Hurricane Katrina: High Visibility Figures To Tour New Orleans

With the death toll mounting to what will likely be the greatest domestic natural disaster in American history in terms of human lives, high profile figures including two former Presidents will soon be aligning themselves with the tragedy, and or its relief efforts.

One source indicates that, with some of his constituents still dying beneath him, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will be hovering above them today in a helicopter with popular talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey. Is is also being reported by some that the NAACP is asking to fly over the city to evaluate the situation on the ground.

In other reports, similar to their efforts for the recent tsunami disaster, it's now expected that tomorrow former Presidents Bush and Clinton will announce the creation of a Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. The purpose will be to assist the governments and citizens of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to recover from Hurricane Katrina's tragic wake.

A 4 PM FEMA Press Conference for today was canceled as additional disturbing reports continue to emerge from the ground in the areas effect by Hurricane Katrina. One report suggests that evacuating everyone fro the Superdome has proved problematic as a result of up to 100 individuals now refusing to leave the safety of the shelter. Another report cites some homeless individuals who are refusing to approach shelters to board waiting helicopters without taking along, in more than a few cases, shopping carts filled with all of their worldly possessions.

The source suggests some have still been reluctant to co-operate even after helicopter crews involved with the evacuation have relented and agreed to take the carts and or other baggage along as is being insisted upon by an unknown number of evacuees.

Some observers have noted that their plight stands in stark contrast to other much better off individuals who have begun to speak out from afar, appearing to at least some as being more concerned with placing blame, as oppose to genuinely effecting a resolution to the many challenges brought on from the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina.

Canadian singer Celine Dion was on Larry King Saturday night blaming the media for their portrayal of the looters commenting that those who stole t.v.’s and other items would probably return them later. She also is said to have indicated that media and government are focused entirely too much on the looters. Evidently at one point she is said to have begun crying while blaming the US government and media for their poor treatment of the people of New Orleans. The singer also pledged $1 million dollars. It is unknown if, as Kayne West stated in his recent NBC telethon appearance, she had to contact her business manager first to see if she could afford the donation.

The unedited version of the Kayne West video can be found here.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Comments

[clintcarter]

That Bush/Clinton partnership is a beacon of hope to the world.

I believe I heard Kayne West say he was contacting his business manager to see how MUCH he had that he could give. I may be mistaken.

[AVW]

CNN is reporting that the Army Core of Engineers had several of their workers killed by NO police. What the hell is going on down there???

[Larry]

Bush/Clinton?

How embarrassing. The two most disgraceful names in American politics.

[usmcmom]

Well alleluia Oprah's finally here!!!... sigh of relief... I was so worried that she wouldn't be able to get her 2 cents in too, what with Jesse Jackson getting all his tv time.... at least now with Oprah here, everything is going to be solved, we can all just go back to our regularly scheduled lifes. Oprah's got it covered.

[frenchymom]

Hey guys.... was the report of Army Corp of Engineer contractors being killed a false one? It appears that's what the news is now saying... Hve any of you heard that?

[frenchymom]

never mind...just saw Dan's post on other site

[bhm mom too]

Seems like those left refusing to leave may be those with mental health problems. and that is why they were on the streets to begin with. That is a huge issue for the towns taking them How to get them help so they don't go back to the streets?

[LALady]

Does Jesse Jackson ever have a soultion to a problem??? He just complains..He makes me sick

[usmcmom]

That is a huge issue for the towns taking them How to get them help so they don't go back to the streets?

Posted by: bhm mom too | Sep 4, 2005 7:50:40 PM

Big problem, no matter the size of the town... one of the "issues" I'm having with FEMA and the Red Cross right now, is no centralized pharmaceutical supply in each of these shelters. It's awesome that they have the MASH units in there and the docs/nurses/emts, but w/o the meds there is a problem. Hopefully, the pharamceutical companies are airlifting meds as I post this, especially cipro and flagyl for all those nasty buggies swimming thru everyones intestinal tracts right now.

[TheAlamo]

Bush/Clinton?

How embarrassing. The two most disgraceful names in American politics.

Posted by: Larry | Sep 4, 2005 6:28:28 PM

Amen, Larry, Amen.

