In my dictionary, this sentence is cited as an example of “equivocation”:
I agree that we can and should do better, but we should also balance criticism with the understanding that this was the fastest response our government has ever accomplished.

The assertion that this was the “fastest response our government has ever accomplished” is obfuscatory when the issue is the “bumbling by top emergency management officials” (acknowledged by your own source), which is what has resulted in the low opinion of the Bush administration. The response on all levels -not just federal!- eventually was huge. It had to be. If government -on all levels!- had done its job better it could have been bigger and faster. Bush provided minimal moral leadership during the crisis and had appointed incompetent political hacks to important posts. Katrina exposed that, and thereby burst the illusion of cool competence and decisiveness that this administration has built around itself.

If you pretend like you know what you’re doing, a lot of people will believe that you actually do – until you get into a situation where you really need to know what you’re doing.

That huge middle ground

That is very, very funny. Let’s look at how you occupy the “middle ground”:

When the Bush administration leaves the White House it will take the  biggest, most powerful bottle of Glade ever manufactured to get the stench out.

Additionally, you still don’t understand the definition of equivocate. Your former English teachers must be very disappointed.

That huge middle ground is where you’ll find me and the rest of the reality based community. Come on over and play sometime.

“JWG knows a lot about football, but he is either seriously dim or seriously dishonest about his contributions on this thread.”

See, I didn’t criticise you, I complemented you. I said you knew a lot about football!

This is the case with EVERY contingency I have been involved with. I have done red cross disaster relief for floods, taken care of aircraft casualties, and been in charged of large WMD response teams.

There is ALWAYS something that can be done better.

Peedro, now I have conclusive evidence that the dr before your name must stand for dunderheaded rube.

The point is that in this case, so much went so horribly wrong, on so many levels, in so many areas and in the face of a predictable disaster.

I have done red cross disaster relief for floods, taken care of aircraft casualties, and been in charged of large WMD response teams.

As a professional involved in disaster planning, I have some serious doubts about the level of your involvement in any of these disaster recovery teams. I’ll be sending your comment to some of my friends in the industry. They could use a laugh.

What I wrote:

I agree that we can and should do better

and

I said the government should do better.

And you also equivocate about its responsibility in the Katrina disaster. Even if you’re not a Republican you can think, speak and act like a Republican.

especially if you re a republican

I’ve said before: I’m not a Republican. I only support this administration in their fight against terrorism.

that governor Schwarzenegger had starved his earthquake preparedness budget

Oh, so your analogy shows you admit that LA misspent their money. That’s a fair assessment.

And I’m thinking the engineers might have more than a redeeming thing or two to say about the levees that broke.

You know, considering those dikes were designed and constructed by…

other engineers.

I can certainly understand why a rabid Bush partisan would want to argue that competence and qualifications aren’t important.

Rounds,

The most qualified person in the world would not have really made that much of a difference. Because like any other large government bureaucracy, FEMA is inherently inefficient.

I was begin generous. It was, in fact, chiefly a Republican report. A truly bipartisan report would have probably been much more critical of the administration.

I ve reread Jay C s comments about the congressional commission several times and I don t view it as blaming congress for the Katrina response. He s criticizing people having faith in a political organization fairly assessing a system they designed.

A system that, in Jay’s words, “creat[ed] such garbarge”. Sounds like blame to me. Guess it just goes to show that you read what you want to read, especially if you’re a republican.

No deal. I don t want Cheney aiming the missiles.

I have to admit you have a point there, Dugger. That’s the way it is in the Bush era: we’re always between Iraq and a hard place.

Yes, and that’s why if it turns out -after the quake- that governor Schwarzenegger had starved his earthquake preparedness budget and appointed an unqualified hack to head up disaster response, there are going to be some tough questions asked.

How about letting COMPETENT people run our country going forward?

Do you want an election do-over?

I think the problem here is the Bushbot’s definition of competence is different than 66% of Americans’.

Unlike Oliver and the sycophants.

No deal. I don’t want Cheney aiming the missiles. (No Mr VP, North Korea not North Dakota!) But I would agree to the abolishment of FEMA and a concomitant reduction in federal taxes to allow the states to respond to their own disasters – since they have first responsibility anyway (states could then make reductions to cities) and New Orleans can keep Nagins and La. Blanco.

duros,

DO you have a cite for your assertion that both NOAA and the Army Engineers warned the Admin that something like this WOULD happen?

Dugger

responding to the bipartisan congressional report on Katrina

It’s my understanding that the Democratic leadership doesn’t consider it “bipartisan.”

anything wrong is the fault of the Republican congress

I’ve reread Jay C’s comments about the congressional commission several times and I don’t view it as blaming congress for the Katrina response. He’s criticizing people having faith in a political organization fairly assessing a system they designed. They are more likely to find fault in individuals rather than in the system itself.