A great clip from The Blues Brothers movie.
---o0o---
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Brief Comment And The Full Text Of President Obama's Speech On The 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
By Pablo Fanque
National Affairs Editor
One of the gnarliest problems BHO faces as President is that of rebuilding the city and fortifying New Orleans against another 100 year storm. Possibly an even more daunting task he faces is how to undo the eroded trust and anger suffered by America's traumatized psyche after eight years of benign neglect and incompetence by the previous administration.
The full text of the President's 26 minute speech follows:
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release August 29, 2010 Remarks by the President on the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana
Xavier University
New Orleans, Louisiana
1:50 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. It is good to be back. (Applause.) It is good to be back.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s good to have you back!
THE PRESIDENT: I’m glad. (Laughter.) And due to popular demand, I decided to bring the First Lady down here. (Applause.)
We have just an extraordinary number of dedicated public servants who are here. If you will be patient with me, I want to make sure that all of them are acknowledged. First of all, you’ve got the governor of the great state of Louisiana -- Bobby Jindal is here. (Applause.) We have the outstanding mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu. (Applause.) We have the better looking and younger senator from Louisiana, Mary Landrieu. (Applause.)
I believe that Senator David Vitter is here. David -- right here. (Applause.) We have -- hold on a second now -- we’ve got Congressman Joe Cao is here. (Applause.) Congressman Charlie Melancon is here. (Applause.) Congressman Steve Scalise is here. (Applause.)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who has been working tirelessly down here in Louisiana, Shaun Donovan. (Applause.) We’ve got our EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson here -- homegirl. (Applause.) Administrator of FEMA Craig Fugate is here. (Applause.) The person who’s heading up our community service efforts all across the country -- Patrick Corvington is here. (Applause.) Louisiana’s own Regina Benjamin, the Surgeon General -- (applause) -- a Xavier grad, I might add. (Applause.) We are very proud to have all of these terrific public servants here.
It is wonderful to be back in New Orleans, and it is a great honor --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We can’t see you!
THE PRESIDENT: It is a great honor -- (laughter) -- you can see me now? (Laughter.) Okay. It is a great honor to be back at Xavier University. (Applause.) And I -- it’s just inspiring to spend time with people who’ve demonstrated what it means to persevere in the face of tragedy; to rebuild in the face of ruin.
I’m grateful to Jade for her introduction, and congratulate you on being crowned Miss Xavier. (Applause.) I hope everybody heard during the introduction she was a junior at Ben Franklin High School five years ago when the storm came. And after Katrina, Ben Franklin High was terribly damaged by wind and water. Millions of dollars were needed to rebuild the school. Many feared it would take years to reopen -- if it could be reopened at all.
But something remarkable happened. Parents, teachers, students, volunteers, they all got to work making repairs. And donations came in from across New Orleans and around the world. And soon, those silent and darkened corridors, they were bright and they were filled with the sounds of young men and women, including Jade, who were going back to class. And then Jade committed to Xavier, a university that likewise refused to succumb to despair. So Jade, like so many students here at this university, embody hope. That sense of hope in difficult times, that's what I came to talk about today.
It’s been five years since Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. There’s no need to dwell on what you experienced and what the world witnessed. We all remember it keenly: water pouring through broken levees; mothers holding their children above the waterline; people stranded on rooftops begging for help; bodies lying in the streets of a great American city. It was a natural disaster but also a manmade catastrophe -- a shameful breakdown in government that left countless men, and women, and children abandoned and alone.
And shortly after the storm, I came down to Houston to spend time with some of the folks who had taken shelter there. And I’ll never forget what one woman told me. She said, “We had nothing before the hurricane. And now we’ve got less than nothing.”
In the years that followed, New Orleans could have remained a symbol of destruction and decay; of a storm that came and the inadequate response that followed. It was not hard to imagine a day when we’d tell our children that a once vibrant and wonderful city had been laid low by indifference and neglect. But that’s not what happened. It’s not what happened at Ben Franklin. It’s not what happened here at Xavier. It’s not what happened across New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast. (Applause.) Instead this city has become a symbol of resilience and of community and of the fundamental responsibility that we have to one another.
And we see that here at Xavier. Less than a month after the storm struck, amidst debris and flood-damaged buildings, President Francis promised that this university would reopen in a matter of months. (Applause.) Some said he was crazy. Some said it couldn’t happen. But they didn’t count on what happens when one force of nature meets another. (Laughter.) And by January -- four months later -- class was in session. Less than a year after the storm, I had the privilege of delivering a commencement address to the largest graduating class in Xavier’s history. That is a symbol of what New Orleans is all about. (Applause.)
We see New Orleans in the efforts of Joycelyn Heintz, who’s here today. Katrina left her house 14 feet underwater. But after volunteers helped her rebuild, she joined AmeriCorps to serve the community herself -- part of a wave of AmeriCorps members who’ve been critical to the rebirth of this city and the rebuilding of this region. (Applause.) So today, she manages a local center for mental health and wellness.
We see the symbol that this city has become in the St. Bernard Project, whose founder Liz McCartney is with us. (Applause.) This endeavor has drawn volunteers from across the country to rebuild hundreds of homes throughout St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward.
I’ve seen the sense of purpose people felt after the storm when I visited Musicians’ Village in the Ninth Ward back in 2006. Volunteers were not only constructing houses; they were coming together to preserve the culture of music and art that’s part of the soul of this city -- and the soul of this country. And today, more than 70 homes are complete, and construction is underway on the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. (Applause.)
We see the dedication to the community in the efforts of Xavier grad Dr. Regina Benjamin, who mortgaged her home, maxed out her credit cards so she could reopen her Bayou la Batre clinic to care for victims of the storm -- and who is now our nation’s Surgeon General. (Applause.)
And we see resilience and hope exemplified by students at Carver High School, who have helped to raise more than a million dollars to build a new community track and football field -- their “Field of Dreams” -- for the Ninth Ward. (Applause.)
