Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tornadoes and Flooding

We see the destruction of whole towns and the huge loss of life and it's getting to where this tornado situation looks worse than Katrina.  One after the other, we're seeing whole towns gone, homes and commercial buildings look like toothpicks and what trees are left on the horizon are almost completely stripped bare of leaves and branches....trunks like dark ghosts across the television screen.   Hundreds of people are dead.

There was such outrage at our government after Katrina and I just don't see it now.  

I know presidents can hardly cancel very important state visits like Obama's trip to Ireland, Britain and Paris, but maybe the ping pong game could have been canceled?  Yes, the kids there who'd practiced for it would have been disappointed, but we've got dead here ... where's the leadership, where is the sympathy? 

A president can't be everywhere, he can't just can't cancel the meetings he's having now in Europe, I get that, but should he have said something during the live broadcast of the toast he made to the Queen after she toasted him?   There are people suggesting he shouldn't have continued his toast to her because GOD SAVE THE QUEEN started being played and one doesn't talk over a national anthem, but that's not his fault, the band started before he got his first words out, that's unfair criticism...  I guess my criticism is of the media;  they annihilated Bush, never exposing the truth about Katrina and why he didn't get there and why funds weren't forthcoming earlier, but now they're waxing eloquent on what a 'warm' relationship the Obamas have with the Queen of England.   "A bit of an awful hypocrisy there, no, ol' chap?"

Should he have mentioned it at the dinner some way "Before I thank you for this beautiful dinner, please let me ask all of you to keep our country in your thoughts and prayers as so many have lost lives and homes and businesses due to an unusually difficult torando season......thank you.  Now, may we lift a glass......"?

what do you think?

geeeeez

36 comments:

Bd said...

Wow, you're really digging deep for your outrage these days, huh?

Chuck said...

Wow, you're really digging deep for your outrage these days, huh?

I give you exhibit A.

Z, the left truly believes that Obama should face no scrutiny. To do so is nothing short of racism.

Bd, save the injured "I didn't say anything about racism" it always ends there and you know it.

Z, Stop by and see my quote this Sunday. I have a good one about the media and the scrutiny of Republican candidates which, as usual, dovetails with your post.

The problem is, the left really believes this and you cannot argue with believers.

Finally, the list of disasters Obama has ignored or glossed over is getting pretty long.

Brooke said...

Z, you are 1000% correct on the hypocrisy of the midstream media.

And your suggestion in that last paragraph is simply too classy for Obama to ever, ever do or say.

With images such as this, I am sure that Obama COULD cancel his trip. What allied nation would not understand?

FairWitness said...

I don't know that the President should be canceling long-planned events overseas, even though America is experiencing death and destruction via Mother Nature. The damage from Hurricane Katrina was turned into a political hatchet job against President Bush, who was not responsible for the poor preparation and initial rescue response. The Left and the MSM decided to use this national tragedy for political purposes, which reflects very badly on them, not former President Bush, imho.

I don't see the need to go there with these horrible storms, using them to attack President Obama. I do see the value in pointing out the double standards of the Left & the MSM, however.

The President will be traveling to the afflicted areas on Sunday. I hope his Administration does its job in getting the Disaster Relief to the victims of these tornadoes.

Z said...

Hi, FW, as you could see in my post, I didn't say I expect any president to drop everything when there has been scheduled European visits, dinners, etc. No way.
All I expected was a possible mention of hope.

And, yes, the media is my biggest beef.

Chuck, I'll come look. And yes, any scrutiny is racism or, let's face it, someone's not thinking too clearly; I guess that's what fanatical ideology does.....

Brooke, it's so devastating ....homes in toothpicks and all we'll hear about for years to come is Katrina. It's surprising, really.

Oh, BD....not digging too deep, no. It doesn't take much digging, sadly

Anonymous said...

I think we dig an unseemly pit when we erringly conclude any president is able to control natural disasters. Obama is no more responsible for the tornadoes sweeping across the Midwest than is Bush responsible for Katrina. Your observation is correct, however: the media blasted Bush incessantly about Katrina, even though the two persons most responsible for inaction, before and after Katrina, were the aptly named Democratic governor Kathleen Blanco, and the Obamaesque Democratic Mayor Ray Nagin. To my knowledge, no one repudiated the dim bulb who suggested on television and radio that President Bush had a hurricane machine in the basement of the White House.

Bush ought to be ashamed of himself —not for his handling of the Katrina disaster, but for the way he treated FEMA Director Michael Brown.

