Bush Admits Katrina Response 'Not Enough'

[Doctor Jeep]

Scorched by criticism about sluggish federal help, President Bush acknowledged the government's failure to stop lawlessness and help desperate people in New Orleans. "The results are not enough," Bush said Friday in the face of mounting complaints from Republicans and Democrats alike.

While Bush has been loath to admit errors throughout his presidency, he conceded that the recovery is not proceeding well. Some White House aides and Republicans were glad to hear the president stop defending the administration's response when it was so obvious that conditions were so bad for so many people.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050902/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_bush

Gee, what do you know? It's not just Democrats who are criticizing the recovery effort.

[lynn271]

Gee, what do you know? It's not just Democrats who are criticizing the recovery effort.

Yeah, I've been under the impression from some posts on other threads that if someone criticizes the federal government response (or lack thereof), it can only be because that person hates Bush.

Bush has never seemed to me to be a self-hating kind of guy. Maybe he just hides it well.

[StellaLuna]

It's funny, I've noticed on other posts that partisanship only comes up when certain posters accuse Liberals and Democrats of using this tragedy for a political agenda.

I hope this administration and respective government agencies can honestly take a look at their shortfalls and learn from mistakes. It is the only way we grow as a society, and it would mean those lives lost wouldn't be in complete vain.

blessings,

[healeri2]

I wonder what "comebacks" the conservatives on this board will come up with about this, or maybe they won't respond at all.

[Shanti]

I was jumped on for agreeing with those Repulicans that made Bush take off his rose colored glasses.
I have the same thread around here somewhere!

[lynn271]

I hope this administration and respective government agencies can honestly take a look at their shortfalls and learn from mistakes. It is the only way we grow as a society, and it would mean those lives lost wouldn't be in complete vain.

blessings,

Well, our government isn't real good at admitting mistakes, much less learning from them. I don't just mean the president, either. Congress is just as guilty of this.

Let's hope this situation leads to an exception.

[Tink]

having lost everything I own in Hurricane Katrina from a 30 foot tidal surge and a barge landing on my apartment I can honestly say that things are not being handled fast enough and Bush does need a good yelling at. I do understand that New Orleans is a HUGE free for all and it honestly always has been and that stupid idiots who are shooting at the help makes it hard, but hell send in the Marines...
They'll get that under control. Things needed to be there by Wednesday no later and that's being generous. I watched people go and kick in the doors to the homes that survived and just take whatever they wanted. Bush really messed up...

[Darkdale]

Bush said the RESULTS were not enough, but the Efforts were unprecedented and good.

[AmericanMe]

And what of the local governments? The severity of this disaster is due to the indecisiveness and lack of prior planning by the mayor of New Orleans and the Govenor of Louisiana. Those levies have been deemed insufficient for decades, so if your going to blame Bush you also need to blame every President and local political leader since the things were built, both Democrat and Republican.

[DianaStormDancer]

Ya know regardless of all the other thigs being said about Bush how do you feel about him staying on his vacation for 2 days after Katrina hit and the levees broke!? Our people were dying and in dire circunstances and the news makes announcements like...." Bush cuts his vacation short to return and survey the damage" my my my how humane of him to leave his cozy ranch in Texas and address the problem, personally I am so sick and disgusted with him and his administration and the lack of speedy respose and action taken that I could simply vomit!

[Darkdale]

And what of the local governments? The severity of this disaster is due to the indecisiveness and lack of prior planning by the mayor of New Orleans and the Govenor of Louisiana. Those levies have been deemed insufficient for decades, so if your going to blame Bush you also need to blame every President and local political leader since the things were built, both Democrat and Republican.

No. Because no body cares about the people suffering, they want to hurt Bush. That's all they can think about. This is about their hatred of Bush, not their "compassion" for the people on the Gulf Coast.

[AmericanMe]

Ya know regardless of all the other thigs being said about Bush how do you feel about him staying on his vacation for 2 days after Katrina hit and the levees broke!? Our people were dying and in dire circunstances and the news makes announcements like...." Bush cuts his vacation short to return and survey the damage" my my my how humane of him to leave his cozy ranch in Texas and address the problem, personally I am so sick and disgusted with him and his administration and the lack of speedy respose and action taken that I could simply vomit!

