Broussard: “We have been abandoned by our own country.”
The tear-filled eyes of Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard as he was interviewed by Tim Russert on today’s Meet the Press:
“… The guy who runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home and every day she called him and said, “Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?” and he said, “Yeah, Mama, somebody’s coming to get you.” Somebody’s coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Thursday. Somebody’s coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody’s coming to get us. Nobody’s coming to get us…”
MR. RUSSERT: Mr. President…
MR. BROUSSARD: Nobody’s coming to get us. Nobody’s coming to get us. The secretary has promised. Everybody’s promised. They’ve had press conferences. I’m sick of the press conferences. For God sakes, shut up and send us somebody.
MR. RUSSERT: Just take a pause, Mr. President. While you gather yourself in your very emotional times, I understand, let me go to Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi.
TRANSCRIPT: Meet the Press. Crooks & Liars HAS VIDEO.
PISS CONFERENCES: And, just as I post this, Skeletor Fuckwad is holding ANOTHER FUCKING B.S. PRESS CONFERENCE. And now Donald Fuckwad is have his own pet press conference.
And I just heard Skeletor insist — again — that he’s going to force everyone to evacuate. Well, you know what? Those people in the French Quarter (see today’s AP story, below) can survive better without you fucking up their lives and their city. Just send them food and water. Let them guard what’s left of their places. Let them keep serving DRINKS. You’ll just ruin what’s left of their lives.
PHOTO: Crooks & Liars
P.S. Do you like the term piss conferences? I Just thought it up. Funny what my brain does when it’s inflamed by rage and grief. I suppose someone else already thought it up, which is cool.
Oh, they are all there and jacking each other off over how well they have done — led by the destructor-in-chief, Rumsfeld the Destroyer and he’s joking around and being (“Gen. Honore, fron and center!”)… I am sick to death, hm, bad word choice, of these people….they are lying their asses off about when the levees broke again. I can’t stand it.
Now Gen. Honore — who from what I read was a big help when he arrived (I heard some local say he was cussin’ and orderin’ people around and it helped a lot) — and how he’s got them out there tryin’ to save their asses.
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Is from Louisiana by birth, got the asses movin’ and as the troops rolled in by open trucks gave them hell when a M16 was held up in view of the residents. “Soldier put the M16 down and out of sight, you are here to help the people of New Orleans,” three star General Honore cussed and gave each truckload of soldiers hell for the wrong attitude in the approach of fellow Americans near the Convention Center on Saturday.
“He came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving,” Nagin said in an interview Thursday night with a local radio station. (See the Nagin video — 12:09 )
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore barks at troops as a convoy arrives Friday in dowtown New Orleans.The three-star general directed the deployment of an estimated 1,000 National Guard troops from a New Orleans street corner Friday, making it clear that it was a humanitarian relief operation. Getting food and water to the people at the city’s convention center was a difficult process, Honore said. “If you ever have 20,000 people come to supper, you know what I’m talking about. If it’s easy, it would have been done already.”
Honore recognizes that storm victims have waited days for relief, and his troops are trying to get them out of the city and into a more comfortable environment. “Our number one task is to deal with the concentration of people in New Orleans, as well as those that are isolated. And we’re going to get after it,” he said. (Watch video report of the general sent to the rescue — 10:02)
“By-and-large, these are families that are just waiting to get out of here. They are frustrated, I would be too. I get frustrated at the cash register counter when the paper runs out.”
Hundreds of are carrying weapons in the city. But the way they carried those guns was a concern to the general.
Lt. Gen. Honore ordered all National Guard and active duty troops he encountered to point their weapons down, said CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, who was with the general. Honore repeatedly went up to military vehicles, National Guardsmen standing sentry and even to New Orleans police officers, telling them to please point their weapons down and reminding them that they were not in Iraq.
Honore commands the 1st Army, based at Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Georgia, outside Atlanta. The general is a native of Lakeland, Louisiana, which is northwest of Baton Rouge. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in vocational agriculture from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge in 1971. Honore was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the infantry upon graduation. He also has a master’s degree in human resources from Troy State University.
~~~
Fire Rumsfeld and install Honore as Defense Secretary.
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Definitely … a hands on general who kicks and fights to get the troops to perform in an adequate and humane manner. Just as important, gets the troops moving and have the assets in place to get the job done. Cuts through the red tape of bureaucracy.
