Nobody Could Have Predicted...

ANKARA, Turkey Sep 28, 2005 — Sent to improve America's image in the Muslim world, President Bush's public relations chief (Karen Hughes) stressed the need for better dialogue in her brief address Wednesday to Turkish women activists.

Of course, "better dialogue" meaning that they do as they are sanctimoniously told by her superior, the Shoeshopper of State.

CBS News finally had a more in-depth look at Bill Frist's extraordinarily well-timed (at least as far as the market price) sale of stock held in his purported "blind trust." A sale, by his own account, he ordered. Borger said the sale was to resolve any conflict of interests issues for Frist. Not that Frist had claimed this was the reason. She reported it as fact, not an assertion. At the end of the piece, she lamented that he (Frist) was trying to do the right thing but found himself in trouble anyway.

I don't know whether Frist acted on insider information or not. I do recognize the biased reporting by Borger, however.

As far as Frist's culpability, if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck...

Bush has asked the American people, in the this time of severe gas shortages, to conserve by not taking unnecessary trips just before he embarked on his 7th visit to the storm ravaged south to "view the damage."

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo


Daily Kos

[On the day of the storm, or perhaps the day after, FEMA turned down the state's suggestion to use school buses because they are not air conditioned, Blanco said Friday in an interview.

Even after levees broke and residents were crowding the Louisiana Superdome, then-FEMA Director Mike Brown was bent on using his own buses to evacuate New Orleans, Blanco said.]

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=109983

[Peter Pantuso of the American Bus Association said he spent much of the day on Wednesday, Aug. 31, trying to find someone at the Federal Emergency Management Agency who could tell him how many buses were needed for an evacuation, where they should be sent and who was overseeing the effort.

"We never talked directly to FEMA or got a call back from them," Pantuso said.

Pantuso, whose members include some of the nation's largest motor coach companies, including Greyhound and Coach USA, eventually learned that the job of extracting tens of thousands of residents from flooded New Orleans wasn't being handled by FEMA at all.

Instead the agency had farmed the work out to a trucking logistics firm, Landstar Express America, which in turn hired a limousine company, which in turn engaged a travel management company.]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0509230350sep23,1,1064399.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Landstar Express a subsidiary of Landstar whose Chairman is Jeffrey C. Crowe. Crowe is President of the highly partisan U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a donor to the RNC.

Former Chairman of Landstar is James R. Hertwig, donor to RNC $500, Bush/Cheney $1,000, Mel Martinez $500. Now Hertwig is with CSX where Treasury Secretary John Snow came from.

The pretense about "air-conditioning" screams that there is something else going on here. One has to think that a hot bus ride would be preferable to what many of these victims had to endure. One also has to wonder whether cronyism and patronage are not in play yet again.

To Recap:

FEMA discourages using buses in life and death situation because they are not air-conditioned.

FEMA insists on using buses for which it has made arrangements.

FEMA ignores the companies which actually could provide buses.

FEMA gives task to company without buses which gives task to another company without buses which gives the task to yet another company.

The company which is tasked to provide the buses is headed by a pro-Bush, pro-republican who heads an organization that is blatantly partisan.

That same company deals in trucking logistics and apparently has no buses of its own because it farmed out the task to another company which too did not have buses.

We've seen how government contracts are being awarded without bid and without any oversight as to proper completion. Now we have a company contracted to provide emergency transportation without the means to do so.

SOMETHING STINKS!

Can't find Osama. Can't find WMD. Now he's lost Bianca.

Why would the government destroy donated rations?

It cuts into potential obscene profits for Halliburton selling food to the government at inflated prices perhaps.

The military personnel in these photos have no other function than to act as props for these stagecrafted photo-ops, one with Talibani and one with Putin. Just like the firefighters who unselfishly volunteered to aid hurricane victims, but whose "assignment" was to walk around with the President for picture taking, this is an affront to thinking people. The image over substance mentality is so blatant that one wonders why there hasn't been more reported on this obvious marketing approach to governance.

Not to mention what's all this propaganda cost? A least a dozen men (no women from what I can tell), have to be transported, fed, and paid. The cost in backdrops alone for previous photo-ops has to run into six figures by now.

The Soul of Cronyism

Anyone else reminded of the scene from Forest Gump when Forest is meeting with JFK?

Two Things:

1. The last time I did this and did not notice, I was drunk.
2. Was everyone afraid to tell him.

On reflection, perhaps it was unwise to drink that rootbeer before the meeting, eh Forest.

So, why didn't GWB's famous instincts or "gut" tell him...?

