Fineman: A political hurricane is gathering force

[hnsez]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9143849/

A political hurricane is gathering force

A war and a deluge stretch resources -- and nerves -- thin

By Howard Fineman
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 10:51 a.m. ET Aug. 31, 2005


WASHINGTON - For years the Pentagon’s standing readiness plans required the country to be able to fight two major wars simultaneously. But no one anticipated what we face now: a war in Mesopotamia and another along the Mississippi.

We have journalist Malcolm Gladwell to thank for the idea that every social phenomenon has a dramatic “tipping point.” It doesn’t always work that way. And yet Hurricane Katrina is just such a moment. We are a big, strong country — and New Orleans will, somehow, survive — but you do get the sense, as President Bush finally arrived here after a month-long vacation, that a political hurricane is gathering force, and it’s going to hit the capital any day.

(...)

And just 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.

[phantom power]

1. I'm tired of hearing people say "no one anticipated."

People have been predicting disaster along the Mississippi for fucking decades. Well here it is.

Just like people predicted disaster in Iraq.

People who can think ahead are always villified in this country, and then when their predictions come to pass, everybody wails "O! how could anybody have predicted..?"

Enough.

[I Have A Dream]

11. You're exactly right.

We're mocked with "the sky is falling, the sky is falling! (ha ha ha)", but then when it does "fall", nobody admits that we were right. The next time, we get the very same thing. The only exception that I can think of is the Y2K situation where we actually were able to get through to people.

This is what we're seeing with the oil situation right now. How long have we been saying that we must deal with this situation NOW? See where it got us, and, of course, they'll not admit that we were right. Global warming will be the same thing.

[xxqqqzme]

15. This country has always mocked

and disparaged sane voices hoping 2 prepare 4 the future. Look @ how Jimmy Carter was ridiculed, his conservation & oil independence policies ignored. Here we are 29 years later..........


who is fineman kidding...'...This president 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...'

responds naturally???? knows the risks???? give me a fu*king break!

[I Have A Dream]

18. The press always covers for B*. When he says or does...

something stupid, the press almost never reports it.

Nothing comes naturally for him except taking care of the "haves and the have mores" (i.e., "his base").

[AbbyR]

16. Does anyone remember the 1929 flood....

I don't remember it, but did a story on it and read several books - the levees have always been a problem, and when they go, people die. "Didn't anticipate" my eye. It's happened before.

Those who do not remember the past....

[Mabus]

17. I remember the levees breaking in 1993

along the Mississippi and the horrific destruction back then. Yes, levees break and anyone associated with FEMA or emergency management has to be aware of this or they are in the wrong job.



In 1993 the flooding damage extended from the central to the northern Plains states.

Abstract. The 1993 midwest flood was one of the most significant and damaging natural disasters ever to hit the United States. Damages totaled $15 billion, 50 people died, hundreds of levees failed, and thousands of people were evacuated, some for months. The flood was unusual in the magnitude of the crests, the number of record crests, the large area impacted, and the length of the time the flood was an issue. - source: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/floods/papers/oh_2/great.htm


When I saw a CNN reporter walking on one of the levees earlier this week I remembered all the talk in 1993 about saturation along the levees and that was a dangerous situation. Days later when the levees broke, some with human help, like the guy who didn't want to go home or something stupid like that.

In 1994 I drove from Kansas to Notre Dame to attend a summer program. When I got to the east side of St. Louis I was in traffic for almost two hours because they were still feeling the effects of the previous year's flooding.

[Wizard777]

21. This has been long anticipated. Theorized Computerized Nightmare Sceario

When this administrations incompetency becomes glaringly obvious. The rising and setting of the Sun can take them by surprize. Oh no! There's big ball of fire in the sky. What do we do? Let's nuke it! Hey where did it go? Mission Accomplished! We have saved America from the big ball of fire in the sky! Oh no! It's back!

[Peace Patriot]

24. You made me LOL, Wizard777! Thanks! n/t

[MADem]

22. Mary Landrieu was bitching about it on the Senate floor three weeks ago!

[rodeodance]

2. hey good for him--he got the link!!

[wellstone_democrat]

3. "while Howard's guitar gently weeps..."

