Blanco Screws Up With Troops - Proof on Camera! (VIDEO)

The Political Teen ^ | Sept 12, 2006

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

repeal posse comitose...We ignore those all the time. Why is this one such a big deal?

Where to begin, you're not new to this "conservative "stuff are you? The Posse Comitatus Act prevents the Federal government from using Federal troops inside the National borders for law enforcement purposes. There have been some strict exceptions made, the war on drugs being one. We all remember how well that is going. IE the 16 year old shepherd in New Mexico with the 22 rifle who was shot and killed by a Marine w/ an M-16, while on his own land tending his sheep.

Starting from the beginning, 'member that little dust up we had w/ King George? Part of the problem was he (George) was using troops for law enforcement and making the colonials pay to support the troops to boot. That didn't sit too well with the Founding Fathers, who took a lasting dislike to standing armies and vested all law enforcement in the local authorities (Sheriffs). To this day, your local sheriff is THE law in his county. The Feds (FBI, DEA, &c.) are required to ask his permission before undertaking any actions on his turf. Not sure but I believe the same is true of State authorities. In Wisconsin we don't see much of the state police off of the interstate.

Think Waco or Ruby Ridge before asking to repeal the Posse Comitatus Act, do you really want the Fed's to be your local law enforcement? Tell me, how do those "Jack Boots" taste when they are in your face?

Regards,
GtG

[Sonar5]

hehehe..

Good Post.

[johnb838]

They use it as an excuse not to defend the border.

[satchmodog9]

bump

[TheCornerOffice]

That was way back on Friday the 27th, when Blanko needed her 24 hours to make a decision. The next day she turned it down...

During these two days the Bush admin considered invoking the Insurrection Act, presumably because they could see Blanko was in waaayyyy over her head.

No, actually that was Friday, September 2 when she was presented with options from the President and requested 24 hours to make a decision. She turned him down on Saturday, Sept 3. This was all hashed out (the dates) in another thread last week.

[Lib Buster]

They need to air the entire tape of the "between interview" footage.

I saw it live quite by accident, while trying to view the WWL feed from their website. She was, I think, in Baton Rouge and WWL's feed was streaming from KHOU in Houston. She did all the morning shows, and believe me, this isn't the only part that was jaw-dropping. She did a lot of "say one thing on the air" and "speak frankly to the inner circle"...you know, SPIN.

Mary Landrieu was in the room, and comforted her at one point, saying something like, "How are you holding up? I'm here for you", etc. while patting and stroking Blanco's hand. You could tell without a doubt that this woman is so out of her realm it would be laughable had it not cost so many lives.

[LilRhody]

Thanks
Linda

[flieger]

ping

[Ellesu]

Press Releases

"Oversimplifying efforts while we strive to care for our citizens is inexcusable." WTF is she complaining about?


Date: 9/12/2005

Contact: Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037


Louisiana Secretary of Department of Social Services Ann Williamson's Memo to Governor Blanco Regarding Housing


DATE: September 11, 2005

TO: The Honorable Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Governor
Col. Jeff Smith, Louisiana State Coordinating Officer
Bill Lockey, FEMA/Louisiana Federal Coordinating Officer

FROM: Ann Silverberg Williamson, Secretary

RE: FEMA Email: "Shelter Management Team"


I am in receipt of email correspondence sent from James Duncan of FEMA to Bill Lockey and Curt Musgrave September 11th at 12:22 p.m. The subject of the message is "shelter management team." The message misrepresents Louisiana's vision and actions. It is my intent to clarify the issues and request that FEMA communicates and partners with the Louisiana Department of Social Services (DSS) more effectively and efficiently to avoid further waste of time and resources.

The twin issues of sheltering and housing are intertwined as we, Louisiana and FEMA, have agreed on numerous occasions. As acknowledged, they exist along a continuum of needs and services provided for displaced citizens. On September 10th at 2:30 p.m. a meeting was held to address the sheltering issue and a 5:00 p.m. meeting was held to address housing. I participated in both.