So because of all of you -- all the advocates, all the organizers who are here today, folks standing behind me who’ve worked so hard, who never gave up hope -- you are all leading the way toward a better future for this city with innovative approaches to fight poverty and improve health care, reduce crime, and create opportunities for young people. Because of you, New Orleans is coming back. (Applause.)
And I just came from Parkway Bakery and Tavern. (Applause.) Five years ago, the storm nearly destroyed that neighborhood institution. I saw the pictures. Now they’re open, business is booming, and that’s some good eats. (Laughter.) I had the shrimp po’boy and some of the gumbo. (Applause.) But I skipped the bread pudding because I thought I might fall asleep while I was speaking. (Laughter.) But I’ve got it saved for later. (Laughter.)
Five years ago, many questioned whether people could ever return to this city. Today, New Orleans is one of the fastest growing cities in America, with a big new surge in small businesses. Five years ago, the Saints had to play every game on the road because of the damage to the Superdome. Two weeks ago, we welcomed the Saints to the White House as Super Bowl champions. (Applause.) There was also food associated with that. (Laughter.) We marked the occasion with a 30-foot po’boy made with shrimps and oysters from the Gulf. (Applause.) And you’ll be pleased to know there were no leftovers. (Laughter.)
Now, I don’t have to tell you that there are still too many vacant and overgrown lots. There are still too many students attending classes in trailers. There are still too many people unable to find work. And there are still too many New Orleanians, folks who haven’t been able to come home. So while an incredible amount of progress has been made, on this fifth anniversary, I wanted to come here and tell the people of this city directly: My administration is going to stand with you -- and fight alongside you -- until the job is done. (Applause.) Until New Orleans is all the way back, all the way. (Applause.)
When I took office, I directed my Cabinet to redouble our efforts, to put an end to the turf wars between agencies, to cut the red tape and cut the bureaucracy. (Applause.) I wanted to make sure that the federal government was a partner -- not an obstacle -- to recovery here in the Gulf Coast. And members of my Cabinet -- including EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, who grew up in Pontchartrain Park -- (applause) -- they have come down here dozens of times. Shaun Donovan has come down here dozens of times. This is not just to make appearances. It’s not just to get photo ops. They came down here to listen and to learn and make real the changes that were necessary so that government was actually working for you.
So for example, efforts to rebuild schools and hospitals, to repair damaged roads and bridges, to get people back to their homes -- they were tied up for years in a tangle of disagreements and byzantine rules. So when I took office, working with your outstanding delegation, particularly Senator Mary Landrieu, we put in place a new way of resolving disputes. (Applause.) We put in place a new way of resolving disputes so that funds set aside for rebuilding efforts actually went toward rebuilding efforts. And as a result, more than 170 projects are getting underway -- work on firehouses, and police stations, and roads, and sewer systems, and health clinics, and libraries, and universities.
We’re tackling the corruption and inefficiency that has long plagued the New Orleans Housing Authority. We’re helping homeowners rebuild and making it easier for renters to find affordable options. And we’re helping people to move out of temporary homes. You know, when I took office, more than three years after the storm, tens of thousands of families were still stuck in disaster housing -- many still living in small trailers that had been provided by FEMA. We were spending huge sums of money on temporary shelters when we knew it would be better for families, and less costly for taxpayers, to help people get into affordable, stable, and more permanent housing. So we’ve helped make it possible for people to find those homes, and we’ve dramatically reduced the number of families in emergency housing.
On the health care front, as a candidate for President, I pledged to make sure we were helping New Orleans recruit doctors and nurses, and rebuild medical facilities -- including a new veterans hospital. (Applause.) Well, we have resolved a long-standing dispute -- one that had tied up hundreds of millions of dollars -- to fund the replacement for Charity Hospital. And in June, Veterans Secretary Ric Shinseki came to New Orleans for the groundbreaking of that new VA hospital.
In education, we’ve made strides as well. As you know, schools in New Orleans were falling behind long before Katrina. But in the years since the storm, a lot of public schools opened themselves up to innovation and to reform. And as a result, we’re actually seeing rising achievement, and New Orleans is becoming a model of innovation for the nation. This is yet another sign that you’re not just rebuilding -- you’re rebuilding stronger than before. Just this Friday, my administration announced a final agreement on $1.8 billion dollars for Orleans Parish schools. (Applause.) This is money that had been locked up for years, but now it’s freed up so folks here can determine best how to restore the school system.
And in a city that’s known too much violence, that’s seen too many young people lost to drugs and criminal activity, we’ve got a Justice Department that's committed to working with New Orleans to fight the scourge of violent crime, and to weed out corruption in the police force, and to ensure the criminal justice system works for everyone in this city. (Applause.) And I want everybody to hear -- to know and to hear me thank Mitch Landrieu, your new mayor, for his commitment to that partnership. (Applause.)
Now, even as we continue our recovery efforts, we’re also focusing on preparing for future threats so that there is never another disaster like Katrina. The largest civil works project in American history is underway to build a fortified levee system. And as I -- just as I pledged as a candidate, we’re going to finish this system by next year so that this city is protected against a 100-year storm. We should not be playing Russian roulette every hurricane season. (Applause.) And we’re also working to restore protective wetlands and natural barriers that were not only damaged by Katrina -- were not just damaged by Katrina but had been rapidly disappearing for decades.
In Washington, we are restoring competence and accountability. I am proud that my FEMA Director, Craig Fugate, has 25 years of experience in disaster management in Florida. (Applause.) He came from Florida, a state that has known its share of hurricanes. We’ve put together a group led by Secretary Donovan and Secretary Napolitano to look at disaster recovery across the country. We’re improving coordination on the ground, and modernizing emergency communications, helping families plan for a crisis. And we’re putting in place reforms so that never again in America is somebody left behind in a disaster because they’re living with a disability or because they’re elderly or because they’re infirmed. That will not happen again. (Applause.)
