In the wake of this disaster, we are all bearing witness to the competence of our nation’s institutional response. I am afraid that this response is less helpful than it is indicative of the gross incompetence and arrogance of our President’s agenda. Further, those private institutions that have received great benefit over the past six years are serving to remove their facade of charity and compassion by their meager offerings to this devastated landscape.

The immense consequence of the President’s quest to cut funding to FEMA coupled with his complete disregard for any tangible plan for emergency preparedness will now be experienced by our entire nation. Yet, there is no mention of it thus far in the mainstream.

The President in his great narcissism has not walked a single yard of this broken soil since the storm has passed. As people scrambled upward in their homes to save their very lives, the President opted to enjoy a sliver of sweetly frosted cake on a sunny tarmac and attend a town hall meeting to discuss matters of no relevance to the immediate crisis.

While the Coast Guard worked to chop holes out of roofs to save men and women in their potential last moments, the President opted to commemorate Japan’s surrender, strumming a guitar with a boyish posture.

His only attempt to console a wounded region was to credit himself for offering federal relief and a few drops of oil, which would have been released had he drowned in an attic himself.

His benefactors, the huge companies that have been granted billions of dollars in tax relief, have begun responding to this tragedy by offering the equivalent of pocket lint to the effort. It seems that billions upon billions of dollars in annual revenue only merit an average of $1 million in relief from companies such as Wal-Mart, GM, and various oil companies, a stark reflection of the horrid decadence of all who have benefited from the President and his contempt for the citizens of this nation.

Many of our representatives will hold their tongues about the deplorable state of our nation as a result of the incompetence, distain, and complete separation from reality the President and his constituency has shown. However, I have great hope that at the very least, the greater nation and in its vast diversity will at last face the reality of what this despicable administration has done to us all.

It is difficult for the typical American to imagine that our nation can be so devastated that things such as revolt, violence and even revolution could reach their doorstep. I believe that a huge component of our national culture is a certain sense of insulation from the horrific chaos we witness around the globe and in the third world. But here we are, on the brink.

Be warned.

Be warned that the immediate future for all of us will be difficult. Be warned that the system of control established by the President will be thrust upon us with great intensity; not for the purpose of stabilizing the unrest of our nation; but for the sake of maintaining the fruits of his sinister actions thus far.

It will not be discussed over the next few weeks, but a national crisis is coming. As a direct result of the actions of the great narcissist, we will all be subjected to the ramifications in his place.

There will be national fuel shortages. There will be acts of violence and desperation as the availability of certain “luxuries” is taken away from us. There will be martial law. There will be Martial law for no legitimate reason other than keeping the voice of America silent. There will be massive layoffs.

There will be hopelessness.

The President does not have the integrity to persuade the American people to make personal sacrifices to serve the greater good. His constituents know this. And so, he will try to control all of us from above, choosing who must sacrifice and who may not. Although he has no voice, he has power and will use it covertly to suit his whims.

If there was ever a time for us to get up and fight to save our nation, that time is now.

First, I urge all of you to look around your homes and scrounge up any amount of loose money, clothing, and essentials and donate them. Go to your local Red Cross or the Salvation Army with your offerings. While you are there, please give blood if you have the ability. Do whatever you can to help. Every penny, every blanket, every spare room that can hold someone counts. I am not wealthy either, but I am going to do what I can.

Secondly, as the situation improves for the people of the south, please do whatever you can to send the message to your government that you demand the removal of this President and his administration. It is time that he suffers an inkling of the consequence for his arrogance.

I fear that if he remains in office, our nation will not have the opportunity to heal itself in our lifetime, if ever. Whatever you feel about these words, please do not ignore the logical conclusions we can draw from this cancer on our nation. For, we are beginning to witness them at this very moment.

I am really proud of Howard Dean for coming right out and asking for help and I contibuted to the Red Cross. Is there any question Gov. Dean would be the first, and maybe only Dem, to take a lead and reach out to us for this party following the catstrophe of Katrina ? To my friends in the Democratic party - where is OUR PARTY? the silence is deafening. I mean it - this is disturbing. While Rome burns Nero strums and eats cake. Blanco is doing her best but she needs way more Democratic assistance in my eyes. But where are OUR leaders and members for the most part? seriously? The people of New Orleans NEED them. America NEEDS Them too. Democrats I have heard from have never felt so abandoned by the Democratic party. Folks, we NEED our party leaders to step up and take charge NOW. The majority of America is looking to our party and our leaders to step up to the plate and fight for our lives and aid the hurricane victims in some way as much as possible as Bush strums slowly and New Orleans continues to fill up with more water. It is obvious the Bush administration is a complete failure of leadership and Dems should address this because the south NEEDS leadership today that is simply not being readily available from Bush and Company. New Orleans is a casualty of Katrina AND conservatism and Bush's Iraq war.

And don't forget - to ALL DEMOCRATS _ DO NOT SELL OUT AMERICA BY JOINING WITH REPUBLICANS ON REPEALING THE ESTATE TAX. You are ALL on watch - BIG TIME! I mean it - the reason I feel the need to include this here is because of Dem sell-out votes for the bankruptcy bill (can you imagine ALL the people who are going to face that horrible legislation after katrina no thanks Joe Biden MBNA?)and CAFTA, etc. that have abandoned Americans and Democrats alike. That would be the ultimate slap in the face to all the people struggling to stay afloat. We've seen what Bush's tax cuts and congress's giveaways to the rich have cost New Orleans in the form of reduced assistance, FEMA aid, and the national guard troops who were sent to Iraq. Not to menttion the billions that went to Iraq that could have helped the south.

Let's help those in need first but call out loud and clear for a renewed and strong Democratic leadership of our party and this nation to rise to the UTMOST CARE AND FUTURE SURVIVAL OF AMERICA. We need our leaders NOW WHILE ROME BURNS to stand up for ALL Americans that have seriously been under assault for the past five years with Bush and the Republicans and the sell-out Dems. Thanks, prayers to all.

A short, simple question: WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN CONGRESS ON THIS?

Did you guys see the poll in the WaPo yesterday, the one that said most people don't think the Democrats are speaking out enough on Iraq?

Where are you on the Hurricane? This is the biggest natural disaster since the San Francisco earthquake, maybe the worst ever. Did it occur to you (Clinton, Biden, Reid, Pelosi, etc.) to get on the phone and start organizing relief efforts amongst your supporters? Did you think about going on the tube and asking for Americans to lend support to the Red Cross? How about going down to New Orleans and lending a hand to your fellow Senator, Mary Landreau. Did you even bother to read the papers yesterday and realize that Bush HAD CUT THE BUDGET THAT THE CORP OF ENGINEERS REQUIRED TO FIX THE LEVEE? The President was playing guitar in San Diego while New Orleans drowned. We know he is worthless, but what were you doing?