The specific purpose of the 2:30 p.m. meeting referred to in Mr. Duncan's email was to establish a joint State/FEMA leadership team to address the strategic issues regarding sheltering of displaced citizens. We discussed the establishment of a sheltering cell, leadership, representation, its operational center and when we would begin coordinated actions.

As DSS Secretary I expressed our Department's support of Governor Blanco's vision to meet the needs of Louisiana's displaced citizens. The concept I outlined included transitioning displaced citizens out of shelters and into permanent housing. Mr. Duncan's email distorts the DSS position. Louisiana's DSS is prepared to accomplish the following:

- Fortification of shelters
- Co-leadership of the sheltering cell
- Co-leadership of the housing cell
- Continuity of effort between sheltering and housing
- Information transfer between cells
- Organizational unity

The Governor believes strongly in the swift, safe relocation of displaced citizens into homes as part of communities. The Governor is clear that the pursuit of this goal is not at the expense of providing basic comfort and meeting human needs of sheltered citizens. These two objectives are not mutually exclusive and she expects both goals to be achieved simultaneously. It is disconcerting that FEMA would paint such an either/or picture under current circumstances that call for us to push through any boundaries that limit our options.

Mr. Duncan correctly reported that DSS wants sheltered citizens to have access to newspapers, televisions, child development services and similar quality of life needs. However, he would be misguided to believe, as he wrote, that either he or Mr. Misczak has to steer DSS in any direction. Both DSS and FEMA would be negligent to ignore the comprehensive needs of thousands of citizens currently in shelters. Making life better for citizens in shelters is not an action that deters our focus from the development of housing. That is why we have distinct cells meeting on housing and sheltering, respectively.

In summary, I ask for the following from FEMA. I expect a FEMA official whose primary responsibility is exclusively Louisiana housing solutions. Additionally, I expect daily status reports at our housing cell meetings that are data based with comparative figures and performance goals illustrating progress.

I remain optimistic that the commitment and skill of FEMA leadership can be more strategic than that witnessed through Mr. Duncan's email. A disaster of this magnitude commands the best of us all and the brightest solutions we have to offer. Oversimplifying efforts while we strive to care for our citizens is inexcusable.

- Ann Silverberg Williamson
September 11, 2005 9:18 p.m.

-30-

[q_an_a]

I may have made a mistake on which office she won re-election. here was the quote on 80% -"First elected lieutenant governor in 1995, Governor Blanco was overwhelmingly re-elected to her second term in 1999, winning 80 percent of the vote."

[LA Woman3]

"Oversimplifying efforts while we strive to care for our citizens is inexcusable." WTF is she complaining about?


I have no idea....

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

They use it as an excuse not to defend the border.

I've never seen that written as such, however since every able bodied male between 14 and 45 is a member of the militia, just report to the commons with your musket, shot and powder and enough provender for the duration. We'll take care of this little problem ourselves.

Regards,
GtG

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

At least with a drug addict, there is treatment. This woman is just unbelievably stupid, for which, alas, there is no treatment.

Stupidity is Mother Natures chlorine for the gene pool.

Regards,
GtG

[RJHJ]

Here is a transcript that I typed up watching this video.

--------------------------------------------------

As hurricane Katrina bored down on the Gulf Coast. A category five storm, Governor Kathleen Blanco sent a letter to President Bush asking him to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. That was Saturday August 27th.

Her letter did not include a request for military assistance.

Governor Blanco's communications director Bob Mann said later, "we always assumed that the troops were prepositioned and ready to roll, but they were not."

The governors office says that hours after the hurricane made landfall on Monday Aug 29 Blanco spoke with President Bush and assumed her request would get the state, federal troops.

(Clip of Governor Blanco's Press Secretary Starts)

"And she said we need your help. We need everything you've got. The governor genuinely felt at that time she had asked for help."

(Clip of Governor Blanco's Press Secretary Ends)

But she did not appeal for federal troops specifically and her Press Secretary says she didn't fell she needed too.

(Clip of Governor Blanco's Press Secretary Starts)

"You don't tell a dying man your not going to give him CPR unless he asks."