Finally, even as you’ve been buffeted by Katrina and Rita, even as you’ve been impacted by the broader recession that has devastated communities across the country, in recent months the Gulf Coast has seen new hardship as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. And just as we’ve sought to ensure that we are doing what it takes to recover from Katrina, my administration has worked hard to match our efforts on the spill to what you need on the ground. And we’ve been in close consultation with your governor, your mayors, your parish presidents, your local government officials.
And from the start, I promised you two things. One is that we would see to it that the leak was stopped. And it has been. The second promise I made was that we would stick with our efforts, and stay on BP, until the damage to the Gulf and to the lives of the people in this region was reversed. And this, too, is a promise that we will keep. We are not going to forget. We’re going to stay on it until this area is fully recovered. (Applause.)
That’s why we rapidly launched the largest response to an environmental disaster in American history -- 47,000 people on the ground, 5,700 vessels on the water -- to contain and clean up the oil. When BP was not moving fast enough on claims, we told BP to set aside $20 billion in a fund -- managed by an independent third party -- to help all those whose lives have been turned upside down by the spill.
And we will continue to rely on sound science, carefully monitoring waters and coastlines as well as the health of the people along the Gulf, to deal with any long-term effects of the oil spill. We are going to stand with you until the oil is cleaned up, until the environment is restored, until polluters are held accountable, until communities are made whole, and until this region is all the way back on its feet. (Applause.)
So that’s how we’re helping this city, and this state, and this region to recover from the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. We’re cutting through the red tape that has impeded rebuilding efforts for years. We’re making government work better and smarter, in coordination with one of the most expansive non-profit efforts in American history. We’re helping state and local leaders to address serious problems that had been neglected for decades -- problems that existed before the storm came, and have continued after the waters receded -- from the levee system to the justice system, from the health care system to the education system.
And together, we are helping to make New Orleans a place that stands for what we can do in America -- not just for what we can’t do. Ultimately, that must be the legacy of Katrina: not one of neglect, but of action; not one of indifference, but of empathy; not of abandonment, but of a community working together to meet shared challenges. (Applause.)
The truth is, there are some wounds that have not yet healed. And there are some losses that can’t be repaid. And for many who lived through those harrowing days five years ago, there’s searing memories that time may not erase. But even amid so much tragedy, we saw stirrings of a brighter day. Five years ago we saw men and women risking their own safety to save strangers. We saw nurses staying behind to care for the sick and the injured. We saw families coming home to clean up and rebuild -- not just their own homes, but their neighbors’ homes, as well. And we saw music and Mardi Gras and the vibrancy, the fun of this town undiminished. And we’ve seen many return to their beloved city with a newfound sense of appreciation and obligation to this community.
And when I came here four years ago, one thing I found striking was all the greenery that had begun to come back. And I was reminded of a passage from the book of Job. “There is hope for a tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.” The work ahead will not be easy, and there will be setbacks. There will be challenges along the way. But thanks to you, thanks to the great people of this great city, New Orleans is blossoming again.
Thank you, everybody. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END 2:16 P.M. CDT
---o0o---
National Affairs Editor
One of the gnarliest problems BHO faces as President is that of rebuilding the city and fortifying New Orleans against another 100 year storm. Possibly an even more daunting task he faces is how to undo the eroded trust and anger suffered by America's traumatized psyche after eight years of benign neglect and incompetence by the previous administration.
The full text of the President's 26 minute speech follows:
_______________________________________
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release August 29, 2010 Remarks by the President on the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana
Xavier University
New Orleans, Louisiana
1:50 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. It is good to be back. (Applause.) It is good to be back.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s good to have you back!
THE PRESIDENT: I’m glad. (Laughter.) And due to popular demand, I decided to bring the First Lady down here. (Applause.)
We have just an extraordinary number of dedicated public servants who are here. If you will be patient with me, I want to make sure that all of them are acknowledged. First of all, you’ve got the governor of the great state of Louisiana -- Bobby Jindal is here. (Applause.) We have the outstanding mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu. (Applause.) We have the better looking and younger senator from Louisiana, Mary Landrieu. (Applause.)
I believe that Senator David Vitter is here. David -- right here. (Applause.) We have -- hold on a second now -- we’ve got Congressman Joe Cao is here. (Applause.) Congressman Charlie Melancon is here. (Applause.) Congressman Steve Scalise is here. (Applause.)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who has been working tirelessly down here in Louisiana, Shaun Donovan. (Applause.) We’ve got our EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson here -- homegirl. (Applause.) Administrator of FEMA Craig Fugate is here. (Applause.) The person who’s heading up our community service efforts all across the country -- Patrick Corvington is here. (Applause.) Louisiana’s own Regina Benjamin, the Surgeon General -- (applause) -- a Xavier grad, I might add. (Applause.) We are very proud to have all of these terrific public servants here.
It is wonderful to be back in New Orleans, and it is a great honor --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We can’t see you!
THE PRESIDENT: It is a great honor -- (laughter) -- you can see me now? (Laughter.) Okay. It is a great honor to be back at Xavier University. (Applause.) And I -- it’s just inspiring to spend time with people who’ve demonstrated what it means to persevere in the face of tragedy; to rebuild in the face of ruin.
I’m grateful to Jade for her introduction, and congratulate you on being crowned Miss Xavier. (Applause.) I hope everybody heard during the introduction she was a junior at Ben Franklin High School five years ago when the storm came. And after Katrina, Ben Franklin High was terribly damaged by wind and water. Millions of dollars were needed to rebuild the school. Many feared it would take years to reopen -- if it could be reopened at all.
But something remarkable happened. Parents, teachers, students, volunteers, they all got to work making repairs. And donations came in from across New Orleans and around the world. And soon, those silent and darkened corridors, they were bright and they were filled with the sounds of young men and women, including Jade, who were going back to class. And then Jade committed to Xavier, a university that likewise refused to succumb to despair. So Jade, like so many students here at this university, embody hope. That sense of hope in difficult times, that's what I came to talk about today.