I don’t agree Obama should have cancelled his state visit, but I do wonder whatever happened to Vice President Joe Biden. In Obama’s absence, Biden should be in the Oklahoma area meeting with officials, offering solace and encouragement to survivors. Now for that decisive moment: the federal government has no business getting involved in Oklahoma disasters unless or until Oklahoma’s governor requests federal assistance. What will help to repair this awful damage is Oklahomans helping one another —federal government be damned.

Nice to see that BD continues being a complete idiot.

Z said...

Hi, Mustang, does my piece read like I DID suggest Obama is responsible for the disasters or that he shouldn't have gone to England? I hope not....??

Lisa said...

no need to dig deep for outrage when its right there for all to see.

Ducky's here said...

The question should be whether or not the response to the damage is adequate.
Nothing I've seen on the news indicates it is not.

Of course they don't have to contend with minorities taking shots at helicopters from the Superdome but Bush had his cross to bear.

Z said...

So true, Lisa.

WRONG DATE

What do you think would have happened in our media had Bush done THAT? :-) Ya, I know.

Z said...

the date thing sounds like really niggling over small potatoes, doesn't it?
Please, you can waste your time typing about how dull that is and how picky it is......but think. I'm asking people to see the media hypocrisy, which would have been:

"Bush must have Alzheimer's"

"Bush can't remember the date"

"Bush and JET LAG?"

"Bush humiliates America" etc etc

ANybody who thinks some of those wouldn't have been headlines didn't live in America during his administration.

Anonymous said...

BUSH STOLE OBAMA'S 3X5 CARDS

Z said...

TIME MAGAZINE "Obama's relationship with the U.K. is nothing short of special."

Isn't THAT "special"? :-)

Z said...

Right, Mustang!
By the way, I thought it bizarre that Obama used 3x5s in his toast to the Queen but figured you can't get a teleprompter there and you can't hold larger paper in front of you....I'm one who likes to speak extemporaneously WITH some kind of notes :-) SO I can't blame him.

I will also admit again that I thought the media discussing his speaking over GOD SAVE THE QUEEN wasn't his fault as the minute he'd opened his mouth, the band started playing! WHat's he supposed to do, stop?

STill... I finally saw that TIME MAG mentioned Obama signing 2008 in the Guest Book but they explained it quickly away with "prone to other gaffes"..

Gaffes are considered cool in this administration, I guess.

(and they called Reagan THE TEFLON PRESIDENT? :-)

cwhiatt said...

A tornado touched down in north Minneapolis over the weekend. It missed my house by about 3 blocks.

Z said...

soapster! No way! I'm so glad you're okay. Did it do a lot of damage to other homes? How many?

cwhiatt said...

Oh yeah it caused a ton of damage to homes, business, property, etc.

Over 2,000 trees lost.

We (GF, Dog, and I) were napping with the bedroom window open when I awoke to the rain hitting the window. Shut the window and remembered the car was on the driveway from earlier errands. I was worried about hail so I raced out to get the car in the garage. When I got out there I experienced MAJOR key failure (go figure) trying to get the damn key in the car door. I got soaked to gills.

While I was outside in the driveway dealing with that, my gf looked out the bedroom window looking to the East and could see vortex about 4-5 blocks away.

No damage to our property just alot of shingles and other debris strewn about.

cwhiatt said...

If anyone is on Facebook, they can add me and view some photos we took here:

http://www.facebook.com/cwhiatt/posts/2013375461413#!/media/set/?set=a.2008733905377.123270.1454602181

Z said...

I am not on facebook but encourage everybody else to look.
Wow, soapster, that's quite an experience.
Hey, did the national media cover Minneapolis' tornado? I don't think I heard anything on it... did you?

cwhiatt said...

I don't watch much TV so I've no idea.

Scotty said...

I don’t agree Obama should have cancelled his state visit, but I do wonder whatever happened to Vice President Joe Biden.

Mustang, if Biden was your vice president would YOU want him act as your spokesman???!! ;-)

Maybe he's hiding in that bunker that they claimed Vice President Cheney hung out in!

Z said...

good point, Scotty, but Biden COULD be discussing these tragedies, couldn't he? Maybe he has and I've not seen it, but........

SOMEONE ought to realize this SEEMS WORSE THAN KATRINA TO SOME OF US!

cwhiatt said...

Youtube video of the tornado:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCt0hSKNbBk

Lisa said...

If Bush acted the way Obama did that vein petruding from Ed Shultz's head woul have burst.

Soapster sorry about your city. I will go look at those pictures.

Bd said...

Bush: "Heckuva job Brownie," lol!!!!!

Lisa said...

