Is George Bush ultimately responsible

[zipo]

for the catastrophic failure of the federal government to adequately respond to the unfolding crisis in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina?

[cadillac1234]

YES...

He's the chief. The FEMA/Homeland Sec has been completely redesigned by his Administration and has failed miserably.

[cardcounter0]

No, a Bush's first duty is to always find someone to blame.

Obviously, this failure to respond will be traced back to Clinton. Clinton knew New Orleans was beneath sea level during his entire time in office, and he did NOTHING!

[BeerMoney]

No. I can't stand the guy.. But no.

If the gov't told everyone to leave, everyone did, and the storm was a dud, the gov't would be blamed for promoting scare tactics. You have to realize there are some situations the gov't always has a shot at screwing up no matter what decision they make.

If the people of new orleans were told years ago they needed to spend money to strengthen their levees, they probably would have said the gov't is trying to steal from them. And even if they did reinforce the levees and they did hold in this storm no one would give credit where it is due.

[Autocratic]

I'd say that perhaps he had some responsibility. But not nearly as much as certain people within FEMA and other response organizations.

[Broken Glass Can]

Bush is responsible for the catastrophic failure of the earth to rotate on its axis today.

Oh wait, there was no catastrophic failure....never mind.

[FishHooks]

Good Post.

[cardcounter0]

Bush was responsible for the tracking and capture of America's worst enemy, Osama Bin Laden.

Oh wait, there was no capture....never mind.

[highlife]

[ QUOTE ]
Good Post.

[/ QUOTE ]

...for me to poop on.

[Exsubmariner]

Since this is an inane thread, I thought I might try to contribute.

Disclaimer, nothing I say is earthshaking or new. I am echoing things I have heard in other sources that happen to ring true with me.

I think the voters of New Orleans are getting right now what they voted for. The voters have put in politicians in New Orleans who were incompetent and corrupt. They allowed a largely ineffective police force and criminal justice system to thrive and give jobs to incompetant and corrupt police and lawyers. I saw a cop crying, CRYING, on national TV last night. That man should have NEVER been a police officer. But because of politically correct hiring practices, and institutionalized incompetance of the local government, there he is out there failing to protect and serve the voters of New Orleans.

The Governer of LA is also another prime example. Once again, there crying on TV and without an effective plan of what to do. The Mayor, after having pleaded with everyone to evacuate scant hours ahead of the storm can do nothing except point the finger at someone else.

The levy system in New Orleans failed. For ten years at least, the Army Corps of Engineers has warned the state and city of New Orleans about the issues involved. There have been ten years of overly bureacratic, overly regulated largely ineffective government programs wasting the tax payers money on bloated contractor estimates of what it will take to make the levy system in New Orleans sound. Suprise, those big government projects didn't work.

This catastrophe is a witness to the inherent weaknesses of our political process. When you accept corruption is systemic and you look the other way this is what happens. When you institute politically correct agendas concerning the hiring and training of public servants, this is what happens. When you campaign based on emotional issues, this is what happens.

The great weakness of the American political process is that politicians are not required to be leaders. We are witnessing the results.

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