For the ‘Excuse President,’ the best defense is a good offense

September 4, 2005

At the end of the day, the Bush gang only knows how to run one play: shun responsibility and blame someone else. It’s about the only thing the administration seems to do well.

Initially, the blame for the crisis in New Orleans was placed on the local citizens who didn’t have the resources to leave. Then, the blame shifted half-heartedly to the media, as evidenced by Trent Lott’s claim the other day that the federal government has responded well to the disaster, but people are being misled by reporters who only want to focus on the negative.

Today, a new target emerged: blame state and local officials.

Louisiana did not reach out to a multi-state mutual aid compact for assistance until Wednesday, three state and federal officials said. As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.

“The federal government stands ready to work with state and local officials to secure New Orleans and the state of Louisiana,” White House spokesman Dan Bartlett said. “The president will not let any form of bureaucracy get in the way of protecting the citizens of Louisiana.”

For the record, when a Bush aide told the Post that Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, he or she was lying. As Kevin Drum noted, Blanco declared a state-level state of emergency on August 26, asked Bush to declare a federal state of emergency a day later, which the president did. Three days later, Hurricane Katrina arrived.

There are, it seems to me, two things to consider. The first is the genuinely shameful attempt by the White House to lash out at others in desperation, including demonstrably false claims. It’s a bizarre message they’ve spun for themselves: this is no time for finger pointing, but have you noticed how much better we are than those local folks?

The second is the tack Bush has always taken, even as governor: the buck always stops elsewhere. Briefly during the presidential campaign, John Kerry referred to Bush’s first term as the “Excuse Presidency.” It didn’t catch on as a campaign catch-phrase, but it accurately summarized so much of Bush’s first term.

Slow economy? It’s Enron’s fault. No WMD in Iraq? It’s the intelligence community’s fault. Job losses? Clinton’s fault. Record deficits? Osama bin Laden’s fault. Health care crisis? Trial lawyers’ fault. Frayed international alliances? France’s fault.

Nothing’s changed. The hurricane crisis offered Bush yet another opportunity to shoulder some responsibility and lead. I’m convinced he simply doesn’t know how. As a result, we hear blame assigned to poverty-stricken families in New Orleans … and the media … and local officials.

It’s beyond shameful.

Here is National Review’s logic:

KLo and others have been not so subtlely suggesting that no one should play politics with this horrible disaster and that any criticism of Bush, Chertoff and Brown is misplaced and unreasonable yet not so subtly suggesting that Blanco and Nagin were sure incompetent (wink, wink) … and of course Barbour has been magnificent (just happens to have an “R” behind is name).

1. The logic from Goldberg and others then follows that this was much too huge of a disaster (size of Great Britain and all) for Homeland Security and FEMA to have done anything better but boy did Blanco and Nagin sure botch it up.

2. Brown, Chertoff and Bush could not have predicted that the hurricane would be this devastating or that the levees would break, yet those fools who didn’t evacuate sure were irresponsible and dumb.

3. It was the responsibility of Nagin and Blanco to request and fill out all of the necessary paper work for the President to act, Blanco did not order the president to cancel his five week vacation in time.

4. African Americans who are wary of the President’s performance are being reactionary and critical they should be happy that Bush is concerned about rebuilding Trent Lott’s porch.

GL

  • Avoiding blame

    The spin machine is whirling. Fingers are pointing. Rationalizations are flying.

    Not seeking ‘blame’ for the mismanagement and organizational failures in responding to—or anticipating—the Katrina hurricane, serves only a ‘blameless’ national administration. Since the Bush administration does not apologize for misdeeds, whether directly or indirectly their responsibility, the surest path toward putting this disaster behind them is to focus all attention on the rescue, recovery and restoration efforts.

    Where this tunnel perspective falls short is with accountability. How does any system, social, economic or political, learn from what does or does not work? How do we not repeat the mistakes, errors in judgment and projection, if we do not reap new understanding and insight from lessons learned?

    Accountability is a virtue. Just, noble and humane individuals mark accountability as a cornerstone of their integrity. Why is ‘blame’ avoidance used as an aversion for accountability?

    In what crisis does a compassionate soul not ‘do the right thing’ regardless of our own or another’s religious, social, or political identification? Only when self-interest supersedes true moral character.

  • But why would you want to blame anyone if, as Bush said:

    “I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees.”

    You either believe that.. or you don’t.
    And since he said it… he must belive it.

    Given his quote… you blame everyone, or you blame no one.