[MarlboroGal]

"Canadian singer Celine Dion was on Larry King Saturday night blaming the media for their portrayal of the looters commenting that those who stole t.v.’s and other items would probably return them later."

What planet are you living on, Celine? (rolling eyes)

[Bullgator]

Oprah touring in helicopter with Mayor Nagy?

Gee, you don't need to be a psychic to predict that outcome. Whatever good is happening is credited to Nagy, whatever bad is blamed on Bush.

My cousin who survived 9/11 and Katrina says the most obvious difference between the two tragedies is that for Katrina, Rudy Giuliani was not there.

[!]

There you go again Alamo..what a smuck you are. !!

[jan]

we have a huge media problem. the day of the storm, shepherd smith was almost having his own party in the french quarter. my family and i were like get out and look around fella, it can't be good all over the city. next day, pretty boy is crying tears. it's my opinion that we have a huge problem with the media reporting (i know, well duh).

[Ellen]

Why aren't you naming your "sources"? Or, rather, why aren't your linking your sources? Interesting how much of your information is exactly like what is being reported over at the Interdictor http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/ (see the 11:32am entry). For those that don't know, this group of people stayed in NO as disaster control for directNic.com and are reporting what is actually happening.

Dan, I have been reading your blog daily for over two months now, and I am starting to get a little worried with what I am reading here. Starting with the Malkin stunt.

If you have other "sources" please let us know.

And to be sure that I am not some troll, I am the same person that found the information that helped Matt find his mother-in-law using a link from your site.

[rr]

Bush - Clinton - Jesse - Oprah. What more could we ask for? And I wonder who is footing the bill for the NAACP to do a fly over and contribute nothing meaningful? Maybe they will act as spotters to observe looters returning TV's as mentioned by Celine.

[galloway]

Before it becomes commonly accepted 'fact' that the cause of the levee breach was a federal budget cut in Army Corp of Engineers funding, I PRAY someone will look into the activities of the New Orleans Levee Board. The City of New Orleans saw fit to divert levee funds to investments in casinos, hotels for the express purpose of building up their tax base...when they should have been building up those levees.

I spent a good chunk of my life auditing governmental entities, nonprofits and community action agencies in the good State of Louisiana. Unfortunately, diverting restricted funds to General Funds is a common practice from city to parish to state. I guarantee you...what happened with the Levee Board funds directly caused this tragedy ....and I guarantee you Mayor Nagin will do everything he can to redirect everyone's attention away from this fact.

[galloway]

hey...I like Oprah. She has a habit of putting her money where her mouth is...which is all that really counts at this time.

[clintcarter]

Ditto on Oprah.

As far as Bush/Clinton goes, whatever you thought of them (or Carter) as presidents, their active roles in disaster relief and the mending of the ways between two adversaries ARE an active positive representation of the good of democracy to the world.

Jimmy Carter is about the best ex-president of modern times, IMHO.

[!]

Larry, LARRY, I bet you get embarressed everytime you have to look in the mirror.!!!!
NOW TELL US HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE REPLACED THAT MIRROR NOW.??
---------------------------------------------

Bush/Clinton?

How embarrassing. The two most disgraceful names in American politics.

Posted by: Larry | Sep 4, 2005 6:28:28 PM

CLINT CARTER...I bet ole JIMMY BOY IS YOUR KIN. HMMMMM..
Jimmy was not a particularly a good President, but he did do well with building all those homes. Do not like to hear bash his own country. Not good !!

[Dan]

Ellen:
"Dan, I have been reading your blog daily for over two months now, and I am starting to get a little worried with what I am reading here. Starting with the Malkin stunt."

Excuse me, Ellen - but there was no "stunt" as regards Malkin, I've written her to resolve the issue rather than have some public skirmish and I stand by everything I have said and done.

Also, I have never done what some are alleging - ie linking "porn" here, or anywhere. If you've questions on that, you should email and I'll address them there. As regards the Interdictor site - my only knowledge of it is through Steve Huff who is working with them, or linking to them - perhaps on a project I'll be involved with, too.

