does pretty well, now and then. I think these quotes pretty much sum things up:
The week in quotes.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
In search of a new idiot.
‘Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area. . . . Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot.’
Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, outside New Orleans, on the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
Don’t blame me
‘By the press, yes. By the president, no.’
Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown, on whether he was being made a scapegoat. He was replaced Friday as the top federal official on the scene of the Katrina relief effort.
What went wrong?
‘He said, “Why would I do that?” I said, “Because of all that went wrong, of all that didn’t go right last week.” And he said, “What didn’t go right?” Oblivious, in denial, dangerous.’
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, recounting her conversation with President Bush, during which she suggested he fire Michael Brown.
Blanco’s buck?
‘The buck stops with the governor.’
Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, suggesting that Louisiana Democrats, including Gov. Kathleen Blanco, should shoulder the blame rather than the White House.
Plenty of contestants
‘One of the things people want us to do here is play the blame game. We got to solve problems. There will be ample time to figure out what went right and what went wrong.’
President Bush, on criticism of the federal response.
We have a winner!
‘Little observation: When people don’t want to play the blame game, they’re to blame.’
Jon Stewart, ‘The Daily Show’
Better off in Houston
‘So many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. This is working very well for them.’
Former first lady Barbara Bush, about Katrina evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston.
Good news for one person
‘Inflamed rhetoric in the United States Senate is just not going to play well now . . . so, I mean, Judge Roberts can, maybe, you know, be thankful that a tragedy has brought him some good.’
Televangelist Pat Robertson, on Senate confirmation hearings for John Roberts that are to begin Monday. President Bush last week nominated Roberts to succeed the late William Rehnquist as chief justice of the Supreme Court.
What insurgents?
‘Iraq must be doing really well — I’m not reading anything about it in the papers.’
Dan Goure, a military analyst, on how Hurricane Katrina has diverted attention from the war.
