Compare and Contrast: Emergency Preparedness and Unicorns
The Associated Press on the Bush Administration's response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, an incident in which the Governor of Louisiana took two days to issue a request to the Federal government for help, which was immediately answered (read the 12th paragraph of this same article if you don't believe me):
The Associated Press on the Obama Administration's response to the ice storm of two weeks ago, in which the Governor of Kentucky took two days to issue a request to the Federal government for help, which was also immediately answered:
Yes, this is the lede, despite observing near the very bottom of the article that:
Dems assail Bush as another $52B sought for Katrina aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress' top two Democrats furiously criticized the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, with Sen. Harry Reid demanding to know whether President Bush's Texas vacation impeded relief efforts and Rep. Nancy Pelosi assailing the chief executive as "oblivious, in denial" about the difficulties.
The Associated Press on the Obama Administration's response to the ice storm of two weeks ago, in which the Governor of Kentucky took two days to issue a request to the Federal government for help, which was also immediately answered:
FEMA gets decent marks for its ice storm response
EDDYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In the first real test of the Obama administration's ability to respond to a disaster, Kentucky officials are giving the federal government good marks for its response to a deadly ice storm.
Yes, this is the lede, despite observing near the very bottom of the article that:
Federal authorities hadn't made it everywhere yet, however.
Brocton Oglesby, director of emergency management in Hopkins County, said he has seen virtually no contribution from FEMA in the county, where more than half of the 27,000 homes remained without electricity.
"They need to be here — at least a presence, a liaison to work with us, to start feeding information and gearing up for the next stage," Oglesby said. "That's where they're going to be needed the most."
Oglesby's seen FEMA show up after other disasters to assess the damages and write checks. Beshear asked for FEMA to have a role on the front end this time, though, and Oglesby said that hasn't happened.
Can you guess any reason why the AP's editorial tone would be so dramatically different between two fairly similar storm-response incidents?
Could it be, pray tell, that the players in the Kentucky storm just happen to all be from the same party as the Obama Administration?
Stranger things have happened, no doubt.
It goes without saying that I will not be holding my breath for any indignant Congressional hearings about what is, for all intents and purposes, a very spotty response at best.
Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the link. The extra "t" is for Quali"t"y, which just so happens to be my middle name!
