"Never Forget" that Bush Failed in New Orleans

On Tuesday, August 29th, 2006 it will mark one year since the good folks in New Orleans were left to drown by the Bush Administration. Americans should never forget the pictures of the people left on rooftops, begging for help and the complete devastation of New Orleans.

Spike Lee has put together a compelling documentary and I had the opportunity to view it. I hope that everyone takes the time to watch it on Tuesday Evening.

I am greatly ashamed but not surprised that Bush is using this anniversary as a photo-op. However, the real reason that Bush will be spending 2 days in New Orleans and visiting the Lower 9th Ward is to counteract the Democrats' plans. The Democratic candidates, particularly the Congressional races have been reminding their voters that their government and their President utterly lacked response in aiding the people of New Orleans and now one year later, the recovery has been next to nil.


Many civil rights leaders have charged that the White House was slow in their response because so many victims were black. If someone asked me five years ago, that our country would be viewed as having a racist president, I would have thought they were bonkers or on drugs. Now, we see that our racist president is completely nuts while some say he is on drugs. He cares not one iota about the black people who drowned and is merely using this anniversary as "a public relations blitz" just as he has done for the past 5 years in New York on September 11th.

Digby says:

Obviously Iraq is the primary political issue in the coming election. But the real issue, cutting across all the others, is the fact that the Republicans simply cannot handle the responsibility of government whether it's terrorism, gas prices or a crisis in a major American city. Katrina is the most vivid image of their incompetence and lack of accountability right here in the US.

The country is going to be reminded of this lowest moment of Republican rule next week. Let's hope the Republicans aren't able to turn that soggy lemon into lemonade. They are absolutely terrible at governing and with Bush they have a guy who they can't count on to react well during the crisis. But nobody manufactures a campaign photo-op better than they do. [more]

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released "Broken Promises: The Republican Response to Katrina."

This report details the failed response in the almost one year since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast. One year after the hurricanes showed the American people that even so long after 9/11 their government was still not prepared to protect them, the report makes clear the disastrous effects incompetence and mismanagement continue to have on Gulf Coast residents. As the Bush Administration seeks to trumpet its "accomplishments" in the year since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this report makes clear how much work remains to be done.

We must never forget that the Bush Administration failed America and the Gulf Coast when Katrina hit and levees broke.

Scout Prime at First Draft has put together a video. Watch it here. You may need your hankie though, it cuts to the heart.