Attention Bush Defenders:
What say you about this? (Via just about everyone)
Not long after some 1,000 firefighters sat down for eight hours of training, the whispering began: “What are we doing here?”
As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters – his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week – a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta.
Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers.
Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA.
That’s the president you’re defending, by pretending you’ve zinged us by blaming the state and local government. A president who takes 5 weeks vacation every year. A president surrounded by people who take vacations during crises. A president who uses greatly needed public service workers as props. Wait, did I say ‘president’? I meant dickhead. Good job guys, way to vote. Fortunately, there are heroes who aren’t craven bastards like their employers:
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.
Not that it matters. In Bush’s America, the only thing that proves patriotism is devotion to the Great One. This counts even when lives are at stake:
“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.
You read that right. FEMA just questioned the patriotism of their own people, for refusing to be used as props for the president. It’s unbelieveable how low these people can sink without reaching bottom, and even more unbelieveable that they’re continually rewarded by willing self-deceivers election after election.
Digby suggests a helpful juxtaposition of images. You know, just in case the people continuing to defend President Skroob haven’t quite figured out what the fuck is wrong yet. I think Digby’s right, though I’d also include the all-important Bush’s Jug Band Photo
Unfortunately, the cronyism and corruption that has defined the experience of being an American under Bush continues unabated, as the GOP led congress looks very much like they’ll be handling the “investigation” of what went wrong without any help from people who might make them admit it’s their fault. Americablog reports:
Sources on the Hill are hearing that the Republicans are going to announce a “bipartisan” bicameral Katrina commission, except, while they are saying its bipartisan and bicameral, they’ve not told the Senate Democratic Leadership anything about it, the Democratic Leadership will not be invited to the announcement of the commission.
So tell me again, why exactly is this Nagin’s fault?
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Tears and Leadership
Mayor Nagin in grubby T, tears to follow courtesy Wizbang Mayor Ray Nagin cried during a WWL radio interview about Hurricane Katrina. Senator Mary Landrieu shed a tear on This Week while describing “one pitiful” crane working on a…
Trackback by Jack Yoest — September 7, 2005 @ 2:20 pm
If you want to generate a little bit of dialogue, you might consider including a few valid points of criticism in your rants.
Your little anti-Bush manifesto is so utterly devoid of merit, it would take me a week to rip it up line by line. Who’s got that kind of time or the inclination? Write like an educated adult who has done his homework instead of brain-washed, raving extremist and maybe someone will take you seriously someday.
Comment by Andy — September 7, 2005 @ 2:23 pm
Thanks Andy, I appreciate your comments.
Now, to treat what you’re saying seriously, I linked to the relevant articles, assuming in this case that they’d speak for me, add the facts and background, thus laying the groundwork for valid criticism. Also, I (perhaps wrongly) assume that most people here are familiar with what I’ve written before, and thus, I don’t actually need to add billions of footnotes each post. You can read through the site and determine for yourself if what I’ve written constitutes valid criticism. You might also note when I’m ranting, for catharsis and Choir-preachings sake. And you might try actually addressing the points made, because ’round here, we like it when facts go to war.
Unfortunately, it is true that I am actually quite stupid and possess, at best, a rudimentary education, so I don’t think I’ll be taken seriously anytime soon. My apologies if you somehow got the impression that my intention is to be taken seriously. I’m a fop Andy, a complete dilettante, and if I were taken seriously I’d consider it evidence of my own failure.
But an ‘extremist’? And “manifesto”? To quote my idol, Fezzik the giant, I don’t think that means what you think it means.
Anyway, I’ll note for my own peace of mind that you actually didn’t bother addressing jack or shit in this post, nor did you actually offer any defense of Bush beyond accusing me of being ideologically opposed to him, which only a blind illiterate could somehow miss.
Now to be sure, you had the time and inclination to come over and clumsily rip me a (well deserved?) new one, and I thank you for the amusement. I haven’t been so blithely dismissed by someone clearly, but unconvincingly, trying to sound nonchalant since high school. I only regret that you didn’t throw in a variant of “pimp” along with your other, ahem, charges. Perhaps next time, hmm?
But I’m forced to wonder why you didn’t seem willing to explain why I’m wrong. I mean, you obviously seem convinced that my wrongness and total stupidity contains multitudes, layer upon layer of nuance and complexity that would take you at least a week to discuss in detail. I mean, if my lameness is so vast, why couldn’t you at least, you know, throw me one little bone, give me an hour’s worth of ass-handing?
I think if you’ll read through the site you’ll notice a whole lot of actual, valid points explaining why I think Bush is such a collossal fuck up. I welcome your thoughts. I’ll add a bit here: I just pointed to absolute proof that Bush is using valuable public defenders as props, and I pointed out that bush appointees are questioning the patriotism of people who object to it. You’re allowed to think that’s a good thing, though that would be lame, but Christ man, can’t you at least muster up something?
I can only assume that either your time is far too valuable, or that you are a tool.
And by the way, as I always say, I can dish it out and take it. So in case you feel the need to insult me, by all means feel free. As I told Neocon last week, I am, in fact, a bellend.
Sir?
Comment by Ross A Lincoln — September 7, 2005 @ 2:59 pm
Ross, well met sir. But don’t feed the trolls
Comment by Joshua — September 7, 2005 @ 3:22 pm
Ross can continue to be foppish and inappropriate however I do wish our president acted like “an educated adult who has done his homework instead of brain-washed, raving extremist” that I could take “seriously someday”.
Comment by Joshua — September 7, 2005 @ 3:27 pm
some people are very easy to rule because they question nothing and buy what they are told. Andy is Bush’s favourite citizen : the unthinking serf. And talking of brainwashed ranting extremeists? Well, this may be the pot calling the kettle black, but our kettle is very shiny, and we are proud of it.
Comment by Mark Reed — September 7, 2005 @ 4:34 pm
Don’t feed the trolls? Joshua, you know I’m like Hagrid when it comes to dangerous pets. In other news, I’m proud of my photoshopped president Skroob/bush. Click it and laugh, I command you!
Comment by Ross A Lincoln — September 7, 2005 @ 4:35 pm
Yes, Andy tell us some of your points? I really want to hear some defense for Bush’s government, not just excuses.
Comment by Kryten Syxx — September 9, 2005 @ 6:54 am