I am no fan of Donald Rumsfeld, as a search of my posting on this forum will confirm. But, I don’t think that this one can be laid at his doorstep.
When I arrived in Hattisburg, MS 5 days after Katrina, the JTF over at Camp Shelby was in disarray and was just trying to figure out how to bed everyone down and get chow. The 82d Abn Div Aviation Bde Cdr was trying to control his brigade and coordinate air support from the NO executive airport lounge on his cell phone. I found Russ Honore at the Superdome with a two-man IMARSAT team trying to bring some order to ongoing events. We had plenty of time to chat because his comms where pretty minimal.
But, my assessment was that this state of affairs was due almost exclusively to Governor Blanco’s refusal to let federal troops in early and to assume command and control for the military support to civilian authority. The military knows how to do this and can work miracles in short order, but they have to get permission from the Governor first. That was not forthcoming. In my view, that was deliberate and thought out long before Katrina showed up. Blanco was the only Democrat Governor along the entire Gulf and Southern reach of the Atlantic coast. Republican Governors would swing into action, as did Governor Barbour of Mississippi making a scheme to blame Bush problematic. But, in Louisiana, there was a chance for political sabatoge and that’s what Blanco did. Shepard Smith and the rest of the media idiots gleefully played their parts in this little drama. Perhaps someone who really knows what went on will someday tell the whole story.
I appreciate your insight. You might be right, but there is a more parsimonious answer: She was completely incompetent!
The reason for Blanco and friends delaying the request for federal help is they were hassling with Washington over who would control the billions of dollars sure to be involved. The local Democrats wanted to divide the spoils as they saw fit and Washington would not agree. For several days no one was in charge because of this.
The Democrats finally gave in but then turned the tables and blamed Bush for everything imaginable, including causing the hurricane..