Romney in New Orleans asks where the water came from

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, accompanied by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., talks with local residents during a tour of areas flooded by Hurricane Isaac, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012, in Jean Lafitte, La.

/ AP Photo/Evan Vucci

(CBS News) Surveying the flood damage produced by Hurricane Isaac, newly minted Republican nominee Mitt Romney on Friday told Gov. Bobby Jindal that he had come to Louisiana to learn -- and then asked where all the water came from.

Meeting with Jindal in the flooded Lafitte area of Jefferson Parish, Romney said, "I appreciate the chance to be here. I have a lot of questions for you. I'm here to learn and obviously to draw some attention to what's going here, so that people around the country know that people done here need help."

Jindal lauded the contributions of the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations amid a scene of downed trees, high water and National Guard troops. Romney expressed concern about the welfare of the 5,000 residents, some of whom had evacuated. He then asked, according to a journalists' pool report of the visit: "Did the water come from the sky, or the rivers, or the ocean?"

The comment brought to mind another observation about the natural wonders that Romney made during the primaries, when he returned home to Michigan and remarked, "I love this state. The trees are the right height."

Heavy rains continued to pound New Orleans Friday, and hundreds of thousands of people were without power.

President Obama will travel to Louisiana on Monday, the White House announced today. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued a statement criticizing Romney's Louisiana visit as the "height of hypocrisy," saying that vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's budget plan in Congress would cut funding for disaster relief.

[jennirobbins]

What difference does it make? Of course he didn't do any research. It was a photo op pure and simple.

[Raven747]

Don't people know that place was built on a friekin sandbar! Should not even be there.

[jimatmadison]

As a strong Obama supporter, Mr Romney asked a legitimate question.

Was the water he was looking at a result of a storm surge (the ocean), was it strictly rain water (the sky), or flooding from overflowing rivers?

Not a story, folks.

[sallychicago]

Well, I have a few comments. #1, did he break protocol by going to LA ahead of the President? #2, what exactly does he bring by going to LA except to campaign and get a photo op? #3, is he going to contribute $$$ to help the Red Cross and others? I mean the man is filthy rich.

[Smilestoo]

In Michigan Romney said, "I love this state. The trees are the right height" How insensitive. He is a complete idiot.

[AttyFAM]

by JV1970 September 2, 2012 7:49 PM EDT
New Orleans is between two large bodies of water, Lake Ponchatrane and the Mississippi River.

Ponchatrane is simply an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. Whenever there's a hurricane in the area, the wind from the hurricane pushes storm surge water from the Gulf into Ponchatrane which then overflows and floods into New Orleans and the lower parishes south of New Orleans.

The same thing happens to the Mississippi. The storm surge comes right up the Mississippi and it floods too. Sometimes it even changes course during a hurricane and flows north for a time instead of south.
-------------------------------------------------------

Nice theory - if the storm had his New Orleans. But it did not. It made landfall 60 miles Southeast of New Orleans, and the damage was done to Plaquemines Parish, where the storm surge from the Gulf overtopped the levees from Braithwaite to White Ditch.

Don't you think Romney should be at least better informed than you are?

[Lindag20]

by JV1970 September 2, 2012 8:29 PM EDT
Lindag20 You are WRONG again! I NEVER hated Romney! I disliked him for flipflopping on several issues but I never hated him! Disliking someone is far from hating them!

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Well get used to Romney flip=flopping. He does that constantly!!! So you're a pentacostal. That explains a lot. They're crazier than most mainstream "Christians".

[Lindag20]

Drum you and JV need to get a room.

[JV1970]

Lindag20 I've never hid the fact that I'm a Pentecostal! In fact I've been very plain about it in these comment boards! I've stated it on numerous occasions! You can call me crazy if you want to but I'm very proud of my faith and denomination!

