Reading the New York Times article regarding John Edwards announcement from New Orleans, it began to confirm what I have feared for a long time about the type of leadership to expect from John Edwards. If in fact he were to be President of the United States when this disaster occured, I wondered, what would he have done?
The question was posed by NYT's Adam Nossiter and it is quite telling for what type of competence an Edwards administration would put forward if placed in the Oval Office.
Asked how he would have handled New Orleans, Mr. Edwards responded: "I would have had somebody coming into my office every morning, and I would say to him, 'What did you do in New Orleans yesterday?' And then the next day, 'What did you do yesterday? What steps do we need to take? What are we not doing? What are the people in New Orleans telling us that we're not doing?' "
I hesitate to compare this scenario to the exact frame by frame of George Bush in the White House on that frightful night, as Hurricane Katrina beared down on the city of New Orleans. But it seems to me that we should have expected nothing more than the same incompetence of John Edwards had he been President of the United States.
As I read this article, I remember reading a critical diary of Eric Massa Remembering Katrina: Hold Them Accountable when he was running for New York's 29th Congressional district. It occurs to me that Eric Massa is more qualified to be in the White House than John Edwards. Would it be John Edwards that Commander Massa would have been holding accountable in that very diary? Is this another empty promise political show?
"I will never forget that President Bush went to New Orleans shortly after the city was reopened by elements of the US Army to stand in front of the Saint Louis Cathedral and promise to rebuild that devastated city. He stood before America and gave his word, and then he walked away from that promise like he has walked away from so many other national commitments"
"My opponent stated in an interview that on the night Katrina hit he felt "helpless" because he was in a position of "power" and yet there was nothing he could do. Well, I was not in a position of "power" and I spent the night calling duty officers aboard the ships of the Atlantic fleet in Norfolk, Virginia and Mayport, Florida to capture a sketch of how long it would take for elements of the Atlantic Fleet to get upriver to New Orleans -- a deep water ocean going port. Unfortunately, the same incompetence and lack of understanding of the military's ability to help that my opponent suffers from was rampant in the White House as seen by the excessive delays in actually ordering the Navy to react and start the process of getting Fleet units into New Orleans that could act as Command platforms; feeding and providing shelter to the initial cadre of rescuers.
While my opponent sat feeling helpless, I sat down and put thoughts on paper (well, actually in electrons on a computer) calling for actions and programs that could have jump-started the rebuilding process in a real and meaningful manner instead of staging yet another empty promise political show. If you believe that government is the enemy, as the ultra-right wing of the Majority Party does, then you will create a government that is an enemy to the very people that look to Washington in time of National emergency for leadership and help."
And so, while I have no doubt that John Edwards cares deeply about the plight of those living in post Katrina New Orleans, and while I feel no need to harp on the fact that not a spec of dirt was on his bright blue jeans and stylish oxford shirt, the whole idea of making his campaign announcement from NOLA, and having to be out of there, after hooking up here at dailykos for a "quickie", for wheels up at 11:45, just comes of to me as incredibly disingenuous.
And bringing cameras to highlight the devastation of New Orleans is little comfort to those who he left behind en route to Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire to continue the political charade. I expect that most living in these devastated areas are worn thin of political road shows trying to garner votes, and have learned fast lessons on the continuing pain of feeling momentary rays of hope pass as yet another politician smiles for the camera.. and moves on.
Competence, Mr Edwards.. Competence is the only hope.
UPDATE: Competence is not important to supporters of John Edwards.
UPDATE: Title changed to "What do we do? What do we do?" from "What do I do? What do I do?" as some commenters felt the latter was not appropriate.