August 21, 2023

"President Biden is set to break away from his summer vacation on Monday to fly to Hawaii to inspect damage wrought by wildfires...."

The NYT reports, in a presentation that is not supportive to Biden:

The asymmetrical photograph tips Biden into the lower corner. He looks small and weak. It's an unflattering view from the side, with his unround head bowed. He's headed into the weeds. But he's a man on vacation — hidden away at Lake Tahoe. 

Paragraph 3:

The president has come under criticism from Republicans for not saying enough publicly in their view about the fires that turned the town of Lahaina into an inferno on Aug. 8. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser warned that “a warm welcome may not be assured for Biden in some circles on Maui” because of frustrations over applying for aid and cultural sensitivities involving Native Hawaiians.

He's staying at the house of "Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate investor," and "White House officials said the president is renting the house for 'fair market value.'" What exactly is a "climate investor"? I don't know, and I also don't know why a man who's been a politician all his life has the money to rent a billionaire's Lake Tahoe house at "fair market value."

From the linked Honolulu Star-Advertiser article:
[T]here are online conspiracy theories, particularly from some who claim to be Native Hawaiians who are urging fire evacuees not to sign up for federal assistance they’re entitled to, alleging they’ll be victims of a government attempt to take what’s left of their land....

Urging fire victims not to apply for what is expected to total tens of billions of dollars in federal aid follows failed promises for Native Hawaiians, [said State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole (D, Kaneohe-­Kailua)], such as the inability of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to fulfill its obligation to build homes for the remaining 28,700 Native Hawaiians on the wait list — and the lack of meaningful action since then-President Bill Clinton signed legislation in 1993 apologizing for the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom 100 years earlier.... 
[S]tate Rep. Elle Cochran, (D, Waihee-Lahaina- Lahainaluna), hopes the Biden visit does not cause too much of a disruption for a community in mourning and trying to restore service. “All Hawaiian people since the overthrow have had that mistrust of others coming in,” Cochran said....

99 comments:

gilbar said...

Hawaii's Governor "Green" has Already stated, that NO ONE will be allowed to sell ANY land on Maui to ANY ONE not on HIS approved list of billionaires.

Gov "Green" said, and i Quote*:
"My people Certainly Did NOT start the fire.. BUT! We are NOT ones to let a crisis go to waste!"

Quote* okay.. MAYBE i made that up.. But Maybe i Didn't!!

gilbar said...

https://fortune.com/2023/08/17/hawaii-governor-housing-market-land-grab-investors/
Gov. Josh Green said Wednesday that he instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, even as he acknowledged the move would likely face legal challenges.

n.n said...

Nearly ten years to do land management since the assessment of risk was completed.
High resolution models forecast the unusually aggressive winds that accelerated the spread. Forecasts that were delayed because systems and human attention were misdirected to climate change. Warnings that were sent over disabled cellular networks. Building codes that were not updated. Water that was unavailable to douse the fires. A perfect catastrophic progression.

Leland said...

The whole thing in Maui gets weirder with every new piece of information that is coming out. I remember the first post was about people not getting warnings, and while I still stand on principle with the idea that waiting for an official to warn you is dangerous; it seems officials really were not all that concerned about Lahaina as events unfolded. It seems that lack of concern is at all levels of government including federal. It isn’t surprising with the level of disinterest in their plight that survivors are now weary. Why now does the government finds them interesting? It seems the interest is all about others personal gain and not the loss of those in Lahaina.

rhhardin said...

Who knew so many native Hawaiians were on the dole already!

I'd assume that their schools are NOT dysfunctional because I haven't heard about any disorder in the classroom there. Google puts average native Hawaiian iq at 87, matching American blacks. So that gives a comparison point for what can be achieved by fixing black schools (somehow). I have the feeling that native Hawaiians are doing better than blacks.

On the other hand who knows what they're teaching in schools these days.

Gahrie said...

1) The "native population" of Hawaii first arrived around 1,000 to 800 years ago, that's not a very impressive historical claim.

2) By the time the American settlers of Hawaii took control from the "native Hawaiians", there were only around 40,000 of them left because of disease. The kingdom that was overthrown was only 80 years old. Before that the various tribes waged war on each other.

3) The most populous demographic in Hawaii today is Asian, not European or Hawaiian.

