Hurricane Katrina Left a Mark on George W. Bush’s Presidency
He is one of the most controversial figures in American life. And, as he approaches the end of his presidency, George W. Bush has finally joined the raging national debate about his legacy. In recent interviews and public statements, Bush has been more contemplative and revealing than ever as he assesses his eight years in office, attempts to lift his public image out of the trough, and shapes perceptions of his era. In this series, U.S. News reviews the Bush presidency from the beginning in 2001—with a special focus on five of his most fateful decisions, including going to war in Iraq and, more recently, approving a huge bailout of the financial industry.
Botching Katrina. It was a disaster at every level. But in political terms, the government's failure to respond effectively to Hurricane Katrina in the late summer of 2005 was Bush's biggest setback at home. "Katrina showed he is incompetent," says Howard Dean, outgoing chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "Before Katrina, everyone, including America's friends and enemies, believed if something awful happened in the world, you could call in the Americans and they'd fix it." The government response to the hurricane, which devastated New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast, ruined that reputation, Dean argues.
Bush seemed slow off the mark as millions of people suffered, and he created a lasting image of isolation when the White House released photos of him, a solitary figure in his cushy seat, looking out a window on Marine One at the hurricane devastation far below. He also made a huge mistake when he praised Michael Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with a now infamous attaboy—"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job"—even though the agency was botching the disaster response, adding to the impression that Bush was out of touch.
White House advisers say the blame for the poor Katrina response must be shared by the federal, state, and local governments, especially in dealing with the hurricane-related problems in New Orleans. Bush defenders add that he was correct not to visit the disaster sites immediately because to do so would have greatly complicated the relief efforts on the ground.
More substantively, Bush refrained from having the federal government immediately take over the relief effort even when it became clear that the state and local governments in Louisiana were not up to the job. His aides say Bush was guided here by his experience as governor of Texas and his belief that such matters are best left to lower-level officials. "For him, it was a question of usurpation of power," says a former senior adviser. But his failure to act while thousands of desperate people, unable to find food or water, were appealing for help on national television erased his image as an effective decision maker.
- Read more about President Bush's legacy.
- Read more about Bush and the war in Iraq.
- Read more about Bush and the "war on terror."
- Read more about Bush and the financial crisis.
- Read more about Cheney--Bush's Right-Hand Man.
- View a photo gallery of Bush's presidency.
- Read more by Kenneth T. Walsh.
Reader Comments
How Come?
How come no one here is pointing out the fact that Katrina hit more than one city. Every other metropolis affected was able to handle this situation through local and state governments. Why is it only New Orleans complaining about G.W. I am not a fan of his but we as a country need to stop blaming him for everything I have been through major hurricane's in my life (Hugo, Rita, & Now Ike) and never did anyone sit back and wait for the Government. There was a sense of community and people hgelping people. New Orleans is not only the community that was affected by Katrina, just the only one who can't do anything for themselves. And don't try and use that excuse that the levies broke there, Even people in Houston were warning the city councils about the weakening levies, but no they chose to use money for the city in other ways. This is not G.W. fault but an entire city that took this hurricane way to lightly before it ever even hit land.
Where were the Governer and Mayor
While many want to blame Bush, the fact o the matter is that evacuations, emergency plans, etc. are the responsibility of the governor and the mayor (Blanca and Nagin) who neglected to perform their duties. It is their responsibility to get the first responders moving and organized, especially when you have a hurricane that you know is coming. The fact of the matter is that the federal government is constitutionally prohibited from moving in without the state's permission (which took Blanca 3 days to finally allow federal agencies to deliver aid. This is also why we have National Guard (who acts under the governor's orders). New Orleans wasn't the only city hit by Katrina, it was bungled by an incompetent mayor who failed to act. It was a failure by the mayor and governor who, instead of acting promptly with emergency plans, just took a back seat and neglected their duties.
Look at any other natural disaster, the people who are there to evacuate, fight the fire, clean things up etc. are local fire, police, national guard and various other local first response agencies. FEMA was never intended as first response agency, that's why they train fire, police, and local governments on how respond, because they are the ones who are going to be there when it happens. Once a state of emergency is declared and the governor calls for federal help, that is when they come. To sit here and blame Bush for the failure of local leadership to perform their duties is a simple display of ignorance.
Katrina and Bush
I don't know why everyone keeps "blaming" Bush for the Katrina response. The initial blame should be placed on the people at the local and state levels. In every hurricane preparedness bulletin it states that one should have supplies and be prepared for 3 to 5 days without assistance after the storm. With a disaster of the scope of a Cat 4 hurricane that stretched so far along the coast it took a long time to mobilize relief. I was in Gulfport 6 hours before the storm made landfall and people were burning bonfires on the beach and I saw a total of 2 businesses that had boarded up. No one took the storm seriously. We asked a waitress when she planned to leave and her reply was "Why would I be leaving?" That business is now just a concrete pad. Some states and local governments did everything that they possibly could. The federal response was gotten there as quickly as it could also. Don't ask what your government can do for you, ask what you can do for yourself!
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