A key factor in Katrina a was Governor Blanco’s ignorance of how the Stafford Act works. The President issues the emergency authorization, but the Governor must ask for specific things (like boots on the ground, relief supplies, permission to use airports, etc). Blanco asked for practically nothing in her Stafford Act memo, so FEMA and other agencies had no authority to enter Louisiana. In most cases they waited at the border for someone to wise Blanco up. Which was not until Thursday of that week, meanwhile the press is having a field day telling us that Bush was doing nothing (legally he couldn’t). No “journalist” explained or even mentioned the Stafford Act.
It pays to look up Stafford Act and see how it works. Congress passed it after Reagan unilaterally activated National Guard troops in another hurricane emergency, and lots of states saw that as a power grab and illegal infringement. Basically it stops the Exec Branch from staging a power grab based on an “emergency”.
Thanks for this simple way to explain this to the Libs. They will probably be claiming how wonderfully Obama responded to the threat of Isaac. We need this reminder to put in their faces.
Blanco had numerous democrats in the state telling her she would be political toast if she let Bush come in and take control of the situation. It wasn’t until the democrats saw people stuck on rooftops that they did a 180 - and then put the blame on Bush who was only following the law as you pointed out.
Blanco was acting on orders from her DNC Masters in Washington.