Rovian talking point... it's the local's fault

It's the locals, the talking point goes, who denied food and water to their own citizens, because the state Department of Homeland Security wouldn't let the American Red Cross in.

Hmm, let's examine that...

Let's see, on August 28, those notorious liberals at Fox News report that the U.S. government has declared a Federal state of emergency for the affected area:

The president's emergency declaration authorizes the FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and to provide appropriate assistance in a number of Louisiana parishes, or counties.

In other words, the feds OWNED this emergency at that point. The Presidential declaration, according to both that notorious source of Communist disinformation, the FEMA web site, and those liberals at Fox News, gives FEMA the authority to order the American Red Cross to deliver food and water anywhere because they are now in charge of coordinating all disaster relief efforts. Regardless of whether the state Department of Homeland Security was a bunch of incompetent morons or not. (And for the record, I think they are... I've seen their "Colonel" in action on local TV, and he's a freakin moron). The Feds clearly are granted authority to override the locals. And didn't.

Now, the next Rovian talking point is that, well, but FEMA didn't have any food and water to deliver to those poor folks at the convention center and Superdome. Hmm. Let's look at the web site of those liberal America-haters at FEMA again, where we learn:

FEMA is moving supplies of generators, water, ice and food into the region for immediate deployment once the storm passes.

But I mean, what would FEMA know about what FEMA has?

So FEMA says they have that water, ice, and food all ready to go, ready to deploy.

And the FINAL talking point was that FEMA didn't know those people were there. I guess FEMA doesn't watch television. Probably too busy playing golf. It's hard work. Got some wood?

So why was it FOUR DAYS before any of that reached the people at the Superdome and Convention Center? Hmm? Are you saying that FEMA, which has the whole friggin' United States government behind it (I mean, we're talking about the FEDS here, they got the goddamned ATOMIC BOMB!) somehow lacks the power to deliver water, ice, food, and generators, despite a Presidential decree and a law (the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206 (Stafford Act)) that gives them the power to order around just about anybody or anything in the disaster area?

I'm sorry. This just doesn't pass the giggle test. FEMA had the authority to order the Red Cross to deliver food and water. FEMA had its own food and water that it had the authority (under Presidential order) to deliver anywhere in the affected region. There's no excuse -- NO excuse -- for FEMA failing to do that for FOUR DAYS while hundreds died of lack of food, water, and medicine.

- Badtux the Fact-finding Penguin