The big picture people

Katrina:

"We wanted soldiers, helicopters, food and water," said Denise Bottcher, press secretary for [Louisiana] Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana. "They [White House] wanted to negotiate an organizational chart."

Al Qaeda:

[Richard] Clarke asked on several occasions for early principals meetings on these issues, and was frustrated that no early meeting was scheduled. No principals committee meetings on Al Qaida were held until September 4th, 2001. [Condi] Rice and [Stephen] Hadley said this was because the deputies committee needed to work through many issues relating to the new policy on Al Qaida ... Rice and Hadley told us that, although the Clinton administration had worked very hard on the Al Qaida program, its policies on Al Qaida, quote, "had run out of gas," and they therefore set about developing a new presidential directive and a new, comprehensive policy on terrorism.