While it only makes sense that in the first 48-72 hours of a crisis you can't expect Federal help, I have always been prepared to hear that Bush, too deserves some criticism, or --more plausibly, given the big pile-on from the Right-- that FEMA somehow failed. However, the more information comes out, the less I think any significant criticism can be made of the Feds. Could some things have gone a little better? I suppose; you always learn from a catastrophe. But let's review.
- Bush declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm. By the Gov.'s admission, she called for evacuation only after Bush pleaded with her. So, far from being "oblivious," he seems to be the only guy who had any feeling for the people.
- FEMA advises all cities and states that they should assume no help will come for 48-72 hours. Until then, even in the best of circumstances, they should consider themselves on their own. Were FEMA and other FEDS on the scene within the expected time-frame? Yes, they were. They may have been watching stupid PC training films in the meanwhile, but they were there within the expected time frame.
- If there's any racism involved, it's on the part of God, who sent a devastating storm to a city that is more than 75% black. Blacks were the ones left behind; they were also the ones who got out. And, again, they got out because Bush pleaded for an evacuation. UPDATE: check out this Anchoress-recommended Racism in America slide show (scroll down).
- FEMA & National Guard troops had people pre-positioned, but the Gov. wouldn't let them go in, telling the President she needed 24 hours to think about which option for Federal help she wanted.
- The Red Cross had supplies pre-positioned to get to the Superdome --where the Mayor told people to evacuate-- but the Gov. wouldn't let them go in because she wanted to discourage people from going to the Superdome. Bush/FEMA had what to do with this?Zero.
- To this hour, there is still not an agreement between Mayor Nagin & Gov. Blanco about whether New Orleans should be mandatorily evacuated, and there is still no good coordination of Federal efforts because the Gov. refuses to send clear signals, but will not relinquish control of the Guard to the Feds.
Mayor Nagin is no Giuliani, but I am even starting to have a little sympathy for him when I read reports like this.
What then, do Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi & the Congressional Black Caucus (Oooh! They made such outrageous charges on the floor of the House yesterday) have to gain by calling for commissions and investigations that can only serve to humiliate the Democratic leadership of Louisiana? They can keep anti-Bush charges in the headlines through the 2006 elections. Bush has made headway for the Republican party with minorities of all kinds, and he won tremendous good will from many in the aftermath of 9/11. Determined never to let that happen again, they now obviously have a working group to send out the FAXes and e-blasts carping on the President whenever anything goes wrong.
I am inclined to think it won't work. The polls already show people aren't buying the "Bush's fault" meme --as Limbaugh has pointed out, most Americans don't think in those terms anyway--- and plus, people will notice who helps them rebuild once the crisis is over. High school history textbooks will blame Bush in 10 years, and a few invincibly ignorant radicals; but elsewhere truth will prevail.
