First Lady: We Learned From Mistakes

Laura Bush On Hurricane Gustav, Republican National Convention And Sarah Palin

(CBS)  President George W. Bush will not address the delegates on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, as was originally planned. Instead, he will visit a hurricane emergency operations center in Austin, Texas.

First lady Laura Bush is in St. Paul and spoke with CBS Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez.

"[The President] is in Texas today to go to both Austin and San Antonio where shelters are, but also where supplies are prepositioned to move into the Gulf Coast after the storm hits. He'll be there today to see what that situation is," says Mrs. Bush.

"But as you know, there will not be a program tonight at all," she continued. "The Republicans will meet all day today, because they have to. They have the business that they have to take care to nominate the candidate for president. All their eyes are on the Gulf Coast. I know they are disappointed, that they will not get to have the program tonight, but I know they understand and are thinking about everybody all across the Gulf Coast."

Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain told delegates that it's time to put the nation before partisanship, with Hurricane Gustav impacting the Gulf Coast.

Rodriguez asked the first lady if she was surprised to hear the Republican nominee for president also refer on Sunday to the mistakes of Hurricane Katrina.

"There were lots of mistakes and they were on every level," says Mrs Bush. "They were local, they were statewide and there were certainly federal mistakes. But we learned from those. And I hope that we'll see -- and I think we will see, for one thing, many, many people have evacuated. Many more people have left than before in the other hurricane."

Mrs. Bush says she believes that the coordination between federal, state and local goverments will be much better.

"I think what was learned from [Katrina] is something that can serve the country well for any sort of disaster in any part of the country. It was a very important lesson," she said.

After the storm, will the people of the Gulf Coast get what they need from the government?

"Absolutely," she says. "I think a lot of things are prepositioned there.
I know once again, just like after Hurricane Katrina, many, many Americans will go down to volunteer or send supplies down or do whatever they can to help -- to see what the problems are and what the effect of this hurricane is."

At the Republican National Convention today, Mrs. Bush says she and Cindy McCain will visit the Louisiana delegation for breakfast and will attend a planned luncheon later in the day. Mrs Bush says she hopes to be able to see a lot of the delegates.

"I know the delegates are disappointed because they expected four nights of huge celebration around their candidate for president and their outstanding candidate for vice president. I'm so thrilled about Sarah Palin," she says.

Mrs. Bush says she knows the Alaska governor well.

"I've met her at the National Governor's Association meetings when she comes to Washington. George and I were just with her in Alaska when we stopped on the way to China for the Olympics. I'm very, very proud. I'm proud that I'm going to get my wish and vote for a Republican woman on this ticket."

[babooph]

How nice,Barbara sent her boy George to the White House,instead of the Betty Ford clinic to learn somethings-not so nice for the rest of the world though.

[mjvw2]

I guess the Repulicans think the hurrican will hit Minnisota? Think they trying to show they actuall care what happens to less forturnet people then themselves, Ha Ha. Political move because they screwed up the first time and still have not finished the job, just like the wars they got us into. New Orleans got luckey Guvstof missed them but still they are still struggling from Katrina, Republicans can not finish the job so the Democrats will have to do it for them.

Posted by ahrats

Who is going to finish educating you?

[airboatboy]

Hate to see what else we are going to learn from Georgyboy''s mistakes. She sounds as arrogant and stupid as her husband.

[carlylaine]

nirak2: and just how many DISASTERS do you personally remember...santimonious-yuk

[carlylaine]

You are all such ugly individuals that when you are en masse....you''re really scary. Shut the pie hole on Mrs Bush...she''s not running for anything...she''s not political and you attack her.

YET when truth came out about Hillary it was.. SHE''s a woman you can''t talk to her like that. Brother are you all crazy wimps or what?

Liberals how unreasonable and odd thinking you are.

[user168-2009]

Those with better brain and vision make less mistakes. For example, better brain and vision would not start a dumb war by invading another country in the 21st century. If someone came 894 in his class of 899, I''d question his brain. If someone voted for an unnecessary war, I''d question his vision. Without the right brain and vision, you get McBush "mistakes".

[ahrats]

I guess the Repulicans think the hurrican will hit Minnisota? Think they trying to show they actuall care what happens to less forturnet people then themselves, Ha Ha. Political move because they screwed up the first time and still have not finished the job, just like the wars they got us into. New Orleans got luckey Guvstof missed them but still they are still struggling from Katrina, Republicans can not finish the job so the Democrats will have to do it for them.

[neoconrcrazy]

too bad so many had to died, while bushit "learns"...

worst ever -

[toldyouso12]

Shelters in Austin and San Antonio, please, the only sheltering he is doing is his lack of leadership and his own cowardly and ignorant attitude about what real Americans are facing once again. Please God, hurry Jan 20 2009

Posted by arlvabear at 08:50 AM : Sep 01, 2008


Austin and San Antonio are waaaaay inland so there should not be much need or hurrican threat--why not take his fake azz to Houston and Galveston? Afraid of actually going where the Hurricans routinely hit? LMAO What a joke.

[toldyouso12]

Maybe the Bush admin DID learn from their mistakes--but he problem is that admin never PAID for those mistakes--the people of New Orleans and elsewhere did and are still paying. They are paying with their lives and health and that of their relatives. In the meantime, Bush bussed in illegal workers instead of hiring the locals, and much is still not rebuilt and perhaps never wil be...people are still living in the carcinogenic trailers and the Insurance companies still got away with not paying out claims....So who cares what the Republicans have learned? First clean up the Katrina mess, then apply what you learn from that clean up, to the next disaster--otherwise--it is just empty words.