It’s been five years since Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. There’s no need to dwell on what you experienced and what the world witnessed. We all remember it keenly: water pouring through broken levees; mothers holding their children above the waterline; people stranded on rooftops begging for help; bodies lying in the streets of a great American city. It was a natural disaster but also a manmade catastrophe -- a shameful breakdown in government that left countless men, and women, and children abandoned and alone.
And shortly after the storm, I came down to Houston to spend time with some of the folks who had taken shelter there. And I’ll never forget what one woman told me. She said, “We had nothing before the hurricane. And now we’ve got less than nothing.”
In the years that followed, New Orleans could have remained a symbol of destruction and decay; of a storm that came and the inadequate response that followed. It was not hard to imagine a day when we’d tell our children that a once vibrant and wonderful city had been laid low by indifference and neglect. But that’s not what happened. It’s not what happened at Ben Franklin. It’s not what happened here at Xavier. It’s not what happened across New Orleans and across the Gulf Coast. (Applause.) Instead this city has become a symbol of resilience and of community and of the fundamental responsibility that we have to one another.
And we see that here at Xavier. Less than a month after the storm struck, amidst debris and flood-damaged buildings, President Francis promised that this university would reopen in a matter of months. (Applause.) Some said he was crazy. Some said it couldn’t happen. But they didn’t count on what happens when one force of nature meets another. (Laughter.) And by January -- four months later -- class was in session. Less than a year after the storm, I had the privilege of delivering a commencement address to the largest graduating class in Xavier’s history. That is a symbol of what New Orleans is all about. (Applause.)
We see New Orleans in the efforts of Joycelyn Heintz, who’s here today. Katrina left her house 14 feet underwater. But after volunteers helped her rebuild, she joined AmeriCorps to serve the community herself -- part of a wave of AmeriCorps members who’ve been critical to the rebirth of this city and the rebuilding of this region. (Applause.) So today, she manages a local center for mental health and wellness.
We see the symbol that this city has become in the St. Bernard Project, whose founder Liz McCartney is with us. (Applause.) This endeavor has drawn volunteers from across the country to rebuild hundreds of homes throughout St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward.
I’ve seen the sense of purpose people felt after the storm when I visited Musicians’ Village in the Ninth Ward back in 2006. Volunteers were not only constructing houses; they were coming together to preserve the culture of music and art that’s part of the soul of this city -- and the soul of this country. And today, more than 70 homes are complete, and construction is underway on the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. (Applause.)
We see the dedication to the community in the efforts of Xavier grad Dr. Regina Benjamin, who mortgaged her home, maxed out her credit cards so she could reopen her Bayou la Batre clinic to care for victims of the storm -- and who is now our nation’s Surgeon General. (Applause.)
And we see resilience and hope exemplified by students at Carver High School, who have helped to raise more than a million dollars to build a new community track and football field -- their “Field of Dreams” -- for the Ninth Ward. (Applause.)
So because of all of you -- all the advocates, all the organizers who are here today, folks standing behind me who’ve worked so hard, who never gave up hope -- you are all leading the way toward a better future for this city with innovative approaches to fight poverty and improve health care, reduce crime, and create opportunities for young people. Because of you, New Orleans is coming back. (Applause.)
And I just came from Parkway Bakery and Tavern. (Applause.) Five years ago, the storm nearly destroyed that neighborhood institution. I saw the pictures. Now they’re open, business is booming, and that’s some good eats. (Laughter.) I had the shrimp po’boy and some of the gumbo. (Applause.) But I skipped the bread pudding because I thought I might fall asleep while I was speaking. (Laughter.) But I’ve got it saved for later. (Laughter.)
Five years ago, many questioned whether people could ever return to this city. Today, New Orleans is one of the fastest growing cities in America, with a big new surge in small businesses. Five years ago, the Saints had to play every game on the road because of the damage to the Superdome. Two weeks ago, we welcomed the Saints to the White House as Super Bowl champions. (Applause.) There was also food associated with that. (Laughter.) We marked the occasion with a 30-foot po’boy made with shrimps and oysters from the Gulf. (Applause.) And you’ll be pleased to know there were no leftovers. (Laughter.)
Now, I don’t have to tell you that there are still too many vacant and overgrown lots. There are still too many students attending classes in trailers. There are still too many people unable to find work. And there are still too many New Orleanians, folks who haven’t been able to come home. So while an incredible amount of progress has been made, on this fifth anniversary, I wanted to come here and tell the people of this city directly: My administration is going to stand with you -- and fight alongside you -- until the job is done. (Applause.) Until New Orleans is all the way back, all the way. (Applause.)
When I took office, I directed my Cabinet to redouble our efforts, to put an end to the turf wars between agencies, to cut the red tape and cut the bureaucracy. (Applause.) I wanted to make sure that the federal government was a partner -- not an obstacle -- to recovery here in the Gulf Coast. And members of my Cabinet -- including EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson, who grew up in Pontchartrain Park -- (applause) -- they have come down here dozens of times. Shaun Donovan has come down here dozens of times. This is not just to make appearances. It’s not just to get photo ops. They came down here to listen and to learn and make real the changes that were necessary so that government was actually working for you.
So for example, efforts to rebuild schools and hospitals, to repair damaged roads and bridges, to get people back to their homes -- they were tied up for years in a tangle of disagreements and byzantine rules. So when I took office, working with your outstanding delegation, particularly Senator Mary Landrieu, we put in place a new way of resolving disputes. (Applause.) We put in place a new way of resolving disputes so that funds set aside for rebuilding efforts actually went toward rebuilding efforts. And as a result, more than 170 projects are getting underway -- work on firehouses, and police stations, and roads, and sewer systems, and health clinics, and libraries, and universities.
