Was the President "responsible" for the event of Katrina?

Question

Here's why I ask:
I just heard a "comedian" on a webcast make a joke about George Bush turning New Orleans into a swamp, and I'm wondering: is there a line of thinking that says that the Bush administration is "responsible" for the damage in Lousiana? If so, what is the story behind this?

The comedian, by the way, was Bill Mahler and it was a webcast of some talk show he does on Amazon.com. I don't remember which episode it was, but I think the episode had Morgan Spurlock as a guest.

Answer 1

Bush appeared to not realize the entire situation. There has been, and probably will continue to be, much finger pointing.

But Bush went in front of television cameras, telling the world "Brownie is doing a helluva job!" (Refering to the director of FEMA)

Well, I don't know where they were getting their information, but all they had to do was to turn on ANY news station and see for themselves what was going on.

Would I say it is Bush's fault? Not entirely. there were trucks loaded with ice and other supplies that were sent driving around to nowhere! Someone, somewhere, didn't get the right information to someone else.

It is inconceivable that such a thing occured in this country. When an entertainer, like Harry Connick, Jr was able to get there with the cameras from the Today show, why was our government not able to get there with medical help and food and water?

Answer 2

I believe that the government’s actions involving Hurricane Katrina were reprehensible. The term “democracy” means that everyone’s interests are protected, but in this case, I believe that they were not. For example, there were thousands of buses that could have been utilized to evacuate the citizens that could not afford gas or a car, but no drivers were located and the buses went underwater with the community. Many critics have said that if the Hurricane had targeted an affluent white community the government’s reaction would have been different, and sadly, I feel that this is true. The wealthy often get the tax breaks and the best care money can buy because, well, people aren’t treated equally. I feel that just because somebody doesn’t live in the most prosperous community doesn’t mean that they should be overlooked. Everyone should get equal rights, especially when their lives are at stake.
Four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the public wanted to believe the government was better prepared to handle emergencies from natural disasters or terrorists. To be fair, Katrina was a deadly storm, and even the highest state of readiness and quickest response would not have spared all of its victims. However, too many people died because government simply did not do its job or protect its citizens the way the American people were told it would. The response to Katrina is shattering proof of our government’s ineptitude and its appalling feelings about our underprivileged citizens.

Answer 3

sure there are some that believe somehow bush can control the seas and nature and bring these natural disasters down on anyone he chooses. bush has been blamed for everything from athletes foot to hurricanes to wars etc. etc. etc. funny how this one man they believe is such a moron can have so much power and is intelligent enough to rule the world by using nature and whatever else is at hand. listen, bush is just another human being trying to do his best with the intelligence of his security teams and advisors, congress and the house...he does not have total control over anything including his own life. the decisions he makes are not unilateral he has to have the approval of congress (they overwhelming voted for the war) and the house and the local and state governments (which were in charge of taking care of katrina victims etc.) he is not a dictator nor is he the real power behind the nation, its congress and the house that have the most power. personally i wouldn' t want the man's job as he has to take the heat for not only his own mistakes but for the mistakes of many others, democrat and republicans too. i get really ticked when i hear people blaming bush for everything as i think the people themselves ought to bear some responsibility for the way this nation is going, heck most of the whiners and finger pointers didn't even vote in the last election but they feel the need now when things don't appear to be going really well to scream their heads off in complaint.....bush, just like every other president is just a man and not capable of all the crap people keep saying he's guilty of, just like the other presidents. if people don't stop with this incessant whining and actually get out and do something for and about this country you can bet the next time terrorists hit we'll be so weak that they will win. they must be loving this the way there is all this in fighting in our government. but i guess its the american way to sit around and not do anything but when it comes time to take responsibility for something good or bad they are the first with their hand up ready to complain. amercian's have so much and they only see what they think they don't have....what a bunch of lazy morons.

Answer 4

Don't tell me you're not aware of the fact that W denies the existence of global warming?--The warnings about the imminent deluge about to innundate New Orleans was blamed on global warming, so W ignored them.

You didn't know that the levees were denied funding by W?--Fixing the levees to withstand a Level 5 hurricane would have prevented the flooding.

You didn't know that FEMA was a crackerjack agency before W came to office?--W fired all the competent people and staffed it with idiots, then cut the budgets so that evaluation and preparation for disasters became a joke.

And that's just on the prep side!!!

Yes, blame for the mess in Louisiana falls squarely on the current administration. Just another in long list of their abject failures.

And you, how did you 'sleep' this entire issue?

Answer 5

His responsibility was to see to it that it was handled in a timely manner! He failed big time! He should have been there 24 after seeing as FEMA is FUBAR! What's with the director asking " Do these clothes make me look fat?" while the victoms are left with nothing. That's a disgrace! Bush should have been on top of it from that moment forward. The Senators didn't the Represenatives didn't no body did. We got people on the ground in 18hr after the tsunami on the other side of the world. 36 hrs to get started in New Orleans, dispicable! FEMA held off the Navy, they were ready and on the backside of the storm! dispicable!

Answer 6

No, you can blame good ol' Mom Nature for this one. However the Bush administration were way slow in getting these people the help they needed. In some cases it was life and death. We had help on the ground for the tsunamis in Indonesia in 24 hours but it took 3 days for the feds to arrive in N.O. something is wrong with that picture.

Answer 7

I certainly hope not. People don't actually think the president is supposed to step in and take over running a particular state do they?

Hey can you tell me what comedian that was? I love to try and catch that as a repeat. I may need medical crews on hand in case I have a stroke though..... ;)

Answer 8

Yup, and Jimmy Carter was responsible for the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980.

Answer 9

Well, although there is never a shortage of "Hot Air" coming from Washington D. C. I don't think it changes the climate that much. If it does then both parties share the blame for the weather patterns.

Answer 10

I'm just waiting for some idiot to say that George Bush caused global warming, and hurricanes would be weaker if he had never been President.