(Warning, BFD-big fat diary)
As some of you know I was recently asked to join an organization that’s trying to work on progressive message coordination and formulation statewide in Wisconsin. I thought some of the same ideas that I’m working on over there might be useful to a broader community and so decided to post the initial plan on Booman, both to see if people are interested in using some of those ideas here and to get input on how to refine them.
After poking through their site and thinking a bit I decided that the best thing I could do was help set up a forum for collaboratively building progressive letters to the editor and aggregating talking points.
I’m currently calling it bullet points and I see it as a place where people could drop aggregated, research-based talking points on a specific topic like say the Plame investigation in the form of quotes and single sentence summaries. It’s not quite posting letters and not quite framing, but somewhere in the land between, call it framed letter templates.
The following is long, but illustrative. Here are five of my letters to the editor published in the Dunn County News with the generalizable bullet points extracted for reuse in other sorts of letter. Each of the bullet points has a set of topics attached to the end with the idea that letters in these areas could use these examples as reinforcement. These were all built around Hurricane Katrina and the Federal response, but all have useful points for other arguments.
I’ll discuss how the idea might play out here at Booman below the letters.
More on the flip
LETTER #1:
The Drowning of New Orleans
We are only beginning to see the extent of the horror in New Orleans, but it’s already clear that it’s the worst natural disaster to hit America in any of our lifetimes. It’s also clear that it’s worse than it should have been because of Republican-driven budgets, environmental policies, and the deployment of much of the area’s National Guard to Iraq.
Over the past several years budgets proposed by Bush and approved by the Republican-controlled Congress have removed significant funding from important infrastructure projects in the U.S. Some of that is due to major budget shortfalls produced by the Bush tax cuts. Some of it is due to shifts in funds from the U.S. to Iraq.
Some of the most short-sighted funding cuts came in Louisiana. For example, in early 2004 as the Iraq conflict intensified and increased in cost, the Bush administration cut funding for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent.
Lake Pontchartrain is where the levees failed. In fact one of the projects that was delayed by the budget cuts was a bridge and levee job right at the 17th Street Canal, and the site of the main breach on Monday. There is little doubt that the lack of funds was a significant contributing factor to the breach.
And, as noted in Editor & Publisher August 30, 2005, “The Corps (Army Corp of Engineers) never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security — coming at the same time as federal tax cuts — was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars.”
At the same time Iraq was draining crucial dollars away from hurricane mitigation efforts, it was also draining crucial disaster relief resources in the shape of the Louisiana National Guard.
ABC TV 26 mentioned this on August 1, 2005. “When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that could be a problem. ‘The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission,’ said Lt. Colonel Pete Schneider with the LA National Guard.”
The Governor of Louisiana expressed concerns about this before the disaster struck. But the shortage of Guard troops and equipment in Louisiana wasn’t the only way this administration has been shorting disaster relief resources to the significant detriment of homeland security. It was also making harmful changes to the structure of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Washington Post reported on this on August 30th. “This year it was announced that FEMA is to “officially” lose the disaster preparedness function that it has had since its creation. The move is a death blow to an agency that was already on life support. In fact, FEMA employees have been directed not to become involved in disaster preparedness functions, since a new directorate (yet to be established) will have that mission.”
Bush administration environmental policies also contributed to the disaster. Wetland protection policies instituted by the current president’s father and significantly strengthened under Clinton were gutted by the present president Bush. What does that mean?
Well, as Salon reported on August 31st, “In 1990, a federal task force began restoring lost wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Every two miles of wetland between the Crescent City and the Gulf reduces a surge by half a foot.” Bush ended the program and sent in the developers. With the result that a joint expert study concluded in 2004 that without wetlands protection New Orleans could be devastated by an ordinary, much less a Category 4 or 5, hurricane. Enter Katrina and disaster.
Could all this have been prevented? Among the many things the Bush administration cut funding for was a proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on how New Orleans could be protected from a catastrophic hurricane, ordering that the research not be undertaken.”
Perhaps some of this negligence could be excused if this were an unexpected disaster. It wasn’t.
In early 2001 the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a report identifying the three major catastrophes most likely to hit the United States. One was a terrorist attack on New York. The second an earthquake in San Francisco. And the third a hurricane in New Orleans.
Finally, let’s not forget what Bush was doing for the first two days of this disaster: vacationing. My last letter to the editor was entitled “And Nero Fiddled” in reference to Nero fiddling while Rome burned. On August 30th while New Orleans drowned, our Republican President was playing a guitar at a photo op.
