I think Vitter overstated, but he carefully caveated his remarks with words to the effect that they were only his estimate for Louisiana. Nagins lashed out at the people around him and first spouted off about thousands of deaths and then mentioned the magic 10,000 – in New Orleans alone. Nagins is the King Daddy of hyperbole and incompetence and gross overstatement and should resign Can you imagine have him and Blanco together if another hurricane hits. Wonder whose fault it would be then: the closest geographical Republican no doubt. Theres no doubt Vitter and Landrieu have been emotional and exceeded logic and also overstated things, but their “crimes” are dwarfed by those of Blanco and Nagins. Both should resign ASAP. I just hope there’s not another hurricane with them in charge.

Dugger

And as for idiotic statements, how about when Bush said, “Nobody ever thought the levees would break,” when he was personally briefed on that possibility by NHC Director Max Mayfield 48 hours before the hurricane hit. If idiotic statements and personal failiings are the prerequisites for resignation, I expect Bush to resign any time soon.

Mr Roberts, I was prepared to vote for your confirmation after only a few windowdressing questions. Now, however, even some of the presidents supporters are chastizing us for applying insufficient scrutiny his previous incompetent nominations. Therefore, Mr Roberts, prepare to have your ass grilled like a swordfish steak.

“Rove you’re going a heck of a job.”

“Wolfie you’re doing a heck of a job.”

“Dick you’re doing a heck of a job.”

I can picture Bush sitting in his golf cart, hitting the cell phone speed dial.

JK

Exactly what every Dem should be saying as loud as possible until 2006: We are trying to protect the country from Bush’s rampant cronysim.

Quick, start picking on this guy:

Hedley, at this point, the only thing I can see wrong with the selection of Paulison is that it wasn’t done long ago.

“R. David Paulison, head of FEMA’s emergency preparedness force, will lead the beleaguered agency, according to three administration sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Paulison is a career firefighter from Miami who was among emergency workers responding to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in 1996, according to a biography posted on FEMA’s Web site. He also has led the U.S. Fire Administration since December 2001, according to the site.

As chief of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department, Paulison led 1,900 personnel under a $200 million operating budget. He was also in charge of Dade County’s emergency management office, according to his biography.”

Eh, I doubt it.

This is how Republicans try to get Bush off the hook. Pathetic. Go back to bed, Dugger.

However, if Nagins and Blanco can clearly demonstrate that it was not solely their own horrific and deadly incompetence in play, and can pinpoint some of their underlings at fault, then they could be saved. Unfortunately both are on the public record with their idiocies. Somebody better tell Empty Nagins that at this point he is off on the New Orleans death toll by a mere factor of 5000% . Not bad Mr Mayor. After all, you are a Democrat and you may have been thinking about the ratio of tax revenues spent versus received. New Orleans is so lucky. Yeah, keep this guy.

Dugger

I would also like to mention: Last week after Bush Cabinet meeting it was a nano- news blurb that disappeared faster than usual out of this administration:

The Cabinet had “…..found the flaw within Homeland Security and FEMA pre-planning for catastrophic events……”they had not considered the possibility of first responders being incapacitated…”

And to quote the man himself: ‘We don’t believe in planners and deciders making the decisions on behalf of Americans.’ G.W.BUSH

That just says it all!

Isn’t the President suppose to be a little more capable of handling this stuff than, oh…the mayor?

Why does Barack Obama reward mediocrity?

Don’t you love this heads-I-win-tails-you-lose form of political argument?

A Democrat votes against a Bush nominee is being obstructionist and voting aginst the nominee out of pure spitelful partisanship. But a Democrat who votes for a Bush nominee becomes part of the problem.

The problem isn’t with the votes for or against, the problem lies with the nominees and the nominator.

PSU94 WTF are you talking about? Or better still why?

Nevermind, it doesn’t matter – carry on

I give up, PSU. Why does George W. Bush personify mediocrity?

I can’t imagine that the nominator will do any less crap nominee’s in the 3 years he has left…