Kakistocracy said...

Islands tell their own story. They have been described before as a mass of land surrounded by advice. An apt description in this tragic instance. A forest fire on an island is like a fire on a boat on a larger scale. The problem is ultimately the same. Nowhere to run. The rule at sea is to never get into a life raft unless you have to step up into it. Up until that point you are always safer on the distressed vessel. The one exception being fire, in which case you get everybody into life rafts or the water immediately. Further, it is a rule of firefighting to never put yourself into a situation there is no escape from. A fire fighter is not allowed to become a casualty themself.

Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right. And I am deeply concerned about the motivations of those who are attacking him for it. It is disingenuous and no doubt intended as duplicity.

Dagwood said...

I've read that the Hawaiian power company failed to upgrade its equipment because of government pressure to steer capital towards "green" investments and infrastructure. And isn't Steyer one of the guys who has made hundreds of millions by pushing climate hysteria and capitalizing on all the government money handed out to Solyndra-type ventures?

Jaq said...

This reminds me of the "Dutch Angle" pics we saw of Trump. Biden is trailing Trump in the polls, and the only thing keeping his candidacy alive is the fact that the neocons need him, and they are very influential in the uni-party, which runs our politics and media.

Michael said...

Fair market value is $20,000 a week. Or more.

wendybar said...

So, he works a few days then heads back on his permanent taxpayer funded vacations?? Must be great to be a Biden, where you can say and do whatever you want, and the Propagandists blame Trump instead.

Roger Sweeny said...

Here I thought this was part of an emerging "get rid of Biden because he's too old and might lose in 2024" campaign but it's just another "stolen land" guilt trip.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Hawaiians - and I say not just the locals but the white left who have settled in there -are dedicated Demcorat-party worshipers - Like Rich.

rehajm said...

The Simpsons gets it right again:

Elizabeth Hoover: He's bad—but he'll die—so I like it.

Montgomery Burns: And, uh, incidentally, thanks for not making fun of my genitalia.

Marge Simpson:I thought I did.

Yah, that’s not unflattering, it’s the best they could do with what they had to work with…

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Biden offered the victims of the fire $700 each. LOL. what an insult.

Big Mike said...

He's staying at the house of "Tom Steyer, the billionaire climate investor," and "White House officials said the president is renting the house for 'fair market value.'" What exactly is a "climate investor"?

It’s a person who gets rich from the gullibility of people who believe in the climate alarmists’ crap despite honest mathematicians’ critiques of the mathematical models that underpin the alarms and honest scientists pointing out that in 35 years not a single prediction has come true.

wildswan said...

Apparently there are no grocery stores open on the west side, the disaster side of Maui. Federal help consists of search and rescue in the burned-out town (now just search) and FEMA teams passing out forms, relating to possible assistance with home rebuilding. The Red Cross has a table there. Otherwise, the Maui community is doing all that is being done. They are carrying in groceries by boat; doctors and nurses are volunteering on their off days.
13,000 people lived in the town of Lahaina and they have all lost their homes and most their jobs which depended in one way or another on Lahaina tourism. They are doubling up with friends or they are sleeping out like the homeless in NYC or they have gone to work on the other sides of the island. Some were injured and no help was sent from the nearby military bases where a hospital ship is at anchor.
Reporting on grim realities might force the government to act but it would cut down on Maui tourism and really the only chance for the west side of Maui is that the east, south and north sides stay economically strong which means attractive to tourists. Catch 22

Birches said...

Aren't we pretty sure that over 1000 people have died in the fires?

The NYT will wait until Biden leaves to report that.

Shouldn't Obama be there? I would think the Hawaiians would appreciate one of their own consoling them. I still remember Bill Clinton going to ground zero and being with the families who were posting information on missing family members. I don't even like him, but it was tender and touching. Obama could do the same.

rehajm said...

So I see Biden is staying at Tom Steyer’s Tahoe mansion. Recall Steyer is the reason there are so many trillions of US Treasury being blown on all the transfer payments and shit ass windmills. Payback’s a bitch for taxpayers but at least Biden’s handlers were savvy enough to get Steyer to throw in a week at the lake…

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The "warm welcome" will be manufactured very easily by the obedient hack-D press.
If anyone dare speak out in anger or frustration against the bungling local ineptitude - all will quickly be air-brushed out from public consumption by the demcoxrat-soviet press. (FBI-local, Inc.)

