Was President Bush Forced to Use the Insurrection Act?

Chron Watch ^ | 06 September 2005 | Barbara J. Stock

[tarheelswamprat]

Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. “Quite frankly, if they’d been able to pull off taking it [control] 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.

It's late, and I'm tired, but I have finally seen this idiotic quote posted once too often for me to just let it pass. Do any of the mind-numbingly stupid political and media hacks who concocted and keep reporting this nonsense realize that they've screwed up and phrased their argument exactly backwards?

In any incident, only those in control are responsible; those who are not in control or authority are not. Simple logic dictates that if the Governor authorized the feds to take over, then the feds would be responsible and thus could be blamed for what went wrong. As long as she retained control, she's responsible.

Their logic is simply bizarre: "We're in command, so it's all your fault." Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[tophat9000]

When President Bush visited the area Friday after the hurricane, Mayor Nagin told him and Governor Blanco that they needed to get the authority thing straightened out about who was running the show. (Bush is legally bound not to enter a State with our armed forces if not requested by the Governor, and Governor Blanco was still in charge of her National Guard). According to Mayor of New Orleans,Nagin, Bush gave Blanco two options on the controlling authority issue and she said she needed 24 hours to think it over. Nagin switched to Bush's side then, as he felt delaying the decision would cost more lives.

An exceptional time line...On the question of did President Bush use the Insurrection Act? I would say that most likely it was one of the two options/ultimate Bush gave Blanco...in other words..Bush to Blanco..."sh-t or get off the pot"

[ntnychik]

Ping

[KingNo155]

,i>"Some joined the looters and were videotaped by MSNBC “shopping” in the local Walmart."
Copy and paste link to browser...http://www.zippyvideos.com/8911023771013466/countdown-looting-in-walmart/**3350

[Jeff Gordon]

Was this the interview where Nagin says they left Air Force 1 with the governor needing 24 hours to think about Bush's proposals?

Yes.

[patriciaruth]

I am guessing that maybe President Bush told Gov. Blanco that she could
1. request nationalization of her National Guard and let him take over responsibility and the tab for the whole mess (including any blame) -- law enforcement, relief, rescue, picking up dead bodies, restoring the city, etc.
2. allow armed forces of U.S. to come in to assist in with rescue and relief and medical aid, but if she retained control of law enforcement, he wouldn't take blame or pick up the tab.

[lambo]

Bookmarking for later reference.

Great find, Lando. You're a credit to FR.

[jan in Colorado]

Thanks for the ping, Fred. Excellent article!

[cookcounty]

"Bush sent NG into New York City under federal command for non-relief purposes due to national security. There is your answer."

And did Governor Patak, ask Bush,? ...refuse Bush? or like Governor Blank-O, was he merely indifferent to the President? Unless it was one of the later two, the comparison doesn't fit.

[JSteff]

"IF this is true...one can only wonder how the liberals and media will respond. How DARE the president try to take over the sovereign state of Louisiana...

Now- how to find out if this IS true.."

Given that President Bush declared LA and NO to be in a state of emergency the NIGHT of the hurricane I think a bunch of this is true already.

That was the chatter here on that night (tues or wed.) and if you search I think you will answer that part of your question.

As to how the liberals will take it... don't you think a bunch of them knew and know all this. They all are experts on government and disasters.. most fairly well educated. This IS their reaction. As the author said.. they are closing ranks around the mayor and the governor.

Have you not watched any news, read any papers? It is all talking points about the racism of the response, crying mothers with babies, old people on blankets on the street with the flood in the back ground. This is an atypical response. The impeachment defense of clinton in the media was a road map they still use.

If you go after the ones who saw it happen, and the ones trying to exercise justice and do it enough and loudly, the media will support and aid you to the end. Eventually most of America will forget about it so at worse you come out with a draw in minds of the voters.

In short you HAVE been seeing the liberal response and even when it is PROVEN they will stick to their talking points. It will still be about Bush killing and starving the poor minorities. ("women, children, senior citizens, and minorities especially hard hit" is one of their favorite lines)

Case closed. Welcome to the real America even more divided than before thanks to their propaganda efforts and the aid of the MSM.

[JSteff]

"Does looting rise to the level of insurrection?"

Might, but allowing citizens of the US die or be injured in your state because you do not want to properly assess the risk to them.. even after seeing the pictures of it all certainly should.

After three days of the President begging her to declare and emergency and being rebuffed by the governor while the pictures of the dead and suffering where on the news she was deliberately allowing the hazardous situation to continue to exist.

This endangered the persons immediately affected, and those in other states, and their states agencies who were trying to assist. So yes she was deliberately endangering the citizens of other states (after she had been told what was happening by those states and the President). So I think that might rise to the level of insurrection.

[JSteff]

But the still will to the end and the MSM will help.

[alessandrofiaschi]

[de Buillion]

"They need to put Cheney on TV to "handle" this one! "

How about Cheney (The Master) AND GEN Honore?

[jonrick46]

I have made this comment in earlier posts and find it appropriate here:

Yes, I think you have got to the truth of the matter. If the feds had moved in without the permission from Gov. Blancho, the President would have violated the Constitution and federal law. It would be impeachment time. I suspect a game of gotcha was in play.

[Peach]

What really frightens me Peach is that there is a good possibility that our elected leaders know less about the law and the constitution than we do. Think about that one for a minute.

On a few threads, I've been mentioning how it's possible that elected leaders know less about the hurricane plan in New Orleans, FEMA and how it works, etc., than freepers do. Hadn't thought about the Constitution but I do think you're correct that we have leadership who don't know how much of ANYTHING works. Except how to get people to the polls. It's not a comforting feeling.

[chuknospam]

BTT

[wolfcreek]

Thx. for the article, Lando Went to a Labor day party at my in-laws with a bunch of Bush-bashers, wish I'd had this article to read to them.

[Rebelbase]

Bump for later.

[hershey]

Another Great essay by Barbara Stock!! Wonderful read! Thanks for posting this!