# Waiting for a Leader



## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

I don't know.... what was he supposed to do? Stand there with a trembling lower lip and say.... "Ah, can feel your pain...." ? (e.g. Bill Clinton)

September 1, 2005

NY Times Editorial

Waiting for a Leader

George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom. In what seems to be a ritual in this administration, the president appeared a day later than he was needed. He then read an address of a quality more appropriate for an Arbor Day celebration: a long laundry list of pounds of ice, generators and blankets delivered to the stricken Gulf Coast. He advised the public that anybody who wanted to help should send cash, grinned, and promised that everything would work out in the end.

We will, of course, endure, and the city of New Orleans must come back. But looking at the pictures on television yesterday of a place abandoned to the forces of flood, fire and looting, it was hard not to wonder exactly how that is going to come to pass. Right now, hundreds of thousands of American refugees need our national concern and care. Thousands of people still need to be rescued from imminent peril. Public health threats must be controlled in New Orleans and throughout southern Mississippi. Drivers must be given confidence that gasoline will be available, and profiteering must be brought under control at a moment when television has been showing long lines at some pumps and spot prices approaching $4 a gallon have been reported.

Sacrifices may be necessary to make sure that all these things happen in an orderly, efficient way. But this administration has never been one to counsel sacrifice. And nothing about the president's demeanor yesterday - which seemed casual to the point of carelessness - suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.

While our attention must now be on the Gulf Coast's most immediate needs, the nation will soon ask why New Orleans's levees remained so inadequate. Publications from the local newspaper to National Geographic have fulminated about the bad state of flood protection in this beloved city, which is below sea level. Why were developers permitted to destroy wetlands and barrier islands that could have held back the hurricane's surge? Why was Congress, before it wandered off to vacation, engaged in slashing the budget for correcting some of the gaping holes in the area's flood protection?

It would be some comfort to think that, as Mr. Bush cheerily announced, America "will be a stronger place" for enduring this crisis. Complacency will no longer suffice, especially if experts are right in warning that global warming may increase the intensity of future hurricanes. But since this administration won't acknowledge that global warming exists, the chances of leadership seem minimal.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

I wrote a long response....erased it and will write only this....

Leaders are timely in their efforts and compassionate....feeling their people's pain and consoling them in time of need.


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## Shu (Oct 21, 2003)

Consider the source of the article

Blame one person for a natural event impacting a large city built on a frickin swamp under sea level :eyeroll: Real leaders fix the problem, not the blame.

But......Bush has to provided no guidance or leadership on the lastest huge economic issue - the insane increase in gas prices. He has totally failed to impress me....in fact he's basically said nothing! He needs to address it NOW.


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## tail chaser (Sep 24, 2004)

I couldn't help but notice the difference beween his speech yesterday and the one he gave after 911

911: We will ....Soon we will find..... We were attacked

yesterday: you were struck.....You will be effected....you will recover... The country stands by you....

Not leadership at all, big mistake.
:2cents:

Shu Nobody here is putting the blame for Katrina on Bush I blame him for not showing quality leadership skills and that is it

TC


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I agree Shu....the New York Times editorials can hardly be considered pro Bush.You kind of have to take them as a grain of salt.Just like Fox News is pretty far to the right and CNN is pretty far to the left.

He really hasn't show much leadership lately.But I wll give him more than a couple days to do something positive.


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## jamartinmg2 (Oct 7, 2004)

KEN W said:


> I agree Shu....the New York Times editorials can hardly be considered pro Bush.You kind of have to take them as a grain of salt.Just like Fox News is pretty far to the right and CNN is pretty far to the left.
> 
> He really hasn't show much leadership lately.But I wll give him more than a couple days to do something positive.


Well said Ken. I agree I have not seen as much leadership as I'd like to see. I would, for example, like for him to point out that this country has not built a refinery for the last 20 some years, which is one reason we are in this fine mess with the oil supply. I guess, though, in the big picture of events, high gas prices are peanuts to complain about as compared to the tragedy that the people of the Gulf Coast have endured over the past couple of days. :-?


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Not blaming him, that is a spin. But leaders lead, they can not pick up every building, but they sure can bring people together.

Journalism is and always will be the expressed opinions of few for many, but our President has to unite and lead the people of this country. I am not anit-Bush. I support him, but not blindly because of his party affiliation.

