I may be starting a flame war here but y'all might want to give this a read/listen.
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Below is a transcript of Lt General Honore (3 star) at a briefing to
the press...the link below is worth listening to.
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Subject: Don't Get Stuck on stupid
Tuesday, September 20
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin held a press conference a little bit ago,
and started losing control to a media pool assembled that was showing
signs of panic, due to the previous incompetence in the region by the
local and state government. Lt. Gen. Russel Honore stepped in and
literally took over. Here's what he had to say:
General Honore
Honore: And Mr. Mayor, let's go back, because I can see right now, we're
setting this up as he said, he said, we said. All right? We are not
going to go, by order of the mayor and the governor, and open the
convention center for people to come in. There are buses there. Is that
clear to you? Buses parked. There are 4,000 troops there. People come,
they get on a bus, they get on a truck, they move on. Is that clear? Is
that clear to the public?
Female reporter: Where do they move on...
Honore: That's not your business.
Male reporter: But General, that didn't work the first time...
Honore: Wait a minute. It didn't work the first time. This ain't the
first time. Okay? If...we don't control Rita, you understand? So there
are a lot of pieces of it that's going to be worked out. You got good
public servants working through it. Let's get a little trust here,
because you're starting to act like this is your problem. You are
carrying the message, okay? What we're going to do is have the buses
staged. The initial place is at the convention center. We're not going
to announce other places at this time, until we get a plan set, and
we'll let people know where those locations are, through the government,
and through public announcements. Right now, to handle the number of
people that want to leave, we've got the capacity. You will come to the
convention center. There are soldiers there from the 82nd Airborne, and
from the Louisiana National Guard. People will be told to get on the
bus, and we will take care of them. And where they go will be dependent
on the capacity in this state. We've got our communications up. And
we'll tell them where to go. And when they get there, they'll be able to
get a chance, an opportunity to get registered, and so they can let
their families know where they are. But don't start panic here. Okay?
We've got a location. It is in the front of the convention center, and
that's where we will use to migrate people from it, into the system.
Male reporter: General Honore, we were told that Berman Stadium on the
west bank would be another staging area...
Honore: Not to my knowledge. Again, the current place, I just told you
one time, is the convention center. Once we complete the plan with the
mayor, and is approved by the governor, then we'll start that in the
next 12-24 hours. And we understand that there's a problem in getting
communications out. That's where we need your help. But let's not
confuse the questions with the answers. Buses at the convention center
will move our citizens, for whom we have sworn that we will support and
defend...and we'll move them on. Let's not get stuck on the last storm.
You're asking last storm questions for people who are concerned about
the future storm. Don't get stuck on stupid, reporters. We are moving
forward. And don't confuse the people please. You are part of the public
message. So help us get the message straight. And if you don't
understand, maybe you'll confuse it to the people. That's why we like
follow-up questions. But right now, it's the convention center, and move
on.
Male reporter: General, a little bit more about why that's happening
this time, though, and did not have that last time...
Honore: You are stuck on stupid. I'm not going to answer that question.
We are going to deal with Rita. This is public information that people
are depending on the government to put out. This is the way we've got to
do it. So please. I apologize to you, but let's talk about the future.
Rita is happening. And right now, we need to get good, clean information
out to the people that they can use. And we can have a conversation on
the side about the past, in a couple of months.
I think the General just started a movement, and he may not even realize
it. Every time a reporter, in any situation, starts spinning, or
completely misses the point, they need to be peppered with, "Don't get
stuck on stupid."
I'd pay money to see David Gregory in the White House Press Corps
foaming at the mouth over something trivial Scott McClellan said, and
have McClellan say, "David, you're stuck on stupid. I'm not going to
answer that."
I'd have fallen out of my chair if John Roberts would have listened to
Joe Biden ramble on, and said, "Don't get stuck on stupid, Senator."
I can see the bumper stickers now. I can even see those stupid rubber
wristbands with DGSOS etched in them.
I love General Honore.
