Posted on 09/06/2005 1:49:06 PM PDT by HAL9000
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour got a hug. Gov. Kathleen Blanco was lucky to get a hello.The friction between state and federal officials has been brewing for the past few days and bubbled to the surface with President Bush's visit to Baton Rouge on Monday.
In fact, Blanco did not learn Bush was coming to Louisiana for the second time in three days until informed by an Advocate reporter late Sunday night.
The news prompted Blanco to scrap her plans to visit Houston on Monday with former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, her spokeswoman, Denise Bottcher, said. Blanco asked three of her daughters to fill in for her.
Meanwhile, the governor's staff spent much of the early morning hours securing an invitation from the White House for Blanco to accompany the president and his wife, Bottcher said. Bush spokesman Scott McClellan told The Associated Press that the White House reached out to Blanco's office Sunday, but didn't hear back, and White House staff in Louisiana spoke with Blanco early Monday.
Blanco met the presidential party at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, carrying a letter to Bush which showed she's not budging on the issue of federalizing local law enforcement and the state's National Guard, which the president had attempted to do Friday.
"I write to ask you to work with me in developing a long-term plan for the rebuilding of the Louisiana economy," Blanco says in the letter.
From the airport, Bush and Blanco went to visit hurricane evacuees at Bethany World Prayer Center in Baker, where the two leaders kept their distance.
Later that day, Bush flew to Mississippi, where he warmly greeted Barbour.
Waves of National Guard soldiers from other states help quell widespread looting in New Orleans and evacuate thousands stranded by rising flood waters. Their arrival also prompted debate over whether Bush or Blanco should coordinate their efforts, three elected officials said.
The Bush administration on Friday asked Blanco to give the president control of local law enforcement and the Louisiana National Guard that now answer to the governor. Blanco refused.
Blanco said, when asked about the issue of federalizing state troops, that the issue involves the hurricane recovery organizational structure, not how rescuers are deployed.
Blanco said she needs flexibility to run the Louisiana National Guard.
More National Guard soldiers are needed in "Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Shreveport ... all the parishes receiving people," she said.
U.S. Rep. Richard Baker said he didn't want to do any "Monday morning quarterbacking." That includes not weighing in on whether or not Blanco should relinquish more control to the federal government, he said.
Baker said the Bush administration's goal isn't malicious, but to facilitate a more immediate response on resources, such as getting planes loaded and landed.
State and local officials last week complained that the federal help didn't come fast enough, with bipartisan criticism leveled at Bush himself.
U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie, said that during Bush's visit to New Orleans on Friday, Mayor Ray Nagin asked Bush and Blanco to hash out their differences. While on Air Force One, the president's plane, Bush and Blanco spoke privately.
"The rest of the delegation waited," Jindal said.
Later that day, Bush administration officials sent Blanco a legal memo seeking to federalize Louisiana law enforcement under the Insurrection Act, which is used to suppress civil disobedience that threatens to turn into anarchy. The act would clarify the chains of command of local, state and federal agencies with the president in charge.
Rather than cede control, Blanco on Saturday morning named James Lee Witt, who ran the Federal Emergency Management Agency under Clinton, to help run relief efforts.
In Bush's weekly radio address Saturday afternoon, he said the hurricane strained local and state capabilities, leading to people in New Orleans not getting the help they needed.
The next day, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu threatened to get violent.
"If one person criticizes them (local and state government) or says one more thing -- including the president of the United States -- he will hear from me," Landrieu said on the ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "One more word about it after this show airs and I might likely have to punch him. Literally."
After Bush's visit to Baton Rouge on Monday, Landrieu said that state, local and federal officials are now essentially on the same page, working as a team.
"The governor's leadership and the president's leadership, pulling these things together is excellent," Landrieu said.
Bottcher, Blanco's spokeswoman, refused to make a copy of the memo public. Blanco's team spent much of the day detailing the events that unfolded during the weekend, provided that their names were not used.
Asked directly and on the record, Bottcher refused comment.
After Monday's meeting, Blanco said Bush is satisfied with the organizational structure. "We are partners in this effort," the governor said. "We are a team. I want to say it again. We are a team."
