anderson cooper bitchslaps mary landrieu; american government

You know I'm incensed because I'm posting something about a Democrat being called out on bullshit. This is not to absolve Bush for making a typically inadquate speech a day late and failing to send in National Guard troops to New Orleans until Thursday. Or for reducing the budget for levees by 80% so funds could be diverted to war efforts in Iraq. Or for making his sole declarative statement, that there would be "zero-tolerance for looters," be in reference to the one ambiguous thing in this distaster-- after all, many people need to "loot" supplies in order to stay alive because their government is not providing anything for them. Or, for that matter, to absolve Condoleeza Rice for spending the last four days shopping and seeing shows in New York while Americans followed orders, went to the Superdome to await rescue and were left to rot and die.

This isn't about party lines. It is about a government that is too busy pointing fingers and congratulating itself for talk without action to take care of its people. It is horribly emblematic of an administration and a culture that rewards sweeping gestures and disdains the tedious details and unpleasant sacrifices necessary to build and maintain communities. Thank goodness someone in the media was brave enough to call them out on it:


LANDRIEU: Let me just say a few things. Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alabama to our help and rescue.We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts.Anderson, tonight, I don't know if you've heard -- maybe you all have announced it -- but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating.

COOPER: Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting. I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated. And when they hear politicians slap -- you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there's not enough facilities to take her up. Do you get the anger that is out here?

(Courtesy of TVNEWSWER)