We have no legal reason to just take over a state. We are the United States, and each State has its sovereignty. If we did not have laws on the books to protect each state's legal authority then what would stop Congress or a President from invoking all kinds of nonsense to take over a State that was not on the same page as them. There is order in our Government because of these laws and it may be painful to accept,but without this system we would have chaos and anarchy. I hate it that those idiots in charge in LA fouled this all up and now wnat the Feds to clean up. I would have loved GWB on Friday to have told Blanco and the Mayor to get out of the way while we evacuate,but it is not possible.
My guess is that it would take a "Presidential Finding" followed by and "Executive Order", possibly backed up by a "Congressional Resolution".
Bear in mind that it doesn't take a "Declaration of War" by Congress as prescribed by the Constitution for the President to take the nation to war anymore.
>>in my best Stewie voice<< Victory is mine! World domination!
Serously, your points with respect to states rights are spot on. The proud Texan in me still says that an annexation is in order........