Obama: If you got a business, you didn't build that!

[WinterBorn]

I do understand all of that, WinterBorn, but dicklicker is not correct in his statements, understandings and/or motivations. The Louisiana fiasco was a national emergency but for better or worse the feds did not perform as planned or directed. There is plenty of fault in the state of Louisiana but the responsibilities were on the feds to respond adequately and immediately and due to very poor leadership in that department they failed miserably.

The federal response was what it was, largely, because the state did not request aid in a timely manner. Mississippi did not have the aid issues. That is because they requested the aid in advance. The same with Alabama. Nw, the head of FEMA was an idiot, that much is not argued. But the crews and materials were available as quickly for New Orleans as they were for Biloxi and Mobile. The difference is how the aid was requested and the response to the evacuation orders.

[gui1tars]

The federal response was what it was, largely, because the state did not request aid in a timely manner. Mississippi did not have the aid issues. That is because they requested the aid in advance. The same with Alabama. Nw, the head of FEMA was an idiot, that much is not argued. But the crews and materials were available as quickly for New Orleans as they were for Biloxi and Mobile. The difference is how the aid was requested and the response to the evacuation orders.

Short and inaccurate, WinterBorn. The relative population in Mississippi did not approach that of Louisiana and Mississippi did not have the problems of being below sea level and multiple levees bursting. It was certainly to be expected that the gwb cabal would find scapegoats to excuse their own failures. That was their modem operandi from the get go on not just Louisiana but on about everything they ever did. History will not be kind to them for all of that. Incompetence was their modem operandi.

[Canceled]

The federal response was what it was, largely, because the state did not request aid in a timely manner. Mississippi did not have the aid issues. That is because they requested the aid in advance. The same with Alabama. Nw, the head of FEMA was an idiot, that much is not argued. But the crews and materials were available as quickly for New Orleans as they were for Biloxi and Mobile. The difference is how the aid was requested and the response to the evacuation orders.

Even more than this, there was a sudden "expectation" placed on Federal response, that the Federal government was never designed or intended to give. First responders, in our system, come from the state and local levels, and the Federal government's role, is support and assistance in the aftermath. With Katrina, the "beef" was invented, that Bush could have done something, but it was never something Presidents were allowed to do before in history. The FED can't come into a state and fucking take over! It's not constitutional to do this, even in special circumstances. Bush's unprecedented declaration of disaster, BEFORE it happened, was technically an unconstitutional over-reach of Federal power. Such things are supposed to first be REQUESTED by the state, as you say.

[Howey]

I think, if given the chance, Dicksee would have been willing to be Dubya's Monica Lewinsky. Cigar and all...

[gui1tars]

I think, if given the chance, Dicksee would have been willing to be Dubya's Monica Lewinsky. Cigar and all...

Ain't that the truth!!!!!

[WinterBorn]

Short and inaccurate, WinterBorn. The relative population in Mississippi did not approach that of Louisiana and Mississippi did not have the problems of being below sea level and multiple levees bursting. It was certainly to be expected that the gwb cabal would find scapegoats to excuse their own failures. That was their modem operandi from the get go on not just Louisiana but on about everything they ever did. History will not be kind to them for all of that. Incompetence was their modem operandi.

I find it amusing that you place the lion's share of blame on the feds, and yet there was no response to their attempts to secure a request for aid until after the hurricane had already hit. So the state and local officials sit on their hands and wait until after the storm to request aid, and its the fault of the feds that the aid was not there in time? WTF?

The evacuation of New Orleans was actually a success, considering the population and the terrain. But the evacuation of the poor and those with low-mobility would be the responsibility of the state and local gov'ts, not the feds.

[Canceled]

Incompetence was their modem operandi.

LOL... Oh the irony.

"Modus operandi" is Latin for "mode of operation."

In a Federalist system, the State has unlimited authority to deal with emergency, and are protected against the Federal government's encroachment on that authority. This IS the 'mode of operation' in a Federalist system, and is the mode of operation assumed during Katrina. The invention of Federal government's responsibility to assume the State's role in mitigating disaster, is purely political and done for perception.

[gui1tars]

LOL... Oh the irony.

"Modus operandi" is Latin for "mode of operation."

In a Federalist system, the State has unlimited authority to deal with emergency, and are protected against the Federal government's encroachment on that authority. This IS the 'mode of operation' in a Federalist system, and is the mode of operation assumed during Katrina. The invention of Federal government's responsibility to assume the State's role in mitigating disaster, is purely political and done for perception.

Either are correct and I wish you would put me back on ignore, numbnuts.

[gui1tars]

I find it amusing that you place the lion's share of blame on the feds, and yet there was no response to their attempts to secure a request for aid until after the hurricane had already hit. So the state and local officials sit on their hands and wait until after the storm to request aid, and its the fault of the feds that the aid was not there in time? WTF?

The evacuation of New Orleans was actually a success, considering the population and the terrain. But the evacuation of the poor and those with low-mobility would be the responsibility of the state and local gov'ts, not the feds.

The national disaster was called by the feds before the storm hit thereby making it their responsibility to see to it one way or another that the population and assets were protected and adequately assisted. That did not happen. But once they took the lead they simply failed to lead. Nothing at all strange about that coming from the gwb administration.

[gui1tars]

You mean the same JFK that cut taxes on the rich and started a war? That JFK?

Yep. That JFK except he did not start any war. I believe the war that you reference was started in 1954 by the then sitting President and to the rescue of the clearly defeated and surrendering French armed forces. Get your history in order, nofacts. I was just a kid but I did know about it at the time.

[PostmodernProphet]

Here's what he's talking about. The self-made man.

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.

He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

omigorsh, I never realized.....thank god for liberals....without them we wouldn't have jobs, houses or shampoo.....

[gui1tars]

omigorsh, I never realized.....thank god for liberals....without them we wouldn't have jobs, houses or shampoo.....

That's about the only truth I've ever seen out of you, pimp.

[WinterBorn]

The national disaster was called by the feds before the storm hit thereby making it their responsibility to see to it one way or another that the population and assets were protected and adequately assisted. That did not happen. But once they took the lead they simply failed to lead. Nothing at all strange about that coming from the gwb administration.

Much of whatthe feds do cannot happen until it is requested by the state. That request came late from LA. It came AFTER the storm had hit. Much of what the feds had staged and ready went to the states that had requested aid BEFORE the storm hit.

[PostmodernProphet]

thank you for shampoo, Gatorman.....before there were liberals we all had to go without washing our hair....

[gui1tars]

Much of whatthe feds do cannot happen until it is requested by the state. That request came late from LA. It came AFTER the storm had hit. Much of what the feds had staged and ready went to the states that had requested aid BEFORE the storm hit.

You obviously don't understand the authority chain when a national disaster is declared. Read up on it. The protocols will surprise you.