  • Kind of odd how this Republican administration, which continually talks about people accepting personal responsibility and accountability for their actions, is completely and utterly incapable – and unwilling – to do so itself. They’re never wrong. It’s always someone else’s fault. Isn’t this the same behavior that they continually complain about?

    The hypocrisy never ceases with these people. Sadly, I don’t think it ever will.

  • Whether he shifts blame successfully or not (at this point, I think not), the consequences of this are a’coming in a big way, and what happens to Bush may be irrelevant since the damage is now done:

    Gas prices. Here in NY, gas is approaching $4 a gallon. Natural gas had already tripled in price since 2003 and will explode just like car fuel, socking people in the mouth this winter.

    And there will be further cascading effects that our country is totally unprepared for. That rise transportation fuel costs will explode the price of food and other necessities for survival, let alone the baubles we buy that help float the national economy. Which will set off a wave of inflation. Which the Fed will respond to by raising interest rates. Which will destroy the housing bubble and 40% of our economic growth in one shot.

    Need I go on? New Orleans is a catastrophe and may well become the first abandoned modern city on the North American continent. Not because there is no desire to rebuild, but because our country will soon realize it is caught in an economic quicksand that it has neither the infrastructure nor resources to extricate itself from. The rise in fuel costs could well start the abandonment of suburbia elsewhere. Some may rejoice at this, but what could be more depressing than the sight of hundreds of abandoned homes surrounding the major cities–the signs of our former glory and strength?

    I can’t even begin to contemplate what ought to be done, and I cannot think of anything in place that would buffer what’s coming. And I tremble at the consequences. The “state of nature” that New Orleans became may well make a visit to all of our cities, as fuel and food become too expensive. Bush may get thrown out of office, and rightly so, but the consequences of his policies will ruin our lives for years to come.

  • Nice post Mr. Fribble… and you may be right about the forthcoming “economic correction.”

    While all this was unfolding…

    I noted somewhere on a Kevin Drum thread that on 9/01/05 America officially became a third world state.

    We have always been in a race between education and disaster. I think it is pretty evident that disaster has the upper hand at the moment.

    But here is how we will know for sure:

    If BushCo can consolidate this tragedy into actual political gain… the 200+ year American experiment is undeniably over.

    The next 4 weeks is going to be intensely interesting…

    Those that hate democracy (ie. transparency, accountability, factual truth) have much to lose… or much to gain.

    Watch carefully.

  • One question: Where is the democratic opposition to the Bushites litany of horrors? Who amongst the congressional democrats has consistently, unswervingly, raised a defiant voice condemning the party of greed and malice?

    That’s a legit question. I’ll be interested to see if anyone is prepared to nominate even a single one of them.

  • Yes, nice post, Mr. Flibble. But I quibble with
    one point:

    “Bush may get thrown out of office, and rightly so.”

    No way! The forces that control this nation want
    this regime to survive, and will see to it that it
    does.

    We are up against a wall. Those that support
    Bush, a hefty 40% or more of the voters, are
    like religious fanatics – no facts, no revelations,
    no discoveries, no anything will ever persuade
    them that their blind beliefs are ill founded.
    Nothing can change their minds. And the pure
    power of propaganda from Republicans, and
    the overwhelmingly biased MSM, will convince
    enough of the independents to side with Bush
    no matter what atrocities he commits. No one
    can defeat this machine. No one.

    Tragically, pathetically, only a tiny minority
    even recognize the machine, much less,
    fight it.

    Bush’s performance after 9/11 was shocking,
    but the public overwhelmingly treated him as
    a hero. He wins this one, too. Might take a
    little more time, but he prevails. His successor
    wins the presidency, the Supreme Court does
    a 180.

  • I don’t understand how they thin they can get away with making such a statement. After all, once the governor declared a state of emergency, the WHOLE STATE knows it, and all the people who lived there will have that knowledge that Bush lied right afterwards to shift blame. Is Karl Rove too drunk to advise CHimpBoy or something?

  • Hark, I just read over at Kos that there is a new survey from Survey USA that shows the Bush approval numbers are now at 38%. I think the crack in the wall is starting to widen a bit.

    Whether Bush gets kicked to the curb remains to be seen, but I am in the crowd that thinks he is finished politically.

  • CB,

    You should be the principal speech writer for the next Democratic nominee for POTUS. Now, if we could only find a nominee with … what’s the word? … guts?

