Obama: " Screw Kentucky"

Imagine a disaster where at least a million Americans are without power in the dead of winter, 46 people have died and the president and FEMA are nowhere to be found.

You've just described what's been going on in Kentucky for the last five days:

Utility crews renewed work in subfreezing temperatures Saturday in their effort to put the power back on for nearly a million customers left in the dark by an ice storm that crippled parts of several states this week.

Thousands of people in ice-caked Kentucky awoke in motels and shelters, asked to leave their homes by authorities who said emergency teams in some areas were too strapped to reach everyone in need of food, water and warmth.

A 20-degree temperature boost was forecast across much of the region, a boon to the power crews but one that carried with it the threat of flooding.

Dozens of deaths have been reported and many people are pleading for a faster response to the power outages. About 536,000 homes and businesses across Kentucky were without power, down from more than 600,000 the largest outage in state history, surpassing the damage last year from the remnants of Hurricane Ike.

The outages disabled water systems in much of the western part of the state, where some in rural areas resorted to dipping buckets in a creek. Authorities warned it could be days or weeks before power was restored in the most remote spots.

That uncertainty had many appealing for help. Officials issued curfews Friday and urged those in dark homes to leave.

"We're asking people to pack a suitcase and head south and find a motel if they have the means, because we can't service everybody in our shelter," said Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown, who oversees about 9,000 people, many of whom spent a fifth night sleeping in the town's elementary school.

Local officials grew angrier at what they said was a lack of help from the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In Kentucky's Grayson County, about 80 miles southwest of Louisville, Emergency Management Director Randell Smith said the 25 National Guardsmen who have responded have no chain saws to clear fallen trees. He said roads are littered with fallen trees and people shivering in bone-chilling cold are in need.

"We've got people out in some areas we haven't even visited yet," Smith said. "We don't even know that they're alive."

And where is President Obama? Hosting his Superbowl party and relaxing in his nice warm office while women, kids and old people are freezing to death.

I can't help but ask the question...is the fact that these people are mostly white and predominantly GOP voters have anything to do with the president's decision to ignore this disaster?

Kentucky has called out its entire national guard in an effort to evacuate people to shelters where they can find some kind of respite from the cold, but in a largely rural state with no help from FEMA and the Feds, they're fighting a losing battle against time and the freezing weather.

Conspicuously absent is the press,which lined up shoulder to shoulder to bash the Bush Administration for the way it handled Hurricane Katrina with much less cause. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

This is Obama's Katrina and the media is sitting on it. Hardly anyone but FOX is even giving it more than a cursory mention, and needless to say, nobody is asking Obama anything.

During the campaign, I had major reservations on the character and the experience of the man who has become our president, but after his election I was more than willing to acknowledge that we have only one president and to allow him to prove himself.

Based on his conduct, the decisions he's made during the 12 days he's been in office and the sort of appointments he's making for positions in his cabinet, I was far too generous.

Heckuva job, Barry.

UPDATE 2/03/09: Apparently, FEMA has finally gotten involved, after over fifty deaths. FEMA was a no show for almost a week after the storm.

“I’m not saying we can’t handle it,” Smith said. “We’re handling it. But it sure would have made life a lot easier.” ~ Randell Smith, Kentucky Emergency Management Director.

The excuse given by FEMA spokes woman Mary Hudak was, "We have plenty of folks ready to go, but there are some limitations with roads closed and icy conditions."

Now that makes me wonder... if FEMA could be expected to amass huge numbers of responders all the way to the south end of Louisiana in the face of a major hurricane while the roads that weren't flooded or closed by mud and erosion were choked with thousands of motorists trying to flee out of the area, does anyone take seriously the excuse FEMA couldn't put on some chains and make it into Kentucky?

If this had been the Bush Administration and the residents were primarily black, do you really think that sort of excuse would wash? Or would this story be front page headlines throughout the nation,and rife with accusations from the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Julianne Malveauxand their ilk of racism?

Even the mainstream press can't totally cover up for President Obama totally - That is if they menntion this story at all. This morning's Associated press release ( thank you, Soccer Dad!) is headlined FEMA gets decent marks for its ice storm response and makes a point of how "Kentucky Governor Beshear has consistently praised Obama, a fellow Democrat, for the attention he's devoted to what Beshear calls the biggest natural disaster to hit his state."

As if a Democrat governor is going to cast aspersions on the newly elected President Obama and say he's been ignoring them?

The reality is that FEMA and the Obama administration didn't even get involved until a whole week after the storm hit and a number of people had died of the cold. The article highlights Beshear's remarks and self-laudatory assessments from FEMA personnel, but even the AP can't totally bring itself to ignore the facts on the ground:

...more than 300,000 residents remained without power Monday and some areas had yet to see aid workers nearly a week after the storm, a fact not lost on some local authorities.

"We haven't seen FEMA. They haven't been here," said Jaime Green, a spokeswoman for the emergency operations center in Lyon County, about 95 miles northwest of Nashville, Tennessee.

Brocton Oglesby, director of emergency management in Hopkins County, said he has seen virtually no contribution from FEMA in the county, where more than half of the 27,000 homes remained without electricity.

"They need to be here — at least a presence, a liaison to work with us, to start feeding information and gearing up for the next stage," Oglesby said. "That's where they're going to be needed the most."

Oglesby's seen FEMA show up after other disasters to assess the damages and write checks. Beshear asked for FEMA to have a role on the front end this time, though, and Oglesby said that hasn't happened.

"As soon as they want to come in and start working, we're ready to go," he said.

Oglesby said he would like FEMA to bring in outside electricians to help go door to door to make sure the electricity is operational in each house once it comes back on.

"Right now, mom and pop are going to have to fend for themselves and find an electrician," Oglesby said. "This is where we're needing FEMA's presence."

Mr. Oglesby, Mr. Smith and his fellow emergency personnel need to learn not to bother OZ, the Great and Powerful with such mundane concerns.Didn't they realize it was Superbowl Weekend and the Wiz had more important things to attend to?