WHEN THE TROOPS GO MARCHING IN
Posted on 09/14/2005 6:28:57 AM PDT by sheltonmac
WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday urged Congress to examine whether the White House needs stronger powers to deal with catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina.
Bush’s backing for the congressional inquiry raised the possibility that lawmakers might expand presidential authority to:
“It’s really important that as we take a step back and learn lessons--that we are in a position to adequately answer the question: ‘Are we prepared for major catastrophes?”’ Bush said during a tour of hurricane damage in New Orleans.
He said if there was a terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction, such as germ-warfare agents, “we’ve got to make sure we understand the lessons learned to be able to deal with catastrophe.”
Asked whether the federal government needed broader authority to “come in earlier or even in advance of a storm that (is) threatening?” Bush replied: “I think that’s one of the interesting issues that Congress needs to take a look at.”
Bush’s comments came as outside experts urged a variety of changes they said could improve the federal government’s ability to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
Richard A. Falkenrath, a former homeland security adviser at the White House during Bush’s first term, said officials “need to look very, very closely” at expanding presidential authority to override “a delayed and ineffective evacuation order at the state and local level” that he said had occurred before the hurricane.
“It’s entirely possible we would need such authority in a biological weapons attack and the destruction of a chlorine tanker and nuclear weapons attack, where local and state capabilities would be instantaneously overwhelmed, and so it would be good to get this one sorted out,” said Falkenrath, now a scholar at the Brookings Institution.
Michael O’Hanlon, a national security scholar at Brookings, said the White House ought to create an emergency response team within the armed forces that could be rushed to disasters “where every hour counts.”
O’Hanlon said it had taken too long to get Navy and Air Force helicopters into the New Orleans area to assist early search-and-rescue operations by police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
They should already be able to do that. Demonrats can blame Bush all they want but in some instances, his hands were tied until the locals stepped up.
I think that Karl Rove, the evil genius, is behind this!(/sarcasm)
I am so disappointed in President Bush.
States Rights have nealy been stripped clean--we do not want to throw the ashes in the dumpster also.
We do not need more Federal power. We need more states rights. We also need a president who does not accpet blame (like Bush did for Katrina and New Orleans response) for things that are not his responsibility.
The Feds should have let NO rot. It is the responsibility of city, county and states to plan, prepare and manage events.
I have never been as disappointed with President Bush as I am now.
I think igniting that argument is precisely what President Bush has in mind. It's in a similar vein to DeLay declaring today that there's no more pork to cut in the Federal Budget. He's suckered folks into stepping up and actually making some proposals of where to get the 'offsets' for the Katrina spending that they're demanding.
Put up or shut up time.
And by couching the question this way President Bush forces the dims, particularly in Louisiana, to say "you can't take MY power," which puts a big target on their foreheads as the ones who were ultimately responsible for the problems.
President Brer Rabbit. Got throw'd into the briar patch again.
Love it!
LOLOL, which ones are going in the right direction?? Guess it doesn't matter for the ducks!
"The same left-wingnuts screaming about Bush's response to Katrina will now screech about Bush wanting more powers to respond to future disasters."
Hey, don't forget us right-wing wing-nuts, we're people too.
Jesus. Does EVERYthing Bush proposes these days have to end with the phrase "in direct contradiction with the intent of the Founding Fathers"??!?
This is poor video quality, but you get the jest of it. We are in a Constitutional Crisis as you read this.
The nation is in denial. Even the troops that were ordered to occupy private domiciles in NOLA were in shock.
A U.S. Army Major when interviewed about how he felt for he and his men to occupy a private home as a command post without the permission of the property owner: "This is surreal."
Fox News Just Said Federal Judge says Pledge "Un-Constitutional"
Bad decision, Dangerous Precedent
Gun owners and gun owner rights groups across America are rightfully outraged at the recent decision by New Orleans law enforcement officials to confiscate the firearms of law-abiding citizens.no one but law enforcement will have guns in New Orleans.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a little something in the United States Constitution that specifically prohibits this sort of thing?
New Orleans Police Superintendent P. Edwin Compass made the following statement to the Washington Post:
"No one will be able to be armed. Guns will be taken. Only law enforcement will be allowed to have guns."
I realize it hurts, but you really should try thinking occasionally, instead of just spewing childish remarks about Koolaid and robots. There's a big difference between performing abortions and TALKING ABOUT abortions, Einstein.
Wonderful lesson from Katrina @ your website, Jeff!
Thank you for putting your thoughts down for us.
LOL, where do these ducks come from? Too funny.
potlatch found those ducks for me -
I added them to one of my earlier animations -
It came out better than I had expected -
Looks good. Your graphics always make me laugh.
While there may be some well meaning an misguided people on this band wagon, I suspect that the main push is from those who wish for and profit by the prospect of an authoritarian type government. To put a twist on a quote from Walter Williams--The day you see this happen is the day you can say, " Tench Coxe is dead. " ( all jokes aside about the nom de plum having already been dead for some time ).
Ah yes, let's give more power to the feds. In fact let's just do away with governors and mayors. Obviously the sheeple are unable to vote for anyone who is competent. Bush might want to think about who he's giving all this power to in three years after he's gone.
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