"Bush received poor and incomplete counsel about the crisis" Katrina Rep.

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060213/ap_on_go_co/katrina...
Chertoff to Unveil Sweeping FEMA Reforms

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 58 minutes ago


The FEMA changes follow the results of an House inquiry that found unheeded warnings, poor planning and apathy in recognizing the scope of Katrina's destruction led to the slow emergency response from the White House down to local parishes.

The 600-page report by a special Republican-dominated House inquiry into one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history concluded that late state and local evacuation orders exacerbated an untrained and inexperienced force of federal emergency responders.

It also said
President Bush received poor and incomplete counsel about the crisis unfolding in the Gulf Coast.

Overall, the House report said, the federal government's response to Katrina was marked by "fecklessness, flailing and organizational paralysis."

[rodeodance]

1. so, this says--the new report does not put the buck on Bushs desk.

[rodeodance]

2. gosh--would would have guessed.

[rodeodance]

5. the 'top' Fed person to get the blame is Chertoff--yet Congress is

afraid to after the top person-the President.

I realize this is congressional Report-Repug at that--yet is still amazes me when i see it in print.

[SharonAnn]

37. If I remember correctly, an aide had to put together a DVD of the

catastrophe in order to get * to pay any attention to it.

They had been trying to get his attention on it for several days and been trying to explain how enormous it was, but he wasn't interested.

They had to put together news clips, aerial footage, etc. in a short format to get his attention.

Am I the only one who remembers this story?

[punpirate]

3. Uh, huh...

... and all he had to do was turn on the television once in a while to find out what was going on. Too much cake-cutting and air-guitar got in the way, uh, huh....

[Skidmore]

4. Bush, Delegator in Chief.

Isn't that the leadership style he uses and prides himself on. If you are going to be that type of a manager, then you need to pick really good people and LISTEN to them. We won't let him get away with this.

[Warpy]

16. He said during his 2000 campaign that he would emulate Reagan's

"hands off" management style of picking "good people" and allowing them to do their jobs without his interference. Yeah, that's why you bankrupted a whole bunch of companies, you arrogant little shit, by being lazy and not doing your job and expecting people to do it for you.

Now he's surrounded by sycophants who are as nuts as he is and who won't give him any bad news in fear of endangering their positions within the bubble and afraid of doing anything that will displease His Eminence who is of course full of incomplete information because nobody will tell him.

We really have got to get rid of this bunch. We can't survive 3 more years of this.

[Skidmore]

18. Well the, let's dust off the video on that quote and roll it into an

ad about incompetence and into many speeches and forums as possible. They keep handing us ammunition and we don't use it.

[rodeodance]

21. incompetence should be a key word in everything said about WH.

[Epiphany4z]

26. yup

I have worked in a management position before. If you are going to be a lazy manager then you need to hire some really good people under you. Look what Bush has put in place lackeys and campaign contributers.

If Bush was ill informed the buck still stops with him he did after all appoint the guys that didn't inform him.

[tanyev]

6. Then the people who gave him the poor counsel need to be FIRED.

And that goes a lot higher than ol' Brownie.

[rodeodance]

7. the press should ask his aides if Bush even ASKED! Did he care

enough to ask.

[rodeodance]

10. If there is a silver lining--it DOES Blast Chertoff!!

.....It concluded that Chertoff unnecessarily delayed naming a top federal coordinator for relief efforts and the activation of an internal disaster management group. More prompt action by Chertoff would have quickened the relief effort, the report said.

It also faulted Chertoff for not following a response plan specifically for catastrophic disasters.

In blistering testimony Friday, former FEMA director Michael Brown said Chertoff had marginalized the agency's role in the Homeland Security Department, which he said was focused more on fighting terrorism than preparing and responding to natural disasters.

The senior Homeland Security official said Chertoff earlier had been focused on ensuring the department could respond to all kinds of hazards, but that "regrettably, we were not through that implementation when Katrina hit."

