[glorgau]

Is it just me, or is our President looking for more and more situations in which the Commander-in-Chief should be allowed to use American military forces on our own soil?

I think it's a case of "If you all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

[va4me]

I think it's a case of "If you all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

You mean "more government" isn't the answer to every problem?

[caisson71]

I think it is a matter of inept, corrupt and a totally disfunctional civilian systems. The military works with fewer rules - though they have their share - has leadership and is goal oriented. All similar responsible civilian agencies are burdened with cumbersome and often contradictory rules and regulations - Congress makes the rules and bureaucracies interpret them. The implementation of rules of disaster relief/response have too much emphasis on making sure the right people - as opposed to the deserving people - getting government help, read "money".

[Elsiejay]

The President has not asked the Congress for such authority. At least he had not done so at the time of his presser this morning, which I saw/heard on NBC-TV. He did, however, raise the possibility that military resources might appropriately be employed (presumably if so authorized by law) to effectuate a quarantine of a flu-infected region of the U.S.
Point two: It is never prudent to rely on Reuters for information, without having consulted one or two additional sources.

[dalereed]

This is total BS, I was quarantined for the german measles and it sure didn't take the military to enforce it.