Reactionary baloney? You're soaking in it!

Another popular meme in the right-wing bloggers' efforts to pin all the blame for Katrina on local and state officials-- which keeps getting harder and harder to believe-- is that no less than the Red Cross 'blamed' Louisina officials for keeping them out of New Orleans.

But, like the "no-one expected this" story, the "Bush begged them to evacuate" story, and the "it wasn't declared federal" story, this is not just misleading, but false. Says who? Try the President and CEO of the Red Cross, heard here on Larry King's show:

Joining us now in Washington is Marty Evans, the President and CEO of the American Red Cross. She traveled with the president today. The Red Cross is not in New Orleans, why?

MARTY EVANS, RED CROSS PRESIDENT AND CEO: Well, Larry, when the storm came our goal was prior to landfall to support the evacuation. It was unsafe to be in the city. We were asked by the city not to be there and the Superdome was made a shelter of last resorts and, quite frankly in retrospect, it was a good idea because otherwise those people would have had no shelter at all.

We have our shelters north of the city. We're prepared as soon as they can be evacuated, we're prepared to receive them in Texas, in other states, but it was not safe to be in the city and it's not been safe to go back into the city. They were also concerned that if we located, relocated back into the city people wouldn't leave and they've got to leave.

So, the Red Cross wasn't admitted before the storm as a precaution, and acknowledges that the decision probably saved lives. But, as many progressive bloggers are noting today, if these people are sticking by Fearless Leader even now-- and fighting against accountability from those whose job is to aid us in case of another terrorist attack or natural disaster-- they'd stick by him as he grilled and ate puppy-kabobs. I can hear it now: "Just look at what those crazy Democrats have done to the guy. What a brave man."