Let me be blunt. If this administration could not conceive of a levee failure in a hurricane, even though they had been warned about it, then how can we expect that they have since 9-11 learned how to protect us from terrorism? I will very briefly explore this subject below. As far as I am concerned, this administration is criminally negligent, as their pathetic excuses demonstrate.
We have heard the excuse before that no one could conceive - remember Condi Rice saying that about using planes as weapons against buildings, despite the fact that there had been people who had broached the subject.
We now know that a failure of the levees was a possible massive catasrophe that worried FEMA in 2001. I believe we had also seen at least one occasion in the past decade of the deliberate damage to a levee up-river on the Mississippi that resulted in some serious flooding.
So I posit the following - one way to strike a massive blow at the US would be to take out New Orleans - perhaps killing thousands of people, certainly disrupting the American energy flow and much of the American commerce that flow through the Port of Lousiana.
It would not even require people to train as pilots to steer jets. it would merely require access to sufficient equipment and/or explosives to breech several levees.
Did the administration consider what they would do should the city of New Orleans become flooded? If not they ignored a risk tha was not only recognizably present from natural causes, but which could also easily be accomplished by terrorists.
That this adminstration could not respond to the flooding when it was clearly a strong possibility given the intensity of the hurricane, that it still cannot get its act together even almost a week afte the hurricane hit should make it clear -- had this been a terrorist attack, the administration would yet again have failed to protect the American people or to properly come to their assistance.
The presidency of Goerge W Bush has made the American people less safe. New Orleans makes that absolutely clear.
And any terrorist with half a brain now realizes that there ar many other vulnerabilities -=- at levees all along our rivers - that can be damaged and thereby cause great disruption.
If Bush cannot fulfill his constitutional responsibility to protect this nation, he should resign or be removed from office.
The photo ops merely compound the problem. Tie them to "Mission Accomplished" n the Abraham Lincoln, which was ordered to circle for a photo op. Show the pattern of photo ops and the lack of accomplishments.
And if it can be demosntrated that relief supplies were held up for photo ops, demand prosecutions and impeachments of all involved -- lives were lost, and some one should be held responsible.
And any Congressman and Senaor who in such circumstances refuses to act shhould be challenged, opposed and removed at the first opportunity to do so.