Who knows how many hundreds or thousands of people have performed a nearly impossible service to the victims of our recent hurricane? I weep that they, like our troops in Iraq, have suffered from such a horrible lack of competent leadership at the highest levels.
Yes, this is about politics, and about politicians.
And here they are now...
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Mister Bush, stepping off Air Force One at a Coast Guard base in Alabama now, shirtsleeves rolled up. Ah, there's Karl Rove, also in shirtsleeves, a bag draped over his shoulder. How are you going to spin this one, Karl? What's in the bag? Medals of Freedom for your boss to hand out to Chertoff and Brown and the rest of the Homeland Security honchos who did such a great job responding to the disaster?
Friday, 11:20 a.m. A motor coach convoy is entering New Orleans, headed for the Superdome.
Hey, Michael Brown's with Mister Bush in Alabama. Standing around in an airplane hangar. Brown going hamana-hamana. Worst case situation, he's saying. Command and control in place...
Governors going kiss kiss. Haley Barber making a good old photo opportunity out of situation. FEMA just done a great job. We gone be fine at the end of the day, he says.
Now a Coast Guard captain tells Mister Bush how hard the Coast Guard has been at work.
Why is this crap on television?
Another Coast Guard captain steps in to brief Mister Bush on the waterways.
It's pretty obvious this is being staged. Karl must be standing behind the camera.
Hey, bring on the enlisted rescue diver. Show Mister Bush shaking his hand.
Now Mister Bush has a few things to say. Great job by the Coast Guard. Brave people saving lives. Congrats to the governers for being great leaders.
Camera pans back. The hangar is lined with military types standing at parade rest for the commander in chief. Waiting for him to finish this "spontaneous" public relations speech so they can get back to work saving people.
Oh my God! Poor Trent Lott, he lost his house. By golly, he's gonna some day have a better house than before, and Mister Bush in gonna sit on the front porch.
Did I just hear "compassion?" Yes I did.
11:35
Bush says, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."
I just made the sound of one jaw dropping.
Applause from all hands.
The guy can't even show up at a natural disaster without a cherry-picked audience.
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Gee, I wonder why Karl didn't stage this little event at the Superdome.
He would been lynched!
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, Paul.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Renata.
I suspect the refugees for the photo ops have all been hand-picked. Bush couldn't show his face at the Superdome. He'd be safer walking the perimeter of the Green Zone.
ReplyDeleteIf Bush would have walked the Superdome, or the Covention Center... and he might have been drawn & quartered. Those folks at the Convention Center did a HUGE job of keeping the lid on the crowd there. Can't really say for what happened when the lights went down, but during the daytime - but, man they held it together.
ReplyDeleteI've seen less discipline from a platoon of Marines. That statement, coming from a Marine, should say something very loud and definitive.
Know why the 'authorities' were scared? Because of the media reports. I would have driven in there. They are your real pussies. The 'authorities' you are supposed to depend upon in crisis... your Government.
Operation Yellow Elephant - here's another task for you...
Semper FI