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On the Fox News Channel just a little while ago, Major Garrett, one of =
Fox's star reporters, and author of The Enduring Revolution, broke a =
very disturbing story for those on the left that want to play the blame =
game regarding the reaction to the Katrina. Here's his interview with =
Hugh Hewitt moments ago:
HH: Joined now by Major Garrett, correspondent for the Fox News Channel, =
as well as author of The Enduring Revolution, a best seller earlier this =
year. We talked about that. Major Garrett, welcome back to the Hugh =
Hewitt Show.
MG: Hugh, always a pleasure. Thanks for having me.
HH: You just broke a pretty big story. I was watching up on the corner =
television in my studio, and it's headlined that the Red Cross was =
blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major Garrett. Tell =
us what you found out.
MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had pre-positioned a literal vanguard of =
trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene items. They're not really =
big into medical response items, but those are the three biggies that we =
saw people at the New Orleans Superdome, and the convention center, =
needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, reasonably =
asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I =
see correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But =
I always either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why =
don't I see that?
HH: And the answer is?
MG: The answer is the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security, that is =
the state agency responsible for that state's homeland security, told =
the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come.
HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did they block the delivery? Do you =
know specifically?
MG: I am told by the Red Cross, immediately after the storm passed.
HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday afternoon.
MG: That would have been Monday or Tuesday. The exact time, the hour, I =
don't have. But clearly, they had an evacuee situation at the Superdome, =
and of course, people gravitated to the convention center on an ad hoc =
basis. They sort of invented that as another place to go, because they =
couldn't stand the conditions at the Superdome.=20
HH: Any doubt in the Red Cross' mind that they were ready to go, but =
they were blocked?
MG: No. Absolutely none. They are absolutely unequivocal on that point.
HH: And are they eager to get this story out there, because they are =
chagrined by the coverage that's been emanating from New Orleans?
MG: I think they are. I mean, and look. Every agency that is in the =
private sector, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Feed The Children, all the =
ones we typically see are aggrieved by all the crap that's being thrown =
around about the response to this hurricane, because they work hand and =
glove with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When FEMA is tarred =
and feathered, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are tarred and =
feathered, because they work on a cooperative basis. They feel they are =
being sullied by this reaction.
HH: Of course they are. Now Major Garrett, what about the Louisiana =
governor's office of Homeland Security. Have they responded to this =
charge by the Red Cross, which is a blockbuster charge?
MG: I have not been able to reach them yet. But, what they have said =
consistently is, and what they told the Red Cross, we don't want you to =
come in there, because we have evacuees that we want to get out. And if =
you come in, they're more likely to stay. So I want your listeners to =
follow me here. At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New =
Orleans was screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over =
the overpass, and state officials were saying you can't come in.
HH: How long would it have taken to deliver those supplies, Major =
Garrett, into the Superdome and possibly the convention center?
MG: That is a more difficult question to answer than you might think. =
There were areas, obviously, as you approached the Superdome, that were =
difficult to get to, because of the flood waters. And as the Red Cross =
explained it to me, look. We don't have amphibious vehicles. We have =
trucks and ambulance type vehicles. In some cases, after the flood =
waters rose as high as they did, we would have needed, at minimal, the =
Louisiana National Guard to bring us in, or maybe something bigger and =
badder, from the Marines or Army-type vehicle. They're not sure about =
that. But remember, Hugh, we were transfixed, I know I was. I'm sure you =
were and your listeners were, by my colleague, Shep Smith, and others on =
that overpass.
HH: Right.
MG: ...saying, wait a minute. We drove here. It didn't take us anything =
to drive here.
HH: Right.
MG: Why can't people just come here?
HH: I also have to conclude from what you're telling me, Major Garrett, =
is that had they been allowed to deliver when they wanted to deliver, =
which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or at least prior to =
the waters rising, the supplies would have been pre-positioned, and the =
relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at the =
convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared =
the worst of their misery.
MG: They would have been spared the lack of food, water and hygiene. I =
don't think there's any doubt that they would not have been spared the =
indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short order.
HH: Now Major Garrett, let's turn to the convention center, because this =
will be, in the aftermath...did the Red Cross have ready to go into the =
convention center the supplies that we're talking about as well?
MG: Sure. They could have gone to any location, provided that the water =
wasn't too high, and they got some assistance.
HH: Now, were they utterly dependent upon the Louisiana state officials =
to okay them?
