Do you think that Gail Collins, editor in charge of the Editorial page, and Bill Keller, executive editor of the rest of the paper ever communicate?
It certainly seems that Collins, as usual, has a sharper and keener understanding of the real issues involved in the Bush administratiion's negligence toward New Orleans that does that MSM apologist, Mr. Keller.
Go to the Editorial page or VolvoLiberal's diary to see the difference. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/opinion/01thu1.html
The article to follow is written just that apologia mode.
Please note that the neglect of the New Orleans storm protection systems, (levees, etc) are buried in the article. The Bush administration is not mentioned until the middle of the story.
Most crucially it continues the MSM media's meme that critical comments about this administration are portrayed not as facts with data backing it up (no mention of the Times-Picayune stories about the huge cuts in order to send money to Iraq), but rather as OPINION by those involved.Look at phrases like "Often leading the chorus was Alfred C. Naomi..."; phrasing like this triviliazes the real claims by the chief engineer, Mr. Naomi.
"Mr. Naomi grew particularly frustrated this year as the Gulf Coast braced for what forecasters said would be an intense hurricane season and a nearly simultaneous $71 million cut was announced in the New Orleans district budget to guard against such storms." The criminal neglect is portrayed solely in personal terms. it was Mr. Naomi's "frustration" rather than his administration deliberately shortsighted policies.
"He called the cut drastic in an article in New Orleans CityBusiness." The reporters make it seem to only be his opinion rather than a fact.
Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/national/nationalspecial/01levee.html
The Levee
Intricate Flood Protection Long a Focus of Dispute
By ANDREW C. REVKIN and CHRISTOPHER DREW
Published: September 1, 2005
The 17th Street levee that gave way and led to the flooding of New Orleans was part of an intricate, aging system of barriers and pumps that was so chronically underfinanced that senior regional officials of the Army Corps of Engineers complained about it publicly for years.
Often leading the chorus was Alfred C. Naomi, a senior project manager for the corps and a 30-year veteran of efforts to waterproof a city built on slowly sinking mud, surrounded by water and periodically a target of great storms.
Mr. Naomi grew particularly frustrated this year as the Gulf Coast braced for what forecasters said would be an intense hurricane season and a nearly simultaneous $71 million cut was announced in the New Orleans district budget to guard against such storms.
He called the cut drastic in an article in New Orleans CityBusiness.
In an interview last night, Mr. Naomi said the cuts had made it impossible to complete contracts for vital upgrades that were part of the long-term plan to renovate the system.
Read the rest of it; pretend it's like the the book "Where's Waldo" See how many ways the NY Times buries the real story.