Call the White House

[icarus]

Feel a need to tell the White House just what you think of the third world conditions our president is, through his inaction, responsible for after Katrina?

Want to demand that our National Guard troops come home to take care of our people?

Appalled and horrified?

Give the White House a call, or email at:

Comments (202) 456-1111
comments@whitehouse.gov

Comments to Cheney (202) 456-1414
vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Very few people have the balls to call the White House directly, so when people flood the phones it's taken as a very clear signal.

Call.


ETA: Everyone who sees this -- meme fans! -- post this information in your LJ. Let's get the word out.

Comments

[chinesefirebal.livejournal.com]

What is this about Bush and lack of action after Katrina? I live in Australia, so all I have really heard about it is the death toll.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

He was on a five-week vacation not to far away and didn't respond for three days. He finally hauled his lazy ass onto his plane and flew over the area -- at 17,000 feet in Airforce One. How slow can a 747 fly?

All the money that Congress has approved has been sans any effort or word from him.

A lot of these people were trapped because there were no helicopters to rescue them. Gee, do you think the nation's Commander in Chief could have ordered some military helicopters down there?

Oh. That's right. All our National Guard troops and military forces are in Iraq.

The oil refiners, most of whom keep fleets of helicopters to fly workers to off-shore oil rigs, couldn't tell us they don't have helicopters to survey the damage.

Oh, but I hear tomorrow he's actually going to land this time. Whoo.

Icarus

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

He was at a high-rolling Republican fundraiser at a swank hotel in San Diego the night Katrina hit.

He gave a speech in Arizona about Medicaid to a handpicked audience and had photo-op birthday cake with John McCain the next day. He was also photographed playing guitar.

He wasn't even pretending to take an interest in the situation, much less actually care. At least his father would have done that.

I understand our Secretary of State enjoyed Spamalot a great deal on Broadway Wednesday evening.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Guitar?

I have a new name for Bush: Nero.

I understand that Canada is ready to send aid as they did for Florida in the past ... and there's no word from him.

Icarus

From what I understand,

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

I read in CDN newspapers that P.M. Martin offered aid --- directly by telephone to Bush himself -- and was essentially shrugged off, but discussed the needs with some other US depts, and got the goods and people together anyways --- because the people down there CAN'T WAIT. They deserve help.

Re: From what I understand,

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Do you have any links to this? I was looking around and I couldn't find them on Friday.

Icarus

Re: From what I understand,

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

It was on Rogers!Yahoo (which means it should be available on yahoo.ca) or Canada.com I can't remember which. I'll look around for the link.

found it

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

this isn't the original article, it's a second or third generation article of it (i think i saw the original article as early as Wednesday morning?), but it says the basics -- Martin called Bush directly, offered EVERYTHING, and "wasn't asked for help" (which I translate to 'was brushed off' in polite diplomat-speak)
the article (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cpress/20050901/ca_pr_on_na/katrina_cda_aid_6)

Fiddling while NOLA Burns

[selkielass.livejournal.com]

(http://imageshack.us)

Found the image.
This SO needs to be made into a scathing icon and spread all over the internet- I wish I had the skills.

Anyone?

Re: Fiddling while NOLA Burns

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's unbelievable. What an ass!

Let's put out an APB for that.

Icarus

Re: Fiddling while NOLA Burns

[prettyclever.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how I found this, but I did. I made some icons of that, and I thought I'd share them in case you lot wanted to use them too. If there's any kind of text you'd like on one and you don't feel up to making it yourself, I'd happily make one for you.

Re: Fiddling while NOLA Burns

[selkielass.livejournal.com]

Brilliant!

[mad_maudlin]

Canda wants to send aid, but Homeland Security is holding things up--not allowing planes to land and stuff.

While people in the Superdome are getting raped and murdered and armed gangs keep helicopters from evacuating the dying.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

No, his father didn't care about Miami when Hurricane Andrew hit. Bush Sr didn't pay attention for 3-4 days either.
Maybe it's genetic?

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

Gyeesh, I had forgotten about that. Helped cost him the election too. I guess Dim Son figures he's a lame duck, it doesn't matter.

Fucking sociopaths. When they handed out empathy and compassion and responsibility, the whole family was off golfing.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I'd totally forgotten about that.

I'm sure these people think: "What? Folks should just get on their private jets and leave."

Icarus

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

Thank you- I will. I have been crying and drinking all night.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

Bush will never recover from this. He has shown his true colors.

Icarus

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Yeah, where is Dick these days? Shouldn't he be *somewhere*? Is he ill?

[authenticjoy.livejournal.com]

He is out sunning himself on a nice rock trying to warm up his blood. Lizards and snakes must do that, you see.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

LOL! Before they crawl back into their holes at night.

I thought the response to this crisis was a little cold-blooded.

Icarus

Thank you!

[auxphono.livejournal.com]

I've been looking for my aclu membership card, which has that information on the back .. and I can't find it ;_; But, now I don't have to search for the info... ^__^ I'm now free to give a scathing email to the whitehouse... I'd call, but I'm bad on the phone ^_^;;

-_- I can't believe bush's PR director is so stupid as to shoot photographs of him having a jolly-ol'-time while there's a national disaster in the South... I could believe bush to be that stupid.. but the PR director?

Re: Thank you!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I've been emailing after each attempt at spin in the papers:

Mr. President, you are responsible for this. Not FEMA, not anyone else. It is your job to be a leader during an emergency and you didn't lead.

