Posted on 09/06/2005 6:53:29 PM PDT by Lando Lincoln
Hurricanes do not sneak up on people. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes don’t just reach down out of the dark storm clouds to wreak havoc on humanity. Hurricanes are tracked, named, have warning flags dedicated to them, and all coastal cities have long-standing plans for dealing with them. Nearly everyone in the world knew Katrina was going to hit Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and yet so many have died in New Orleans. Why?
Hurricane Katrina struck the tip of southern Florida as a category 1 hurricane and made a beeline for the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For three days Katrina churned her way across the Gulf, growing in size and strength until it was a monster storm. With sustained winds of over 175 mph, Katrina bore down on the city of New Orleans. Literally, at the last possible moment, Katrina was pushed, ever-so-slightly, by dry air from the Midwest, off to the East and dropped from a category 5 to a high category 4 with sustained winds of 150 mph. Katrina was still a killer storm by anyone’s description. For three long days, the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans watched Katrina bear down on their state and city respectively but took very little action to protect their citizens other than to state the obvious: “Leave town.” No assistance was offered to the poor or elderly.
Aerial views of New Orleans have shown pictures of hundreds of buses, left parked and unused. Why didn’t the mayor of New Orleans activate those buses to move the people out of the city those who wanted to leave but had no way out? Why was this golden opportunity to save lives left parked, only to be lost to the floodwaters? This from the Louisiana disaster plan, pg. 13, paragraph 5, dated 01/00: “The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating'...” Why was the city’s own disaster plan for using those buses to evacuate people not implemented? Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin had three days to evacuate the poor and elderly from New Orleans but they did not. Why?
While the governors of both Mississippi and Alabama put in a formal request for federal assistance before Katrina even made landfall, the governor of Louisiana refused to relinquish any of her power for the good of the people. Now she and her party point the finger of blame at the White House.
Liberal blogs and websites are pointing to the Department of Homeland Security’s website which states that it can take control in any disaster, natural or otherwise, but this is not true. The Department of Homeland Security can only work with the state and local officials in organizing relief efforts such as food, water, and shelter. There is no military arm of the Department of Homeland Security or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the military is what was needed and everyone knew that.
Instead of asking why the Democratic leaders of Louisiana failed the people, these sites post disgusting pictures of floating bodies with the message: “George Bush did nothing.” The truth is, the Democratic governor wouldn’t allow Bush to do anything. That floating body belongs to Governor Blanco. She is the one who “did nothing.”
Roving bands of violent criminals quickly took control of the streets. While Mayor Nagin did declare martial law, it was a toothless declaration. The New Orleans police department was instantly overwhelmed. Many policemen just threw up their hands and walked off the job. Some joined the looters and were videotaped by MSNBC “shopping” in the local Walmart. The handful that was left on the job did their best but the best they could do was try to stay alive in a now lawless and dying city.
Because there was no one in charge, the initial rescue operations were feeble at best and there was chaos. The scope and magnitude of the disaster, which covers an area the size of Great Britain, still had not been realized by Governor Blanco who steadfastly refused to declare martial law and officially request that the federal government “send in the troops.”
It has come to light that all during the night on Friday, September 2, 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. She feared that allowing the federal government to take control would make her administration appear as though it had failed. How she would be judged was more important to her than the lives of those people who were dying in the squalor. How many died as Blanco maneuvered to protect her reputation?
The Posse Comitatus Act prevents, by federal law, the president of the United States from sending federal troops into any state without the direct request of the elected governor of that state. A frustrated President Bush could only stand by and watch as the horror unfolded until he received the request for help. Despite the finger-pointing at President Bush, there was little that he could do until he was formally asked for assistance. No matter how loudly the liberals scream, they know full well that the president was helpless to do much of anything.
As the death toll rose and the animalistic behavior of some of those who chose to remain within the city became public knowledge, it was obvious that authorities needed to regain control. As the scenes from New Orleans, now a national disgrace, were being beamed around the world, a shameless Governor Blanco only cared about her own political image.
There is reason to believe that President Bush, running out of patience with Blanco by Saturday morning, used the only option that remained to him. It is being reported that Bush went around Blanco and utilized the Insurrection Act to federalize the National Guard and send in active military troops to take over the rescue and put down the lawlessness that had taken over New Orleans. The forces that Bush had poised to move into the city, swung into action. It was no accident that the major, organized rescues began when the sun came up on Saturday morning. At 6:30 AM, when the sky over New Orleans was suddenly filled with military helicopters and military convoys poured into the streets, they were there because of President Bush, not Governor Blanco.
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.
Everyone demands answers and everyone wants to put the blame for this catastrophe on someone. The most convenient person to blame is President Bush. In truth, he is the least responsible on the local level. While the liberals feel this is the perfect time to make political hay because so many African-Americans are involved, the first line of defense for those people, the mayor of New Orleans, and governor of Louisiana, both Democrats, are the leaders that failed them. The people of New Orleans were abandoned by an arrogant governor and a hapless mayor as both struggled to save their own political careers. But, because they are both Democrats, the leftists want these ineffective leaders seen as helpless victims of a thoughtless and racist Bush who ignored their repeated pleas for help.
