See my #730.
They were expedited based on the hurricane 2 days before it hit, the catastrophe occurred on Tuesday when the levy actually broke and flooded the city, (remember the press reporting the NO dodged the bullet on Monday)so the second part
under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude."
really would not have been inacted until after Tuesday or after confirmation that the levees were giving way. I am trying to recall when Bush first used the phrase, an "event of national significance" as that would indicate when they were starting to move on the second part...I believe it was Wednesday and that would've been a timely response given to size and scope of the affected area and how quickly the damage assessments were coming in. Perhaps some other Freepers can pull that part up on a timeline. When did Bush announce DHS was taking over or use the phrase 'event of national significance.'
The problem here still remains that the governor must agree and allow, and most assuredly, not attempt to manipulate such a response for personal or political reasons.
There will be those who say the feds should have simply disregarded any balking on Blanco's part and gone in regardless, but they forget that these legalities are in place to PROTECT individual citizens. If the federal government had been infiltrated by those who wish the citizens harm, these same legalities protect them FROM wrongful federal government intervention.
The individual in this country has the most power. The individual citizen gives SOME power to other entities, beginning with their local government and ENDING with the federal government. I don't even like having to say something that simple, but this is what the left would have us alter and it is also what most citizens of other nations do NOT understand about our Constitution and our laws.