Redstate

Information forthcoming.

me to the question.

I was at another website, where there was post after post after post discussing how horrible Bush and the administration was for not doing anything.

At some point I started thinking-why-why aren't they condemning the mayor or the governor.  They were the ones responsible for the plan, they were the ones who decide when to call up the NG, they are the ones who decide when to evacuate etc.  But for some reason nobody seems to care.

I suspect in the end, Bush isn't going to continue to carry the blame, and focus will turn to the mayor and the governor, but right now-the attacks are just illogical.

Will Collier's post at VodkaPundit has some hard-hitting comments about how the corrupt political system in New Orleans led to this debacle. He does not place much blame on Nagin, primarily because he was a recent arrival at the party. Instead, he saves his comments for

1. The culture of corruption and general worthlessness that's been nurtured by apathy and inertia for a couple of centuries. The city and state were responsible for levee upkeep--but every levee has its own state and local "commissions," not to actually get anything done, but to spread around the money and patronage. . .
   
2. The state of the NOPD, arguably the worst metro police force in the country. . .
   
3. Crime. We've all heard urban legends about neighborhoods where "even the cops won't go." In NOLA, those weren't legends. Some of the worst criminal elements in the country have been fermenting in that city for decades, and no level of government was willing to deal with that fact. . .

It's so nice to see the Black Congressional Caucus speaking out now, when it's politically convenient, against Bush and the Feds.  Nice to see them trying to pin the blame on him.

If the levees are the responsibility of the Federal Government, and if underfunding put New Orleans at risk, and given that New Orleans is 68% African-American, where were these fine stand-up people when they were needed?  Why weren't they raising heck to ensure the safety of black folks?  Why weren't they looking out for them?  If I dropped the ball on my "people" I'd probably lash out too.  The best defense is a good offense, especially when Republicans are lousy political players and are also too honorable to even play politics in the first place.

Why isn't this group criticizing Democrat state and local leadership?  Last I checked, the hysteric mayor of New Orleans and the falling-to-pieces Louisiana governor were Democrats.  Also, doesn't the state and city have the primary responsibility to take care of their folks in case of disaster?  You know...National Guard...local first responders, and all that?  I guess the Black Caucus figures that in case of any emergency, call the Feds and make them deliver the money so the state and local guys can spend it.  I suppose that is consistent with liberal socialist doctrine, so at least they're consistent.

Haven't you seen the big bags of rocks the copters are dropping into the levee breech?

As a veteran of the hurricanes of '04 I agree that it is imperative for the city, county (or parish), and state officials to be the first responders during disasters like this. That is what saved our bacon in Central Florida. National Government assistance is always later coming - they have to navigate a beauracracy and gather forces, supplies and a portable infrastructure. Local government and private charities have to fill the gap until national help arrives.

Blanco and Nagin were completely unprepared and seemed to have no conception of a post hurricane scenario. Did they not watch TV August-September '04? Did they not watch the PBS special about the impending disaster if NO got hit with a Cat 4+ hurricane?

When I first saw Blanco on TV I assumed she was some sub-official that got thrown in front of the cameras - she appeared so out of touch and uninformed. I was shocked when they said "Thank you, Governor."

Nagin should have declared martial law immediately. His inaction allowed anarchy to reign in NO. It's his city - his responsibility. He should have known his city well enough to request guard troops be at the ready as soon as the storm passed. Badly done.

what I think you mean, that's probably a little much, dude.

Make sure to check out this red hot on Ray Nagin. I also read that Nagin was actually a Republican with good ratings, until he ran for Mayor of NO. Is this correct? I wonder what his economic and social policies are like?

I got some strong comments over at http://latinoissues.blogspot.com on this post. Here are Maria Blanco's comments:

Right on! I have been thinking all day that the mayor and local officials must take the majority of the blame. The congressional black caucus was also very quiet until five days afterward, and that is what they are accusing the President of doing. Wake up, the people were let down all around, starting at the very center of New Orleans!

