Based on the fact that
Bush is now claiming that state and local officials are to blame for the deadly rescue delay of New Orleans, I thought I would try to start a discussion on information rebutting that claim, starting with letters Governor Blanco has written to the president requesting assistance. I think we witnessed turf wars and bureacracy and racist indifference of blacks and Bush has reaped the whirlwind.
Governor Blanco's letter from Sept. 2:
Based on our initial assessment, I have previously requested significant federal support to include: an additional 40,000 troops; trailers of water, ice and food; commercial buses; base camps; staging areas; amphibious personnel carriers; deployable morgues; urban search and rescue teams; airlift; temporary housing; and communications systems. Even if these initial requests had been fully honored, these assets would not be sufficient to address our critical, immediate needs.
Does anyone have the original letter requesting 40,000 troops?