Obama Administration Stung By Haiti Criticism

Responding to disasters looked a lot easier from the sidelines didn't it?

Fifteen days following the earthquake that has devastated Haiti, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is publicly fighting off claims that the U.S. response and relief effort has been “inadequate” and has been badly coordinated with other nations and relief agencies efforts.

Clinton said, "I deeply resent those who attack our country, the generosity of our people and the leadership of our president in trying to respond to historically disastrous conditions after the earthquake.”

"We're scrambling as quick as we could to do everything we needed in the past two weeks," she said.

I feel her pain.

Poor Secretary Clinton. It’s tough to get kicked in the teeth when you’re trying your best against insurmountable odds. It hurts to be lambasted when you’re doing all you can to fight the awesome forces of Mother Nature. It’s really tough to know that you’ve got the best intentions, yet your critics accuse you of wrong-doing, or incompetence.

Hillary Clinton should think back to her days in the U.S. Senate and take some solace in knowing that she’s still not getting as good as she gave back in 2005.

Sixteen days following Katrina, then U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton asked the U.S. Congress to “establish an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission to investigate” the Bush Administration’s failures in responding to Katrina. The Congress rejected her request.

It’s different when you’re handling the problem head on rather than watching someone else do all the work, huh Hill?

What about President Obama, where was he at the time of Katrina? Did he have more compassion for the effort being put forth by the Bush Administration? Did he have a better grasp of the enormity of the task that the president faced following Katrina? Nah!

Here’s what Obama called the Bush Administration’s Response to Katrina, “unconscionable ineptitude”.

Meanwhile Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italy’s civil protection department who is working with the U.S. in Haiti, called the Obama Administration’s efforts a “pathetic failure”.