Umm Bd it was a failure on the part of the Democrat controlled city and state.
And you know what,the media totally politicized Katrina and blamed Bush when the blame should have been with the Mayor and the Governor(both democrats). It is the state's first responders who were supposed to have "responded".
But that was kept well hidden. And you now if Bobby Jindal were the Governor then and Obama were president partying it up in the White House,golfing and campaigning around the world the media would have trashed Jindal.
Don't even bother replying just keeping sucking up to this poser in the White House.

Scotty said...

Umm Bd it was a failure on the part of the Democrat controlled city and state.

Not to mention the money that was squandered for levee repair for other pet projects. The Corps of Engineers warned them all of the dangers.

Lisa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lisa said...

I read about that Scotty. Typical of democrats to squander money.

Jan said...

Z...I agree with you 100% about the hypocrisy of the media.

I knew that the President was going on that trip, but don't recall reading anything about the fact that they were to be the Queen's guests at Buckingham Palace for two nights.

Later, after looking at the Royals' website, and reading about the different suites, etc., I looked for more articles, and found one, from the UK, which spoke of the details afforded to her invited guests, and learned that besides all the luxuries involved, saw that he was granted something no one else has ever had...his private helicopter allowed to be at the ready, behind the palace.

Their suite was the same one occupied by the newly married Prince William and his bride on their wedding night.

The Obamas, besides the usual, had two liveried footmen stationed outside of their suite throughout the night, so that their every whim might be indulged.

"So what?" certain ones may be asking? Well, just that if it had been Bush, or anyone else, really, the media would have been beside themselves, talking about how insensitive it was, enjoying such luxury, over there, with so much devastation going on over here.

Personally, last night..or I should say at two or three in the morning, I wept...hot, searing tears, as I thought of those poor souls who have lost everything, including in some cases, precious loved ones. Many don't have a clue about what to do, who to ask for help...and nobody seems to care.

Whole towns wiped away...and it just seems that if certain ones even mention it, it seems more like an after-thought.

It is heartbreaking.

"Finally, the list of disasters Obama has ignored or glossed over is getting pretty long."

You've got it right, Z, but there will still be those who will "LOL."

And no...this isn't "outrage." This is sorrow.

Z said...

Jan, it is enough to make us ALL cry, it's devastating beyond imagination, isn't it.

yes, if Bush was hobnobbing in England at Buckingham Palace through this, the media'd never have stopped ragging on him.
Obama signed 2008 in the Westminster Abbey Guest Book....anybody can make a mistake, we all know that..but IMAGINE if BUSH had done that? IMAGINE???

it's unconscienable and disheartening but we WILL somehow get through this nightmare.

Bd said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bob said...

Mustang said: "but I do wonder whatever happened to Vice President Joe Biden"

My speculation is that Biden was probably in an undisclosed bar stimulating the economy and anybody in talking distance.

Z:

It is almost official this time. The media have all but announced their support for Obama who is out of his pity phase for victims of natural disasters, and into his re-election campaign full time. After all, he has already made one or two tornado appearances, so why should he do more?

As far as the media sellout and daily coronation of Obama, this feeds back into the way liberals think and their decision process.

Facts don't matter, nor do morals. The important thing is their self-appointed destiny to control how society functions. Don't confuse them with facts.

Liberals try to control the message and the arena. If you have a better idea like Paul Ryan, they don't debate because they never have facts on their side. Liberal Democrats resorted to demagoguery, as usual.

The liberal mind is only capable of making personal slams at their opponent. This is the pattern established by their philosophical parents led by, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler, all left-wing thinkers of the 20th century.

Obama has filled his qouta of victim photo-ops, and is now into his agenda of crapping on our allies. Our stalwart, critical thinking media is just doing their normal, lemming like shuffle to keep Obama relevant.

MathewK said...

He's a liberal and like all liberals when in europe or anywhere that doesn't much like you, the ass-sucking of euro-trash always takes precedence.

Lisa said...

Of course they don't have to contend with minorities taking shots at helicopters from the Superdome


Ducky didn't you mean that these are not minorities so help Obama has no use for them for his campaign like he did when he went to El Paso and showed his usual statesman behavior slamming his opponents and talking about moats and alligators.
Hey but you voted for him ,makes you proud doesn't it?

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

I just got back from Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And I'll probably head to Joplin soon to help out.

The America you want to see is the America defiantly rebuilding after these tornadoes. It's heartbreaking to see the complete destruction, but the people are moving forward, not even waiting for the politicians to make their speeches and do their get-in-the-way-for-the-cameras thing.