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Friday, September 02, 2005

Right, Center: Shut Up and Help

(Idea from LifeofRubin)
Bloggers who are sick of the Bush-bashing from the left:
[Note: Only putting the links here, not throughout post - don't be offended]
SerandEz; LifeofRubin; Jack's Shack; Orthomom; Chrenkoff; LittleGreenFootballs; BestoftheWeb. More as I see them...

As I noted earlier, many on the far left have turned Hurricane Katrina into a Bush-bashing session, blaming him and his policies for what happened. Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as Orthomom noted, gave a short but excellent response to reporters:
G.H.W. BUSH: Let me -- I just to want finish. I believe the administration is doing the right thing, and I believe they have acted in a timely fashion. And I understand people being critical. That happens all the time. And I understand some people wanted to make, you know, a little difficulty by criticizing the president and the team. But I don't want to sit here and not defend the administration which, in my view, has taken all the right steps. And they're facing problems that nobody could foresee: breaking of the levees and the whole dome thing over in New Orleans coming apart. People couldn't foresee that.

CLINTON: Yes, I think that's important to point out. Because when you say that they should have done this, that or the other thing first, you can look at that problem in isolation, and you can say that.

But look at all the other things they had to deal with. I'm telling you, nobody thought this was going to happen like this. But what happened here is they escaped -- New Orleans escaped Katrina. But it brought all the water up the Mississippi River and all in the Pontchartrain, and then when it started running and that levee broke, they had problems they never could have foreseen.

And so I just think that we need to recognize right now there's a confident effort under way. People are doing the best they can. And I just don't think it's the time to worry about that. We need to keep people alive and get them back to life -- normal life.

This is in sharp contrast to the list of quotes Jack found on Chrenkoff.
(Sorry to cut short... will iyH continue after Shabbos)

4 comments:

  1. Yeah, the Bush-bashing is getting on my nerves, too. This is not the time for that. That energy should instead be refocused on mobilizing and helping the victims.

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  2. FEMA deserves to be bashed... and worse.

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  3. As a Democratic-sympathizer, I'll play devil's advocate...

    As much as everyone, particularly those of us who care deeply about the Democratic Party, are sick of Democrats merely reacting negatively to the Bush administration's actions as well as general current events, there is an argument to be made that people's nerves are fraying and the "Bush-bashing" is just an outlet for their frustration.

    Hurricane Katrina took everyone by surprise (as the quote by the former presidents said) and seeing such horrible misfortune befall our citizens is something that shakes people to their core. As the Boston Globe recounts, Katrina, combined with rising gas prices, the December tsunami, continued terrorist attacks after 9/11 in London and Madrid, constant stories of violence in Iraq, and high tension in Gaza is enough to start affecting the nation's psyche.

    President Bush is not at fault for the hurricane. People like the mayor of New Orleans who are frustrated with the response have a right to be upset, however. Friends and family that they love have had their lives shattered and they need all the assistance they can get.

    I guess my point is that hose who might appear to be simply taking cheap shots at the administration may not deserve to be told to "shut up." They need to vent, because the world can put an awfully heavy emotional burden on us all when we realize how powerless we really are in the face of a tragedy like Katrina.

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  4. Croaky, I'd agree with what you are saying, except I am referring primarily to those who are doing far worse than venting. The comments quoted are not 'this is a terrible catastrophe and Bush is not doing enough' - they are more along the lines of 'Bush hates black people, so he's not sending enough support.' There is a large difference between the two, and I believe that the Democratic Party is going to suffer as long as they give their largest voice to the far left as oppposed to the mainstream members. Everyone can have a voice - but which would you want representing you?

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