THE ORIGIN OF THE "ANTI-FEMA/ANTI-BUSH KATRINA MEME"

INSTAPUNDIT posted an email from a reader who lives in the Mississippi area struck by Katrina and who PRAISED the overall response. It's a MUST READ; go there and RTWT!

One thing in partricular he wrote struck me which I think bears repeating.

He wrote this:

So where did this idea of a slow response originate? I believe it came from fearful local politicians, mostly in Louisiana, eager to deflect blame to anyone else. It was picked up enthusiastically by the media. The Cindy Sheehan story was rapidly fading, so this was simply another attack by the media, beleieving they have finally got Bush. The Plame story, the Rumsfield story, Cindy Sheehan, Abu Graib, etc… etc…

I think the most salient point is his first: Nagin and Blanco REALLY BELIEVED that 10,000 Louisiannes had perished (or would) and they desperately feared that they would be blamed. So they IMMEDIATELY started pointing fingers at the feds. They did this even though they - and Landrieu had PRAISED FEMA on Monday - AFTER Katrina had hit but before the CANAL BROKE! (This was reported in the NTYIMES!)

The FACT that they PRAISED FEMA and "Brownie" before the canal break - (for being there, and for being so very VERY prepared!) - PROVES that their attacks on FEMA and the federal response - from Wednesday on - were merely desperate post facto rationalizations. THEY WERE COVERING THEIR OWN ASSES.

Of course: the anti-GOP anti-Bush MSM was only to happy to carry their water - as they did Kerry's.

Now, the death-toll is apparently much MUCH less than the 10,000 they predicted (and which the MSM mindlessly repeated). And the property damage is more widespread than anyone had thought possible. This reveals that the storm was WORSE than anyone thought, and that the response was better than the MSM have yet admitted.

Thank God for the internet - so that the people (people like Glenn's reader) can set the record straight. [BTW: Paul at WIZBANG - a New Orleanian who survived the "Dome - AGREES! Got here and check it out!]