From his vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard this morning, President Obama sternly warned people to evacuate, but how does that look compared to his criticism of the Bush administration regarding the response to Hurricane Katrina?
Speaking in Harvard in 2005, President Obama criticized the Bush administration for “a passive indifference” when it came to evacuations.
“What was revealed was a passive indifference that is common in our culture, common in our society, a sense that of course once the evacuation is issued of course you will hop in your SUV, and fill it up with a $100 worth of gasoline load up your trunk with sparkling water, take your credit card and check in to the nearest hotel until the storm passes.” Obama said during a keynote speech at Harvard in 2005. “And the notice that folks couldn’t do that did not register for those who were in charge.”
President Obama finally decided to end his vacation a day early to preside over preparations for Hurricane Irene. As it approaches American soil, Mayor Bloomberg is already issuing mandatory evacuations for parts of New York City.