Reading the material you see above there too is likely because it is the news. One item above was shared with me in email here from a reader who watched Celine - the bulk of it came from a source at a popular cable TV network. As I believe the Interdictor is in NO, why would you expect reports to differ as to some activities? In any event, as I have never read there, I can't attribute it as a source, obviously.

[Mad Dog Vinnie]

See Ellen? That's why you should be reading MY blog. www.vinceautmorire.com.

(this gratuitous link-whoring brought to you by Vince Aut Morire LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of www.merrimusings.typepad.com Inc., an Evil Vile Nasty Greedy Racist Sexist Homophobic Conservative Industries company.)

[left wing-nut]

Talk about bias in reporting: "One source indicates that, with some of his constituents still dying beneath him, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will be hovering above them today in a helicopter with popular talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey." What a crass comment. And here's my rebuttal: Will they be flying over the same areas that Mr. Bush flew over a couple days ago? And how many dying did he rescue?

"Canadian singer Celine Dion was on Larry King Saturday night blaming the media for their portrayal of the looters commenting that those who stole t.v.’s and other items would probably return them later" She never said such a ludicrous thing. I'm surprised you didn't quote her as saying "They weren't looting, they were merely rescuing Gucci bags from the flood and fully intended to put them back later as well as repair the windows they broke into".

[Mike R]

It is sad to say but probably over 90% of the ones who chose to stay in N.O. were bottom feeders who more than likely have never worked a day in their life.They are been conditioned through the years to expect the government to provide for every need they have.They are encouraged to work the system by having as many kids as they can because every kid will bring a raise in monthly benefits and this scenario has been going on for the last 40 years.

The ones who could have left should have left making it far less of a challenge to rescue the ones who truly could not leave.In effect the people themselves along with an incompetent elected mayor have brought about the problems that they have been facing.It is simply the nature of the welfare system for those recipients to sit and wait for someone else to do what they should have done themselves.THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE HELL OUT OF NEW ORLEANS.

I dont want to hear that they could not get out or that they had no place to go,hell they sure as hell were able to destroy the Superdome and the Convention Center along with the rest of the city.Loot everything in sight,rape and murder their own people.Hell yes if they were able to do all of this in the aftermath then they sure as hell could have gotten out when the getting out was good.

But no they only say they had nowhere to go which is what they have now and that is nowhere to go.Now they will sit in shelters and bitch and complain about how no one is doing this or no one is doing that and it will never dawn on any of them that perhaps the only place they need to look for help is in a mirror.

In the coming days and weeks they will be housed and fed and provided for by the very people who they have critcized for not getting them out sooner.While they are receiving all of this help pro bono they will ask where their monthly check and other freebies are since they are entitled to all of the freebies that make up their way of life.They will be on TV screens on the news saying "I have not gotten MY check,why are they not giving us our checks" as if they have earned a damn check but somehow feel entitled to a check to go along with the freebies they are now receiving.

A horrible scene is unfolding in shelters everywhere where grown able bodied men are lounging around on cots playing cards while volunteers are moving supplies in and distributing them to these worthless men who will not even help themselves.These same men should be forced to be the first ones to go back to N.O. nad start the clean up,but they wont be forced to do that as it has been reported that $62 million has been allocated to hire the refugees to go back in and clean up their own city.WHAT pay them to clean up their own city while they continue to already be provided for????BULLSHIT no work,no eat and if they dont want to work for the keep they are now receiving let them starve...

[usmcmom]

Jimmy Carter is about the best ex-president of modern times, IMHO.

Posted by: clintcarter | Sep 4, 2005 10:43:02 PM

My first ever vote was for Carter, but I was young, naive, and very impressionable LOL! Jimmy Carter was a horrendous President, but IMO he is one of the most sincerely good men in public view. He does put his money, mind, and whole body into his humanitarian efforts. I like him much better in his capacity as EX-President, than when he was in office.

[TheAlamo]

There you go again Alamo..what a smuck you are. !!

Posted by: ! | Sep 4, 2005 8:40:40 PM

Come on ! you know you love it!

[disgusted]

MikeR. and JasonC. are the only two bloggers that have anything intelligent to say today, well maybe a few others. Most of it is the same ole'liberalism, it's getting pretty boring.