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......."
Thank God he didn't bite on that opportunity to overrule Blanco.
A gag order is subservient to a grand jury injunction. And, someone will speak up regardless. She can't stop the truth from coming out, especially with the Pajamaheeden on the job.
Yep - the liberal DNC machine tried to set the trap and Bush didn't bite. Did they think he was that stupid? Unfortunately, the left's political games took precidence over saving people's lives. Basically, they killed people in an attempt to gain politically, much like their heros Stalin and Mao.
By partisan Democrats, probably. But the visuals of Army trucks and choppers bringing food, water, and security to Katrina survivors, and then taking them quickly out of NOLA would disuade pulic opinion far away from wanting to impeach President Bush. States' Rights don't trump Citizens' lives in my book.
Pure speculation and hindsight, but MHO.
Well said. A lot of lives & misery could have been avoided, due to the city & state official's bumbling inaction.
His terrorist sidekick is probably working on one right now.
It is what gave him the SCOTUS vote in the 2000 election. the RULE OF LAW.
It would make us hypocrites if we had to shop for judges that would see it your way.
In any event, I'm happy that he's safe from such a ludicrous scheme.
"Basically, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.
"
...
And time has proven your assessment to be fact.
Neither are the Democrats in D.C., hence the unwillingness to participate in an investigation they called for.
"damned if he did, damned if he didn't". What you said. Basically the state and city idiots screwed it up royally and created a mess that Bush would have had a hard time unscrewing. So if he had taken over, the Dems would be howling about his "unconstitutional" takeover. And since nothing ever goes according to plan, glitches are guaranteed, Bush would have been pilloried in any circumstance. But this latest report does demolish the Dem lie that Bush was asleep at the switch. He was wide awake. Too bad for the people of NO that he didn't disregard his "experts" advice.
"the gov. is completely incompetent."
No. She was playing chicken on a back road with no lights on....with W. She--or her handlers and bosses--was using the lives of those she trapped as future-valued political capital.
"The unreported side of this story is control of the money."
Well, another thread here has incestuous ties to LA and CA senators and rebuilding: the Shaw Group. I am still waiting to hear if that is connected to Clay Shaw.
"military forces to do things in New Orleans"
...thereby establishing precedent for any potential Democrat-run president.
"...thereby establishing precedent for any potential Democrat-run president."
Excellent point. Not to mention, it would have been terrifying to Bush-hating rats if he had abruptly sent the military in against the wishes of local governments. I know I would have been thinking wild thoughts if Clinton of Waco-Fame were to invade my county!
Adding further to your point, just imagine if Clinton had invaded Rush Limbaugh's island that way, after a hurricaine! Could people even begin to imagine what Americans all across the country would have done?
Bingo!
"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."
And then in 2009, President Hellery sends paratroopers to Rush's island after a hurricaine brushes by, in the name of 'saving' him. No panic would result, right? No conservatives would be suspicious in the least? It would be oh, a quiet, 'Thanks, Hellery', moment?
Of course it wouldn't. Millions of Americans would be loading their guns. Well they should.
20,000+ everyday Citizens trapped in a stadium without food or running water with looters running rampant outside in a flooded city where the local police/mayor/governor have no control vs. tin-foil visions of a President Hillary dropping troops in to capture Rush Limbaugh?
I haven't that much coffee this Sunday morning to jump to such far-out conclusions.
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