by Jerky » Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:21 pm
As any political football fan knows, the best defense is to be as offensive as possible, and that principle is on glaring display in the Republican party's three-pronged assault against the truth. <br><br>First, there is the Political prong, which has seen a concerted effort by elected politicians and high-ranking bureaucrats to do everything in their power to make sure the state and local officials take the brunt of the blame. <br><br>Next, there's the Media prong, which provides a far-reaching echo-chamber in which to deconstruct the historical record and re-construct it in a more GOP-friendly form. <br><br>Finally, there's the Astroturf prong, the ground-level propaganda dissemination project wherein e-mail whisper campaigns spread the lies that are so ridiculous, even Sean Hannity won't stoop to spread them. <br><br>Here are some facts no amount of spin will ever change:<br><br>Louisiana's Governor Blanco (currently subject of a completely baseless, White House-sponsored smear campaign) couldn't get through to Preznit Dubya no matter how hard she tried. Mississippi's Governor Haley Barbour, on the other hand, didn't have to wait on a callback. In an interview with USA TODAY, he revealed that Dubya called him three to four times in the wake of Katrina. "I never called him. He always called me," he said. Could this have anything to do with Blanco being a Democrat, and Barbour being a Republican? You be the judge.<br><br>Disastrously incompetent and publicly humiliated FEMA goat Michael "Brownie" Brown -- whose only experience prior to being appointed by Dubya was as head of an Arabian horse-fanciers' association and as former college room-mate of long-time Bush crony Joe Albaugh (currently a lobbyist for Halliburton, which is currently scooping up no-bid contracts to clean up after Katrina) -- fudged his résumé.<br><br>Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff apparently didn't know that it was he, and not Brown -- and certainly not the mayor of New Orleans -- who was in charge of the federal response to Katrina. His resignation would be nice, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. <br><br>Despite administration claims to the contrary, some military experts say that the Louisiana National Guard's deployment in Iraq did, indeed, hinder the response to Katrina.<br><br>And finally, exactly how unprepared do you have to be to not be equipped to accept offers of international aide?!<br> <p></p><i></i>
