katrina quotes

[Pherr the Dorf]

1) "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." –President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina

2) "What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the Hurricane flood evacuees in the Houston Astrodome, Sept. 5, 2005

3) "It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level....It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed." –House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Aug.

4) "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do ... 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, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005

5) "Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively well." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, Sept. 1, 2005

6) "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring Hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2005

7) "I have not heard a report of thousands of people in the convention center who don't have food and water." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, on NPR's "All Things Considered," Sept. 1, 2005

"Well, I think if you look at what actually happened, I remember on Tuesday morning picking up newspapers and I saw headlines, 'New Orleans Dodged the Bullet.' Because if you recall, the storm moved to the east and then continued on and appeared to pass with considerable damage but nothing worse." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, blaming media coverage for his failings, "Meet the Press," Sept. 4, 2005

9) "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” –Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sept. 6, 2005

10) "You simply get chills every time you see these poor individuals...many of these people, almost all of them that we see are so poor and they are so black, and this is going to raise lots of questions for people who are watching this story unfold." –CNN's Wolf Blitzer, on New Orleans' hurricane evacuees, Sept. 1, 2005

11) "What didn't go right?'" –President Bush, as quoted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), after she urged him to fire FEMA Director Michael Brown "because of all that went wrong, of all that didn't go right" in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort

12) "Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?" –House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX), to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at the Astrodome in Houston

13) "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans.
We couldn't do it, but God did." –Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) to lobbyists, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal

14) "Louisiana is a city that is largely under water." –Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, news conference, Sept. 3, 2005

15) "I also want to encourage anybody who was affected by Hurricane Corina to make sure their children are in school." –First Lady Laura Bush, twice referring to a "Hurricane Corina" while speaking to children and parents in South Haven, Mississippi, Sept. 8, 2005

16) "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." –President Bush, turning to his aides while surveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One, Aug. 31, 2005

17) "I believe the town where I used to come – from Houston, Texas, to enjoy myself, occasionally too much – will be that very same town, that it will be a better place to come to." –President Bush, on the tarmac at the New Orleans airport, Sept. 2, 2005

18) "Last night, we showed you the full force of a superpower government going to the rescue." –MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Sept. 1, 2005

19) "You know I talked to Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi yesterday because some people were saying, 'Well, if you hadn't sent your National Guard to Iraq, we here in Mississippi would be better off.' He told me 'I've been out in the field every single day, hour, for four days and no one, not one single mention of the word Iraq.' Now where does that come from? Where does that story come from if the governor is not picking up one word about it? I don't know. I can use my imagination.” –Former President George Bush, who can give his imagination a rest, interview with CNN’s Larry King, Sept. 5, 2005

20) "We just learned of the convention center – we being the federal government – today." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, to ABC's Ted Koppel, Sept. 1, 2005, to which Koppel responded " Don't you guys watch television? Don't you guys listen to the radio? Our reporters have been reporting on it for more than just today."

21) "I don't want to alarm everybody that, you know, New Orleans is filling up like a bowl. That's just not happening." -Bill Lokey, FEMA's New Orleans coordinator, in a press briefing from Baton Rouge, Aug. 30, 2005 (Source)

22) "FEMA is not going to hesitate at all in this storm. We are not going to sit back and make this a bureaucratic process. We are going to move fast, we are going to move quick, and we are going to do whatever it takes to help disaster victims." --FEMA Director Michael Brown, Aug. 28, 2005 (Source)

23) "I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, arguing that the victims bear some responsibility, CNN interview, Sept.
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24) "I understand there are 10,000 people dead. It's terrible. It's tragic. But in a democracy of 300 million people, over years and years and years, these things happen." --GOP strategist Jack Burkman, on MSNBC's "Connected," Sept. 7, 2005

25) "Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi and Alabama to our help and rescue. We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts. Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard – maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating." –Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Aug. 31, 2005, to which Cooper responded:

"I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated. And when they hear politicians slap – you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?"

What's your fav?

[Fash]

the last one. you go, anderson cooper.

[Arborealus]

"I don't know whose problem it is. I don't know whether it's the governor's problem. I don't know whether it's the president's problem,
but somebody needs to get their ass on a plane and sit down, the two of them, and figure this out right now."

