Giving credit where it’s due
http://www.washingtonpost…5091300588.html
Bush takes responsibility for Katrina failures
President Bush said today he takes responsibility for any government failures in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and said the disaster exposed “serious problems” in the country’s ability to respond to calamities such as a terrorist attack.
“Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government,” Bush said at a joint White House news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. “To the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility.”
I guess this means we Liberals will no longer be able to accuse the President of never taking responsibility for his mistakes. Yet isn’t it sad that when the President takes responsibility for his actions (or inaction), it makes headlines?
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It certainly was astonishing to hear something akin to admitting wrong, a mistake, from this leader. Has he ever done this?
Comment by Mel B. — Wednesday, 14 September 2005 @ 9:47 pm
And, btw, I was tempted to add this as a reason the world should end, but for the most part, reasons are intended to be funny. This isn’t.
Comment by Mel B. — Thursday, 15 September 2005 @ 6:41 pm
This floored me. Maybe the political fallout from Katrina is a real concern, then. Though I still suspect everyone will forget come election time.
Comment by Heather — Thursday, 15 September 2005 @ 10:22 pm
He didn’t admit he made mistakes, he just accepted the blame for the extent the fed’l gov’t didn’t do its job right.
dlw
Comment by dlw — Friday, 16 September 2005 @ 11:43 am
But the fact that he didn’t pass the buck, like he has with every other problem in his presidency, is worth noting.
Comment by Heather — Friday, 16 September 2005 @ 12:48 pm
I don’t know if that is a fact, Heather. I give him some credit for at least finally accepting some responsibility–and I believe accepting any responsibility at all is a first not only for this administration but a first in the President’s entire life. However, the devil really is in the details. What does he mean when he says it? Is he willing to accept responsibility for having appointed a political hack into the head of FEMA? Does he accept responsibility for pulling funding away from flood preparations in the Gulf states? It seems to me that it’s just a platititude meant to sound like he’s not passing the buck. Especially when you read the actual quote: [paraphrasing, but closely I think] “To whatever extent the federal government failed, I accept responsibility.” And his tone as he said it. He sounded like my 4 year old, after she’s hit her sister and I ask her to apologize and she just mumbles “I’m sorry” but when you ask her why she says “I don’t know.” I don’t let my 4 year-old get away with fake apologies, why should I let the President get away with one?
Comment by Scrivener — Friday, 16 September 2005 @ 1:24 pm