Yep, count on Howard to describe this as "blood in the water" rather than condemn Bush* his buddy for his malfeasance in this matter. Howard's a gem at sounding as if he *might* be criticizing "finally arrived here..." but in the end he's back to Democratic opportunism rather than beating the shit out of his darlin' for his disregard for human life.

[rodeodance]

5. -a political hurricane is gathering force,---LOVE IT

[lancdem]

8. And he says Bush responds naturally to disaster

I never got that sense at all. However, I think Howie is right about the Dems preparing to go after Bush with both guns blazing.

[rateyes]

20. Bush IS a damned disaster. eom

[UpInArms]

27. *Co is a natural disaster

for all of the citizens of this country and the whole world.

[blm]

9. Fineman always acts like it's just political gaming for Democrats while

Bush's actions are ALWAYS "genuine" and sincere.

Fineman is one of the biggest BS slingers in the media. He certainly leads the pack in creating the notion that Bush has honor, when we know DAMN WELL that nothing could be further from the truth.

[pippin]

10. Sorry, Always Thought Howard

as one of repug ass kissing bunch. Met him on a cruise couple of years ago and was sickened at his happy name dropping as far as the white house was concerned.

[opihimoimoi]

4. Bush is Bleeding and now they sense its Time for dindin

What the Dems have been doing is show patience...why bother the guy when he is self destructing...which is exactly what he is doing...

[rodeodance]

6. yes let his self distruct--but needs help from the DEMS. nominate.

[rodeodance]

7. kick

[ninkasi]

28. Oh, Ophi..

I enjoy helping people. I would be very glad to help him self destruct. Please, just give me the opportunity, and I will offer all the assistance I can. It's the very least I can do.

I want the dark cloud, the hatred and mean spiritedness that has overtaken our country to go away. I want us to love, and help each other, and share our resources. This will only happen when these evil men are out of power.

[hnsez]

12. Bush loves this in a sense - its an escape from Cindy

In honor of Cindy:

Happy not to meet Bush

TEXAS -- A woman who led an anti-war protest for almost a month near George W. Bush's ranch said yesterday she was glad he had never showed up to discuss her son's death in Iraq, saying the President's absence "galvanised the peace movement".

Cindy Sheehan's comments came as war protesters packed up their campsite near the ranch and prepared to leave for a three-week bus tour. The President ended his holiday early and flew back to Washington yesterday to supervise the hurricane relief effort.

The California woman had vowed to stay until Mr Bush's month-long vacation ended unless she could question him about the war that claimed the life of her son Casey, 24, and more than 1870 other US soldiers.

"If he'd met with me, then I would have gone home, and it would have ended there," she said.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/printpage/0,5481,16449690,00.html

[uppityperson]

13. Good, thanks for the article.

It has to get bad enough for change to happen. I am so sorry for the suffering, never think I gloat over it, never ever ever. This may be the straw that breaks the administration's back.

[hnsez]

14. Will Bush whip out a Navy Seal uniform this time?

[MADem]

23. He'll probably go for the fireman or scuba look

...or maybe a rugged construction worker/electrician theme!

[raysr]

19. I hope that prick

Fineman is right!

[Peace Patriot]

25. They need a War Democrat to run a better war, and get a Draft. Let's

face it. And to do things like drop sandbags on failing levees. Bushites have only one thing on their minds--how to profit from it all. They can't even keep their hogfest war going properly.

The one thing they COULD do--steal elections--they had to outsource to Diebold and ES&S for it to be done really efficiently.

The Bourbons would be ashamed of them!

But the only reason we're hearing something about it from the war profiteering corporate news monopolies is that they need to replace Bush, and the people are not quite sufficiently looted and oppressed yet to accept Bush III.

-------

I'm just hoping that the War Democrat pays some lip service to progressive values and good government, so we can do what we have to do about Diebold and ES&S. (Hey, folks! The British are coming! The British are coming! All good patriots...to your election centers NOW! Electronarchy or democracy? Your choice.)

[hvn_nbr_2]

26. "grassroots base furious at the congressional party...

for not having taken a tougher line against the president months if not years ago"

Gee, ya think?