It's Still Not Right in NOLA

I stumbled on this at Susie's place. A lot of people think that Katrina and what happened in New Orleans and the surrounding area is in the past, that it is over. It is not. We need to be reminded on occasion that not only is the ongoing war in Iraq a symbol of the misery that is George Bush's legacy but that there is another closer to home.

From Salon, via Scout Prime at First Draft:

Of all of the stories and subplots, there would be one that, in many ways, symbolized the whole of Katrina, what it revealed about the Bush administration, and how it would affect the lives of so many people. On Friday, Mary Landrieu had been with Bush and Blanco as they toured the 17th Street Canal, where, at last, major work had commenced to repair the damage that had been caused when the levee broke. “Then, on Saturday,” Landrieu says, “George Stephanopoulos called and asked to do an interview with me, and I said, ‘George, I’m tired of doing interviews. I have to work. And nothing you are airing is accurately showing what’s going on down here.’ He wanted to go to the Superdome, and I said, ‘We still have people stranded on their roofs. If you want to tell the right story, I will help you tell the right story. You get a helicopter and I’ll go up and I will show you what is actually happening. It’s awful what’s happening at the Superdome, but the reason the people can’t understand the story is because the entire region is under 20 feet of water. People can’t get into the Superdome to help. They can’t get out. People are drowning in their homes.’

“So George and I went up in the helicopter and for three hours his jaw was dropping. Then I said, ‘George, before we finish I have to show you one positive thing because I can’t send you back to Washington to produce a story that shows nothing but devastation and disaster.’ So I told the pilot to tack right so I can show George the 17th Street Canal and the work that was going on there. I swear as my name is Mary Landrieu I thought that what I saw with the president was still there — people working, trucks, sandbags, everything. Then I looked down and saw one little crane. It was like someone took a knife and stabbed me through my heart. I lost it.” There, in the cabin of the helicopter, as they flew above the breached canal below them, Landrieu sat devastated.

“I could not believe that the president of the United States, staged by Karl Rove himself, had come down to the city of New Orleans and basically put up a stage prop. It was like you had gone to a studio in California and filmed a movie. They put the props up and the minute we were gone they took them down. All the dump trucks were gone. All the Coast Guard people were gone. It was an empty spot with one little crane. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen in my life. At that moment I knew what was going on and I’ve been a changed woman ever since. It truly changed my life.”

Pots and Kettles

Thanks to Bryan at Why Now we have the following link to a post by Walter Brasch writing at Pacific Views and discussing The Politics of Humanitarian Aid . Walter lists the mind numbing and shameful failures of the Bush misadministration post Katrina in the harsh light of the recent events in Myanmar and the ruling junta's actions. The following tiny excerpt distills the arrogance and incompetence of Shrub and company clearly.

More than 20 countries—including Israel, Mexico, China, England, and the Dominican Republic—quickly offered humanitarian and financial assistance. President Bush's first response was to tell the audience of ABC-TV's "Good Morning, America":

"I'm not expecting much from foreign nations because we hadn't asked for it. I do expect a lot of sympathy and perhaps some will send cash dollars. But this country's going to rise up and take care of it. . . . You know, we would love help, but we're going to take care of our own business as well, and there's no doubt in my mind we'll succeed."

Bush and Cheney along with the GOP have paid some political price for their astronomically bad performance in the wake of Katrina but nowhere near what is justified. In a sane world they would have both been impeached for dereliction of duty and more than likely been imprisoned to boot. One can only hope that the wheel of karma will play out the proper justice at some point. Read the post and remind yourself of the shocking failure of Bush to accept the friendship and much needed aid from countries around the world, both allied and not.

Heck of a Job Bushie

The death toll from this weekend’s cyclone and tidal wave in Burma has reached 22,500, with 41,000 people still missing. This is not looking good. Before this the people of Burma were already desperately poor, mostly as a result of the mismanagement of the oppressive military junta mismanaging the country. As a result of the cyclone millions of people are now left without food, shelter, medical services, and most likely even clean water. Worldwide, nations and international relief agencies are scrambling to send as much aid as possible as quickly as possible.

Did I say Worldwide? My bad, that is except for the United States. The 'Master of Disaster' Shrub has released an unbelievable $250,000 from a U.S. Embassy emergency fund for the Burma relief effort. Bush is refusing to send more until the government of Burma allows American disaster assessment teams into Burma to, do what he has shown we do so well and that is um...assess.

UNICEF has five disaster assessment teams in the hardest-hit areas already, but of course the 'Master of Disaster' Bush can’t trust the United Nations assessments. He has to have his own 'crack' team on the ground. They are, of course, hardened professionals that have demonstrated their 'crackness' on the ground in NOLA.

The final insult to all this is that Shrub sent his highly medicated bride out this morning in the press room to chide the Burmese government over their poor disaster response....the stupid really burns. No pot and kettle jokes here folks...move along, nothing to see here.

No Justice Here

Flashback to hundreds of mostly black citizens desperately trying to flee Katrina and being blocked by armed police officers from the neighboring city of Gretna. The Gretna police used dogs and shot into the air to hold the fleeing refugees and wouldn't let them cross the Crescent City Connection Bridge to safety. An ugly memory that cries out for justice. Sorry!

NEW ORLEANS --

A grand jury has declined to bring criminal charges against anyone in the 2005 police blockade that kept hundreds from crossing the Mississippi River to safety after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, the district attorney's office said Wednesday.

Dalton Savwoir, a spokesman for New Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan, confirmed that the grand jury declined to bring charges and said the panel was expected to deliver its decision to a state judge on Wednesday afternoon.

h/t DKos

Ethnic Cleansing American Style

Don't miss Phoenix Woman's post over at Firedoglake concerning the "ethnic cleansing" that is happening in NOLA right now. This is Greg Palast so there is no MSM bullshit involved. Straight skinny and it is guaranteed to piss you off.