Faith Hill, Tim McGraw Blast 'Humiliating' Katrina Cleanup Country Stars Lash Out in Anger Over Conditions in Storm-Ravaged States March 8, 2006 — - Faith Hill and Tim McGraw -- two stars who usually stay out of politics -- blasted the Hurricane Katrina cleanup effort, with Hill calling the slow progress in Louisiana and Mississippi "embarrassing" and "humiliating." The country music artists -- who are natives of the storm-ravaged states -- were at times close to tears, and clearly angry when the subject of Katrina came up during a news conference today. They had met with reporters in Nashville to promote their upcoming Soul2Soul II Tour, but when asked about the hurricane cleanup, the stars pulled no punches. "To me, there's a lot of politics being played and a lot of people trying to put people in bad positions in order to further their agendas," McGraw, a 38-year-old native of Delhi, La., said after ABC News Radio's Dan Gordon asked about Katrina. "When you have people dying because they're poor and black or poor and white, or because of whatever they are -- if that's a number on a political scale -- then that is the most wrong thing. That erases everything that's great about our country." McGraw specifically criticized President Bush. "There's no reason why someone can't go down there who's supposed to be the leader of the free world … and say, 'I'm giving you a job to do and I'm not leaving here until it's done. And you're held accountable, and you're held accountable, and you're held accountable. "'This is what I've given you to do, and if it's not done by the time I get back on my plane, then you're fired and someone else will be in your place. '" Hill: 'I Fear for Our Country' The president had actually spent the day in New Orleans, getting a close-up look at boarded-up buildings and mountains of debris, noting that the city still suffers "pain and agony." Along the president's route, some frustrated residents held up signs in protest, one asking "Where's my government?" and another telling the president to "cut the red tape and help us." Hill, who grew up in Jackson, Miss., echoed those sentiments. So overwhelmed, she uncharacteristically unleashed an epithet, calling the situation, "Bull- - - -" "It is a huge, huge problem and it's embarrassing," she said. "I fear for our country if we can't handle our people [during] a natural disaster. And I can't stand to see it. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out point A to point B. . . . And they can't even skip from point A to point B. "It's just screwed up." Earlier in the day, McGraw and Hill had reason to celebrate. Their duet, "WLike We Never Loved At All," was nominated by the Country Music Association as the Vocal Event of the Year. The couple rarely voice political opinions, though they've been active in raising money for Katrina victims. McGraw is a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet, and in the days after the hurricane, he and Hill joined a mission to take supplies to Gulfport, Miss. At the Sept. 2 "Concert for Hurricane Relief," he appealed to fans to reach out with donations. But under most circumstances, McGraw relies on easy charm when dealing with the media. In 2004, he actually told Time magazine, however lightheartedly, that he was thinking of going into politics. "I want to run for the Senate from Tennessee … Not now, but when I'm 50, when the music dies down." "Wouldn't Faith make a great senator's wife?" he joked. Then again, maybe he wasn't joking. Reported by ABC News Radio's Dan Gordon in Nashville, and written by ABCNEWS.com's Buck Wolf in New York. link
I am not a country music fan, but I'd be buying their albums like crazy if this happens. I probably would have snorted at the name of "Dixie Chicks" had it not been for Natalie Maines' famed remarks on you know who.
Yea. I'd like to know exactly what they've done. I'm really sure they rushed to New Orleans to help right after Katrina. And if he (McGraw) is going to talk politics, why not address two of the bigger screwups in this whole situation, (Blanco & Nagin). Bush wanted to send troops in immediately but Blanco said she needed time to "assess the situation". Her needless delays and partisan bickering over state vs. federal troops caused a two day delay in military aid reaching the stricken area. Why aren't these airhead celebrities calling attention to that joke of a governor?
I have no idea if "enough" is being done or "not enough" is being done but no matter what gets done or not people will complain. Is the right thing to do is have the US Military come in with bulldozers, flatter all the devestated areas, rebuild houses (just like the old ones that were on the lots) and then tell everyone come home everything is fixed? For free and in under 6 months? That's really what people who say the government is not doing enough want to happen. Is that the right thing?
I'm another one who thought it was the publishers. I think it's great that it's not. Mcgraw and Hill just earned a huge pat on the back for guts, and telling it like it is, from your lcoal Blade Runner. So, Defenders-of-Bush-No-Matter-What-He-Does, are you going to vilify these two popular artists? Boycott their records? Protest at their concerts? "Make them pay," for speaking truth to power? What do you say? You could have a moment of clarity and agree with them. Edit: Ah, ha. Dismissive vilification is the watch word today. No surprise, but sad to see. Keep D&D Civil.
