America to Federal Government: Your Response to Katrina is Totally Fucking Unacceptable

Dear Mr Bush,

The citizens of New Orleans, and surrounding areas near the Gulf (especially in Mississippi) sure hope Bush enjoyed his most recent month-long vacation. They hope Dick Cheney continues to enjoy his in Wyoming during this past week. They also appreciate Mr. Bush dipping below the clouds to take a look at the devastation on your way back from the Ranch, where you refused to meet with Gold Star Families for Peace as well as other Veterans groups to get some questions answers about the Iraq war. I'm sure they appreciate your words of wisdom during your peak out the window: "It’s devastating. It’s got to be doubly devastating on the ground."

However - there are corpses floating in the streets down there. There are people in their attics right now with water up to their chins waiting to be rescued. They're looking for busses for the people at the Superdome. They're looking for food and water, and they're looking for their National Guard, 1/3 of which is serving over in Iraq (with an even higher percentage in MS).

While most of America and it's corporate media have covered for Bush's complete bullshit for over 5 years in terms of defending every disaster hatched in his administration - from the economy, to the war, to national security to every single aspect a president is responsible for - most of America, including typically conservative pundits, are stunned that those in the administration are actually defending this alarming and outrageous lack of relief:

"We are extremely pleased with the response of every element of the federal government (and) all of our federal partners have made to this terrible tragedy," Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said during a news conference Wednesday in Washington.

How fucking dare you say that.

But wait, it gets better - here's what W had to say about the flooding: "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." Oh really George?

(By the way, does the bullshit line of "Golly gee, no one could see this gul dang thing coming" above sound familiar? How about from Condi Rice's testimony in front of the 9/11 commission: "'no one could have imagined' planes would be used as weapons" We all know how that panned out.

Just how inexcusably inadequate has the federal government's response been?

-Disaster experts and Louisiana government officials charged the administration "failed to plan for a serious levee breech and the federal response to Hurricane Katrina was slow."

- Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans' emergency operations said, "This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control."

- To quote the SF Chronicle, "In a country that spent nearly $1 billion airlifting supplies to tsunami victims in southern Asia and tens of billions of dollars ferrying military supplies to Baghdad to wage war, many wondered why the United States could not also supply water, food and medical supplies to the tens of thousands of its own needy residents."

- Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) noted he was calling the White House, pleading for more resources. "The state resources were being overwhelmed, and we needed direct federal assistance, command and control, and security -- all three of which are lacking." said Rep. Charles Boustany (REPUBLICAN from Louisiana)

- FEMA Director Michael Brown, responding to the "horrible, horrible conditions" in the New Orleans Convention Center, said, "the federal government did not even know about the convention center people until today."

-Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff , when asked about the victims in the convention center said, "I have not heard a report of people in the convention center who don't have food and water." In an interview with CNN, Chertoff offered little compassion for people who died or were trapped in cities due to the flooding. "Some people chose not to obey that [mandatory evacuation] order. That was a mistake on their part."

Hey Michael. How about because nearly 1/3...one THIRD of the residents of New Orleans live below the poverty line. Had you done 20 minutes of Google homework you'd realize that about half of the kids in Louisiana live in poverty -- the only state with a higher child poverty rate is Mississippi, another victim of the hurricane. Apparently you're also completely unaware that some 134,000 New Orleans residents don't own cars, some of which couldn't afford to keep gas in them anyway. Or perhaps no one told you that one of the most devastated neighborhoods in the city has an average household income less than half the national average, with 25% of the households earning less than 10 thousand dollars a year.

But honestly everyone...do you REALLY expect preparedness from this administration?

After ignored presidential daily briefings about impending Al Qaeda attacks?

After not being greeted with flowers and candy like they said we'd be in Iraq?

After no exit strategy in Iraq?

After lack of armor for our troops in Iraq?

After repeated warnings that a hurricane hitting New Orleans was one of the top three disasters that could effect this country?

After Bush and Cheney both stayed on vacation just before during and just after the hurricane hit?

Do you really want this administration to continue to make life and death decisions for this country?

Look around you. Liberals have been watching this and screaming about this shit for 5 years.

It's time the rest of you wake the fuck up.