[AttyFAM]

by JV1970 September 2, 2012 1:38 AM EDT
AttyFAM In case you haven't noticed, Romney has been just a little bit BUSY lately and probably hasn't had a lot of time to listen to every detail of the news!
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Yeah, he was too busy partying to notice a small event like a hurricane. Come on. Someone who is running for the presidency is too busy to notice a disaster next door? Even if he did not notice for the four days, how do you explain that he did not get a briefing on the plane to Louisiana? The guy just ain't got to no couth!

[Lindag20]

JV: is Romney's new cheerleader. She no longer hates him for being a cultist that her church has denounced for years since he's the Republican nominee. She's hoping to borrow Ann's set of pom-poms.

[JV1970]

AttyFAM Are you going to tell me that Obama and the Democrats won't be partying this week? If you believe that then there's dry, drought stricken land in southern Louisiana I'd sell you right now!

Besides, he DID notice the disaster! He was there wasn't he? He DID care enough to show up there! Also there are some questions that no one except the residents and the people who were there during the actual hurricane can answer and his question is one of them!

New Orleans is between two large bodies of water, Lake Ponchatrane and the Mississippi River.

Ponchatrane is simply an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. Whenever there's a hurricane in the area, the wind from the hurricane pushes storm surge water from the Gulf into Ponchatrane which then overflows and floods into New Orleans and the lower parishes south of New Orleans.

The same thing happens to the Mississippi. The storm surge comes right up the Mississippi and it floods too. Sometimes it even changes course during a hurricane and flows north for a time instead of south.

Most of southern Louisiana is below sea level. Considering the lowness of the land and the things that I've just told you, asking where the water came from is indeed a fair and, yes, INTELLIGENT question!

[IndiaCrap]

No one ever accused Christian Republicans of having any intelligence whatsoever. This lunatic's Sarah Palin IQ is typical of *all* Christian Republicans. It's why the rest of the world thinks the US is filled with violently insane hate-filled Christian terrorists.

[Lindag20]

by JV1970 September 2, 2012 1:38 AM EDT
AttyFAM In case you haven't noticed, Romney has been just a little bit BUSY lately and probably hasn't had a lot of time to listen to every detail of the news!
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HAHAHA. The new Romney cheerleader speaks. He WENT to Louisiana to SEE the flood damage. Most people would have taken the time to get some background information on what had happened before just SHOWING up and asking if the water came from the sky, ocean or rivers. Duh!!

[Lindag20]

Drum: Conservatives of your ilk have NEVER been nice!!

[JV1970]

I'm not even sure Obama even bothered to show up there! IF he did it was after Romney had already left the area!

[Eco99]

Ok let us be honest now. After reading many of the posts, I have a question and please answer it honestly for people on both sides of the political spectrum. If Obama had asked the same question would those saying it is legitamite still insist it was legitimate? IMHO I believe your answer would be no and you would be jumping all over him and he would have been maligned by the media. In fact the very people saying it was legitimate question have also in general complaining Obama isn't even there.
When your political views determine how you look at and interpret situations and facts rather than allowing situations and facts to sway your opinion and political views you have lost all semblence of free and rational thought. That goes for both party lemming followers.

[Eco99]

First Drum, you didn't answer the question?

Also are you actually trying to blame natural disasters on Obama as well. What was your position Drum when Cantor was threatening to withhold disaster aid until he got cuts to fund them?

You proved my point, thank you. If your party takes an action you defend and justify it, if it is the other party attack and obfuscate.

Such political positions are what is wrong with this country.

[lami987]

If people around the gulf continue to vote for anti-environment politicians, natural disasters like this will happen even more frequently.

[Eco99]

So the Republican Governor does bare any responsibility if any of what you say is even accurate?

[drapes8]

also interesting that the national guard is in there. Isn't Jindal a "no more big government" conservative? he's not taking advantage of one of those socialist/people paid for programs like the National Guard to help him out of his mess right now, is he? Because that would be.......well.........hypocritical.