Their fame has nothiing to do with it. Their hometown got destoryed by the hurricane. BTW, this is a democracy, people are allowed to be mad at the government. That's how things normally work
hotballa, "That's how things normally work," is not what these folks like to hear. It's just so pre-9/11. We're supposed to toss out the basic underpinnings of our system of government and our way of life to insure that the terrorists "don't win." That represents victory... for somebody. Keep D&D Civil.
For starters, they, like many other artists, donated their time and talent to organize and hold a concert with the proceeds going to hurrican relief. This was just a few days after Katrina, so they DID "rush" out to "help right after Katrina." Blanco and Nagin made some egregious mistakes, that much is certain. However, the screwups from September on have been almost entirely at the Federal level. BTW, did you see the video of Bush being warned about the levees before Katrina even hit? Oh, that's right, they don't show that kind of stuff on the Fox Propaganda Station. Because the things that need to be done NOW need to be done at the federal level for the most part. It is truly sad that the same people who come out and say that we shouldn't play the "blame game" are the same people who constantly point their fingers at others when the situation gets f***ed.
What, exactly, has been screwed up since September? I'm not following this. New Orleans and Mississippi have received huge amounts of funding to rebuild, just like every other area that has ever been declared a natural disaster. I've never seen people cause this much of a stink before. And we dealt with FEMA during Allison ourselves. Personally speaking... During Allison my car flooded. It was my only source of transportation. I only had liability insurance on it. Should FEMA have given me money to make me "whole" again? Or at the very least, been given a rental car for 6 months paid by the Gov? My car was a total loss, btw. Just curious.
The problem with the Federal response has less to do with money and more to do with logistical issues. Turning away trucks delivering supplies from walmart, sending suppliers to the wrong cities, holding 1000s of trailers in supply areas that still have yet to be moved and when people were given trailers they werent given water and electricity. Food being delivered to wrong cities etc... Naturally with an operation this big, you can expect holes and gaps. This really was a logistical nightmare at the start for FEMA so I can understand some issues. But eventually you have to acknowledge that they screwed up in quite a few places (along with state and local authorities). FEMA got plenty of money post-Katrina, but the federal government had basically left the agency for dead when it combined it with DHHS. This was a crisis waiting to happen simply because of a lack of institutional support for disaster relief.
Yes, I will NEVER buy another Tom Mcgraw or Faith Hill record again.... Seriously, maybe if they were more specific as to exactly what they think should be done, people would take them more seriously. She says "it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what needs to be done" but she herself has NO IDEA what needs to be done or how to do it. Deckard, what specifically do you think needs to be done and how do you propose we do it?
I'm not a country music fan, so I'm not going to rush out and buy their albums, but my suggestion would be to do what Americans appear willing to do... throw the bums out, and get in a new group to see how they handle governing. As vilified as Clinton's Administration was by the GOP during his 2 terms in office, people are increasingly looking back on the period with fondness. I don't think Bill ever had numbers close to as bad as George Bush during his 2nd term, despite the constant coordinated attacks. So, go support your Democratic Party candidates and give them a chance to see how they handle things. That's a tall order, because of just how big a mess Bush has made, but I don't see how they could possibly do worse. March 10, 2006, 11:37AM Republicans fret as Bush's popularity sinks By RON FOURNIER Associated Press WASHINGTON — More and more people, particularly Republicans, disapprove of President Bush's performance, question his character and no longer consider him a strong leader against terrorism, according to an AP-Ipsos poll documenting one of the bleakest points of his presidency. Nearly four out of five Americans, including 70 percent of Republicans, believe civil war will break out in Iraq — the bloody hot spot upon which Bush has staked his presidency. Nearly 70 percent of people say the U.S. is on the wrong track, a 6-point jump since February. "Obviously, it's the winter of our discontent," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. Republican Party leaders said the survey explains why GOP lawmakers are rushing to distance themselves from Bush on a range of issues — port security, immigration, spending, warrantless eavesdropping and trade, for example. The positioning is most intense among Republicans facing election in November and those considering 2008 presidential campaigns. "You're in the position of this cycle now that is difficult anyway. In second term off-year elections, there gets to be a familiarity factor," said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., a potential presidential candidate. "People have seen and heard (Bush's) ideas long enough and that enters into their thinking. People are kind of, 'Well, I