great clip. Mayor Nagin is quite impressive and noble in my eyes.

Your city is drowning, your friends are dying - you are the mayor, you do everything possible to rectify the situation. You do not have a history of psychotic behavior - yet you are accussed of acting in an irresponsible manner. The claims come in an attempt to relieve the ineptness of a federal government known for being inept. That's politics. No, that's criminal. No, that's downright evil!

Nagin speaks with a slow drawl, an almost lazy execution, yet is concise and focused. His "talking points" are laid side-by-side, not shot as bullets. It'll be interesting to watch his political career, if he should choose to continue it. For me, that'd be too much real responsibility.

i was talking to a friend of mine and he said that "the mayor of new orleans seems like a douchebag." i asked him why and to support his feelings. he couldn't. he had no idea. i know why though, it was the result of the constant reinforcement of talking-points repeated by this current administration. it's a shame that so many americans can buy into the misinformation and lies that the federal government puts out and not see for themselves the truth.

how can anyone keep asking if this is race related??? it is time for the "minorities" in this country and those of us in the "majority" to say "yes, this is race related" time to cut the bull and realize what a sick racist country we live in. it can't be swept under the carpet any longer if we truly want a great country--

"I can't explain the response [or lack thereof]."

THAT.SAYS.IT.ALL.

Where the fuck was the cavalry?

The Mayor is a great man. He brought thousands of jobs to our town, was bringing down the crime rate, increased the progress of rebuilding the older parts of the city, was making us a second Hollywood almost because we had at least 3 film crews a week filming in town and hiring the citizens to help. FEMA turned away thousands of gallons of fresh water from Walmart, thousands of gallons of disel, food and other supplies that the nation tried giving New Orleans because we didn't need it. The President took action Friday, after the storm hit Monday. He's already fired the head of FEMA and will be giving him another job in the governement to screw up.

You know, I really don't care who's at fault here, I just want to go home, which is in New Orleans

you are accussed of acting in an irresponsible manner. The claims come in an attempt to relieve the ineptness of a federal government known for being inept.

I really like the guy. He's got none of the veneer that career politicians have. I loved his 'get off your asses' speech. I'd probably vote for him if he was a candidate in my city. But the fact is he did make some mistakes and he should be criticized for them. I would think even more highly of him if he acknowledged his real mistakes instead of saying what that the thing he'd do differently is start cussing at the federal government sooner.

Just because the Bush team wants to exploit the mistakes of the local government doesn't mean the local government didn't make any. Nagin is playing the same angle they are.

Arthur Lawson (chief of police of the Gretna Police Department) needs to be fired for closing the only exit out of New Orleans during the flood. Call his office at 504 366 4374 and demand his resignation.

Quoting Ray "Just because the Bush team wants to exploit the mistakes of the local government doesn't mean the local government didn't make any. Nagin is playing the same angle they are."

Agreed. I think Nagin is great and a genuine people's politician. But he should accept that more could have been done than rely on "the cavalry".

What more could Nagin have done?

How about sending out the school and municipal buses, which by the way spent the hurricane under water, before jumping in his chopper and flying to higher ground. Better yet, he and Kanye West could do a whine-a-thon for Hurricane Victims!

Yeah, those whiny, irritating hurricane victims. Don't you just wish they'd shut up?

Nagin could have made better use of city resources (like schoolbuses). From a Daily Telegraph column:

New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin, the man authorised to order a mandatory evacuation of the city, hesitated on Saturday, 48 hours before the storm struck. City lawyers were worried about possible lawsuits as a result of the order. The following day with Katrina barreling towards land, the mayor ordered the evacuation. But there was no plan for the 100,000 mostly poor people who had no transport. They were told to head for a football stadium in the centre of town. "We always knew we did not have the means to evacuate the city," said one New Orleans official.

The Boston Globe has this op-ed arguing that there's plenty of blame for everyone.

Sorry, bad link on that Boston Globe op-ed. Here it is. Free registration required.