One, you wrongly assume the man does nothing when he's on vacation. Vacations to a man with his responsiblities amount to doing the same work but in a more relaxed environment, not sitting in front of the TV or whatever we do on vacation.

Two, he did more prior to the Katrina's landfall than the local leaders did. Unfortunately, no one, including those who foolishly stayed in NOLA, realized the scope of this.

Three, he stayed away as not to micromanage, which often hinders more than it helps. This was the right thing to do, unfortunately NOLA do not have the caliber of leadership that say, New York did on 9/11.

Four, it is really shallow and spiteful to sit here and assign blame to one man alone. What of those who are perfectly healthy, but are sitting on their butts foolishly expecting quick and efficient response by the government? They can make things happen to, like that young man who stole the schoolbus, and picked up people on his way to the Astrodome.

The victims of this distaster need INITIATIVE, they need to be PRO-ACTIVE, they do not need to place blame on race or politics. Alas, we see what the culture of entitlement and victimhood gets us.

[edited to fix some bad grammar]

[AmericanMe]

No. Because no body cares about the people suffering, they want to hurt Bush. That's all they can think about. This is about their hatred of Bush, not their "compassion" for the people on the Gulf Coast.

What sick, shallow people.

In all this who is doing the most? CHURCHES and BUSINESSES. The people the left love to hate.

[Cassie]

having lost everything I own in Hurricane Katrina from a 30 foot tidal surge and a barge landing on my apartment I can honestly say that things are not being handled fast enough and Bush does need a good yelling at. I do understand that New Orleans is a HUGE free for all and it honestly always has been and that stupid idiots who are shooting at the help makes it hard, but hell send in the Marines...
They'll get that under control. Things needed to be there by Wednesday no later and that's being generous. I watched people go and kick in the doors to the homes that survived and just take whatever they wanted. Bush really messed up...

I am so sorry to hear that.
I can only wish you strength and all the good fortune needed to rebuild your life.
Words seem so lame at times like this...

[Orionsmama]

And what of the local governments? The severity of this disaster is due to the indecisiveness and lack of prior planning by the mayor of New Orleans and the Govenor of Louisiana. Those levies have been deemed insufficient for decades, so if your going to blame Bush you also need to blame every President and local political leader since the things were built, both Democrat and Republican.

The local governments have been trying to get help for years.

it would be great to send in the marines, IF they weren't in Iraq :fpeek:

[Darkdale]

The local governments have been trying to get help for years.

it would be great to send in the marines, IF they weren't in Iraq :fpeek:

:) watch the news. The Marines are literally on their way.

[AmericanMe]

The local governments have been trying to get help for years.

Yes they have, for quite a long time. However, the Govenor of LA did not activate the Guard before the storm, or in a timely manner thereafter. Nor did the mayor, knowing that 1/4 of his people don't have transportation, do anything beyond telling them to leave. This is due to oversights and failures by many in the government and the residents of NOLA, not just Bush.

it would be great to send in the marines, IF they weren't in Iraq :fpeek:

Actually you are wrong there too. The Army's 4th ID (Infantry Division) is there now, soon to be followed by elements of the 82nd Airborne, 1st Cavalry, 1st & 2nd Marine Expeditionary Units, Army and Air Force Special Forces, plus the USS Bataan and several other Navy and Coast Guard units.

Not all of our military is in Iraq, you see.

[LacyRoze]

Bush admitted mistakes and rightfully so yet local and state also screwed up and have yet to admit their mistakes. As I said elsewhere, there's plenty of blame to go around...

[Darkdale]

Bush admitted mistakes and rightfully so yet local and state also screwed up and have yet to admit their mistakes. As I said elsewhere, there's plenty of blame to go around...

I think the three star general said it best, when asked why it was taking so long, he said, "Because this is a disaster". Things don't go smoothly when there is a disaster. In a country of millions of people, it is not surprising that some of us made decisions that made the situation worse, which may or may not have to do with the fact that we are human. However, blame is not what we need. We need to figure out what the problems were and all work together to prevent them from happening again. This is a time to come together, but liberals are dragging us apart. I've never felt more disconnected from the Left as I do now and now is the time when we should all come together.