wonder what other people can do,'" he said. The poll suggests that most Americans wonder whether Bush is up to the job. The survey, conducted Monday through Wednesday of 1,000 people, found that just 37 percent approve of his overall performance. That is the lowest of his presidency. Bush's job approval among Republicans plummeted from 82 percent in February to 74 percent, a dangerous sign in a midterm election year when parties rely on enthusiasm from their most loyal voters. The biggest losses were among white males. On issues, Bush's approval rating declined from 39 percent to 36 percent for his handling of domestic affairs and from 47 percent to 43 percent on foreign policy and terrorism. His approval ratings for dealing with the economy and Iraq held steady, but still hovered around 40 percent. Personally, far fewer Americans consider Bush likable, honest, strong and dependable than they did just after his re-election campaign. By comparison, Presidents Clinton and Reagan had public approval in the mid 60s at this stage of their second terms in office, while Eisenhower was close to 60 percent, according to Gallup polls. Nixon, who was increasingly tangled up in the Watergate scandal, was in the high 20s in early 1974. The AP-Ipsos poll, which has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, gives Republicans reason to worry that they may inherit Bush's political woes. Two-thirds of the public disapproves of how the GOP-led Congress is handling its job and a surprising 53 percent of Republicans give Congress poor marks. By a 47-36 margin, people favor Democrats over Republicans when they are asked who should control Congress. While the gap worries Republicans, it does not automatically translate into GOP defeats in November, when voters will face a choice between local candidates rather than considering Congress as a whole. In addition, strategists in both parties agree that a divided and undisciplined Democratic Party has failed to seize full advantage of Republican troubles. "While I don't dispute the fact that we have challenges in the current environment politically, I also believe 2006 as a choice election offers Republicans an opportunity if we make sure the election is framed in a way that will keep our majorities in the House and the Senate," said Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Stung by criticism, senior officials at the White House and the RNC are reminding GOP members of Congress that Bush's approval ratings may be low, but theirs is lower and have declined at the same pace as Bush's. The message to GOP lawmakers is that criticizing the president weakens him — and them — politically. "When issue like the internal Republican debate over the ports dominates the news it puts us another day away from all of us figuring out what policies we need to win," said Terry Nelson, a Republican consultant and political director for Bush's re-election campaign in 2004. Bowing to ferocious opposition in Congress, a Dubai-owned company on Thursday abandoned its quest to take over operations at several U.S. ports. Bush had pledged to veto any attempt to block the transaction, pitting him against Republicans in Congress and most voters. All this has Republican voters like Walter Wright of Fairfax Station, Va., worried for their party. "We've gotten so carried away I wouldn't be surprised to see the Democrats take it because of discontent," he said. "People vote for change and hope for the best." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3714721.html Come this November, the GOP and Mr. Bush won't be the only party trying to come to grips with the nation's problems, grown so large by Bush and the Republican leadership's incompetence. I predict at least one branch of Congress will be Democratic. At the very least, they should provide a check on Bush's out of control grasp for power, and his continued failure as President. Keep D&D Civil.
Does this mean we're going to see Tim and Faith in aceshigh's "overrated" list? They certainly don't deserve to be on the other list with luminaries such as Toby Keith GIT-R-DONE
surrender: both Tim and Faith have earned their way into where they are now. The main difference is that Natalie hadn't "earned" anything at the time she made the comments. While fairly inappropriate, you will see little backlash on Tim and Faith's comments. They were speaking out of passion off of seeing their home areas decimated as they were. Just as we all would be. Once again, I bring up my car that was ruined during Allison. I got no reciprocation from the Gov. I certainly didn't expect it. Why do so many? And at what point is it a "disaster" that every person should be back to where they were? I don't get it. This is a capitalist country. Not a hand-out country. Let me know when we build this "Star-Trek" wonderland the lib's want so badly. And who the hell would want to pay for that??? It would take a lot more comments like this from these two before their fans try to "rebuke" them. In other words, they'll be fine.
Sorry Fatty, but having your car 'flooded' is not the same as having your entire town pretty much destroyed, including your home, probably your job, and nearly every city infrastructure having to be rebuilt. Allison was bad, but not NEARLY as bad or anywhere in the neighborhood of what happened in NOLA. In this situation, people are just angry and frustrated, let them talk out their frustrations, it might be healthier for them to vent, and that usually means those at the top (i.e. the Bush administration).
