I actually feel a little different about Bush after reading Newsweek at lunch just now. I previously thought him to be a bungling moron. However, in the article that analyzes the failures of the federal govt in the last couple weeks, they point most of the fault at Bush's management style.

He doesn't like to hear bad news. And views diagreements as a lack of loyalty. Most past administrations had someone who typically played devils advocate in most scenarios. Noone fills that position in the White House now.

I believe there are many issues with the way FEMA was allowed to become the boondoggle the agency is today. However, the fact that Bush did not cancel all plans to return to Washington immediately, is due to no one willing to tell him the extent of the situation.

The really, really big issue here is that this proves that the govt is in no way ready to handle a disaster. This is after all the plans that were drawn up and all the money spent on those plans post 9-11.

>I am in total agreement that there are emergencies that require immediate action by the federal government. News reports claim that President Bush called the Louisiana Governor and asked to request support but she said it wasn't time yet. I have no idea whether that is true or not or why the national guard weren't in place immediately or why there wasn't adequate supplies as well as security onsite at every shelter before the hurricane hit when people were directed to go there. There is one small problem however, it is against the law for the President or congress to send federal troops into any state without the Governer's express request in writing except in the case of national security. The law was designed to protect the U.S. from becoming a military dictatorship. If congress or the states disagreed with the President he could not essentially enforce his will by the use of federal military troops. Or even between congress and the Governors of each state. That is why
>national guard troops work for the governor and if national guard troops don't suffice, the Governor can request federal troops from congress. Article 1, Section 8, granted nominally to Congress, not the president to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions.
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>Here in my county in NC the schools will be closed tomorrow in preparation for one of the mildest hurricanes to hit. Yet, as usual, to prepare the schools will be designated as shelters and police will be there along with the red cross and supplies like North Carolina does everytime a hurricane hits. Emergency managers have been onsite and ready for days. Get a good Governor and get communication going between all levels I say.
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>>The LA Times had a very detailed, very sound examination of the situation to date. And how situations like this require the federal government to take charge. Yet all the officials stayed out of Washington for days.
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>>Reminisent of Bush reading from the book on 9-11. Giving a speech in CA and AZ and having birthday cake with McCain.
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>>There were definitely issues with how the situation was handled at a local level. But the federal govt was supposed to be ready for this type of thing, yet failed at every possible level.
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>>PF
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>>>>I saw an official from the Salvation Army on Fox News state that they had set up 71 canteens within New Orleans on August 30th. I have no clue what that entails. How did so many people live for so long without water?
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>>>I am sure we are going to see finger pointing about that for a long time.
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>>>>Lives were lost and it will take a long time to know just what happened. Stories from different television reports seemed to contradict each other.
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>>>>I kept wishing that one of the television news people would save someone rather then give “eyewitness accounts” and say, "time for a commercial". One reporter did bring a lady and her dog to safety in the news helicopter. They said no pets were allowed to be saved with his/her owner. That would be taken care of by the SPCA. Want to bet?
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>>>It wouldn't surprise me.