The truth about Hurricane Katrina

Look, I've never been much of a fan of Michael "Brownie" Brown, but can we now, finally, hold President Bush accountable for the federal government's failure to respond properly and effectively to Hurricane Katrina? This is the smoking gun:

In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

The footage — along with seven days of transcripts of briefings obtained by The Associated Press — show in excruciating detail that while federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, they were fatally slow to realize they had not mustered enough resources to deal with the unprecedented disaster.

Indeed, the footage reveals both that the federal government badly botched its response to Katrina given what was anticipated before the storm hit and that Bush lied to the American people. It also reveals that Brown warned his superiors of the severity of the situation, both before and after the storm hit, implored them to take action, and concerned himself with the welfare of the people of New Orleans with the utmost gravity.

Yet Brown has been scapegoated and slandered while Bush has, as usual, denied responsibility and avoided accountability. It is time for that to change. Brown ought to be credited, however belatedly, for what he did to help the victims of Katrina, for the leadership, however flawed, he showed during a time of crisis. And Bush...

Bush ought to be ashamed of himself. The American people ought to be ashamed of him. And his gross negligence must finally be held against him.

Two days ago, I put it this way:

It's Katrina, stupid!

The message remains the same.

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Crooks and Liars has the video here.

At Newsweek, Mark Hosenball has more on who knew what and when.

See also The Moderate Voice, Firedoglake, The Left Coaster, The Carpetbagger Report, Bob Geiger, and Pandagon.