Video surfaces of Obama in 2007 suggesting racism slowed aid to post-Katrina

[ChiefsandO'sfan]

It's the Obama speech on race you probably haven't heard.

In June 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama told a mostly black audience of ministers that the country's leaders "don't care about" New Orleans residents, suggesting the city was neglected in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina because of institutional racism, according to a an unedited video uncovered by The Daily Caller.

In the address, delivered during the upswing of the Democratic presidential primary season, candidate Obama specifically criticizes in outspoken terms the decision not to waive a federal law known as the Stafford Act that requires communities hit by disasters to match 10 percent of federal aid.

“When 9/11 happened in New York City, they waived the Stafford Act. … And that was the right thing to do,” he tells the crowd at Hampton University in Virginia. “When Hurricane Andrew struck in Florida, people said, 'Look at this devastation. We don't expect you to come up with your own money. Here, here's the money to rebuild. We're not going wait for you to scratch it together, because you're part of the American family.' "

Obama, echoing rapper Kanye West's infamous anti-Bush remarks a couple years earlier, then argues that New Orleans was treated differently, suggesting the reason was that the city is mostly black.

"What's happening down in New Orleans? Where's your dollar? Where's your Stafford Act money?" Obama says. "Makes no sense. ... Tells me that somehow the people down in New Orleans they don't care about as much."

The Obama campaign didn't response to FoxNews.com's request for comment Tuesday night about the Daily Caller report and the video, but the Associated Press reported that Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt dismissed the criticism as "a transparent attempt to change the subject" at a time when Mitt Romney is down in the polls.

Media organizations covered the speech at the time, but the Daily Caller said the video it obtained showed parts of the speech that had never been publicized. It posted what it said was the complete speech on the website.

By January 2007, nearly a year and a half after Hurricane Katrina hit, the federal government had committed $110 billion to relief efforts in areas hit by Katrina through a variety of programs, including Community Development Block Grants, funding for the Corps of Engineers and Small Business Administration loans, according to a report that May by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic and Statistics Administration.

But at the time of Obama's speech, there were still concerns about federal response to the disaster under the Stafford Act, which governs relief efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was unwilling to waive the law’s 10 percent local match provision for aid, like it did after the Sept. 11 attacks and other hurricanes.

“One reason cited for FEMA’s reluctance to waive the 10 percent match in New Orleans is concern about corruption,” the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies said in a 2008 report on the relief efforts.

That report also noted that then-Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco was pushing in early 2007 for a federal law eliminating the 10 percent match. The House passed the bill, but it stalled in the Senate and President Bush had threatened to veto it.

The complete video of Obama’s 2007 speech, surfacing barely a month before the presidential election and the night before Obama’s first debate with Romney, could complicate Obama’s efforts to avoid a politically risky debate over race that partly ensnared him during the 2008 race. Four years ago, his fiery pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, became a political liability over videos that showed Wright making controversial statements.

Obama, after initially defending him, eventually was forced to condemn Wright publicly, and the controversy prompted Obama to deliver his much-heralded 2008 address on race in Philadelphia.

Wright reportedly attended the 2007 speech, and in the video obtained by the Daily Caller, Obama is heard calling Wright "my pastor, the guy who puts up with me, counsels me, listens to my wife complain about me. He's a friend and a great leader. Not just in Chicago, but all across the country."

The Daily Caller also highlighted a segment in which Obama questions federal priorities in transportation spending.

"We need additional federal public transportation dollars flowing to the highest-need communities. We don’t need to build more highways out in the suburbs. If we have people in the cities right now who want to work but have no way to get into those jobs, we've got to help connect them to the jobs that exist,” Obama said. “We should be investing in minority-owned businesses, in our neighborhoods, so people don’t have to travel from miles away.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...#ixzz28DAqpUMX

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by mnchiefsguy

I really want to agree with you, but I just do not see it. I am hopeful for a strong post debate bounce, and some momentum. Romney's number do not seem to be trending up, and he needs them too.

The path of Patteeu leads to the world of wrong.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Chief Faithful

This is a case of perception becoming reality. The African American community has a feeling of lesser treatment because they have been continously lied to by its own leaders and leaders of the liberal establishment. I believe the motive behind the lies is to keep people feeling dependent and isolated so they can be controlled.

In reality the response was in no way late, inept or underwhelming. The cause is well documented, help was stranded on the boarder not allowed in the state by the inept political driven response of the Governor of Louisiana. Just look at Mississippi, the hardest hit, response was immediate because the Govenor immedately declared his state a disaster area and succeeded control over to the Feds. The Govenor of Louisiana refused to declare a state disaster and succeed control to the Feds, which prevented, by law, Fema entering the state and setting up command and control. It eventually required the President to over-ride the law to get action because the Governor never cooperated with the Feds.

But, we don't get the facts reported instead we get this idealogically motivated attack that does nothing except divide the country. Now we see Obama continuing the divide by implying the slow response was in some way racially motivated. We all know why Obama does this because it is a pattern he repeats over and over, he works to divide people to secure his base and motivate the vote.

Very well said. Its sad that more of the Black leadership in this country doesnt try and get the truth out to people. They would rather just pander and race bait over and over again wich is ultimately counterproductive.