Gathering a bunch of dedicated democrat loyalists for a photo-op on Maui will not be difficult.

YAY Biden! He really cares. you betcha.

Skeptical Voter said...

I seem to recall that "billionaire climate investor" Tom Steyer made his money in coal before he got climate religion.

Slow Joe was taking a week long vacation in the billionaire's mansion at Lake Tahoe. He arrived there yesterday. Well "Hurricane Hillary" now downgraded to a very wet tropical storm is headed towards the Reno Tahoe area. Should arrive late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Hillary dropped five inches of water in the rain gauge in my back yard yesterday. I live just a bit south of the San Gabriel mountains that rim the Los Angeles Basin.

So Slow Joe's vacation in Tahoe will be ruined by the rain anyway- he may as well go to Maui. And vacation there. It is nice to think that Joe's spoiled vacation is Hillary's fault.

rehajm said...

The Hilo raised roommate explained to me how five families run Hawaii and they determine who gets the contracts, who is allowed to have a hotel but really everything. In that context it isn’t hard to understand the fuck ups and failures…

When I travel to a place I know little about it isn’t hard to see the signs of a place run like Hawaii. Without mercy it infects every aspect of everyday life.

Original Mike said...

"…and I also don't know why a man who's been a politician all his life has the money to rent a billionaire's Lake Tahoe house at "fair market value.""

Sure you do.

Jaq said...

Half of Democrats, and I assume that this includes gadfly, don't want Biden to drop out, even if the charges of bribery are shown to be true.

Jaq said...

"Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right."

"Exactly" Not even the tiniest misstep, nope. Not just that, but since the "situation" pre-dates the actual fire, which grew out of it, Biden's leadership on Hawaii's transition to renewables, and how that transition balances with the continued safety and adequacy of the power grid has also been exactly perfect.

The man is a god.

Jaq said...

The only way that Biden is going to be cleared of bribery, is if he can keep the charges out of court, BTW, which is what the plea deal attempted to accomplish.

Meade said...

Lyndon Biden Johnson: “If I've lost [the New York Times], I've lost [Elitist] America."

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The inept White Left governor of HI is already drooling and cooing over Biden's love and devotion... Love and devotion. Love and devotion! (D)(D)(D)

Darkisland said...

Birches,

I think obris in Maui and has been since before the fire. He is building a huge house there. Or rehabbing or something.

Istr some controversy about the project in the past but don't remember what. Something to do with the a seawall maybe?

John Henry

Gusty Winds said...

At the moment they are covering up the amount that are dead. More than likely because they are children and they are trying to control the reaction of the locals.

Darkisland said...

Might be time to visit the portal and pick up a copy of Michener's Hawaii.

I read it in the 60s and remember it was pretty good.


John Henry

henge2243 said...

In the end, I'm sure that you and I are paying for President and dr. Biden's vacation.

Given Biden's inflated opinion of himself, I'd wager that he is one of the cheapest people alive. I can't envision him paying the likely $17,500+ per night that a place like Steyer's in Lake Tahoe would cost. He must have raked in a lot more cash than we realize over the years.

Jaq said...

What that picture says to me is "Harris can't be any worse. Resign Joe."

Sebastian said...

"The president has come under criticism from Republicans for not saying enough publicly"

Dems, on the other hand, are totally fine with "no comment." Mean Republicans.

"I also don't know why a man who's been a politician all his life has the money to rent a billionaire's Lake Tahoe house at "fair market value."

Love the faux profession of ignorance. Maybe even Dems will catch the point.

"what is expected to total tens of billions of dollars in federal aid"

So a Dem state fails to deal with "non-native grasses," pursues climate change instead of fire protection, has no way to evacuate communities with one road in and out, and is run by PC progs not overly concerned about saving lives with working alarms and water supplies --and I am supposed to help pay for those billions, and the interest on the increased debt? Why?

Jaq said...

"Handled it perfectly..."

Everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong. Sirens didn’t go off, water that could’ve been used to put out the flames was restricted, and power lines kept operating despite the danger posed by hurricane winds.

The governor of Hawaii can’t even maintain proper eye contact with the camera as he talks about the systemic failures that led to this avoidable catastrophe.