Yes: Nagin and the Regional Transit Authority should have coordinated to get folks, particularly the elderly and infirm onto the city busses and out of town before the storm struck. Then our city wouldn't have to figure out how to replace fleet of busses as well as all the rest of this. However, that would have taken care of I'd say no more than 10,000 of the 100,000 people left in the city (don't know how many busses the RTA owns, but not enough to have evacuated the entire Superdome).

However, Ray Nagin is NOT a coward and did NOT jump into a helicopter and escape the storm. He stayed put, through the whole thing. That he could not call of help once the communications systems went down is certainly something they should have thought about before hand but they did not. That will not bring anyone back.

That the folks in Jefferson Parish are racist/classist bastards is a pretty well-accepted fact locally. That they met the poor and starving with attack dogs at the parish line is sickening, appalling and disgusting, even by Jefferson Parish standards.

That the first round of national guardsmen THREW their water and food supply from their helicopters onto US citizens because they were afraid of their fellow Americans is pretty gross as well, even if they were afraid with cause. The system that created that dichotomy is really, really flawed.

My hope for beautiful New Orleans is that in the rebuilding they are able to discuss the classism that has always surrounded the city and work to improve those flaws. Let's make New Orleans a better version of itself.

Peace.

He's right. It's a class issue, not just race.

"What more could Nagin have done?"

I don't necessarily agree with the bus statements, since they weren't part of the evacuation plan. The original plan was for everyone to leave town, and anyone who can't should get to the Superdome. You can't hold it against him for not knowing about the busses.

And my original statement wasn't so much that Nagin screwed up durring the hurricane. I think he did a great job. I was trying to say he should be more critical of the evacuation plan, since it obviously didn't go well. He could accept that there should have been a plan for getting people out of the city who couldn't do it themselves. I'm not saying he is squarely to blame, or even should shoulder any responsibility at all. But acknowledging flaws is an important part learning and correcting problems, and thats what good leaders should do.

At least IMHO.

I don't necessarily agree with the bus statements, since they weren't part of the evacuation plan

Buses were, in fact, part of the Emergency Preparedness Plan:
"Position supervisors and dispatch evacuation buses."

Oh...shows my poor research. I still hold my argument, though. They still needed more busses and that should have been planned for. I don't think that one lot full of yellow schoolbusses that we keep seeing could have taken a significant amount of people out of town.

What's up with all the right-wingers on this site lately? It seems like since Katrina happened, actually it's more like since the Rove/Plame scandal they've been flocking to this site in hordes.

I wonder why.

The ones that like to discuss and debate, please stay. It's fun having you around. Polishing my arguments and such. I enjoy trying to figure out what makes you tick.

But lately some right-wingers posting here don't seemed to be interested in discussing and more interested in name calling and such.

Some of those posts feel more like exchanges of: Uh-huh. Na-uh Uh-huh Na-uh Nanny Nanny Billy Goat!!

Is this entertaining for them? Not me. How about you?

Call me naive, but do right-wingers scope out these kind of sites and try to disrupt and distract discussions away from what Norm posted.

It seems like everyone spends their time trying to convince these right-wingers who are not persuadable by any arguement you might give. And they are usually over obvious things like whether something is racist, for example. Rehashing it over and over. And pretty soon by the end of the comment page the subject has been completely changed or the discussion is focused on minutia.

They are freaking trying to frame the debate even on progressive blogs!!! I miss just being able to discuss ideas with my bros (and ladies) on onegoodmove.

Sigh.

I don't think that one lot full of yellow schoolbusses that we keep seeing could have taken a significant amount of people out of town.

Between the schoolbuses and the transit authority, there were hundreds of buses that could have been used. That's thousands more people that could have been evacuated. I would say that is significant.

There is an interesting post at Media Matters the bus issue has been exagerated and distorted in the media.

There is an interesting post at Media Matters the bus issue has been exagerated and distorted in the media.

