Posted on 09/03/2005 7:52:14 PM PDT by jmc1969
Bush administration officials blame state and local authorities for what leaders at all levels have called a failure of the country's emergency management.
Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.
The administration had sought control over National Guard units, normally under control of the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request, noting that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. State authorities suspected a political motive behind the request.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
"Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly."
What it means is that if the Feds took control now (it is this Friday, not last Friday), and fixed the problem, they would look like the heros they are. The local Democrats don't want that.
This is shameful behavior from public servants. They started by not evacuating because they were afraid that if they did and there was looting, they would be law suits and they are ending like this. And who is suffering? The people who voted for them.
Wonder if that is what prompted Blanco-brain to say....martial law in my state...never!
" You know, they don't tell you in the article whether it was this most recent Friday but Friday a week ago. The subsequent paragraph suggests they're talking about 2 Fridays ago....Or is it late and I'm missing something? If I'm not, I'd say this ommission of date is intentional."
As I read it-this happened the Friday before the hurricane hit.
Sorry. When a better candidate doesn't get elected, it's a loss for everyone.
I don't know anything about the politicians in LA., other than what we've seen over the last few days.
Let's hope some eyes are opened, and you folks get better representation next time around.
I don't know, but I just bumped into this and if this article is true, there needs to be some heads rolling out there and fast!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002468593_katmilitary03.html
Which many in her own party also requested that she do the day BEFORE the hurricane!
So she allowed hundreds if not thousands to DIE because of POLITICS?!!!
ping
ping
The amazing thing here is that once the Feds take over the National Guard folks...the cost comes out of their pocket. As long as the Guard guys work for th governor...its a state expense. Having 5,000 guys out there on duty....is not cheap...and I doubt that the state fully understood this whole episode. Again, the governor isn't exactly a full-fledged leader...she is a politican. Her controllers probably went into a democratic reaction mode and thought that this federal martial law stuff wasn't right. Folks down there in Orleans do things different. Bottom line: I doubt that any governor will hesitate in the future to drag the Feds in.
That statement didn't make sense to me either. If they had allowed the evacuation of New Orleans to be federalized, if it had gone badly, they could have blamed the feds.
Between this and Justice Renquist, the moonbats must be freaking.
This was written by a Seattle Newspaper. Seattle is a leftist stronghold.
This may be an accurate story, but I'd suggest there's more to the equasion than is being presented here.
I don't disagree that the article is troubling. I've just learned to let the other shoe drop before taking a leftist rag's offerings as gospel.
I appreciate the link.
That's how I read it, but how will others read it ?
Ouch! That's going ot leave a mark.
Frankly, incredible...
Whoopsie...Whoops! The Governette is probably curled up with another gallon cookie dough ice cream.
Yes, the Bush administration needs to just bite the bullet and announce martial law and federalize the NG. Unity of chain of command is very important and they cannot waste any more time and energy in the stupid tug-of-war that the 'Rats in LA have played with.... the vicious and depraved MSM wants to place all possible blame on Bush when the legal and logistical control remains with the 'Rat Governor and Mayor..... if the MSM thinks it was so obvious that the feds should have been doing so much more Tues-Wed-Thurs then why will they not recognize that the 'Rat Governor has failed in every responsibility and has not engaged the resources outside of the state that were needed????
Especially when that information was reported in the pages of the Washington Post, New York Times, and The Guardian a day before Katrina made landfall.
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