Washington Week Show - # 4510
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Washington Week Show # 4510 - National Disaster, National Tragedy (Hurricane Katrina). Host Gwen Ifill, guests include Michael Duffy, Alexis Simendinger, Jeffrey Birnbaum, and Gloria Borger.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Composite footage (unclean) with Washington Week title and text: Hurricane Katrina aftermath, destruction, survivor says "I just prayed the whole while the water was rising hoping that everyone would be alright." African American woman sitting on top of white car, flood water is up to the windows of the car, blonde Caucasian woman says "I still haven't been able to really cry, I'm just so still shocked and just exhausted because we have nowhere to go." Young African American woman wearing red baseball hat says "It's depressing, you have to start over and we don't know where to begin." Police officer carrying elderly woman in arms, person in wheel chair covered with blanket (dead), and African American woman say "People couldn't leave because they couldn't afford to leave, superdome people went in that shelter because they couldn't afford to leave, and now we're dying?" African American man says "Not one time did I see or anybody see an official step out here and talk to these people." Pan crowds of people outside superdome. Caucasian woman wearing sunglasses and white visor says "This is America? You hear about this in foreign countries, not here." Aerial view of flooded street, debris, National Guard.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
DO NOT USE - Commercial
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Footage of President George W. Bush and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin walking together.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
DO NOT USE THIS SECTION: Audio clip of Mayor Ray Nagin from radio interview says "You mean to tell me that a place where most of your oil is coming through, a place that is so unique, when you mention New Orleans anywhere around the world everybody's eyes light up. You mean to tell me that a place where you probably have thousands of people that have died, and thousands more that are dying every day that we can't figure out a way to authorize the resources that we need? Come on man..."
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Michael Duffy from TIME Magazine reports on the government s response to Hurricane Katrina up to now (Hurricane hit Monday and it is now Friday).
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Clip of President George W. Bush with survivors of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush says "I don't think that anybody can be prepared for the vastness of this destruction. You can look at a picture, but until you sit on that doorstep of a house that used to be or stand by the rubble you just can't imagine it. You know this is a huge task that we're dealing with and our jobs as people in positions with the responsibility is not to be satisfied until the job is done as good as it can possibly be done." Alexis Simendinger, a White House Correspondent, discusses the President s comments during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the administration s timing in arriving in New Orleans, as well as the President and his administration s culpability in failing to properly handle this disaster. In any case, Mrs. Simendinger believes this will be a black eye for the administration.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Hurricane Katrina also affected the nation as a whole with the rise in gas prices. Jeffrey Birnbaum from the Washington Post discusses the impact this disaster has had and will have on gas prices in the United States. Split screen of Jeffrey Birnbaum and gas prices. Split screen of Jeffrey Birnbaum and aerial of cars at gas station. Finally, the overall American economy may slow down due to this disaster and Mr. Bimbaum believes that the President is trying to hold the economy steady along with Mr. Greenspan. The idea of holding interest rates steady is one possible solution.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
In the final segment of the show, Gwen Ifill mentions that Congress is in the process of providing emergency relief for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. It is also beginning the blame game to find those responsible for the lacking federal response to the Katrina disaster. Many of the affected are minorities, which touches off a subject of race and inequality. Terry Cummings (D) Maryland says "Many of these Americans who now are struggling to survive are Americans of color. Their cries for assistance confront America with the test of our moral compass as a nation. We cannot allow it to be said by history that the difference between those who lived and those who died in this great storm and flood of 2005 was nothing more than poverty, age or skin color. It would be unconscionable to stand by and do nothing." Gloria Borger, CBS National Political Correspondent, analyzes these claims and their potency.
Washington Week Show - # 4510
Gwen Ifill mentions areas on the PBS website for charitable donations and the topic not covered this episode, the upcoming confirmation hearings of Judge Roberts for the Supreme Court. She then signs off. Credits.