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Politics : A Neutral Corner -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rambi who wrote (28)	9/10/2005 9:34:33 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 2253

I wonder what makes him think that Bush's disinclination to use the Insurraction Act authorities was a matter of politics. I understand that the optics on that would not have been good but Barnett seems to be suggesting that optics was the only reason.

To: Rambi who wrote (28)	9/10/2005 9:41:46 AM
From: Constant Reader	Respond to of 2253

I've seen two versions of events mentioned. In one, the feds requested that the governor sign off on federalizing the guard the Friday night before the hurricane hit, and she said she had to think about. In the other, that request was made on the Friday after the storm. I'm inclined to think it was the latter, but... According to what I've read elsewhere, Barnett is right about the fears about invoking the Insurrection Act, and by-passing the governor, given the historical circumstances and location of the state. Frankly, I was surprised to read some reports yesterday and today about just how many political patronage jobs there are in FEMA. Seems to me that an organization such as that is a just a wee bit too important to be a depository for campaign contributers.

To: Rambi who wrote (28)	9/10/2005 10:02:08 AM
From: Constant Reader	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2253

I ran across this quote at Instapundit. I'm not defending anyone but I think it is interesting: People forget that Katrina is not the first hurricane FEMA has worked under Brown. He handled all four of the hurricanes that hit Florida last year. Since Florida has a competent governor, there was no indication that he was inadequate to the task.

To: Rambi who wrote (28)	9/10/2005 10:14:38 AM
From: Constant Reader	Respond to of 2253

That article reminded me of something I ran across yesterday and I just found it. Rod Dreher is one of the contributors to The Corner blog at National Review Online. (I believe that he is a native of the area hit by the hurricane.) This is what he wrote about that subject: BRING BACK THE DADDY PARTY [Rod Dreher] I carry no water for Gov. Blanco or Mayor Nagin, both of whom will, I am certain, come out worse than anybody when the crisis moment passes and we examine the record of who did what. That said, I was startled to see a quote from a "senior administration official" in a Times story today, explaining why President Bush did not invoke the Insurrection Act and seized control of the Louisiana National Guard: "Can you imagine how it would have been perceived if a president of the of one party had pre-emptively taken from the female governor of another party the command and control of her forces, unless the security situation made it completely clear that she was unable to effectively execute her command authority and that lawlessness was the inevitable result?" Excuse me, but what? Is it really the case that a Republican president was so worried about the conniption fit the left would have if he told Gov. Edith Bunker to stifle it, and sent in troops to save the lives of poor black people who were being set upon by anarchists? Sure, the usual suspects would have howled, but they would have howled anyway. The Normal-American community, however, would have seen a commander in chief who was not going to let political considerations stop him from overruling an inept governor and moving in to save lives and prevent an American city from turning into Mogadishu? And the Normal-American community would have cheered this extraordinary example of firm executive leadership, and told the Meathead-Americans to take a hike. But that didn't happen, did it? corner.nationalreview.com Some of his other recent posts have been equally scathing.