Food Distribution & Levee Breach Fix Staged Photo Ops?

[cswitwer]

Dutch viewer Frank Tiggelaar writes:

"There was a striking dicrepancy between the CNN International report on the Bush visit to the New Orleans disaster zone, yesterday, and reports of the same event by German TV.

ZDF News reported that the president's visit was a completely staged event. Their crew witnessed how the open air food distribution point Bush visited in front of the cameras was torn down immediately after the president and the herd of 'news people' had left and that others which were allegedly being set up were abandoned at the same time.

The people in the area were once again left to fend for themselves, said ZDF."

And a statement from U.S. Senator Landrieu (D-La):

“Yesterday, I was hoping President Bush would come away from his tour of the regional devastation triggered by Hurricane Katrina with a new understanding for the magnitude of the suffering and for the abject failures of the current Federal Emergency Management Agency. 24 hours later, the President has yet to answer my call for a cabinet-level official to lead our efforts. Meanwhile, FEMA, now a shell of what it once was, continues to be overwhelmed by the task at hand.

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid. When Amtrak offered trains to evacuate significant numbers of victims – far more efficiently than buses – FEMA again dragged its feet. Offers of medicine, communications equipment and other desperately needed items continue to flow in, only to be ignored by the agency.

“But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – deserve far better from their national government."


(I'm just posting these reports. But if we weren't getting banned for saying political things, I'd be writing BOOKS here. )

[mf_dolphin]

I guess your comments wouldn't change whether the story is accurate or not. I guess our media are all in the conspiracy as well.

[tndefender]

I have to admit that I too have been concerned about the accuracy of some of the media coverage....specifcally, that is might be sanitized. For example, I have a friend who is in a law enforcement capacity with the U.S. Postal service. He was taken this week and flown into New Orleans by helicopter to help secure postal facilities. After being at a postal facility for less than 2 hours he was flown out because they were afraid for his safety from the residents still there. When he returned to Memphis he told us, among other things, about not just a few bodies scattered throughout the city but numerous bodies. My brother in law is a contractor in Vicksburg, MS and he went to the gulf coast to help in the middle of the week and he was telling us of bodies and body parts in the trees in some places. Maybe that is why Anderson Cooper and some of the other press has been so emotional. I believe that eventually the entire sad story of this disaster will emerge but I don't think we are getting it now.

[LSU2001]

BS
nuff Said
TIm

[soonertwister]

Actually, who cares what Germans think about our rescue efforts? You don't see them over here saving people's lives, do you?

[tndefender]

Let, see. Denham Springs is about 85 miles from New Oreans and about 100 from Waveland, MS. And you have to been to these 2 places when recently?

[mf_dolphin]

Let's see a German report wouldn't be at all biased would it? I also noted that there is no link to this supposed report.

[soonertwister]

Oops, I entirely forget that the Dutch aren't German. How could anyone forget Anne Franke?

Must be Zuider Zee disease.

[mf_dolphin]

Oops, I entirely forget that the Dutch aren't German. How could anyone forget Anne Franke?

Must be Zuider Zee disease.

From the original post..

and reports of the same event by German TV.

So we have a Dutch viewer commenting on a German report be in turn being reported third hand with no link. I'm sure going to worry about that report

[LSU2001]

Let, see. Denham Springs is about 85 miles from New Oreans and about 100 from Waveland, MS. And you have to been to these 2 places when recently?

Have not Been to NOLA but I do trust local coverage, however I did travel along the Ms. gulf coast on thrusday not specifically waveland but did got to pascagoula, gautier, Franklin Creek and travelled along Hwy 90. I know first hand what is going on along the coast and have a much better perspective than some know it all from TN.
Tim

[tndefender]

Let, see. Denham Springs is about 85 miles from New Oreans and about 100 from Waveland, MS. And you have to been to these 2 places when recently?

