Please provide me with sources of praise and criticism of Louisiana
Governor Kathleen Blanco before and after Hurricane Katrina.  This
lady seems wholely inadequate to govern a state, and I wonder how she
got elected.  (I doubt she could even effectively manage a school room
in her former job as a teacher.)

---

Clarification of Question by nelson-ga on 12 Sep 2005 06:39 PDT

Hmm.  Did my personal commentary disuade researchers on this one? 
Surely it should be easy to find news or blog or other sources
regarding the governor.  (Maybe I should close the question and look
myself.)

---

Request for Question Clarification by politicalguru-ga on 12 Sep 2005 07:21 PDT

Dear Nelson, 

How many articles are you expecting on each of the four sections?

---

Clarification of Question by nelson-ga on 12 Sep 2005 07:31 PDT

Interesting.  Let's say three articles per section, however, I am
willing to accept just negative articles, given the dearth of good
thngs to be said about her.  So three nagative articles pre-Katrina
and three post-Katrina.  I will up the ante to $18.00.

Dear nelson-ga;

Given your modified request I think I can fulfill those needs. Here
goes. Keep in mind that like most people I?d never even heard of
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco until recently so my
findings are in no way motivated by personal opinion:

PRE HURRICANE - CON

(in retrospect) ?Friday, August 26: The Feds, understanding the
approaching enormity of the Hurricane, offer before landfall to
federalize the response. And for political reasons, the governor says
no. If this is the case, then the governor is clearly a fool and a
blackguard. The offer was on the table to federalize the response and
she refused it, then she blames the slow federal response she had
forbidden them to launch.?
THE JAWA REPORT
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/116137.php

(in retrospect) ?Before the hurricane, one of Blanco's biggest
challenges of the past year was pushing for a major increase in the
cigarette tax to pay for a $2,000 raise for teachers. The measure lost
badly in the Legislature.

"She swung for the fences but struck out," said John Maginnis, the
publisher of a weekly political newsletter in Louisiana. "While she
has a lot of resolve, sometimes she can be stubborn or inflexible."
NEWS OBSERVER
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2790617p-9229746c.html

(in retrospect) ?Both Barbour and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a
Democrat, also seemed not to understand the size of the storm headed
their way when they issued their first National Guard call-ups ?
Barbour, on Friday night, and Blanco, on Saturday morning.
SUN HERALD
?Katrina: Failure at every turn?
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/12612851.htm




POST HURRICANE ? CON


?On that fateful Saturday, New Orleans needed a leader who could speak
with authority and conviction. Roy Nagin showed neither at that time.
Neither did Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who bears even more
responsibility and was also obviously not prepared for such a
catastrophe. And yes, they should have been prepared.?
SUN SENTINEL.COM
?Governor and mayor failed New Orleans?
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-14forum12sep12,0,1954696.story?coll=sfla-news-opinion


?Governor Kathleen Blanco was incompetent and powermad.?  
MITCHNEWS.COM
?HOW STUPID DO BUSH BASHERS THINK PEOPLE ARE??
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_9448.shtml

?The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina lies squarely on the very weak
shoulders of Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, the city's government and
Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana. You could tell from their
first press conferences that these two had no clue.?
HERALD TRIBUNE
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/OPINION/509110891/1029



I did manage to find a couple of seemingly rare PRO statements: 

PRE HURRICANE

?As a public speaker, Blanco, a Democrat, is hardly dynamic, appearing
more like a friendly den mother than a seasoned politician. But
beneath that exterior, which political observers say helps explain her
connection with voters, is a toughness that is often underestimated,
whether it is on the campaign trail or in a duck hunt, her friends and
advisers said.

"We used to call it a velvet brick," said Tubby St. Blanc, a longtime
friend who heads the state's public service commission. "She's so
smooth and nice and, wham, she'd slam that thing down."
NEWS OBSERVER
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2790617p-9229746c.html


POST HURRICANE 

?I think it goes without saying that Kathleen Blanco is my hero of the
moment. My support for her had been flagging lately, but she's come
out with an admirably righteous furor against the Bush administration
and everyone else who doesn't think Louisiana is worth preserving. I
am impressed beyond belief!?
THE MODERATE VOICE
http://www.themoderatevoice.com/posts/1125807743.shtml


I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


SEARCH TERMS USED:

KATHLEEN * BLANCO

HURRICANE

KATRINA

Thank you.  My favorite was "As a public speaker, Blanco, a Democrat,
is hardly dynamic, appearing more like a friendly den mother than a
seasoned politician".  This is how I've seen her.  I do not view this
as a positive.

Nelson,
I heard from a friend who said he heard it on CNN, that prior to the
hurricane going ashore, Blanco asked Bush for financing to mobilize
the LA National Guard.  Apparently, GWB said the he would only do so
if the guard were placed under federal control.  She demured
(according to my friend and what he understood from CNN).  If this is
true, obviously both of them were at fault, but we now know that the
whole HEMA system was completely inadequate  - to put it mildly.

Nothing moved till GBW was on the ground in front of the cameras that
arrived with US One, and then it was heavy equipment in an area that
was already completely evacuated.

Has anyone in the States heard that Germany has sent 94 technicians
with high-powered pumps to help in NO?  Or heard that 15 tons of
rations delivered and on the ground were refused, ostensibly out of
fear of BSE?  ???

Don't get me wrong, I'm an American, and maybe over here we get some
different pictures, and I have learned the pattern of his generalizing
rhetoric:  "Americans don't forget or neglect their fellow citizens,"
and "Kristina will make us/America(?) stronger."  Sure: an old medical
adage:  what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.

Sorry, Nelson, for misusing your question.  
How she got elected?  We keep asking ourselves that a couple of years
after most election ...
Myoarin

What you essentially asked for was four categories of information. PRO
and CON from BEFORE and AFTER the hurricane. Honestly, I personally
took a cursory shot at your question and found it too difficult for
the price offered to find enough positive information (PRO) about her
to formulate an answer. That in itself might be telling, depending on
how you choose to view it.

tutuzdad-ga