Frankly, I don't care if he actually cares or if he's Republican or Democrat or what-have-you. He had a job to do which was to respond and lead in a time of crisis. He didn't.

Icarus

[jaig.livejournal.com]

I deleted the post I made awhile ago because I found more information. I can't agree with myself anymore.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you. There was an attempt to spin the disaster in New Orleans as self-inflicted so as to absolve the president of any responsibility, and portray it as riots instead of a natural disaster he failed to respond to.

Fortunately, other than a momentary blip of misinformation it didn't work. It became clear within 12 hours that the problem was a lack of food, water, shelter and other basic survival needs they'd gone without for days, even when we knew exactly where they were and what they didn't have. That the lawlessness was the result of neglect by our own government, the looting was largely because people had no other way to get food and supplies, the shooting because the police were ordered to protect property over lives. That angry gangs and thugs were allowed to gain the upper hand.

That you -- gajillions of miles away -- were suckered in by the spin the US government was trying to put on this to protect the president from his mistake is unsurprising. A lot of people were fooled. Temporarily.

Icarus

[(Anonymous)]

thanks for all the information - I hadn't heard about Bush's lateness and guitar playing.

Don't you guys have anything like what we call the SES (state emergency service). It is pretty much a civillian group that looks after disatery things. In the case of katrina they would evavuate people, set up medical centres and things like that. At least then you wouldn't need to worry so much where the national guard is.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the late reply.

We have FEMA that's supposed to respond to disasters, but the president has cut its budget and incorporated it under the "Homeland Security" division directing all its efforts towards protection against "terrorists."

We've had one terrorist attack in five years. We've had eleven hurricanes this year alone.

This is Bush's responsibility on a lot of levels. His inaction and partying, his desperate spin to blame the people of New Orleans for "looting" when he hasn't sent any food, the fact that our National Guard troops -- whose mandate is to respond to disasters -- are in Iraq, and the fact that our disaster relief agencies like FEMA have been plundered.

We'll soon see the result of his theory that "private citizens" and charities and not the government should take care the needy. Because he's also plundered the financial support systems for the homeless and destitute to give tax breaks to the rich.

Icarus

[spyofsorrow.livejournal.com]

If Bush gets re-elected again, I don't know what to think...

[mad_maudlin]

Ah, the nice thing is, he can't--presidents can only serve two terms. So at least we're rid of this particular fuckwad after 2008.

Now, his brother Jeb, on the other hand...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Not a chance. I've seen pictures of the man. We'll elect a lizard first.

Icarus

[mad_maudlin]

You know, I think the political process of the country is currently such that the Republicans could nominate a lizard, and the Democrats could nominate a bucket of coleslaw, and the talking heads on FOX and NPR would still be snarking back and forth about which candidate has more character.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*snerk* Coleslaw...

Hang on, I have to stop laughing for a sec.

Okay. *smothers a laugh* The trouble is, no reasonable decent person would want to be president.

Icarus

[tirica.livejournal.com]

For him to even only run for president another time, meaning immediately after these two terms in office, he'd have to change the U.S. Constituion.

I wouldn't wonder if he attempted doing that, but I doubt he will really try. Hopefully.

So yes, just another what 3 years, then it's over? I hope USA will survive that *sigh*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, as a few people have said, it's currently illegal for him to run for president again. And Jeb Bush doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

Icarus

[monzz.livejournal.com]

Pimping this on my LJ, and seriously considering sending an email. Bush can't just sit back on his ass and do nothing.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Email, call. I think the direct and visceral outcry against Bush is why he's changed his tune over the last few days.

Icarus

[cordelia_v]

Thanks, Icarus. I'm in a rush this morning, so I just copied your text directly onto my lj. After I called the White House and Cheney's office.

I simply have no words for any of this. I'm too angry.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and thank you for spreading the word.

The auto-reply I received for my email (the phone was busy throughout the day) pissed me off even more.

Icarus

[wikdsushi.livejournal.com]

*snerk* I'm trying to call.

LINE'S BUSY.

I think I might just have to drop an email.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

*snerk* I'm trying to call.

LINE'S BUSY.

Yep, that cracked me up too. I had to send an email.

I think I might just have to drop an email.

And didn't you just love the evasive, denial-ridden bullshit auto-reply?

Jesus.

We're about to see the results of Bush plundering the government social service programs. Upwards of 500,000 people homeless and destitute.

Icarus

[threeoranges.livejournal.com]

Emailed, asking them to consider taking up offers of aid from other countries. Thanks for the info!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I'm pissed off, I tell you. I can't believe he actually refused both the Canadian and Russian offers of assistance, like an arrogant child.

Icarus

[alafairnadia.livejournal.com]

I love calling the white house, especially since half the people who answer have Texan accents and my 5 years in Houston allow me to respond in kind. And rant. and rant and rant and rant. :) so much fun. of course, I'm always ranting about something serious :(

this is similar to my favorite saturday morning pastime in Houston (I lived right down the street from a women's clinic that did abortions on Saturdays) -- I'd call the Houston Police Dept. to complain about protesters blocking the sidewalk.

I'm a firm believer in torturing people via telephone. and politicians really take into account the people who are calling them. they have to. we're the ones who are so outraged we have to speak.

thanks for posting this, and I'll meme it soon.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Of course, when I tried to call last week the phone was busy. All day. Heh.

Icarus