"I don't want to see anybody hold anymore goddamn press conferences. Put a moratorium on press conferences. Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city. And then come to this city and stand with us, when their are [so many] military trucks and troops that we can't even count."

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin...For the Win

[Hesten]

Definitely #13.

13) "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans.
We couldn't do it, but God did." –Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA) to lobbyists, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal

Bloody idiot.

[Raistin]

23) "I don't make judgments about why people chose not to leave but, you know, there was a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, arguing that the victims bear some responsibility, CNN interview, Sept.
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Calling it for what it is. Want to bitch about the Government tring to control peoples lives. Yet you don't take the responsibility to save yourself, then blame them for it. I'm sorry if you hear " If you stay here, you will die" and you stay behind to keep the lil old house you have intact. Now you put the Guardsmen and Reserves in danger to go swifting though toxic water just to ask you to leave your house to live.

Poor people in Mississippi were able to evac,so being poor is not a excuse.

On the whole thing about supplies and stuff. The Gov. of La is to blame. She wouldn't allow the Red Cross to go in and hand it out and kept them out of the state for 2 days. The Florida National Guard and Alabama's were there flying black hawks and others dropping supplies in NO, till she bitched at them for it and told them to leave. They also had thousands of guards men staged in Mississippi to help out, she wouldn't allow it so they helped Mississippi out insted.
Can't blame FEMA for now evacing out the people. That is not their Job. They didnt do it here in whitey florida, they are here to support and help AFTER.Although how much after is the question.

For hating Bush, I cant fully blame him. It starts with the Gov. Kathleen Blanco and the mayor. Then Bush for his lack of ability of knowing what he is doing and putting FEMA under homeland security..Next, FEMA director Michael D. Brown whos ability to judge Horses earned him a nice paying job from Bush.

[Aslanna]

On the whole thing about supplies and stuff. The Gov. of La is to blame. She wouldn't allow the Red Cross to go in and hand it out and kept them out of the state for 2 days. The Florida National Guard and Alabama's were there flying black hawks and others dropping supplies in NO, till she bitched at them for it and told them to leave. They also had thousands of guards men staged in Mississippi to help out, she wouldn't allow it so they helped Mississippi out insted.

I hadn't heard that one before. Any links for that?

[Raistin]

I'll see what I can find on the news side. All I know is first hand from good friends of mine still in the Florida Guard that have been in that area since the a few days before/after the storm hit. I transfered to the Army Reserves and learned about all the MPs going to Texas,Mississippi, and La.

[Noysyrump]

Rush Limbaugh has been talkin about that since it came out. Not many news sights are posting it cause it takes away from the bush hateing. sure a few Bloggers are runnin it and he said somethin about it beeing on the Red Cross sight as well, i looked but couldnt find a link on frontpage.

[Chmee]

On the whole thing about supplies and stuff. The Gov. of La is to blame. She wouldn't allow the Red Cross to go in and hand it out and kept them out of the state for 2 days. The Florida National Guard and Alabama's were there flying black hawks and others dropping supplies in NO, till she bitched at them for it and told them to leave. They also had thousands of guards men staged in Mississippi to help out, she wouldn't allow it so they helped Mississippi out insted.

I hadn't heard that one before. Any links for that?

Not sure about how long it went on, but for a while the National Guard was keeping the Red Cross out of New Orleans after Katrina. The reason being given was that they wanted people to evacuate and didn't want people to be encouraged to stay.

http://www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_68 ... .html#4524

[Raistin]

Maybe the La national guard. But Florida/Mississippi's were there till the Gov told them to get out. So there was some tension between La Gov and the National Guards that were there giving stuff out. Needless to say, other states Guard's can't go in to others unless given the permission to.

Im not anywhere close to a Republican or a liker of one. But If any blame is to be had, its the Gov and Mayor for keeping the red cross out. That is fact

[Pherr the Dorf]

Maybe the La national guard. But Florida/Mississippi's were there till the Gov told them to get out. So there was some tension between La Gov and the National Guards that were there giving stuff out. Needless to say, other states Guard's can't go in to others unless given the permission to.

Im not anywhere close to a Republican or a liker of one. But If any blame is to be had, its the Gov and Mayor for keeping the red cross out. That is fact

Don't confuse who gets to decide these things... the mayor has zero control over who goes in and who does not, the Governor runs the state