Blogs and Stories
Obama's New Orleans Nightmare
Bill Haber / AP Photo
The president's remarks about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina marked a signature moment—when The Deity became just another evasive bureaucratic pol.
It was entirely predictable that Barack Obama would, in time, fall short of the romantic ideal advertised by the most adoring of his moist-eyed supporters. He is, after all, a successful politician.
But it comes as a shock that the 44th president—who only recently entered the public consciousness as a world-shaking game-changer—could metamorphose so completely into just another Washington creature emitting an inky cloud of bureaucratic evasions. As his disillusioned former acolytes wring their hands over his descent into the grubby business of realpolitik—whether it be caving in to the ungrateful insurance companies and splitting the difference on health-care reform, or preparing to accede to the Pentagon's demands for thousands more troops for the quagmire in Afghanistan—Obama's narrative arc is not a pretty one.
“I felt he could have at least given me a straightforward answer, even ‘We have real doubts about the costs of the damage,’” Gabriel Bordenave, who asked Obama the Katrina question Thursday, told me. “He was trying to avoid the issue.”
You know things are bad when Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, one of the president's more reliable defenders, calls him "disingenuous," as Robinson did this morning on MSNBC, reacting to an answer Obama gave at Thursday's televised town meeting in New Orleans. (It's less surprising that Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, would deride Obama's performance as "pathetic.")
Indeed, at times during his drop-by in the Big Easy (on the way to a $34,000-a-couple DNC fundraising dinner in San Francisco), Obama impersonated a double-talking hack—a bracing contrast to the principled, charismatic leader who shows up in HBO's nostalgic documentary, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, which debuts on Nov. 3, a year after his historic victory.
So which image is closer to the bone—the leader or the hack?
A New Orleans law-school graduate named Gabriel Bordenave is enjoying his requisite 15 minutes for teasing out the president's inner equivocator. The 29-year-old Bordenave, who voted for Obama, pressed him regarding his solemn campaign promise to reverse the Bush administration's lousy performance on Hurricane Katrina.
"Why is it [that] four years after Katrina we're still fighting with the federal government for money to repair our devastated city?" Bordenave demanded, citing insufficient funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a much-needed community college and for the city's only full-service public hospital, both of which were severely damaged by the storm and still languish unrepaired. "I mean, I expected as much from the Bush administration," Bordenave went on, "but why are we still being nickled and dimed in our recovery?"
In the middle of his lengthy, defensive, and self-justifying response—praising his administration for, among other feats, "working around the clock to clear up red tape and to eliminate bureaucracy"—Obama unleashed the money quote:
"Now, I wish I could just write a check—you say, 'Why not?' Well, you know, there's this whole thing about the Constitution and Congress and"—here the president smirked as some in the crowd laughed—"not to mention the fact that...one of the interesting things you find out about being president is everybody will attack you for spending money, unless you're spending it on them. You notice that? So we've got to go through procedures."
The Right Dumps Carrie
Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
What's Joe's Problem?
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Geithner's Stock Plummeting
Jeff Madrick is a contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former economics columnist for the New York Times. He is editor of Challenge Magazine, visiting professor of humanities at Cooper Union, and senior fellow at the New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. He is the author of Taking America, The End of Affluence (Random House) and The Case for Big Government.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
The All-New Sarah Palin
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
The Boys Under the Bus
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
As a native of Louisiana, the culture for over 70 years has been welfare, which started under "The Kingfish" Huey Long as governor. This culture was so evident when the New Orleans citizens were told of the danger of Katrina and they ignored it, including the Mayor & Governor. LSU for years had a computer forecast of the potential for such a disaster and it was ignored and it can happen again. Why rebuild when the city id 10 feet below sea level. Foolish! That is why the early settlers set up on Bourbon St. one of the high points of the area. Obama was offering lip service and the citizens saw through it.
As a native New Orleanian who helped my family recover and rebuild in the 9th ward, Bordenave is naive at best or stupid at worst. Pres Obama's sole goal is to have his admin reduce red tape on the flow of funds. period However it has to be accounted for because if federal funds are to be stolen ; they will be in Nawlins. It is our history
It was an honest answer.So wake the F* up Bordenave, Sabato and Shearer. As was said, he is a successful Politician, never said he was not a politician.
Ah yes, another cute, little reference to "the Deity"...This indeed bolsters the author's credibility. And yes, Tina Brown, we realize you were criticized for using this term in your most recent ode to Hillary Clinton.
I'm quite certain Mr. Grove hopes, perhaps even prays that this "money quote" is Obama's signature moment. This is his goal, right? This is why he and Ms. Brown hope to craft Obama's doom with such headlines as "nightmare," and in the case of his Olympic bid, "disaster." Not only are these snarky, hyperbolic headlines better served by the New York Post, they still won't turn back time to make Hillary the President.
