen some hopeless Sunday outings, but Landrieu really took the cake. The answers she gave were cosmically fake. Surely, every viewer could see it. A word came to mind about her performance. Because you care about the interests of poor people, perhaps you can guess it: Insulting.
 
This example really gives credibillity of Browns statement that the La. govt. was disfunctional.
After reading the responses of senator Landrieu one could certainly come away with a sense that she is disfunctional.
I have personally met Ms. Landrieu and that is the caliber of person that is in politics in that state(my home state) and worse but compared to the other carreer politicians Landrieu is one of the better ones which ain't saying much about LA politicians.
Yes, Brownie is a tool but look at the kind of people he was trying to work with.
How can you deal with a disaster when the people running the show are so far out in left field?

If you watch the gov of Mississippi Haley Barbor speak on TV and also Blanco from La it obvious right away who is in touch and who isn't.
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Damn True said:
Nuthin from the left huh?

So does she, Blanco, Nagin etc. get a pass?
Um, no.

Jesus ****ing Christ, you guys don't read anything but your own jerk off posts?

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129433

Notice the date. This was before White House staffers made that DVD so Bush could see what he was flying into. You see, the President doesn't watch the news. Doesn't like to see things through "filters". Plus, he was on vacation. Now, I keep hearing how those are working vacations...but I gotta wonder if the little estate down in Crawford is incapable of getting CNN on a dish. Maybe he doesn't have a view of the southern sky? Is that why Bush is cutting down brush all the time?

The difference is, most of the left is seeing screwups at ALL levels of government. Be careful with Nagin, by the way (or Nayger, as Limbaugh called him. Freudian slip, or Oxycontin? We report, you decide...) He was a Republican right up until he switched parties before the election.
 

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
"Between Bush strumming a guitar yesterday, the governor breaking up on tv, and the mayor not getting much done, it really brings to light how important it was to have someone who didn't have his head up his ass in 2001 take charge."

Fairly glossed over assesment in light of all the things Nagin & Blanco failed to do such as ordering a mandatory evac instead of "well if you want to, you might think about it, sorta..." or a failure to ensure at least their own police and fire departments were at the ready, or a failure to use a single one of the hundreds of busses that wound up more than a little soggy, or the failure to use amtrak when it was offered, or, or, or, or, or......
 

Silver

find me a tampon
Jul 20, 2002
10,840
1
Orange County, CA
Look at the date of that original post.

Then find me a story about the busses that was before that time.

I'm aware that I know much more than you do about many subjects, but I do not have the ability to see forward into time.

edit: Once again, that post was made when many people all over the world were watching the screw up happen. Except our President, of course. He don't like the bad news.
 

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
I did read that thread, and in it's context I have no problem with it. But that statement hardly adresses the issue in light of information that has come to light since.

Furthermore, I'm as certain that your know more about many subjects than I, as I am, that I know more about others than you. But the point here is not to pat ourselves on the back.

So, back to my original question; "So does she (Labdrieu), Blanco, Nagin etc. get a pass?"
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Damn True said:
So, back to my original question; "So does she (Labdrieu), Blanco, Nagin etc. get a pass?"
You posted an article from a liberal news source blasting Landrieu. Then you asked if Landrieu (a liberal Senator from Louisiana) gets a pass.

Uh, DT, how many of you are there? I mean, a realize almost 30 hours passed between the two events and a single post by Loo which may have pushed the original post off your screen, but this is YOUR thread. Did you forget what you posted?
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Damn True said:
I was asking the people on this board if they think Blanco, Nagin and Landrieu get a pass.
No, I don't.

Damn True said:
Clearly the majority of the media does because none of them are demanding answers to those same questions.
Do you even read (or watch, or listen to) the news? Reports of the hearings have been arriving every day, on schedule. I haven't seen the mainstream media "demand answers" on anything, including the friggin war in Iraq (which I'm personally much more concerned about)... but they've been reporting the proceedings pretty dutifully. I'm sure they will do the same for the findings. Now since those sitting on the committee are "demanding answers" and media outlets are reporting the proceedings, don't you feel comfortable that "answers are being demanded" of Sen. Landrieu?

And again, you just posted a non-mainstream (and therefore one with my explicit editorial/opinion license) that absolutely did just that ("demanded answers"). And they happen to sit on the left side of the fence. Actually, all the way over in the left end of the pasture. So what the hell is your gripe?
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
Damn True said:
And yes, I read it and watch it and the media is doing a fabulous job in helping to deflect attention and blame from Blanco, Nagin and Landrieu. This bugs me more than a little as well.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050929-121305-9143r.htm
Brown appeared before the HOUSE committee investigating the response. Blanco appeared before the SENATE FINANCE committee to ask for aid. That's a great article you posted that tries to spin it as if she was given a pass and allowed to just ask for money from the same committee that grilled Brown.

The house committee is bi-partisan. They handed Brown his ass. I have no doubt they will do the same to everyone that appears in front of them.

I also really liked this site to which I was directed from the Washington Times: http://www.thoseshirts.com/

While we're at it, Bush is blocking aid to Louisiana:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1166745
 

Damn True

Monkey Pimp
Sep 10, 2001
4,015
3
Between a rock and a hard place.
ohio said:
Brown appeared before the HOUSE committee investigating the response. Blanco appeared before the SENATE FINANCE committee to ask for aid. That's a great article you posted that tries to spin it as if she was given a pass and allowed to just ask for money from the same committee that grilled Brown.

The house committee is bi-partisan. They handed Brown his ass. I have no doubt they will do the same to everyone that appears in front of them.

I also really liked this site to which I was directed from the Washington Times: http://www.thoseshirts.com/

While we're at it, Bush is blocking aid to Louisiana:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1166745

He is blocking THAT PARTICULAR bit of aid in favor of another method. One which I hope they outline very soon. In which case........that's f'd up.

Actually, only two dems were there ( Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana and Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi ). It was primarilly republicans in "CYA" mode that were grilling Brown.


"She declined later to respond to Brown's accusations when given a specific opportunity by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

"We are looking forward, not backward, " she said.
That's a cute trick. Brown should have used that one.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
N8 said:
Stuck on stupid, aren't ya?

:rolleyes:
Not as stuck as you are on rehash. Come on. Make a post with at least 5 setences of your own thoughts. I dare ya.

Edit: Actually that was a shortsighted shot from the hip. Your comment was both relevant and clever. It shows you've been paying attention to something and actually formed your own opinion about it. My apologies. Keep it up.