Posted on 09/10/2005 7:19:00 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
WASHINGTON - The National Guard is stretched so thin by simultaneous assignments in Iraq and the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast that leaders in statehouses and Congress say it is time to reconsider how the force is used.
Republicans and Democrats alike worry about the service's ability to balance its federal and state missions of fighting wars and responding to domestic crises.
"We need to look at what is going to be the long-term future of our Guard when states need to rely on these soldiers for emergencies and the nation continues to rely on them for overseas deployment," said Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat.
About 41,000 Guard members are scattered across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with 17,000 active-duty troops. About 30,000 Guard members are serving in Iraq, with smaller numbers in Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere overseas.
Since the storm devastated the deep South, Republicans and Democrats have praised the Guard for what may be the most massive U.S. military response to a domestic natural disaster.
But lawmakers also have questioned whether poor coordination between the federal government and the states — and the overseas deployments — kept the Guard from getting where it was needed quickly after the hurricane.
Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, intends to review the Guard's hurricane relief performance this fall.
The head of the National Guard Bureau said Friday the assignment of thousands of Guard troops from Mississippi and Louisiana to Iraq delayed those states' initial hurricane response by about a day.
"Had that brigade been at home and not in Iraq, their expertise and capabilities could have been brought to bear," said Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, the bureau's chief.
However, Blum said that overall, the Iraq assignment is not limiting the military's ability to continue the rescue and recovery operations.
What was really needed was not a lot of specialists but people to secure evacuation routes and maintain order. Blanco still had over 10,000 guardsmen to do that. She only sent a few hundred.
I agree. Republicans think that they can play by nice rules when dealing with the democrat lies. They need to be on the offensive hard.
"The White house really screwed up as usual by not going on the truth offensive right away."
WRONG- Homeland and FEMA is the mega bureacracy that is supposed to prevent this BS. Not the White House!
The United States Coast Guard started rescues on day one and had Homestead and FEMA actly as swiftly, there would be no problem.
The "permission" allibi is legalese lawyer BS because they dropped the ball - The Coast Guard didn't wait for no stinkin permission.
By the time the White House got involved, they saw that Brown had to go.
In the end things will even out; the RATS will continue to screech and overplay their hands, and GWB will go back up in the polls to somewhere around 50%. BTW, he can't go higher than that with all the disappointed Kerry voters still hating him.
"The "permission" allibi is legalese lawyer BS because they dropped the ball - The Coast Guard didn't wait for no stinkin permission."
The U.S. Coast Guard HAS standing authority over waterways in the United States at all times good or bad. They didn't need permission from anyone. The National Guard does not have standing authority and the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are specifically forbidden by law unless authorized.
Brown lied on his resume at least twice. That alone is reason enough for me to can him. You can't have someone in an operations center who lies. ever.
"The National Guard does not have standing authority and the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are specifically forbidden by law unless authorized."
Yeah right - The Texas Gov sent aid right away - when told that the necessary approvals were not in , he said "We're going in - they can sue us later".
That is whatt you want in a disaster - fast command decision and not bureacratbot legalese.
Ah yes. If you beleive an AP poll that interviewed 49% Dems and 36% Repbs. Maybe if the Cast Iron Conservatives actually spent some time GETTING the facts out instead of doing nothing but whining about "the Whitehouse" even those numbers would not look so bad. Question for you. How come Rass, which does the same poll, the same way, EVERY day does NOT show the anywhere NEAR the same results as these "News media" polls that conduct their polls differently every time depending on what the story lie is? How come the "News Media" polls do not use the same 37%-37% split used in the last poll before the Nov 2004 election? How come the "News" media polls quite using LIKELY voters and went to interviewing anyone over 18? Couldn't be because that interjects the feelins of the 45-55% of the American Public that DOES NOT EVEN CARE ENOUGH TO VOTE? As even John Zogby admits, changing to LIKELY Voters from this anyone with a heart beat moves the poll 3-5 points in the Preisdent's direction which puts him right about 46% JUST LIKE RASS says. HOw come you ignore the 40% that says State and LOCALS are more to blame to the Fed? Add that to the 20% that say NONE of them were to blame (a much more intellectually valid idea then "blame" in the face of a Natural Disaster) and suddenly the AP directed spin lie suddenly does NOT look so accurate. You do know that most Broadcast outlets follow the AP ticker to determine which stories to cover? That is why there is almost a complete unformity in which stories are covered.
