"President Bush plays a guitar presented to him by Country Singer Mark Wills, right, backstage following his visit to Naval Base Coronado, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005." (AP Photo/ABC News)
Democratic National Committee
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following release was issued today by the Democratic National Committee:
A year ago today, despite warnings by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin about the severity of Hurricane Katrina and with images of chaos erupting in the streets and the worsening conditions in New Orleans filling the nation's television sets, President Bush chose instead to focus on his PR campaign to turn around lagging public support for the war in Iraq. Instead of returning to Washington to deal with the Katrina disaster, Bush decided to end his month-long vacation by playing guitar with country singer Mark Wills during a trip to California. The Bush Administration's inaction and incompetence in the days leading up to and following Katrina mirror the failed policies that the White House still clings to today. A year has passed and the White House is permanently committed to a disastrous policy in Iraq and has not fulfilled its promises to the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild their communities and help them get back on their feet.
"President Bush's continued incompetence and the lack of progress in Iraq and the Gulf Coast are just two more examples of his failed leadership," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "A year later, it is clear that the Bush White House continues to be more concerned with politics and PR campaigns than with governing and getting the job done. Democrats remain committed to a new direction for America's foreign policy that is tough and smart and a new direction in the Gulf Coast that honors our commitments."
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
One Year Ago, Bush Continued His PR Campaign On Iraq... Bush Continued PR Tour To Turn Around Lagging Support For Iraq At 12pm ET In Coronado, CA. "Concluding a monthlong vacation marked by antiwar protests outside his Texas home and a rising death toll in Iraq, President Bush on Tuesday invoked the anniversary of the Japanese surrender in World War II and the postwar rebirth of that country as a parallel to present-day U.S. efforts in the Middle East. Bush spoke against the dramatic backdrop of the Ronald Reagan, a 1,092-foot, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked at North Island Naval Air Station. The picturesque setting, enthusiastic crowd and historical references contrasted sharply with the political realities facing Bush as he returns today to Washington, where some lawmakers have begun comparing Iraq to Vietnam, a war with far more negative connotations than the Allied victory over Japan and Nazi Germany. Bush's speech Tuesday marked the latest of his several recent efforts to turn around public opinion on the war" (Los Angeles Times, 8/31/05; MSNBC, 8/30/05)
Meanwhile...
Looting And Chaos Take Over In New Orleans. "Law enforcement efforts to contain the emergency left by Katrina slipped into chaos in parts of New Orleans Tuesday -- with some police officers and firefighters even joining looters in picking stores clean.At the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, an initial effort to hand out provisions to stranded citizens quickly disintegrated into mass looting. Authorities at the scene said bedlam erupted after the giveaway was announced over the radio. 'We don't have enough cops to stop it,' an officer said. 'A mass riot would break out if you tried.'" (New Orleans Times Picayune, 8/31/05)
Mayor Of New Orleans Warned Flood Waters Will Continue To Rise Rapidly. The catastrophic flooding that filled the bowl that is New Orleans on Monday and Tuesday will only get worse over the next few days because rainfall from Hurricane Katrina continues to flow into Lake Pontchartrain from north shore rivers and streams, and east winds and a 17.5-foot storm crest on the Pearl River block the outflow water through the Rigolets and Chef Menteur Pass..New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin warned Tuesday evening that an attempt to plug the holes in the 17th Street Canal had failed, and the floodwaters were expected to continue to rise rapidly throughout the night. Eventually, Nagin said, the water could reach as high as 3 feet above sea level, meaning it could rise to 12 to 15 feet high in some parts of the city." (New Orleans Times Picayune, 8/31/05)
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, http://www.democratsorg. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Democratic Policy Committee
