Was President Bush Forced to Use the Insurrection Act?
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.
I found this post the other day interesting ...I think it may have come down to Bush gave Blanco one of the two options/ultimate either Blanco got it together or Bush would take control of the state via the Insurrection Act
Discussed here -> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1478475/posts?page=59#59
Aand here ... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1478299/posts?page=180#180
I think Bush offered Federal assistance. She was under no obligation to take either option offered. Both options offered would have the governor giving part of her power to the Feds, a move that she (and DEMs in general) find objectionable - regardless of the cost in human suffering below them.
I speculate that one of the two forms of "assistance" (or power taking) offered was to federalize the NG that was in place. The other ws to use active-duty military under the Insurrection Act.
Common to the two options is the governor asking for the feds to control the forces that would restore order. The difference is that one option uses NG troops, the other used active-duty military (Insurrection Act).
Blanco has the obligation to maintain civil order, and if she senses that her forces are inadequate to do that, she has a moral and civil duty to call for help.
The local authorities called for help in both the Detroit riots of 1967, and the more recent LA riots. The feds stepped because they were asked. I read somewhere that the last time the Insurrection Act was used without a request from the governor was 1861.