  • President Bush, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, and FEMA Director (Under Secretary) Michael Brown may have been surprised by Katrina’s aftermath—but engineers, hydrologists, marine scientists, government officials, and politicians who have given the matter any thought were not:

    CNN citing N.O. Times Picayune: “Everybody at FEMA Should Be Fired”
    http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/katrina.blame/index.html

    Times-Picayune editorial
    http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/times.picayune.editorial/index.html

    Times-Picayune five-part series predicts all, three years ago, June 2002
    http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway/
    “It’s only a matter of time before South Louisiana takes a direct hit from a major hurricane. Billions have been spent to protect us, but we grow more vulnerable every day.” … THE BIG ONE A major hurricane could decimate the region, but flooding from even a moderate storm could kill thousands. It’s just a matter of time.”
    [Five-Part Series published June 23-27, 2002]

    Disaster Proves Warnings True (The Oxford Press, Oxford, OH, from Cox News Service)
    http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/shared/news/nation/stories/09/02KATRINA_FEDS.html
    (Cites “Hurricane Pam” [mock] exercise, July, 2004; Army Corp of Engineers concerns since 2000; Louisiana Congressional Delegation concerns since 1990; LSU’s Hurricane Center; and LSU’s Coastal Studies Institute)

    A Warning Sent but Left Unheeded (Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 2, 2005)
    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/cl-et-rutten2sep02,0,3465567.column?track=mostemailedlink
    (Cites the Times-Picayune stories, a New York Times story, and an NPR story – all from 2002)

    “Drowning New Orleans” Scientific American, October 2001
    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00060286-CB58-1315-8B5883414B7F0000
    “A major hurricane could swamp New Orleans under 20 feet of water, killing thousands. Human activities along the Mississippi River have dramatically increased the risk, and now only massive reengineering of southeastern Louisiana can save the city.”
    By Mark Fischetti

    Louisiana Sea Grant Forum
    http://www.laseagrant.org/forum/01-25-2005.htm
    “Hurricane Pam” [mock] exercise animation

    Research has demonstrated the following realities if Hurricane Ivan had passed west of Lake Pontchartrain [from summary]

    o Artificial levees, while beneficial for river floods, enhance storm surges
    o Flooding of Bonne Carre Spillway
    o 24 feet of water in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parish
    o Flooding of the Westbank
    o Water will hit industrialized areas before flooding New Orleans, enhancing the possibility of contamination.
    o Water surges will reach Interstate 12
    o 14-17 feet of standing water in New Orleans (assuming levees did not fail)
    o Land where Barataria Bay used to be acts as a funnel for the storm surges

    “The Creeping Storm” Civil Engineering Magazine, June 2003
    http://www.pubs.asce.org/ceonline/ceonline03/0603feat.html
    The design of the original levees, which dates to the 1960s, was based on rudimentary storm modeling that, it is now realized, might underestimate the threat of a potential hurricane. Even if the modeling was adequate, however, the levees were designed to withstand only forces associated with a fast-moving hurricane that, according to the National Weather Service’s Saffir-Simpson scale, would be placed in category 3. If a lingering category 3 storm—or a stronger storm, say, category 4 or 5—were to hit the city, much of New Orleans could find itself under more than 20 ft (6 m) of water.
    Some experts worry that even a less severe storm could flood the city. In the 40 years since the design criteria were established for New Orleans’s hurricane protection levees, southeastern Louisiana’s coastline has been subsiding—settling in on top of itself—even as the natural height of the sea rises.

    U.S. Government Ignored Advice after Flood of ’93 (STL Post Dispatch)
    http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/nation/story/A393EE46492AB85E8625707100235276?OpenDocument
    “…And while full adoption of the report’s suggestions probably wouldn’t have prevented the disaster in New Orleans, he said, far fewer people would have been in harm’s way. “

    Houston Chronicle, 2001
    http://www.hurricane.lsu.edu/_in_the_news/houston.htm

    By ERIC BERGER
    Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Science Writer

    New Orleans is sinking.
    And its main buffer from a hurricane, the protective Mississippi River delta, is quickly eroding away, leaving the historic city perilously close to disaster.
    So vulnerable, in fact, that earlier this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing this country.
    The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City.
    The New Orleans hurricane scenario may be the deadliest of all.

