President Bush Calling "Looks like you have a fine girlfriend."

[Daveparts]

The President is a man who must wear many hats and yesterday the President wore his warm and fuzzy hat. The President visiting tornado ravaged Enterprise Alabama “Out of this rubble will emerge a better tomorrow," Bush said, Aw what a nice man, He climbed over piles of concrete, roofing, insulation, broken glass and textbooks at shattered Enterprise High School. Be strong and set an example for the other 1,200 students, he told the student government president and three others. I might recommend the same right back to George but this is George’s forte being a cheerleader.

FEMA Director R. David Paulison, who flew to the region with Bush, said the federal government responded quickly to the storms. He said he was on the telephone with state emergency officials hours after the storms hit. That's the new FEMA," Paulison said. Yes indeed this is the new FEMA but don’t spend those kind words and back rubs all in one place. To Sheriff Pete Smith of Sumter County, Ga., and other local officials, Bush spoke of the need to make sure some storm victims do not fall through the cracks.” The best help they can get is when a citizen comes and builds them a house," the president said in the hospital parking lot, appealing for volunteer to help in the recovery. "The minute you find out you don't have what you need, if you put out a call to the country, this country will respond."

Listen to those kind words did you notice? Did he offer these people anything besides those kind words? No, this is the new FEMA all right. The old FEMA still reeling from it’s disastrous handling of hurricane Katrina have heard the criticisms and made changes to address them. The old FEMA was slow and full of bureaucratic programs to help those made homeless but this is the new and Improved FEMA they’re Johnny on the spot with kind words tea and sympathy and when the cameras are turned off it’s back to Washington.

Under the bad old FEMA a single family household made homeless was eligible for up to $2000 in emergency disaster relief but now the new and improved FEMA that’s has been cut to $500 per household. Thank you, Next! Imagine a family of four you’ve lost your house your car all of your clothes and here’s $500 bucks to get back on your feet or a family of six or seven. You see it was the determination of the new FEMA that those folks in Orleans were getting fat off that big chunk o change. Payments to evacuees will no longer be made via debit cards, which FEMA says created conditions for fraud, but will made either by check, direct deposit to recipients’ bank accounts or in cash.

The Bush administrations being concerned about fraud is akin to Lizzy Borden being concerned about ax safety we can lose eight or nine billion in Iraq to fraud or waste but we have to make it up off the backs of our fellow citizens whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Paulison maintained that the cutbacks should not seriously affect evacuees, and that the money is only intended as a “stopgap” measure in any case. He further added—echoing the Bush administration’s perpetual promotion of “personal responsibility”—“When they have a lot of money, the temptation out there is to spend it.... When they receive a small amount at first, they will spend it on what they really need.” If it weren’t so sickening it would be hysterically funny but even in this tragedy You see you teach personel responsibilitiy by treating people like children. But we find the President who’s has grown into the job. At one time the President might have come to such a disaster site and made promises that he had no intention of keeping but just like the FEMA George promises just what he will deliver, nothing!

In the bad old days with the bad old FEMA the federal government reimbursed the state for 100% of clean up expenses but under the new improved FEMA that has been reduced to 75% I guess they want to teach the States about personal responsibility as well. At least it’s not political; Alabama one of the reddest of red states with a Republican Governor if anything like Mississippi it’s crime might be in being too red after all why help those who will vote for you anyway. After Katrina and playing air guitar in Phoenix the President stopped in Pascagoula and promised Trent Lott he would build him a new house, he didn’t, Trent and his lawyers have filed another frivolous law suit to make the insurance company pay to rebuild his house. Funny when it’s their house the lawsuits not so frivolous as it is when it’s your house.

The ultimate irony would be if the insurance company claimed the Presidents statement released them from any liability. But if a senior Republican Senator can’t catch a break what chance do the folks in Enterprise have or any of us for that matter. Apparently patriotism is a one-way street they pay their taxes and send their sons and daughters to serve but when they need help… a kind word and a photo op.

Having spent more than a quarter century traveling Alabama highways Enterprise is a warm and sunny small town located on the road to Panama City Florida its industries are farming and military service. I stopped one time outside Enterprise to take a picture of and old log cabin farmhouse and as I snapped the photo a pickup truck up pulled up behind me and the driver yelled, “What are you doing!” I explained I was taking a picture of the farmhouse he said, “I was afraid you were broke down” he then gave me the history of the farmhouse and told me how to get to another even older one. A lot of nice people live there and deserve better but then again millions of nice people live all across this country and they all deserve better.

When she saw Bush, Benita Fletcher called her boyfriend and then handed her phone to the president. "President Bush calling," Bush said. "Looks like you have a fine girlfriend." Don’t spend it all in one place.

[rasputin1952]

1. One would think that the government's primary responsibility...

would be to it's citizens that face tragedy...not this administration, that's for sure.

I wonder at how much of bush's wealth went into ponying up for rebuilding the area? Zero would be my guess.

The people of this nation have always come to the aid of their fellow citizens, and they will help to rebuild the areas affected, but even w/volunteer help, cash is necessary to purchase building materials and basics, this is one of the reasons FEMA exists...it is a shame that this nation has such a blustering idiot for a president...I am willing to bet that if Teddy Roosevelt were there instead, he would have picked up a shovel or a hammer and started to work. This "Compassionate Conservative" is revolting...he should show up wearing elf shoes and a jesters cap.

[Rock_Garden]

2. Thanks for the information about the "new FEMA"! n/t