BrownChert (Chertoff): "This is ..breathtaking in its surprise"

[IDemo]

Surprise? Really?

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argued Saturday that government planners did not predict such a disaster ever could occur, evoking memories of a similar "Fahrenheit 9/11" disconnect: Condi Rice defending the US's supposed lack of intelligence on upcoming attacks, followed by her testimony to Congress: "I believe the memo stated that bin Laden is determined to strike within the United States".

One would think that the Rove machine would make sure that all of the flying monkeys have their stories in agreement with the facts, if not the party line. Colliding flying monkeys can create quite a mess, after all.

"That 'perfect storm' of a combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners, and maybe anybody's foresight," BrownChert said.

Actually, foresight was plentiful. Regarding the threat of destruction from a major hurricane, in 2001, FEMA warned that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S. But the Bush administration cut New Orleans flood control funding by 44 percent to pay for the Iraq war.

Nonetheless, a feeble if predictable effort has begun by Bush and RoveCo to deflect the blame for the damnable delay in rescue efforts on the Democratic Mayor, Democratic Governor, and generally Democratic citizens of Lousiana and New Orleans.

Don't let Bush, Rove, BrownChert, Rush, Hannity, etc. spin this into a picture of triumph for the Commander in Chimp. And don't let the next major news-cycle event dilute the truth: Americans have lost their lives because of this mis-administration; in two Gulf wars, separated by miles, yet joined by incompetency and disregard for human life.

[bluethruandthru]

1. It wasn't a surprise to anyone but them!

Those of us watching television in the days leading up to Katrina's landfall in the Gulf Coast heard over and over about all the different scenarios that could befall the region. For a time I actually thought that the talking heads were trying to scare everyone. So, to say that they didn't anticipate this is ridiculous! It's their JOB to anticipate this!

[bullimiami]

2. note to chert. please pay back any salary you received for your work

at fema.

you were obviously sleeping the whole time.

[Jane Eyre]

3. This came up in my minister's sermon this morning

I go to a very mainstream Presbyterian church. Very early on in the sermon, the minister mentioned that it had been said that no one could have predicted the New Orleans floods - well, no one except for every engineer who had ever looked at the situation!

I was very happy to hear this bit of criticism from him. In the run-up to the Iraq war, he compared Saddam Hussein to Hitler a couple of times. Must have taken the Kool-Aid out of the communion cups finally.