Who Dropped the Ball?

It is just stunning how people will use the Katrina tragedy to spew their hatred of President Bush. Even in the midst of the disaster, the victims themselves want to use the tragedy to get up on their soap box. The other day, a Fox reporter asked a woman a simple question, "When is the last time you ate something?" The first thing out of her mouth was, "BUSH SHOULD HAVE..." Of course, this reporter was having none of that and cut her off. It took him a good 30 seconds to get it out of her that she hadn't eaten in four days. But screaming about Bush took priority over her hunger. And tonight I saw a woman who made it to the Astrodome tell Fox she hadn't seen her husband since Sunday. But that wasn't enough: "AND GEORGE W. BUSH, YOU WILL NEVER GET MY VOTE AGAIN!" Somehow I find it difficult to believe he ever got her vote before. And I don't fear for her husband's life. He's probably running north as fast as he can. Yes, government response was slow, but why? Here is the law: First Response to a disaster is the job of local government's emergency services with help from nearby municipalities, the state and volunteer agencies. In a catastrophic disaster, and if the governor requests, federal resources can be mobilized through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for search and rescue, electrical power, food, water, shelter and other basic human needs. A governor's request for a major disaster declaration could mean an infusion of federal funds, but the governor must also commit significant state funds and resources for recovery efforts. That didn't happen. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told people to evacuate the city, but he didn't provide the means to get them out. There are hundreds of buses mired in the flood. Instead of just ordering the evacuation, why didn't he organize it? Why didn't the mayor have disaster supplies prepositioned around the city? State governor Kathleen Blanco, under the law, should have notified the federal government that she wanted the National Guard federalized and sent into the city. Two days before the hurricane hit, she knew there was a category five storm heading straight for her city, but she did nothing. And when did people become so dependent on the federal government that they have lost all common sense, all sense of self-preservation? Why did those who could leave, stay? Why did those who could not leave not stock up for the coming storm? Why did ANYONE put their faith in government? Relying on the government for ANYTHING, means you will be disappointed. How could people believe that a vast army of bureaucrats could manage their life better than they can? This has to be good news for Democrats, because people who cannot stand up for themselves in time of crisis, are exactly the type of people on whom they prey. I think it's truly remarkable that once the local officials got off their duffs and requested help from the federal government, that it took only five days for convoys of food, water, medicine, troops, boats, aircraft, doctors, etc to get to the city. Some came from as far away as Los Angeles. And I say this not even knowing the political affiliation of the mayor and governor. But I can guess. The President is not a dictator, he can't violate the sovereignty of a state by sending in troops unrequested. Nor is he a babysitter. And who the hell is Kanye West???