US News
Bush to visit town razed by tornado
May 8, 2007, 20:47 GMT
Washington - The White House on Tuesday challenged a state governor's charge that rescue efforts after a devastating Kansas tornado were hampered because many local troops were in Iraq.
US President George W Bush planned a visit Wednesday to Greensburg, a small town nearly levelled by the Midwestern tornado that killed 10 people Friday night.
The Republican president has been on the defensive about the government's reaction to natural disasters since the bungled federal response to Hurricane Katrina, which flooded New Orleans in 2005.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, has said her state's National Guard units were short of emergency-relief equipment, including half their trucks, because of the Iraq deployment.
White House spokesman Tony Snow blamed Sebelius, saying she initially asked federal authorities only for radios.
'We did everything possible to make available any resource necessary,' he told reporters.
Taking into account National Guard units still in Kansas and units in neighbouring states, 'literally tens of thousands of personnel and thousands of vehicles and people willing to deploy them' were available, Snow said.
National Guard units are part-time troops who can be called out by states to help in emergencies but also sent abroad on combat duty.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Can you believe it?
This lady uses this kind of devastation to take a jab at the White House.
This is not the time for Politics - My cousin took some pics in Greensburg yesterday (monday the 7th), and there are military vehicles lining the streets.
Besides what does she expect. I was in the Guard in SW Kansas for Nine years, and most of the guard units in this area are Field Artillery (ooooshaaaaa!). So is the Guard supposed to come in and clean it up with Howitzers? Those M109's are pretty amazing, but don't think they would be much help here. And bsides, the troops are trained for combat.. not for search and rescue.
There was a federal emergency proclamation a little more than 24 hours after the tornado hit, giving her funds to contract civilians to help clean up.
I think she just doesn't know what to do, so she is striking out.
Hey..but she is bringing Gambling and Sunday booze sales to Kansas!! So she does have those accomplishments to her tenure.
Peace-out
I don't think the Governor intended the comment to be a shot at the President as much as a statement of fact. A good chunk of the resources at her disposal are deployed in Iraq. I think the media is just running with the comment because they can build a more sensational story if the comment is viewed as critical of Bush. The media is paying very close attention to all of this because of the controversy caused by Katrina/Bush/FEMA. If Greensburg turns into another Katrina, it's good for ratings. It's not good for Sebelius, though, so what does she have to gain by taking jabs at the President?
Also, at least the Sunday booze sales should have been legalized a long time ago. The only thing that law does is cause the government to lose tax dollars to Missouri.
I agree with you somewhat
I don't think she made the point in passing, because most governors complain that their Guard units need more and better equipment continuously, even in peace times they don't operate with the best. I was on an 8' howitzer in the KS Nat'l Guard long after the regular ARMY had retired this equipment, until we got the more advanced 109's, and they were still regular army hand-me-downs while the reg's were playing with Paladins (Sweet).
But I don't think in the middle of these peoples devastation is the appropriate time to pitch your b#tch. Especially when these people are overwhelmed with support from civilians and the Guard, and would completely disagree that there was a lag in response time. After Snow pointed out that they had given us everything we had asked for, she went on to say that.. well, we have what we need now, but if we get hit by another tragedy, then we may be hampered. (paraphrased, of course.)
Maybe she didn't mean it to be a jab at the White House: rather just a chance to request more funding for equipment and troops for the Guard, but I think the timing was poor.
And as far as Sunday booze sales.. I agree with separation of Church and State and all that, but it has never been a problem with me personally. If I ever thought that I would drink some beer on Sunday (I mean it is football and raceday, so I do have a couple on Sunday), then I would buy plenty on Saturday. And if I ever thought that I had to drive to another state to buy a little hooch, coz I couldn't get it on Sunday, then I would probably consider driving myself to an AA meeting (regardless of State) on Monday.
-J
page: 1
Jack SmackMay 8th, 2007 - 21:46:34
Just another dropped ball from this administration---T.O. will be playing for them soon. Impeach the lot of them.
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