The gas price swing has and will cause an enormous impact on our economy as a nation and evern on a grander scale here in rural areas. To allow a staple such as gasoline to increase prices daily by 10, 20 and even 100% is poor management. This is a crisis that can not be solved by simnply allowing the buck to be passed onto the consumer, whiich is who has and will bear the hardship until the government steps in.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Having visited the "big easy" many times it makes me wonder if president Bush has ever been there. New Orleans had a vibrant heartbeat, anyone that has ever been there knows what I mean. It breaks my heart to see what is happening down there, not because we have been through this before in ND but because the people there reminded me so much of the people back home. friendly people that would give you the shirt off their back if you really needed it. Many down there before the destruction had little or nothing but it was theirs. Now many have nothing at all. Last night I wrote a big check to the Red Cross. I am not going to wait for President Bush to lead me in the right direction, Could he have done more probably, but a manager is only as good as his management team/speech writers and IMO they are the ones that dropped the ball. They should have been all over this and been beating on his door with advise on what to do. they waited until he returned to have a meeting. It should have been done and suggestions should have been ready for him to act upon.

IMO this is not time to be critical of President Bush. I have my difference of opinions with him. That will not stop me from doing what I think I can do on my own to help heal a deep wound to one of the Great cities of our nation.

I try to stay out of national politics but I had to add my 2 cents.

Bob


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I have to say, I am impressed with the posts on this. People are more realistic than I have ever seen them.

I remember when Bush was in Florida the very next day after their disaster. The media criticized him because he was there to fast, and getting in the way of rescue. He should have come after a week.

To blame Bush for the storm is childish, and unconscionable. That said I am not happy with some things. Lets remember it took many years to build this city, all the poor construction isn't Bush's fault, Clinton had nothing to do with it, Bush senior, Regan, none of them had anything to do with it.

As far as taking care of the city, that is a liberal idea that the government is mother. What is wrong with them taking care of themselves. If you want to go build your house on the shore of a flooding lake like Devils Lake, should the government spend a billion dollars to protect you>

Gas prices: I don't know for sure what is real. I do know that the gas currently in the tanks at the gas stations has no reason to go up. How influential is the government. I hope they can stop price gouging, but where does control of greed stop and interference with a free economy begin. Any control is interference, but the reality is we need some. Every business out there wants everything you own. They would take everything you have for medical expenses if they could. Likewise with the oil companies, the grocery store, the banker, the farmer, every one of them would take your last penny if they could figure out how. If it is so tough let them work for a salary like the rest of us.

Bush poor leadership???? When it comes to the illegal aliens I will agree. Of course when it comes to the illegal aliens there are no leaders in Washington only self serving gutless wonders.


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

> As far as taking care of the city, that is a liberal idea that the government is mother. What is wrong with them taking care of themselves. If you want to go build your house on the shore of a flooding lake like Devils Lake, should the government spend a billion dollars to protect you>


This must be what people mean when they talked about "compassionate conservatives". Listen, I agree that it is not smart to build on a floodplain, and I agree that people take a risk living in a place like New Orleans that lies below sea level. However, none of that matters right now. What matters is that people are in trouble and need help.

Do you expect the government to simply walk away from New Orleans and simply tell people that it was their own [email protected] fault? I hope not.

After the cleanup, keep the people from moving back in, I don't care. At the same time, we could start moving people back from the Red River because it is prone to flood, south Florida because it is prone to hurricanes, and hill area above LA because it is prone to fires. However, when people are in trouble after a flood, hurricane, or fire, we can't turn our backs and tell them to sleep in the bed they made.

This is a time when we need leadership. We don't have it.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Bush is going to start taking bigtime heat over this.

Heard the Mayor of New Orleans this morning.He basically said...."I don't care if it's the governor or the president,but someboby better get their A$$ on a plane and get down here."

He is saying 9/11 was bad but more people are dead in New Orleans than in NY.2 buildings went down there and whole cities are gone down there.


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

The Army Corps of Engineers is on the scene now to plug the levees and pump the water out. That is the Government. Fema on is on the scene. That is Government. The regular Army is on the scene. That is Government. The National Guard is on the scene. Again that is Government. Only thing that hasn't shown up yet is that magic wand some seem to think the Government is in possession of. Private companies are donating food, tents, water and medicine by the millions of dollars and trucking it in at this very moment. That is compassionate conservatives and helping themselves. Fire Trucks from as far away from LA and NY have arrived, That is compassionate conservatives and helping themselves. School busses from out of state by the hundreds rolled in this morning to help evacuate. That is compassionate conservatives and helping themselves. Bass boats, Jon boats , pleasure boats and every boat imaginable were being pulled in by private volunteers to help rescue work this morning. That is compassionate conservatives and helping themselves. Texas is taking in 75,000 people. That is compassionate conservatives and helping themselves.

Kennedy and a few others was blaming the President for Katrina because he didn't sign the Kyoto treaty. Imagine that. A black congressman was on the news this morning along with Jessie Jackson jr. saying the Lord was not looking down on the President favorable. Imagine that.