MG: Yes.
HH: Because you know, they do work with FEMA. But is it your =
understanding that FEMA and the Red Cross and the other relief agencies =
must get tht state's okay to act?
MG: As the Red Cross told me, they said look. We are not state actors. =
We are not the Army. We are a private organziation. We work in =
cooperation with both FEMA and the state officials. But the state told =
us A) it's not safe, because the water is dangerous. And we're now =
learning how toxic the water is. B) there's a security situation, =
because they didn't have a handle on the violence on the ground. And C) =
and I think this is most importantly, they wanted to evacuate out. They =
didn't want people to stay.
HH: Now off the record, will the Red Cross tell you what they think of =
Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin?
MG: No.
HH: Will they tell you what they think about FEMA director Brown?
MG: No.
HH: Will they tell you any...will they give any advice of how to make =
sure this doesn't happen again?
MG: Well, there is something, Hugh, that I think we have to be honest =
with ourselves about. New Orleans is a situation, because of its =
geography, utterly unique in America. We don't build cities in bowls, =
except there. This complicated the Red Cross efforts, and the FEMA =
efforts, from the start. In the mid-90's, the Red Cross opened a shelter =
in South Carolina that was eventually flooded. And there was a big =
controversy about that. After that, the Red Cross made a policy decision =
that it would never shelter, or seek to shelter, any evacuee from any =
hurricane, anywhere where flooding was likely to occur. High ground is =
where they were going to be, and where they were going to go. Well, that =
basically rules out all of New Orleans.
HH: Sure. Does the Red Cross, though, assist in evacuation, Major =
Garrett?
MG: Not under the state plan in Louisiana. And not very many other =
places, either, because again, the Red Cross is a responding private =
charity. It is not an evacuation charity. It does not assume, as you can =
well imagine, Hugh, the inevitable liability that would come with being =
in charge of evacuating.
HH: How senior are your sources at the Red Cross, Major Garrett?
MG: They're right next to Marty Evans, the president.
HH: So you have no doubt in your mind that they have...
MG: Oh, none. None. And I want to give credit to Bill O'Reilly, because =
he had Marty Evans on the O'Reilly Factor last night. And this is the =
first time Marty Evans said it. She said it on the O'Reilly Factor last =
night in a very sort of brief intro to her longer comments about dealing =
with the housing and other needs of the evacuees now. She said look. We =
were ready. We couldn't go in. They wouldn't let us in, and the =
interview continued. I developed it more fully today.
HH: And the 'they' are the Louisiana state officials?
MG: Right.
HH: Now any in the 'they'...is the New Orleans' mayor's staff involved =
as well? Or the New Orleans police department?
MG: Not that I'm aware of, because the decision was made and =
communicated to the Red Cross by the state department of Homeland =
Security and the state National Guard. Both of which report to the =
governor.=20
HH: Do they have any paper records of this communication?
MG: I did not ask that. It's a good question. I'll follow up with them.
HH: I sure would love to know that. And if you get it, send it to me. =
We'll put it up on the blog. Major Garrett, great story. Please keep us =
posted. Look forward to talking to you a lot in the next couple of weeks =
on this story. Thanks for breaking away from the Fox News Channel this =
afternoon.
End of interview
If you really want to get to the bottom of what really happened after =
Katrina, and you want to get caught up in the blame game, you will =
eventually discover that blame in Louisiana is spelled B-L-A-N-C-O.