During press conference, he is not on same level as civilian DoD top dogs and has to respect his superiors – that’s military life!
Or else ... that career life is shortened.~~~
He really seems like a military man from a totally different era. I could see him commanding troops during civil war times. I swear he’s been reincarnated.
fire Rummy and install my German Shepherd. Let Honore fill in for two other neo-cons…Condi & Cheney?
has posted too — my point is that whatever he’s done before, he’s now standing there with Rumsfeld lying about when the levees broke and toting adminstration water — great that he could get things done, which begs the question, why is he standing there at a fucking press conference!?!?
What he should have done is say “No, Donnie, I don’t to stand out there with you “front and center” and am DOING SOMETHING, unlike the rest of you dickheads!!”
Sorry, I have no respect. None for ANYone who will not stand up and speak out.
Looks to me as if he is juggling
gotta be Chertoff…skeletal, Nazi-looking fuckwad…
That fuckwad…
Yup.
And sorry. I thought the term skeletor would ID him enough.
Crooks and Liars also a very good must-read summary:
“Mike’s Blog Round Up.”
Nice and succinct, with links.
I saw this live on Meet the Press. It was so heartbreaking, and it was such a contrast to the segment that preceded it where Russert let Homeland Security Chief Chadoff shamelessly spin, lie, and evade about the role of the Bush administration in the lead-up to and aftermath of Katrina. I hope this gets played and replayed in the media. Wolf Blitzer ran it a little while ago on CNN.
I cried when I saw this replayed on CNN just now. It is too tragic and powerful for words.
There are still people trapped and dying. No one seems to really care.
This is a horrific genocide and will live in infamy in American history.
I can only hope those responsible will be brought to justice.
For all your sakes. They are dangerous to your health and well being.
that’s where I saw it too, Spiderleaf. Our NBC affiliate shows MTP at such peculiar times, I usually miss it.
I do wish, however, that CNN had played the very next section which :
…
*my new term for the administration’s NOLA press conferences … macho bullshit see-how-far-I-can-piss conferences.
Man if Chertoff (aka skeletor fuckwad) and Brown’s heads don’t roll,just as a down payment on this injustice,then bush should be arrested as an accomplice to murder.
I simply am stunned that Chertoff keeps lying his face off. Wow. What cave did he just crawl out of?
I was just watching those live rescues off rooftops.
I am horribly afraid of heights. So bad, I can barely get on a ladder. I wonder if I could be rescued like that … I’d probably need a blindfold.
Are you a Taurus, Susanhu?
You people are strong!
I flipped past Russert spinning, started to throw-up in my mouth and changed the channel fast.
I missed this segment.
Russert went after Michael Chertoff:
Later:
Gotta a link to the transcript handy?
Thanks!
Here is the link.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer read the same Times-Picayune excerpt to Chertoff on the air today. Tha bastard keeps saying that what happened was beyond anyone’s imagination. I can’t tell you how flipping angry I get now every time I see his lying face on the TV screen. Damn good thing they’re keeping FEMA guy further away from the press or my head would just explode.
Thank you… I came here just now to post the link to this video.
If you didn’t see Russert today or haven’t seen this video of Mr. Aaron Broussard, President of Jefferson Parish, La… I think every American owes to these people to hear this man speak about what happened there and to take action accordingly.
I warn you though… it is hard on the heart to hear this man tell of how the government has abandoned his people… OUR people.
reading your post while listening to a effing dumb broad praising the chimp. She claims that she could open as soon as she gets power. They should take her to the sections of NO and dumped in the cesspool. BUT- I will bet that she becomes a MAJOR spokesperson for the LIARS.
Probably more than 10,000 dead and this “club owner” is talking about reopenning while praising the admin, nothing else needs to be said. Meanwhile, WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE DEMS?
billjpa@aol.com
That woman’s attitude was unbelievable. She actually praised Bush and said he was “effective” in his response. Just because her place is okay doesn’t mean that everything is hunky-fucking-dory. Wow. She was incredibly dense.
but he did really good this time. I don’t think he deserves your dissin’ on this one, Susan.
He’s one of the few national news hosts who quoted back the Homeland Security website, which says that agency has “primary responsibility” in national disasters. Though he did then let Chertoff slime by when he again tried to put the blame on local and state officials.
