WPCNR NEWS COMMENTARY. By John F. Bailey. September 5, 2005 Updated Briefly 11:30 P.M., September 5, 2005: I have just finished watching four hours of Fox News and CNN reporting on the New Orleans, Mississippi, Alabama disaster. I have just heard that before Judge Rehnquist is in the dirt, Bush has nominated Judge Roberts to be Chief Justice. He sure acted quickly on that one didn't he? Tasteless!

The preponderance of coverage devoted itself to how the victims were being cared for and reported how Texas particularly and other places are housing the victims. Very feel good stuff and we salute that. Every day Americans want to help fellow Americans in trouble. It is only the government that apparently does not.

The questions of what everyone is doing were answered, but there was a great deal of jumping on every possible report of a sniper. One correspondent even raised the possibility a sniper had downed a helicopter, when it later turned out that the helicopter had simply rolled over on the ground. But if you did not watch for four hours as I did, you did not know that at the time.

Correspondents spoke of anarchy, depravity in the Convention Center. However no one has documented any depravity. Not one rape victim incident has been described by the police in police report detail. You know if they had, it would have been on the air. There was an incident where police confronted gunmen on a bridge and killed two. O.K., that is one officially reported incident. Then there was last night’s report of the besieged police station, what was up with that? How did that work out? Was that exaggerated?

My point here is that to give the impression there is rampant violence going on through babble is lousy reporting. It’s rumor spreading.  In fact, when the National Guard Commander that has singledhandedly sorted out this mess in two days, when asked about all this alleged sniping by Geraldo,  said “I didn’t say that. Most of the loud bangs are motor vehicles popping empty water bottles.” I mean the Commander said that!  The Commander essentially said reports of violence were hearsay.

Fox keeps finding pictures of fires to show. Says they will send out a team to check them out.

The big news is that Mike “Security” (Chertoff) Quarterback of the DHS  showed up in New Orleans today. Good job, Mike, always good to get a first-hand look! I saw no interviews with Mike “Rescue” Brown, Captain of the FEMA Fumblers. No reporters through the last four hours even noted the fact that Mike and Mike were not briefing people. And, they are not. This is a big story. Mike and Mike are not telling us what is going on.  The government has shut down communications. Sort of a little like White Plains, isn’t it?

I have to commend the reporter who finally asked Mike Security a tough question. They asked apparently if Chertoff and the DHS was not prepared. Chertoff bristled, said there will be time for “lessons learned,” but that they were making all their efforts to save people and care for people now.  Mikey was just a little sensitive. Perhaps a reporter should have asked him why he was just showing up on the scene four days after the levees broke. But, these questions are now being dismissed by Mikey as counterproductive. But you have to ask these to point out what people are missing.

One Fox Correspondent actually said there is no information being supplied the media. At least the National Guard Commander is talking to Geraldo.

The focus of the story is being shifted to the humanitarian efforts, to give the impression that the government has control of the situation,  but occasionally disturbing facts are arising out of the coverage that are inexplicable and correspondents should be pouncing on.

Example: Fox reports that the National Guard is securing the airport now, because they expected violence from the victims. This kind of reporting fuels the sniper-violence angle. However, other than heartwarming interviews with people, their reporter at the airport did not ask the victims how long did the bus ride take to the airport in Kenner (12  miles outside of New Orleans), how long did they stay there? You gotta document the experience.

Example: A correspondent interviews the Army Corps of Engineers supervisor, and he thinks the breach in the canal will be completed tonight. He brings up the matter of the fact that the pump station is underwater, and the Army Corps of Engineers spokesman says it has not been ascertained whether the pumps will work, if they get electricity. No follow-up question. They have had five days to get into that pump house and figure out if the pumps will work.  Sure hope they do not have to send out for new pumps. You have to ask this guy do they have backup pumps on order to supplement the pumps they hope will work to pump it out faster. Again, this lack of thinking on the Army Corps’ part is stunning. They should be lining up every damn pump in America to drain this flood, now.

The other question that should have been asked is whether holes have punched in the southern walls as reported Friday,  to help the area drain and how that is going, or if it has been done. But, heck, the news producers have to be thinking of these questions. Report, don’t cheerlead.

