Chapter 6: Follow the Leader

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Chapter 6 Follow the Leader?
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In the storms aftermath, Terry Ebert, head of
Homeland Security for New Orleans said, This
is a national emergencya national disgrace.
(p.89)
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Right now we are out of resources at the
Convention Center
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Michael Brown admitted on national television
that it wasnt until Thursday morningthat he
learned of the folk suffering in the Superdome
and convention center (p.90)
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When Soledad OBrien pressed Brown on Good
Morning America, When yesterday did you become
aware?
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Brown said, We were just as surprised as
everybody else. (p.91)
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When asked if it made sense to spend billions on
rebuilding the city, Speaker of the House Hastert
suggested, it doesnt make sense to meit looks
like a lot of the place could be bulldozed.
(p.91)
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Homeland Security chief Chertoff told Robert
Siegel of NPR that I have not had a report of
thousands of people in the convention center who
dont have food and water. (p.92)
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Nightlines Ted Koppel asked Michael
Brown,Dont you guys listen to the radio? Our
reporters have been reporting about it for more
than just today. (p.92)
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Browns response was, We learned about it
factually today that thats what existed.(p.92)
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Mayor Nagin, chided the president for flying over
New Orleans instead of getting on the ground
(p.93)
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We authorized 8 billion to go to Iraq,
lickety-quick, to take care of New York and other
places Now you mean to tell me that a place
where most of your oil is coming through, a place
so uniquea place where you probably have
thousands of people that have diedthat we cant
figure out a way to authorize the resources that
we need? (p.93)
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Dont do another press conference until the
resources are in this cityDont tell me 40,000
people are coming here. Theyre not here Its
too doggone late. Now get off your asses and do
something, and lets fix the biggest goddam
crisis in the history of this country. (p.93)
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Several of his aides admitted that the depth of
the horror in New Orleans didnt strike Bush
until Thursday night almost four days since the
hurricane passed
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He made his first land trip to the Gulf Coast,
September 2, and at the Mobile Regional Airport
he infamously praised FEMA chief Brown.Brownie,
youre doing a heck of a job. (p.94)
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The airline industry launched Operation Air
Care to provide emergency lift service for
25,000 citizens stranded in New Orleans (p.95)
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Four days after Katrina struck, the National
Guard arrived in New Orleans in full force. (p.95)
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The evacuation of the Superdome was interrupt to
permit 700 guests and employees of the Hyatt
Hotelto move ahead of the line to leave.
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National Guard captain Pollard later conceded
that it was a very poor decision to allow the
Hyatt guests to cut the line. (p.96)
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At a press conference U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings,
from Maryland, said that poverty, age and skin
color played a role in who lived and died in the
Gulf Coast.
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Quoting the Bible regarding the least of these,
Cummings said, God cannot be please with our
response.
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When the president made it to New Orleans, with
Louisiana senator Mary Landrieu he stopped at
the breached 17th Street levee, but not at the
more problematic Superdome or convention
center. (p.98)
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The next day Landrieu blasted Bush for staging a
photo op with resources that were removed once he
departed.(p.98)
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Governor Blancoengaged in a flurry of
activities. She penned an open letter to Bush
asking for 40,000 troops and food, water, and
supplies, and
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for a redeployment of a brigade of troops from
Louisiana stationed in Iraqbecause they are
urgently needed here at home. (p.101)
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It was understandable that Nagin and Blanco
would cry out in desperation for the president to
help
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But the conservative aversion to government as
the true solution to the problems of the people
lessened the likelihood of that
happening(p.103)
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The Insurrection Act granted the president the
authority to put down civil disturbances by
federalizing the National Guard
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But Blanco would have had to surrender
authority before Bush could send active-duty
combat forces to the state. (p.104)
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On Sunday, Chertoff blamed Democratic officials
in New Orleans and Louisiana for the poor
governmental response to Katrina.(p.106)
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The law is the responsibility and the power, the
authority, to order an evacuation rests with the
state and local officials. The federal
governmentsupports those officials. (p.106)
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End of Summary of Chapter 6