Did Blanco take the right steps, at the right time, to ensure Louisiana would get all the assistance they needed from the Feds? According to the Congressional Research Service, that's exactly what she did. Did the Feds come through? Welll you can make up your own mind about that...

http://www2.dccc.org/docs/conyersgaokatrina.pdf

Yeah now THAT is it - game set and match.

Its only 'game over' if the deceased can be prevented from reregistering and voting in the next election.

Tob

Blanco, the choice of the Undead.

"Did Blanco take the right steps, at the right time, to ensure Louisiana would get all the assistance they needed from the Feds?"

Sure, if you think $9mil in clean up money was all they needed. Since she has been promised over 5000x that you would think she would stfu now wouldn't you?

What we see here is that Blanco thought that she didn't have to spell things out to the POTUS. "Give me everything you got", says it all. As the first poster also eluded to, a non-partisan comittee has also reviewed Blanco's response to crisis, and has declared she did everything she could to the best of her abilities.

"that's exactly what she did. Did the Feds come through? Welll you can make up your own mind about that"

Good link on the docs. It would appear, from a casual reading of the doc, that the governor did jump through the right hoops to get federal aid in motion.

Good. Federal aid came within 72-96 hours of the storm. Seem like a legal touching of all the bases has occurred and no trials will be required.

Also good.

Tob

There was a caller on Hannity yesterday that was trying to wave this letter around as some kind of vindication of Blanco's actions, much as you are - it's nothing of the sort.

If you actually read the letter in the link you provided, the ONLY conclusion it reaches is that Blanco and Bush followed the proper protocols necessary to declare Louisiana a disaster area. It says nothing about whether the governor followed the state's own emergency plan, or whether the governor deployed the National Guard in a timely manner, or whether the governor properly asked for federal troops, or anything like that.

I saw that interview live on CNN. My jaw still hurts from hitting the floor.

"Miles, I'm confused and in a daze."

That was her response to the question when she asked for federal troops.

If Bush had said this on camera there would now be a TV channel devoted entirely to replaying that clip 24/7.

The only lesson to be learned from all of this is to depend on yourself first and any level of government as a last resort.

Oh Dear,

From that linked document we get that both Blanco and Bush took the rights steps in declaring emergencies and what not. But what we dont get is verification that Blanco, did, in fact, initiate the state emergency plan, only that the letter she sent the feds indictaed she had, all evidence to the contrary.

FEMA now sees itself as an adversary to the state. Former FEMA officials have explained how they used to be on the ground, in a local control room WITH local officials, to solve problems WITH them, using their shared resources.

That's what FEMA used to do. It worked. Now stories keep coming out that the new Bush-corrupted FEMA couldn't even deliver basic medical supplies because it insisted on being FAXED requisitions -- and fax machines were unavailable.

Remember that while this was going on, the Wash DC decision makers were parsing the niceties of political advantage and image. The last thing on their minds was actually solving the problems. It was just another day of Mayberry Machiavellis looking for a political advantage -- which is all they can do.

The real crime here is that the National Response Plan adopted in Dec. 2004, was designed SPECIFICALLY to do away with the red tape and bureacracy it imposed. I actually read the relevant passages -- the whole thing is online as a PDF.

Blanco could have been drowned, incapacitated, or all her resources turned into radioactive debris -- and the National Response Plan gave FEMA a way to deal with it. But they didn't.

They were supposed to work WITH the officials to overcome anything, including supposed incompetence. They didn't.

DHS and FEMA failed. Bush was AWOL, MIA. He was NOT on the phone demanding to know why the disaster was unfolding. He was NOT asking what was preventing use of National Guard etc. to maintain order.

He just ... had other priorities. And all these "revelations" just show why FEMA and Bush failed.

I love how her tone has changed from blame Bush to we both made mistakes. Blanco is a sad joke!

Oh Dear,
Unfortunately, the document you cited says absolutely nithing about Governor Blanco requesting federal troops. Had you actually read through the various documents, you would have seen that the only provision concerning troops is section 5170b(c)(1) which states:

"During the immediate aftermath of an incident which may ultimately qualify for assistance under this subchapter or subchapter IV-A of this chapter, the Governor of the State in which such incident occurred may request the President to direct the Secretary of Defense to utilize the resources of the Department of Defense for the purpose of performing on public and private lands any emergency work which is made necessary by such incident and which is essential for the preservation of life and property."

