Decision ‘08

The Fallout from Katrina

With the mayor saying it will be three or four months before residents can return to New Orleans, it’s clear that this disaster will be opening some figurative wounds to go with the literal wounds:

a propaganda tool for a global warming agenda

very much open

Howard Fineman of Newsweek

His poll numbers already at near-record low levels, he will have to oversee the rescue of the Gulf in the midst of a changing climate in Washington. The public’s sense of where America is headed — the “right direction/wrong track” numbers — are dismal. Gas prices are high and unsettling. Congressional Democrats, reluctant since 9/11 to take on a “war president,” finally have decided to do so. And Republicans, knowing that they’ll be facing the voters a year from now, are beginning to seek ways to distance themselves from him.

…[J]ust after Labor Day, hearings will start in the Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. Expect the Democrats to drop their caution and go after him with all they’ve got. They’re coming to the conclusion that they have nothing to lose, and they are being pushed in that combative direction by a grassroots base furious at the congressional party for not having taken a tougher line against the president months if not years ago.

But now they sense blood in the rising water.

The Democrats will use this as an opening to take on the President on the Roberts nomination? Seems a bit far-fetched…we shall see.

12 Responses to “The Fallout from Katrina”

1 AcademicElephant Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 2:31 pm
To call the Fineman piece far-fetched is too kind by half. His desperation to “get” the President is palpable. At last! A terrible natural disaster will be his undoing. It will magically make the John Roberts confirmation a story for Fineman. Even Karl Rove won’t be able to save Bush now.

Your exerpt made me so ill I went and read the whole thing, and I found a curious parallel to the LATimes editorial yesterday that was severely critical of Bolton (and Bush) for trying to focus the UN on “spreading democracy, freeing markets and fighting terrorism.” How many Americans would oppose such an agenda for the UN? The article thus disproved its own point. So Fineman does as well when he admits that even the idiot Bush “doesn’t need Karl Rove to explain the political importance of disaster relief. It’s something Bush responds to naturally, and he knows the risks of seeming to be an insensitive, to-the-manor-born president. When hurricanes hit Florida before the last election, he and his brother, Jeb, were on the case, Big Time. Now three Red States are hit, hard, and the challenge is likely to be much greater.” Fineman goes on to worry that Bush has the supposed hurdle of “yet another” 9/11 anniversary and that Katrina will somehow make this into a liability.

For any thinking person, Fineman has just shot himself in the foot. His weak and indirect reference to the President’s response to 9/11 suggests to me that he’s scared Bush’s natural talent–dare I say skill–for disaster response will make Katerina into a political windfall rather than a liability. Of course the President would not be so dispicably crass as to suggest making political capital out of the country’s pain (he can leave that to Fineman and his ilk), but doesn’t it seem more likely that Bush will respond decisively and compassionately, and, given the audience that will attend the 9/11 anniversary he will remind Americans of why they loved him so much after that disaster? Whose “blood” will be “in the rising water” (disgusting phrase) then?

As a final footnote, my husband is in the Guard and he says that there is no lack of personnel to deal with this type of mission. The issue might wind up being too MANY rather than too few. That’s a pathetic way to attack the war in Iraq.

Sorry to fill your comments with such a long rant, but this is really outrageous. This is a natural disaster that has befallen our common nation and such knee-biting is the best Howard Fineman, a major journalist with a huge audience, can do?
2 Mark Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 2:55 pm
By all means, rant as long as you want…very interesting comments, particularly about the Guard. I’m not seeing the big ‘anti-Bush’ sentiment behind this disaster, either, except from the hard-core Left that already hated Bush with a passion. Funny, Fineman used to seem reasonable to me…
3 Dennis Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 4:08 pm
I know the left keeps coming up with new tipping points (the 9/11 commission, Plamegate, Abu Ghraib, Cynthia Sheehan, now the hurricane), but even if one of these were to come true, none of that changes the fact that Bush isn’t running for dogcatcher, never mind president, ever again. Even if his poll ratings are low, there’s only so much effect that will have.

I don’t expect he’ll have as many policy successes this term as he did last term, but that’s mostly because second terms always lose team, and after the 2006 elections, no matter how the GOP and Dems do, the emphasis will start shifting to 2008. Aside from getting a couple of Supreme Court nominations approved and continuing the war efforts, everything else Bush accomplishes in this term is gravy to me.
4 megapotamus Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 4:21 pm
Howard, name ONE time in American history that a politician suffered from the administration of disaster relief. This is any pol’s big chance to get on the tube and kiss some babies, tear up and pat some fannies. I don’t particularly like this kind of smarmy crap but it’s a PR fact. Katrina dents Bush? We’ll see but the history implies exactly the reverse as it usually does when Hard Lefties attempt prognostication.
5 Mark Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 4:27 pm
If the Democrats go after John Roberts full force, they will regret it heavily; clearly, he is about as suitable a nominee for both sides as we are likely to get…
6 AcademicElephant Says:
August 31st, 2005 at 4:56 pm
I kept ranting. http://elephantsinacademia.blogspot.com/2005/08/vesuvius-katrina-and-911.html
7 The Bij Says:
September 1st, 2005 at 5:19 pm
“Howard, name ONE time in American history that a politician suffered from the administration of disaster relief.”

The Great Depression is the closest example I can think of, and that’s a big stretch.

Hopefully Dubya will rise to the occasion
8 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » The Smartest (and Dumbest) Things I’ve Read On Katrina Says:
September 1st, 2005 at 10:37 pm
[…] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your ownsite. […]
9 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » Sorry, Frank, MoDo, Fineman - Better Luck Next Time Says:
September 4th, 2005 at 10:46 am
[…] Howard Fineman led the charge with the claim the Democrats were so emboldened by Katrina (I’m not making this up) that they would come after John Roberts in retribution (???). MoDo and Frank Rich did what they do best and piled on any excuse to ridicule Bush. And, just like with Mother Sheehan, the public isn’t buying. […]
10 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » Jimmy Carter Comes Through Says:
September 8th, 2005 at 8:24 pm
[…] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your ownsite. […]
11 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » There’s No Such Thing As A Sure Thing… Says:
September 12th, 2005 at 8:50 am
[…] You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your ownsite. […]
12 Decision ‘08 » Blog Archive » Weekly Jackass Number Forty-Three: Howard Fineman Says:
September 12th, 2005 at 10:42 pm
[…] Here was Howard Fineman in the immediate aftermath of Katrina, practically salivating over the prospects of a crippled Bush: …[J]ust after Labor Day, hearings will start in the Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. Expect the Democrats to drop their caution and go after him with all they’ve got. They’re coming to the conclusion that they have nothing to lose, and they are being pushed in that combative direction by a grassroots base furious at the congressional party for not having taken a tougher line against the president months if not years ago. […]