LETTER #1 Bullet Points:
Editor & Publisher, August 30, 2005: “The Corps (Army Corp of Engineers) never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security — coming at the same time as federal tax cuts — was the reason for the strain.” (on levy funding, cut by 80%) “At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars. <Topics: Iraq. Budget misprioritization. Fiscal irresponsibility.>
ABC TV 26 August 1, 2005: “When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that could be a problem. ‘The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission,’ said Lt. Colonel Pete Schneider with the LA National Guard.” <Topics. Iraq. Budget misprioritization.>
The Washington Post on August 30th. “This year it was announced that FEMA is to “officially” lose the disaster preparedness function that it has had since its creation. The move is a death blow to an agency that was already on life support. In fact, FEMA employees have been directed not to become involved in disaster preparedness functions, since a new directorate (yet to be established) will have that mission.” <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Budget misprioritization.>
Salon on August 31st, “In 1990, a federal task force began restoring lost wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Every two miles of wetland between the Crescent City and the Gulf reduces a surge by half a foot.” Bush ended the program and sent in the developers. The result: a joint expert study concluded in 2004 that without wetlands protection New Orleans could be devastated by an ordinary, much less a Category 4 or 5, hurricane. <Topics: Environment. Incompetence. Accountability. Fiscal irresponsibility. Budget misprioritization.>
The Bush administration cut funding for a proposed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on how New Orleans could be protected from a catastrophic hurricane, ordering that the research not be undertaken. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Fiscal irresponsibility. Budget misprioritization.>
In early 2001 FEMA issued a report identifying the three major catastrophes most likely to hit the United States. One was a terrorist attack on New York. The second an earthquake in San Francisco. And the third a hurricane in New Orleans. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Spiking the talking points (Re:9/11 as well).>
Bush spent the first two days of the Katrina disaster vacationing. On August 30th while New Orleans drowned, our Republican President was playing a guitar at a photo op. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Insensitivity to average Americans.>
LETTER #2
A Pattern Emerges
A few months after September 11th Condoleeza Rice told us that “I don’t think anybody could have predicted” someone trying to use “a hijacked airplane as a missile.” She was wrong. The Federal Aviation Administration warned airports of that very possibility in 2001.
After American troops took Baghdad Donald Rumsfeld told us that no one could have anticipated the looting in Iraq. The State Department had prepared extensive post invasion plans that warned about the probability of looting as well as other occupation issues.
Then General Abazaid told us that no one could have anticipated the strength of the insurgency. Again, the State Department plans warned about that very thing.
Now George W. Bush, on Good Morning America, has said: “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did anticipate a serious storm. But these levees got breached. And as a result, much of New Orleans is flooded.” FEMA warned against the possibility in 2001. For that matter, the National Weather Service issued numerous warnings about the possibility in the days before Katrina hit.
And those are only the government sources that warned this administration about these issues. A cursory search of news, science, military, and international sources finds thousands more such warnings. Heck, Tom Clancy suggested the possibility of airplanes as missiles, and he did it in a novel that sold hundreds of thousands of copies.
It is not that no one could have anticipated these things, it is that no one in this administration was listening. Thousands of people have died because no one was listening. And no one in this administration is willing to take responsibility for anything. Nor is the Republican-controlled Congress willing to hold them accountable.
Apparently, for Bush and his fellow Republicans in government the buck stops nowhere.
LETTER #2 Bullet Points:
After September 11th Condoleeza Rice: “I don’t think anybody could have predicted” someone trying to use “a hijacked airplane as a missile.” Federal Aviation Administration offical warned airports of that very possibility in 2001. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Republican lies.>
Donald Rumsfeld told America that no one could have anticipated the looting in Iraq. The State Department had prepared extensive post invasion plans that warned about looting and other occupation issues. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Republican lies.>
General Abazaid told America no one could have anticipated the strength of the insurgency. The State Department had prepared extensive post invasion plans that warned about potential resistance and other occupation issues. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Republican lies.>
George W. Bush, on Good Morning America: “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did anticipate a serious storm. But these levees got breached. And as a result, much of New Orleans is flooded.” FEMA warned against the possibility in 2001. The National Weather Service issued numerous warnings about the possibility in the days before Katrina hit. (there were about fifteen other major sources on this one that could be sited) <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability. Republican lies.>
LETTER #3
Accountability is Democracy
To most Americans accountability to the people is the very essence of democracy. Apparently that’s not true for the current crop of Republican apologists and “conservative” leaders, who are calling this fundamental responsibility of government a “blame game.” These Republican elite claim that we must focus solely on the disaster recovery efforts in New Orleans, ignoring for the moment any hint of criticism or investigation into who bears responsibility for the pathetic initial Federal response.
They claim it’s not possible to do both simultaneously. I have a higher opinion of the American people than that. We can both walk and chew gum at the same time. If the Republicans who currently run our government are so incompetent that they can’t even handle multiple tasks when they have all the resources of this great country at their disposal, then they should step aside and allow those who can actually govern to do so.