In the voluminous pile of documents attached to Conyers' request, there is no such rquest from Governor Blanco. There are numberous documents asking for FEMA's help, but none asking of the DOD's help. Clearly, the lawmakers intent in the Stafford Act was to separate the two requests and require the Governor to specifically request military support. Since the scene of federal troops entering a state and enforcing laws should be chilling to all citizens, this is a prudent separation. There's a big difference between "Send me food and water" and "Send me federal troops." Clearly, Governor Blanco knew that or she wouldn't have made the comment that the cameras caught.

As a side note, the document you cited did not draw any conclusions about Blanco's request. It was merely a recitation of applicable law and a series of documents culled from the State of Louisana web site and other communications between Louisiana and the Feds.

By the way, does anyone think it telling that the rightwing keeps viewing a disaster as a "game"? A "blame-game"? Or as "game, set, match"?

It's not tennis, and it's not just a political game. It's life and death.

Why can't the rightwing understand that?

Why can't they understand that in a city of half a million, a sizeable number are not able to take care of themselves for a week without electricity? Nursing homes, hospitals, etc...

Sure, if you're healthy and reasonably well-off, you probably can take care of yourself. But plenty of people -- including tourists with some resources -- were UNABLE to leave. Officials with guns kept them from leaving.

Is this still not clear?

I heard "put good people in jeopardy" not jail, but the clip is damning enough as it is...

Spin, spin, spin, boys and girls. For all the good it will do you this time. I'd be surprised if Blanco and Nagin don't go down by the next election at the latest. But Bush is going down no matter what. There's no way you'll spin his scrawny but out of it this time.

From Steve L: "Clearly, the lawmakers intent in the Stafford Act was to separate the two requests and require the Governor to specifically request military support. Since the scene of federal troops entering a state and enforcing laws should be chilling to all citizens, this is a prudent separation."

And that's why Bush and FEMA, to their credit, were on the phone constantly, working with state and local officials, to figure out the best legal way to solve the problems, from the moment Bush invoked the Stafford Act.

Except, of course, that none of that happened.

I heard "put good people in jeopardy" not jail, but the clip is damning enough as it is...

I was just about to say that. I mean, what she's saying is treasonous. An elected official, stating that the intervention of our military would kill Americans. WTF?

By the way, does anyone think it telling that the rightwing keeps viewing a disaster as a "game"? A "blame-game"? Or as "game, set, match"?

Mayor Nagin has blamed the feds from Day 1, even though he ignored his own disaster plans and left hundreds of buses unused that could easily have moved tens of thousands out of the city.

The blame game, from the beginning, was started by the left, usually by failed local officials.

Again, Steve L: "Since the scene of federal troops entering a state and enforcing laws should be chilling to all citizens, this is a prudent separation."

Yup. National Guard should be used FIRST, and exclusively if at all possible.

Did Blanco have sufficient LA Natl Guard, that should contact and get there quickly? No. Could she get them from Iraq? No.

Did FEMA have powers to request or deny other state Natl Guard? Yes. Did they help or hurt here?

Anyone? Anyone? Did FEMA accept or refuse help offered by other states?

Did Blanco have authority to accept New Mexico Nat Guard? Not without Wash DC paperwork -- held up till THURSDAY.

If FEMA had done its job, active troops would never have been considered.

Blanco might be toast, but Bush is bigger toast.

>By the way, does anyone think it telling that the rightwing keeps viewing a disaster as a "game"? A "blame-game"? Or as "game, set, match"?

>It's not tennis, and it's not just a political game. It's life and death.

Yeah no shit asshole. And while this bitch was crying about the poor looters people were getting killed. You're apparently too fucking stupid to figure that out.

Yes this is life and death... The life and death of some of my friends and while the Fucking Democrats have tried to blame Bush for this from day one, we now have an admission that SHE DID NOT CALL FOR TROOPS... Further she did so KNOWINGLY.

Meanwhile Bush is trying to send troops and she says "Gimme 24 hours I'll get back to you."

What part can't you delusional left-wingers understand?

Jesus what about this guy?

http://tinyurl.com/apmjq

Rep. William Jefferson visited his New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina with the assistance of National Guard troops. (ABCNEWS.com)

In an unrelated matter, authorities recently searched Jefferson's property as part of a federal investigation into the finances of a high-tech firm. Last month FBI officials raided Jefferson's house as well as his home in Washington, D.C., his car and his accountant's house.

joe repeats the old canard: "Mayor Nagin has blamed the feds from Day 1, even though he ignored his own disaster plans and left hundreds of buses unused that could easily have moved tens of thousands out of the city."

Except that buses need drivers. He already had drivers on a thousand CITY buses, but didn't have drivers for school buses. Many had already left.