Every news report I've heard about John Roberts opening statement before the Senate confirmation hearing has commented that he "did it without notes" as if this is some major accomplishment. Every day in America lawyers deliver memorized arguments. Every day in America, sales people deliver their memorized pitch to potential buyers. Every day in America, an actor recites his/her memorized script. So what's the BFD about Roberts speaking without notes.

Roberts has had plenty of time to practice this speech and it seemed particularly well rehearsed, especially when he looked into the camera. This administration is all about image over substance and uses stage craft as a formidable perception management tool. This is but one more example.

Doesnt' the timing of video taped terrorists' threats seem just a little, shall we say, too convenient?

Worker error blamed for massive Los Angeles blackout. President Bush calls workers and tells them they’re doing a heck of a job, without a hint of sarcasm. Promises them jobs in management of the Department of Energy if they're republicans.

President Bush explains why he thought all was well in New Orleans:

"And I myself thought we had dodged a bullet. You know why? Because I was listening to people probably over the airwaves say, The bullet has been dodged. And that was what I was referring to."

In a related story, it was announced that CNN would now be responsible for the Presidential Daily Brief, the CIA would be merged into Fox News, and the FBI would be told their doing "a heckuva good job" when it comes to vetting political appointees.

Also, it's been rumored that because of his success in Iraq, Paul (Jerry) Bremer will be named head of the New Orleans Provisional Authority.

The Dissident Voice


LibertyVoice.org


I've come the conclusion that there is nothing that is too outrageous for the GOP to contemplate or to put into action. The underlying theme seems to be that "nobody will believe that we would actually do this." What do you suppose all those think-tanks are for?

Did 9/11 Change Everything? Not political cronyism. Not political nepotism. Not political patronage. This just is more evidence that their words do not match their deeds.

"W" Means Disaster

Waters of Mass Destruction

Wastrels of Mammoth Dereliction

Wankers Merit Dismissal

Weasels Making Decisions

Wishful Meaningless Delusions

Wanton Media Deception

Got your own? Leave a comment!

"Unlike 9/11, there was advance warning about hurricane Katrina."

"Just like 9/11, there was advance warning about hurricane Katrina."

Laura Bush said reporters are ignoring good news and focusing on the problems: ''I think we've seen a lot of the same footage over and over that isn't necessarily representative of what really happened.

Okay, I'm going to give Michael Brown the benefit of the doubt about his tenure with the city of Edmond, OK. If fact, I'll promote him to Manager or Director of Emergency Services if you want. Of course, then I'll ask how this qualifies him to head FEMA given that the population of Edmond was less than 70,000 in 2000. Presumably, it was fewer 20+ years ago. How in the world could this "real world" experience, two decades later, translate into qualifications to head an emergency agency as large and complex as FEMA which serves the disaster needs of 280 million people?

Where were the Senate democrats when Michael Brown was confirmed for head of FEMA? Why didn't they questions his spurious credentials and bogus resume? Why indeed?

Maybe because they didn't want to be called "obstructionists."

Elements of Staged Photo:

Unknown black guy.

Crewman/Emergency workers in background.

Tail of helicopter.

Brown acting knowledgeable.

Bush looking concerned and engaged.

Chertoff taking up floor space.

Who's most likely to not want to play?

that if the top 3 people heading the agency in charge of coping with disasters have no related experience, they will totally screw it up.

that cronyism, patronage and nepotism will put incompetent people in charge.

that "quid pro quo" is a lousy way to select people for important jobs.

that the Bush adminstration would respond more rapidly to a disaster in a swing-state during an election year. In fact, they might even cut short their vacations.

ThinkProgress

By now, you've likely seen the pictures of the large number of school buses that were not used to ferry evacuees out of New Orleans. The apologists/defenders are using the failure to use the clearly available buses to make it seem that New Orleans' mayor was at fault for the large number of people left in the city. Of course, no one ever asks if there were also large numbers of drivers available to drive the buses, whether the buses were fueled and ready to go, or even where the keys to the buses are kept. And, this all presupposes that the mayor could simply order their use.

But then again, asking obvious questions like these is not helpful when you're actively trying to shift the blame while at the same time saying now is not the time for playing the "blame game."

"I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions..." This is not such a position.

What Bush and Allbaugh said about FEMA in March, 2001

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/03/20010305-6.html

What Allbaugh said about FEMA in May, 2001 – 3 months later as they proposed to gut it.

http://www.democrats.com/node/5960

"I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy," Bush said during an Aug. 13 bike ride with journalists at his ranch. "

That would indeed be preferable.