The interview with the parish president was truly heartbreaking, even after all the heartbreak we’ve witnessed all week. His descriptions of what happened on the ground are almost even more enraging that the personal story he told later:
Just unbelievable.
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U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Carter told CNN that its rescue efforts had been suspended in some areas, although they continued in other parts of the city. “We’re having to hold off going in until we’re assured that the areas are safe to transit. We’re following the lead of FEMA on that.”
At Armstrong airport, a field hospital set up by FEMA was overwhelmed with patients. Equipment normally used to move luggage was instead ferrying patients to a treatment center and to planes and buses for evacuation.
Ozro Henderson, a medical team commander with FEMA, said staff was “so overwhelmed, it’s not funny.”
“I do not have the words in my vocabulary to describe what is happening here,” Henderson said. “Catastrophe and disaster don’t explain it.”
One bright spot Thursday was news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to complete the sealing off of the 17th Street Canal,in western New Orleans, where a flood-control levee breached, sending floodwater cascading into the downtown area.
Evelyn Turner cries alongside the body of her common-law husband, Xavier Bowie, after he died in New Orleans. Bowie and Turner had decided to ride out Hurricane Katrina when they could not find a way to leave the city. Bowie, who had lung cancer, died when he ran out of oxygen Tuesday afternoon. AP Photo/Eric GayBreaking – NG | DHS Orders :: Red Cross Not Allowed In NOLA ◊ cross-posted by Oui @BooMan
Mayor Ray Nagin told WWL-AM radio Thursday night.
Georges Sept. 1998 — A major hurricane could decimate the region, but flooding from even a moderate storm could kill thousands. It’s just a matter of time.
and your eloquence (and that of Booman’s as well) are sorely needed in these times.
I’ve never read more passionate, caring, angry, truth-telling writing anywhere than I’ve seen on this site in the last week.
This is the sort of writing that holds us together, that makes us effective, that spurs us to take action.
I am in awe of this place the past week.
Keep it up.
Every single one of the people of New Orleans is part of our collective family- yes there are some lawbreakers- as there are in every population- but walk a few blocks in their shoes? How desperate would you have to be to start stealing? I know I am preaching here- but geez- how many of us have been in that kind of desperation? I can’t imagine what I might do- especially if I had little kids. Probably turn murderous.
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Diolene pours her heart out during interview – touches aspect of looting by residents left behind, trying to survive.
~~~
How many of us have been screaming for the the last week? How many of us have been screaming for the last four years?
How many of us have seen the damage done that will never be repaired?
How many of us can afford NOT to reisist?
Damn. I missed this.
I watched Meet the Press, but the cities (aka Minneapolis/St.Paul) feed was pre-empted for storm/flood-risk warnings.
Funny enough, I:
And every sense I get is that the outrage is there, but like the stranded residents of NO, the American people are going to sit tight and wait to be told how to express it.
I’m betting the Dems fumble the ball and let the Administration wait this out. ARrrrgh.
I’ll have to tape the rebroadcast of MTP tonight and see what some fucking Republican-leaning news director didn’t want Minnesotan’s to see.
I wish the MSM would play the complete interview. He talks about 3 things FEMA did, and it is damning – this is murder. At first I was okay with Gen Honore’, but after his press converence with Chertof and Rumsfiels he’s now Gen Peacock to me. He thinks all of us out here are dumb as a box of rocks. How many of you think troops etc would be staged in the eye of a hurricane? The Gen thinks you do. He’s a yes man for Rumsfeld. Hope you see the press converence some time.
Head of FEMA is a horse breeder.
Head of Homeland Security is a lawyer.
Maybe the qualifications for these positions should reflect the job.
Not that Mr. Broussard, currently under investigation for corruption would lie or exaggerate, but has anyone verified his claim.
If the head of the building he referred to was in touch with his mother, and she was in a nursing home, then that tells me there is a responsible party as well as communication.
Water stopped rising on Thursday, and began receeding in many places, such as Jefferson Parish. So, unless “Mama” was treading water for 5 days, there is so much of this story that smells.
If the story, as he claims it, is valid, I’ll recant, but so far no news organization I’ve seen has followed up on the claim.
No.. it’s a true account. UPI covered it. One account is posted at: 32 found drowned in Louisiana nursing home
White residents abandoned and left to drown by black ‘caretakers’.
Sorry I missed this diary when it came out. So much to read.
Yes I like “piss conferences” because it reminds me of “piss contests” which is what they are.