(Clip of Governor Blanco's Press Secretary Ends)

On the evening of Tuesday August 30th the governors office says Blanco ordered the commander of the Louisiana National Guard to request additional military assistance form General Russell Honore. By Wednesday morning the situation at the Super Dome and Convention Center was rapidly deteriorating. Governor Blanco was in Baton Rouge in between network TV interviews. In a
conversation transmitted over the satellite the Governor and her press secretary discussed what she said in a prior interview about the looting.

(Clip of Governor Blanco and Press Secretary Starts)

Governor Blanco: "I said we're not tolerating asking for more military presence. But I mean -- but I'm saying put good people at jeopardy, potentially. I really need to call for the military. I should have started that in the first call."

Press Secretary: "Yes you do. Yes you do."

(RJHJ: These lines took place at the same time basically.)

(Clip of Governor Blanco and Press Secretary Ends)

Sunday we asked for an interview with the Governor to find out why she expressed that regret if she felt she had already asked for troops. CNN's Gary Tuckman was provided an interview with her press aide who said the Governor realized she should have been more precise in her call to the President.

(Clip of Tuckman and Press Secretary Starts)

Tuckman: "Ok. Now on Wednesday in that TV interview between...between the interviews..umm...she said...I guess she was talking to you. Right?"

Press Secretary: "She was talking to me."

Tuckman: "Ok. She said, "I really need to call for the military. I should've" ...What was, what was your remembrance of the quote?"

Press Secretary: "I need to call for the military. I should have made that clear in my first call to the President."

(Clip of Tuckman and Press Secretary Ends)

The Governors office says that right after the interview Wednesday, Blanco called the White House to appeal for federal troops. President Bush was not available. Instead she spoke to Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend. A senior administration official said that’s when troops started moving.

Two days later as arguments swirled about who was responsible for the breakdown of law and order in New Orleans Miles O’Brian spoke to the governor on CNN's American Morning.

(Clip of O’Brian and Governor Starts)

O’Brian: "Let's talk about that request for federal troops. Forty thousand federal troops. When did you make that request? Was it on your first phone call to President Bush?"

Governor: "Ok. My first phone call..uuhh...or my first conversation with President Bush was asking for all federal firepower. I mean..I meant everything...just send it. Give me planes. Give me boats. Give me (unintelligible)"

O’Brian: "But did you..did you...did you specifically ask. Governor. Did you specifically ask for troops? Did you ask that the Pentagon deploy troops? Because that is a very specific request that a governor needs to make of the federal government."

Governor: "We had..we had troops...we had troops being deployed. We had the first wave of troops being deployed at the level of 12 thousand. But before we even got to 12 thousand I asked for forty thousand. So you know I saw that we needed a greater capacity."

O'Brian: "When did you make that request though?"

Governor: “Miles I'm lost in the days"

O'Brian: "When did you make that request? Ok."

Governor: “I don't even know what today is."

O’Brian: “On Wednesday morning...

Governor: “I made that request perhaps Wednesday

O’Brian: "when..when you spoke...."

(Clip of O’Brian and Governor Ends)

The White House confirms that it was only on Wednesday the Governor made a specific request for federal troops and a Senior Administration Official tells CNN National Guard Troops were the best option anyway because they have law enforcement powers to deal with looting.

Looking back Saturday night Governor Blanco admitted there were missteps.

She insisted on all sides.

Governor Blanco: "Did I ask the President early on for help? Yes I did. I asked him before the storm came because I know what a storm can do to my state and I know we need help. He wanted to help. We both got caught in trying to make a bureaucracy work on something bigger then it ever had imagined it would have to work on."

What’s becoming clear is that the misunderstanding and assumptions were also very large, slowing the response to Hurricane Katrina and her victims. Carol Lynn, CNN, Atlanta.

[Liberty Valance]

placemarker

[Major_Risktaker]

What's in his left hand? A salami? Oh.... series hugh PETA vegan stunned.

"Man of Action"
Sean Penn has his Kevlar Bullet Proof
Vest rolled up in his left hand.