Adults take responsibility for their actions. They don’t cry “blame game” out of one side of their mouth while blaming local officials out of the other, as our current Republican elite are doing. One senior administration official has gone so far as to lie to Newsweek and the New York times, saying that New Orleans’ governor didn’t declare a state of emergency or ask Federal officials for help until after the hurricane. Since Governor Blanco’s declaration of emergency came two days before the hurricane and was followed by a formal request for Federal aid the following day, and both are a matter of public record, one can only assume that these people are desperate not to have to face the consequences of their actions.
Conservativism used to mean something more than conserving the power of the Republican elite and the pocketbooks of the wealthy. Perhaps, once its current “I want to govern, but I’m not willing to pay for government” standard bearers have left the scene, conservativism will come to mean something once again. I hope so. America is the poorer for the present situation.
LETTER #3 Bullet Points:
Republican elites claim we must focus solely on disaster recovery efforts in New Orleans, ignoring any hint of criticism or investigation into who bears responsibility. They claim it’s not possible to do both simultaneously. Not true. Americans can walk and chew gum. <Topics: Accountability. Republican irresponsibility. Spiking the talking points.>
Adults take responsibility. They don’t cry “blame game” out of one side of their mouth while blaming local officials out of the other. <Topics: Accountability. Republican irresponsibility. Spiking the talking points. Republican lies.>
One senior administration official has told Newsweek and the New York times, New Orleans’ governor didn’t declare a state of emergency or ask Federal officials for help pre-hurricane. Governor Blanco’s declaration of emergency came two days before the hurricane and was followed by a formal request for Federal aid the following day, and both are a matter of public record. <Topics: Accountability. Spiking the talking points. Republican Lies.>
Republicans used to be conservatives on topics other than conserving the power of the Republican elite and the pocketbooks of the wealthy. <Topics: Republicans no longer Conservative>
Republicans want to govern, but aren’t will to pay for government. <Topics: Fiscal irresponsibility. Republicans no longer Conservative.>
LETTER #4
Bush and Katrina Accountability
Why have so many critics spoken out against Bush on Katrina rather than looking at local officials? Here are three reasons, each adequate in itself.
- The simple civics lesson, the one I learned in grade school. Very few Menomonie locals are citizens of New Orleans, or of Louisiana. The local officials there do not work for us, nor do we pay their salaries with our taxes. They are not accountable to us. Bush is another matter.
- Bush built his campaign around the premise that he was the candidate most qualified to protect the American people. We couldn’t turn around without being reminded what a wonderful protector he was, and how he would be ready if another American city faced a disaster like 9/11. Well, Katrina was that disaster. The levees could just as easily have been destroyed by terrorists. The biggest difference between Katrina and another major terrorist attack is that terrorists wouldn’t have given the nation three days warning to pre-position Federal resources around the major American city they intended to bring down. The government would have been expected to hit the ground running with zero warning. Since this is the place Bush sold himself as superior, it’s more than reasonable to grade him on it. He failed.
- It’s already become clear that if we the people don’t hold this administration accountable, no one will. In the Senate, a bill was introduced to create an independent, non-partisan commission to investigate the failings of government after Katrina. Every single Democrat voted for it. So did the one independent, a former Republican. The bill was defeated on a party-line vote in favor of a Republican-controlled, Republican-staffed, joint investigation with the Republican-dominated House where the vote was also party-line.
The response to Katrina was an American disgrace. I want to see every official involved in that disgrace held accountable regardless of whether they have a D or an R after their name. I’m starting with Bush because I pay his salary, because his claim to reelection was protection of the American people, and because his Republican allies have made it clear they won’t.
LETTER #4 Bullet Points:
In the Senate, a bill was introduced to create an independent, non-partisan commission to investigate the failings of government after Katrina. Every single Democrat voted for it. The failed on a party-line vote in favor of a Republican-controlled joint investigation with the Republican-dominated House where the vote was also party-line. <Topics: Accountability.>
Democrats want to see every official involved in Katrina response disgrace held accountable regardless of whether they have a D or an R after their name. <Topics: Incompetence. Accountability.>
LETTER #5
After Katrina the Bush administration ushered Michael Brown to the door as head of FEMA. He was pushed out because of FEMA’s disastrous response to the hurricane. On Monday they rehired him as a consultant to FEMA to help with the investigation into what went wrong. So, the official who had to be gotten rid of because he was the public face of FEMA’s failure has been rehired to investigate himself. Really gives you confidence in the honesty of the investigation, doesn’t it? I only wish I were surprised.
LETTER #5 Bullet Points:
Failed FEMA director Michael Brown rehired by Bush admin to help investigate himself<Topics: Cronyism, Incompetence>
So, I’m first and foremost looking for input. But I also thought it might be useful to have a sort of “branded” diary format here. If one wanted to, one could post LTEs etc with the bullet points extracted at the end for general use with a title like “Katrina LTE, +BPs,” and post the BP version in comments or at the end of the diary. If that seems like a useful idea, let me know and I’ll try to include the bps with my letters here, and of course I invite anyone else who thinks of this as a useful tool to use it
