home

Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On to NOLA

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Sun Sep 04, 2005 at 01:55:52 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

From Editor and Publisher:

11:45 AM ET. From Gannett News Service:

"President Bush, who toured the heavily damaged coastal area by air Friday, is expected to return to Louisiana Monday. Actor Sean Penn beat Bush to Baton Rouge, showing up at the state Office of Emergency Preparedness about 6 p.m. today before departing to see the damage in New Orleans for himself. He declined to be interviewed.

From the Times-Picayune:

"Actor Sean Penn arrived Sunday at the New Orleans Police Department staging area at Harrah's casino, announcing that he was ready to help in any way he could. Penn, who recently spent time in the New Orleans area while filming 'All the King's Men,' was being escorted by historian and author Douglas Brinkley."

From MSNBC:

Apparently Penn is out searching, in a boat, with rescuers, looking for friends in the city he has not heard from.

< International Views of Bush: He Panicked | Rumsfeld Visits Louisiana, Ignores Victims >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On to NOLA | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:13 PM EST
    good to see Brinkley involved as well. thanks for a good job in covering Katrina TL!

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:13 PM EST
    ah, harrah's, i knew it horatio! actually, it always struck me as being located in kind of a weird place. might explain why it never seemed particularly crowded. oh, come on now, mr. penn just did that to intentionally make bush look bad, or not. not that bush needs any help, he tends to do a spectacular job all by his lonesome.

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:13 PM EST
    From the post:
    From MSNBC: Apparently Penn is out searching, in a boat, with rescuers, looking for friends in the city he has not heard from.
    Now, what were we saying about the rich, special handling, etc., etc.

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    Looks to me like Penn is using his own resources, spending his own money, and doing it himself, looking for friends in the city he has not heard from. I guess he go tired of waiting for help from DC... There some problem with that, Jim? Keep shooting yourself in the foot, and while you're at it, invite Bush to come help you stop the bleeding. Be sure to me know if he shows up in time, huh?

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#5)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    edger - Don't be obtuse. My comment clearly was a sarcastic remark aimed at those who have complained about the "rich" getting special treatment. Do you think Bubba and Johnny could show up with a boat to look for cousin Sam and be let in? Of course not. And no, you don't show up in an area that is under martial law and not have an effect on what is going on. It just works that way. Shame on whoever let him in. BTW - The gun misfired. Don't you just hate it? ;-)

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#6)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    Oh well - if no one's bleeding then there's no reason to call on george, now is there?

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#7)
    by aw on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    Maybe Penn has promised something valuable (publicity, future film commitments, a very large cash donation) in return for being allowed to search. Or maybe he's calling in a favor after filming there. Use your imagination.

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#8)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    Yes, shame, shame, shame on an agency that would let someone in to search for their missing friends. BTW, if they can't stop looters how would they stop folks who want to help!? Let's play a game:Quien es mas macho? Sean Penn - Rich, famous. Went to New Orleans to look for missing friends at his own expense. Avoided the media as much as possible. bush - rich, famous, and president of the most rich and powerful nation that has ever existed. Finally interrupted his vacation and arrived in NOLA 5 (FIVE!) days after the worst natural disaster in American history (and after sean penn.) Grounded CG Rescue choppers for a photo op. Can't find his a$$ w/ both hands in a hall o' mirrors.

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#9)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    They let him in because of negative publicity, not because he's rich. And they were afraid he'd punch 'em all out if they tried to stop him. I hope he finds his friends.

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#10)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:14 PM EST
    Sailor - If you do it for Penn, then you must do it for eveyone. Simple fairness, eh?

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:15 PM EST
    Sailor: shame on an agency that would let someone in to search for their missing friends Jim: do it for Penn, then you must do it for eveyone Since when, I'm curious, would anyone need a "permit" or need to be "let in", or was I not in the room when they started issuing the "internal passports". U.S., or U.S.S.R ?

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#12)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:15 PM EST
    Squeaky - The area is under martial law. That means the military/NG/police has control of it. That means they can let people in, they can let people out and they can shoot people who do not obey their orders. Tell me, didn't you know that?

    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:15 PM EST
    PPJ- Conscience bothering you? Or just the reflex action of a squashed roach. I had not commented on this post. Hopeful if it is your conscience, sad if just reflex.
    Squeaky - The area is under martial law. That means the military/NG/police has control of it. That means they can let people in, they can let people out and they can shoot people who do not obey their orders. Tell me, didn't you know that?
    Re: Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On t (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:03:15 PM EST
    Had Sean Penn taken time to take a Red Cross Boating Safety Course before rushing (with photographer and possee) to Baton Rouge, he would not have made it there before Bush. He was talking about using a kayack to get people out. No one uses kayack in the swamp. Maybe a pirogue, flat bottom boat or something similar. He should have given money to the Red Croos and stayed home.

    Sean Penn Beats Bush to Baton Rouge, Goes On to NOLA | 14 comments (14 topical)