I also want to remind readers--if you enjoy what you are reading at RedState.org, become a member and make sure to recommend Diary posts you enjoy. It's how RedState.org gives you, the reader, some amount of editorial influence on what gets more prominence.

Josue Sierra

http://latinoissues.blogspot.com

Nagin's wikipedia entry:

Before his election, Nagin was a member of the United States Republican Party and had little political experience; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a cable communications company and subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Nagin did give donations periodically to candidates, namely President George W. Bush and former Republican U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as to Democratic U.S. Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston earlier in the decade.

Days before filing for the New Orleans Mayoral race in February 2002, Nagin switched his party registration to the United States Democratic Party, presumably in order to improve his chances of winning the race in heavily Democratic New Orleans. Shortly before the primary election, an endorsement praising Nagin as a reformer by Gambit Magazine gave him crucial momentum that would carry through for the primary election and runoff. In the first round of the crowded mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin received first place with 29% of the vote, against such opponents as Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, City Councilman Troy Carter and others. In the runoff with Pennington in May 2002, Nagin won with 59% of the vote. His campaign was largely self-financed.

Shortly after taking office, Nagin launched an anti-corruption campaign within city government, which included crackdowns on the city's Taxicab Bureau and Utilities Department. Nagin also made a controversial endorsement of current Republican U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal in the 2003 Louisiana Gubernatorial Runoff over current Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco, and only reluctantly endorsed U.S. Senator John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential race.

Nagin received a B.S. degree in accounting from Tuskegee University in 1978 and an M.B.A. degree from Tulane University in 1994. He and his wife, Seletha Smith Nagin, have three children: Jeremy, Jarin, and Tianna.

As David Brooks said tonight on the News Hour, people have lost faith in GOVERNMENT, period.  Its not about partisan bickering.  Its about the government on both sides falling down on the job and kowtowing to special interests instead of the interests of the common man.  Its been happening in both parties for decades, and has finally culminated in this horrible catastrophe.  The Dems haven't had enough balls to actually have a different platform than the R's since about 1980, and the R's platform basically caters to the commercial interests at the cost of the little guy.  Pehaps now people will wake up and realize that when we have a public environmental policy that values autioning off the development of the wetlands instead of protecting them, that this sort of thing has real and tangible impact.  Perhaps people will wake up and realize that when you have government appointments that are filled by political paybacks and favors instead of by the most qualified person, that this also has direct impact.  I am not trying to rail on Bush because this has been happening for a long time and in both parties.

For those of you who are so eager to defend Bush on his post-Katrina response, perhaps you'd enjoy what the stalwart conservative New Hapshire Union Leader had to say about Bush's performance:

"A better leader would have flown straight to the disaster zone and announced the immediate mobilization of every available resource to rescue the stranded, find and bury the dead, and keep the survivors fed, clothed, sheltered and free of disease."

"The cool, confident, intuitive leadership Bush exhibited in his first term, particularly in the months immediately following Sept. 11, 2001, has vanished. In its place is a diffident detachment unsuitable for the leader of a nation facing war, natural disaster and economic uncertainty."

source:

http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showfast.html?article=59785

assume that an editorial in a newspaper with fewer readers than the blog is dispositive of something. Right?

A better leader would have flown straight to the disaster zone and announced the immediate mobilization of every available resource to rescue

Why is it that the government must be held responsible for the rescue and rebuilding of a city? I am willing to hold the city leadership and the state leadership, but this is not what the Federal government is there for! Bureaucracy never solved anything very efficiently. I consider the Federal help inconsequential to any disaster, and an unfortunate distortion of the Federal role after 100's of years of politiking.

I don't lay blame to the Federal level, because I don't hold them responsible. It's very simple, but it requires a paradigm shift in regards to the Federal government.

are easily the least reliable sources for correct or insiteful information. Remember, they are wriiten by people who started out life as journalists, not thinkers.

