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| Hillary Clinton: Bush Ruined Bill's FEMA |
| 2005-09-07 |
| Hat tip: Newsmax 2008 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was better organized to deal with disasters like Hurricane Katrina while her husband was president - an approach, she said, that was "rejected" by President Bush. "FEMA was the lead agency during the Clinton administration; it was in charge," Mrs. Clinton boasted during a conference call with reporters. "James D. Witt, the director, understood how to deal with emergencies." "FEMA took on the role of helping to prepare localities and states to be in a position to respond," she continued, in quotes picked up by the Village Voice. "Helping localities do what they needed to do to mitigate damage - that philosophy governed FEMA during the Clinton administration," Hillary said. "It was obviously rejected by this administration." Though Sen. Clinton touted former FEMA director Witt's experience, she made no mention of Raymond 'Buddy' Young, whom her husband appointed to the post of Southwest Regional FEMA Director in 1993. Mr. Young, a former Arkansas state trooper, won the promotion after heading up efforts to discredit other state troopers whose allegations fueled the Troopergate scandal. Had Katrina struck during the 1990s, Young would have had jurisdiction over disaster relief efforts for New Orleans. Despite that kind of cronyism, Mrs. Clinton painted FEMA as a model agency when her husband's appointees ran it. She pledged to introduce legislation to restore FEMA to the Cabinet-level status it had during the Clinton years. In her second Katrina press event for the day, the former first lady continued to blast the Bush White House. "I feel very strongly about this," she told reporters. "This current government is not only failing with respect to Katrina but we are not planning for the future." Ya'll don't forget to vote for Billary in 2008 |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #15 Even tho it would be good if FEMA were out of DHS, it's there. Consider this: This is the first major use of FEMA. One of the things we keep forgetting, is that Katrina did $1B in Florida before moving west. And FEMA seemed to have handled that. FEMA, as it now stands, had never been tested. So now, the kinks are known, problems can be looked at and studied and fix. Once again, changing the look, the feel, the function of FEMA will put us back to the same spot, untested. And we could again face some new problems that could be just as bad as the ones we can now fix. Just a thought. This could be just moving the chairs around on the deck. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2005-09-07 15:56 |
| #14 Placing FEMA under DHS was IMO a mistake as they have very different missions. But in the initial aftermath of Katrina I want to see a time line of just when FEMA made decisions as to where to allocate aid. The areas around Gulfport looked to be the hardest hit. Nawlins seemed to have been spared. Then the levees broke. Were decisions already made to direct aid to MS and AL when the scope of the disastar became apparent. As to allegations of just what would of happened under the Clinton administration or any other that is one game I really don't want to get into. |
| Posted by: Cheaderhead 2005-09-07 11:28 |
| #13 Uh, just because her husband did something, she's somehow entitled to the credit? (not to mention the whole thing is a campaign op) She's a danger to the entire world and is motivated by private pathologies. |
| Posted by: ex-lib 2005-09-07 11:23 |
| #12 They are right that FEMA is less effective. But it's because of the DHS they insisted on. Bush should have held out longer in denyhing DHS its existence. DHS is rapidly becoming a HUD/ DOEd level cabinet drawer. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-09-07 11:09 |
| #11 I think ARMYGUY has a very high opinion of Hillary. The same high opinion I hold of Bill and the entire Clinton clan. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-07 10:51 |
| #10 Well we at least now have the real world standard by which |
| Posted by: Gleamble Claviter9685 2005-09-07 09:47 |
| #9 Why don't somebody just give this bitch a bucket and send her fat ass down there? She could use the exercise... Sean Penn could ride her around the city, rescuing drowning puppies, kittens, and bunnies. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-09-07 09:37 |
| #8 HEY HILLARY,FUC*OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You NOGOOD STINKIN" COMMUNIST BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2005-09-07 09:19 |
| #7 Why don't somebody just give this bitch a bucket and send her fat ass down there? She could use the exercise... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-09-07 09:11 |
| #6 Kan't wait to read the report of the Katrina Katastrophe Kommission, which should be even more of a boondoggle than the 9/11 commission was. I can only hope the truth will come out on talk radio and the blogs. It sure won't come out of a government investigation. |
| Posted by: Crairong Omomotch6492 2005-09-07 08:12 |
| #5 What a bitch! This should be touted far and wide! As well as the story of Mr Young who received a cushy job for ratting on his fellow officers. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-09-07 04:07 |
| #4 The Bush Derangement Syndrome should be a clinically-recognized mental disease. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-09-07 02:10 |
| #3 Rex, I don't think it's a playbook, I think it's in their genes. I've been visiting a few of the leftie blogs, and the rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth types have been singing the same, dystopian tune from minute one of the disaster. It's truly remarkable, and no matter how hard you try, facts don't seem to penetrate. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2005-09-07 01:55 |
| #2 There's a big stench to all of this. By all means, investigate - and let's start with the Mayor, followed by the Governor. Knowing the donks...they're more than willing to sacrifice any number of po' folk if they feel they can pin it on W. And the way all the donks are responding in unison smacks of a playbook. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2005-09-07 01:07 |
| #1 what a low down bitch. |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-09-07 00:43 |