I'll give Blanco till High-noon tomorrow to submit her resignation. She's a fool if she stays. I'm sure Hillary has promised her a job already.
I haven't been very impressed with Jindal either.
Bye Bye Dim'Rat control over Lowsyana. Flushed out by Kat.
When they point the finger at the federal government for whatever went wrong in the Katrina response, remember that they are fighting for their political lives.
And unless they have a Cook County level of political corruption, most will probably be booted. People aren't stupid about something like this.
In fact, if King Daley performed this way during an equivalent disaster in Chicago, even he'd be booted.
"This just proves that it's not Bush's fault. She's in control."
That's exactly it. She is being a control freak. And she would not be caught dead taking any input from a Repug (usingthe the DU term), lest her constituency in DUmmieland accuser her of selling out. What's this you say, her constituency is the people of Louisiana? Well, she's a liberal Dem, she's so much better, they don't count!
Hey Blank-O, start considering a career change, definitely by January 1, 2007. And maybe sooner. Do you know all the combinaations at Waffle House (assuming Waffle House would hire her)?
Seeing that blanco sent her three daughters to be with bill at the Astrodome shows me how incompetent she is!
They (the politicians) all have to be in a panic. Their constituents have all moved out and are completely dispersed. This must affect the political balance of the state. While many will return, the poor have less reason to return.
Good point.
I'm sure Hillary has promised her a job already.
I don't think Hillary is that dumb. What's in it for Hillary? That's all she cares about.
bttt
''Hey Blanco,start considering a career change, do you know all the combinations at ''Waffle House?''...........ROTF!
I wonder the same. Why else sit on your hands and not help your people. Strange situation.
The Demagogic Party is well underway in preparing a campaign to politicize the hurricane issues and make it their latest plank in a platform against the Republicans. Bush can't run for re-election, of course, so they will try to smear all Republicans with their vicious assaults on the administration. I just received the email bulletin below from the DNC and Howie Dean (yes, I'm on their list under the principle of "know thy enemy".....). It is obvious that under the guise of "hurricane relief" they are developing a vicious political campaign which will be unveiled over the coming weeks and months. We can anticipate that they will get many 'testimonies' from the refugees they help, ala John Kerry's "Winter Soldier Hearings"..... there will be many exaggerations and fabrications, all meant to make the federal government look bad and the local 'Rats in LA look better.....
Their link for "Hurricane Housing" is a website put up by the deranged leftists at Moveon.org...... !!! When the crisis clears and the people are taken care of, it must be made clear to the public that the DNC is joined at the hip with the anti-American fanatics of Moveon.org -- this group is very far to the left of any 'mainstream' Americans, and if the public really understood what they stand for the DNC and the Demagogic candidates would be marginalized for many years to come. btw, they also have a link on the "Hurricane Housing" website for ACORN which is one of the most far-left "community organizing" groups around, a bunch of '60s left-over degenerates (I knew some of them in college, I know what I'm talking about).
Here's the latest DNC/Moveon stuff:
http://www.hurricanehousing.org
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=36&referer=moveon
No thanks, we have enough Louisianans (coon-a$$es) here now. How about you, want some?
"I write to ask you to work with me in developing a long-term plan for the rebuilding of the Louisiana economy," Blanco says in the letter.
^^^^^^
It has been said before that NOLA is a Caribbean city. I noticed a distinct resemblance to Port au Prince in some photos last week.
This letter describes exactly how third world country leaders deal with 'foreign aid." --- You send the money and I'll control the spending of it.
"See that one, next to you General? THAT's BS."
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I just heard an interview, I believe it was on MSNBC (hubby was in charge of the remote). The commentator asked Hillary if she thought that the Head of FEMA should be fired. Hillary replied, "With this Administration, the only way you get fired is when you tell the truth."
Nothing surprises me with these Democrats. Bill and Hillary are in attack mode now. Bush better not turn his back next time he is asking a favor of Bill Clinton. Back stabbing is painful.
I don't know how she and hiz honor sleep at night.
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