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

The completely inept and underwhelming response suggests New Orleans' poorer and minority populations were not of primary importance to any level of Louisiana's government.

I'm not saying it's racial, necessarily. But compare how the federal government effectively reacted to comparable disasters prior to Katrina, and it has given the black community the impression that they get lesser treatment.

Whether it's the case, I don't know. But one can understand the African American community feeling that it is. It's a legitimate concern, in my opinion.

It could also suggest that then Governor Kathleen Blanco and NO mayor Nagin were woefully inept and not up to the task. For example, Blanco refused to file the requisite paperwork to allow the federal government to use the resources they had at hand. Mayor Nagin flat disappeared. Dis-a-ppeared for days only to turn up in Houston doing something entirely unrelated to helping his city. Are they racist as well or do you only save that bullshit for people who don't share your worldview?

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I was just citing one example of governmental ineptitude.

But yeah, if you're going to make the argument that the federal response to Katrina wasn't awful, then have at it, brother. But you're not going to have much company in that opinion.

You are ****ing kidding, right? The Federal gov't has a role in trash removal in the city of New Orleans?

New Orleans, Hell, Louisiana as a state, has tolerated and turned a blind eye to a stunning amount of political corruption since its inception. That corruption has resulted in civic leaders woefully unqualified to serve. Most of the time that manifests itself in back room kick backs, graft, nepotism, and incompetence but the city can manage because people still visit. However, that all comes to a head when the shit hits the fan and the ****ing police take to looting and walking off the job. It hits the fan when those civic leaders flat panic in the face of their duty and shit the bed. Nawleans' lax attitude bordering on outright acceptance of political corruption bit them in the ass. The fact that they can't pick up their own ****ing trash is just a shining example of a sickening degree of dependency. Should the Feds also wipe their asses for them and change their diapers?

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by RaiderH8r

You are ****ing kidding, right? The Federal gov't has a role in trash removal in the city of New Orleans?

New Orleans, Hell, Louisiana as a state, has tolerated and turned a blind eye to a stunning amount of political corruption since its inception. That corruption has resulted in civic leaders woefully unqualified to serve. Most of the time that manifests itself in back room kick backs, graft, nepotism, and incompetence but the city can manage because people still visit. However, that all comes to a head when the shit hits the fan and the ****ing police take to looting and walking off the job. It hits the fan when those civic leaders flat panic in the face of their duty and shit the bed. Nawleans' lax attitude bordering on outright acceptance of political corruption bit them in the ass. The fact that they can't pick up their own ****ing trash is just a shining example of a sickening degree of dependency. Should the Feds also wipe their asses for them and change their diapers?

We're talking about storm debris here. Not just trash.

[LOCOChief]

Originally Posted by qabbaan

That beer looter guy helped himself...

busted

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

We're talking about storm debris here. Not just trash.

For a remarkably large hurricane it is amazing that it only left storm debris in New Orleans and that nobody else on the gulf coast ran into this problem. Probably because George Bush hates black people.

[LOCOChief]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

We're talking about storm debris here. Not just trash.

There’s plenty of trash, perishables, clothing, paper that they could have helped with but they didn’t. Most couldn't even clean out their own fridge after loss of power and volunteers would show up, take a screw gun and screw it shut so they would have to work in the stench while the folks they were helping looked on. Happened time and time again because many (not all) but many are lazy ass scumbags that expect everything to be done for them and they blame others for their own problems.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by RaiderH8r

For a remarkably large hurricane it is amazing that it only left storm debris in New Orleans and that nobody else on the gulf coast ran into this problem. Probably because George Bush hates black people.

Your replying to two statements I never made.

Have fun beating it though.

[RaiderH8r]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

Your replying to two statements I never made.

Have fun beating it though.

You didn't say, "We're talking about storm debris here. Not just trash."? Because I'm pretty sure you said that.

I always have fun beating it.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by LOCOChief

There’s plenty of trash, perishables, clothing, paper that they could have helped with but they didn’t. Most couldn't even clean out their own fridge after loss of power and volunteers would show up, take a screw gun and screw it shut so they would have to work in the stench while the folks they were helping looked on. Happened time and time again because many (not all) but many are lazy ass scumbags that expect everything to be done for them and they blame others for their own problems.

Link?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by LOCOChief

There’s plenty of trash, perishables, clothing, paper that they could have helped with but they didn’t. Most couldn't even clean out their own fridge after loss of power and volunteers would show up, take a screw gun and screw it shut so they would have to work in the stench while the folks they were helping looked on. Happened time and time again because many (not all) but many are lazy ass scumbags that expect everything to be done for them and they blame others for their own problems.

Everyone knows that whether they admit it or not. The citizens of NO took no initiative, instead they played the victim card to the hilt and sat around waiting for the government to do for them what others do for themselves. The people who do this are drains on society and not worth saving.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

Link?

post #71

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by RaiderH8r

You didn't say, "We're talking about storm debris here. Not just trash."? Because I'm pretty sure you said that.

I always have fun beating it.

and what does that have to do with the location of storm debris elsewhere?

and you should.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by vailpass

post #71

So the truth in his unprovable statement is in another unprovable statement?