Bush says danger from Hurricane Ike not yet passed
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush warned on Saturday that the danger to the U.S. Gulf Coast from Hurricane Ike had not yet passed as he sought to assure Americans his administration would not repeat mistakes made in the handling of Katrina in 2005.
Speaking at the White House, Bush -- who had been widely criticized for the slow emergency response when Katrina devastated New Orleans three years ago -- said Ike was causing lots of damage in Texas and parts of Louisiana and promised swift federal assistance.
He also pledged to prevent extraordinary gasoline price increases because of Ike, which has idled more than a fifth of U.S. oil production, and said the government had moved to ease entry of foreign imports to make up for supply disruptions.
"This is a huge storm that is causing a lot of damage," said Bush, who though born in Connecticut considers Texas his adopted home state. "The storm has yet to pass."
Bush spoke after Ike barreled into the Texas coast near Houston early on Saturday, bringing with it a wall of water and ferocious winds and rain that flooded large areas along the Gulf of Mexico and paralyzed the fourth-largest U.S. city.
Bush, widely seen as out of touch with the situation when Katrina struck in 2005, said he was keeping a close eye on this storm and its aftermath and was dispatching senior emergency officials to coordinate the response.
But within minutes of his brief televised appearance on the White House south lawn, Bush had changed out of his business suit and headed for the Secret Service training ground outside Washington for his usual weekend mountain-bike ride.
"I know there are people concerned about their lives. Some people didn't evacuate when asked," Bush said, adding that rescue teams were poised to move and help those who had stayed behind.
"We'll be in the Gulf Coast region hopefully within a reasonable period of time to help the state of Texas officials as well as local officials begin the recovery effort," he said.
He also said he was concerned about the energy situation.
"The Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission and, I know, state authorities will be monitoring gasoline prices to make sure consumers are not being gouged," he said.
He said the government had extended Environmental Protection Agency waivers on some reformulated gasoline to make it easier for foreign imports to reach the U.S. market.
The Bush administration's mishandling of Katrina hastened his slide in popularity, leaving a lasting stain on his legacy. Ike now comes less than two weeks after Gustav hit Louisiana. Though Gustav was much weaker than Katrina, it gave Bush a chance to showcase the revamped federal hurricane response.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
