Paul Rubin, a professor of economics at Emory University, compares Katrina to Deepwater Horizon.
In many respects, the Deepwater Horizon disaster and Katrina are mirror images of each other...
State and local efforts—particularly in New Orleans, and Louisiana more broadly—interfered with what actions the federal government could actually take. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was late in ordering an evacuation and did not allow the use of school buses for evacuation, which could have saved hundreds of lives. President Bush had no power to change that decision.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is on federal offshore territory...
As opposed to Katrina, state and local attempts to address the oil spill have been hindered by an ineffectual and chaotic federal response.
The bigger difference is in press coverage. The press gave Bush about 30 seconds before charges of an inadequate botched response to Katrina hit the front pages. Two months into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the press is still making excuses for Obama's inattention and incompetence. His golf is very important, you know.
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