And for those of you who are thinking about running for the nomination or working for somebody who will seek the nomination, answer me this: If you can't take leadership when one of our major cities is being destroyed, how in the world can stand on a stage and ask for my vote in 2008.

Thanks to Howard Dean for putting out an email asking for donations to the Red Cross. Nice to know that the Democrats have at least one leader who bothered to put two and two together to realize that our nation is facing a huge crisis.

Glad to see Dr. Dean is on top of this.

Wish I could say the same for the President. Saw a former mayor of New Orleans on CNN saying how this is a federal problem, and the President should have sent in the Army as soon as it became evident that this was a regional crisis that will have consequences nationally. I agree.

Where is the national leadership? Where are the federal funds that will get this relief operation moving faster? Where is the National Guard (Iraq)? Where is the Navy and it's ships who could get the remaining out of New Orleans? Where are the military helicopters (Iraq)?
Where is the heavy equipment needed to move the wreakage to find those poor surviving souls trapped in Mississippi and Alabama (Iraqi)? Who retreive the the dead in dignity and provide for the homeless?

Now they are saying the Pentagon will be in charge. We've seen how well Rumsfeld messed up the Iraqi incursion. Are we going to allow him to increase the misery?

As average Americans, we will all do our best to donate and help whatever way we can. But how about the rich?

Will they give up their tax cuts to rebuild the largest port in the United States and repair the homes of poor uninsured minorities in Alabama and Mississippi? I suppose the Republicans will say like they usually do that "these people" should work their way out of it?

We're all sick of their medicore performance and greed. Where is the national leadership in the White House and the Republican Congress? As usual they only came through for their political contributors passing useless legislation like tort reform.... not the real problems faced by the states be damned. Levy building and medical clinics? Who needs them?

Why didn't it surprise any of us that the first thing Bush did after the hurricane hit was fly from his resort hideaway in Idaho to California to make one of those phoney town hall apearances instead of going to survey the suffering in the Gulf? Useless. The Republicans are completely useless in a crisis. Don't people remember their response to the Great Depression?

It's a shame Dr. Dean did not get the nomination last year. We would now have someone in charge of the situation capable of understanding the scope of the problem.

Useless, thy name is Republican.

KellyM, we are not in control of the White House and the Congress. Quit letting the real culprits off the hook.

The Republicans creating this mess by cutting back programs that would have helped in the evacuation and protecting the levies in New Orleans. It's they who do everythng on the cheap when it comes to the interests of the middle class and poor.

Don't blame the messengers. We and our leadership have been vocal about this for over a decade. Ever since the Republicans got control of Congress with their Contract for America, the country has gone down hill. We are now seeing the effects. There's a crisis "in this country" and no resources left to deal with it.

And Iran is about to reap the benefits of our sacrifice in Iraq. Oh, the irony.

I just wanted to say that it is not surprising that Gov. Dean went straight to the people. Yes, I believe he knows where to get aid people struggling.

The old pres just simply makes a statement that he will do everything in his power to help the people from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Making a statement and then high-tailing home to Washington DC surely does not help the folks down in the South.

So...Dean goes to the people and asks them to help other people. Yes, I would say that is a humanistic thing to do.

I'm not letting them off the hook. It is clear that the Republicans have no plan. But that doesn't mean the Democrats aren't on the hook as well.

Last time I checked, folks like Biden, Clinton, Reid, and Pelosi were SENATORS and REPRESENTATIVES in the United States Congress. Moreover, they were elected by their peers to set the policy goals for the Democratic party, which represents about 50% of the nation. As part of that, they are responsible for helping LEAD the nation. In fact, give the lack of leadership from the Republicans, there responsibility to lead is greater - not less.

Nothing I said in my email called for them to assume powers they don't have. What I asked them to do was assume control and leadership of the assets and resources they do have. There are millions of Democrats who would respond to a call to them to contribute to the Red Cross. Dean sent out an email. How hard would it have been to sign on to the letter?

If they can't be bothered to make a call to the citizens of the US to sacrifice to help the people of New Orleans, what is stopping them from getting to New Orleans and Mississippi and contributing in the clean up effort. How about showing up with hammers in hand in Gulfport and getting their hands dirty in clearing rubble.

Bush is driving the car into the ditch, but Biden and Clinton are riding in the back seat and not bothering to try to take control of the wheel.

Also, Sandy, from your email, "Ever since the Republicans got control of Congress with their Contract for America, the country has gone down hill."

Okay, so where is the Democrat's, "Contract with America" so the country can start going up hill again?

Thanks for the nudge Chairman Dean.

I just signed up to donate tomorrow, you can too folks. Look up the closest blood bank near you:

http://www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp

Good letter from Dean. No politics ... this is what we have to do ... as opposed to the Bush speech, 3 paragraphs Katrina, 12 paragraphs "stay-the-course" in Iraq.

Today I contributed to the Red Cross. It would be decent and just to support our friends in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama by contributing what you can. I might suggest that all those who are willing and able to demonstrate that we can rise to the challenge do the same.

COngress GO BACK TO WORK NOW

Why does it take a disaster for Americans to recognize the conditions poor people struggle with everyday? We are rescuing people in New Orleans and southern Mississippi in the aftermath of the hurricane because people could not afford to evacuate beforehand. I am appalled that these conditions exist in such a wealthy country. Where were the buses and rescue personnel before Katrina hit? The wealthy from these areas were able to drive or fly to safe ground, but the poor had no means to leave, and yet the discourse in Washington makes it seem like people chose to stay and risk drowning or being crushed by debris.

Of course, it is imperative to address the present crisis, but we also need to realize how many people in New Orleans and Mississippi were already living in crisis everyday of their lives. This is why we need Democrats in office. There is no way that America can call itself a great county when our own citizens live in such poverty that they have no means to protect themselves from a hurricane or any other kind of threat.

I'm going to forward Howard Dean's message to donate to my email list and my list of PCO's - Precinct Committee Officers - for our local legislative district. I urge everyone here to join their local Democratic Party club or legislative district and volunteer to become part of the organization. It's clear who is leading and who is not. We must be the leaders and take back our party from those not leading.

On New Orleans.....two of my kids went to Tulane University which is underwater. My daughter got a call from her friend who evacuated to Houston. Her house is underwater, her mom's, too. Her job is gone - she had gotten her PhD in public health a couple of years ago. All the hospitals are being evacuated.....It's so terrible.

Why isn't congress back in session immediately???

And the Red Cross is a great organization... better than our government... CONGRESS take my "TAX donations" and immediately write a check for what ever they want!!!

and WHY are the democrats SILENT??? is the strategy just to 'LET THEM SHOW THE ADMISTRATION'S INCOMPETENCE and hang themselves'?

