As speculated here, Bush was pressuring La. Gov. Blanco to federalize the National Guard. Blanco resisted fearing she would lose control of the rescure and reconstruction effort. Apparently this battle went on Friday night. On Saturday, before the president’s speech, she faxed Bush a letter confirming that she would not allow the Guard to be federalized. Apparently they would lose their power to aid in police efforts.
So, so far, so good. Maybe Blanco was wrong.
The kicker, though, is that Gen. Russell Honoree, The Ragin’ Cajun who is in charge of the relief effort, said HE didn’t need the Guard federalized either. Honoree was pissed and said “the big brains” better get together to figure this stuff out.
Maybe a military coup would be a positive thing?
My question is is there really a need to Federalize? What is the precedent?
IS THIS ALL ABOUT FUCKING MONEY AND ENSURING THAT HALLIBURTON GETS NO BID CONTRACTS
If so I am on Blancos side… it is digsuting to “Politicize” aid money in this tragedy. The GOP refuses to acknowledge 49.5 % of the population that did not vote for Bush.
Stated that FEMA has been sabotaging releif efforts from the beginning… to the point of even cutting their emergency telephone lines…
This is not incompetence… this is deliberate… thez just thought when they issued the mandatory evacuation of REPORTERS on Monday that they would have obeyed.
Their behaviour around Bush’s visit was more than a little suspicious. Food and aid distribution points were set up, pictures were taken, and then they were torn down. Massive amounts of men and equipment were moved in to repair the levees, photos were taken, and they were all reassigned.
This “fight” about Federalizing Lousiana …stinks more than the SuperDome
come out strongly in her own defense. This is not one of her strong points. But she will need to counter their propaganda if she is to save herself, and lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the federal government for their lack of response.
Dissappointingly Nagin is turning agaist her…
Updates as they come in on Katrina
03:34 PM CDT on Monday, September 5, 2005
Tom Planchet
3:32 P.M. Ben Morris, Slidell mayor: We are still hampered by some of the most stupid, idiotic regulations by FEMA. They have turned away generators, we’ve heard that they’ve gone around seizing equipment from our contractors. If they do so, they’d better be armed because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them deprive our citizens. I’m pissed off, and tired of this horse$#@@.”
Oh, yeesh, Parker, I read this and the first thing that popped into my head was the role of FEMA in Chris Carter’s X-Files movie LOL….not this FEMA though, they are too incompetent and tangled up in red tape to work with umans let alone conspire with aliens. Jesus H. Christ on a stick.