The only thing you need to know about Bush and Katrina

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Bush finally sent the troops into LA after his meeting with Blanco although she refused to sign them over to his control. So, he could have sent them in BEFORE his meeting with Blanco. His status with the troops was exactly the same whether before or after the meeting with Blanco. Ergo, he CHOSE to not send in the troops earlier.

[KerryOn]

1. Hold on....

Correct me if I'm wrong but...

The Governor of N.O. sent in the National guard, they are under her control.

Bush finally sent in the Marines which are under Rummy's control. (True he should have sent them in earlier.)

Bush was quick to send in Home Land Security/FEMA, but Home Land Security/FEMA failed to react in a timely fashion.

This administration is trying to pin everything on Governor Blanco and other locals authorities. The problem as I see it is that the Governor of LA did not have very many guard troops on active duty, because a lot of he active duty guard are in Iraq. It took some time to call the LA National Guard up from their homes and jobs. And I'm sure that a lot of them could not be found, because many of them were victims of the storm. How can you use National Guard troops from your own state when so many are victims of the storm? This is another area where the Government failed. The disaster was to large for the locals to handle.

[dalaigh lllama]

3. This is my understanding of the national guard

Blanco controls the Louisiana national guard, and they were there -- at least the ones not in Iraq -- from the get-go. I believe that national guard units sent from other states have to be ok'ed by the WH, and the orders to deploy didn't come until Thursday or Friday.
OTOH, I remember reading that a handful of NG from one or two other states were also there early on.

Can any of you experts here help straighten us out on this?

[KerryOn]

5. That is how I understand it as well....

Many of the neighboring states could not send their guard troops in until it was approved by the WH. Many were trying to send them but they got bogged down in red tape. The governor of Wisconsin got around the red tape. He declared a state of emergency for the state of Wisconsin, and then he was able to send his guard troops to LA.

[wishlist]

6. Blanco said they had not gotten the Natl Guard help she asked Bush for

I heard Blanco say that on Monday she asked Bush for all the help he could provide in general, then on Tuesday when no Federal help had arrived, she told Bush they needed at least 17000 more National Guard and when they did not show up by Wednesday, she told him on Wednesday that they needed 40,000 more because conditions had deteriorated so much. She did not have enough National Guard at her disposal to meet their needs and had to make three requests to Bush before they began to show up on Thursday.

[applegrove]

2. Bush had a meeting on Monday and decided not to send the troops.

So Tuesday rolls around and did he have another meeting? You know cause the Levee broke?

[wishlist]

7. She requested 17000 on Tuesday and 40000 on Wednesday

She was interviewed on CNN on Thursday and asked why no significant numbers of National Guard had appeared until Thursday. She said that on Monday she asked Bush in general for any help he could provide. When conditions deteriorated by Tuesday and troops already there were not sufficient, she said she specifically asked Bush for 17,000 troops on Tuesday but when they did not arrive by Wednesday she asked Bush for 40,000 more on Wednesday.

[applegrove]

8. Thursday there were 3000 or something PATHETIC

[Stinky Bushes]

4. thank God for Blanco.

i don't think this can be understated. Blanco may have singlehandedly thwarted the first phase of the Bush Federal takeover of an American state...don't know fur sure but it's my guess that's what the intent was...

We owe alot to this woman of integrity who fearlessly stood up against the Bush war/control machine.