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......."

[ntnychik]

good post #39

[DTogo]

I wish he had done it...It would have taken the wind out of the dems sails. Plus maybe some lives may have been saved.

I'm with you. A couple batallions of troops should have been dropped in around the Superdome while others set up large tents with water and food on dry over-passes and such. Quickly get the people out of the Dome, give them a rest/food/water/medical attention in the tent cities, then move them on outside of NOLA.

Politics and cowering from the media never saved lives.

[deputytess]

Dear Mike,
I don't think you can call Texas the 'Lone Star' state anymore because the 49 other stars are with you all the way :) Kudos and thanks and hats off to your Missus she's doing the Lord's work. God bless Texas!!!!

[Racehorse]

But the others...have you considered that some of the folks at the Superdome might have had drivers' licenses and might have volunteered had they not been held in at gunpoint?

Yep.

But, I don't really want to play too much devil's advocate, because I mostly agree with you.

If you watch the press briefing, you will see and hear a rather lame explanation why those buses became unavailable.  It includes a lack of people to drive the buses before the lot was flooded, and the expectation that FEMA would provide over a thousand requested buses.

[GloriaJane]

"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)."

Yes, and if he had fallen for the dems trap, we'd be watching impeachment hearings instead of confirmation hearings next week. (or when ever Robert's hearings are scheduled for)

[laz]

Where was the Louisiana Nat'l Guard?

They won't be able to tell you, because of the gag order Blanco imposed on them.

She has MUCH to hide... and her handlers have even more.

[TXnMA]

Those are diesel buses (with no ignition system to drown out). They will start and run just fine.

Heck, an enterprising black teenager took the keys for one, stole it, and drove a whole busload of DCs all the way to the Astrodome in Houston.

[Kay]

Missed that. She actually put a gag order on the NG? Where was that leaked?

[Mo1]

It's was reported on O'Reilly's show yesterday

there is a video of it some where on FR

[Kay]

Thanks. O'Reilly's show has been good about this disaster, what I've seen of it. I like it when he confronts the NYT. They think he is beneath their snotty, up-turned noses at the NYT. While I was cooking, I thought I heard that Geraldo was suing them for malice. Hope it's true and they have to eat crow.

[gg188]

And on AUGUST 30th, Blanco took this decisive action:

Governor Blanco Announces Day of Prayer

Governor Kathleen Blanco: "As we face the devastation wrought by Katrina, as we search for those in need, as we comfort those in pain and as we begin the long task of rebuilding, we turn to God for strength, hope and comfort.

I have declared August 31, 2005, a Day of Prayer in the State of Louisiana. I am asking that all of Louisiana take some time Wednesday to pray. Pray for the victims and the rescuers. Please pray that God give us all the physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and rebuild.

Please pray for patience for those anxiously waiting to hear from family members or to get word about their homes. Pray for the safety of our hard-working rescuers and those they are bringing to safety.

I know, by praying together on Wednesday, that we can pull together and draw strength we need; strength, that only God can give us.

In my prayers, I will also thank God for the strong and resilient people of this state and how they are working to meet this challenge."

[nopardons]

bttt

[nopardons]

bttt

[bellas_sister]

..he would have been called Hitler

Ah yes... King George is what they would have called him. Oh, wait that IS what they call him.

[blake6900]

".. 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.

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..."

Two things to remember:

1)This article is from the New York Times and, as usual, they quote unnamed senior advisors and officials. Anything they report is questionable. In this cases it is agenda-driven.

2)The situation in New Orleans was not an insurrection (definition: an organized resistance to established government).

The Times would have us believe the Administration's decision was a political one. However it was more a legal one and a correct one as well. The political angle as reported here is not helpful for Bush and reinforces the "the feds didn't get there fast enough" criticism. The legal angle renders that criticism moot since the president could not go in to Louisiana without an official request from the governor. Since this was not an insurrection it would have been out of line for Bush to treat it as one.

Notice how the Times reported that this discussion took place because "officials began to realize that Hurricane Katrina exposed a critical flaw in the national disaster response plans created after the Sept. 11 attacks." In other words, the Administration's plans were a failure.

This article does nothing to place blame at Blanco's door. It's just another anti-Bush hit piece.

[patriciaruth]

Ammendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.