McIlheran Watch: Lies, lies, lies

To the editor,

Patrick McIlheran has again embraced Republican talking points over facts in his September 14 column, "Red tape has no allegiance to blue or red." He deflects blame away from the Bush administration with misleading or incorrect assertions.

First, he notes the federal response to hurricane Katrina was better than the response to 1992's hurricanne Andrew. However, McIlheran neglects FEMA's better record under President Clinton and Clinton appointee James Lee Witt. Clinton noted in his autobiography "My Life" that after seeing the failure of FEMA under the political appointees of the George HW Bush, he vowed to do better:

I went to Florida a few days after President Bush did to observe the damage from Hurricane Andrew. I had dealt with a lot of natural disasters as governor, including floods, droughts, and tornadoes, but I had never seen anything like this. I was surprised to hear complaints from both local officials and residents about how the Federal Emergency Management Agency was handling the aftermath of the hurricane. Traditionally, the job of FEMA director was given to a political supporter of the President who wanted some plum position but who had no experience with emergencies. I made a mental note to avoid that mistake if I won.

In appointing political allies Joe Allbaugh and Michael Brown to head FEMA, George W. Bush followed his father's lead, not Clinton's.

Second, McIlheran blames Democratic Louisiana governor Blanco for "dithering," when a non-partisan Congressional Research Service report released Tuesday noted that "the Governor did take the steps necessary to request emergency and major disaster declarations for the State of Louisiana in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina."

Finally, McIlheran's claim that "red and blue" didn't matter is belied by the actions of President Bush. USA Today reported Monday that Blanco tried desperately to telephone Bush after Katrina, while the Republican governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, said "I never called him. He always called me." This certainly seems like red and blue matters, doesn't it?

As always,

Your humble folkbum