We’re tackling the corruption and inefficiency that has long plagued the New Orleans Housing Authority. We’re helping homeowners rebuild and making it easier for renters to find affordable options. And we’re helping people to move out of temporary homes. You know, when I took office, more than three years after the storm, tens of thousands of families were still stuck in disaster housing -- many still living in small trailers that had been provided by FEMA. We were spending huge sums of money on temporary shelters when we knew it would be better for families, and less costly for taxpayers, to help people get into affordable, stable, and more permanent housing. So we’ve helped make it possible for people to find those homes, and we’ve dramatically reduced the number of families in emergency housing.
On the health care front, as a candidate for President, I pledged to make sure we were helping New Orleans recruit doctors and nurses, and rebuild medical facilities -- including a new veterans hospital. (Applause.) Well, we have resolved a long-standing dispute -- one that had tied up hundreds of millions of dollars -- to fund the replacement for Charity Hospital. And in June, Veterans Secretary Ric Shinseki came to New Orleans for the groundbreaking of that new VA hospital.
In education, we’ve made strides as well. As you know, schools in New Orleans were falling behind long before Katrina. But in the years since the storm, a lot of public schools opened themselves up to innovation and to reform. And as a result, we’re actually seeing rising achievement, and New Orleans is becoming a model of innovation for the nation. This is yet another sign that you’re not just rebuilding -- you’re rebuilding stronger than before. Just this Friday, my administration announced a final agreement on $1.8 billion dollars for Orleans Parish schools. (Applause.) This is money that had been locked up for years, but now it’s freed up so folks here can determine best how to restore the school system.
And in a city that’s known too much violence, that’s seen too many young people lost to drugs and criminal activity, we’ve got a Justice Department that's committed to working with New Orleans to fight the scourge of violent crime, and to weed out corruption in the police force, and to ensure the criminal justice system works for everyone in this city. (Applause.) And I want everybody to hear -- to know and to hear me thank Mitch Landrieu, your new mayor, for his commitment to that partnership. (Applause.)
Now, even as we continue our recovery efforts, we’re also focusing on preparing for future threats so that there is never another disaster like Katrina. The largest civil works project in American history is underway to build a fortified levee system. And as I -- just as I pledged as a candidate, we’re going to finish this system by next year so that this city is protected against a 100-year storm. We should not be playing Russian roulette every hurricane season. (Applause.) And we’re also working to restore protective wetlands and natural barriers that were not only damaged by Katrina -- were not just damaged by Katrina but had been rapidly disappearing for decades.
In Washington, we are restoring competence and accountability. I am proud that my FEMA Director, Craig Fugate, has 25 years of experience in disaster management in Florida. (Applause.) He came from Florida, a state that has known its share of hurricanes. We’ve put together a group led by Secretary Donovan and Secretary Napolitano to look at disaster recovery across the country. We’re improving coordination on the ground, and modernizing emergency communications, helping families plan for a crisis. And we’re putting in place reforms so that never again in America is somebody left behind in a disaster because they’re living with a disability or because they’re elderly or because they’re infirmed. That will not happen again. (Applause.)
Finally, even as you’ve been buffeted by Katrina and Rita, even as you’ve been impacted by the broader recession that has devastated communities across the country, in recent months the Gulf Coast has seen new hardship as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. And just as we’ve sought to ensure that we are doing what it takes to recover from Katrina, my administration has worked hard to match our efforts on the spill to what you need on the ground. And we’ve been in close consultation with your governor, your mayors, your parish presidents, your local government officials.
And from the start, I promised you two things. One is that we would see to it that the leak was stopped. And it has been. The second promise I made was that we would stick with our efforts, and stay on BP, until the damage to the Gulf and to the lives of the people in this region was reversed. And this, too, is a promise that we will keep. We are not going to forget. We’re going to stay on it until this area is fully recovered. (Applause.)
That’s why we rapidly launched the largest response to an environmental disaster in American history -- 47,000 people on the ground, 5,700 vessels on the water -- to contain and clean up the oil. When BP was not moving fast enough on claims, we told BP to set aside $20 billion in a fund -- managed by an independent third party -- to help all those whose lives have been turned upside down by the spill.
And we will continue to rely on sound science, carefully monitoring waters and coastlines as well as the health of the people along the Gulf, to deal with any long-term effects of the oil spill. We are going to stand with you until the oil is cleaned up, until the environment is restored, until polluters are held accountable, until communities are made whole, and until this region is all the way back on its feet. (Applause.)
So that’s how we’re helping this city, and this state, and this region to recover from the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history. We’re cutting through the red tape that has impeded rebuilding efforts for years. We’re making government work better and smarter, in coordination with one of the most expansive non-profit efforts in American history. We’re helping state and local leaders to address serious problems that had been neglected for decades -- problems that existed before the storm came, and have continued after the waters receded -- from the levee system to the justice system, from the health care system to the education system.
And together, we are helping to make New Orleans a place that stands for what we can do in America -- not just for what we can’t do. Ultimately, that must be the legacy of Katrina: not one of neglect, but of action; not one of indifference, but of empathy; not of abandonment, but of a community working together to meet shared challenges. (Applause.)
The truth is, there are some wounds that have not yet healed. And there are some losses that can’t be repaid. And for many who lived through those harrowing days five years ago, there’s searing memories that time may not erase. But even amid so much tragedy, we saw stirrings of a brighter day. Five years ago we saw men and women risking their own safety to save strangers. We saw nurses staying behind to care for the sick and the injured. We saw families coming home to clean up and rebuild -- not just their own homes, but their neighbors’ homes, as well. And we saw music and Mardi Gras and the vibrancy, the fun of this town undiminished. And we’ve seen many return to their beloved city with a newfound sense of appreciation and obligation to this community.
