I must refer you to my bro's comment to this piece in the Arkansas Times. The comment is below in it's entirety, the original is here.
The President loves him some Texas history. He wants desperately, despite his privileged pedigree, to be like one of those fellers from Gunsmoke. When he walks he holds his hands back away from his imaginary six-shooters, a sight which you might mistake for him being on the defensive were he not such a bigshot.
If you asked him about the Alamo, I’m sure he would gladly recapitulate, bright-eyed like, all of the glorious details concerning the death of the supreme Texas patriot, Col. Travis, and 182 other courageous soldiers on the San Antonio prairie. A hero died, a state was born.
Hopefully, he would then provide details on the completion of the struggle for Texas independence, with the events of the Battle for San Jacinto. Here he would say, “Santa Ana’s army got their hides tanned”, borrowing from the vernacular. And the legend of “Remember the Alamo!” would become a permanent part of the national record.
Consider for a moment what it must have felt like, laying low in that Alamo, waiting for Santa Ana to come finish you off. Your men are dying, your powder’s gone, and that request to Col. Fannin for relief had gone unheeded. Only a matter of time.
Strangely similar to recent events, you might tell the Prez. All those people trapped in their houses, waiting for buses, food, medicine, relief. Maybe that’s how they felt at the Alamo.
But then Bush would do what he’s famous for, avoid the truth. Who died in New Orleans, or more specifically, what died? How about the idea that government governs best when it governs least? Or to each his own? Or that phantom invisible hand? Or that disaster relief is an entitlement?
If you look at our government’s response to New Orleans, then you have the clearest picture ever taken of Conservatism with its pants down. As result of conservative government, people died, babies starved, and significant suffering occurred like we’ve never seen. At least when liberals got caught with their pants down, only decency suffered.
So you’ll thank Bush for the history lesson and go on your way. And you’ll go to the polls in 2006, 2008, forever hopefully…and say to yourself, “Remember New Orleans!”.
A hero died, a movement was born. We’ve got our battle cry, and we are going to beat you senseless with it.
I mentioned to my brother that just this weekend I was reading an old New Yorker, with a pre-election piece on shrub which recounts shrub's love of Texas history and of the Alamo story in particular. In fact, he once gave the Ryder Cup golf team a pep talk by reading the letter from Col. Travis begging for reinforcements at the Alamo, a letter which went unheeded.
What is it they say about history repeating itself? Apparently the governor of Louisiana requested aid on 8/28 in response to the hurricane. shrub couldn't even manage to cut off his vacation and get back to Washington until days later. Please note the exactness of the needs; the letter makes clear exactly what help will be needed, what areas would be most affected, what federal agencies they were requesting help from, and even estimated costs. All before the worst of the storm actually hit. And shrub and his minions has the nerve to say "Who could have predicted this? blah blah blah." How many lives were lost because shrub couldn't be bothered to leave his vacation? This is vile criminal negligence at the least.
Remember New Orleans, indeed.
