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......."
We need prosecutions. Civil. Criminal. I don't care. We need to hold key politicians and bureaucrats accountable. Reckless disregard for human life. Something *has* to be done. There must be *no* question that politicians can and shall be held accountable for not only dropping the ball, but throwing it away and costing human lives.
The typical transit bus is 40 ft. suggesting 40 passengers if only seats are used and 70 if folks are standing too. He counted 146 large transits. The total capacity of the public transit buses (just the transit!) in the New Orleans photos is between 5,840 and 10,220 people. He also calculated they would each have enough fuel for a trip to Houston with fuel to spare. On the school buses, he counted around 246 buses and not assuming maximum capacity of 3 children per seat but rather only 50 adults per bus, he calculated a capacity to move 12,300 adults with only seats utilized. However, these buses may have fuel issues for a long haul. CNG (Natural Gas) requires close to 1 hr for refueling and such buses are comparable to 4 miles per gallon. Refueling might be very difficult if CNG isn't readily available en route. Diesel would be better with slightly better fuel efficiency and far less fuel time as well as being more readily available.
Thus the two major bus fleets at the mayor's disposal could've moved 18,000 to 22,500 people from New Orleans WITHOUT maximizing transport capacity.
ping
This will come out, as this disaster is too big to fade from people's interest any time soon. One of the reasons that people were quick to blame "FEMA", Michael Brown, Michael Chertoff and President Bush is because it is expected that people in charge will perform, and Gov Blanco was a) invisible and b) a democrat.
During last week, watching the suffering of the stranded, and reading on the internet about the intransigence of the governor, I had a very hard time comprehending her stubbornness. This week, after watching Mary Landrieu and Nancy Pelosi say things that no normal intelligent adult should ever say, I realize that Gov Blanco saw the entire disaster of her state through the prism of politics instead of through the prism of her mandate - public safety and the protection of her state.
She should have criminal charges brought against her.
*
I didn't see any movement until the Rag'n Cajun came to town.
$$$$$
I think many of the helicopter and boat rescue efforts were depositing people at the convention center. We just did not see it on camera. How else did masses of them get there.
And yet, nearly half of the opinions from "conservatives" right here in this thread, state that the President should have not only considered, but acted.
I don't think people will "wake up". Even "conservatives" have been conditioned to think the Federal government is their daddy.
No, I was just reposting a Reply from earlier Thursday morning as it predated information that Drudge was just breaking, proving once again that FR is ahead of the curve.
Yes, look at the time -- it was from Thursday morning.
Post 39 - either great inside information or maybe a breaking news story.
Need to know more about the source Can you Link where the article came from?
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.
Remember those little plastic barrels you could buy as a kid, where you pulled the little white string and a small firecracker-like charge went off and shot rolled up streamers in the air?
That would have been liberal heads all over the country. I guess I’m not cosmically worthy enough to have watched something so perfectly amusing in this life.
FReepers are the best!
I think that the main reason for the shrill and unfair charges against FEMA is they are desparate to find something, anything, that they can use to say that the Executive Branch is partially culpable, and as such cannot conduct the investigation.
Step two, is to put their operatives on whatever "bipartisan" commission is established and then sabotage any real investigation.
Of course, I don't need to tell anyone here that the perfect model of this process was the 9/11 commission.
Well it proves that Bush was on top, however, I'm glad that he didn't do it.. It would have set a bad precednet imho..
Well, Bush would have been able to get people food and water to people instead of the inept governor getting people killed, of course the left would have called Bush 'Hitler' again and that would have been the story this week.
I'm not sure the guy in the picture is her brother though.
"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."
Bush SHOULD have taken over the relief effort when it became manifestly obvious that the Governess and mayor were ineffective, American lives were being lost, lawless elements were out of control, and a major U.S. city was being destroyed. As far as the technical legal implications of this are concerned, he should have left any concerns over those issues for later reflection. THAT, I believe, is what George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or even Ronald Reagan would have done. But of course, the Bushes are not in their league.
The "officials" advising Bush here were probably the same timorous wimps who "advised" that the intended retaliatory assault on Fallujah be called off after the American contractors there were butchered and their bodies placed on display.
There are numerous people here stating that this would have benefitted the Democrats. I DOUBT it. It would have shown
a) Bush has testacles
b) the Dems have neither brains nor testacles.
In addition, it might have saved lives, prevented looting, and spared some damage.
But Bush II, like Bush I, is an overly cautious man at times.
Agreed - Bush flinches too often on the word of his advisors. He would have been a hero if he took decisive action. Yes, the Left would have screamed foul but they are doing that anyway. Another opportunity missed because our president, for all his strengths, lets himself be denutted by his advisors. As you say, just like Fallujah. People die when leaders stall.
It was in 1865, but that's a separate story -- albeit related to this story.
"Where is Witt and what is he doing? (besides regreting associating with Blanco)?"
Probably using $addam's big shredders to get rid data/evidence that might put him and the Governor in jail.
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