U.S. President George W. Bush hugs residents Kim Bassier (L) and Bronwynne Bassier (R) while touring Hurricane Katrina damage done to the Biloxi, Mississippi, area, September 2, 2005.
Compliments them on their ability to stay clean and tidy for photo-ops.

Just ask Janice Karpinski

Image over Subtance

Laura Bush will visit Lafayette
Jason Brown jbrown@theadvertiser.com

First lady Laura Bush is scheduled to arrive Friday in Lafayette to visit with victims of Hurricane Katrina, officials said today.Peter Watkins, deputy press secretary to the first lady, said she is tentatively scheduled to tour the Cajundome, where thousands of evacuees are being sheltered, at noon.

This is the only scheduled visit of a shelter by the first lady.

Evacuees at Cajundome wait for first lady, and for lunch
Jan Risher jrisher@theadvertiser.com

As the first lady toured the Red Cross shelter at the Cajundome this morning, a line of evacuees waiting to eat their lunch trickled out the door of the Dome.

First lady Laura Bush arrived about midday to tour the shelter and meet evacuees.By 12:50 p.m., the trays of food were still covered and hungry evacuees stood in line, holding empty plates. Rice, beans and jambalaya were on the menu. About that time, volunteers began rolling the carts of food into position to serve.

My reading of these events leads me to the conclusion that hungry people were not fed until such time as Laura Bush could arrive and get a favorable photo-op. I hope I'm wrong, but this is emblematic of this administration where it's always image over substance.

Condoleeza Rice's aspirations for elected office came to an abrupt end when it was learned that she was attending broadway shows, buying thousand dolllar shoes and working on her backhand during the worst natural disaster in American history and the accompanying dismal relief effort. Future political opponents promised to bludgeon her with this grievace judgment error in image management.

Dereliction of duty is a specifically military offence. It includes various elements centred around the avoidance of any duty which may be properly expected.

In the US Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) it is contained within the regulations governing the failure to obey an order or regulation. It means that one willfully, through negligence or culpable inefficiency fails to perform one's expected duties. Ineptitude is a defence against the charge.

The maximum penalty in the US is a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of pay and six months confinement. Acts which are derelict may be charged under more specific offences such as missing movement, noncompliance with procedural rules, misbehaviour, malingering, self-injury with intent to avoid service, or straggling.

Civilian dereliction is usually classed in common law as criminal or civil negligence, recklessness or malpractice.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dereliction_of_duty"

When you find yourself in danger

"Flood control has been a priority of this adminstration since day one."

Much like counter-terrorism was a priority, no doubt

Let's See on C/T:

Ignored warnings from Clinton administration.
Ignored warnings and recommendations of the Hart-Rudman Commission
Ignored warnings from allied nations concerning attacks
Ignored Presidential Daily Briefing
Set up "Cheney Commission" which never had a meeting
Removes Counter-Terrorisim from Cabinet Level
Ashcroft proposes funding cuts

On flood control:

Shelved study involving flood control
Opened up wetlands (known to diminish intensity of surge) for commercial development
Made most drastic cuts ever to funding for repair, maintenance and upgrading levees.

This blog was originally founded on the premise that the Bush administration fails to plan, fails to heed warnings, cuts funding and then when disaster strikes, absolves themselves of responsibility by claiming the no one could reasonably see it coming despite the evidence to the contrary.

Variation on a Theme

This morning, about 7:05 am Eastern time, George Bush was interviewed by Diane Sawyers on ABC's Good Morning America. This is what he said:

"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

Except maybe those with some knowledge of the issue.

A Firm Grasp of the Obvious

Asked to compare what he saw to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Bush said New Orleans was more physically devastated than New York.

"Nine-eleven was a manmade attack, this was a natural disaster," he said

Well, duh!

And revisionist history repeats itself:

"nobody could have predicted they would use planes as missiles..."

"nobody could have predicted that a hurricane with 4 or 5 intensity level could breach levees that were designed for level 2 o3 hurricanes"

"nobody could have predicted that cutting funding for needed levee repairs, maintenance and upgrades would lead to those levees failing some time in the future"

"nobody could have predicted the intensity of the insurgency in Iraq and we would get bogged down there just like in Vietnam"

Same idea stated differently. "Everyone thought Saddam had WMD's."
As in, "nobody could have predicted that Saddam did not continue to possess WMD's

These people are dangerously incompetent. Nothing's ever their fault. Circumstances are always beyond their control or unanticipated or Clinton's fault

Watch as Clear Channel, Fox, and other traitors to the truth rush to defend and deflect the much warranted criticism of this FUBAR administration.