E-mail to the White House
Question:
thought I would write, and one I did not want to write. I still think President Bush was the best choice in the 2000 and 2004 campaigns, and overall I still support his performance in the White House. But his leadership during the Hurricane Katrina disaster has been simply disappointing. Practically every knew days in advance that Katrina was going to be a monster by the time it made landfall on the Gulf Coast; we knew at least two days ahead of time that the storm was bearing down directly on New Orleans. And anyone in the President’s position should have realized long ago that the mayor of New Orleans and governor of Louisiana were nowhere near competent to cope with even a much smaller disaster — Mayor Nagin’s greatest contribution so far has been to blame anyone and everyone else, and while the governor has done more than that, she has not personally gone to New Orleans yet. In that sort of power vacuum, a major city needs someone with authority to step in and take charge — or criminals and anarchists will fill the vacuum, as they have in New Orleans. President Bush was vacationing in Texas, which means he was essentially "next door" already. Congress was also on vacation, so I don’t fault him for going to Crawford; but he should have gone to the disaster area as soon as the storm had passed, if only to rally the American people. At the same time he should have ordered every federal agency to *immediately* do whatever it could to help with disaster relief — that includes active-duty military units that specialize in transportation, humanitarian relief, medical assistance and other vital skills. (Active-duty combat units are *not* needed; for now that should remain the exclusive domain of the National Guard, operating under the state’s governor and adjutant general.) I told the President where I thought he failed to act as effectively as he should have, where he was too slow in doing things, and what I thought he should do now. i still think he’s doing at least as well as either Gore or Kerry would have done under the same conditions — but dammit, I voted for him because I expected him to do *much better* than Gore or Kerry would do! I’m not writing Bush off, but I sure am disappointed with his performance this time around. — Walter Luffman Medina, TN USA An equal opportunity annoyer
Response:
>thought I would write, and one I did not want to write. >I still think President Bush was the best choice in the 2000 and 2004 >campaigns, and overall I still support his performance in the White >House. But his leadership during the Hurricane Katrina disaster has >been simply disappointing. >Practically every knew days in advance that Katrina was going to be a >monster by the time it made landfall on the Gulf Coast; we knew at >least two days ahead of time that the storm was bearing down directly >on New Orleans. And anyone in the President’s position should have >realized long ago that the mayor of New Orleans and governor of >Louisiana were nowhere near competent to cope with even a much smaller >disaster
Do you really mean incompetent, or do you mean did not have the tremendous quantity of strategic resources necessary to pull off a full scale evacuation of half a million people at their immediate disposal? Or do you mean they are Democrats so, of course, they are incompetent? There’s really no need to sit on the fence. Ken Wilson Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca http://www.criticalhistory.com/
Response:
As a Canadian, what on earth difference does it make to you whether he thinks the Democrats were unprepared or incompetent, or both? I could understand human concern, but the answer to that question won’t help anyone get better, or faster assistance. You talk about sitting on the fence — it ain’t no fence of *yours*, is it? There’s nothing more laughable than a nosy outsider, feverishly trying to butt into someone else’s political squabbles. There must not be much going on up there to occupy a guy’s mind, eh? Freep – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->thought I would write, and one I did not want to write. >I still think President Bush was the best choice in the 2000 and 2004 >campaigns, and overall I still support his performance in the White >House. But his leadership during the Hurricane Katrina disaster has >been simply disappointing. >Practically every knew days in advance that Katrina was going to be a >monster by the time it made landfall on the Gulf Coast; we knew at >least two days ahead of time that the storm was bearing down directly >on New Orleans. And anyone in the President’s position should have >realized long ago that the mayor of New Orleans and governor of >Louisiana were nowhere near competent to cope with even a much smaller >disaster > Do you really mean incompetent, or do you mean did not have the > tremendous quantity of strategic resources necessary to pull off a > full scale evacuation of half a million people at their immediate > disposal? Or do you mean they are Democrats so, of course, they are > incompetent? There’s really no need to sit on the fence. > Ken Wilson > Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, > Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the > Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) > and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) > Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca > http://www.criticalhistory.com/
Response:
I think all you cocksuckers who think they could do it better should roll your goddamn sleeves up and take your ass down there and help. Otherwise shut your fucking mouth. Monday morning quarterbacking from your air conditioned home while drinking clean water and after a nice shower is bullshit. What the fuck are you doing to help? Did you donate some money? Anybody criticizing anyone for the handling of this politically or not is retarded. How on earth could anyone plan or conceive the magnitude of the disaster and then also include the variable of the worst flood in History. Fuck all you fence sitting bastards. Get out from in front of the camera and get down there to help!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> As a Canadian, what on earth difference does it make to you whether he > thinks the Democrats were unprepared or incompetent, or both? I could > understand human concern, but the answer to that question won’t help > anyone get better, or faster assistance. You talk about sitting on the > fence — it ain’t no fence of *yours*, is it? > There’s nothing more laughable than a nosy outsider, feverishly trying to > butt into someone else’s political squabbles. There must not be much going > on up there to occupy a guy’s mind, eh? > Freep >>thought I would write, and one I did not want to write. >>I still think President Bush was the best choice in the 2000 and 2004 >>campaigns, and overall I still support his performance in the White >>House. But his leadership during the Hurricane Katrina disaster has >>been simply disappointing. >>Practically every knew days in advance that Katrina was going to be a >>monster by the time it made landfall on the Gulf Coast; we knew at >>least two days ahead of time that the storm was bearing down directly >>on New Orleans. And anyone in the President’s position should have >>realized long ago that the mayor of New Orleans and governor of >>Louisiana were nowhere near competent to cope with even a much smaller >>disaster > Do you really mean incompetent, or do you mean did not have the > tremendous quantity of strategic resources necessary to pull off a > full scale evacuation of half a million people at their immediate > disposal? Or do you mean they are Democrats so, of course, they are > incompetent? There’s really no need to sit on the fence. > Ken Wilson > Proud Owner of Lord Valve, PMG, John Wheaton, Claude Lucas, > Freep the Xenophobe, Chuck, the rest of the > Union of Rightwing Idiots Needing Explanations (URINE) > and, at his own request, Karl Rovershank (aka Lars from Mars) > Supporting the Troops at http://www.resisters.ca > http://www.criticalhistory.com/
Response:
>Did you donate some money?
Yes.To the Red Cross. I just hope it actually *does* something.
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