The Democrat would would do well to pay much more Attention to the peoples revolution in Venezuala. Hugo Chavez is doing everything right, he's doing everything this party should be doing for American people. Chavez is setting up a system that is proactive about helping people whereas our government seems to do everything it can to hold the people down while providing all of the wellfare to the corporations.

You've got right wingers like Robertson calling for the assasination of someone simply because he's doing good things for the people. I'll bet Robertson would have help Pontius Piate thrust the spear in his saviour if he were alive then.

If a foreign government can offer money to help the people of a nation that wants to destroy him, Imagine what could be done with cooperation. Imagine what this nation could accomplish if we changed our goals from unbridled capitalism to unbridled compassion.

Kelly, what power do you think Biden and the rest have to release federal funds and manpower? They could bitch, but it would fall on deaf ears.

Our leadership is as appalled as we are by the President's response or shall we say lack of response. Since it's obvious that the Republicans aren't going to do anything more than "help" the Red Cross and local churches handle the problem, my bet is that they are getting with concerned officals around the country to work behind the scenes to make things happen. It's better to be low key and not stir the pot when you are trying to get things done in this way.

The time for our leadership to be vocal is coming....the '06 election is just around the corner.

xray, not only is the plight of the poor so evident but also the racism that still prevails in this country. Outside of a few white tourists trapped without rental cars, almost all those "left behind" were people of color.

Even Gov. Rick Perry has thrown them out on the streets when they reach the Astrodome. Giving New Orleans refugees fresh off the bus a list of Houston shelters with no directions shows a complete disregard for their plight. It was obviously a political ploy on his part. Without any federal funds coming, he suddenly realized how much it would cost to house and feed these people for a year or two. Now he believes it's a problem for the "shelter people" to solve.

The compassionate conservatives care only for their own kind.

Now I am really scared! We have a psycho running our Nation? Bush wants the middle class and the poor to donate to the disaster relief! Please God put him down before he completely ruins every department of our economy,our foreign affairs,our religious leaders and our little children. With the example he is setting it will be worse than his own children being arrested for under age drinking. He has taught our children to take a Month off every year. To borrow as much money as you can for anything you want or need, and don't worry about paying it back? If anyone ask you about it, say what he does, I am just glad I won't be around to handel it? He left Texas the same way he is leaving our Nation and he isn't through yet. I don't feel a bit sorry for those people that support Bush that are well off? I reminded them and several others did also what Bush said about the mess he left Texas? While his family inheritness multiplies by several million per person, he ask the hard working class to give? This man has brash but not in a good way! God said the liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that waterth shall be watered also. When you breath the breath of life you become a living soul. God said, pray for the troops that are dying that may not of had time and oppertunity to hear his word believe it and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it's too late. That is why killing is so evil. You need to leave the giving and taking of souls to God that knows whether they will turn to God. God lets the rain fall on the rightous and the unrightous.
Pray that the people will come to their senses and vote in worthy Presidents in the future and vote in the men & women that can look away from their selfish wants to the needs of the people.
Ask God to defeat our leaders in those things that are against his will and Bless us in those things that are right

Here is another website with quite a number of places to donate to. Some are for animal rescue, some religious organizations, and others.

If you haven't decided what to do yet, Pick one of these to start.

Link

Why is it that president Bush our commander and chief has not announced that victoms of the hurrican can stay at some of the U.S. military bases we have. I am quite sure some of the barrics can be used for the victoms. Or some huge tents can be setup for the victoms to dwell in. All of there basic needs would be met until there are able to get back on there feet. Releaf can be sent to the bases to aid in helping the victoms of the hurrican. The victoms are citizens who pay taxes in addition have family members fighting the WAR. If I were fighting the war for someone elses freedom as well as mine I would like to know that my government is looking out for my family's best interest. Which would allow me to do my job more effectively. I believe Mr. Bush can do more for the victoms than what he presently has.

It is fine to contribute to the Red Cross, but it disappoints me that Governor Dean's first impulse is to tell us to do this.

This is a time for the Democrats to be openly political. Decades of conservative Republican faith in the market, in low taxes and limited government, in diminishing public services, in environmental degradation and excusing global warming, in war in Iraq, in the whole procession of Republican outrages that all too many Democratic leaders have accepted -- all these are showing up on our TV screens in the terrible news from the Gulf coast.

Only government can address problems like this. We need to be open in demanding that government, not private charities, step in. Walmart gave a million dollars. That's an insult. Walmart should be paying enough taxes to pay its share in the needs of society.

Bush and his people have already started their pre-emptive strike, deploring the few Democrats who have criticized because they are "politicizing" the tragedy. Well, let them complain. We need to politicize it more and more. That will be the only way to get Bush down out of Air Force One onto the filthy ground where people die.

Democrats need to be Democrats. That means being in the political process. The Republicans have gotten away with criminal negligence for far too long. Politics is where it's at. No shame in that.

Why is it that president Bush our commander and chief has not announced that victoms of the hurrican can stay at some of the U.S. military bases we have. I am quite sure some of the barrics can be used for the victoms. Or some huge tents can be setup for the victoms to dwell in. All of there basic needs would be met until there are able to get back on there feet. Releaf can be sent to the bases to aid in helping the victoms of the hurrican. The victoms are citizens who pay taxes in addition have family members fighting the WAR. If I were fighting the war for someone elses freedom as well as mine I would like to know that my government is looking out for my family's best interest. Which would allow me to do my job more effectively. I believe Mr. Bush can do more for the victoms than what he presently has.

It is fine to contribute to the Red Cross, but it disappoints me that Governor Dean's first impulse is to tell us to do this.

This is a time for the Democrats to be openly political. Decades of conservative Republican faith in the market, in low taxes and limited government, in diminishing public services, in environmental degradation and excusing global warming, in war in Iraq, in the whole procession of Republican outrages that all too many Democratic leaders have accepted -- all these are showing up on our TV screens in the terrible news from the Gulf coast.

Only government can address problems like this. We need to be open in demanding that government, not private charities, step in. Walmart gave a million dollars. That's an insult. Walmart should be paying enough taxes to pay its share in the needs of society.

Bush and his people have already started their pre-emptive strike, deploring the few Democrats who have criticized because they are "politicizing" the tragedy. Well, let them complain. We need to politicize it more and more. That will be the only way to get Bush down out of Air Force One onto the filthy ground where people die.

Democrats need to be Democrats. That means being in the political process. The Republicans have gotten away with criminal negligence for far too long. Politics is where it's at. No shame in that.

Its time to take stock of the miserable state that GW Bush has created in America. We throw lives and money away in Iraq every day. Yet we can not respond to a natural disaster in a reasonable time. The response is so weak and unconcerned that mnore people will suffer and die from GW's inability to act than from the storm directly.

It is time to put the blame at the door of he who deserves it. GW Bush is the worst, most incompetent President in the history of the country. Seen from outside the U.S.A. the situation looks worse than one would expect to find in a third world country.

