Piers Morgan Tries to Bait Musician to Blame Bush for Katrina Fiasco
Although interviewee Harry Connick Jr. was unwilling to cast blame towards any specific person or agenda over the failed response to the Hurricane Katrina in 2005, CNN's Piers Morgan thrice tried to bait him into doing so on Monday.
Connick stated on Piers Morgan Tonight that "at this point, what good is it going to do to blame local or state or federal government?" Yet Morgan emphasized the "scandalously slow" response to the disaster by authorities, and even noted liberal conspiracy claims that "surreptitious racism" was involved. [Video below the break. Click here for audio]
Morgan referred to President Bush's account of the response in his memoirs thus: "I mean I sort of read it and thought, well, if you're the president of the United States and you've got so many of your people dying in such horrific circumstances, you just throw the rule book out, don't you? You just do what it takes."
Connick wouldn't take the bait to blame Bush, however. "Well, you know, you'd like to think so. But that – it was a traumatic time for everybody," he responded. Later on Morgan peddled the conspiratorial claims that racism was behind the poor response in New Orleans, in an effort to get Connick to respond.
"Some people, you know, said it was kind of surreptitious racism, that it was the fact there were so many poor black people meant that the authorities didn't respond in the way, if they had all been middle class white people," Morgan posed to Connick. The musician dismissed the claims.
"Like, we just need to move forward, you know what I'm saying? People mess up all the time. They messed up then," Connick said of the crisis.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on October 24 at 9:18 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
[9:18]
PIERS MORGAN: And yet the authorities seemed to behave like they were in a third world country. I mean the speed of reaction was scandalously slow. When you look back on it, why do you think that was? Why was it not just obvious there was this awful disaster unfurling?
HARRY CONNICK, JR., entertainer: Well, I'm not privy to all of the details that unfolded and led people to make certain decisions. I do know that we – off the air, we were talking about my manager, Anne Marie Wilkins. I've been with her for a long time. And she said, this is not the time to blame anyone, at least for you, Harry. She said don't blame anyone. Just do what you can. And I realized as time went on, I never did – I didn't need to blame anyone. I mean the problem was there. What do we do to fix it?
And since then, you know, we've established, along with Habitat for Humanity and my dear friend, Branford Marsalis, the Musicians Village and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, and all that was done without saying, look what you did, look how you messed up so –
MORGAN: President Bush, in his own memoirs, which I read recently, you know, he does accept criticism for quite a lot of his actions, not least of all looking down from the plane and being photographed looking down, and stuff like that. But he sort of lays a lot of the blame on a more local level, that he was prohibited from sending in the National Guard and stuff.
I mean I sort of read it and thought, well, if you're the president of the United States and you've got so many of your people dying in such horrific circumstances, you just throw the rule book out, don't you? You just do what it takes.
CONNICK: Well, you know, you'd like to think so. But that – it was a traumatic time for everybody. I was down there doing some – the only way I could get down there is Bob Wright, the former president of NBC, was kind enough to get me down on his plane. He said, would you do some correspondence work down there for us to let us know what's going on?
I said, heck, yeah, I'll do whatever it takes as long as you get me down there. And I had a satellite phone. And when I was at the convention center, I stood up on a chair because it wasn't about trying to figure out who did what wrong, I was like, hey, you all need to send some people over here. There's people who haven't had food and water for a number of days.
There were dead bodies there. There were people seizing. There were people without medication, without any kind of plumbing or electricity. No utilities at all. So it wasn't about – it was about people stepping up and doing what they could. I – you know, at this point, what good is it going to do to blame local or state or federal government?
MORGAN: Some people, you know, said it was kind of surreptitious racism, that it was the fact there were so many poor black people meant that the authorities didn't respond in the way, if they had all been middle class white people.
CONNICK: Well, I mean my dad's not poor and black and, you know, he had a hell of a time getting out of New Orleans. My Aunt Jessie and my Uncle John were on their rooftop. And the last time I checked, they were as white as I was. So I don't know – you know what, the really – at this point in my relationship with that event – and this may – this may upset some people to say, but who cares?
Like, we just need to move forward, you know what I'm saying? People mess up all the time. They messed up then. They – whatever. We need – what can we do? All I know is that we built 80 houses and brought a lot of musicians back.
- Matt Hadro's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
The question is:
Submitted by johnsonl on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 4:39pm.
Why did the Governor and the Mayor wait so long to respond to the situation and to ask for federal help? Place the blame where it belongs: squarely with the racist Mayor Ray Nagin and the idiotic Governor Kathleen Blanco.
Good evening Johnson
Submitted by cocodrie on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 4:57pm.
Quite correct. I lived through it all and you can add Aaron Broussard, our former Jefferson Parish president, who deliberately flooded us by sending the drainage pump operators north of the lake and refused to bring them home. They should all be sharing the same jail cell.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
Piers Morgan, Firestarter
Submitted by kata on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 4:43pm.
