Posted on 09/26/2005 4:05:53 PM PDT by tjbravo
In his televised address on September 15, President Bush declared that "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces--the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice." Senator John Warner (R-Va.), chair of the Armed Services Committee, goes further. In the wake of Katrina, he's suggested weakening Posse Comitatus, the longstanding federal law that restricts the government's ability to use the U.S. military as a police force. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita called Posse Comitatus a "very archaic" law that hampers the president's ability to respond to a crisis.
(Excerpt) Read more at cato.org ...
That was my first thought when Gov Blanco-head started whining about the Federal Government not taking charge sooner during Katrina. Why does she even think her regime even exists?
We certainly do. We ALL have to pay for their screwups, we certainly shouldn't have to stand by and watch them destroy their city in the name of states rights. Heh. States rights don't mean the right to destroy your biggest city under 15 feet of water, oil, dead bodies, and human waste.
Posse Comitatus is nothing but a hindrance on the Military to act in needed ways. If they want to come up with a replacement fine, but we need the military in here doing things that only they are trained and equipped to do. DHS, the big fat boondoggle, obviously can't assume the role that the military would -- watch the howling if THEY tried. I'd say people would trust the Armed Forces more than they would a new Federal Internal Polizei under DHS.
(Besides, giving the Military freedom to operate will give them more freedom to join us when the revolution comes -- just kidding. Heh.)
Aw.. President Hillabeast Clinton with Bubba as chief consort with the entire Federal and State military as her "goons"..
Makes the mind race, dont it.. < / Barney Fife dream >
You forget the tens or hundreds of thousands that didn't go because of the nightmare on the roads, or who gave up and came back. Still and all, I believe the single most important thing they need to do is to have enough fuel out on the roads to keep people going. The disabled vehicles probably slowed things down as much as anything.
We have to PAY for LA. so we shouldn't have to sit idly by while some cracker governor makes a botch of the emergency operation.
"Without research, I'm going to step out on a limb... I'd imagine PC was enacted to limit the growing use of US military for executing the law resulting from the Indian wars."
Actually, PC was enacted in 1878 to limit the use of federal forces in the 'reconstruction' of the South.
"Repealing Posse Comitatus (PC) is a bad idea, period. Militarizing the civil police force is a bad idea, period. These are both attempts to move Admiralty law jurisdiction onto the land."
Two issues. One, amending PC is not necessarily a bad idea. If the federal government faces a choice of allowing citizens to suffer because of inept local politicians, then amending PC is the lesser of two evils.
'Militarizing' local police is a bad idea if by that you mean the emergence of a police force that looks like and acts like a military force rather than a police force.
"The US Constitution deals with this in my opinion; there isn't to be a standing army at all. Now, the government and people have floated away from this by illegal means (to lawfully violate the US Constitution requires an amendment to it). In any case the basic intent is clear: don't go in this direction."
So the maintenance of a federal army, navy, marine corps, and air force is unconstitutional in your opinion?
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