My message is simple, get Bush and the Bush League out of the White house and out of power.

Where are our leaders? Where are the Democratic elected officials from every level of government? Your silence is deafening. Our country needs you now. Every American should be asking their Senators and Congressmen how they are able to stand before us with anything but shame knowing they each had a role in this catastrophe. You were elected to serve the people of this country. You are charged with the job to protect and support the citizen of this country. It is your responsibility to be forward looking and prepare for the needs of your citizens. It is not an easy job. You were aware of the difficulty and the hard work it takes to do the work of the people you serve. By caving into the special interest and the politically powerful you have forsaken the people you were elected to serve. It is time for you, our elected officials from every level of government to stand up against this short sited, profit orientated madness that has taken over our government.

If it is not the leadership of the Democratic party who will lead us from this darkness, THEN WHO WILL?

I am pleased that Dr Dean has called for Red Cross donations, but this is not enough.

I not going to be polite here. This horrifying disaster and its aftermath, which is the worst of my lifetime, is not a just failure of this disgusting Administration, but of the gutless, leaderless, rudderless Democratic Party.

Stop the spinning clowns!

I am appalled that the leader of the free world, who is hell-bent on bringing Democracy to Iraq at a cost of billions, could stay on vacation for THREE days while people were suffering from a Cat 5 hurricane in this country. If he has lost his Compassionate Conservatism, where are the coiners of that term to remind him of what he claimed to be?

Imagine this happened in Houston or Hilton Head or some other 'Republican' place. Where is the outrage? Where is the compassion? Where is the HELP?

While you and I don't have helicopters, transportation, National Guard, food, water and other necessities at our disposal (as our President does), we can help and we can model what compassionate people do in times of suffering...they help in any way they can. Thanks to Governor Dean for taking the lead in getting donations for the Red Cross on this site.

Please forward the following information to others, to let them know about Air America's Public Voicemail to connect hurricane survivors and their friends and family:

Air America Public Voicemail 1-866-217-6255
Air America Radio's Public Voicemail is a way for disconnected people to communicate in the wake of Katrina.
Here's how it works:
Call the toll-free number above, enter your everyday phone number, and then record a message. Other people who know your everyday phone number (even if it doesn't work anymore) can call Emergency Voicemail, enter the phone number they associate with you, and hear your message.
You can also search for messages left by people whose phone numbers you know. Air America Radio will leave Public Voicemail in service for as long as this crisis continues. You can call it whenever you are trying to locate someone, or if you are trying to be found.
Obviously, for this to work, people need to know about it, so please forward the number to as many people as you can. You can find out more about Katrina and the affected areas at www.airamericaradio.com.

I am hopeful that our Democratic Leaders and Elected Officials will travel to the affected areas, talk about the cuts in levee funds, the incompetence of those appointed to FEMA by the President and the appalling remarks of Rep Hastert and other Republicans. And find more ways to help.

Is this a political event? No. Is the response to it? Yes.

I have never been more ashamed of our government. An unspeakable crime has been committed in abandoning those people. WHERE ARE OUR DEMOCRATIC LEADERS (other than the congressional black caucus)?!!!! No statement, other than Dean (things would have been very different if he'd been in charge).

I am sick over the devastation, just sick.

Bush should be impeached along with the callous, vacationing Cheney, the laughing "let them eat cake" Rice, the utterly incompetent Rumsfeld...the criminal Rove...all of them should be forced out of office. They have brought shame on this country.

I'm not sure what's worse: The ineptitude of FEMA to effectively coordinate relief efforts, or the ineptitude of the Democrats to hold the President's feet to the fire on this issue. I've read the DNC's renouncement of the way the president handled hurricane Katrina. But the party has offered no suggestions of its own, no plans of action, and no acceptance of its own share of the responsibility.

The president, once again, got caught with his pants down. Every day this week, he has demonstrated how alarmingly out of touch he is with anybody who earns less than six figures. He can attend a fundraiser for his own posse, but he can’t organize a fundraiser for flood victims?

As members of the opposition who have been chomping at the bit to regain control of Congress and the White House, the Democratic party has not only the obligation to ask the difficult questions, but to step up to the plate and offer some leadership ideas to fill the vacuum. Yet again, they offer no ideas of their own. I don’t see John Kerry having any flood victim fundraising dinners, either.

It took five days for federal relief efforts to reach New Orleans, but it took people four days to question FEMA’s pathetic timetable. And I’m still waiting to hear how the Democrats would have handled things if they were in charge, what solutions they’re bringing to the table, and how they plan to hold this administration accountable for its inaction. But I’m not hearing any of this from the DNC; I’m only seeing a bunch of whining and inaction. If ever there was the momentum to call for the impeachment of the president and to capitalize on his record low approval ratings, now is the time the Democrats have been waiting for. So what’s the plan?

I have not forgotten that the Democrats, during the Clinton administration, failed to force FEMA to develop a disaster plan for New Orleans, failed to strengthen the levees, and pretty much failed to accomplish in eight years the agenda items that John Kerry envisioned for America, such as health care.

The Democratic Party may not be as out of touch with the pulse of the nation as the Republicans, but the Democrats will never earn the respect of the undecided voter by acting like a bunch of disorganized whiners.

OK, we all know that the Pres. dropped the ball, again. Remember his confusion on 9/11? Why would you expect more this time? So today he put his feet on the ground in NO for a little while, took a helo trip around the gulf coast and said a few things that sound like maybe he is getting the message. Wanna bet? In the final analysis, it's still up to us, the American citizens. We will have to pitch in and get it done. The hard fact is that if the govt is to put up the money, they will have to borrow it from the Chinise. If Mr. Bush had any balls, he'd stand up and ask all of us to chip in. Weather he asks or not, we will. Dr. Dean asked and I will donate to the Red Cross and to Kiwanis International Foundations Child releif fund. (I'm a Kiwanian) If the POTUS asked the American people to to pay a little more in taxes to help the victims of this disaster, almost no one, except the big corporations, would object. Would you? But his total focus to "do it on the cheap" has put our nation at risk. We don't have the money for distaster relief, or education of our children, or perscription drugs for the elderly (unless we pay premiums on a policy that won't cover the costs) or health care for every American. We owe everybody. If our creditors stop lending us money, we will be bankrupt.. Pres. Clinton at least left office with a mounting surplus in the budget and a shrinking national debt. All that is gone now. Is it any wonder that the GOP cut the budget for the Army Corp of Engineers, FEMA, etc., etc. etc.. This is a distaster that did not have to happen. Yes, the storm would have come in and rought havoc, but the aftermath would have been so much less extreme. When Camile hit the gulf coast, Pres. Nixon (pardon my swaring) had the 3rd infantry in there within 48 hours. Five days is nonsense. It is obscene. But all the hand wringing and complaining we do will not chase Mr. Bush from office. The only real solution is the only solution that makes any sense. Elect a Democratic Congress in 2006. Reduce Mr. Bush to the lame duck he is and set up the election of a democrat in 2008. Any other course of action is wasted effort. It is too soon for congressional democrats to speak out on this mess but let's hope they do so once the crisis has past. Than the campaign begins.