Example: You have the Army Corps of Engineers spokesman. The New York Times reports Sunday that the Times Picayune website spotted the levy break NOT the Army Corps of Engineers. That is huge incompetence!!! But, but, but, but, nowhere in the course of the 4 hours I watched Sunday evening, did any Fox or CNN newshound bring upthis point. This means, this means, this means, the Army Corps of Engineers was asleep at the dike.

Example: I am updating this section of this article on Monday evening. The report on WINS1010 in New York was that water is being pumped out finally from the canals. Well, Aaron Brown of CNN points out at about 10:30 P.M. Monday night, in an interview with a Corps of Engineers spokesman that, surprise, they are only DRAINING THE PUMP HOUSE!!!! The guy suddenly does not answer, disappears! Come on a little straight answers are needed. The main pumphouse is not apparently working.  Could Aaron explore this topic later on in the broadcast? Could there be a little candor on the part of the Army engineers? We still do not know if the pump house is working or this is just a giant sump pump clearing the pump house.

Example: They report the Times Picayune has finally got their paper going, and their editoral is calling for the firing of those responsible. How about an interview with the Times-Picayune people.

Example: In four hours I did not have one interview with the Mayor of New Orleans or the Governor of Louisana, the Governor of Alabama or the Governor of Mississippi or any of their senators. Ain’t nobody talking. Just a lot of good warm-feeling, touchy feely stories.

Hint: The glamour anchors have to stop using the term, “getting life back to normal.”

Example: The spin coming out of CNN and Fox is that everyone has been evacuated. This simply is not a true thing to say. We hear everyone is being evacuated, yet rescues are still going on . No one has an estimate of how many persons evacuated before the levee overflowed,  from the 1.3 million in the area. At this point, reporters are saying there are 225,000 persons in shelters.  That leaves 1, 075,000 unaccounted for. How many of those evacuated? No estimates. As of noon today, the National Guard commander is saying there are 10,000 left in the city.

The report is thousands have died. They finally give a death toll of New Orleans as 59. Let’s hope that is correct.

People are being moved 12 miles to the airport at Kenner, according to my Rand McNally atlas.  12 miles. Then evacuated. A two-step.  In fact, it was reported on Fox they were still being moved there by midnight, but from where?  In the 12 hours of coverage I have seen, no network has popped up a map of this city so we can see various areas in terms of the pathetically short distances to cover to conduct evacuation operations to show just how poor the efforts have been the last week because of lack of equipment.  

I have also not seen a map showing what areas of the city are covered by water and what are not.  The distance from the Superdome to the airport is three Tappan Zee Bridges, or the length of the Cross Westchester Expressway, or White Plains to Yonkers. They could not get people that distance to fly them out to the airport and shoot them out of there on commercial planes before Saturday? These questions cry out to be asked. It is ludicrous. 

The impression I get from the media coverage, whether intentional or not, is that the New Orleans airport was a great distance away. Hell people could have walked to the airport in one day, if the planes were there. They should have been driven there, if the buses had been arranged for. I hate to say this but moving folks 12 miles if you have the vehicles and then the planes has to be done.  The delay in sending in the National Guard was inexcusable, but the lack of buses that should be have on order. A great unanswered question.

Example: Condoleeza Rice, dressed in her best Banana Republic safari-chic was unloading supplies on camera in Alabama Sunday. It must have been tough being out in that heat for the Fashionista. The Fox Network dutifully reported her statement that race had nothing to do with the delay in the help. But no correspondent asked her what was the reason for the delay. You have to ask that question.

If WINS 1010 plays back Ms. Rice’s statement and I quote it, “President Bush would never withhold aid from a hurricane zone because of race.” Then the follow up was, “Why did he withhold it? Or what was the reason he did not see fit to send it?” That’s just letting her off the hook. Perhaps since Louisiana has a Democratic Governor, a Democratic Senator, and a Democratic Mayor, that might have had something to do with it. Forget about this crap that the states have to ask. I call up the governor, and I say, honey, you just asked, and I send them in Wednesday.

Example: Donald Rumsfeld was on the scene in one of the zones, could not tell if it was in Mississippi or Alabama or New Orleans. Rummie did not get interviewed about the refinery capacity. Or anything. If he was, his comments did not appear on the four segment I watched from 10 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Example: The Labor Secretary announced a series of employment programs to get the victims without jobs working at jobs cleaning up the storm ravaged areas. This is well-meaning, but they have to phone in to register. Hello, Washington! There are no telephones working in the three affected areas.