Yep, the President will take "big time" heat over this. No surprize there.... Even if he had that magic government wand some look for he would have been the receiver of attacks from the left. Especially now that we all know Katrina was his fault.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Gohan you must have re zeroed your brain, because you blew out the X ring on that one! Bullseye :sniper:


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## tail chaser (Sep 24, 2004)

Holy crap! I agree with you on something! All that you mentioned is happening. The slow response has to do with poor communication and the lack of a cordinated effort, leadership issues at all levels of goverment, and misplaced priorites. Why are we/they using helicopters to damm up a levy that has equilized (the water will not receed nor get higher)? I think the chopper would have been better utilized to rescue people having said that I'm not an expert in disaster relief.

I'm not a fan of walmart but 17 million my hats of to them. I just might shop there?

I do see what the mayor of New Orleans is upset about how would you like to be in the superdome standing in human waste for 3 days because you were told to go there? The mayor was upset because he heard alot of talk and saw little action while he saw some of his people die, for that I can't blame him, I would have done the same. I think most of the deaths in New Orleans will have occured after the hurricane and that is just sad and wrong. Its not any one persons fault but more the failure in mankind.

TC


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## DJRooster (Nov 4, 2002)

It is interesting to note that the reason most of these people remained in New Orleans is that they are the very people who could not help themselves so if anyone needs help it is certainly these very people.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

> Private companies are donating food, tents, water and medicine by the millions of dollars and trucking it in at this very moment.


While the oil companies gouge us another 50 cents per gallon overnight. Nice to know who is helping out, and WHO ISN'T!!!


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



> Quote:
> As far as taking care of the city, that is a liberal idea that the government is mother. What is wrong with them taking care of themselves. If you want to go build your house on the shore of a flooding lake like Devils Lake, should the government spend a billion dollars to protect you>





> This must be what people mean when they talked about "compassionate conservatives".


Ouuuuch, gosh Bigdaddy you could have warned me you were gearing up for 08 and let me get my cup on.

Of course we have to help the people now. They are not all to blame for the position they find themselves in. When the city was built it was above sea level. Then some idiots drained the swamps around them, and the city and surrounding area begin to sink like a pancake in quicksand.

When I refer to the government being moma I am talking about people who know the situation and dangers and do it anyway expecting the rest of America to pay for their stupidity. A senator was rebuffed yesterday when he said he was unsure if they should rebuild New Orleans. I would say it is ok to rebuild it, but not on the same site. Not the residential portion of the city anyway.

I think that now people know the consequences, and if they rebuild they should be told that they can not get insurance, and the government will not pay for their home if it floods again. If they know ahead of time it is fair. Why should the rest of America pay for any kind of stupidity or poor lifestyles.

It is like smokers, I think they should pay three times as high insurance premiums. Why should the average American pay so much if they lead an intelligent healthy lifestyle. The intelligent working stiff shouldn't have to pay for carelessness and stupidity.

There is enough destroyed in New Orleans that the smart thing is to start over another ten miles from the gulf. I am all for giving them aid now, but set some rules, not to punish, but to protect them from their own foolish decisions.

Same with Devils Lake here in North Dakota. I am for helping them now, but don't make the same mistake a second time. I would also prefer to pay farmers for wetland restoration to stop water from going into Devils Lake. The pumping into the Sheyenne is selfish of them, because they are simply passing their problems to their neighbor. Not very neighborly. Every time they pass it on the problem grows.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I think people that have residential stuff in floodplains should get financial help for damage only if they agree not to rebuild in flood prone high rish areas or if they insist on doing so they then pay for their own insurance and cleanup from that point on. 
Think how many more ducks there would be if the flood prone areas of the Mississippi were reclaimed to swampland as national forest type preserves. It bugs me that every 5-10 years we are subsidizing buying these people new homes with tax dollars. At some point they need to suffer the consequences if they insist in building in risky areas where anyone with common sense wouldn't.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

I just wanted to retract my comments about our President....after further reading it is obvious where the failure happened and it was not in the Oval Office. I would like all of you to read this blog, take it for what it is worth. Read the article about TRIBES.

http://www.ejectejecteject.com/

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## Van Wey (Jul 15, 2005)

Waiting for a leader...... We have a great leader, President Bush has done an outstanding job considering what we have been through since the beginning of his terms!!! I honestly dont feel any other President would have handled any of the situations any better!!!

Every President has his weak spots and there is no such thing as a perfect President!!!


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## sevendogs (Sep 19, 2003)

tail chaser said:


> I couldn't help but notice the difference beween his speech yesterday and the one he gave after 911
> 
> 911: We will ....Soon we will find..... We were attacked
> 
> ...


This is all playing politics. The, after 9/11, he was still full of enthusiasm and energy; now, he complacent and tired during his last term anyway. Who cares? His constituents got him for another four years term.


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