« Tony Blair has quite an enormous penis (and other unchallenged falsehoods) | Main | ID Cards - by hook or crook II »

Katrina: it is worse than you could possibly imagine

Let's begin with this excellent clarification of what ZDF actually claimed: And it actually was the case that all of a sudden this morning helper personnel showed up here, people who cleared away the rubble, who went through the houses in search of bodies, but exclusively along the route where the President travelled. Two hours ago the President left Biloxi again, and all of the helper personnel along with him.

OK, did you get that? The man who came to town to view the devastation either saw it from a 2500ft up or after it had been given a proper dusting. (The words beautiful mind spring to mind, but you also have to keep in mind that journalists have been asked if they wouldn't mind not showing the recovery of bodies. It boggles the... something.)

But it gets worse. In my last post on this subject I highlighted the staff and equipment waylaid by these 'helpful' visits from The Backdrop President.

Today.... oh, I can't even continue for fear of breaking my teeth. Here are the links:

Frustrated: Fire crews to hand out fliers for FEMA: But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.

Firefighters thought they were going to be deployed: Instead told to hand out fliers, stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas

The Potemkin President I
The Potemkin President II

Bush's use of firemen: props

FEMA puts firefighters to work - as props for Bush

I'm going to take you back to the original article now for this whopper: On Monday, some firefighters stuck in the staging area at the Sheraton peeled off their FEMA-issued shirts and stuffed them in backpacks, saying they refuse to represent the federal agency. Federal officials are unapologetic. "I would go back and ask the firefighter to revisit his commitment to FEMA, to firefighting and to the citizens of this country," said FEMA spokeswoman Mary Hudak. The firefighters - or at least the fire chiefs who assigned them to come to Atlanta - knew what the assignment would be, Hudak said.

Talk about a lack of gratitude. They'll be complaining about having to carry the 'Mission Accomplished' banner next.

(Actually, I'm with Atrios on this one: So, if you object to having yourself be flown across the country so you can be a human prop for the president instead of actually using your skills to help the citizens of this country then you need to revisit your commitment to "the citizens of this country." Fascist.)

Posted by Manic on September 7, 2005 3:36 PM in the category George W. Bush

Pings (Trackback)

For trackbacks, this is the URL:
http://www.bloggerheads.com/cgi-bin/mt-tbbh_20x07.pl/661

Post a comment