Louisiana Says "No, Thanks" to 'The Cavalry'

It just gets deeper and deeper.

Remember Aaron "We were told 'The cavalry's coming, on a federal level'" Broussard?

After the mother of a co-worker drowned (along with 34 other elderly patients) in a nursing home near New Orleans the day Hurricane Katrina hit (BEFORE the flooding that occurred as a result of the levees being breached), he told Meet the Press's Tim Russert:

"I am personally asking our bipartisan congressional delegation here in Louisiana to immediately begin congressional hearings to find out just what happened here. Why did it happen? Who needs to be fired?"

Maybe they should start with officials from Louisiana's health and transportation departments.

According to this article:

A ranking Louisiana health official turned down federal offers to help move or evacuate patients as Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, a newly released document shows. ... Two days before the Aug. 29 storm, HHS was told by the state's health emergency preparedness director that the help was not needed, according to an e-mail released Monday by a Senate panel investigating the government's response to Katrina.

The state official, identified in the Aug. 27 e-mail as Dr. Roseanne Pratts, "responded no, that they do not require anything at this time and they would be in touch if and when they needed assistance," wrote HHS senior policy analyst Erin Fowler.
...
At the time of the HHS e-mail, Guidry said, the state was still weighing "what the needs would be" for patient safety _ including for those whom officials initially did not want to move for fear of worsening their conditions. "At that point in time there was no request as to any kind of evacuation," Guidry said.
...
The committee also released a Senate interview of Louisiana Transportation Secretary Johnny Bradberry, during which he told investigators "we have done nothing to fulfill this responsibility" of ensuring evacuation plans are in place for at-risk populations.

The e-mail was released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is investigating the government's response to Katrina.

I doubt you'll hear about this on the network newscasts, because when it comes to the mistakes, missteps and blunders associated with Katrina, while they love to say there were failures "At all levels" and "Plenty of blame to go around", they tend to say so only when they can include the federal government (read: Bush administration) in the blame-fest.

BTW, I do agree there were failures at all levels of government--local, state and federal--in this tragedy, but the media for the most part seems much more interested in the failures that can be directly linked with Bush administration officials.

Related posts:

Katrina Myth: Aaron Broussard's "Emotional" Appearance on MTP

Another Katrina Myth: "Homeland Security" Wouldn't Let Red Cross Deliver Food and Water to Katrina Victims

Comments

[AnonymousDrivel]

But I thought it had been etched in stone now that Rove controlled the winds and Brownie & Co. hated Blacks?

Quick! Anyone know where I can get either Malik Shabazz's or Minister Farrakhan's latest opinions? They, as two independent voices, will provide the truth and bring some sanity to this contentious issue.

[hunter]

Rememebr the self congratulatory back thumping in the MSM about how Katrina coverage showed how the press was really strong, and really getting to the bottom of things?
Facts are proving that in nearly every - every - single calim the MSM made about Katrina, from body counts to who was responsible, the MSM got it wrong.
And obviously, plainly, and likely deliberatley, wrong.
They stooped to race baiting, rabble rousing, misleading, and no matter how deep it gets, not one apology.

[Mr. Plow]

You'd think a reporter would find it, I dunno...newsworthy? if he or she were to bust Mr. Broussard a phone call and find out what he thinks about these recent revelations....

[AnonymousDrivel]

Aha! I spotted your error, Mr. Plow. You used "think" and "reporter" in the same sentence. I used to make the same mistake.