Will anyone be held accountable? Given the relative media blackout, it looks like they’re trying to sweep the situation under the carpet like so much ash. When Hurricane Katrina happened, it’s all the media would talk about. What’s going on here?
. - Some guy on X.

We all know.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

The asymmetrical photograph tips Biden into the lower corner. He looks small and weak.

One could also infer from his general demeanor that he's sulking about having one of his frequent vacations spoiled.

The NYT does seem to have given up covering for him.

Michael K said...

The Lahaina disaster is completely human made. Maybe the fire was even arson. Certainly the response, or lack of same, was a disaster. I suspect that Biden will fly in and out on the same day and news of the 1400 missing, many of them children, will trickle out over a month or two. Nobody wants to know the truth except maybe the former residents of Lahaina. The Mayor's new conference was amusing if such a mess can be called amusing.

walter said...

Photog got one glimpse of Pedo Pete and he was urinating.
Pretty good framing. Now hide the little Hawaiian girls.

" What exactly is a "climate investor"?
Parasite.

MayBee said...

I remember the coverage of Bush after Katrina.
Either the press loves Biden too much, or they don't care about Hawaiians enough.

Karlito2000 said...

Rich said: Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right.

President No Comment has done a deplorable job of handling this situation. Try telling this woman who is on Maui what a great job he's done.

From a week ago:

https://twitter.com/louisaclary/status/1691764893425226176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1691764893425226176%7Ctwgr%5Ebc1579d645cd57f5aab1918ead77fe96379cc82f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotair.com%2Fdavid-strom%2F2023%2F08%2F21%2Fmaui-response-is-a-disaster-n572441

And just yesterday:

https://twitter.com/TruthAndRum/status/1693234972453175387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1693234972453175387%7Ctwgr%5Ebc1579d645cd57f5aab1918ead77fe96379cc82f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotair.com%2Fdavid-strom%2F2023%2F08%2F21%2Fmaui-response-is-a-disaster-n572441

Bob Boyd said...

Joe's looking at the new slippers. Are they on the right feet? He can't be sure. He'll try to remember to ask Jill. They never did find his old slippers. The FBI, the Secret Service...for fuck's sake! Hard to believe they couldn't tell him anything. And now Hunter has a pair just like Joe's old ones. If it was anyone but Hunter, he'd have to wonder...

DINKY DAU 45 said...

Rumor has it that Dark Brandon is stopping by the trump golf course to get some paper towels to throw, he thinks they are right next to the classified documents in the bathroom at Mar A logo where trump is on permanent vacation until he gets his orange jumpsuit. Lighten up there is nothing the serfs down below can do, most righties don't even believe THEIR vote counts so what's the sense, keep fighting for a King, it's been a couple hundred years plus since we had GEORGE, guess they like that idea again, what goes around comes around?

Duke Dan said...

So, weren’t we just told in the last month how evil it was for Justice Thomas to go on vacation paired for by a rich friend? I await all the investigations of all the billionaire mansions that Slo Joe has accepted in his lifetime and how corrupt that is.

I’ll wait but probably best to not hold my breath.

Rabel said...

The decision to carry on with the vacation in Lake Tahoe and add in a side trip to Maui as what looks like an afterthought is such a poor call politically that Biden himself must have made it.

That is what the Times is upset about. Not the vacation and the disrespect to the victims, but the damage the poor optics do to the cause.

Big Mike said...

Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right. And I am deeply concerned about the motivations of those who are attacking him for it. It is disingenuous and no doubt intended as duplicity.

@Rich, the local Hawaiians disagree with you, to the point that, per the local Hawaiian news sources, your paragraph above would be regarded as “disingenuous and no doubt intended as duplicity.”

Since you profess to be so knowledgeable about the Biden administration’s response to the disaster, allow me to repeat some questions I have been asking in various Althouse threads:

1) Why is the head of FEMA still in DC? How can she effectively coordinate FEMA’s activities across no fewer than six time zones? The answer is that she can’t and isn’t. In case someone thinks I am being “disingenuous,” or maybe even duplicitous, FEMA’s actions are so poorly coordinated that late last week even the Washington Post called them out on it. (FEMA’s response is to blame the local and state governments).