Governor Dean,

Thank you for taking your appeal for help to the American public. You will see a fantastic outpouring of compassion from the majority of people around this country. It is most unfortunate, that you will not see the same from Mr. Bush.

The Bush administration has shown again how heartless and out-of-touch with America they truly are. How can someone who is frequently (and incorrectly) called the leader of our great country so blatantly turn his back on those suffering from this tragic disaster? How can Bush go to the scene of such complete devastation and express sympathy for the plight of Trent Lott when people are still stranded on roof tops? How can the president look the American public in the eye and say with a smirk and a smile that he was happy with this administration's response?

We can not let Bush get away with this blatant disregard for American lives any longer! The right wing propaganda machine is already doing damage control through its 'don't politicize this disaster' campaign. Do not follow this advice!

Now is the time to politicize this disaster.

The American public must not be allowed to forget that the severity of this disaster could have greatly been diminished had this administration stepped away from its terroristic fear-mongering policies to address real issues in emergency management.

The American public must not allow Bush to get away with his "Nobody could have predicted the levees would break" rhetoric when in fact the prediction and concern of failing levees was made and ignored by this administration.

The American public must not be allowed to forget that Bush appointed his friends and supporters to direct FEMA even though they have no direct disaster management experience and apparently lack the common sense to stock the Superdome refuge with adequate disaster relief supplies in advance.

Now is the time to politicize this continued display of incompetence and blatant disregard for human life and human suffering by this seemingly insensitive and morally bankrupt administration.

If it is not politicized by the Democrats, it certainly will be by the republicans!

Don't let them continue to allow this country to slide into despair!

I ask all leaders and supporters of the Democratic party to raise your voices against this administration! Unite to rectify the wrongs that have been so shamefully brought upon those suffering on the Gulf Coast, as well as those suffering half-way around the world.

Bush and his cronies have finally gone too far. Four years of the Iraq mess, tax cuts for the rich, failure to improve national security and disaster preparedness after 9/11, etc, couldn't convince enough Americans to throw them out of Washington. But their lame, callous non-response to the crisis in New Orleans, with as usual more spin than action as people suffered and died, should be the final straw for all those who aren't in collusion with W's dark reign.

There is a March on Washington being organized for September 24. This is planned to Oppose the War in Iraq, but I suggest that it be expanded to Demand the Resignation of Bush and Cheney and the Entire Bush Cabinet. Time to show where the real power lies in this country. We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!!!

For those who don't already know, the Department of Homeland Security has banned the Red Cross from entering New Orleans. Something to think about as you donate. Consider the Salvation Army, who really didn't bother to ask permission before they went in. Or Noah's Wish, an animal rescue organization that specializes in rescuing animals from natural disasters.

As a Black man and a loyal democrat, I am ashame of my party right now. Where are the voices of condemation, where is the outrage? We see the death and destruction on the television for 5 days before
this adminstration does anything, and the leadership of the democratic party remains silent. It appears that the republicans are right, democtats will only come to us in November.

Having made one donation to the Red Cross, I'd prefer to make my next donation through a Democratic Party-"branded" fund. Can't we set one up? Wouldn't it make a great statement if the Red Cross (and other relief agencies) got a whopping big check signed "Democrats' Community Service Fund"?

In other words, supersize the old "Dean Corps" into a national, Party-based charity. This would help demonstrate who the real party of compassion and competence is. Especially now that the Bush administration's pathetically inadequate response to Katrina has so thoroughly discredited the GOP.

Where is the outrage from our Democratic leadership? Where is the indignation over a president who cannot even pretend to care about his citizens? What a complete insult to the people of this nation. He has consistently shown himself to be arrogant and callous and yet we allow him to take this country down a horrible path. Why aren't the Democrats screaming at every turn! It makes me wonder if we have a separate party or if they are merely paying lip service to us.

Whether you're a Democrat, independent or a Republican with a conscience... Help remove Bush from office for his failure to run this great country.

-9/11: Had credible evidence to prevent 9/11 but didn't act on it.
-Iraq: Lied to the American public on justifying war with Iraq.
-Katrina: Had credible evidence of potential disaster, cut Army Corp of Engineers budget for the Iraq war, hired his inexperienced buddy to lead FEMA and executed poor disaster recovery plan.

This man is a failure. Stop denying your respect for him and do what's right for the country.

According to the American Red Cross' own website (www.redcross.org/faq/0,1096,0_682_4524,00.html#4524), Homeland Security has kept them from going into N.O. since the hurricane struck, and for outrageous reasons:

"The state Homeland Security Department had requested--and continues to request--that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

This is even more outrageous because people have not been allowed to evacuate on their own! According to a Fox news report, authorities have set up at least one checkpoint and were turning people back who were trying to get out! (see "Horror Story" at crooksandliars.com for the clip). So people have been trapped inside, and the Red Cross has not been let in. And people are still dying there.

I know some buses have now been brought in-- I don't know exactly what is happening now in terms of people being allowed to evacuate on their own-- but regardless, it must be KNOWN that this has been happening!! The Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, etc. must be held accountable for this. I think the Red Cross bears a lot of responsibility also, since they could have ignored the "request" of Homeland Security for them not to go into New Orleans.

I urge Governor Dean and all Democratic leaders to do something about this!!

This is obviously a good thread and letter from Governor Dean. However, I am really concerned about this entire blog section. It seems to have attracted a lot of the most intemperate folks in the party and seems to me to invite ridicule from the other side

As the events of the past week have unfolded, it has become painfully obvious that our involvement in Iraq, coupled with outrageous tax cuts and plain, old-fashioned incompetence have brought both the Gulf coast and our economy to their knees. In typical fashion the Bush administration has ignored the needs of the poor, this time with devastating results. How could we have allowed such an unmitigated tragedy to happen? Why is America’s response to this devastation worse than a third world country’s? Why was Bush still on vacation 2 days after Katrina struck, and Condi Rice buying thousands of dollars worth of shoes while babies and old people were dying of starvation in squalid, inhuman conditions? The only thing worse than Nero fiddling while Rome burns is the Democrats serving as a silent audience to his concert!

The American people want answers, and they want them yesterday. Naturally, nothing but the usual clichéd platitudes are offered up by the Bush administration. It’s time for the Democrats to speak up. Do your jobs, be a true opposition party, and DEMAND answers on behalf of your constituents. Harness the anger that we are all feeling right now and use it as a wedge to force the most irresponsible, incompetent Presidential administration in American history to be ACCOUNTABLE for their actions, or in this case, lack of action. If there is any hope at all for the Democrats to reclaim our country for the people, it has to begin NOW.