Update: Video of Major Garrett's work today on Fox is at Political Teen. =
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<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>On the <A =
href=3D"http://www.foxnews.com/"=20
target=3D_blank>Fox News Channel</A> just a little while ago, <A=20
href=3D"http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,60317,00.html" =
target=3D_blank>Major=20
Garrett</A>, one of Fox's star reporters, and author of <A=20
href=3D"http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400054664/qid=3D11=
26136396/sr=3D8-1/ref=3Dpd_bbs_1/002-7914140-6869601?v=3Dglance&s=3Db=
ooks&n=3D507846"=20
target=3D_blank>The Enduring Revolution</A>, broke a very disturbing =
story for=20
those on the left that want to play the blame game regarding the =
reaction to the=20
Katrina. Here's his interview with Hugh Hewitt moments ago:</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Joined now by Major Garrett, =
correspondent for=20
the Fox News Channel, as well as author of The Enduring Revolution, a =
best=20
seller earlier this year. We talked about that. Major Garrett, welcome =
back to=20
the Hugh Hewitt Show.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Hugh, always a pleasure. Thanks =
for having=20
me.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: You just broke a pretty big story. =
I was=20
watching up on the corner television in my studio, and it's headlined =
that the=20
Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies to the Superdome, Major =
Garrett.=20
Tell us what you found out.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Well, the Red Cross, Hugh, had =
pre-positioned=20
a literal vanguard of trucks with water, food, blankets and hygiene =
items.=20
They're not really big into medical response items, but those are the =
three=20
biggies that we saw people at the New Orleans Superdome, and the =
convention=20
center, needing most accutely. And all of us in America, I think, =
reasonably=20
asked ourselves, geez. You know, I watch hurricanes all the time. And I =
see=20
correspondents standing among rubble and refugees and evacuaees. But I =
always=20
either see that Red Cross or Salvation Army truck nearby. Why don't I =
see=20
that?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: And the answer is?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: The answer is the Louisiana =
Department of=20
Homeland Security, that is the state agency responsible for that state's =
homeland security, told the Red Cross explicitly, you cannot come.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Now Major Garrett, on what day did =
they block=20
the delivery? Do you know specifically?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: I am told by the Red Cross, =
immediately after=20
the storm passed.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Okay, so that would be on Monday=20
afternoon.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: That would have been Monday or =
Tuesday. The=20
exact time, the hour, I don't have. But clearly, they had an evacuee =
situation=20
at the Superdome, and of course, people gravitated to the convention =
center on=20
an ad hoc basis. They sort of invented that as another place to go, =
because they=20
couldn't stand the conditions at the Superdome. </P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Any doubt in the Red Cross' mind =
that they=20
were ready to go, but they were blocked?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: No. Absolutely none. They are =
absolutely=20
unequivocal on that point.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: And are they eager to get this =
story out=20
there, because they are chagrined by the coverage that's been emanating =
from New=20
Orleans?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: I think they are. I mean, and =
look. Every=20
agency that is in the private sector, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Feed =
The=20
Children, all the ones we typically see are aggrieved by all the crap =
that's=20
being thrown around about the response to this hurricane, because they =
work hand=20
and glove with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. When FEMA is =
tarred and=20
feathered, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are tarred and =
feathered,=20
because they work on a cooperative basis. They feel they are being =
sullied by=20
this reaction.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Of course they are. Now Major =
Garrett, what=20
about the Louisiana governor's office of Homeland Security. Have they =
responded=20
to this charge by the Red Cross, which is a blockbuster charge?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: I have not been able to reach them =
yet. But,=20
what they have said consistently is, and what they told the Red Cross, =
we don't=20
want you to come in there, because we have evacuees that we want to get =
out. And=20
if you come in, they're more likely to stay. So I want your listeners to =
follow=20
me here. At the very moment that Ray Nagin, the Mayor of New Orleans was =
screaming where's the food, where's the water, it was over the overpass, =
and=20
state officials were saying you can't come in.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: How long would it have taken to =
deliver those=20
supplies, Major Garrett, into the Superdome and possibly the convention=20
center?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: That is a more difficult question =
to answer=20
than you might think. There were areas, obviously, as you approached the =
Superdome, that were difficult to get to, because of the flood waters. =
And as=20
the Red Cross explained it to me, look. We don't have amphibious =
vehicles. We=20
have trucks and ambulance type vehicles. In some cases, after the flood =
waters=20
rose as high as they did, we would have needed, at minimal, the =
Louisiana=20
National Guard to bring us in, or maybe something bigger and badder, =
from the=20
Marines or Army-type vehicle. They're not sure about that. But remember, =
Hugh,=20
we were transfixed, I know I was. I'm sure you were and your listeners =
were, by=20
my colleague, Shep Smith, and others on that overpass.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Right.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: ...saying, wait a minute. We drove =
here. It=20
didn't take us anything to drive here.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Right.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Why can't people just come =
here?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: I also have to conclude from what =
you're=20