Those ubiquitous "some people" sure say an awful lot of interesting things. It's time we went out there and had a word with them.
Thanks Mr. Connik, for not taking the bait. I sure enjoy your music.
Exactly kata*
Submitted by cajun2 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:37pm.
And explain to those "some people" the simple fact about Hurricanes. If you live in the path of a hurricane, THEY DO NOT DISCRIMINATE, no matter who you are or what kind of house you live in, you will be blown over or flooded out. Duh!
The greatest tragedy about hurricanes are those who will not or cannot move out of the way. Besides, did anyone notice the names we give hurricanes? Ike, Gustov, Juan, Isaac, Rita.....justa clue
Can't have it both ways...
Submitted by Annie Ashe Fields on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 4:44pm.
Look, you can't b*tch that Bush is an "imperial president" running roughshod over the Constitution in one breath, the complain he's not running roughshod over the Constitution by suspending the rules between states & Feds having to G*DDAMNED ASK FIRST before the Calvary shows up!
Ray Nagin & the witless female governor blew it NOT Bush. I mean - HELLO? It's not like an EARTHQUAKE. It was a HURRICAINE - YOU KNOW - WITH DAYS AND DAYS OF WARNINGS to GET THE HELL OUT - HUNDREDS OF BUSES were shown FLOODED because THEY didn't do their jobs - NOT BUSH.
www.anniefields.com/blog
BTW: I'm no Bushie - I don't hate him, but I'm no cheerleader for him either.
Calvary vs. cavalry
Submitted by Unsane on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 10:35pm.
Good post, but though I know Mount Calvary was where Jesus was crucified before His miraculous return to earth at the Hawaiian Islands on 4 August 1961, I didn't think it had legs.
:o)
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Uns
Submitted by Radical1979 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 10:42pm.
LOL!! You made my night.
Wo wo wo wo wo Unsane!!! Now
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 11:10pm.
Wo wo wo wo wo Unsane!!! Now just hold on a minute!!! I was HERE on 8/4/61 - it was my Mom's birthday (and sorry, Barry, she doesn't take too kindly to anyone saying 'oh, that's President Obama's birthday too!!! If looks could kill, whoever said that to her would be long gone!! Hell, even my lib brother WON'T say it to her!!!) - and I can't remember any shining light or heavenly experience or second coming of Christ on that day, and aside from some dubious post in the Honolulu Advertiser some time later, I don't think anyone else here in Hawaii could tell you that this happened either!!!
Are you SURE???
Submitted by Unsane on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 11:50pm.
Are you SURE you didn't see the Star of Bethlehem that night? Hmmmm? Any Wise Men poking around Honolulu that day???
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
If there was any kind of
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:01am.
If there was any kind of 'divine light', it was shining on my Mother, and not that worthless piece of Kenyan Kow Krap!!! And speaking of Wise Men......my dear old deceased Dad could school ANY member of the REGIME on just about ANY subject, and make all of those juvenile, sophmoric, phony-ass posers look like the fools that they really are - underneath the hype and chains.
This is my response to this English TWIT!
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:23pm.
I wrote this in response to an article in Jan 2011 this is still the truth and for those that didn't read it then here it is:
Let me enlighten you because I had a front row seat. Five days before the storm reached the coast, Mayor Ray "Let em Drown" Nagin was told that NO was in fact going to be hit. He immediately got on the NEWS in NO and made the following statement "We need every state to send their greyhound and trailways buses down here to pick people up" Every other state in the union ignored This MORON because he not only had buses but he had a fleet of school and city buses that were in the 5th and 9th ward every election picking up black voters and taking them to the polls. (The 5th and 9th are majority Minority Wards in NO) He did not call for an evacuation as he was warned to to untill it was way too late, and when he did he told people to go tho the Superdome or to that community center... you know the one the one that had NOTHING no beds no supplies and yet his people are telling folks to go there!.
Fact is had Ole Ray "Let em drown" Nagin evacuated the 5th and 9th to higher ground on the North side of Lake Ponchatrain to a town as close as Hammond or even a little farther north and east to say Baton Rouge then many of the 1000 people that drowned would have been alive today. So theres one thing Nagin HAD the Opportunity to evacuate and didn't. Stop there the deaths are therefore HIS FAULT! no on elses and Mayor he was the one that was the actual "First responder" and HE DID NOT RESPOND!
