Virtually no National Guard presence in New Orleans per CNN's

[Lex]

reporter who was just talking to Aaron Brown.

Did anyone else hear that?

[Walt Starr]

1. Yep, just heard it. That's why there's widespread looting

There is no National Guard presence in those areas being looted.

[Lex]

7. This is not good. People are freaked out and scared

and some symbol of help and order would help.

[FloridaPat]

25. NO is going under water. Anything in the stores will be destroyed by

water. They have a lot more important things to do than looters.

[bpilgrim]

27. you mean wide spread struggle for survival

i'm sure. though WE got no direct evidence, since no one can get in and out of there, it is not difficult to imagine whats going on in the midst of this ongoing disaster.

:cry:

peace

[Walt Starr]

31. I saw video of actual looting in NO

I've also seen the pictures of people wading through chest deep water for food, which is not looting no matter what AP might say.

[Connie_Corleone]

32. The looting they keep showing is people getting food, water,

clothes and diapers. I think most of the looting is for survival at this point.

[Skwmom]

29. Who cares about the looting. Saving LIVES should be the priority.

All the crap being looted was going to be underwater anyway.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

2. What Is A National Guard?

Are they normally involved in combat type stuff?

Sarcasm Off

[tedoll78]

3. If I go to hell,

at least I'm going to have the pleasure of watching that Chimp bastard burn in a hotter, deeper pit than my own.

[BootinUp]

16. A funny story starring Dubya

(I got this from some other DU'er a year ago or so)

While walking down the street one day, George "Dubya" Bush is
shot by a disgruntled NRA member. His soul arrives in heaven and he is
met by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it
seems there is a problem: We seldom see a Republican around these parts,
so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in; I'm a believer." says Dubya.

"I'd like to just let you in, but I have orders from the Man
Himself: He says you have to spend one day in Hell and one day in
Heaven. Then you must choose where you'll live for eternity."

"But, I've already made up my mind; I want to be in Heaven."

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules." And with that, St. Peter
escorts him to an elevator and he goes down, down, down, all the way to
Hell.
The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a lush golf
course; the sun is shining in a cloudless sky, the temperature a perfect
72 degrees.

In the distance is a beautiful clubhouse. Standing in front of it
his dad...and thousands of other Republicans who had helped him out
over the years... Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Jerry Falwell.... The whole of

the "Right" was there...everyone laughing...happy.... casually but
expensively dressed.

They run to greet him, hug him, and reminisce about the good
times they had getting rich at expense of the "suckers and peasants".
They
play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar. The
Devil himself comes up to Bush with a frosty drink, "Have a Margarita
and relax, Dubya!"

"Uh, I can't drink no more, I took a pledge," says Junior, dejectedly.

"This is Hell, son: you can drink and eat all you want and not
worry, and it just gets better from there!"

Dubya takes the drink and finds himself liking the Devil, who he
thinks is a really very friendly guy who tells funny jokes and pulls
hilarious nasty pranks, kind of like a Yale Skull and Bones brother with
real
horns.

They are having such a great time that, before he realizes it,
it's time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves as Bush steps on
the
elevator and heads upward.

When the elevator door reopens, he is in Heaven again and St.
Peter is waiting for him. "Now it's time to visit Heaven," the old man
says, opening the gate.

So for 24 hours Bush is made to hang out with a bunch of
honest, good-natured people who enjoy each other's company, talk
about things other than money, and treat each other decently. Not a
nasty prank or frat boy joke among them; no fancy country clubs and,
while
the food tastes great, it's not caviar or lobster. And these people are
all poor, he doesn't see anybody he knows, and he isn't even treated
like
someone special!

Worst of all, to Dubya, Jesus turns out to be some kind of Jewish
hippie with his endless 'peace' and 'do unto others' jive.

"Whoa," he says uncomfortably to himself, "Pat Robertson never
prepared me for this!"

The day done, St. Peter returns and says, "Well, then, you've
spent a day in Hell and a day in Heaven. Now choose where you want to
live for eternity."

With the 'Jeopardy' theme playing softly in the background,
Dubya reflects for a minute, then answers: "Well, I would never
have thought I'd say this -- I mean, Heaven has been delightful and
all --but I really think I belong in Hell with my friends."

So Saint Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down,
down, down, all the way to Hell. The doors of the elevator open and he
is in the middle of a barren scorched earth covered with garbage and toxic
industrial waste.. kind of like Houston. He is horrified to see
all of his friends, dressed in rags and chained together, picking up the

trash and putting it in black bags. They are groaning and moaning in
pain, faces and hands black with grime. The Devil comes over to Dubya
and puts an arm around his shoulder.