telling me, Major Garrett, is that had they been allowed to deliver when =
they=20
wanted to deliver, which is at least a little bit prior to the levee, or =
at=20
least prior to the waters rising, the supplies would have been =
pre-positioned,=20
and the relief...you know, the people in the Superdome, and possibly at =
the=20
convention center, I want to come back to that, would have been spared =
the worst=20
of their misery.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: They would have been spared the =
lack of food,=20
water and hygiene. I don't think there's any doubt that they would not =
have been=20
spared the indignity of having nor workable bathrooms in short =
order.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Now Major Garrett, let's turn to =
the=20
convention center, because this will be, in the aftermath...did the Red =
Cross=20
have ready to go into the convention center the supplies that we're =
talking=20
about as well?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Sure. They could have gone to any =
location,=20
provided that the water wasn't too high, and they got some =
assistance.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Now, were they utterly dependent =
upon the=20
Louisiana state officials to okay them?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Yes.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Because you know, they do work =
with FEMA. But=20
is it your understanding that FEMA and the Red Cross and the other =
relief=20
agencies must get tht state's okay to act?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: As the Red Cross told me, they =
said look. We=20
are not state actors. We are not the Army. We are a private =
organziation. We=20
work in cooperation with both FEMA and the state officials. But the =
state told=20
us A) it's not safe, because the water is dangerous. And we're now =
learning how=20
toxic the water is. B) there's a security situation, because they didn't =
have a=20
handle on the violence on the ground. And C) and I think this is most=20
importantly, they wanted to evacuate out. They didn't want people to =
stay.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Now off the record, will the Red =
Cross tell=20
you what they think of Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: No.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Will they tell you what they think =
about FEMA=20
director Brown?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: No.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Will they tell you any...will they =
give any=20
advice of how to make sure this doesn't happen again?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Well, there is something, Hugh, =
that I think=20
we have to be honest with ourselves about. New Orleans is a situation, =
because=20
of its geography, utterly unique in America. We don't build cities in =
bowls,=20
except there. This complicated the Red Cross efforts, and the FEMA =
efforts, from=20
the start. In the mid-90's, the Red Cross opened a shelter in South =
Carolina=20
that was eventually flooded. And there was a big controversy about that. =
After=20
that, the Red Cross made a policy decision that it would never shelter, =
or seek=20
to shelter, any evacuee from any hurricane, anywhere where flooding was =
likely=20
to occur. High ground is where they were going to be, and where they =
were going=20
to go. Well, that basically rules out all of New Orleans.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Sure. Does the Red Cross, though, =
assist in=20
evacuation, Major Garrett?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Not under the state plan in =
Louisiana. And not=20
very many other places, either, because again, the Red Cross is a =
responding=20
private charity. It is not an evacuation charity. It does not assume, as =
you can=20
well imagine, Hugh, the inevitable liability that would come with being =
in=20
charge of evacuating.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: How senior are your sources at the =
Red Cross,=20
Major Garrett?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: They're right next to Marty Evans, =
the=20
president.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: So you have no doubt in your mind =
that they=20
have...</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Oh, none. None. And I want to give =
credit to=20
Bill O'Reilly, because he had Marty Evans on the O'Reilly Factor last =
night. And=20
this is the first time Marty Evans said it. She said it on the O'Reilly =
Factor=20
last night in a very sort of brief intro to her longer comments about =
dealing=20
with the housing and other needs of the evacuees now. She said look. We =
were=20
ready. We couldn't go in. They wouldn't let us in, and the interview =
continued.=20
I developed it more fully today.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: And the 'they' are the Louisiana =
state=20
officials?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Right.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Now any in the 'they'...is the New =
Orleans'=20
mayor's staff involved as well? Or the New Orleans police =
department?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: Not that I'm aware of, because the =
decision=20
was made and communicated to the Red Cross by the state department of =
Homeland=20
Security and the state National Guard. Both of which report to the =
governor.=20
</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: Do they have any paper records of =
this=20
communication?</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>MG: I did not ask that. It's a good =
question. I'll=20
follow up with them.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>HH: I sure would love to know that. =
And if you get=20
it, send it to me. We'll put it up on the blog. Major Garrett, great =
story.=20
Please keep us posted. Look forward to talking to you a lot in the next =
couple=20
of weeks on this story. Thanks for breaking away from the Fox News =
Channel this=20
afternoon.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>End of interview</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>If you really want to get to the =
bottom of what=20
really happened after Katrina, and you want to get caught up in the =
blame game,=20
you will eventually discover that blame in Louisiana is spelled =
B-L-A-N-C-O.</P>
<P class=3Dbody_text align=3Dleft>Update: Video of Major Garrett's work =
today on Fox=20
is at <A href=3D"http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/09/07/garrettblanco/"=20
target=3D_blank>Political Teen</A>. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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