Please don’t let us down yet again. We have been waiting for you to speak out, to help our voices and needs be heard. Instead, the democrats have played it safe, trying not to upset the apple-cart or frighten the swing voters. We were patient after the 2000 election when the Democrats “played nice”, even though it was later proven that had the votes been counted, Bush would not be in office. We were patient after the 2004 election, when evidence of widespread voter fraud was barely examined and yet another election was stolen under the cover of a news blackout. We’ve been patient while you supported an elective war waged under false pretenses and downright lies. WE’RE TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO FIGHT BACK. You’re losing your base, and in this time of crisis the last thing you should be thinking about is strategy.

SPEAK UP. Please. We’re begging you – WE WANT ANSWERS NOW! If you expect our support in future elections, start working to earn it NOW!

Democratic leaders, please speak out and expose "President" Bush for the fraud that he is. He does not have compassion for the poor people of Louisiana and Mississippi. His comments about the tragedy of Trent Lott losing his house, in the face of the death of thousands of citizens was callous and cold. He is not a leader. He knowingly diverted funds for levee engineering to his war in Iraq. WE NEED YOUR COMPASSIONATE AND STRONG LEADERSHIP. PLEASE SPEAK OUT NOW AND EXPOSE THIS FRAUD NOW.

Among the many local Democrats I have spoken with this last week - not the elected Democrats but everyday people outside of governmental politics – teachers, business owners, convenience store workers - a common theme has been raised and echoed on this blog: Where have all the Democrats gone?

Once upon a time it was clear what the Democratic Party stood for and who the Democratic Party represented. The worker on the factory line, the child living in poverty, the descendents of slaves and sharecroppers, the underpaid and overworked all had a home within the Democratic Party.

Once upon a time the Democratic Party had a social and economic vision that navigated the country through the great depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the struggle for women’s rights.

Once upon a time the Democratic Party had leaders that inspired Americans to achieve greatness. Where have all the Democrats gone? Where is the leadership?

I believe that the phenomenon of Democratic silence began in the aftermath of the 2000 election. The Republicans were vocal, persistent, and organized. Many elected Democrats, apparently afraid of appearing like sore losers, seemed to forget that over fifty percent of the voters supported Al Gore. Democratic officials had a responsibility to the voters and the country to keep the pressure on the Bush administration. Instead, the Democrats went silent.

Republicans and Democrats rallied around our President after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The President received almost unanimous support from Americans to bring down the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But then came the debate over Iraq. Almost immediately the members of the administration began to choreograph a careful message to prepare America for the invasion of Iraq. While there were some dissenting voices in the Senate (Senators Byrd and Kucinich) many in our party were complicit in granting overarching authority to this President to begin a preemptive war.

Again in 2004, our party did not take a unified stand against the Radical Right-winged fear-based rhetoric. Democrats permitted the Pat Robertson Conservatives to frame the debate for the 2004 election. Instead of addressing real issues facing this country, the Democratic candidates were vacillating between whether they supported gay marriage or civil unions and attempting to prove that they had “family values”.

What Democrats need is true leadership not the rhetoric of leadership. The Bush administration and the Republican Party have been brilliant at using the rhetoric of leadership to convince Americans to ‘stay the course’. “Stay the course”, the foundation of Bush’s reelection campaign, was a promise of security against terrorism, a promise of economic stability and growth, and a promise to restore the foundation of faith and family. Democrats did not provide a compelling alternative to this message and lost the election and so much more.

True leadership is not silent but vocal. True leadership is dynamic not passive. It is time for the Democratic Party and its candidates to stand for what they believe in – to move out from behind the poll numbers and rhetoric and bask in the light of our core values of equality, opportunity, and strength which have sustained and supported the Democratic Party.

Where have all the Democrats gone? Many democrats are asking this question and I have posted a summery of them from this blog below. As Abraham Lincoln noted, “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men”. If our candidates cannot muster up the courage to be a true opposition party, to create a vision of America that will inspire rather that instill fear then it is time to fund and elect candidates that are willing to stand up for our Democratic ideals and change the course.

54yoUpstateNYiNDEPENDENT - WHY are the democrats SILENT??? is the strategy just to 'LET THEM SHOW THE ADMISTRATION'S INCOMPETENCE and hang themselves'?

Crazed on September 2, 2005 at 11:07 PM - WHERE ARE OUR DEMOCRATIC LEADERS (other than the congressional black caucus)?!!!!

Posted by speakout on September 3, 2005 at 01:36 PM - I am ashame of my party right now. Where are the voices of condemation, where is the outrage? We see the death and destruction on the television for 5 days before… It appears that the republicans are right, democtats will only come to us in November.
Posted by winstonsmith on September 3, 2005 at 04:33 PM - Where is the outrage from our Democratic leadership?… It makes me wonder if we have a separate party or if they are merely paying lip service to us.
Posted by lynnxe on September 4, 2005 at 04:35 PM - Please don’t let us down yet again. We have been waiting for you to speak out, to help our voices and needs be heard. Instead, the democrats have played it safe, trying not to upset the apple-cart or frighten the swing voters. We were patient after the 2000 election when the Democrats “played nice”, even though it was later proven that had the votes been counted, Bush would not be in office. We were patient after the 2004 election, when evidence of widespread voter fraud was barely examined and yet another election was stolen under the cover of a news blackout. We’ve been patient while you supported an elective war waged under false pretenses and downright lies. WE’RE TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO FIGHT BACK. You’re losing your base, and in this time of crisis the last thing you should be thinking about is strategy.
SPEAK UP. Please. We’re begging you – WE WANT ANSWERS NOW! If you expect our support in future elections, start working to earn it NOW!
Bush and his people have already started their pre-emptive strike, deploring the few Democrats who have criticized because they are "politicizing" the tragedy. - Junius on September 2, 2005 at 12:18 PM

-Having FEMA run by DHS is problem 1.
-2. The ENvironmental policies of Bush and his oil cronies - should be addressed - as Katrina is a result of them. Read: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

-3. The Kleptocracy Government - the recent energy and transportation bills should make you hurl in disgust. Read
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/_/id/7539869?pageid=rs.Politics&pageregion=single1

The cause- global warming by oil companies we are all being raped by through their proxy Bush.

The reaction - incompetent - due to the secret police controlling the emergency services.

The rebuild - corrupted by the broken firewall between our tax dollars and the politicos buddies in industry.

I agree with those who inquire on the whereabouts of the Democratic Party leadership during this American crisis. I hear no words of condemnation from Democratic leaders about how this situation was handled. Nothing but silence. What's wrong, guys? Too scared? Too intimidated to retort, to debate, to counter the bull that the Republicans throw at you? What is the hold they have on you? What dirt do they possess to keep your silence? Why cower like scared sheep? Why hide like ugly aunts? Why be afraid of speaking an obvious truth -- that the opposing party holds animosity toward our American black brothers and sisters; that their photo opportunities are just cover for the vacuousness and the hate that fill their policies? Why not state the obvious over and over? Why not use the facts as a hammer; to pin them down as the hypocrites they are? Why not speak louder than them? Why be too much like their flock?

