What Obama Brought to New Orleans

[ElsewheresDaughter]

CNN showed a major excerpt of Barack Obama's Thursday morning Tulane University rally (though not carrying the whole thing live, as it did with Mitt Romney's CPAC appearance; if you want live coverage, quit the race, CNN appears to be saying). Later scouring of web coverage of the event reinforces the impression of the CNN excerpt: Mr. Obama was passionate in his call for a more robust federal effort in mobilizing the rebuilding of New Orleans, but vague or worse in his actual policy proposals. Full funding of 100-year flood protection? Aside from being identical to Ms. Clinton's policy, it's identical to Bush administration policy. No one at the Corps of Engineers complains they're getting insufficient funding for 100-year protection, which is scheduled for somewhere between 2009 and 2011.

However, that's what New Orleanians had been promised 40 years ago when the defective levee and floodwall system built by the Corps was first envisioned. Clearly, in the wake of the catastrophic failure of that system, some serious questions have had to be asked, and answered. Mr. Obama seemed oblivious to this development.

He referred to "Katrina battering the levees." Does he know (or care) that those levees gave way under surge conditions far less than they were advertised to withstand? (NOTE: Though Katrina was a Cat 5 storm when it made landfall in Mississippi, it was a strong Cat 1 or weak Cat 2 by the time it passed New Orleans) And that the Corps that "knowingly" (according to federal judge Stanwood Duval) built insufficient protection into that system continues to do its work without independent peer review? If so, he gave no indication in today's speech (that I can find so far).

I know commenters will say, "lighten up, he came to your town, he put it in the spotlight, he showed he cared." Here's my response: if a physician comes to your house, has a great bedside manner, and shows deep compassion, but misdiagnoses your condition and therefore misprescribes, are you supposed to be grateful?


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/what-obama-brought-to-new_b_85555.html

[Mags]

1. Hell No, it is all for show. That is his whole campaign, all

hat and no cattle, just like Bush.

[rodeodance]

4. see my post below

[Tellurian]

13. Great article...thanks for posting..

and reaffirmation that Obama is ill equipped to deal with the past, present and future of this country. He NEVER does research for updated knowledge of a situation. Much preferring orating repetitive news articles he's read in newspaper publications or has viewed as regurgitated summaries on tv. Obama is a Cliff Notes dream candidate. And apparently for him, even Cliff Notes are too much of a bother as a factual investment when visiting an old problem begging for resolution.

As is apparent in the OP, at the end of the day, Obama without reservation, will take liberties with the lives and welfare of the populous and wing-it. And at the same time "hope" his inane rhetorical comments fail to pass the transparency test.

[Levgreee]

2. spin spin spin

[rodeodance]

5. best slow down you will dizzy yourself

[rodeodance]

3. Fact Check: Sen. Obama Follows Hillary's Lead On Gulf Coast Recovery Plan

http://facts.hillaryhub.com/


Fact Check: Sen. Obama Follows Hillary's Lead On Gulf Coast Recovery Plan

In May, Hillary introduced a comprehensive Gulf Coast Recovery Agenda.

Three months later, in August, Sen. Obama released a very similar proposal. Today, Sen. Obama "introduced" the same plan he released in August.

A comparison of the core elements of Hillary's plan and Sen. Obama's plan is below.

Cutting red tape

May 2007: Senator Clinton will cut red tape by streamlining the FEMA “project worksheet” project, by amending the Stafford Act, and by giving FEMA maximum flexibility in implementation. She will also elevate the federal rebuilding coordinator so that he or she reports directly to the President.

August 2007: Senator Obama will cut red tape by streamlining the FEMA application process and by altering/eliminating unnecessary regulations to give FEMA more flexibility. He will also elevate the federal rebuilding coordinator so that he or she reports directly to the President.

Health care

[Lucinda]

9. :)

[Mags]

10. see my post below, All hat and no cattle.

[thevoiceofreason]

11. Bullshit

Look at what he proposed and said today. You have hit 5% of it. That's what we'll call her, Sen. 5% Clinton

[rodeodance]

6. "Today, Sen. Obama "introduced" the same plan he released in August."

[KittyWampus]

12. make up your mind. Does Obama have policies or not? Liar.

[Lucinda]

7. Thanks for the link!

:)

[Mass]

8. Aside from being identical to Ms. Clinton's policy, it's identical to Bush administration policy.

You left this part out. So, if I understand correctly, you informed us that the policy of both candidates sucks? Nice to know.

I am no specialist of the issue, so I will not comment on the merit of the claim, just wanted to inform whoever was reading that quickly.

(In addition, numerous comments of people who were actually there and heard the speech disagree - read the comments).