Let me address the race thing because Ray, you lying sack of gator feces: it had nothing to do with race unless your calling yourself a RACIST! YOU KILLED THOSE PEOPLE RAY and al lthe books you write, all the lies you tell in those books will not make you any less responsible for the over 1000 deaths YOU are responsible for! YOU sat in a FIVE STAR HOTEL EATING LOBSTER and drinking CHAMPANE while people died! and YOU DID NOTHING! HOW DARE YOU Ray blame President Bush for NOT breaking the law!! Posse Comintatus is there for a REASON RAY! just because OUR IDIOT GOVERNOR wouldn't let the Red Cross in because she wanted to "Draw the people out of the city" (A direct quote from Governor Kathleen "Babblin" Blanco.) Or sign the letter allowing Federal Troops in.. UNTILL she did the President could NOT DO ANYTHING YOU FREAKIN MORON!!!! I lost 3 cousins in NO and Ray their Blood is ON YOUR HANDS!!!!
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kyle-drennen/2011/06/20/nbcs-today-honest-a...
Hey, Jarhead...
Submitted by Jer on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:11pm.
Any chance you would edit your post and break it up into paragraphs? It would make it a heck of a lot easier to read.
Thanks.
Jer
sure.. here you go
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:22pm.
I was on a tear when I wrote it.
And when the Federal Govt
Submitted by marpel on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:12pm.
And when the Federal Govt advised the local and state govt that help could be sent to them PRIOR to Katrina hitting, they refused...but that is never talked about. Wonder why, liberal media? Maybe they never got "the memo"...or are they just disingenuous...I think the latter.
"Deep within my heart lies a memory. A song of ol' San Antone..."
So it's almost the end of
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:18pm.
So it's almost the end of 2011...........and Katrina was in 2005.........and the whole thing has been beaten to death in every way possible since then. And Long Walk/Short Piers Morgan wasn't around here at the time to even KNOW a g*dd**n thing about it anyway, other than what he probably heard or read in the world-wide MSM media, of which he is a part.
So what's he doing trying to bait Connick about any of this anyway.............I think Connick has allready proven that he's no fool with regards to this subject, and he did it again - at Morgan's pathetic expense.
Good evening killa
Submitted by cocodrie on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:24pm.
This will go on until the leftist media convinces the world that the incompetent leftist democrats that bungled everything from start to finish saved us from the evil republicans who were trying to kill us.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
the big lie..
Submitted by kata on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:35pm.
the objective here is to fabricate truth and then touch on it and re-teach it whenever possible to make sure it sticks.
Katrina - Bush bashing - just doesn't go away does it . .
Submitted by Gary Hall on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:20pm.
What, is Piers Morgan going to pick up where the Bush hating, race baiting NBC anchor Brian Williams finally stopped going?
How dare Piers Morgan bring that up again . . "some people. . ? Yea, like you, you intolerant ignorant bigot, Mr. Morgan.
Ask someone about why the Red Cross was not in New Orleans that first week, OK? The Red Cross is the army when it comes to handing out emergency supplies, water and food and first aid, in these natural disasters. Did you see the Red Cross in that sea of suffering humanity at the SuperDome/Convention Center? Nope - me neither. They were ready and willing to go in - but they were ordered not to.
Why? The State of Louisiana - the Governors' own state government - ordered that the Red Cross not enter the City of New Orleans during those first critical days/weeks.
Has a single national media figure ever simply asked the direct questions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin - and demanded answers?
OK - and I sort of agree with your premise, Piers Morgan (except that your premise is only to paint Bush as the bad guy - not find the truth); it would have been nice had President Bush broken all of laws and sent in the US military (the National Guard is commanded by the Governor - you idiot), without permission from Gov. Blanco. I wish that he'd flown right into the mess and delivered the water and aid right from the door of Marine One -- and carried a poster that said, I'm doing this because the idiot Mayor of this city and the idiot governor of this state are derelict in their duties and thousands of our people are suffering horrible, and many dying, because of their incompetence. Yep, in hindsight, I bet that President Bush wishes he done that as while - as it is his style.
But more than that Piers Morgan, I wish that our national media, being there on the ground in that moment, would have seen past their own personal biases and reported the news for what it was and had demanded that the local authorities be held accountable.
Who, in the MSM, was asking, "Where is the Red Cross? Who is keeping them away? Why were there no medical supplies, water, food, emergency medical personnel properly planned for and positioned prior to this major natural disaster? Why was there not a sufficient evacuation and designation of last resort plan, in place - the city and state knew for decades that this was coming?
I'll guarantee you something Piers Morgan. If you and President Bush were standing on the side of the street, and a black person on the other side of the street goes to the ground requiring CPR/mouth to mouth resuscitation, you'll be the one left standing there in the dash to offer assistance.
(;~/ gary
Translation
Submitted by Djinn1975 on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:29pm.
Morgan referred to President Bush's account of the response in his memoirs thus: "I mean I sort of read it..."
Someone told me what to say about it.
I'm echoing liberal drivel concerning the topic.
This is what all my friends and I conclude.
Insert lack of understanding on the subject conjecture here.
