Blanco Out?
From Hot Air:
Oh sweet mother of storms, don’t play with my emotions like this.
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco will formally announce this evening that she will NOT seek re-election, numerous political sources tell WAFB 9NEWS. Blanco was elected Governor of Louisiana in November 2003, becoming the first woman to ever hold the office.
PoliticsLA is reporting likewise. She has apparently requested TV time on local stations to make her announcement tonight.
Though President Bush and then FEMA head Michael Brown took most of the criticism in the wake of Hurrican Katrina (much of it justified), the real villain in that storm was Gov. Kathleen Babineau Blanco. She was indecisive. She brought in Clintonistas to help her cover for her deficiencies and politicize the storm. She kept the Red Cross from doing all it could to help the people left behind in New Orleans. Her performance during the Katrina crisis should stand in the annals of time as one of the worst executive performances in US history. Alongside “Chocolate City” Mayor Ray Nagin, no doubt.
If she exits the race, former Senator and now lobbyist John Breaux would probably step up to run from the Democrat side. Bobby Jindal is running for the GOP. I’d pull for Jindal of course, but either would be better than Blanco.
More: A few Blanco refreshers for those not too familiar with her work.
Blame Bush Blanco
Recall Blanco
“NO MORE CALLS FOR BUSSES!!!!!!!”
Blanco’s Salvo
Katrina Aftermath: More Local Failure
Heck, just go to JunkYardBlog and run a search on “Blanco.” There’s plenty there.
I shouldn’t forget my all-time favorite post, even though it’s not directly Blanco-related:
More: See-Dub reminds me that Blanco makes an appearance here too.
Others blogging:
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March 20, 2007 - 11:55 PM on March 20th, 2007
Right, yeah, the Bush administration was awesome and beyond reproach. The biggest natural disaster to hit the USA in recent time and… well, Bush had to go play a fiddle at a fundraiser. It’s all Blanco’s fault!!!
March 21, 2007 - 08:18 AM on March 21st, 2007
Now if only that nit wit RAY NAGIN would retire and quit trying to prove he is a dunderhead:razz:
March 21, 2007 - 08:20 AM on March 21st, 2007
Yes, it is Blanco and the state of LA’s fault that the disaster reached the level it did…shall we re-establish her mis-steps here…She put politics above the people when he offered to take over, on the advise of Clinton lawyers she said no…she made her decision, and now she lives with it.
March 21, 2007 - 12:48 PM on March 21st, 2007
It was as much Blanco fault as it was the Federal and State Governement.
Anyone see where the official report came out tody regarding Katrina? They blamed the levee failures on the Army Corp of Engineers.
March 21, 2007 - 02:38 PM on March 21st, 2007
She is the State govt. We knew that it was the ACOE that was to blame for the levies…The state knew the levies wouldn’t withstand a category 3 storm.
March 21, 2007 - 02:55 PM on March 21st, 2007
5.
No, she is part of the state governemet. Bush isn’t the Federal governemet, but part of it. Are you going to blame him for some of the whacked out bills passed by the Dem controlled Congress?
There were others involved in the state governemet who can firmly share the blame, such as when thier state Congress realocated Federal funds for a $2 million fountain, etc.
March 21, 2007 - 11:06 PM on March 21st, 2007
Mayor Nagin failed to follow his own emergency response plan.
Blanco failed to make or follow an emergency response plan, refused help from Florida to make an emergency response plan months before Katrina, refused to activate the National Guard before Katrina hit despite being advised to do so by the White House, refused to permit the Red Cross and Salvation Army to stock the Superdome with necessary supplies in the days before Katrina, and failed to act in a timely fashion once it became apparent Katrina was going to devastate the state. FEMA isn’t responsible for just New Orleans, they’re responsible for the entire country. They have to marshal supplies in centralized locations and then disperse them to areas where they are needed most. Unfortunately that means that they are only able to be reactive, not proactive. It takes time to move supplies from marshalling areas outside of the disaster area. Helicopters can only carry so much, trucks can only drive through water so deep, and planes need runways to land. FEMA guidelines are that local and state governments must provide for local needs for the first 72 - 96 hours. Nagin and Blanco FAILED to do that. As for the Levees failing being known to the Army Corps of Engineers, this is true. What everyone citing this as a federal government failure refuses to acknowledge is that it was the CLINTON administration that refused to allocate the additional funds necessary to build the levees properly initially AND that while the BUSH administration had been sending more money to New Orleans to reenforce the levees than the previous administration, much of the money was being siphoned off for other projects and graft by corrupt DEMOCRATIC levee commission members. There is a reason why two Democratic members of the Levee commission are in prison on corruption charges and it isn’t because they were stealing candy from the office vending machine.
March 22, 2007 - 02:48 AM on March 22nd, 2007
An excellent recap of the events and facts by FAO. Nagin and Blanco had first line, primary responsibility. Both proved to be utterly incompetent. At least Blanco has some class; she is bowing out.
Nagin has no such compunction. He was rewarded by reelection. So apparently the people of N.O. want more incompetence, more inadequacy.
March 22, 2007 - 08:52 AM on March 22nd, 2007
Are you going to blame him for some of the whacked out bills passed by the Dem controlled Congress?
If he doesn’t veto them, yes
March 23, 2007 - 10:22 PM on March 23rd, 2007
Thank you Robert, I do try to provide historical fact with my comments. It makes arguing with me MUCH harder.