Was President Bush Forced to Use the Insurrection Act?

Chron Watch ^ | 06 September 2005 | Barbara J. Stock

[hershey]

It is true, and the Libs are already waving away the Posse Comitatus complication. 'Lives were at stake! The President should have disregarded the law and move troops in anyway! We could have sorted it out later.' Sure. Six weeks down the road, they'd have demanded his impeachment.

[cvq3842]

Thanks for posting! Bookmarked for more careful reading later.

[tutstar]

ping

[hershey]

Interesting question, and I'm no expert but here goes: In a crisis such as you outlined, the President would issue executive orders regarding evacuation, etc.. D.C. isn't a state, it's still a district despite Eleanor Holmes-Norton's congressional status. But that's splitting hairs. The President would order whatever necessary.

[tutstar]

bttt

[hershey]

Thanks for point that out. I need more coffee.

[hershey]

Nice analysis of timeline. Just tuned in C-Span. A dem congressman from Ohio taking a Liberal call from Indiana. Bush bashing with all the bells and whistles. Turned it off.

[hershey]

If Blanco and Nagin were republicans and had acted similarly, the MSM would be screaming for their heads. That's all you need to know to figure this out.

[Puddleglum]

What an exceletn article! Thanks for posting this and kudos to the author.

[Kenny Bunk]

You guys catch this?

[Kenny Bunk]

the president of the United States was forced to “negotiate” with Governor Blanco for the lives of the suffering and dying people of New Orleans.

[bitt]

thanks for the ping, did you see this?


http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/9/6/222032.shtml


Louisiana Officials in Flood-Money Scam

Nine months before the Hurricane Katrina disaster, three Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness officials were indicted for obstructing an audit into flood prevention expenditures.

In a November 2004 press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced:

"A federal grand jury has returned two separate indictments charging three members of the State Military Department with offenses related to the obstruction of an audit of the use of federal funds for flood mitigation activities throughout Louisiana.

"The two emergency management officials were senior employees of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Both were charged with conspiracy to obstruct a federal audit."

Gov. Kathleen Blanco told Louisiana's News-Star at the time that she was disturbed by the indictments. She said the National Guard is cooperating with the investigation "as I expect them to do."

Reports of rampant corruption among Louisiana's state and local agencies have been cited in recent days to explain why officials were so ill-prepared to deal with the Katrina disaster.

[Wallace T.]

I suspect a number of the gangsters were killed at night by elite military units who acted without publicity and without the knowledge or consent of city and state officials. The media were basically confined to the downtown area and reported on the crime and misery in the Super Dome or the "Southern Decadence" party by a handful of diehard homosexuals in the French Quarter. The reason I suspect this was the case is because you did not hear much about the gangs and sniping or looting after last Wednesday night. With so many dead bodies around, a few dozen more with bullet holes will not be noticed, especially after a few weeks floating in the sewage waters. Any witnesses who survive will lack any photo or video evidence of the operation, and their testimony will only be believed by the fringe types at Democratic Underground or like minded places.

What was probably done by the elite units was necessary, yet their actions did not adhere to the letter of the law. However, the Constitution is not a suicide pact and there are enough realists in the Bush Administration who know what is the right thing to do.

[kabar]

That's the problem. The general public doesn't care about bureaucratic turf issues and legalisms. They demand results and the fact that the President of the United States of America is negotiating with an incompetent governor while American citizens are dying and suffering doesn't play well in Peoria and elsewhere.

As I said previously, the President should have taken action immediately, the Governor and Mayor be damned. He would have been lionized by the American public and seen as a strong leader who wouldn't let red tape interfere with saving lives.

Overall, the federal government has done a magnificent job in responding to the largest natural disaster in American history. Unfortunately, the defining images may be those of the people in the Superdome, Convention Center, and on the overpasses waiting for help for days while a massive Federal relief force was sitting outside waiting for the bureaucrats to make a decison. General Honore cleaned up the mess in essentially one day once he was given the green light.

You can't unring a bell. There are plenty of people to blame with Blanco and Nagin at the top of the list. It is unfortunate that the WH, Chertoff, and Brown were not more attuned to the political impact of the events in NO on Wednesday and Thursday. 500 buses were sent to the Superdome on Wednesday, which was scarcely enough.

[IamConservative]

The largest military evacuation the world has ever seen moved with the precision and efficiency that is only seen within the military. With men like Lt. General Russel Honore, 1st Army Commander and Army Brigadier General Mark Graham in charge, law and order was quickly restored, and an endless line of helicopters and boats began removing the stranded people and taking them out of the hell-hole called New Orleans. Those forces were ready to act because the President of the United States had positioned them to be ready.

Didn't have a chance to read the entire thread, but may I at least be next to say the above passage makes me proud to have my liberty and freedom in the hands of such capable men. Furthermore, how could you not like a guy that would tell a reporter: "We aint' stuck on stupid." I would like to buy that man a cold one.

[Spktyr]

A number of National Guard units reported that the positions they had been sniped from the previous couple of days had suddenly been abandoned. When they went to examine the sites, they found abandoned weapons still loaded and usable, and possible signs of a struggle (at many locations). No bodies and no other evidence, though.

Oddly enough, posse commitatus does not apply to private contractors working for the US Government outside the command of the military.

[danamco]

This factual article needs to be published in all newspapers in the U.S. and all over the world to see!
Also, to be sent to all people in your address book!!!

[Mad Dawgg]

"Does looting rise to the level of insurrection?"

Doubtful however thugs shooting at rescue teams and military units which halts efforts to save lives does I believe.

[danamco]

Wow. I'll have to print this and study it for the upcoming confrontation with my idiot in-laws.


Boy, do I feel you pain! My wife converted years ago when she started "sneak" listening in when I had Rush Limbaugh on, thank you Rush!! We run a home based business. However, my in-laws truly believe the clintons can walk on water!!!

[Lando Lincoln]

The reactions to this article seems to warrant a "Lando ping".

Lando