GALLUP'S NEW POLL BIASED FOR GOV BLANCO
The new Gallup poll is actually biased in favor of the single individual most responsible for all the problems after the hurricane.
The Chief Executive of Louisiana, the Commander of the La. National Guard that Mayor Nagin needed so bad right after the hurricane and the indecisive, politics before lives, blocker of federal assistance in Louisiana is left off the poll by name. Yet it still came out in Bush's favor when only the tiny fringe 13% of Deaniac Americans who trust the MSM's spin blamed him:
Gallup Poll: 2005 Sep 5-6 6. Who do you think is MOST responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane [ROTATED: George W. Bush, federal agencies, (or) state and local officials, or is no one really to blame?George W. Bush 13
Federal agencies 18
State/local officials 25
No one to blame 38
No opinion 6
I actually don't mind the "No one is to blame" crowd. Until the Bush-bashing politics began it would be a fine position to take for now. But just because the MSM has given Blanco's inaction and obstrution during a state emergency a complete pass in an attempt to hang the President from a French Quarter lamp post, doesn't mean that Gallup should do the same. Polls shouldn't be based on furthering media bias.
I could see Nagin, Ebbert and the police chief rolled into one "local officials" category, but no way should Gov. Kathleen Blanco and her lawyers be left off this poll. The very minimum that Gallup should have done is make the choices: federal, state, local and none. But if the U.S. Chief Exec, George W. Bush, is on there by name then the La. Chief Exec, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, should be as well. Period.
Her actions were a disgrace to the very office of Governor in these great United States. Had her office not existed, President Bush, Gen Honore, et al could have taken immediate military command of the situation as the Mayor was begging for. There's no doubt that Gov. Blanco didn't provide the proper La. troops for immediate security, failed to react to the new emergency when the levee broke, then blocked federal control of those screw ups, allowing the cascade of errors to completely delay the recovery in a myriad of ways. You know she was bad when Mayor Nagin was left shaking his head in amazement at how her crazy 24-hr decision cycles during anarchy were "killing more people."
MORE: As I was saying:
...unlike the governors of New York, Oklahoma and California in past disasters, Gov. Blanco failed to take charge of the situation and ensure that the state emergency operation facility was in constant contact with Mayor Nagin and FEMA. It is likely that thousands of people died because of the failure of Gov. Blanco to implement the state plan, which mentions the possible need to evacuate up to one million people. The plan clearly gives the governor the authority for declaring an emergency, sending in state resources to the disaster area and requesting necessary federal assistance.State legislators and governors nationwide need to update their contingency plans and the operation procedures for state emergency centers. Hurricane Katrina had been forecast for days, but that will not always be the case with a disaster (think of terrorist attacks). It must be made clear that the governor and locally elected officials are in charge of the "first response."
I am not attempting to excuse some of the delays in FEMA's response. Congress and the president need to take corrective action there, also. However, if citizens expect FEMA to be a first responder to terrorist attacks or other local emergencies (earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes), they will be disappointed. The federal government's role is to offer aid upon request.
The Louisiana Legislature should conduct an immediate investigation into the failures of state and local officials to implement the written emergency plans.