2) Knowledgeable commentators explained to me why it takes weeks for the Navy to get its hospital ships staffed up and underway. Still, the fire occurred on August 8, thirteen days ago. The USNS Mercy is still docked at San Diego and there are currently no preparations to get it underway so that the overworked, exhausted healthcare providers on Maui can get a break. Commentator Rusty correctly points out that our huge, modern aircraft carriers have complete hospitals on board, but none of the carriers in the Pacific has been redirected to Maui. The Straub Medical Center on Oahu is a highly regarded facility for treating burn victims, but apparently only 9 patients have been sent there. Is that the total number of severe burn victims from this huge fire? Only nine?

3) Local news sources have referenced supplies being brought into the island by corporations like United Airlines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and civilian charities like Samaritan’s Purse. Where is the Air Force? Why am I not reading about C-17s or C-130s delivering supplies?

Jaq said...

LOL, we heard the nickname "Pedo Pete" that Hunter used for the Big Guy, and we all knew were the "Pedo" came from, but now we learn that when he talked about peddling influence with his son and bagman, he used the pseudonym "Peters." Well, as Paul Harvey used to say "Now you know the *rest* of the story."

Rusty said...

wendybar said...
"So, he works a few days then heads back on his permanent taxpayer funded vacations?? Must be great to be a Biden, where you can say and do whatever you want, and the Propagandists blame Trump instead."
It just means that he'll get a nice plane ride and some pineapple pudding. His vacation never ends. His handlers will talk to the governor and some state officials and never set foo in the disaster area.

Ann Althouse said...

I'm seeing that 850 are still missing and 114 are confirmed dead. That's 964 if all of the missing are dead.

But 1,200 who were once on the missing list have been found, so maybe a lot of those 850 will be found.

gilbar said...

Where is the Air Force? Why am I not reading about C-17s or C-130s delivering supplies?

Be FAIR! there are Only So Many operational transport planes in the USAF..
And MOST of them are busy delivering pallets of cash to the Ukrainians and Iranians

JAORE said...

"The asymmetrical photograph tips Biden into the lower corner. He looks small and weak."

Ho-Lee-Katz. That photo is no accident. And it's damning.

PM said...

"Everything looks fine."
"um, sir...this is Oahu."

gspencer said...

He's only going to Maui because they promised him that there'd be ice cream.

mikeski said...

Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right. And I am deeply concerned about the motivations of those who are attacking him for it.

LOL. Civility bullshit, indeed.

Narayanan said...

A fire fighter is not allowed to become a casualty themself.

Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right.
=============
so Biden is Firefighter superhero
and Obama is Lightbringer superhero

did bright light cause fire?

Curious George said...

"But 1,200 who were once on the missing list have been found, so maybe a lot of those 850 will be found." Hope so, but the early confusion and chaos is now over. If you are missing you are probably head.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

How nice of him to “interrupt” his seventh vacation this summer with his poorly timed trip to Maui. Faking empathy is so hard for him. What a dick.

Sebastian said...

"Why am I not reading about C-17s or C-130s delivering supplies?"

All busy delivering supplies to Ukraine?

Crazy World said...

He is a horrible person and even worse “president”.

Richard Dolan said...

"What exactly is a "climate investor"? I don't know ..."

Yes, you do. And it's not hard to figure out when you're talking about a guy who sought the Dem nomination for president.

"I also don't know why a man who's been a politician all his life has the money to rent a billionaire's Lake Tahoe house at 'fair market value.'"

You know perfectly well that, on an 'official' visit, Biden isn't spending his own money, he's spending ours.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Rinky Dink sez Dark Brandon is stopping by the trump golf course to get some paper towels...

Even though I usually skip over your stuff (as with Chuck) I'm pretty sure this is a cut and paste from another thread here. It was lame the first time and even lamer now.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

We all pay the Bidens to be on vacation - while the media fawn and tell us how great Joe is.

Banana Republic.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The artist I mentioned the other day - he and his wife are "found" now. They live upcountry and were without power and internet. So relieved.

Their brother Paul is still missing. I presume, since he lived in Lahaina, he has perished.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Speaking of Crook Fraud Biden - low-life liar and grifting grifter who grfits - (yet loved by loyal suckers like Rich)

THREE aliases, Joe? The Biden Mafia setup is crystal clear

Paul said...