[rodeodance]

14. cnn now--the Repot is 'scathing against the Bush Administration"

[rodeodance]

19. but only aides get the blast.

[bullimiami]

8. poor and incomplete counsel? he has eyes ears and the ability to get info

where does the god damned buck stop now? everywhere but the oval office?
he should be in jail.

[rodeodance]

34. 'In-courious George"

[librechik]

38. apparently he didn't even listen to that n/t

[spanone]

9. Nothings changed and nothing will change

bush* is responsible for NOTHING.

[babylonsister]

11. If dimson's minions are afraid to communicate with him,

then they clearly have a problem. This does not negate his complicity IMO.

[Solly Mack]

12. Damn those "smart people" surrounding Bush

They make a lot of mistakes don't they?

[rodeodance]

17. which the press should point out

[Solly Mack]

22. I would if I were part of the Press

but then, I'd probably get fired.

[Stephanie]

13. He was at a FUNDRAISER at a LUXURY RESORT on the beach

He was at the Hotel del Coronado. He was on VACATION. He could not care less about people dying.

[rodeodance]

15. "WH aides" get blistered but leave out Bush name

[carolinalady]

20. that government truly exemplifies the old adage

Shit rolls downhill.

[rodeodance]

24. and sticks on those in the way.

[PA Democrat]

23. Wow. Bush failed to act because he received "poor and incomplete counsel"

while the majority of rest of the country was much more aware of the magnitude of the crisis because we cared enough to PAY ATTENTION!

You would have to be consciously trying to remain blissfully ignorant to be so uninformed of the dire needs of the hurricane victims.

[rodeodance]

25. The new Report-and the press protects him. Plain and simple.

[rodeodance]

27. good gawd--the reform hires more desk sitters

Among the planned changes at FEMA:

_Tracking trucks carrying food, water, ice, blankets and other emergency supplies by satellite to ensure they arrive at disaster sites quickly and with enough equipment.

_Sending FEMA employees to emergency shelters and other temporary housing venues to register victims for aid, instead of relying on victims to register by phone or the Internet.

_Creating a database of already-approved private contracting firms from disaster regions to remove debris and provide services faster.

_Creating "reconnaissance teams" to report disaster conditions to Homeland Security and FEMA operation centers within hours, and improving communication channels to ensure the information quickly gets to the president and Cabinet-level officials.

_Hiring up to 1,500 new full-time employees as year-round coordinators.

[rodeodance]

30. Senate committtee will continue today (per Lieberman)

..On Monday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee was to continue its own investigation into the storm response by examining potentially widespread abuse in federal emergency cash assistance programs for disaster victims.

Up to 900,000 of 2.5 million applicants received aid based on duplicate or invalid
Social Security numbers, or false addresses and names, congressional investigators found.

"Everything that we have found ... confirms exactly the indictment of the House Republicans," Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record) of Connecticut, that committee's top Democrat, said Sunday. "It's shocking and it is unsettling."

[warrior1]

28. It's because

the golden rule is do not give bush bad news. So how could this be his fault? (sarcasm off)

[rodeodance]

31. guess they see their job as keeping him his bubble.

[mod mom]

29. Where does the buck stop? If * wants to place incompetent cronies

on his staff, then he must take responsibility for their action. period.

[rodeodance]

33. His announcement of taking responsibility means little when Reports such

as this only dig at the man down the line (Chertoff)

[Brewman_Jax]

32. This conclusion from the administration

that promised to return "honor and dignity" to the White House. :eyes:

[rodeodance]

35. that meant sexual abstanance (his rules for other people primarily)

[distantearlywarning]

36. Yes, it's never his fault about anything.

It's the governor's fault. It's the mayor's fault. It's Chertoff's fault. It's Brownie's fault. It was bad intelligence. And if all else fails, BLAME CLINTON!

I've never seen a politician so unwilling to take personal responsibility for anything that happens on his watch. What a big baby he is. Wah wah wah. Somebody should give him a pacifier until he can figure out how to grow up and act like an adult man.