 This poor excuse for a Mayor should be the one that is impeached.  Why did he do nothing to help evacuate the people of New Orleans BEFORE the storm hit.  He made sure he got his own butt out of town...but he left his people behind to face the wrath of Katrina alone.  In fact Fox News reported that Mayor Nagin sent in a special convoy with armed guards to get some wealthy friends? out of a hotel and put them at the front of the line coming out!

    The only thing Mayor Nagin can come up with now is to blame President Bush.  President Bush is doing his job which is filling the needs that the state and local governments weren't able to handle.  The problem is that the local governments didn't handle ANY of the problems and have instead ran for the hills.  Now they expect someone else to come in and clean their mess up.   Mayor Nagin was elected to serve the people of New Orleans and in their time of need he abandoned them.  It was Mayor Nagin that let hundreds of buses get submerged that could have been bringing the people of New Orleans out to safety.

    There is plenty of blame to go around.  Everyone has known for decades that this day would come.  No one was prepared to stand up and take preventative action for fear of political retribution because of the costs involved.  Now the entire country will have to pay for the mistakes of politicians who spend their time covering their own butts and bickering back and fourth over trivial matters while the real problems that face this country go unchecked.

  Liberals want to lay blame at President Bush's door steps for everything from global warming to this latest catastrophe.  Liberals were in power for 40-50 years but did nothing to fix this problem which existed even then.  Now the liberals want to cry out "Oh Bush, Oh Bush why have you forsaken me?"  Don't make me vomit.

   President Bush and indeed all of America is responding and in return they are being chastised for not doing enough, fast enough.  Liberals are discouraging average Americans from helping at all with their unhelpful attitudes.  Anyone who seriously believes that America will not rise to this challenge is seriously delusional.  America will meet this challenge, one of the greatest in her entire history, and we will overcome it as we have all others that came before.  As usual it will be the liberals who sit on the sidelines waiting for the silent majority to fix their problems.

    One day I fear that this may not be the case though.  The liberal pundits who claim to have the poverty stricken interests at heart are in fact doing them more damage than good.  Their callous and ungrateful remarks in regards to the aid that is pouring in may one day have the effect of making the average American not want to try at all.  After all, what is the point if what you do give is never enough.  Why give at all?  Immediately after dropping off a check for $1000.00 at a local American Red Cross station I hear on the radio that I am a racist because I haven't done enough?!?!  Give us a chance before you call us racists and say we won't help!  Sometimes you need to put forth a little effort to help yourself before asking others to help as well.  Already "refugees" are arriving here in rural Texas and being welcomed with open arms.

    At least Nero just fiddled while Rome burned.  Liberals in America are doing more than just fiddling, they are pouring gas on the fire!  Instead of fanning the flames, man the pumps!!!

thene there is no point in having a federal government.  your views put you in the EXTREME minority of all people in this country.  I wrote an email to a friend predicting that radicals would twist this event into the kind of argument that you put forth.  this is what I wrote a few days ago:

instead of logically concluding that FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers are clearly underfunded, the neocons will say "see...  this is why you shouldn't rely on government.  government never can do anything right, so we should just privatize FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers".  if we are really lucky, we will end up like the Roman empire in its "last throes", to use a term that our VP likes.  At the end of the Roman empire, they no longer had a volunteer army or a draft.  Instead their army was full of paid mercenaries.  From what I understand, our army is already half way there. What do you think Patton or MacArthur would say about relying on Haliburton for our military supply chain in Iraq?  ...not to mention paying Haliburton drivers 10x what a soldier would make for doing the exact same job.

Its amazing to me that anyone would actually hold that view in light of the fact that the local government was completely wiped out.  one can say that they should bail themselves out, but with what?  The whole state is impoverished and its largest city is completely devastated with zero infrastructure.  On top of that, the port of N.O. provides something like 25% of this nation's supply of gasoline, and is the 3rd busiest port in the country for all other goods.  that in an of itself should be reason eneough to declare rebuilding the city a national security matter and reason to provide federal funds.