After Hurricane Katrina, President Bush's lack of preparedness before and slow response after the crisis (due partly to the mayor of New Orleans and the former governor of Louisiana) brought a great deal of criticism as New Orleans saw at least 1800 parish from the storm and afterwards.  New Orleans might not ever be the same after that fateful storm and many people were understandably angry at President Bush.  Kanye West made television history (not the first time and each time it's with his mouth and lack of control of his inner voice) by saying "George Bush hates black people".  Hollywood and the liberal left in response to Kanye let out a collective "rabble!" ("Gabby Johnson" reference).  Part of the tragedy of Katrina was the amount of property damage, etc. but here we are going to look at a few similarities dealing with the human side and the potential for those mistakes to be repeated.

The United States, CDC, WHO and other world governments/organizations have known about the H1N1 virus since early last spring.  That means that they have had over 6 months to get a contingency plan in place and to take adequate steps to prevent the spread or the impact of the virus.  Of the over 250 million doses the US government has ordered, only 26 million have been delivered - far less than the 120 million doses originally predicted and the 40 million (revised prediction) that would be available at this point of time.  Like the Afghanistan troop delay, Obama's "dithering" over H1N1 has cost lives.  What happens if this H1N1 virus explodes as we head into flu and cold season?  Already, since April, over 100 children have died from H1N1.  Children are dying from H1N1 but Obama wants to give the vaccine to Gitmo detainees?  Where's Kanye claiming that Obama hates children? 

The concern over the lack of vaccine sounds eerily similar to concerns after Katrina.

The US government appears to lack a stockpile of the most important vaccine it is recommending for Katrina survivors and relief workers.  - September 9, 2005

And what about the criticism that Bush received from Sen. Kerry during the 2004 Presidential Election?

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry yesterday blamed President Bush for failing to head off a flu vaccine shortage and said it raises the question of whether the president is prepared for worse situations.- October 10, 2004

Then there's this from the White House Press Briefing this week...

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday the president is frustrated knowing that thousands of people are waiting in long lines at vaccine clinics around the country only to be turned away because of vaccine shortages. - October 30, 2009

Of course being true to form, it's never the government's fault because in this administration's eyes, government can do no wrong.  Gibbs in the same press briefing alluded to as much:

Gibbs said Friday [October 30, 2009] more than 26 million doses are available. He blamed manufacturers for the delays.

What amazes me is that somehow Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, or Roland Burris or anyone from the White House (to my knowledge) hasn't chimed in and said that the shortages could have been prevented if only we had a national health care with a public option.  Never let a good crisis go to waste ring a bell?  Remember, the government is always the answer to every problem to these people.

Exactly why haven't the same concerns raised about President Bush's vaccine shortages been raised about President Obama?  Or President Obama's lack of concern for New Orleans - still trying to recover from Katrina all these years later.  After all, did Obama not recently show an almost lack of concern for New Orleans with his 4 hour tour before heading off to fundraiser?  The government admits we don't have enough H1N1 vaccine so what happens if H1N1 were to explode into a pandemic?  But at least the Gitmo detainees will be vaccinated so the leftists and those at the John Adams Project can sleep better at night.

Instead of getting ahead of the situation, Obama has had HHS Sec. Kathleen Sibelius running around telling people to cough or sneeze into the bend of their arm.  Oh, and be sure to wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 30 seconds.  Meanwhile as the Obama administration fumbles on the vaccines:

CDC researchers estimated this week that as many as 5.7 million people in the United States have been infected so far, with at least 1,300 deaths. The flu has been reporting in 48 states, an unprecedented level.

There's a vaccine shortage right now resulting in President Obama declaring H1N1 a national emergency:

"The H1N1 is moving rapidly, as expected," White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said Saturday [October 24,2009]. "By the time regions or health-care systems recognize they are becoming overburdened, they need to implement disaster plans quickly." 

The government is playing catch-up despite knowing what might be coming.  Kind of like the Bush administration staring at the weather radar screen as Katrina approached the Gulf Coast.

Lastly, if there is a shortage and the government and the CDC know which groups H1N1 effects the most, then why haven't they doled out the medicine appropriately?  Those groups that need the vaccine are being superseded by those that don't necessarily need it as much:

In spite of the shortage, some people who aren't at high risk for swine flu complications have jumped to the head of the line to get much-in-demand vaccine.

These people include healthy adults or senior citizens instead of kids, pregnant women and people with health problems.

Because the U.S. has only received about 24 million of the 250 million vaccine doses it's ordered, some health departments are stepping up screening measures.

Before Los Angeles County health officials stepped up screening at their flu clinics, Natalie Thompson sailed through the long line and got the vaccine along with her8-year-old son, even though she's not in one of the priority groups.

"If I can get it, I'm not gonna say no," said Thompson, 35, of Hollywood Hills.

Another mom, Katy Radparvar, didn't say no either.

"Our doctor doesn't have it yet," said the 41-year-old woman who was vaccinated along with her three children at a public health vaccination site in suburban Encino last week.

Kanye, any words of wisdom?  No statements saying "Barak Obama hates children, pregnant women, people with health problems and poor people"?  Why the silence Kanye?  Why the silence mainstream media?  No outrage, feigned or otherwise?  Where are the Congressional investigations into the H1N1 vaccine shortage?  I wonder what would have been said or done if Bush was in Obama's shoes dealing with H1N1 - and not just from Kanye.  Bush failed to react quickly enough to advert more tragedies from occurring post-Katrina.  Time will only tell whether H1N1 will be Obama's Katrina but all the pieces are there for H1N1 to be just that.

Yet another example of the lapdog media not doing their jobs in pressuring the White House, highlighting the lack of preparedness by the White House or taking issue with the potential for disaster. 

Updated 11-1-09 @ 9:20 pm.