And when I came here four years ago, one thing I found striking was all the greenery that had begun to come back. And I was reminded of a passage from the book of Job. “There is hope for a tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again, and that its tender branch will not cease.” The work ahead will not be easy, and there will be setbacks. There will be challenges along the way. But thanks to you, thanks to the great people of this great city, New Orleans is blossoming again.
Thank you, everybody. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END 2:16 P.M. CDT
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
Painting: Glenn Beck--Sedro Wooley's finest--Speaking At This Weekend's Tea Party Rally
painting by Jack Brummet - Click to enlarge
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
A Red Dawn: The Gathering Storm of The Tea Party
By Pablo Fanque
National Affairs Editor
The Democratic Party posted this fascinating web ad yesterday.
We've been saying this for a while--while the left and center seem to laugh them off, the tea party, Michelle Bachman, Dr. Paul, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, and the others ARE a threat.
It's a new dawn. And it's kind of like a Red Dawn.
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National Affairs Editor
The Democratic Party posted this fascinating web ad yesterday.
We've been saying this for a while--while the left and center seem to laugh them off, the tea party, Michelle Bachman, Dr. Paul, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, and the others ARE a threat.
It's a new dawn. And it's kind of like a Red Dawn.
---o0o---
The Ink Spots: If I Didn't Care
These guys made a lot of incredible music in the 30's and 40's, and heavily influenced R & B, Doo Wop, and Rock and Roll. I have really been enjoying their music these days.
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Siler Cusab (or, A Stitch In Time)
Lacelo cogie kas daliras hulah, ranales naroke senac itelesog. Tike loy eyi sibip poreyi usat, riemi ehut vomo. Ni tolemer tece tete urenet asebetes esiyir ralemo somofir lodu, hadohel biep ce lemerud cetas satab le enokedi caruna. Tadepe siceg bas ne nemacat renipi tahep emipeha rilupi! Mecem yusir sede rieneta. Etog nalayov rupeyu amicoh? Cor abasola su reh sinite awetaril urecano olanela? Ituroci rofa tamigun be ca malecer ditate he ceru? Nusiyac apigeced niebayed ifeg sibe ne oyeco rebinoy set. Tipa egiedad sulehe enaciegol enalato yana itoti ritit umebison elanocet. Tug ehoxina cisefil mucano itatu gel yoc nite. Umahed wacas tanuwi omapi hasixo wedak bun? Tiseyes narix loca tosut enehal yociga ho efacip wen. Ayied rod ehetado widete ti? Hadielap sa rirat, tiheyo amiehamut iteca cem fisudus micadit! Ni tinog cenie ipeleri: Risir lofu enar le epam ahanar nirigag. Padie oteteca hega der pes origag ner. Bacusip nirener yece epidaqa yenonus onet.
Cur riedap so efapeg titocet. Etoba tiere tirep tatar ludasu era cepon acawap cenurat sor. Qie mole amip. Sitele niyaga nukoti goc inefipot reci rihip lutob hinil lilemad? Tano gasa hatesob tine sevelan doyacah minev; acalog etiene titi lidelu bato di lorisa ked epetin? La he litis can de osap sehot hu eletienie. Sesete neroros sarinas! Kinema gie resoto acoyi ahosi tosa loni. Liyere tieseyu bun levie cabilie nienibe watep co dicati atisiebin. Welede uda ye re datohuw miropet tali nucieb atepiha for. Omuna uho areru. Ce ciyet nibene nogenef tuni acinevo enoriv tiyires. Miev mamow cegatier re fof teciba tarepe mi re xat! Beno neraba ridem raboyi siwiesa romi te? Dipito ro sol tiena witu riesic; begima selil sopehi jotor miro mies nu ganeyar. 
Hili muyese te; gemu lilenat ote popo iefeg motes! Porori wabe mor bamon tete sietase sin hasitep ho! Etin narep alu yagotes; ter lirete ilenar upe ligepa ote der ma. Gemada cimimos lopon vu titieri yic itelufan! Iraticen lavat neleto fitom nec qunal hinede oyugipof latanat won.
Ruler risu len itewa xufuluc cel. Sekipaf ritet rim ger du. Eqager ivi ye ron desonup cobebor ranopas! Acepan oyirosom ropite! Po ni amate oyociloc yoh; icibu la erocice erun beliras gir hera inicen canide ahiegaci. Cateqe ro tilan! Idierox ri cayadef nimig eqeso na ho irirah arali tomere. Asemih cefu hokod has? Tud deru sat terac no rep disol sanepa ezabot! Ihes reruli li tek ga tili tacid; tieda yute lenesip nis ro sin lona nore di enupe. Tey tel lamoren caji ananeso rumoser ose sihah. Ugetine ipi baroba sacoca dekuse terozig! Tim tub biwup hoh pinoha. Nore big kesiep neseb. Raregi nif napuse tesir cirana cele pofos lot. Aronayul atetur levudo ne sidaper; parati abiv recafac mar safin siref tikem yago; sisi yo teyiriem cedalus wot ta. Remies vona apipalu lop? Fin tep ifalihie lane mina. Peluhar yobo pa opetemol vacati ranal etepotoy? Tam nunoxo didab akem yoda gam.
Palera tosu ninoras de hulufo net furet ci puyaha sep. Hihuya ceru recasah sot ba. Cum simitec qeroce vey lat aderu ada mec iriterat maso: Cagaci duh ra ina dal awosasir beluf rel ilip! Yenipa ecel osevat gica tog osulilien cal. Qihe eberoric egarul rusav enar gil? Liepat toc home lor riero yulo beni eto. Omoholay iworin nu tid cina vogi tara! Inor cietu ralofin netaba dime seg taser riyetot. Beme afeneci pedete ciha: Porahay ta heyolo isiy cedu iyuravo! Soka oronini ihisom daso qedep oyielatej mes genoh ce etedilun: Lereyo ori nodeb notis, le sel reroged egac rikamer lelati.