Mayor Nagin has been reduced to babbling about how the CIA is out to kill him because he “spoke his mind,” and Governor Blanco has become the invisible woman hoping that no one will notice that her gross incompetence and arrogance cost lives. But the left marches on, blaming President Bush because it knows it can. Most Americans are not aware of the laws preventing the federal government from “taking over” a city or a state.
The Democrats have closed ranks around their incompetent members and blame the president who was forced to “deal” with an inept governor. Governor Blanco’s thanks is to point the finger of blame back at the president when she knows the fault is her own.
The Democratic Party could not possibly sink much lower than it has this past week. The mayor, the governor, and all those liberal websites, blogs, and shrieking leftist politicians should jump into the sewer water that now flows in the streets of New Orleans. That’s where they belong, with the rest of the floating waste. The Democratic or “Progressive” Party should be buried with the dead. Cause of death: Gross incompetence, asphyxiation from lies, and the failure to accept responsibility for the deaths of thousands of American citizens because power meant more to them than lives.
About the Writer: Barbara J. Stock is a registered nurse who enjoys writing about politics and current events. She has a website at http://www.republicanandproud.com/. Barbara J. receives e-mail at dickens502003@yahoo.com.
If a WMD with chems and/or bios and particuarly a suitcase nuke, is set off on Capitol Hill or in the business district of Washington, D.C. by you know who, the power grid goes out, the FEMA tells people to evacuate due to contamination, and within several hours widespread looting and chaos erupts ONLY SIX BLOCKS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, (and re: Posse Comitatus) does the President have to wait for an OK from Mayor Tony Williams, or Elizabeth Holmes Norton of D.C.? D.C. being a federal district, and not a state, and all.
You when/if it comes to this, the criminal element and looters-in-waiting will erupt with one huge roar, guns blazing, most likely heading for The White House, the Capitol, and/or upscale Northwest or Georgetown, after trashing sections of D.C. in the center of the city. I hope FEMA sure has a plan for THIS potential nightmare of a headache.
Freeper comments?
Hmmm. There should be, and may be, a way around this. In fact, I think I read some of the wording that gives the okay to get around local/state government, but it's pretty drastic.
Awesome article. Can you imagine what was going through the Presidents mind seeing the suffering and having his hands tied by corrupt Louisiana politicians ? As bad as this makes the Dimwits look, in reality this author could have made it worse. Remember Tuesday or was it Wednesday when the MSM was basically trying to incite race warfare throughout this country. In my mind this was beyond an insurrection, it was an attempted coup hiding within the howling winds of a natural disaster.
Cheney would be PERFECT for this. And we can't wait to be invited on the talk shows because it isn't going to happen, imo. Press conferences need to be held and GOP e-mails sent out and maybe even some commercials, although that's probably too crass given the loss of life.
Bush sent NG into New York City under federal command for non-relief purposes due to national security. There is your answer.
Lets just say for the sake of sanity that the military personnel that went in were members of the peoples militia and they were deputized by our Constitution.
Thank you, Lando!
I hope not, or an awful lot of people are going to have a fight with their insurance companies to collect on their insurance policies.
Hmmm? Refresh my memory. Posted on FR regarding interview with Mayor Culpa and his statement about Bush/Blanco meeting on Air Force One. Mayor stated Bush said he gave Blanco two options. Did Mayor actually describe both of those options?
What do you mean?
Posse Commitatus does NOT apply when the event could be an act of war. The second plane striking the towers made it a potential act of war and posse commitatus no longer applied.
Hurricanes, until someone develops real weather control tech, are still not a potential act of war, but an "act of God'.
Very well written article, leaving the Dims no wiggle room.
The President was negotiating on who was in charge not on whether or not to send in the military. Blanco won. The State is still in charge. While some of this is right, the whole write-up should be ignored unless all of its claims can be substantiated.
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TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 15 >
§ 333. Interference with State and Federal law
Release date: 2004-03-18
The President, by using the militia or the armed forces, or both, or by any other means, shall take such measures as he considers necessary to suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy, if it—
(1) so hinders the execution of the laws of that State, and of the United States within the State, that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted authorities of that State are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection; or
(2) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.
In any situation covered by clause (1), the State shall be considered to have denied the equal protection of the laws secured by the Constitution.
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If a WMD with chems and/or bios and particuarly a suitcase nuke, is set off on Capitol Hill or in the business district of Washington, D.C. by you know who, the power grid goes out, the FEMA tells people to evacuate due to contamination, and within several hours widespread looting and chaos erupts ONLY SIX BLOCKS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, (and re: Posse Comitatus) does the President have to wait for an OK from Mayor Tony Williams, or Elizabeth Holmes Norton of D.C.? D.C. being a federal district, and not a state, and all.
The District of Columbia is not a state. It has no representation in Congress. Congress has total authority for how the district is governed. Back in the 1960's Congress enacted legislation allowing limited self rule, but the US government can do just about anything it wants to do there.
Yep. I was just answering the poster's question about a dirty bomb in DC. The two events aren't comparable in terms of presidential response.
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