The Financial Times gets the big picture. Katrina is more than just a one-time outrage and a slow-to-move government. It exemplifies what happens when small government policies are put into place: ….For the past quarter century in Washington, since the Republican Ronald Reagan rode a conservative backlash all the way to the presidency, US politics has been dominated by the … Read More
They’re Better Off
Proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, here’s what former First Lady Barbara Bush said after visiting Katrina evacuees in Houston: What I’m hearing is . . . they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, … Read More
And Now To The Polls
Survey USA‘s 3-day rolling tracking poll shows the following (Asking the question: Do you approve of Bush’s handling?): Wednesday, 8/31 – Approve 48, Disapprove 39Thursday, 9/1 – Approve 46, Disapprove 44Friday, 9/2 – Approve 40, Dissaprove 53Saturday, 9/3 (Watch the effect of Friday) – Approve 41, Dissaprove 53Sunday, 9/4 (Initial Friday photo-op effect wearing off) – Approve 38, Disapprove 55 … Read More
Katrina And Democrats
From the NY Daily News: "It has become increasingly evident that our nation was not prepared," Clinton (D-N.Y.) said in a letter to Bush asking him to set up a "Katrina Commission." "The slow pace of relief efforts in the face of a mounting death toll … seems to confirm that our ability to respond to cataclysmic disasters has not … Read More
Katrina And Rove
Karl Rove has been assigned to handle the counterspin, trying to resurrect Bush from his failings of last week, according to the New York Times: Under the command of President Bush’s two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan this weekend to contain the political damage from the administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina. It orchestrated visits by … Read More
Katrina And Race
Much has been said and written about the factor that race played (or didn’t play) in the response to Katrina. Nothing I say can add to the voices out there, and Shakespeare’s Sister asks some pretty good questions: I believe both the extremity of and, most importantly, the official response to the incompetence have everything to do with the skin … Read More
Was The Levee Repair A Bush Photo-op?
I hear rumblings. In an open letter to Bush, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu questions why the equipment to repair levee damage that had been so plentiful when the President arrived, wasn’t there the next day: Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set … Read More
Now, With Color!
As I blogged about here and here, the banner at the Whitehouse.gov Hurricane Relief Page looked like this: That banner has been changed since Bush’s visit to the Gulf Coast yesterday. It now looks like this: I guess they didn’t have stock photos of Bush with his arms around black people . . . until now. So the trip was … Read More
Go Figure
At this point, nothing surprises me: At one point Friday, the evacuation was interrupted briefly when school buses pulled up so some 700 guests and employees from the Hyatt Hotel could move to the head of the evacuation line — much to the amazement of those who had been crammed in the Superdome since last Sunday. "How does this work? … Read More
He’s Only A First-Term Democrat
Bush finally descended deus ex machina into New Orleans yesterday where he met with officials about the status of the situation, reassured the nation that Trent Lott’s house would be rebuilt, and hugged a couple of black people. Wait. Did I say he met with officials about the status of the situation? Thousands of people stranded in two swamped parishes … Read More
The Norquist Doctrine
– sent to me by email
More Good News: Bush Photo-op Arrives In Gulf Coast
I didn’t see it, but apparently the CNN people were unimpressed (via Americablog): Daryn Kagen [Rush Limbaugh’s squeeze]: I gotta say that was rather an odd thing to be watching. The president finally making it to the gulf coast after five days, and then spending a big chunk of time, when he could be out seeing the devastation, getting a … Read More
Bush Delivers Good News
Yes, Bush really said this: We’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we’re going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we’re going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is — and it’s hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, … Read More
Double Standards
Josh Marshall makes an interesting point here, which I will attempt to paraphrase. Certain government officials like FEMA director Michael Brown are insinuating that New Orleanians who ignored the warnings to evacuate are somewhat responsible for the predicament in which they now find themselves. (I’ll leave aside the obvious point that many of those left behind simply didn’t not have … Read More
A Can’t-Do Government
Read Krugman. Now.