Example: Senator Charles Schumer made a statement on the Supreme Court vacancy. I heard it on WINS 1010. But Senator Schumer, who takes every opportunity to speak out on Indian Point security, and Hillary Clinton, that great humitarian have not uttered one word on the The Katrina Apocalypse. Not one word. And no faxes to me from her press office, which they send me all the time.

Example: The best reporter on this whole thing has been of all people, Jerry Springer, who has garnered solid evidence of FEMA ineptitude: He has an e-mail from Carnival Cruise line saying they are willing to send three cruise ships for housing, but have not been released yet by FEMA (this was Friday). He has an e-mail from rescue crews in Kansas City that they have not been invited by FEMA (this was Friday). How about CNN,FOX and the other news organizations looking into this inexplicable decision-making?

Example: WINS 1010  aired a clip from New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg in which the Mayor said Sunday he had 72 New York City Police, buses, and firemen to send down but he was awaiting FEMA’s o.k. The next time WINS aired the clip, the comment that Bloomberg made say New York was awaiting FEMA’s o.k., was cut out of it. Draw your own conclusions.

Example: The comment by the rap star on the live music special to aid the victims that aired I believe on NBC Friday evening was edited out when the special was rebroadcast. That was the comment that President Bush was not helping the victims because they were black. How can they edit that out? Draw your own conclusions.

Example: There were no questions at all about the gasoline problem of any official. And we all know what the gasoline problem is. Something they could have asked the Labor Secretary Ms. Chin.

Example: President Bush announces he will fill Judge Rehnquist’s replacement promptly. How about a follow-up question there: How promptly is promptly? By the way, ladies and gentlemen, both CNN and Fox spent a lot of time talking about this replacement issue. Another issue to divert us from the national disaster and administration ineptitude. Who cares who serves on the Court of Fools? Obviously not our Senators who are ready to just put Judge Roberts on it, and he has had virtually no bench experience. Anybody can be on the Supreme Court as long as you play ball.

In the ultimate act of bad taste, Bush nominated Roberts to be Chief Justice (with 1-1/2 years bench experience). He couldn’t wait to get a distraction going?

As reporters we all want to help, but guys and gals, do not lose focus, you have a government here that has shown terrible judgment.

Now what can we look forward to on Monday.

Perhaps Mr. Rove is working on the following Photo Ops:

President Bush’s twin daughters helping out reading to children at the Astrodome, or rallying Students Across America to help rebuild the areas.

First Lady Laura Bush walking in to Jefferson Parish with victims being allowed back to their homes.

The President on a rescue mission with the National Guard Commander. You know that’s going to happen.

The President with Geraldo.

The President on Larry King. I can hardly wait for that one. You know Larry wants it.

The President again on Good Morning America, when Diane Sawyer can again throw softballs. (I mean, Diane, I want you still, but could you not have asked the President if he looked at weather reports last week?)

The President touring Baton Rouge with Dr Frist.

The President with Mike Security and Mike Rescue announcing billions and billions of programs.

The President with Bill Clinton and his Daddy, launching a fund drive at the Astrodome.

The President announcing Halliburton being given the contract for getting New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama producing gasoline, as well as homes.  We should at least catch up to India, which is already given its Tsunami victims new homes in just 8 months. Do you think I’m kidding? They have employed Halliburton to rebuild the damaged Naval Stations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. That story appeared in The New York Times Sunday.

Two last media notes: WABC Radio had the nerve to allow a comedian to take over their air Sunday for at least an hour. He spewed forth criticism on the folk of New Orleans, castigated the ACLU, and diatribed on the way New Orleans handled the crisis. It was a disgrace. WABC has not disgraced itself so much since Rush Limbaugh put out the theory perhaps a liberal person had torched the Oklahoma City FBI building. How could WABC put someone on the air who would have such hatred. You know if that person was in trouble he’d be the first person screaming for help.

As good as the Springer show was Friday, WLIB, Air America in New York should not be running the tape over and over, just because their thoughtful hosts wanted Sunday and Labor Day off. They were very outraged Friday. But did not see fit to come in over the weekend and broadcast live.

Oh, one last word on these photo ops. It is show, ladies and gentlemen. To show the President is working.