Is anyone as mad about Bush as I am?

[Global Paw]

Enjoy.

Yet after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security -- coming at the same time as federal tax cuts -- was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1001051313

[Novel]

A few things... just because the media printed it, doesn't make it true, correct, necessary, or reliable. If I wanted to support any theory, I could find a major newspaper that puclished an article that coincided with it. There were probably 20 articles devoted to a cat hunting season here in Wisconsin earlier this year. Basing research on news media coverage often shows a marked bias.
Two, it wasn't directly out of one bucket into another marked "War". Things cost money, and money is reappropriated constantly, especially in government. The article you quoted said it went to numerous things instead of reconstruction of the levies. At the time, it probably seemed like a good compromise. 20/20 hindsight and all shows it may have been problematic, but who is to say that the levies would have held with the funds originally appropriated their way. Who is to say the repairs would have been done by now, they could have been mid construction and the damage to them all that worse... who knows? That's the danger in second guessing a leaders every move. Sure, with what we know now, things may have been better handled some other way, but, I think we could all say that about our own lives, and I'm still not in favor of someone else living my life... but I digress.
And I find it incredibly insulting that oil has once again become a Bush tear down... Having lived in Oklahoma, amidst the oil fields, I can say that EVERYONE with money is in oil. Saying that Bush is crooked because he has oil money, or that he is somehow responsible for the current gouging being administered by petroleum companies is like saying that because I'm a doctor, and have made a comfortable living at it, that I alone am responsible for the increasing costs of healthcare. (I'm not a doctor, it's an analogy.)

[MazieDog]

I'm going to have to agree with Novel on this one.. I honestly doubt that Bush sat in his office and planned the path of Katrina.. Natural disasters happen.. I'm getting sick of people blaming Bush for everything that's going wrong... It's Bush's fault that the hurricane hit... It's Bush's fault for the lava dome growing on Mount St. Helens... It's Bush's fault that I'm not 21 years old for another month and 20 days... You get the idea. Also: Congress just provided $10.5 billion in relief aid to the victims of Katrina.

The media is VERY biased, so I tend to not watch it on TV.. I get my news from several different sources and then come up with my own conclusion. Some of my sources are: Reuters, CNN, FOXNews, USAToday, and BBC... all of which are biased, but towards different things.. but it's enough to where I can draw my own conclusions..

I voted for Bush and have no regrets on doing so. I'm still waiting for everyone who said they were going to leave the country if Bush got re-elected to do so... *sigh* Look at it this way... At least we don't have Kerry in office... or worse: Al Gore... Gore would probably claim that he invented hurricanes... Ah well.. Just my 2 cents.. Flame me if you like; I don't care. Good night

-J

[dirtmcgirt]

Ohh such a bad subject for me... I have been the biggest ANTI-BUSH person since day one with him... He has done nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING for the American people since he took office. And the situation with New Orleans just goes to show you that he cares about our people about as much as Sadam does. I can't believe that this joker was ever even considered to be a worthy president... Bush supporters are quick to try and say that he has had SO much put on him during his presidency.. well... that is what being a president is all about.. Did he not consider the fact that things like this are were going to happen? It is his responsibility to protect and take care of the citizens of this country.. now we have a million people rotting away from starvation and lack of anything clean, while he worries about which horse he is going to ride next.

The Bush family has always been about the money.. nothing but the money..

Now flame me..

[Novel]

LOL ... ah nothing like the smell of political tension in the morning...

[Mom2Many]

You guys have had to have seen Bush's speech this morning right? Can you wave your arms around a bit more, oh and repeate yourself four more times cause I didn't quite catch you the first three times you said.."I'm looking forward to getting on the gound and talking to the people", two minutes of air time and he says nothing useful! ARGHHHH. And FEMA Director Micheal Brown, how many more questions...good, rational, questions can you dodge? I just don't get how people can support a government like this!
I spent a good part of this morning crying as I read and watched about these U.S. citizens suffering. When the tsunami hit the relief was immediate and this was in another country. It is pathetic that we can care for countries over seas while millions here starve and suffer. Should we not take care of our own before we go to save the world? The United Nations is running from us as fast as they can, we got in to deep with little backing and now we are screwed. Alright, stepping off of my soapbox!

[tinoweeno_03]

I can not help but agree with the majority of your responses. Our government is really screwed up and unorganized. There are other countries that offered to help like Germany, but Bush did not accept their help due to pride issues.

In response to what Novel said about the victims of the hurricane, they were dirt poor before the hurricane and now they are even poorer than before. There is no way in hell they would be able to prepare for such a devastation. First and foremost, many of them had no means of transportation and second, they weren't expecting such a chaotic aftermath. I think the US government is solely responsible for the people. Many things could have been done to prevent such a critical outcome.

[flyndog]

I went through the worst part of Hurricane Andrew - until Katrina the worst on record - and I have some idea of how devasted the survivors are. They have been terrified. Helplessness, anger, fear don't even come close to describing how they feel. This is so much worse than Andrew. Help can *never* come fast enough. I remember sitting up with a 357 to protect my kid from the crazies that would kill you for water. I remember how relieved I felt when the National Guard finally came and restored order. I remember feeling even better when the Army showed up! I remember watching SAR dogs across the street sniffing through the rubble for my neighbors. None of that response happens immediately. I think the response time was excellent. It's impossible to mobilize the unfathomable amount of resources that go to such a disaster into an area with no infrastructure! Blame Bush for other things, but the devastation by Katrina and the response of FEMA (a lot slower to respond in Andrew)isn't his fault by any stretch of the imagination. My government and its citizens *will* take care of the survivors. As an American, I'm happy you still have the right to disparage the government and its President.