[LacyRoze]

I think the three star general said it best, when asked why it was taking so long, he said, "Because this is a disaster". Things don't go smoothly when there is a disaster. In a country of millions of people, it is not surprising that some of us made decisions that made the situation worse, which may or may not have to do with the fact that we are human. However, blame is not what we need. We need to figure out what the problems were and all work together to prevent them from happening again. This is a time to come together, but liberals are dragging us apart. I've never felt more disconnected from the Left as I do now and now is the time when we should all come together.

Exactly. There has never been nor will there ever be a time when everything goes perfectly in a disaster. Humans make mistakes, bad decisions are made, something that looked right in the beginning turns out to have been wrong, etc. I realize mistakes were made and need to be addressed at some point, I just don't think that now, when a rescue operation is ongoing, is the time to do it...

[Darkdale]

Exactly. There has never been nor will there ever be a time when everything goes perfectly in a disaster. Humans make mistakes, bad decisions are made, something that looked right in the beginning turns out to have been wrong, etc. I realize mistakes were made and need to be addressed at some point, I just don't think that now, when a rescue operation is ongoing, is the time to do it...

And even after this is over with, I want the government to go in and investigate and figure out, what went right and what went wrong. What can we learn from this and how can we improve our efforts? That is how progress is made. But I don't want to see people getting outraged at the federal government or blaming Bush, as if they had some magic crystal ball that could make all the disaster just disappear or something. I want to see Americans come together, without pointing fingers at one another, help everyone we can, care for everyone we can, get everyone involved and then together, without anger or politics, improve our disaster response, so that the next time something like this happens, we'll be even faster, more organized and be able to save even more lives.

The race baiting and poverty baiting must end now. The political strategizing over this, on the left, has to stop. It's wrong and it's dividing the country at a time when we all need to come together.

[Nemesis Descending]

And what of the local governments? The severity of this disaster is due to the indecisiveness and lack of prior planning by the mayor of New Orleans and the Govenor of Louisiana. Those levies have been deemed insufficient for decades, so if your going to blame Bush you also need to blame every President and local political leader since the things were built, both Democrat and Republican.

Except for the fact that Bush reduced Federal funding used to maintain the levies and pay for the engineers each year over the past three years. Yeah, his hands are clean.

Bush said the RESULTS were not enough, but the Efforts were unprecedented and good.

Hmm..taking days to get things going to New Orleans is good and unprecedented!?. Kind of makes the 9/11 incident when Bush sat for 7 minutes doing nothing but appearing like a deer in headlights look like warp speed.

[PaganLibrarian]

Hmm..taking days to get things going to New Orleans is good and unprecedented!?.

Considering the scope of the disaster? Yes, it's good and unprecedented.

As far as responsibility, how long has it been known that there were problems with the levees? People say the Feds didn't give Louisiana the money to fix them. Why didn't Louisiana fix the levees themselves? Maybe because they decided it was more imortant to rebuild the Superdome, and to give the owner of the Saints 186 million dollars so he wouldn't move the team somewhere else. That's 186 million dollars that could have been used to repair the levees. Let's see...renovate superdome...renovate levees and flood control...I know which I'd choose.

[Dark Phoenix]

Katrina represents a management disaster on all levels of government, Local,State and Federal. Three years ago there was hearings held about the levies by representatives from local and state government of both political parties and yet here we are.

[PaganLibrarian]

Obviously, the New Orleans Saints were more important to Louisiana...

[Nemesis Descending]

That's 186 million dollars that could have been used to repair the levees. Let's see...renovate superdome...renovate levees and flood control...I know which I'd choose.

I can appreciate your frustration. Mine is seeing billions spent to improve life in Iraq while here in America we have people living in such poverty that they could not even afford gas to flee Louisiana in their cars (those who could afford a car to begin with).

[PaganLibrarian]

Mine is seeing billions spent to improve life in Iraq while here in America we have people living in such poverty that they could not even afford gas to flee Louisiana in their cars (those who could afford a car to begin with).

No offense, but having been all over the western hemisphere, and some of the eastern, I feel safe in saying that people in the US don't know the meaning of the word poverty.

[Doctor Jeep]

Bush said the RESULTS were not enough, but the Efforts were unprecedented and good.

lol Of course you ignore the entire point, which is that unlike what you've been ranting about here the past 24 hours, it's not just Democrats and liberals that have been critical.

[PaganLibrarian]

And he pointed out, that no matter who is being critical, they are perhaps overstating the case.

