Moran has compiled a time-line that does its utmost to be fair to the federal authorities. I linked to it earlier, but here it is again. Alas, much of what he says the feds were doing is largely reports of what they said they were doing, including numbers of troops being deployed and so forth (troops that in many cases simply didn’t show up). He also omits some of the worst Bush gaffes, and any account, as he concedes, of what wasn’t done. If you want to get the president off the hook and put all the blame on the locals, Moran’s time-line is your best bet. I still don’t think it does the trick. Neither, by the way, does Moran. His bottom line is that everyone is to blame, but he is curiously silent about the president. Here’s his conclusion:
If I may be allowed a personal opinion?
This has been a clusterfuck from the get go on all levels and with a few unbelievably heroic exceptions – mostly the LA Fish and Wildlife employees who were out in boats rescuing people almost before the storm passed and our selfless military who performed with their usual spectacular competence and courage. I am convinced that any Commission or Congressional investigation – if even slightly impartial – will find enough stupidity, incompetence, panic, blame shifting, lying, and bureaucratic ass covering to sate the appetite for name calling and blame assigning of even the most partisan among us.
This was a failure of leadership and competence. But it was also a failure of will. And for that, you need look no farther than the mirror in your bathroom, dearest readers. We elected this crew. We elected the Congresses over the past 25 years – Democratic and Republican – that failed to do the things necessary to make New Orleans safer.
Amen to that. I have no doubt that Blanco was far too dilatory and Nagin less than skilfull when it counted. They take their fair share of the responsibility. But you know what? Blanco and Nagin weren’t elected as commanders-in-chief. The fundamental reason George W. Bush was re-elected was his commitment to national security and a government able to deal with post-9/11 real crises and calamities. That was his promise. And when the first real post 9/11 test came, he flunked it.
The Dish 