Wouldn't it be ideal if every city/state had an acceptable response time natural disaster team?
Oh wait, Bush blew up Lake Pontchartrain's levees to take full advantage of Katrina's rainfall so he could thin the black herd in Nawlins. Never mind, my translation and rhetorical question have been rendered irrelevant.
Morgan is a Katrina expert.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:39pm.
He monitored it closely from England.
It was?
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 6:09pm.
"I mean the speed of reaction was scandalously slow."
What, having the US Coast Guard, a FEDERAL department, by the way, risk their own lives to save hundreds of trapped residents while the wind was still driving and the rain was still falling, the hurricane still raging, wasn't fast enough for you? Can you possibly be more oblivious as to what was actually going on? The federal government "responded" several days before Katrina even made landfall. That's WHY those Coast Guard ships were "standing by."
The federal government reacted faster to this natural disaster than any other in American history, up to and including sending two Navy Hospital Ships to the Gulf in order to provide medical services within three days of Katrina making landfall (it used to take WEEKS just to get the Red Cross into a disaster area, let alone set up medical services!), and this idiot claims that it "speed" of the reaction was "scandalously slow." That should tell you something about his intelligence level, and his bias.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
This is true.
Submitted by The Vet on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 11:47pm.
It was indeed a fast response. The very nature of a disaster means that if it is hard for you to get out, then it is indeed difficult for rescuers to get in.
Morgan
Submitted by grammajane on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 5:49pm.
take a deep breath, use that grey matter in your empty head and shut the hel up. Thank you Connick for ignoring this poor excuse of a tv "personality" and keep doing what you are doing. Does anyone waste their time watching cnn these days? Morgan is a good excuse not to along with the rest of these radicals trying so hard to keep boy barry in office.
Piers Morgan takes the fall ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 6:24pm.
And where was Piers Morgan in August of 2005?
Back in the UK,so you know how much he knows about what happened during Katrina.
Don't you want to scream at the TV whenever you hear these same old liberal talking points? Too bad we can't have a panel of Katrina survivors there to set these characters straight every time they begin their Katrina revisionism.
When it comes to Piers though, all I have to do is remember how he said President Bush must have been an idiot for falling off a Segway (the gyroscope mechanism was turned off).
And then THIS happened to Mr. Morgan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWx06tUxWo4
Just be patient.
Eventually, Instant Karma's gonna get you every time!
Morgan is pretty consistent
Submitted by Kuso Jiji on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 6:48pm.
he never seems to care about the truth.
Part of Campaign Plan
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 10:06pm.
This is another plank in the Messiah's reelection campaign. All Republicans are racists. So if you do not vote for the Messiah then you are a racist.
Ya'll give Piers a break
Submitted by ckc1227 on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:07am.
All he knows about Katrina was learned second hand while tapping some clown's cell phone.
Nagin Is Still In Office, Bush Is Gone.
Submitted by Avitar on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:24am.
First a Storm five years ago has affects how?
The Disaster was the size of all of Britain but would not have been as bad if Mayor Nagin would have evacuated the city and had not thrown away the storm plans which were written in the nineteen-sixties. The Sunday newspapers of cities up and down along the Mississippi river published copies. If people had river going .house boats and commercial barges their newspapers generally published the Corps of Engineers plans at least once. I can promise you that the plans did not include Sean Penn sightseeing tours. George Bush did the right thing in not distracting from the efforts by taking a photo-op tour of the area.
Technically the failure to request Federal assistance ahead of the storm was all the Democrat Governors of Louisiana's fault and she should lose her job because of that and be replaced by the Republican Bobby Jindal who will do a job so good that he will be re-elected...oh never mind.
(Joke is that the first Republican Governor of Louisiana since reconstruction Bobby Jindal just got re-elected last week)
Good morning Avitar
Submitted by cocodrie on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 1:34am.
Nagin is gone too, Thank God. Mitch Landrieu is now mayor but he's not much better. He's the brother of Mary Landrieu the high priced madam of DC.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
LOL Liberal heads exploding
Submitted by stunned on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 6:34am.
Was waiting for the first MSM attack on Bush after the warm reception he got at the World Series when he threw the ball out. LOL The libs were SHOCKED at how loudly the crowd applauded and cheered and you can bet you will be hearing more comments like Morgans'. They thought they had effectively destroyed the man and everytime a scene like that occurs you will see a response. Reminds me of the shock the MSM had when millions came out to mourn Reagan.
tired of liberal lies
There is reality and then
Submitted by Smartypants on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 8:37am.
There is reality and then there is liberal reality; the two are often very different.
I remain amazed to this day
Submitted by Immortal Fish on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 12:26pm.
I remain amazed to this day how a class 5 hurricane managed to hit only one city.
Connick missed opportunity to break out into this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U