Someone else on another thread had mentioned about the difference between natural disaster and terrorist attack.
This possibly might be the only strong explanation for fed. not responding sooner.
And as you said, any action by the President would be criticized.
My concern was not so much with MSM, but with the actual response of the Federal gov't and its obligations to citizens in this situation.
Here's a great website to explain the Feds' versus the State's resonsibilities, and also to lay out exemptions to certain things like "posse comitatus."
http://www.homelandsecurity.org/bulletin/Primer_ChallengestoPreventionandPreparedness.htm