What a rip off artist and traitor... Makes even Benedict Arnold look good.

Anthony said...

gspencer said...
He's only going to Maui because they promised him that there'd be ice cream.


Distributed by pre-teen girls.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

"So I see Biden is staying at Tom Steyer’s Tahoe mansion"

Biden is not Clarence Thomas, so it's all good.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

"Might be time to visit the portal and pick up a copy of Michener's Hawaii.

I read it in the 60s and remember it was pretty good."

I read his book Poland (and others). I liked Poland, because even though most of the characters are fictional, the book provides a pretty good overview of Poland's history. There's a reason that the Poles don't take shit from anyone.

donald said...

There’s a whole fucking naval base right around the corner along with an AFB AND the army. There is no excuse for not being involved here. But hey, they’re Hawaiians. They got their vote. Fuck them, they’ll get over it.

Rusty said...

Ann Althouse said...
"I'm seeing that 850 are still missing and 114 are confirmed dead. That's 964 if all of the missing are dead.

But 1,200 who were once on the missing list have been found, so maybe a lot of those 850 will be found."
The area isn't that big. I'm getting the impression that their hearts aren't in it.

donald said...

Tom Steyer is the asshole who made billions of dollars exploiting foreign countries for their minerals, gas, whatever he could screw somebody over for then became a climate change fraud, just to get in on that action. A loathesome person.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I’m of too upset at Joe keeping quiet about the disaster. I’m sure he lost all memory of it soon after it occurred.

Jim at said...

Given all that I would say Biden is handling this situation exactly right.

Two vacations ... while they're pulling charred corpses out of the wreckage.

Yeah. You go with that.

Big Mike said...

In a roundabout way I finally got my answer as to why DoD resources like Navy medical ships or Air Force cargo planes are not being employed to help alleviate the suffering of the surviving population on Maui.

By law, the DoD cannot provide assistance unless and until the governor of the state asks for it. And as of this morning, Governor Josh Green (Democrat) has not done so. So, amazingly, it isn’t the fault of the Biden administration at all (unless some flunky contacted Gov. Green and warned him not to bother).

Iman said...

Time for the lap-poodle media to jettison loser Joe Biden.

Marcus Bressler said...

I can only add to Mike's excellent definition of a "Climate Investor":
He is one who makes money off the government's imbecilic mandates and tax credits and subsidies, which cause undue hardship on the vast majority of people FOR NO REASON AT ALL.

Electric vehicles en masse via government laws, policies and mandates, will be a terrible failure. And those failures could not happen to a nicer group of gullible people who, even after their car burns for hours despite efforts to put it out, even after they get stranded on a highway trying to leave a area threatened by a hurricane, and even if the cost of replacing a car battery runs into the ten thousand level, they will STILL vote Democrat as they are as addled as Rich and Inga and Dinky and LLR Chuck.

MarcusB. THE OLDMAN

Narayanan said...

By law, the DoD cannot provide assistance unless and until the governor of the state asks for it.
=======
is it only DoD or also other agencies like FEMA >> Bush tried to explain this during Katrina but was drowned out by Media.

Mason G said...

"By law, the DoD cannot provide assistance unless and until the governor of the state asks for it."

Well, the state is doing such a bang-up job here, you can see why they wouldn't- the state guys don't want to share the hurrahs and accolades with the feds, you know.

I feel bad for the people of Lahaina who've suffered through this disaster. Unfortunate as it might be, a famous Hawaiian once said "Elections have consequences". Hard to argue with that.

jaydub said...

If you happened to catch Joe's comments when he landed in Lahaina this afternoon you got a deep look into how shallow he really is. He read his remarks in a monotone and seemed to be just going through the motions, talking about the loss of life and missing children as if his mind was on ice cream. Even Jill, who was behind him in the video frame when he was speaking looked embarrassed. What a guy!

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

Just saw Biden stumble and mumble through the script he was given to read at the Lahaina press briefing he flew in for. Reminiscent of a kid reading his lines in the third-grade play -- poorly. And that was it. No one was permitted to ask him questions. Pathetic.

Gahrie said...

"But 1,200 who were once on the missing list have been found, so maybe a lot of those 850 will be found." Hope so, but the early confusion and chaos is now over. If you are missing you are probably head.

What's worse is apparently most of them are grandparents and children.

iowan2 said...

