Hurricane Katrina: Political Aftermath

[MODU]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

*yawn*

[J. J.]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

[TheresNoMoney]

You mean a 44% cut in spending for flood disaster in NO when everyone knew it was a serious threat was moronic??

I agree with you.

[MODU]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

No, I think you meant Scoonie.  Riceowl was merely saying how it must suck to have two of the biggest disasters in modern US history occur during his Presidency.

[TheresNoMoney]

Hundreds more will die because of the governments lack of preparation concerning the hurriance. His ignorance towards building up and stengthening the levees also caused hundreds of deaths.

This president is the biggest failure of our times. Bush loyalists will make excuses and call me names, as it is easier than facing reality.

[MODU]

This president is the biggest failure of our times. Bush loyalists will make excuses and call me names, as it is easier than facing reality.

Depends on whose interpretation of reality we are discussing.  It is obvious that there are two distinctly separate views on this board, with a few minor ones as well. 

[riceowl]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

Guh?

Oh, and I wouldn't say two OF the biggest, MODU.  I would say THE two biggest disasters in the US in the last 140 years have happened during his presidency.

[J. J.]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

Guh?

Oh, and I wouldn't say two OF the biggest, MODU.  I would say THE two biggest disasters in the US in the last 140 years have happened during his presidency.

Sorry, I thought it from you.  It's was Loony Scoonie.  My apologies.

[TheresNoMoney]

Sorry, I thought it from you.  It's was Loony Scoonie.  My apologies.

Don't you have an abortion clinic to bomb or a braindead woman to rescue?

[Sam Spade]

Sorry, I thought it from you.  It's was Loony Scoonie.  My apologies.

Don't you have an abortion clinic to bomb or a braindead woman to rescue?

Knock it off.

[Platypus]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

Guh?

Oh, and I wouldn't say two OF the biggest, MODU.  I would say THE two biggest disasters in the US in the last 140 years have happened during his presidency.

Just off the top of my head: Oklahoma Dust Bowl, numerous hurricanes, floods and bushfires, oil crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, and, oh...the world wars. Plus if you push the coundaries just a little, the Civil War, and even without that, restructuring.

Katrina is a big hurricane. 9/11 was massive. But they're not the two biggest in 14 years. 9/11 might have a case.

[minionofmidas]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

Guh?

Oh, and I wouldn't say two OF the biggest, MODU.  I would say THE two biggest disasters in the US in the last 140 years have happened during his presidency.

Just off the top of my head: Oklahoma Dust Bowl, numerous hurricanes, floods and bushfires, oil crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, and, oh...the world wars. Plus if you push the coundaries just a little, the Civil War, and even without that, restructuring.

Katrina is a big hurricane. 9/11 was massive. But they're not the two biggest in 14 years. 9/11 might have a case.

So when's the last time 1.5 mio people became homeless in the US?
Yep, that's right. The War on Slavery.

Oh, and sorry buddies, but yeah, funding to prevent flooding in New Orleans has been cut these last few years. And the head of US engineers corps who proposed a massive hike for it was fired in 2002 (and he was a Bush appointee himself.) Now don't get me wrong - he was fired because, in Bush's view, he was favoring too many expensive programs, not just this one. Still, it's an undisputable fact.

[socaldem]

You gotta feel for the president when you realize that in his administration alone he's had both the worst interior attack and possibly the worst natural disaster of American History.

He had the information to prevent one and help neutralize the other. 44% cut in spending for flood control in New Orleans.

Well, that's moronic.  Welcome to the loony left, riceowl.

Guh?

Oh, and I wouldn't say two OF the biggest, MODU.  I would say THE two biggest disasters in the US in the last 140 years have happened during his presidency.

Just off the top of my head: Oklahoma Dust Bowl, numerous hurricanes, floods and bushfires, oil crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, and, oh...the world wars. Plus if you push the coundaries just a little, the Civil War, and even without that, restructuring.

Katrina is a big hurricane. 9/11 was massive. But they're not the two biggest in 14 years. 9/11 might have a case.

I think that riceowl is right that these probably do count as two of the largest disasters in the last century...

however, I'm not sure why I should "feel for the President."  I mean, I certainly have sympathy for the American people who are going through these crises... but there's no reason that these crises should be particularly hard for the political leadership...

In fact, from a political standpoint, 9/11 has been a windfall for President Bush.  It would be a windfall for any President--its an opportunity to show leadership, to unite the country, to allow the President the bully bullpit to overcome partisan bickering and get real good done...  for example, look at how FDR dealt with Pearl Harbor.  FDR knew the U.S. should be backing the allies in the war against the Nazis, but it was very politically difficult to get the isolationist country involved until we were attacked--a tragedy for the victims, no doubt--but an opportunity for FDR to galvanize the country for a necessary war...

As for a hurricane disaster, it seems to me that there is no reason it should be hard for a competent leader to deal with.... but if you're someone who hates public policy and likes mucking up every facet of the government and only cares about corporate boondoggles and tax cuts, i imageine, it might be difficult to carry on with such policies in the face of such a catastrophe....

[Ebowed]

Don't you have an abortion clinic to bomb or a braindead woman to rescue?

I wouldn't be talking about the braindead if I were you.

[minionofmidas]

Good.

[Blue3]

Why do you feel the need to make this a political issue?  How are hurricanes a partisan issue?  Do you believe that things would be handled any differently if someone is a Democrat or a Republican?

No negative political aftermath for any politician, unless they had said "Stay home, you'll be ok." 

Typical Atlas wisdom here.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It created the Sunbelt states and realigned Southern states back towards the Ds that were lost in 2000 and 2004 that's why Ds won OH, MO, and VA Senate races in 2006. Whereas, Gore and Kerry both lost OH, the deciding state in 2000 and 2004 and NV