After reading Grundoon's post about the American Red Cross not being allowed in to New Orleans, I shook my head in disbelief. I verified this information on the American Red Cross web site's FAQ's -- click on "What is happening in New Orleans" on the home page.

"Access to New Orleans is controlled by the National Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter New Orleans against their orders."

and "The state Homeland Security Department had requested -- and continues to request -- that the American Red Cross not come back into New Orleans following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city."

For days I have been wondering, "Where is the American Red Cross? Why isn't there food, water, and medicine at the scene where it is needed?" They have a long history of being well prepared for emergencies and crisis, but I never saw any indication that they were there, working among the throngs of people waiting for days for some bit of sustenance. If journalists, politicians, and the National Guard could get into the areas, surely there was now access.

Apparently, they were not let in to do what they do so well. Why? Surely, there would be no security risk to give nourishment, medical aid, and comfort to the people while they awaited promised transportation out of the city -- transportation that thousands are still waiting for.

Also, I was wondering, in an area on the water, where were all the boats that could be used for rescue efforts? In a Reuters' article, 9/4/05, "Thousands still need rescue in New Orleans": "Police said they were still receiving 1,000 or more emergency calls for help each day, many of them from people still trapped in their homes and attics." However, according to MSNBC.com article (9/4/2005)"White House shifts blame for Katrina response", "Outside New Orleans, frustration boiled over among the boatmen who spontaneously left their homes in central Louisiana to rescue stranded residents in the first hours after reports of flooding hit the airwaves. For the past two days, many have been turned away because of security concerns in a city that had turned violent and chaotic."

It is seeming that attempts to help are being rebuffed, and the areas that need basic life support are not receiving it. Meanwhile, the Bush administration is trying to wrestle power from the state government to control the area. Has this administration not done enough damage already? Thank goodness that the governor now has hired the Federal Emergency Management Agency director from the Clinton administration, James Lee Witt, for advice in this crisis.

As a card carring member of the DNC it pains me to say this but I must agree with captiannemo, there is no fight in the democrats, we are just rolling over on everything. Not a single democratic leader except Sharpton supported Sheehan, no one except Dean spoke-up about the Katrina screw-up. There is no leadership of the party that is evident. This is a critical time, we could be making gains for 2006 and 2008, but no one is leading the charge. Sheehan and Nagin have shown more courage of conviction that the lot of high powered democrats in the party. I hope after your restful recess we see more fire and hell as congress returns.

The planet need the opposition to stand and be counted and speak LOUDLY!...NOW!..The Bush Junta has destabilized the whole planet...DEMS...stand up and be counted!...and please...
the following is a good short read that includes some past Louisiana hurricane history..
=================
BUSH STRAFES NEW ORLEANS
WHERE IS OUR HUEY LONG?
by Greg Palast

Friday, September 2, 2005
The National Public Radio news anchor was so excited I thought she'd piss on
herself: the President of the United had flown his plane down to 1700 feet to
get a better look at the flood damage! And there was a photo of our
Commander-in-Chief taken looking out the window. He looked very serious and
concerned.

That was yesterday. Today he played golf. No kidding.

I'm sure the people of New Orleans would have liked to show their appreciation
for the official Presidential photo-strafing, but their surface-to-air missiles
were wet.

There is nothing new under the sun. In 1927, a Republican President had his
photo taken as the Mississippi rolled over New Orleans. Calvin Coolidge, "a
little fat man with a notebook in his hand," promised to rebuild the state. He
didn't.† Instead, he left to play golf with Ken Lay or the Ken Lay railroad
baron equivalent of his day.

In 1927, the Democratic Party had died and was awaiting burial. As depression
approached, the coma-Dems, like Franklin Roosevelt, called for balancing the
budget.

Then, as the waters rose, one politician finally said, roughly, "Screw this!
They're lying! The President's lying! The rich fat cats that are drowning you
will do it again and again and again. They lead you into imperialist wars for
profit, they take away your schools and your hope and when you complain, they
blame Blacks and Jews and immigrants. Then they push your kids under. I say,
Kick'm in the ass and take your rightful share!"

Huey Long laid out a plan: a progressive income tax, real money for education,
public works to rebuild Louisiana and America, an end to wars for empire, and an
end to financial oligarchy. The waters receded, the anger did not, and Huey
"Kingfish" Long was elected Governor of Louisiana in 1928.

At the time, Louisiana schools were free, but not the textbooks. Governor Long
taxed Big Oil to pay for the books. Rockefeller's oil companies refused pay the
textbook tax, so Long ordered the National Guard to seize Standard Oil's fields
in the Delta.

Huey Long was called a "demagogue" and a "dictator." Of course. Because it was
Huey Long who established the concept that a government of the people must
protect the people, school, house, and feed them and give every man or woman a
job who needs one.

Government, he said, "We The People," not plutocrats nor Halliburtons, must
build bridges and levies to keep the waters from rising over our heads. All we
had to do was share the nation's wealth we created as a nation.† But that meant
facing down what he called the "concentrations of monopoly power" to finance the
needs of the public.

In other words, Huey Long founded the modern Democratic Party. Franklin
Roosevelt and the party establishment, scared senseless of Long's ineluctable
march to the White House, adopted his program, called it the New Deal, and later
The New Frontier and the Great Society.

America and the party prospered.

America could use a Democratic Party again and there's a rumor it's alive --
somewhere.

And now is the moment, as it was in '27. As the bodies float in the streets of
New Orleans, now is not the time for the Democrats to shirk and slink away,
bleating they can't "politicize" this avoidable disaster.

Seventy-six years ago this week, Huey Long was shot down, assassinated at the
age of 43.† But the legacy of his combat remains, from Social Security to
veterans' mortgage loans.

There is no such thing as a "natural" disaster.† Hurricanes happen, but death
comes from official neglect, from tax cuts for the rich that cut the heart out
of public protection.† The corpses in the street are victims of a class war in
which only one side has a general.

Where is our Huey Long?† America needs just one Kingfish to stand up and say
that our nation must rid itself of the scarecrow with the idiot chuckle, who has
left America broken and in danger while he plays tinker-toy Napoleon on other
continents.

I realize that the middle of rising flood is a hell of a bad time to give
Democrats swimming lessons; but it's act up now or we all go under.

Disgrace for today: Bill and Hilary Clinton. Why is Bill cosying up to George Bush Senior? Why is Hilary wimping out — only asking for a commission to “look into” the disaster on the Gulf Coast? We already know enough to condemn Bush’s criminal negligence.