"I don't understand," stammers a shocked Dubya, "Yesterday I was
here and there was a golf course and a clubhouse and we ate lobster and
caviar... I drank booze. We screwed around and had a great time. Now there's
just a wasteland full of garbage and everybody looks miserable!"

The Devil looks at him, smiles slyly, and purrs, "Yesterday we
were campaigning; today you voted for us."

[ComerPerro]

20. Outstanding Joke

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Some LA Guard who won't/can't be helping out for obvious

reasons....


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=louisiana+national+guard+dead+iraq

[pnorman]

23. Here's another relevant website:

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/la/

pnorman

[KeepItReal]

5. I just saw helicopter flyover of N.O. East and Chalmette: No Guard At All

Only saw a few scattered little private boats.

I hope the people that live there were already out.

New Orleans East area is DEVASTATED.

Video from WWL-TV in New Orleans.

[Junkdrawer]

6. Say, perhaps that has something to do with the violent looting?

:shrug:

[Cassandra]

14. Rummy would say not...

since there was all that looting in Iraq and the Guard was there, although they weren't being asked to guard anything other than the oil ministry.

[TornadoTN]

8. Yeah, heard that myself

I have heard that the only National Guard that many people are seeing are the ones that Superdome. It makes sense, I haven't seen any long convoys or troops working anywhere other than at the Dome. I found it strange that noone showed the sandbag drops on the levee's, but then I found out that they never came. Remember during the past hurricanes, you could always count on seeing the large "deuce and half" trucks carrying troops and supplies to help out? Not seeing it this time.

Odd really, but not surprising, since most of the equipment and troops are a world away in a desert hell-hole for no real reason.

[leftchick]

9. THEY ARE IN FUCKING IRAQ!!!

it would have been nice if ONE fucking reporter had pointed this out!!! Wake the fuck up Aaron.

:grr:

[Lex]

11. Yeah, maybe he was afraid of being Mr. Obvious but

others in the coming days won't be so polite, I dare say.

[leftchick]

18. I hope you are right.

I am so mad, furious, outraged at the WH and the media.

:cry:

[fooj]

19. Wait until the reality of what ShrubCo. has done to them sinks in...

they'll be demanding answers from an idiot who can't think for himself! It would be entertaining if it wasn't so full of personal tragedy.

Peace.

[cliss]

26. You're absolutely right, fooj.

This catastrophe has only just started. At some point, people are going to start asking the OBVIOUS: where is the National Guard? They're in Iraq? What are they doing there, when they should be here?

New Orleans is in it for the long haul. This is going to last for MONTHS, if not years. People are going to start demanding some changes.

And NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON.

[Eloriel]

30. Just imagine what the National Guardsmen and women in Iraq are

thinking about now...!

:nuke:

Don't you know they're aching to be home to help. And can't.

[Democrats_win]

24. The networks aren't mentioning or implying that the NG is MIA in NO

[Imagevision]

28. all in Iraq? National Guard? could very well be, not growing in numbers

that's for sure.

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. If the response from the National Guard

is anything like the response in Fl last year after 4 hurricanes then don't expect to see very much of a response now. There just aren't enough of them left here to do much.

[DianeG5385]

12. Reminds me of Iraq looting,

When the putative authority abdicated responsibility. In this case, the putative authority has keft the National Guard bare to fight and die for a fake cause..

[Catherine Vincent]

13. You just watch.

The media will once again gloss over Bush's inaction of what is happening. Will they question why the NG isn't available to help those poor people in LA, MS and AL? Probably not.

[bagimin]

15. They are garding the Bags...Dad.

[gristy]

17. well, no that is not what the reporter said

She said she had not seen not any. Big difference.

on edit: there are 200 National Guard at the Superdome.

[Lex]

22. She said she had walked for blocks and had seen NO

National Guardsmen.

[wli]

21. two obvious reasons for this (more proximal than rethug malice)

1. The EQUIPMENT and VEHICLES are in Iraq, so most of the 1500 still stateside can't get into the area.
2. The few that are there are on foot and probably managing the interiors of shelters, so they're not going to be easily visible from outdoors.

We did see a couple of Guardsmen watching over the line to get into the Superdome.

[w8liftinglady]

33. CNN just announced 3700 to be deployed tomorrow

...unclear as to why they hadn't been deployed yet.

[Lex]

34. Had to round them up, had to formulate a plan . . .

all that stuff that we assumed had been thought of already . . .