Interesting indeed. I hadn't heard the '2000 buses' claim, but then I don't torture myself by watching right-wing talk shows. ;)

I've read that there were hundreds of buses that could have been used for evacuation as per the emergency plan. I think it's fair to fault Nagin for not mobilizing them. It's certainly hypocritical to look the other way on this while pointing out every mistake made by Bush and FEMA.

I dont think anyone who is posting on this site knows how this works when there is an emergency on this categoric size. Unless you did not attend school as a child they teach you that the federal and state are independent governments in every single disaster before katrina the "state" which is louisianna hast to take an inventory and do what it must and then tell the federal government to come and help the state did nothing for its people the governor didnt ask for help in time. she told her assistant this on live television maybe and also the mayor nagin who blew this off like any other hurricane and left his own people to die with busses siting in lots doing nothing he could of had some of those poor people drive the busses you think! in New York during September 11 911 the people of New YOrk did not wait no matter how poor they were they started walking to higher ground disabled and old were walking and being helped. Maybe this country has done too much. this city New Orleans has been mocking God by defiling lent for years with a drunk fest mardigra every year and they built in swamps man since the beging knows what happends when you build in a swamp. I know people dont like hearing facts but here is some more just because this happended in an area that is prodominantly black does not mean that it is a race thing if this happended somewhere else like georgia, Florida, or any heavy poor white area you will not here them blame race why is that hummmm! because they maybe poor but they are not helpless or lazy people. come on people my white city alone gave 500,000 thousand dollars in one day all you do is smack these people in the face for helping you out. Maybe you should ask what could i do there were hundreds of young men on tv at the mall and stadium not doing anything they could of helped feeding and helping elderly and disabled but they wouldnt they desided to loot and shoot at red cross personal hmmmm! maybe we shouldnt have so many programs for these people they became complacent and lazy. sorry to say I will pray for your city and send what I can but quit blaming the United States for things your mayor and govenor could of prevented but chose to think this one will not be that bad and not prepare. city says help to state, state to federal and they cant skip until they get aproval; from that governmental body everyone should know this.

I dont think anyone who is posting on this site knows how this works when there is an emergency on this categoric size. Unless you did not attend school as a child they teach you that the federal and state are independent governments in every single disaster before katrina the "state" which is louisianna hast to take an inventory and do what it must and then tell the federal government to come and help the state did nothing for its people the governor didnt ask for help in time. she told her assistant this on live television maybe and also the mayor nagin who blew this off like any other hurricane and left his own people to die with busses siting in lots doing nothing he could of had some of those poor people drive the busses you think! in New York during September 11 911 the people of New YOrk did not wait no matter how poor they were they started walking to higher ground disabled and old were walking and being helped. Maybe this country has done too much. this city New Orleans has been mocking God by defiling lent for years with a drunk fest mardigra every year and they built in swamps man since the beging knows what happends when you build in a swamp. I know people dont like hearing facts but here is some more just because this happended in an area that is prodominantly black does not mean that it is a race thing if this happended somewhere else like georgia, Florida, or any heavy poor white area you will not here them blame race why is that hummmm! because they maybe poor but they are not helpless or lazy people. come on people my prodominantly white city alone gave 500,000 thousand dollars in one day all you do is smack these people in the face for helping you out. Maybe you should ask what could i do there were hundreds of young men on tv at the mall and stadium not doing anything they could of helped feeding and helping elderly and disabled but they wouldnt they desided to loot and shoot at red cross personal hmmmm! maybe we shouldnt have so many programs for these people they became complacent and lazy. sorry to say I will pray for your city and send what I can but quit blaming the United States for things your mayor and govenor could of prevented but chose to think this one will not be that bad and not prepare. city says help to state, state to federal and they cant skip until they get aproval; from that governmental body everyone should know this.

When Ray Nagin failed to use the cities bus fleet to evacuate the poor and helpless, he abdicated his responsibility during a time of crisis. In baseball parlance, he "choked"...

The question was: "What more could he have done?"

Considering the fact he did absolutely nothing to prepare for Katrina in the first place, the answer is: Anything!