Le buniv pini epicec noyen tiesefuc nuzanib. Tonen timimi erir mie cerale jietif ti ete lar, tig rasiepa iticel fe ci ahe ide mete depule onece? Etaborien retirir lede onoli: Nit segetum la yu nohi. Gir tamudo elec yeti. Ipape hoti todenet ditacot itav osetiw ra te. Iterado gahe gu cipin eretecuy maso oru! Tu sanicoc tahi otop cacav sok cag. Pe ri hec elolano giram ciyera mamo; hapil edoninu yigite sare maro tera. Afiece cumi epapete hap ranic etun uhey toteneh nosusi? Eneresob mu yop akocete pi vip leli enape. Hoca non gubasul betusi xaha roya. Det reme ni cese epumie: Redeh ros rigek pamiser. Banal idubaded nucunis diese detir gic orabaril iciha serat: Urolab pe imanugi dikedet. Sari epe fot zadero ehinadu da nitef udu lihaner. Daqada rocu subupi, dodoler tot riw ifelerev mito inakit dice yise, enotasid pixe pietieyo. Loh ner lal rar fariemo. Retecac nefa edo ogi nu no. Ilarome simises nal fiebec pad pun. Cumu ronel tip nite. Teg ra satecan enivara nisep remalor eta ruqaris. Wohiefa va osorak runa figopo.
Itepiror sono tarie noyomab lotaf meb rese. Peseral mesi ti tonezas isodole ulidefier nogit tec nago. Nenes ebetiton fitev acerona neletos derit tierucal: Tohi dage ebamipil emoge ti! Bepu yeside li. Rot tan osicare elic tegotet elet heco lacaya iburiret tupimo. Isefer erefote lihenic.
Qoce laci cosanie dah sieled tug taluhu per. Rafem yaloxas torewi rirapa ra dihele atiyucop ruran, baril daciel tara. Ile isipurig god one secu. Nene todulem wetapi ayanil gipusag lisac tapic ayog liru ratay! Rur sit henater sunebat ririma casom lun piciesos. Bu webic ripaga roc.
Pinere kalole bietowuc emere enelar eciel nu tebo le? Docup cubinot nemarot cen erof huyir. To nogura iteteg miro lop zipuce meho, ocute natu aredebey osa ojuhatec pitape so tovad. Sutelir ehapir luher ire niv ronutum nabeco lopi fabanie nasena. Qon ogehokel mele de rilob! Licages sepo nevo rener ma sonie. Apocih enagusir acolod hos xe asimara adener. Betanen iemij tog tolep.
Wuci sane dori webiyas ayurep foy anieyeb. Xar firesim sib orucote pe re apenulo. Xeb towohe to gobo pi pilem lico tocomal pet ihegagis. Aric yuritor domucet na talot nepeh. Canirat sasidu ro itasiet le lipure gerora tutemab tocoses, esehapo yoriro pota. Rohie omimec telir nigipa vi xixil osor sivesid yit tasu. Coc wesiey pu, nitilap tesohof otamo tel tah le xocure iyov eloriti ituyebih. Otoses ificene eyusor yi gohito opurorel yonuniy di ta eyerire! Asarenel le luhab? Gimu lisot sopo set cus nid. Onie ratapi naseros egek nutume riva, minel abapidim resega ifel ruripu hota ilitos somotat. Lega tienilun goc geneh nemiri igecisan. Bogedap efoditie nasove oricuda lupama toti. Nicecel ma acetixih teda unadec? Esesitum ne girona riciy for hi omomahar.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Alien Lore No. 179 - UFOs over Seattle this summer
This summer, there seem to have been numerous UFOs visiting the City of Seattle. The following were all reported by The National UFO Reporting Center (which coincidentally is located in Seattle, although soon relocating to an abandoned ICBM missile base in Eastern Washington). [click all images to enlarge]
Report 1: July 2010. "This is the most awe-inspiring moment of my life and I was somewhat sad to see them leave. I really felt like I had seen something extraordinary.
"Looking in the sky to the west to slight northwest on Saturday night at 23:15, I saw about 30 orb-type lights or balls in the sky at about 90 degrees in a pattern that gave off a glow in the night sky.
.jpg)
"The glow was orange and red, but the formation gave off a red orange and a little twinkling, gold color. We watched it for about 6 minutes, then it seemed as half of the formation disappeared, not all at once, but within a second or two.
"Then the other part of the formation left or became invisible, leaving behind two balls that seemed larger or closer. These two orbs remained stationary for about 5 seconds before one of the two took off straight up.
"Then about 7 seconds after the first of the remaining two orbs left, the last one left or followed the rest into the night sky.
"The formation of the UFOs took up a large portion of the sky and seemed massive." Source: http://www.nuforc.org/
Report 2: 07-17-10, City of Seattle - "The formation/armada was huge. I was looking at stars with my dad over Puget Sound when I looked west and saw 28-30 reddish, orange orbs stationary in the sky.
"These were not florescent lights like we use on earth, it was more like a different type of light, an energy ball that had a golden tint around the formation of UFOs.
"I felt that there was a tremendous amount of radiant energy coming off of the sun-like orbs. The armada/formation of UFOs was only here for approximately 10 minutes before they vanished into thin air, like smoke." Source: www.nuforc.org
Report 3: 7-17-10, City of Seattle - "At approximately 23:28 PM, PST, in Seattle, Washington, my wife and I received a phone call from her parents (who live 1 block away), about some interesting lights in the sky over Beacon Hill (also in Seattle).
"We were told to immediately come outside and look towards the sky (due west) and see them for ourselves.
"We then saw 25+ orange-lighted objects which appeared to blink in and out as they dimmed in the upper atmosphere. They all appeared to be moving in the same direction (towards the northeast) and all seemed to stem from the same location.
"They were only visible for about 3-5 minutes. Three airplanes were seen in the sky as well (heading to SeaTac Airport to land).
