Drudge-Developing: WHITE HOUSE MULLED SEIZING RELIEF MISSION

Drudge ^

[sissyjane]

>> WHITE HOUSE MULLED SEIZING RELIEF MISSION // Invoke the Insurrection Act? Bush's senior advisers debated last week whether the president should seize control of the chaotic hurricane relief mission from the governor so that active-duty combat troops could be sent to enforce order... Developing

Update******

Political Issues Snarled Plans for Troop Aid

"WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - As New Orleans descended into chaos last week and Louisiana's governor asked for 40,000 soldiers, President Bush's senior advisers debated whether the president should speed the arrival of active-duty troops by seizing control of the hurricane relief mission from the governor.

For reasons of practicality and politics, officials at the Justice Department and Pentagon, and then at the White House, decided not to urge Mr. Bush to take command of the effort.

Instead, the Washington officials decided to rely on the growing number of National Guard personnel flowing into Louisiana, who were under Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's control. The debate was triggered as officials began to realize that Hurricane Katrina exposed a critical flaw in the national disaster response plans created after the Sept. 11 attacks. According to the administration's senior homeland security officials, the hurricane showed the failure of their plan to recognize that local police, fire and medical personnel might be incapacitated and unable to act quickly until reinforcements arrive on the scene..."

".. To seize control of the mission, Mr. Bush would have had to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows the president in times of unrest to command active-duty forces into the states to perform law enforcement duties. But decision makers in Washington felt certain that Governor Blanco would have resisted surrendering control of the military relief mission as Bush Administration officials believe would have been required to deploy active-duty combat forces before law and order had been re-established. While troops can conduct relief missions without the legal authority of the Insurrection Act, Pentagon and military officials say that no active-duty forces could have been sent into the chaos of New Orleans on Wednesday or Thursday without confronting law-and-order challenges......."

[Torie]

I don't take it personally. As it said, it depends on the facts as to whether Bush by running roughshod over Blanco thinks it would have made a real difference. And since it appears that he only asked after the hurricane passed, rather than before, that is debateable as to the cost reward ratio. Before the fact, in my view, if Bush had the assets to deploy quickly enough, comandeered or otherwise, to get more folks out, he should have moved - if.

[John Lenin]

I heard they built a lock on the Mississipi river with the money instead of shoring up the levee.

[doug from upland]

BUSH KNEW that Blanco was an incompetent boob

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

People do not understand the implications of federal troops moving into a state and taking over control without the permission of a governor.

[John Lenin]

Can you tell I'm in sales ?

[aft_lizard]

You know I have been arguing with a lib on another site and he quote the 14th amendment in accusation towards the Federal Govt on there responsibilities, the funny thing is it sunk his argument and made mine:
"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

he highlighted "nor shall any state deprive any person of life ,liberty or property", thinking the state meant US Government, I explained to the nit that state meant state as in Louisiana. He has yet to respond.

[Randy Larsen]

Unnamed staff almost stepped into the Dem trap.

It was still a trap set by the dems. Thank God Bush is surrounded with intelligent staff, this could have led to a major political mess(worse than it is).

[GW and Twins Pawpaw]

I believe it is if the elected leadership fails in its obligation to its citizens and I belive Blanco failed miserably. The real problem in La has been in NO. They don't seem to be having these types of problems in Mississippi where the storm damage seems to be far worse. I think this is the case but I really don't know all the facts.

[ladyinred]

If he had, things would have gone better, but the left would have screamed Hitler even louder. Besides, they want to blame him, not their own responsible dems for the mess it became.

[DilJective]

I just saw, a few minutes ago, on CNN: Blanco stating "if we only had buses to get the people out" as it faded to the flooded and parked buses. The Aaron tried to say that there will be plenty of blame to go around- "from the mayor to the governor...........and the federal government" He stopped short of accusing the President, but did throw in the federal government knowing that most people will take that to mean the President.

the point is that the MSM will have a very difficult time with this- the truth.

[Arizona Carolyn]

What about the following paragraph: Wouldn't it have applied last week?

Other exception includes preventing the loss of life or property during serious disturbances or calamities, and protecting Federal property and governmental functions.

[PISANO]

would have saved countless lives

As of this moment the COUNTLESS LIVES you mention totals 118 in LA and 201 in MS.

Significant of course, but NOT countless......at least NOT yet!

[Anti-Bubba182]

I think that may have been one of the options. If the President invoked, or could have invoked, the Insurrection Act over the objections of a Governor there would have been a firestorm. Whether he should have anyway is another question.

Blanco coolly greets Bush

"..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..."

[Arizona Carolyn]

yes and yes.

[MikefromOhio]

yeah but then they show the buses...

most people don't think the President stopped them from using the Buses.

[kingu]

That happened in St. Louis when some federal judge held that the polls should be kept open for an extra three hours in St. Louis in 2000.

Well, first, you have a federal judge interfering in a state conducted election - injunctions don't tend to survive appeal in those cases. Instead you're talking about the president overriding state sovereignty on a guess. A prediction. Something that could easily have been wrong. Civil rights are not dissolved without a fight, and you would have seen the biggest fight ever.

Insurrection Act? That was the most likely vehicle, and you'd have to prove malfeasance on the part of local authorities. The district court in New Orleans would have overruled the action resulting in an automatic appeal to the Supreme Court. With Rehnquist out of action. A split court would have deferred to state authorities.

To do anything else would be to invalidate the electoral process. A president could declare an emergency anywhere, at virtually any time, and no court would want to be responsible for it. They would caution authorities in the affected area to take every possible measure to ensure the safety of their citizens and encourage them to invite and work with all federal assistance available, but they would not turn over states to the federal government. I think you know this.

[Ray66]

Ok just making sure I got it right.

[aft_lizard]

From Louisianas State EMA website:

" As much as we try to prepare for catastrophic disasters and to reduce our risk from their devastation, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other disasters still happen.

When they do, local and state officials are the first to respond. If the loss of life and property overwhelms this response, the federal government ... including FEMA ... is called upon to help."

The question is when where they called upon for help?

[God luvs America]

remember earlier this week when the President made his second trip to La. and Blanco stayed away from him....there was a report earlier in the day when, after meeting with Blanco and Nagin the President said, "govenor-you have two choices....."

That was very unlike the President and should've been the tip off to the MSM what they should really be covering...

[SunnySide]

My two friends were allowed to drive to the launch site where the La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries were launching their rescue operations (via boat). They reported to me that there were over 200 DWF agents just standing around and doing nothing. My friends were kept there for approximately 3 hours. During that time they observed a large number of DWF agents doing nothing. After three hours had passed they were told that they were not needed and should go home. They complied with the DWF’s orders and turned around and went home to Lafayette.
...

This scenario is how union thugs operate. The friends were treated like non-unioners. Creepy nefarious situation