Excellent strategy, though, employing the likes of Eugene Robinson for back up. Divide and conquer--the main staple of plantation management. Hey, here's a thought, why hasn't Eugene Robinson been invited to write something for the Daily Beast? But perhaps now that Mr. Robinson has taken-at least what Mr. Grove considers a reasonable criticism of Obama, perhaps he will be welcomed into the fold...
I liked the speech and Robinson is absolutely right.
Does President Obama know that Mississippi exists?
He is not sure. Are there more than 57 states?
Oh yes, thanks for reminding me: he has been to all 57.
Lloyd Groove,
your SMEARING is showing!!!
Fact is: The Obama Administration has already done hundred times more than the previous Admin in 4 years!
Fact is: There is a governor in Louisiana who, for political reasons, wasted time and energy fighting against stimulus money coming into Louisiana. What more has he been fighting against? Obama was probably too nice to call him out in that Townhall, especially given that he already got booed at the beginning.
Fact is: There's just too much internal politicking in Louisiana. Until they make up their minds about what needs to be done and request the funds for it, there's little the Federal Govt can do.
Fact is: The Constitution DOES indeed matter. There are States' Rights and the Fed Govt cannot infringe on it. Obama's answer was absolutely correct. Nothing disingenuous about it! It was a STRAIGHT, HONEST answer, PERIOD! The Truth.
Lloyd Groove: Political Whackjob Artist!
Louisana politicking second only to Illinois/Chicago.
Mr Obama has no trouble spending money on all kinds of things..7 BILLION on aid to Pakistan..over 1 BILLION to the criminal Palestinian organizations...looks like he can't come up for the brothers and sisters in his own country. What a surprise!
Didn't anyone clue the crowd in that he really doesn't think much of Americans?
Obama doesn't have to impersonate a double talking hack..he IS one..to the core. And now the people of New Orleans know that...that's what really smarts.
Georealist:
So the stimulus money--resoundly rejected by Bobby Jindal, wasnt for Americans? Really?
and yeah, we're all convinced that before now, YOU really gave a shit about the good "brothers and sisters" of New Orleans.
The GOP has fought tooth & nail over every penny. After 8 years of spending us into a deficit, with their no-bid contracts for haliburton,etc. The stimulus package was whittled down to get GOP support, inspite of economic advisors saying it wasn't big enough. Now they they are yelling where's the jobs . Now the Democrats are making the same mistake with the health care reform. They don't need bi-partsian support, but they keep extending the olive branch to those who repeatly made it clear that they will make this, his "Waterloo". President Obama continues to try to make this government work, as Our Founders intended. How do you do this when so many legislators are determined to see him Fail, no matter what the cost to the American citizen. If they haven't out right agreed with birthers, deathers,etc., they have remained silent. Even as people show up at Town hall meetings with weapons. They say thay have every right to do so. Their 2nd amendment rights can't be infringed on. Never mind the potential for violence, in what should be a place for civil debate. They don't remind these people that rights should be used in a responsible manner. This President has stepped into this job at a time of unparalleled problems. There was a potential for this country to slide into another depression, but the stock market is doing fine . But the GOP won't give him credit for that. Nobel Peace Prize was awarded him, for his efforts, to extend our hand out in peace, instead of shaking our fists. But the GOP jeered. And they cheered when he failed to get the Olympics. The GOP continues to fight this President every step of the way. IF YOU WON'T HELP, THEN YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM! So, I like to remind those, who are interested in this President solving the many problems we face as a country and on this planet, That our Constitution starts with WE THE PEOPLE. SO, PEOPLE GET INVOLVED IN YOUR GOVERNMENT!. We have a president not a king. Most of us what to see this President succeed. We need to remind the elected offificals that are slowing this train down, get on board, or be left at the station!
You are correct we have a president not a king.
Did you catch the news item: 1.4 trillion deficent (in one year!) and the stimulus wasn't big enough? There must be a Kool-Aid fountain at your house.
The stimulus is an investment in America. Create jobs and people pay taxes instead of going on unemployment. Invest in America like they did during the depression. Put People to work fixing roads and bridges. Invest in Green energy instead of sending our money over seas. Stimulate the economy by lending money to small business owners. The GOP is not concerned about the deficit, what they are concerned about, is that this President fail even at the detriment of the American people. Since when is putting Americans back to work equated with drinking the kool-Aid?
If the The Stimulus had been as big as the economists said was needed,there would be less people on unemployment now. The more people working and paying taxes the deficit would have been less today. But with all the people continuing to lose their jobs and their homes the deficit will continue to grow. And these people instead of spending money That would have stimulated the economy and paying taxes are now adding to the deficit as they go on unemployment.
After all these years, this tragedy this should not have even been an issue yet to be dealt with.
Good Job Brownie
How come you did not take care of this....you had how many years?
and who is getting crap for that?
hey Lloyd
Who is pathetic when it comes to the response to Katrina?
Lloyd Grove, looking for his Signature Moment. Keep looking.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.