Flawed plan? Sure. Nagin is a DINO who had been a republican till just before he registered to run -- as a dem. Still thinks like a repub, and didn't have enough resources for the poor to evacuate. Fine.

That's why the Natl Response Plan (NRP) should have been followed, and FEMA should have had folks in there saying Get those people out! You need drivers? We'll get drivers! WE'll get volunteers flown in!

Of course, none of that happened.

A peeved paul: "Meanwhile Bush is trying to send troops and ..."

Bush shouldn't have been trying to send troops. (Got a link for that revelation?)

Sending troops should be a VERY last resort. If FEMA had done its job, active troops would never have been considered. See above.

Did you realize that Bush tied up real firemen for his photo-ops while people were dying?

Did you realize that Bush's photo-ops meant that rescue craft had to be grounded?

Do you realize Bush put his image ahead of the lives of those people?

Am I the only one who has noticed the the liberals are going postal in this thread talking about everything EXCEPT Blanco's admission she did not call in troop?

Face it- the gig is up. She got caught on tape. The whole "He said, She said" is over. She busted herself.

"But Bush is going down no matter what."

LOL, sure he is; Jan 20th, 2008. Its funny that Democrats are still spending so much effort on the one Republican who can't run for President.

Mike

Phaedrus and Franklin,
I am confused about what you mean about Bush "going down" or being "toast." Do you think that he is going to be impeached because of Katrina? Last time I checked, he will not be running for re-election for an unconstitutional third term. If you Bush-haters spent more time trying to advance positive adgendas rather than fighting a battle you lost in November '04, maybe you could win back a majority in Congress. I don't understand the gleeful obsession with anything that hurts Bush regardless of the consequences to the American public and I doubt that attitude is going to win you any converts.

I noticed it too. Heads exploding, as usual.

Spin, spin, spin, and play the blame game.

Its all the left has to offer anymore.

This is funny to watch...

It's FEMA's fault!!
It's Bush's fault!!
It's FEMA's fault!!
Ok, Nagin might share some blame, but, but... he's not a REAL Democrat!

How long until turbino starts calling Blanco a DINO?

>How long until turbino starts calling Blanco a DINO?

heh- At that point, I'll ban him for his own mental health. lol

Uh, kids, you can check Nagin's history here yourselves:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Nagin

Before his election, Nagin was a member of the Republican Party and had little political experience; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a cable communications company and subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Nagin did give contributions periodically to candidates, including President George W. Bush and former Republican U.S. Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as to Democratic U.S. Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston earlier in the decade.

Days before filing for the New Orleans Mayoral race in February 2002, Nagin switched his party registration to the Democratic Party.

Jeez. The things you don't learn in the MSM, huh?

Spin it every which way you like, but Blanco stated that she should have asked for molitary support from the start. Period. End of sentence.

She knew she didn't. Her press secretary knew she didn't. All this BS about "send me all you've got" is just that. She had no clue what was going on and, to an extent, that was understandable. He state had been "nuked." It's hard to communicate and gather information when there is no communications infrastructure.

However, the Feds had even less information because they were getting their info from her. Does "send me all you've got" mean that she needs food, water and transportation or does it mean she needs a B-52 strike? In fact, every recitation of that conversation that I have read states the same thing. Blanco was asked specifically what she needed and she couldn't answer except to say "all you've got."

I'm sorry. It sounds to me like she was in over her head. I am not in any way absolving anyone else of blame, I am only talking about Blanco. Personally, I would have thought that she would have asked someone on her staff to research the law concerning disaster declarations prior to the hurricane striking. Maybe she did and in the heat of the moment, she forgot everything. That's possible, but that's also why you have aides. They watch out for the details. Someone was able to compile all the financial data for the request and was able to figure out what the state could provide. All of that was in the Stafford Act. Apparently, they just didn't bother to read that part.

To all of you that stated that the Feds should have blown off the law and just sent "stuff," I say "hardy-har-har." I can only imagine the hue and cry had the President done that. The Left would have grabbed that stick and proceed to beat the President about the head with it over not following the law. Even if the response had been perfect, you guys wanted to bash the President over this one way or another. It just didn't matter what.

So let me get this right. The Federal government did "the right thing" by sitting on it's hands and waiting for her to call. Wow, sounds like a passive agressive relationship to me.

I'd prefer it when the experts call the victims and say - here's what you need.

Do you just hate it when somebody say, I've been thinking about you for the last year... why didn't you call me.

Pick up the phone! Make the goddam call yourself, you're supposed to be the boss.