What should Democratic politicians do instead? Be political! Demand that America return to the basis of organized society, not the anarchy of the market. It’s shameful that Walmart gets kudos for donating a few million dollars. We all participate in society. Walmart just gets vastly more out of it than most of us. Walmart should contribute accordingly and the proper role of politicians is to tax Walmart’s profits.

Clinton and Papa Bush are soliciting donations. Another disgrace. Instead, Clinton should call on Congress to rescind Reagan and Bush’s tax cuts. That would mean enough revenue to meet these needs and prevent disasters like this in the future.

At a time like this Democrats should challenge the Republican myths about being the middle class American’s friend. It wasn’t just poor Black people who suffered on the Gulf Coast. What about the old lady in the nursing home who drowned on the fourth day, after her son promised her help was coming because FEMA promised? Remember: the head of FEMA, Michael Brown, is a Republican hack, fired from his last job running Arabian Horse shows.

Democratic politicians have spent too many years giving in to conservative rhetoric about government being the bad guy. Government ought to be the instrument of the people, taxing and spending — Yes! Taxing and spending, because that is its proper role — and taxing progressively so high incomes pay high taxes.

Bill Clinton sold out years ago. He said “The era of big government is over.” Only because the Republicans had sold us a bill of goods: how we could all succeed with individual effort and stern self reliance. When the chips are down, their market values are the values of the jungle. The “looters” in New Orleans were only “Republicans” without capital.

Democrats should not be ashamed to be the party of large — and, therefore, responsible and effective — government. Democrats should not shrink from raising taxes on high incomes and corporations. Democrats should glory in protecting working people and the middle class.

It’s a society’s job to take care of its members.

I reject Hillary Clinton's call to form a 9/11-type commission for the Hurricane Katrina/Government Lathary catastrophy. I want accountability and blame, unlike the 9/11 commission.

The fact that FEMA's Hurricane Pam scenario decided not to complete the plan to include those who would be left behind in such a disaster is validaty that this administration planned to use a natural disaster to eliminate a large Democratic base, the poor and the black.

It's not a conspriacy theory when there are detailed verifiable facts to back up the claim.

At least we are hearing from the Clinton's and Dean. Where are Kerry & Heinz? I haven't seen any media coverage of any well known Democrats but Bill Clinton with his sleeves rolled up and actually REACTING to this situation! Let's be reactive to the actual tragedy and point the fingers after the dead have been buried, the babies fed and the homeless housed and offered jobs!

New Page 1

BECAUSE THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE--

DON'T LISTEN TO THE SPIN AND THE BULL YOU SEE ON TV. HERE IS A LINK TO THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS,
RAY NAGIN,  TALKING FROM THE HEART FRIDAY 4 DAYS  AFTER THE STORM HIT.
THRILL TO THE INCOMPETENCE AND CRUELTY OF THE BUSH CRIME FAMILY-
BE AMAZED ATT HE TOTAL ABSENCE OF CO-ORDINATION
 IT IS  JUST LIKE LIVING IN SOVIET RUSSIA WITH MINDLESS APPARATCHIKS
AT THE HELM!
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO. HERE IS THE LINK TO THE WORDS 
THAT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER AS THE DEFINING MOMENT OF THIS FAILED PRESIDENCY.
WARNING: GET OUT THE HANKIE.
           . http://a901.g.akamai.net/7/901/13186/v002/airamerica.download.akamai.com/13186/aarplace/media/Nagin.mp3

WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THIS NATIONAL TRAGEDY!!

WE ALREADY KNOW! BUSH PLAYED GOLF!!!! CONDI WENT TO A PLAY AND BOUGHT EXPENSIVE SHOES!!! MIKE BROWN... WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WAS DOING! PROBABLY SAYING :UH, WHERE IS THE GULF COAST? WHY IS THIS IDIOT IN THIS POSITION??

CHERTOFF AND BROWN'S HEADS SHOULD ROLL ALONG WITH GEORGIE!!

AND WHERE IN THE HELL IS CHENEY? DID HE HAVE ANOTHER HEART ATTACK AND IS ON A VENTILATOR SOMEWHERE???

WRITE YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN. THREATEN THEIR JOBS IF THEY DON'T DO SOMETHING NOW!!

YEAH YEAH YEAH WE ALL KNOW CLINTON MADE A BAD PERSONAL DECISION IN THE WHITE HOUSE BUT YOU CAN TRULY SEE HIS CONCERN DOWN WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE GULF COAST. HE CARES. HE HAS A HEART!

GEORGIE COULD CARE LESS!! WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT THE LEVEE BREAKS, HIS FIRST THOUGHTS WERE PROBABLY "@#%#, NOW I HAVE TO GIVE MONEY TO THESE PEOPLE AND LET THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS COME HOME FROM IRAQ!!!"

GET HIM OUT NOW... WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN!!!

The letter I sent to my Senators/Congressman re: the Hurricane Katrina disaster response:

"I am writing to tell you how profoundly disgusted I am with the poor response to the Katrina disaster by the Federal government. I also find it incredibly lame that I am not able to e-mail the White House this morning to express my sentiments. For some strange reason the site cannot be accessed. Geez~~ I wonder why!!"

"The Bush administration has to be the most callous, uncaring, and inept Presidency I've witnessed in the 50 yrs. I've been alive. Their treatment of the victims of this disaster is a national disgrace! I could go on and on, but you know better then I the multitude and magnitude of failures we've witnessed. One thing I must say, is that the picture of an Executive branch on vacation while the Gulf Coast was annihilated will forever be the last straw for many citizens regarding George W. Bush's "legacy"."

"I honestly believe that Mr. Bush should be impeached for derilection of duty. The Federal govts. primary role of providing protection (eg. prompt disaster relief) for all citizens was inexcusably neglected. Pres. Bush and his appointee's should all be held accountable for this gross misconduct. After all, there are scores of regular, every day citizens who've been fired from their jobs for far, far less!!!"

Regarding the lack of prompt Democratic leadership, I feel the leadership shown by Gov. Blanco in standing up to Pres. Bush when he attempted to Federalize the LA National Guard is to be commended. I also feel Sen. Landrieu's comments regarding "if (she) hears one more criticism of state/local officials by anyone at the federal level, including the President, (she) will punch them, literally," is also to be commended. I feel Mayor Nigal's comments regarding the horrific response is also to be commended.

I firmly believe that if President Clinton had been in charge of this fiasco, the chorus calls for impeachment from the Republicans would already be ringing through the halls of Congress. My message to our Democratic "leaders" is to get off your asses, raise your voices, and make sure this issue stays in the forefront. A travesty like this can never be tolerated again!

It's not Bush's fualt. It was a natural disaster. Nobady could've stopped if they had to. Don't get mad at him. Do you think you couldv'e stopped a hurricane like that? I don't think so. Just thank God that he didn't destroy the earth