Yeah, that would have played out real well.
He almost stepped into the Dem trap!
Its Bush's fault...because he didn't seize control from Governor Blank=0....yep....what is he supposed to do? the gov. is completely incompetent.
They needed to do that on Tuesday
How about congress they just gave 52 billion to line the pockets of the people who brought us the NOLA disaster.
Well, she still is over her head and out of control IMHO.
Might be one of the "two options" Nagin said Bush gave Blanco.
He should have if he thought it would make a real difference.
Not a good idea to take over a State in the South.
this confirms what I think would be obvious - that the WH HAD to consider this option given the complete lack of control of the city. You have to wonder if they didn't do it for political, versus practical, reasons.
I wonder if he has any real sources for this or if he is simply listening to Wash Post editorial room gossip???
I find it ironic that Dem whackos constanty refer to Bush as a fascist dictator, when his cautiousness about usurping an incompetent state government controlled by the opposition party is what is causing him so much grief.
wow...
again the Bush White House avoids stepping in it completely...
Blanco is lucky she has the MSM.
If he had done it there would have been a public relations nightmare... now, that it's coming out he considered it, "maybe" people will wake up???
Sarcasm/off
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!
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?
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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