Weekend: Blame Game

On Saturday, September 3, Day Six after the flood, the President spoke to the media in front of the White House. Flanked by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Meyers, and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, the President acknowledged shortfalls in the federal response and committed to direct a more effective response. He said, “Many of our citizens are simply not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable.” After six days of seeming out of touch, the acknowledgment of the inadequate response seemed a heartening development. That day a larger federal presence was seen in New Orleans and President Bush ordered over 7,000 troops and an additional 10,000 National Guardsmen to....²⁷