Deconstructing my thoughts.
Category 5 political shit storm
Published Wednesday, September 07, 2005 by Gabriel | E-mail this post
"Mr. President, Governor Blanco and Governor Barbour, all is not well with your relief teams. We deserve answers sooner rather than later."
- Joe Scarborough, 09/05/2005
The political waters are getting pretty rough for the Bush administration when stalwart supports like Joe Scarborough are demanding answers to the blistering criticism over the government's hurricane disaster response. Ever since Katrina made landfall every politician in Washington and the affected states has been shamelessly fleeing and clamouring for the high-ground, desperately trying to get out of the path of the political shit storm that has gained immense strength churning in the sea of government ineptitude. Members of congress are coming out of the woodwork calling for investigations, hearings, and yes, they're already calling for the undoing of the multi-billion dollar paper shuffle known as the "Homeland Security Act". The first major test of the Department of Homeland Security and congress already wants another crack at reorganizing federal agencies.
"members of Congress such as Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) are pushing to move FEMA out of its department and back to Cabinet-level status. "
- Washington Post, 09/05/2005
"we should not have ever put FEMA in Homeland Security. We thought about it. Heck, we did it. Who are we going to blame for that? We did that. Maybe it was recommended, I don't know. But you make mistakes. Last time I checked, we are still human beings."
- Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), US Senate floor, 09/06/2005
Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic, but right now it looks like the only thing that the federal government will accomplish after spending untold millions of tax-payer dollars on the inevitable congressional hearings and investigations will be another expensive paper shuffle. The federal government doesn't need a new org chart, they need leadership! No org chart, no matter how cleverly devised, will remedy poor leadership in a time of crisis.
It was the duty of those in charge to make do with the system that was in place and take action. As Secretary Rumsfeld said: "You go to war with the military you have, not the military you wish you had", and the same applies for DHS and FEMA. You aid disaster stricken Americans with the agencies you have, not the agencies you wish you had. Someone needed to step up and take charge.
Given the scope of the disaster and the various levels of government and agencies involved, the responsibility to take action squarely rests on the president. True leaders shine in the chaos, uncertainty and pressure of a crisis. True leaders forge clarity, certainty and confidence from the fog of disarray swirling around a calamity. The president failed the American people, either by appointing inept, inexperienced, incompetent people to critical positions or by sheer lack of his own ability to comprehend, react and rally the government's resources in a time of crisis.
- Joe Scarborough, 09/05/2005
The political waters are getting pretty rough for the Bush administration when stalwart supports like Joe Scarborough are demanding answers to the blistering criticism over the government's hurricane disaster response. Ever since Katrina made landfall every politician in Washington and the affected states has been shamelessly fleeing and clamouring for the high-ground, desperately trying to get out of the path of the political shit storm that has gained immense strength churning in the sea of government ineptitude. Members of congress are coming out of the woodwork calling for investigations, hearings, and yes, they're already calling for the undoing of the multi-billion dollar paper shuffle known as the "Homeland Security Act". The first major test of the Department of Homeland Security and congress already wants another crack at reorganizing federal agencies.
"members of Congress such as Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) are pushing to move FEMA out of its department and back to Cabinet-level status. "
- Washington Post, 09/05/2005
"we should not have ever put FEMA in Homeland Security. We thought about it. Heck, we did it. Who are we going to blame for that? We did that. Maybe it was recommended, I don't know. But you make mistakes. Last time I checked, we are still human beings."
- Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), US Senate floor, 09/06/2005
Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic, but right now it looks like the only thing that the federal government will accomplish after spending untold millions of tax-payer dollars on the inevitable congressional hearings and investigations will be another expensive paper shuffle. The federal government doesn't need a new org chart, they need leadership! No org chart, no matter how cleverly devised, will remedy poor leadership in a time of crisis.
It was the duty of those in charge to make do with the system that was in place and take action. As Secretary Rumsfeld said: "You go to war with the military you have, not the military you wish you had", and the same applies for DHS and FEMA. You aid disaster stricken Americans with the agencies you have, not the agencies you wish you had. Someone needed to step up and take charge.
Given the scope of the disaster and the various levels of government and agencies involved, the responsibility to take action squarely rests on the president. True leaders shine in the chaos, uncertainty and pressure of a crisis. True leaders forge clarity, certainty and confidence from the fog of disarray swirling around a calamity. The president failed the American people, either by appointing inept, inexperienced, incompetent people to critical positions or by sheer lack of his own ability to comprehend, react and rally the government's resources in a time of crisis.
4 Responses to “Category 5 political shit storm”
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Hi from a fellow Sacramentan. I found your blog through Blog Explosion. Keep up the good work.
I'm afraid of what else is in store for us with Bush at the helm.
I finally understand why it is that he wants to go fight battles-somwhere else. Because if it happens here in the states, we're screwed.
And we still have two more years before he's out!
Unless he's removed before then..
L.C.,
If you watched Scarborough Country on any of the days between Sept. 5th and Sept. 9th you'd hear a lot of criticism of how the government responded to the crisis. You’d hear criticism of all levels, including big NGOs who seemed to suffer from the same ineptitude and lack of preparedness as the various government agencies (although we didn't pay billions of tax dollars to the NGOs, the government has a duty to respond). And yes, oh dare I say it, even criticism of president Bush. Although there will always be those ideologues and shameful opportunists who will bash the other side just for the sake of scoring points, it is laughable to refer to Joe Scarborough, and the many others across the political spectrum, as "you liberals". It's only the partisan zealots and head-up-there-ass ideologues that think Bush and the federal government did the best possible job in handling this situation. As always the partisan rhetoric seems to be drowning out the rational analysis and discussion of the issues and the situation. What drives me crazy is idiots who call themselves “conservatives” or “liberals” because of one or two hot-button issues and think that means they are obliged to agree with and support everything the guy they voted for does. That's blind stupidity and defies the most basic common-sense. At the very least I expect intelligent, independent thinking people to reach their own conclusions based on what facts they have at their disposal. Joe Scarborough has again demonstrated that he is such a person. (Thank goodness! Otherwise my entire blog might well be considered a waste of time, which it probably is anyway...)
Now lets see how many contracts go to companies the Bush family has links too. The minum wage has already dropped for the employees doing the work, so somebody will be making huge piles of cash!