New Orleans mayor deals with a natural disaster and some criticism

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/12555348.htm

New Orleans mayor deals with a natural disaster and some criticism

NEW ORLEANS - Mayor Ray Nagin was swept into office three years ago as a political outsider, a business executive who was going to save the city from corruption and modernize its baroque government.

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On Thursday, three days after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, Nagin had been pushed far enough, and he went on the radio and told the federal government to "get off your asses and let's do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country."

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Amid the sternest test of leadership imaginable, Nagin faces heavy criticism for failing to evacuate the poorest New Orleans residents swiftly. Supporters are sticking with him, however, saying he's doing the best he can in an impossible situation.

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Critics say Nagin has made some serious missteps. Concerned about the legal ramifications of ordering people to leave their homes without enough adequate shelters, Nagin didn't issue a mandatory evacuation until Sunday morning, less than 24 hours before the storm hit, meaning that up to 100,000 people were stranded.