Democratic Gov. Blanco of Louisiana makes Mayor Joe Quimby seem positively honest, forthright, and effective. But, don't take my word for it. This is what Time Magazine had to say:
Failures aren’t born. They’re made. Before Hurricane Katrina, it wasn’t the job of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to plan for the evacuation of the elderly and poor from New Orleans. Afterward, she wasn’t in charge of the federal response. But it was her job to give her constituents heart by looking decisive, steadfast and capable. Even if she wasn’t.I've been saying this from Day One. And every day thereafter. Her inability to act decisively and according to the state's own guidelines meant that countless hours and days were wasted in the early stages of the crisis. Thereafter, her political feud with Mayor Nagin clouded her judgment and she swiftly jumped on the bash Bush/FEMA boat in order to save her political hide from an immediate skinning. Problem is, people saw through the nonsense and are coming to realize just how awful Blanco was.
When it mattered most, Blanco appeared “dazed and confused,” says Bernie Pinsonat, a bipartisan political consultant in Baton Rouge, La. When NBC’s Matt Lauer asked her whether it was hard to find words to reassure the public, she tried to muster optimism, then circled back to despair. “You know, our people out here are so fearful. They’re so worried … It’s a nightmare.”
The public might have forgiven her. But, Pinsonat says, “you’ve got to convince them you’re in control.” Instead, Blanco waited seven weeks to appoint a recovery commission.
Also noting the Blanco debacle: Sister Toldjah, Conservative Outpost, Michelle Malkin, Stuck on Stupid, and AJ Strata
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