[Former Military Chick]

In an interview with local WWL radio, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin was expressing dismay at the lack of federal help for his city, but said of Honoré:

“I give the president some credit on this, he sent one John Wayne dude down here that can get some stuff done, and his name is Gen. Honoré, and he came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussin’ and people started movin’!

“And he’s getting some stuff done,” Nagin said. “They ought to give that guy — if they don’t want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done.”

The Mayor said from his phone, well, well, he needs to get off his butt, quit whining and start leading.

Of course I prefer he get out of dodge, he IS NOT a leader.

[martin_fierro]

With all due respect to the Lt. Gen.,

[konaice]

They ought to give that guy — if they don’t want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done.

Resignation Accepted.

Now STFU, and go home.

[Avenger]

“And he’s getting some stuff done,” Nagin said. “They ought to give that guy — if they don’t want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done.”

---

Obviously Ray Nagin doesn't want to be the person in charge of this. I'm actually feeling a bit sorry for him; he doesn't sound like a bad guy but it is clear that he is in way over his head.

[dynoman]

“They ought to give that guy — if they don’t want to give it to me, give him full authority to get the job done.”

I think the authority is by default at the local level ie the incident commander, at least that is what we were taught. If something happened where I work the supervisor in charge becomes the incident commander and has the power to call in all available resources up to and including the federal level but the authority remains with him, unless he turns it over. The local incident commander is boss over whatever local, state, or federal help comes into the picture. So the authority belongs to the mayor and his local incident commanders. The authority isn't something the feds "own" and can "give to" the mayor, he and his fire/police chiefs already have it. He and his fire/police/etc. chiefs must not have a clear understanding how disaster management works.

[farmer18th]

Did you see the CNN clip of him running around, yelling "weapons down" to his troops? It had the look of someone who was purposely trying to humiliate his own troops in front of a populace that seems to need a barrel pointed to the head.

[leadpenny]

I'm sure LTG Honore is a good soldier and leader. He is also black. The mayor is only saying good things about the general because the general is black. The mayor is no doubt a racist. If I were the general I would reject the so-called compliment from the racist mayor.

[twntaipan]

It is painfully obvious that Nagin hasn't got a clue that HE is supposed to be providing local leadership and coordination, using the resources made available to him from federal authorities. He really doesn't grasp that everyone outside of NO is waiting on him to actually step up to the plate and lead.

Thus far all he has done is whine--but that is all demonRATs are ever capable of doing.

[Repub Bub]

PING!!!!

[MattMa]

Yahoo news claims that Lt Gen Honore is from the Air Force. Never knew that the first Army was commanded by a AF General.

[NeoCaveman]

Honore 2008!