For Doro

Yesterday the girlfriend was answering the phone with the phrase "Impeach Bush". One of the times she answered the phone the person on the other end was a Bush supporter. He procceeded to argue that Bush was not the problem here, that he could do everything from his ranch that he could do from the White House and that she should read The Constitution because Bush could not deploy the National Guard, that the Governors of each state had to do that.

Allow me to respond.

First, there was one thing that Dubya could do from the White House that he couldn't do from his vacation spot. He could let people know that He Was On The Job. As Elvis was want to say, Bush could show that he was TCB, Taking Care of Business. Nobody can say that Bush isn't aware of his image. His people are masters and fanatical about that kind of stuff. It would have taken him a few hours to get back to Washington. Instead he went and played air guitar with some country music dude. While one of America's greatest cities was drowning. That's not what a leader does.

Second, instead of telling us to "read The Constitution" the guy on the phone should read the National Response Plan. It is available at the Department of Homeland Security website.

Some relevant parts of that document.

"ALL PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES UNDER THE STAFFORD ACT ARE CONSIDERED INCIDENTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE."
(NRP, 7)

At such point a disaster or emergency is declared, according to the NRP, the federal government can and has a duty to supercede protocol when it means

Also, Bush did appoint the incompetent pricks that are running FEMA and the DHS. He has to take the blame for those guys. Just because a guy was a buddy's college roomie is no reason to put in him charge of our Federal Emergency Management.
preservation of life and assets: "Federal departments and agencies are EXPECTED to provide initial and/or ongoing response, when warranted, under their own authority and funding; alert, notification, pre-positioning and timely delivery
of resources; proactive support for catastrophic or potentially catastrophic incidents using protocols for expedited delivery of resources. (NRP, 6)

Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources."

Furthermore, the NRP covers responsibility for troop deployment, stating "The Secretary of Defense authorizes Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) for domestic incidents as directed by the President or when consistent with military readiness operations and appropriate under the circumstances and the law."

And authorizes immediate action: " Imminently serious conditions resulting from any civil emergency may require immediate action to save lives, prevent human suffering, or to mitigate property damage."

Finally, the NRP gives the President a fiduciary duty during said times of crisis:

"The President leads the Nation in responding efficiently and ensuring the necessary resources are applied quickly and effectively to all Incidents of National Significance."(NRP, 15)

That's all bullshit though, when you come right down to it. That's stuff for lawyers and other tight asses. What it comes down to is Bush is The President. He has great power and with great power comes great responsibility. For him (and his followers) to be trying to brush this off as some sort of legalistic snafu is garbage. A leader leads. Maybe Bush needs a sign on his desk that reminds him that The Buck Stops Here.

And Bush has to take responibility for putting Michael D. Brown in charge of FEMA. The guy is incompetent. Just because somebody is the college roomie of a friend is no reason to put him in charge of our Federal Emergency Management Agency, know what I mean?

For Doro

Yesterday the girlfriend was answering the phone with the phrase "Impeach Bush". One of the times she answered the phone the person on the other end was a Bush supporter. He procceeded to argue that Bush was not the problem here, that he could do everything from his ranch that he could do from the White House and that she should read The Constitution because Bush could not deploy the National Guard, that the Governors of each state had to do that.

Allow me to respond.

First, there was one thing that Dubya could do from the White House that he couldn't do from his vacation spot. He could let people know that He Was On The Job. As Elvis was want to say, Bush could show that he was TCB, Taking Care of Business. Nobody can say that Bush isn't aware of his image. His people are masters and fanatical about that kind of stuff. It would have taken him a few hours to get back to Washington. Instead he went and played air guitar with some country music dude. While one of America's greatest cities was drowning. That's not what a leader does.

Second, instead of telling us to "read The Constitution" the guy on the phone should read the National Response Plan. It is available at the Department of Homeland Security website.

Some relevant parts of that document.

"ALL PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES UNDER THE STAFFORD ACT ARE CONSIDERED INCIDENTS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE."
(NRP, 7)

At such point a disaster or emergency is declared, according to the NRP, the federal government can and has a duty to supercede protocol when it means

Also, Bush did appoint the incompetent pricks that are running FEMA and the DHS. He has to take the blame for those guys. Just because a guy was a buddy's college roomie is no reason to put in him charge of our Federal Emergency Management.
preservation of life and assets: "Federal departments and agencies are EXPECTED to provide initial and/or ongoing response, when warranted, under their own authority and funding; alert, notification, pre-positioning and timely delivery
of resources; proactive support for catastrophic or potentially catastrophic incidents using protocols for expedited delivery of resources. (NRP, 6)

Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources."

Furthermore, the NRP covers responsibility for troop deployment, stating "The Secretary of Defense authorizes Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) for domestic incidents as directed by the President or when consistent with military readiness operations and appropriate under the circumstances and the law."

And authorizes immediate action: " Imminently serious conditions resulting from any civil emergency may require immediate action to save lives, prevent human suffering, or to mitigate property damage."

Finally, the NRP gives the President a fiduciary duty during said times of crisis:

"The President leads the Nation in responding efficiently and ensuring the necessary resources are applied quickly and effectively to all Incidents of National Significance."(NRP, 15)

That's all bullshit though, when you come right down to it. That's stuff for lawyers and other tight asses. What it comes down to is Bush is The President. He has great power and with great power comes great responsibility. For him (and his followers) to be trying to brush this off as some sort of legalistic snafu is garbage. A leader leads. Maybe Bush needs a sign on his desk that reminds him that The Buck Stops Here.

And Bush has to take responibility for putting Michael D. Brown in charge of FEMA. The guy is incompetent. Just because somebody is the college roomie of a friend is no reason to put him in charge of our Federal Emergency Management Agency, know what I mean?