    Wikipedia article (current)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_of_hurricane_risk_for_New_Orleans

    The Chicago Tribune wrote “Despite continuous warnings that a catastrophic hurricane could hit New Orleans, the Bush administration and Congress in recent years have repeatedly cut funding for hurricane preparation and flood control. The cuts have delayed construction of levees around the city and stymied an ambitious project to improve drainage in New Orleans’ neighborhoods.” [Wikipedia]

    Editor and Publisher reported that “after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security — coming at the same time as federal tax cuts — was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars.” He also wrote “In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to a 16 February 2004, article, in New Orleans CityBusiness.” [Wikipedia]

    Southeast Louisiana Project funding: [Wikipedia]
    2004:
    Army Corps request: $11 million
    Bush request: $3 million
    Approved by Congress: $5.5 million
    2005:
    Army Corps request: $22.5 million
    Bush request: $3.9 million
    Approved by Congress: $5.7 million
    2006:
    Bush request:$2.9 million

    Related:

    “Bayou Farewell”
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375420762/102-4693373-6448930?v=glance

    “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” – Winston Churchill

  • Wouldn’t be refreshing to just once here someone in authority take responsibility for their mistakes.

    But, of course, thats wishful thinking!

  • Correction:
    Wouldn’t it be refreshing to just once hear someone in authority take responsibility for their mistakes.

    But, of course, thats wishful thinking on my part!

  • Interesting reading Mr. Flibble’s post. I juxtapose that with the posts by the guest bloggers a few weeks ago alerting us to a possible upcoming pandemic. The two will work against each other – high transport costs working to push people closer together – highly contagious disease serving to make people stay further apart. Perhaps the result of all this will be a huge boom where the internet realy takes off – work, shop, etc. all from home because people a) can’t afford to travel anywhere and b) are too scared to come into contact with other people.

    What’s the old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times”.

  • Republicans have preached for years that the “government is inefficient”; they pointed at “welfare queens” and “socialized medicine” as the ills of America. Now after 5 years of Republican supremacy we have a country in deep debt, involved in an unnecessary war, with the worst health care system in the industrialized world and the inability to respond to a predicted natural disaster. Republican are right, government in Republicans hands is inefficient.

  • I’m reading in the NYTimes this morning that a week after the hurricane landfall the state, local, and federal relief authorities are still trying to work out a flow chart for decision making…might it be too much to ask that they all get their asses in one room (literally under the one roof in the same office) – and keep them their for as long as critical recovery operations last – and start signing off on whatever red tape is needed as it emerges piece by piece…it’s obvious Gov. Blanco is not going to give up authority over the National Guard and she is not going to tolerate being scapegoated…the Bush people need to get over it.

    And get some walkie talkies and cell phones that work and whose networks work with each other…I thought that was one of the first lessons of 9/11…that the first responders, ie. the NYPolice and Fire Departments were unable to communicate with each other and it was distrastrous…hand out 100,000 devices that work down there and get some link up to a satellite…cable TV and the networks seem to be managing OK…and maybe set up a dedicated faxline to DHS in Washington so we don’t have to wait 2-3 days for paper to return by USMail???

    The images I recall of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 are of the players assembled in the Oval Office agonizing over decisions…for the next photo op with Michael Chertoff or Governor Blanco I’d much prefer to see them huddled over a desk working together, than with stage set heavy equipment behind them…

  • Bush may get thrown out of office, and rightly so, but the consequences of his policies will ruin our lives for years to come.

    Are you kidding? By the time Unka Karl is done running this thru the spin cycle the MSM will be calling Smirky the new “Hero of New Orleans”.

    Expect to hear lots of Andrew Jackson references over the coming weeks.

  • his administration behaves very much like the government of the Old USSR. They are paternalistic, secretive and are never at fault for anything. Democracy works best on there is transparency and accountability. So much for “freedom on the march.”

  • ” Blanco declared a state-level state of emergency on August 26, asked Bush to declare a federal state of emergency a day later, which the president did.”

    Not for the southeastern parishes. Check out the declaration: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

    Now compare that with a map of Louisiana: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/louisiana_map.html

    Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard. None of those parishes are listed in that declaration.

    Why not?

  • From the 2004 book “The Politics of Truth” by Ambassador Joseph Wilson (pg 341):

    This Bush administration clearly operates on the principle that it is acceptable, and indeed desirable, to shift the debate from the issue to the person, to divert attention from the facts, and to confuse rather than enlighten the American people. This administration knows no such thing as a fair fight; all that counts is who wins and who loses.

  • Why is everybody blaming W for all of his shortcomings? After all, stupidity is inherited and how would you like to carry the burden of your father selecting Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.

    Bush 41 was useless and Bush 43 inherited the same mantle of stupidity.

    • Comments are closed.