[starry8847]

No offense, but having been all over the western hemisphere, and some of the eastern, I feel safe in saying that people in the US don't know the meaning of the word poverty.

You know what...you world traveler you.....i think I do take offense...just think!!! we get to experience it first hand now......Now do you feel vindicated???for whatever reason you have for not wanting to give loving energy........Sorry, to you and any other conservative thinkers out there but there will be a time when you'll expect our liberal thinking to save "your" a-- again and wouldn't it be ironic if we had a few more humans ,that have bigger hearts than their over used mouths .....believing the way our all incompasing compassion driven liberals do???

[PaganLibrarian]

Well, that was a completely nonsensical post.

You know what...you world traveler you

Thank the military for that.

just think!!! we get to experience it first hand now

Are you in New Orleans?

Now do you feel vindicated???

Why should I? Because some in the US are temporarily on a level with the millions from around the world who live in squallor every day that most people in the US can't even imagine?

for whatever reason you have for not wanting to give loving energy

And you base that on one post of mine, in a single thread, on a single forum? That's pretty presumptious of you. I would get offended if it mattered.

Sorry, to you and any other conservative thinkers out there but there will be a time when you'll expect our liberal thinking to save "your" a-- again

Again? When has it saved it in the past?

wouldn't it be ironic if we had a few more humans ,that have bigger hearts than their over used mouths .....believing the way our all incompasing compassion driven liberals do???

But since we don't, we'll have to put up with the usual bunch of overworked (mispelled) mistaken assumptions as usual.

Well Chip, it hasn't got much of a beat, and it's hard to dance to...I'll give it a 4. Thanks for playing.

[Nemesis Descending]

I feel safe in saying that people in the US don't know the meaning of the word poverty.

Compared to some parts of the world, I'd have to agree with you. But, we're certainly getting a down home glimpse of it now. What's equally disheartening is to realize that we're not prepared to deal with a huge disaster the way we've been led to believe with all the Homeland Security hype. If the terrorists had blown up the levies in New Orleans, and a dam here and there in other States, wow, we'd be crippled as a Nation. I don't think the duct tape and plastic sheeting will be enough, and the fear-color-of-the-day is equally as useless.

[PaganLibrarian]

I have to disaagree with you on the level of preparedness. It is a mistake to compare a natural disaster the scope of Katrina to a terrorist attack. For one thing, it is easier to stop a terrorist attack than a hurricane. For another thing, the damage would be more isolated from a terrorist attack than from a hurricane.

[Ben Gruagach]

Here's a relevant news article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

[Chicago mayor] Daley 'shocked' as feds reject aid (http://www.suntimes.com/output/hurricane/cst-nws-daley03.html)

The mayor's office contacted the feds on WEDNESDAY to offer whatever was needed to help -- and they were told to just wait.

Then on FRIDAY the federal people finally asked for a single tank truck!

[AutumnWitchie]

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Templaote=business&Story=7151423 (http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Templaote=business&Story=7151423)

Ben, the 82nd Airborne was on standby.

[Ben Gruagach]

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Templaote=business&Story=7151423 (http://www.fayettevillenc.com/story.php?Templaote=business&Story=7151423)

Ben, the 82nd Airborne was on standby.

I'm not sure how that relates to Chicago's offers to help being turned down.

Here's another interesting and relevant article: Homeland Security Won't Let Red Cross Deliver Food (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05246/565143.stm)

[Ben Gruagach]

And just to put some more perspective on the whole issue, check out this article about a typhoon (hurricane) that hit China this week (http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=119607&region=2) and how it was handled by the Chinese.

They anticipated the storm and evacuated about 800,000 people to safety. Other news reports on this particular storm indicated the death toll was about 42.

[PaganLibrarian]

Other relief agencies say the area is so damaged and dangerous that they doubted they could conduct mass feeding there now.

Could this be why they won't let the Red Cross in? Because the area is too dangerous to let the Red Cross in? Whereas the National Guard has training in dealing with moving into dangerous areas?

[Doctor Jeep]

But since we don't, we'll have to put up with the usual bunch of overworked (mispelled) mistaken assumptions as usual.

Well Chip, it hasn't got much of a beat, and it's hard to dance to...I'll give it a 4. Thanks for playing.

Well, as long as we're playing Grammar Nazi: the correct spelling of the word in bold would be misspelled.