Posted on 09/08/2005 6:57:07 PM PDT by sissyjane
Edited on 09/08/2005 11:37:58 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
>> 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......."
Do states rights mean anything to you?
Bush is too smart to try that angle even though it would have doubtless saved countless lives. Legally, what happened in NO was no insurrection, at least within the purview of that legal authority. It's a real tragedy the DUmmycrats who were in the lead legally killed thousands of those who...most likely...voted them into office. But what do they say?? Sh&t happens.
The other was to get competent help.
An eight hour delay. She's been blocking everything.
Sarcasm/off
I agree with you on that. She is absolutely useless. I want to know what has happened to the rest of the State of Louisiana? New Orleans, and the outlying parishes are just a small portion of the state. Why didn't people from Baton Rouge, and the northern parishes come to the rescue? IMHO, Blanco and the mayor of New Orleans should both be sent to live in the Dome.
Not a penny of federal money should be put into NO. Let all federal insurance and other forms of money be put in to building elsewhere. If they do build NO it will flood again. And again. And.....
President Bush shoulda seized the mission, Blanco and Nagin!
And come to think of it, that would have been the best politics possible. Should have, would have, could have. And so it goes.
It would have raised innumerable problems, because she still would have been in charge of the State Police and all the other state authorities. So you effectively would have had two incompatible people running things at the same time. Kind of like sending in two separate armies. Not a good idea.
But I think it IS a good idea to start pointing out that Governor Blanco has been a total wipeout during this entire emergency. She is way in above her head. Nothing to be done about that, however, unless the voters want to press her to resign.
Is there a recall process in Louisiana?
Historically, though, he'll come out just fine. He did the right thing.
Well, she still is over her head and out of control IMHO.
...
Blancos indecisive irresponsible inactions compared to the wrath of hurricane Katrina makes the hurricane look like a "cake" walk.
I asked this question on another thread today.
What does a President do when confronted by corrupt/incompetent local Government during an emergency and american lives are at stake?
In word, no, hell no. I hope that helps.
To: Embraer2004
This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's been researching what went on before the storm hit
I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him hard in the near future as the lies and distortions of his interviews are coming to light.
On Friday night before the storm hit Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center took the unprecedented action of calling Nagin and Blanco personally to plead with them to begin MANDATORY evacuation of NO and they said they'd take it under consideration. This was after the NOAA buoy 240 miles south had recorded 68' waves before it was destroyed.
President Bush spent Friday afternoon and evening in meetings with his advisors and administrators drafting all of the paperwork required for a state to request federal assistance (and not be in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act or having to enact the Insurgency Act). Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up. He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.
Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area, and begin mandatory evacuation. After a personal plea from the President Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action. In frustration the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some advanced preparations. Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops - but that had not been done since 1906 and the Constitutionality of it was called into question to use before the disaster.
Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships. Toss in the investigation that will look into why the emergency preparedness plan submitted to the federal government for funding and published on the city's website was never implemented and in fact may have been bogus for the purpose of gaining additional federal funding as we now learn that the organizations identified in the plan were never contacted or coordinating into any planning - though the document implies that they were.
The suffering people of NO need to be asking some hard questions as do we all, but they better start with why Blanco refused to even sign the multi-state mutual aid pack activation documents until Wednesday which further delayed the legal deployment of National Guard from adjoining states. Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses - but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.
This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.
Maskil
14 posted on 09/08/2005 8:26:39 AM EDT by paltz
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And now that we know FOR A FACT that blanco kept the Salvation Army and the Red Cross from feeding and tending to the people in the superdome, that SHE BLOCKED THEM, I am more than appalled and wondering JUST WHO IS IT REALLY WHO HATES BLACK PEOPLE?
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