Might be time to visit the portal and pick up a copy of Michener's Hawaii.

I read it in the 60s and remember it was pretty good.



We Listened to Hawaii, on audio. I too really enjoyed the book. Michener goes into a lot of what constitutes the modern day culture of Hawaii, the Chinese immigrants, the missionaries, Royalty, Pinnaples, tourism.

Mutaman said...

Meade said...

"Lyndon Biden Johnson: “If I've lost [the New York Times], I've lost [Elitist] America.""

So now we know where Althouse got the word "Elitist" from.

gilbar said...

President Biden is set to break away from his summer vacation..

not to pick nits, but SHOULDN'T it say:
President Biden is set to break away from one of his summer vacations

Joe Bar said...

The canal that had foisted this idiot on us must be forced to pay for their actions.

Mutaman said...

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

"Just saw Biden stumble and mumble through the script he was given to read at the Lahaina press briefing he flew in for. Reminiscent of a kid reading his lines in the third-grade play -- poorly. And that was it. No one was permitted to ask him questions. Pathetic."


Did he throw paper towels into the crowd?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEe7_zgZbuI

Mikey NTH said...

A presidential photo op to say "I care" is expected, but truly useless. The government of Hawaii is the the first responder here, and they were paralyzed.

Michael K said...

I wonder how many here know that the Maui electric company, that was spending all its money on "Climate Change," is mostly owned by Blackrock, the WOKE investment fund that emphasizes ESG.

Joe Bar said...

Cabal. Autocorrect is hated.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

"Did he throw paper towels into the crowd?"

And this is relevant how?

Oh, GO TEAMS!!!!1!!!11!!!!!

Big Mike said...

@Mutaman, reports say Joe’s speeches bombed.

Rusty said...

I recently saw a video someone with a drone took of the town. First of all it isn,t a very big town so any loss of life makes a big impact. Secondly. You can count on fingers of one hand how many building survived. At least outwardly. It's sad to think that many of those still missing are in the ashes of those burned out buildings.
The response from the authorities responsible has been...lackluster.

rwnutjob said...

I feel your pain & I know loss. I almost lost my 67 Corvette in a fire. *eyeroll*
Wonder if Beau died in a fire this week?

Big Mike said...

Ann Althouse said...
I'm seeing that 850 are still missing and 114 are confirmed dead. That's 964 if all of the missing are dead.

But 1,200 who were once on the missing list have been found, so maybe a lot of those 850 will be found.


I don’t think they’ll find many more alive. Some will have jumped into the sea and drowned or been devoured by predators (or both). This morning I read that in places in Lahaina aluminum and window glass melted. Aluminum’s melting point is close to the bottom range of temperatures used for cremation. Glass melts at temperatures well above those used for cremation.

n.n said...

Blackrock

How very diverse, rabid, even. Didn't they recently remove a black rock from, I believe, a Wisconsin university campus, citing its black visage exuding racist intent?

n.n said...

Just saw Biden stumble and mumble through the script... No one was permitted to ask him questions.

The democrat/dictator has no clothes.

#HateLovesAbortion

Big Mike said...

lackluster

@Rusty, you are too generous.

Joanne Jacobs said...

Biden to Hawaiians who've lost their homes and loved ones:

"I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, what it’s like to lose a home.

. . . I almost lost my wife, my ‘67 Corvette, and my cat. But all kidding aside, I watched the firefighters, the way they responded. ... And they ran into flames to save my wife and save my family. Not a joke."

Biden is lying -- and "kidding" -- about a minor kitchen fire, labeled "insignificant" by the local fire department, that caused no injuries. And I'm pretty sure he wasn't there to watch the firefighters.

I find this really offensive.

Mutaman said...



Blogger Joanne Jacobs said...

Biden to Hawaiians who've lost their homes and loved ones:

"Biden is lying -- and "kidding" -- about a minor kitchen fire, labeled "insignificant" by the local fire department, that caused no injuries. And I'm pretty sure he wasn't there to watch the firefighters.

I find this really offensive. "

I find this really offensive:

https://twitter.com/AGHamilton29/status/1693959529329729881

Mutaman said...

Big Mike said...

"@Mutaman, reports say Joe’s speeches bombed."

Were those "reports" from Hannity or Mark Levin?