Have not Been to NOLA but I do trust local coverage, however I did travel along the Ms. gulf coast on thrusday not specifically waveland but did got to pascagoula, gautier, Franklin Creek and travelled along Hwy 90. I know first hand what is going on along the coast and have a much better perspective than some know it all from TN.
Tim

Tim, I never did claim to "know it all" but I am just relaying what I heard first hand from 2 who had been there. Believe me, I will be the first to admit I was wrong if the estimated death tolls were exaggerated and be very glad if they are. But articles like this from MSNBC and other doesn't leave one very hopeful:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9156612/

[LSU2001]

tndefender, I wasn't commenting on your post, sorry if it seemed that way. I was commenting on the original post. As a matter of fact when I started typeing Your post wasn't there yet. So sorry for the angry reaction. I just get steamed so quick when people far away (not saying you) bit## about what is going on down here with little or no first hand info. Alot of people cannot imagine the scope of this thing. The other day I personally witnessed 170 miles of destruction and I could not even get into(nor did I try) the hardest hit areas. This disaster is so huge that even though I am close and am very familiar with the areas affected I have a hard time grasping the enormity of the situation. NOLA is only part of the problem The entire northern gulf coast was hit hard with places like waveland wiped out. I am sorry for snapping and truthfull I did not even read your post when you responded. I simply assumed that it was some Smart Arsed response from some person that did not have a clue. Again I apoligize. Running on little sleep and whole lot of caffeine.
Did not mean to offend.

Ps now that I have read YOUR post I have to agree with what you are saying. The media is downplaying the death toll and incidents of unrest around the region.
TIm
Tim

[Hfcomms]

And a statement from U.S. Senator Landrieu (D-La):

“Yesterday, I was hoping President Bush would come away from his tour of the regional devastation triggered by Hurricane Katrina with a new understanding for the magnitude of the suffering and for the abject failures of the current Federal Emergency Management Agency. 24 hours later, the President has yet to answer my call for a cabinet-level official to lead our efforts. Meanwhile, FEMA, now a shell of what it once was, continues to be overwhelmed by the task at hand.

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid. When Amtrak offered trains to evacuate significant numbers of victims – far more efficiently than buses – FEMA again dragged its feet. Offers of medicine, communications equipment and other desperately needed items continue to flow in, only to be ignored by the agency.

“But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – deserve far better from their national government."

The germans may indeed be biased. However the meat of the statement is the quote from this Senator that is on the ground there. Take up the argument with her.

[LSU2001]

Well it is funny that Jefferson Parish President Broussard was just on WWL talking about how the 17th street canal was temp. plugged and efforts continued to reinforce the dam. BTW landreiu is a political hack who could not find her butt with both hands. She has little to say that I would rely on. Notice how the statement is worded and you will see that even she is listening to rumor and wrong information.
TIm

Upon further review, what the heck is she talking about appointing a cabninet level official to lead the effort. Just what we need more burecratic red tape. We now have a General on the ground and things are happening. It looks like Ms. Mary is simply using this to take potshots at the President.
TIm

[themusk]

I guess your comments wouldn't change whether the story is accurate or not. I guess our media are all in the conspiracy as well.

In all fairness I've heard similar stories from soldiers at former President Clinton's appearances with the troops -- in particular that applause was piped in for the TV cameras.

Politicians on all sides of the aisle do do photo ops, and the American media, "street employee" that it is (replace quoted phrase with one of your own imagination), will often happily go along with the made-for-TV events. It's no different than their astonishing willingness to publish press releases almost verbatim as "news stories". It's no big secret or conspiracy that this happens, and I too have manufactured a bit of "news" for lazy reporters in my day.

[mf_dolphin]

A little staging for photo ops is a far cry from what this insinuates..

ZDF News reported that the president's visit was a completely staged event. Their crew witnessed how the open air food distribution point Bush visited in front of the cameras was torn down immediately after the president and the herd of 'news people' had left and that others which were allegedly being set up were abandoned at the same time.

As to the 17th Street break, according to the Corps of Engineer, they are not going to close the final gap because water is flowing out of the city through the remaining gap. Maybe the Honorable Senator from LA might start looking at why her state failed the people of Louisiana so miserably!