Bush had the authority to order the National Guard into New Orleans.

[lateo]

Sorry if this has already been posted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_re_us/katrina_national_guard

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner,
R-Va., plans to make oversight of the Defense
Department, the National Guard and their assistance
his top priority when he returns to Washington next
week from an overseas trips, spokesman John Ullyot
said Friday.
Bush had the legal authority to order the National
Guard to the disaster area himself, as he did after
the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks . But the troops four years
ago were deployed for national security protection,
and presidents of both parties traditionally defer to
governors to deploy their own National Guardsmen and
request help from other states when it comes to
natural disasters.
In addition to Guard help, the federal government
could have activated, but did not, a major air support
plan under a pre-existing contract with airlines. The
program, called Civilian Reserve Air Fleet, lets the
government quickly put private cargo and passenger
planes into service.

[Erika]

1. You think W didn't care about the poor urban poor?

Duh. Rummy watching the Padres, Condi shoe shopping, and Bush strumming.

[Wizard777]

2. Oh so NOW he respects sovereignty. Is this supposed to make up for Iraq?