Bush Takes Responsibility For Gaps In Federal Response
More importantly, he focused on what the response might reveal regarding our ability to handle other disasters or attacks:
Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government. And to the extent that the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong. I want to know how to better cooperate with state and local government, to be able to answer that very question that you asked: Are we capable of dealing with a severe attack or another severe storm. And that’s a very important question. And it’s in our national interest that we find out exactly what went on and — so that we can better respond.One thing for certain; having been down there three times and have seen how hard people are working, I’m not going to defend the process going in, but I am going to defend the people who are on the front line of saving lives. Those Coast Guard kids pulling people out of the — out of the floods are — did heroic work. The first responders on the ground, whether they be state folks or local folks, did everything they could. There’s a lot of people that are — have done a lot of hard work to save lives.
And so I want to know what went right and what went wrong to address those. But I also want people in America to understand how hard people are working to save lives down there in not only New Orleans, but surrounding parishes and along the Gulf Coast.
It’s getting big play, and it’s the right – and the smart – thing to do.
So what does the Huffington Post lead with? Bush: No Identifiable Shortcomings In Relief Effort……and Deepak Chopra is still talking about Cindy Sheehan. BwaaaaHaaaaHaaaa…
I’ve got my doubts about this strategy–although, admittedly, it might be part of a more complex strategy that we don’t yet see. All the same, here’s Kos, responding to Bush’s acknowledgement of responsibility in the thoughtful, measured fashion that I expect to hear from others on the left:
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/13/125412/567
I’ll let his remarks speak for themselves.
One small correction…that’s not Kos, but one of his diarists…but remember, to the vast majority of Americans, an apology or acknowledgment goes a long, long way…the Kossacks will scream for Bush’s head no matter what…I think Bush’s move is just a ‘buck stops here’ thing, in other words, exactly the sort of thing his critics claim he is incapable of…
Sorry for the mis-attribution, Mark. I’ve got to admit, given the stringent screening the posts go through, I tend to think of Kos (the site) as a sort of Borg collective…
I agree with you about the substance of Bush’s remarks. And the statement was quite carefully phrased. I just feel that there’s very little sense that many elements on the Democratic side are prepared to work with the administration, on this or anything else. The left is much more likely to take this statement as a sign of weakness than as a recognition of responsibility, I think.
Well, on that, we’re in total agreement…I think this move is made with a view to the public and not the President’s political opponents…
Which is exactly as it should be — and exactly why he so infuriates his political opponents.