"We took video on our camera, but only a couple of the objects were barely visible through the street lights. You could see the airplane clearly. Unless something is reported on our local news media stations, we are assuming that these were indeed UFOs, and a lot of them.
"We also called the local news stations to report the incident, and they informed us that they had not received any other calls about it, but would look into it." Source: www.nuforc.org
Report 4: 7-17-10 - "My daughter and I were outside, and this object went above us heading straight due north. It was a light, silver-colored disc with a bottom that was about half the size of the craft.
"The half-round bottom looked as though it may have been translucent, its color was grayish and slightly opalescent.
"When the craft passed over what was probably SeaTac Airport, it became very, very bright and looked like a star. But only roughly 6-7 seconds later, it dimmed again and we could still see its disc/orb outline.
"We watched it as far as our eyes would allow. My daughter mentioned the uncanny lack of air traffic as this object moved over the airport area.
"About two minutes after we could no longer see it, we saw a plane come from the airport area. We did not observe the object come from the South - it seemed to just appear in the sky out of nowhere. It was east of us when looking north." Source: www.nuforc.org
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Report 1: July 2010. "This is the most awe-inspiring moment of my life and I was somewhat sad to see them leave. I really felt like I had seen something extraordinary.
"Looking in the sky to the west to slight northwest on Saturday night at 23:15, I saw about 30 orb-type lights or balls in the sky at about 90 degrees in a pattern that gave off a glow in the night sky.
.jpg)
"The glow was orange and red, but the formation gave off a red orange and a little twinkling, gold color. We watched it for about 6 minutes, then it seemed as half of the formation disappeared, not all at once, but within a second or two.
"Then the other part of the formation left or became invisible, leaving behind two balls that seemed larger or closer. These two orbs remained stationary for about 5 seconds before one of the two took off straight up.
"Then about 7 seconds after the first of the remaining two orbs left, the last one left or followed the rest into the night sky.
"The formation of the UFOs took up a large portion of the sky and seemed massive." Source: http://www.nuforc.org/
Report 2: 07-17-10, City of Seattle - "The formation/armada was huge. I was looking at stars with my dad over Puget Sound when I looked west and saw 28-30 reddish, orange orbs stationary in the sky.
"These were not florescent lights like we use on earth, it was more like a different type of light, an energy ball that had a golden tint around the formation of UFOs.
"I felt that there was a tremendous amount of radiant energy coming off of the sun-like orbs. The armada/formation of UFOs was only here for approximately 10 minutes before they vanished into thin air, like smoke." Source: www.nuforc.org
Report 3: 7-17-10, City of Seattle - "At approximately 23:28 PM, PST, in Seattle, Washington, my wife and I received a phone call from her parents (who live 1 block away), about some interesting lights in the sky over Beacon Hill (also in Seattle).
"We were told to immediately come outside and look towards the sky (due west) and see them for ourselves.
"We then saw 25+ orange-lighted objects which appeared to blink in and out as they dimmed in the upper atmosphere. They all appeared to be moving in the same direction (towards the northeast) and all seemed to stem from the same location.
"They were only visible for about 3-5 minutes. Three airplanes were seen in the sky as well (heading to SeaTac Airport to land).
"We took video on our camera, but only a couple of the objects were barely visible through the street lights. You could see the airplane clearly. Unless something is reported on our local news media stations, we are assuming that these were indeed UFOs, and a lot of them.
"We also called the local news stations to report the incident, and they informed us that they had not received any other calls about it, but would look into it." Source: www.nuforc.org
Report 4: 7-17-10 - "My daughter and I were outside, and this object went above us heading straight due north. It was a light, silver-colored disc with a bottom that was about half the size of the craft.
"The half-round bottom looked as though it may have been translucent, its color was grayish and slightly opalescent.
"When the craft passed over what was probably SeaTac Airport, it became very, very bright and looked like a star. But only roughly 6-7 seconds later, it dimmed again and we could still see its disc/orb outline.
"We watched it as far as our eyes would allow. My daughter mentioned the uncanny lack of air traffic as this object moved over the airport area.
"About two minutes after we could no longer see it, we saw a plane come from the airport area. We did not observe the object come from the South - it seemed to just appear in the sky out of nowhere. It was east of us when looking north." Source: www.nuforc.org
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Is Barack Obama An Intentional One Term President?
By Pablo Fanque
All This Is That National Affairs Editor
We've written about this before here. . .In his first year and a half in office, BHO took on a lot of difficult tasks, and succeeded at many of them. Notably, while in the middle of pushing for financial reforms and trying to prop up a faltering economy, he tackled health care reform. He has taken on a number of other reforms. He has already in his first two years, successfully seated two nominees on the Supreme Court. George W. Bush also placed two nominees--in eight years. On the other hand, President Bush also failed in one nomination--the disastrous and almost laughable nomination of his White House Counsel Harriet Miers. Bill Clinton also placed two people on The Supremes. BHO has also taken on some almost pointless issues, like bringing his old professor and a cop to the White House for a mediation over beers on the lawn. Or, when he recently spoke out about the proposed Muslim center in downtown Manhattan (about which he was absolutely right, but had nothing to gain) which is unlikely to ever be built, since they only have a few thousand dollars in the bank. He has nothing to gain, and is unlikely to really even influence people on these sorts of wedge issues.
Almost out of the gate, President Obama seemed to act as if a second term didn't really matter. The U.K.'s Telegraph had an interesting article this weekend, "Does Barack Obama want to be re-elected in 2012?" While I doubt the veracity and analysis of a British 'paper analyzing the U.S. Presidency, they have a point.
Almost everything Obama does these days suggests that he doesn't care much about being re-elected. He may want to be re-elected, but it feels like he isn't really sweating it one way or the other. Strange as it might seem, perhaps he wants to be a one-term president. And, let's face it, in an eight year term as President, you spend at least three of those years either running for re-election or functioning as either a virtual--or real!--lame duck.
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