WSJ: LBJ's Other Quagmire - Long before Katrina, the welfare state failed New Orleans's poor.

opinionjournal.com ^ | September 13, 2005 | BRENDAN MINITER

[Pessimist]

"those people who had cars and money got out, and those people who were impoverished died"

He should know about cars and water...

[Pessimist]

Yeah, I've been thinking lately that the scenes we all saw and heard about were really pretty much how these people normally act.

I bet you could have stuck 'em all in the Superdome w/ plenty of food and drink ('specially alcohol) for a few days and gotten the same results as long as there was an inadequate security presence.

[SierraWasp]

"This welfare state is precicely the reason Pres. Bush feels we need to allow illegal immigration: to import a new 'working class'."

This is the first time I've seen (in print) anyone's (apologist, or adversary's) attempted explanation/rationalization for not enforcing the rule of law one employers in the United States to protect it's sovereign borders from criminals entering illegally!!!

WOW!!!

[OESY]

Must see video:



There is a shot where Blanco is being set up several days ago for a TV interview, and her press secretary is helping her adjust her mic. They’re having a personal conversation, but the cameraman catches it! In it, she kinda jokes to her press secretary something like “yeah, well I guess I really need to ask for troops,” and a couple more things she says. A bit later in the segment she gets into a semi-argument with CNN reporter Miles O’Brien, and he’s pointedly asking her exactly WHEN she asked the President for troops. She gets frustrated and says she didn’t even know what day it was, she was confused, but Miles presses her. -- Hat tip: Reader LadyCop

DOWNLOAD and view video on thepoliticalteen.net

NOTE: "Some... limitations were built into the Constitution's limits on federal powers. President Bush could not nationalize the Louisiana National Guard without the consent of Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, which was not immediately forthcoming. The Northern Command of the U.S. Army, set up specifically for homeland defense three years ago, also was prevented from acting immediately because the Posse Comitatus Act (circa 1878) bars the army from conducting police activities on U.S. soil without a waiver. The best army in the world was ready, with equipment and men in place, but was left waiting for orders." -- George Melloan, WSJ, 9/13/05, http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112657951035438991,00.html?mod=opinion%5Fmain%5Ffeatured%5Fstories%5Fhs