[MNJohnnie]

Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday. The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.

Can you belive the UTTER stupidty of this? The place is a disaster, the Locals are screaming at the Feds for "not doing enough" but the STATE refuse to get out of the way because they might be at fault why it's "too little too late!!!!

[jimbo123]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/12494991.htm

Posted on Sun, Aug. 28, 2005

Katrina's threat was so acute that President Bush joined the chorus of officials who urged New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to order a mandatory evacuation, issued Sunday morning after lower-lying areas outside the city were cleared Saturday.

[rodguy911]

Great analysis the big story out of all this should be that the Gov. of La. played politics with people stuck in attics dying.

[Darnright]

This has to be seen to be believed. So the state fiddles while Rome, er, New Orleans, drowns, and the MSM is doing a full court press to blame the Bush Administration.

Not one Freeper will be surprised.