Finally point. Notice the change in the story lines. You have both the Washington Post and CNN starting to report the ACTUAL events, not the PR spin being put out. As the facts get out, and gas prices drop back to around $2.30 a gallon this month, watch that Bush number grow. Especially after tomorrow and the Oct trial of Saddam
You say, "The United States Coast Guard started rescues on day one and had Homestead and FEMA actly as swiftly, there would be no problem. The "permission" allibi is legalese lawyer BS because they dropped the ball - The Coast Guard didn't wait for no stinkin permission"
There would be no Problem????? Come on - the MSM must be affecting how you see things. Believe me, there were lots of problems and the response time of the Feds had very little to do with it!
FEMA is a support organization, not a first response agency. If the state does not request, FEMA can't help.
"That is whatt you want in a disaster - fast command decision and not bureacratbot legalese."
I don't disagree with that statement. I disagree with your inference that the US Coast Guard disregarded laws and John Wayned their way into this disaster offering to be sued later.
They didn't. They had authority and used it. No John Wayne involved.
Juries still out. The reporters at Time used hearsay evidence including evidence retracted by their primary source since she had NOT been there when Brown was. Statements are also contrasted by other statements NOT published by Time but other sources. After Rathergate and Gitmo, Downing Street and Koran Flush, I find it hard to just automatically accept the Dinasour Media reports as fact until we see more ACTUAL evidence.
You are definitely clueless because your first statement assumes we have a KING not a President and the second statement presupposes that the CG HAD TO GET PERMISSION.....which of course they did NOT NEED as it is their stated MISSION.
"FEMA is a support organization, not a first response agency. If the state does not request, FEMA can't help."
Yes, you are correct. It would have been nice if they had public relations firms promoting what they did from the beginning. (A waste of money to you and I) But, the problem is that the left and the media "shaped the event."
The first impression that people had was that nobody responded, and even though a small percentage of news hounds have learned the truth, the majority of Americans will never know.
AGAIN at FEMA's direction that is what FEMA does. It coordinated FEDERAL aid to the states. However, I do agree with the basic point you are making. There ARE way too many bureaucratic roadblocks. HOWEVER, we are STILL a nation of Laws. IF you do NOT like the Law, write Congress and get it changed. But do not scream bile at the Govt for obeying the LAW. As has been REPEATED pointed out the operations WERE and ARE under Blanco's orders. IT is not the 3rd Responders fault that the 1st and 2nd responders were either corrupt or totally unprepared. Just what DID all those 10s of billions of Fed Homeland Security Dollars Hillary and Kennedy and Byrd demanded get sent to the states and localities in the aftermath of 9-11 to prepare 1st Responders and Disaster Contingency plays REALLY BUY the Federal Taxpayers?
Well, if the National Guard is only for use stateside, then why is the federal government picking up the tab? If they are primary state use, then the states should pay the whole thing.
"I don't disagree with that statement. I disagree with your inference that the US Coast Guard disregarded laws and John Wayned their way into this disaster offering to be sued later.
They didn't. They had authority and used it. No John Wayne involved."
Actually, all branches of the Armed Forces sent Helicopter in from DAY ONE. Don't you remember the shots of the Big Brass Marine helo doing rescue?
Like I said, the HELICOPTER RESCUES didn't need no stinkin permission - and if FEMA and HOMELAND acted the same way, there would be no problem.
That is why Brown is gone and don't take any checks from Chertof - Bush ain't going to wait for him to spout legalese if there is another terrorist attack and it takes 5 days to reach 20000 holed up in a convention center.
Coast Guard didn't have to because they are the ONLY military branch with civilian/military standing by statute.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.