Administration's View VS. Facts on the Ground

The Administration officials' official line about progress being made differs greatly from reports by those in the midst of the disaster. Sound familiar? It's the same M.O. used when they talk about the war in Iraq: lie, deny, distort, disinform. Oh yeah, and blame the media. Standard operating procedure.
From CNN:

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Diverging views of a crumbling New Orleans emerged Thursday. The sanitized view came from federal officials at news conferences and television appearances. But the official line was contradicted by grittier, more desperate views from the shelters and the streets.
These conflicting views came within hours, sometimes minutes of each of each other, as reflected in CNN's transcripts. The speakers include Michael Brown, chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, evacuee Raymond Cooper, CNN correspondents and others. Here's what they had to say:

Conditions in the Convention Center
FEMA chief Brown: We learned about that (Thursday), so I have directed that we have all available resources to get that convention center to make sure that they have the food and water and medical care that they need.

Mayor Nagin: The convention center is unsanitary and unsafe, and we are running out of supplies for the 15,000 to 20,000 people.

CNN Producer Kim Segal: It was chaos. There was nobody there, nobody in charge. And there was nobody giving even water. The children, you should see them, they're all just in tears. There are sick people. We saw... people who are dying in front of you.

Read the whole article.

Mr. Bush was on the ground in Biloxi, MS talking to two African-American women and a fella looking for help. Sounds like they shoulda looked elsewhere:

Bush to women: "There's a Salvation Army center that I want to, that I'll tell you where it is, and they'll get you some help. I'm sorry.... They'll help you.....
Woman 1: "I came here looking for clothes..."
Bush: "They'll get you some clothes, at the Salvation Army center..."
Woman 1: "We don't have anything..."
Bush: "I understand.... Do you know where the center is, that I'm talking to you about?"
Guy with shades: "There's no center there, sir, it's a truck."
Bush: "There's trucks?"
Guy: "There's a school, a school about two miles away....."
Bush: "But isn't there a Salvation center down there?"
Guy: "No that's wiped out...."
Bush: "A temporary center? "
Guy: "No sir they've got a truck there, for food."

Incompetence and cluelessness personified.

Republican Leadership in action!

Bill in Portland, Maine shows us how the Repugnican Leadership sprang into action as people suffered and died in NO, LA. Disgraceful? Insensitive? Selfish? You bet, but what's new?


You can help. Donate $ here. I did.
If everyone that reads this blog were to donate the minimum of $5, they could provide almost three cases of bottled water. Go to it.

Bush still on vacation

Tuesday, August 30, 2005: US Coast Guard searches for survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, LA.














Tuesday, August 30, 2005:
Our "Commander in Chief" goofs off in California.

There he is, folks! Your President of the United States in all his blind idiocy and blissful ignorance. Can you believe that while the worst disaster in US history unfolds, that our nation's Leader would allow himself to be photographed in such a moment of frivolity? I can. That's how dumb he is.
BTW, is he trying to play CCR's "Fortunate Son?"
"Hey, Daddy! This song's about me! Heh-heh-heh!"

Bush to end vacation early.

Bush, dogged by Cindy at his "ranch", will jet back to DC to deal with Katrina.
Dubya says he will cut his 5-week vacation short by a whole two days to watch over Katrina disaster relief funds. Wow. If only he would pay so much attention to the $ in Iraq, we might have been able to keep track of it all. I guess that's what Halliburton is for.

On a serious note, those folks on the Gulf Coast need our help, and the best way to do that is to donate a few bucks.