NOLA: Plan would let president take control in disasters

[Trajan]

From the Times Picayune, in New Orleans, LA

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1129997967245220.xml

Plan would let president take control in disasters

Saturday, October 22, 2005
Bill Walsh
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- In what could be read as a slap at Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, the White House is exploring legal options for the president to seize control from a governor when disaster strikes. Federal law puts a state's chief executive at the helm in a disaster, with the president serving in a supporting role. But Frances Townsend, the former prosecutor President Bush appointed to examine failures in the response to Hurricane Katrina, said Friday that she is considering whether there is "a narrow band of cases" in which the president should take over.

"We are very focused on it," Townsend said. "We owe the president some options." Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, brought to the fore a question of authority that had mainly been the subject of academic debates.

As flood victims pleaded for help in New Orleans, state and federal authorities argued over who should be in charge. Four days after the Aug. 29 storm swamped New Orleans and isolated the city, the White House sent Blanco an urgent request to allow Bush to take control of the National Guard troops under her command.

The following morning, Sept. 3, Blanco refused. She later said she saw the request as an attempt to undermine her authority. Friday at a White House briefing, Townsend sought to assure reporters that the president wasn't seeking to overturn a tradition of state-federal relations dating back to the formation of the republic. But she provided few details about what situations might merit a federal incursion.

-snip-

Didnt see this here anywhere, but it's too old for LBN ...

So: The GOP want smaller, less intrusive government ? ...

They are FOR state's rights ? ...

MY ARSE ! ...

MORE lies from the GOP ....

[Vincardog]

1. aWoL wants to be in charge so he can fuck More things up?

[elehhhhna]

2. Great. A 72 hour lag time for all disasters? Fantastic.

[leesa]

3. The SOB WAS in charge and look what happened!

No way we allow any President to take away the Governor's control of their National Guard. This had NOTHING to do with the problems in NOLA. It had everything to do with Bush's FEMA trying to foul up the works so they could get this initiative passed.