The Democrats of Louisiana are sitting pretty while Bush catches all the flak for a situation they created. They were responsible for evacuating New Orleans. They were responsible for providing security for the city. They were responsible for making sure the NO police dept isn't full of looting, post-abandoning amoral cowards. They were responsible for the batsh*t insane idea to herd the dregs of N.O. society into a sports arena. They were responsible for releasing prisoners wholesale as if they'd all been issued "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards. They let looters run wild during the first day or two after Katrina hit and thus set a precedent.

This entire natural disaster is being turned into a giant political windfall for the very people who made it a whole Hell of a lot worse than it had to be. I don't particularly like Bush. I think he is a goofy rich frat boy who could care less about freedom, so long as he and his buddies are free to play golf and hire illegal immigrants to work in their soulless corporate factories. But he is in no way responsible for a single moment of suffering or a single death in Louisiana.

Galland

WRONG

The polls belie what you're saying.  Democrats are shrieking and disapprove, but what else is new?

Poll: Bush Not Taking Brunt of Katrina Criticism

Analysis by GARY LANGER

Sept. 4, 2005 — Americans are broadly critical of government preparedness in the Hurricane Katrina disaster — but far fewer take George W. Bush personally to task for the problems, and public anger about the response is less widespread than some critics would suggest.


Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS.

In an event that clearly has gripped the nation — 91 percent of Americans are paying close attention — hopefulness far outweighs discontent about the slow-starting rescue. And as in so many politically charged issues in this country, partisanship holds great sway in views of the president's performance.

The most critical views cross jurisdictions: Two-thirds in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say the federal government should have been better prepared to deal with a storm this size, and three-quarters say state and local governments in the affected areas likewise were insufficiently prepared.

Views of Hurricane Response
  Yes No
Federal government adequately prepared?   31%   67%
State/local government adequately prepared?   24   75
Blame Bush?   44   55

Other evaluations are divided. Forty-six percent of Americans approve of Bush's handling of the crisis, while 47 percent disapprove. That compares poorly with Bush's 91 percent approval rating for his performance in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but it's far from the broad discontent expressed by critics of the initial days of the hurricane response. (It also almost exactly matches Bush's overall job approval rating, 45 percent, in an ABC/Post poll a week ago.)

Similarly, 48 percent give a positive rating to the federal government's response overall, compared with 51 percent who rate it negatively — another split view, not a broadly critical one.

When it gets to specifics, however, most ratings are worse: Majorities ranging from 56 to 79 percent express criticism of federal efforts at delivering food and water, evacuating displaced people, controlling looting and (especially) dealing with the price of gasoline. In just one specific area — conducting search and rescue operations — do most, 58 percent, give the government positive marks.

Rating the Government's Handling of…
  Positive Negative
Situation overall   48%   51%
Gas prices   20   79
Looting/td>   26   71
Evacuations   38   59
Food, water needs   43   56
Search, rescue   58   39

Partisanship, as noted, plays a huge role: Nearly three-quarters of Republicans approve of the president's performance, and two-thirds rate the government's overall response positively. About seven in 10 Democrats take the opposite view on both scores.

Bush's Response to Katrina
  Approve Disapprove
All   46%   47%
Democrats   17   71
Independents   44   48
Republicans   74   22


abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1094262&page=1


BTW, have you noticed that bad things happening to the US; bad economy, terrorist attacks, losses in Iraq, even natural disasters; are regarded as political gravy for the Democrats?

You'll LOVE this, from this Washington Post article from Sunday 9/4, buried in the SIXTH PARAGRAPH:

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday. The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

And it's all BUSH'S FAULT?

I don't f'ing think so.

Quoted: The Democrats of Louisiana are sitting pretty while Bush catches all the flak for a situation they created. They were responsible for evacuating New Orleans. They were responsible for providing security for the city. They were responsible for making sure the NO police dept isn't full of looting, post-abandoning amoral cowards. They were responsible for the batsh*t insane idea to herd the dregs of N.O. society into a sports arena. They were responsible for releasing prisoners wholesale as if they'd all been issued "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards. They let looters run wild during the first day or two after Katrina hit and thus set a precedent. This entire natural disaster is being turned into a giant political windfall for the very people who made it a whole Hell of a lot worse than it had to be. I don't particularly like Bush. I think he is a goofy rich frat boy who could care less about freedom, so long as he and his buddies are free to play golf and hire illegal immigrants to work in their soulless corporate factories. But he is in no way responsible for a single moment of suffering or a single death in Louisiana. Galland

1. As has been shown, you're wrong.
2.  There are about THREE other threads on this already.

Quoted: The Democrats of Louisiana are sitting pretty...

The Democrats of Louisiana look like the fucking morons they are.

I find it highly unlikely that some sort of political upheaval is going to occur in the wake of a hurricane.  But that's just me.  Others can worry if they want.

Considering the skyrocketing gun sales in the past week I'd be more willing to wager that the average American has seen what an abysmal failure the welfare state is and what we have lurking in our midst.

Disagree. As usual, the MSM has started off shitting all over the President, blaming him for weather patterns and assigning to him the powers of God, while at the same time, Blanco and Nagin are off the radar screen.

The Internet will correct their biased reporting and the truth will be told.

In the end, the people who hate Bush will still hate Bush, the people who support Bush will still support Bush.

Our country is divided beyond repair, and no disaster or attack will unite the country. The Left has lost its collective mind, making it impossible to bring them into the fold.

Quoted: The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

Say again?  The Louisianans were worried that if the feds took control and responsibility, then they would blamed anything bad on the locals?  How so, if the locals had abdicated authority?

That doesn't make any sense......unless they thought the feds would say "It's all the state's fault for letting us take control of this situation!"  Or am I just reading that wrong?

Quoted: You'll LOVE this, from this Washington Post article from Sunday 9/4, buried in the SIXTH PARAGRAPH: Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday. The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly. And it's all BUSH'S FAULT? I don't f'ing think so.

And when this little tail starts getting out in a major way it could quickly get nasty for the finger pointers. The Mayor of NO and Governor of LA are fucked.

OK. Maybe you folks are right. Maybe they aren't going to get away with it. I have to admit that it is too early to judge the long term effects of this disaster with any certainty. One thing I am certain of is that this is the worst hurricane we've suffered through in a long time. It is really awful and my hats are off to all the rescuers and law enforcement officers who didn't throw up their hands and run away. I'm not sure I could cope what they're going through right now.

Galland

Yea, but the ignorant masses will still think GW is to blame because asshat Libs are telling them so.  

Hell I bet Sean Penn is paddling his leaking boat out in the Gulf now looking for Bush's hurricane machine.