by Kevin Caruso

December 6, 2005

According to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, President Bush was notified two days before Katrina hit and told that extensive federal assistance would be needed. And she said that she told Bush on August 29 (the day the Hurricane Katrina made landfall): “We need your help. We need everything you’ve got.”

Blanco requested medical personnel and supplies, generators, military vehicles, and firefighting support.

On August 30, the day after Katrina hit, Blanco again requested help and told bush that “the situation is extremely grave.”

Bush did not send a response to any of Blanco’s memos.

Five days after Katrina struck, a presidential aide told Blanco that Bush never received her communications, but they located the memos on her website. He said, “We found [the memos] on the governor's Web site, but we need 'an original' for our staff secretary to formally process the requests.”

It should surprise no one that Bush’s approval ratings are about as low as we have seen for any president.

Bush is a disgrace.