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Cheney told to fuck himself in mississippi Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050909:MTFH96760_2005-09-09_00-20-02_N0815546:1http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050909:MTFH96760_2005-09-09_00-20-02_N0815546:1
UPDATE 1-Cheney tours Katrina devastation, backs Chertoff
Thu Sep 8, 2005 8:19 PM ET
(Updates throughout with New Orleans stop, details, previous GULFPORT; note obscene language in paragraph eight)
By Caren Bohan
NEW ORLEANS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday toured the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and expressed confidence in Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's handling of the crisis despite widespread criticism of the initial government response.
Cheney rode through the streets of downtown New Orleans in a humvee, the highest-ranking Bush administration official to visit the shattered city center, during a day-long tour of Mississippi and Louisiana to check on relief efforts.
He was the latest in a series of Bush administration officials to visit the region amid complaints from victims that bureaucracy is slowing the recovery, and he acknowledged problems in the early days of the disaster.
"I've got enormous confidence in the secretary (Chertoff) as does the president," said Cheney at a stop in Gulfport, Mississippi, where he was accompanied by Chertoff.
Chertoff and Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have been criticized for their handling of the worst U.S. humanitarian crisis, with some Democrats and Republicans saying one or both should be fired.
Asked about problems with bureaucratic barriers, Cheney suggested progress was being made in cutting through them.
"I think the progress we're making is significant. I think the performance in general at least in terms of the information I've received from locals is definitely very impressive," Cheney told reporters in a rare question-and-answer session.
SHOUTED INSULTS
While he was speaking, a young man shouted an obscenity at the vice-president, saying "Go fuck yourself, Mr Cheney" in an outburst that reflected frayed tempers and patience in the stricken region.
Cheney later toured an unflooded part of New Orleans near the convention center, seeing first-hand the debris of chairs, empty water bottles and trash. Thousands of storm survivors pleading for food, water and care stayed several days at the center last week before they were evacuated from the ruined and chaotic city.
Army Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, commander of the military relief effort in the hurricane-hit region, drove Cheney on a tour of several blocks around the convention center.
In the back seat was Cheney's wife, Lynne, and Louisiana's Democratic governor, Kathleen Blanco, who has had some frictions with the Bush administration over the federal response. The group stopped at a casino where hundreds of rescue workers were being served barbecued food and Cheney shook hands with many of them.
"Obviously, New Orleans has been through a great trauma," Cheney said, but added there was "significant progress" being made. "We've still got an enormous amount to do," he said.
Cheney acknowledged problems in the recovery's first few days, especially the chaos surrounding the evacuations.
"There's no question there were problems," he said.
Cheney rejected the notion that tax increases were needed to pay for the longterm effort to rebuild the region, saying that would only choke off growth.
He said he would return to the region on Saturday.
In Gulfport, resident Lynn Lofton approached a group of reporters waiting for the vice president and said the visit was too late.
"I think the media opportunity right here is a complete waste of time and taxpayer money," she said. "They should have been here last week."
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