The Smoking Gun

So I guess now we have it, the proof that President Bush was warned prior to Hurricane Katrina that New Orleans was at risk for levee breaks. Exhibit A: a video tape that shows Bush being briefed on the hurricane 48 hours prior to landfall. On the tape, National Hurricane Center Chief Max Mayfield clearly tells the President and his advisors that the strength of the New Orleans levees was a major concern. They knew, but did nothing about it.

The liberal press has taken up the standard. Bravely they accuse the White House of dishonesty, indifference, incompetence, and even outright lying.

I wish they would just shut up. The people of New Orleans have known since September 2 that the government let them down on all levels, and in every conceivable way. This news story tells us nothing new. It is nothing more than an attempt by Republican opponents to get cheap publicity over a great tragedy.

There is something awful about people who seek to profit from the suffering and humiliation of others. These critics don’t care about New Orleans any more than Bush did. They simply see this videotape as a great gotcha moment, and they will exploit it for all it is worth. Even as they speak, one can see in their eyes that they are forgetting the very people these mistakes have hurt and their criticism is intended to benefit. The human suffering in the aftermath of Katrina is not a political football, and it is shameful that so many people want to treat this situation as some kind of a game.

If opponents of President Bush really want to help the people of the Gulf Coast, they should be working to help rebuild instead of jockeying to make Republicans look bad. Bush’s critics have a lot to say about what went wrong, but when it comes to recovery plans they are absolutely silent. The people of the Gulf Coast don’t care if the President looks bad or not. We want our houses rebuilt.

If they are not going to help us with that, we would prefer that they just go away and leave us alone.

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Comments

[David Harris-Gershon]

While I agree with your political football analogy, you are so sadly (and intentionally, I believe) mistaken when you say this news story tells us nothing new. That is, unless you already had internalized and accepted that the White House lied about it's preparations and intelligence.

The truth matters, my friend. Will it help the citizens of New Orleans now? Of course not. But if public officials are not called out when caught lying, then what standard shall be set for future holders of office? Are we to simply cast a shadow over dishonesty, particularly in a post-Enron, Frey riddled society.

If you were truly writing without clouding this issue with your own political biases, you would withdraw. Otherwise, yours is an article just as politically dressed as the "liberal" media's field-day with this story.

[Moof]

Dr. Hebert, please forgive me, but I have to take issue with the previous commentor.

That comment was obviously written by a person who is emotionally and practically removed from the situation. It must be fairly easy to make that sort of pronouncement when you haven't lost your home, your work, your car, and your favorite t-shirt ... (not to mention your diploma)

I just want to say that the comment struck me as rather shallow and thoughtless in the face of the realization that the person writing the post has lost *everything* and is apparently quite tired of the political jockeying ... while he and so many other Americans wait to have more than just *words* thrown at their situation.

"Clouding issues" with "political bias" indeed ...

[Michael Hebert]

Mr. H-G, I am writing with a polical bias. My bias is that I actually give a damn about the people in New Orleans. To be completely honest, I would throw over the entire Democratic party if it would bring New Orleans back to the way it was.

1,300 people died from that storm, and I knew at least 2 dozen of them personally. Right after the storm, Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard came on Meet the Press and cried while relating the story of a 90 year old woman who drowned in a nursing home because it was not properly evacuated. I knew that woman. Then there was a 7 year old boy who evacuated to Kenner LA and died in a house fire there. I knew him too, and his mother, very well. I could go on, but I don't want to "cloud the truth."

Politics has a place in this world. But that's all -- A PLACE. Politicians and pundits need to get over themselves and accept that there is a time when we should throw down our flags and be human beings. EM Forester once said, "I hate the idea of causes, and if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."

That is about where I stand. I am sorry if you think advocating for 200,000 people who have lost their homes qualifies as "politically dressed," but I cannot stand by and allow liberal or convervative media to distract us from the problem at hand. New Orleans and Mississippi are not rebuilt. My opinion is that people need to pitch in or get the hell out of our way.