W's Post-Katrina Power Grab

[Nbadan]

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday urged Congress to examine whether the White House needs stronger powers to deal with catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina.

Bush’s backing for the congressional inquiry raised the possibility that lawmakers might expand presidential authority to:

• Order mandatory civilian evacuations

• Dispatch U.S.-based armed forces for emergency search-and-rescue operations

• Grant wider leeway for active-duty U.S. military personnel to carry out law enforcement operations.

“It’s really important that as we take a step back and learn lessons — that we are in a position to adequately answer the question: ‘Are we prepared for major catastrophes?”’ Bush said during a tour of hurricane damage in New Orleans.

He said if there was a terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction, such as germ-warfare agents, “we’ve got to make sure we understand the lessons learned to be able to deal with catastrophe.”

The State

Should have known this one was coming. So the FEDS fail in their responsibilities to act in a State of Emergency under the Stafford act and the WH's answer is to go for a power-grab?

See kids, you can turn failure into success.

[SWC Bonfire]

Bush will obviously disband the Senate and declare himself Caesar.

[SpursWoman]

The State

Should have known this one was coming. So the FEDS fail in their responsibilities to act in a State of Emergency under the Stafford act and the WH's answer is to go for a power-grab?

See kids, you can turn failure into success.

The biggest argument I've heard so far is who had the legal responsibility/authority to do what....was it Blanco or FEMA or the Mayor or the President or Santa Claus. I know you think you've got it all figured out, but contrary to what Salon.org or whatever thinks, if it's this much in controversy it's obviously not so clear-cut.

If Bush is going to get put right at the top of the -storm of blame, don't you think he should at least have the clear, legal authority to prevent it? I mean, we don't seem to ever hear about these FEMA problems in the Carolinas or Florida or Alabama or Mississippi....but Louisiana's incompetence had to go it up for the rest of the class.

[Nbadan]

No need to do that when the Senate is more than willing to just hand power over to him.

[Nbadan]

If Bush is going to get put right at the top of the -storm of blame, don't you think he should at least have the clear, legal authority to prevent it? I mean, we don't seem to ever hear about these FEMA problems in the Carolinas or Florida or Alabama or Mississippi....but Louisiana's incompetence had to go it up for the rest of the class.

Yes, and had he qualified people in the most important agency to deal with this crisis, W could have had all the power he wanted in NO under the Stafford Act, but Chertoff didn't act quick enough, and a lot of people died.