[Mellie]

I am NOT a Bush supporter (never was, never will be). But I do not think the effects of a natural disaster are his fault. I do believe he needed to organize and mobilize sooner than he did (remember the criticism Bush Sr. received during Hurricane Andrew?). And I still think more can be done that isn't being done. It's not what happened that is discouraging, it's the response to it. Granted, I understand that these things take some time. But I did not feel like there was a true sense of urgency over the past few days when it all first occurred.
Now that the media is calling so much attention to what little has been done in the time that has gone by, I think there will be more of an outpouring of help from not only our Gov't, but by regular citizens and celebrities capable of giving something to aid in the efforts.
I hope people get past the blame game and argument over whether or not enough was done, and start really doing something to benefit the people and cause.

[Owned by Lucy]

I want thru Hurrican Ivan on a small (so small it is not on most globes) island just west of Jamica, the Cayman Islands. The island was nearly totally distroyed. The entire power grid was lost, the water desalinization plant and all but one of the grocery stores was destroyed. Also due to the continued path of Ivan we were not able to get supply ships/planes for nearly 7 days and no one except the sick, elderly and those with young children were able to evacuate. With all of this distruction and no place to go the massively corrupt government of this tiny country were able to pull it together and start picking up the pieces right away. Any building that was still sealed from the elements was turned into shelters, the stores distributed whatever materials they had to feed, clothe and house the displaces. Individuals took in complete strangers and saved lives. All of this happened and continues to happen with out any aid save some military presence from Brittan.

It took Bush 3 days before he actually went to survey the damage. At a time like this we need a leader who can stand up, be confident and assure the people of the USA that everything is going to be ok even if he has doubts himself. He needs to have definite plans to deal with the problems that are arising and need to respond to the concerns of the people openly and honestly. All Bush does is dodge the important questions and repeat his talking points and buzz words. We need some real action and not placation

[linnie]

QUESTION????
Has anyone ever thought any politicians were intelligent? Or out there for the people?
In australia even the ones you think have promise turn rotten with a little power

Power corrupts even the noblest of men
I dont think it would matter who you vote for the bottom line is they are in it for themselves not for you or me.

[rottnpagan]

Michael Moore's Open Letter to Prez Bush.

Mr Moore is a bit of an ***, but he's bang on here, IMO.

[peeledback]

Quincy Wisdom - i'm with you
/my dog just ate my laptop charger :< ... poor thing yelped, jumped and ran away right into the door (which was closed)

[elegy]

i don't hold bush responsible for the hurricane. i at least am relatively certain he is not god, does not have a direct line to god, or supernatural powers.

HOWEVER

In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd -- a category 3 -- was bearing down the
Carolinas and Virginia.

President Clinton was in Christchurch, New Zealand - meeting with President
Jiang of China (you know, actually working). He made the proclamation that
only Presidents can make and declared the areas affected by Floyd "Federal
Disaster Areas" so the National Guard and Military can begin to mobilize. Then he cut short his meetings overseas and flew home to coordinate the rescue efforts. This all one day BEFORE a Cat-3 hit the coast. That is how you do it.

How about this dope's own father during Hurricane Andrew? Once again,
President Bush (41) -- August, 1992 -- was in the midst of a brutal campaign
for re-election. Yet, he cut off his campaigning the day before and went to
Washington where he martialed the largest military operation on US soil in
history. He sent in 7,000 National Guard and 22,000 regular military
personnel, and all the gear to begin the clean up within hours after Andrew
passed through Florida. 'Cause, you know, those people and their stuff was
actually where it belonged, rather than being used for insurgent
target-practice halfway around the world in a vain effort to make Iraq safe
for Iranian takeover.


In August of 1969 when Cat-5 Hurricane Camille hit roughly the same area as
Katrina, President Nixon had already readied the National Guard and ordered
all Gulf rescue vessels and equipment from Tampa and Houston to follow the
Hurricane in. There were over 1,000 regular military with two dozen
helicopters to assist the Coast Guard and National Guard within hours after
the skies cleared.

Bush 43 - August 2005 - Cat-5 Hurricane Katrina bears down on New Orleans
and the Mississippi gulf. Both states are down nearly 8,000 National Guard
troops because they are in Iraq -- with most of the rescue gear needed. Bush
is on vacation. The day before Katrina makes landfall, Bush rides his bike
for two hours. The day she hits, he goes to Johnnie McCain's birthday party;
and lies to old people about the multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical company
welfare boondoggle. People are dying, the largest port of entry in the
United States (and fifth largest in the World) is under attack. Troops and
supplies are desperately needed. The levees are cracking and the emergency
1-1/2 ton sandbags are ready, but there aren't enough helicopters or pilots
to set them before the levees fail. The mayor of New Orleans begs for
Federal coordination, but there is none, and the sandbagging never gets
done. So Bush -- naturally -- goes to San Diego to play guitar with country
singer and lie to the military about how Iraq is just exactly like WWII. The
levees give way, filling New Orleans with water, sewage, oil and chemicals.
Ten percent of all US exports, and 50% of all agricultural exports ordinarly
go through this port. It is totally destroyed. Bush decides he'll end his
vacation a couple of days early -- TOMORROW --BECAUSE HE HAS TICKETS TO A
PADRES GAME! He goes back to the Fake Farm in Crawford, with every intention
of doing something on WEDNESDAY about this disaster that happened starting
last Sunday night.

credit where credit's due

[Global Paw]

Oh my god people...no one is blaming Bush for a hurricane. Thank god he doesn't have that kind of power.