On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 19:09:53 -0400, PocoLoco wrote:

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 16:41:46 -0400, thunder
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:15:25 -0400, PocoLoco wrote:


...as though Bush could force evacuations!

Uh, actually he could. I'm not saying he should have, but he definitely
could have.

By declaring the Gulf Coast under a state of martial law? What about
enforcement? Could he, on his own, send in the US Army to enforce the law?
Am I totally wrong about the Posse Comitatus Act?

No, but you are limiting a President's options. He could have declared a
State of Emergency, federalized some National Guard units, and evacuated
New Orleans. Look, I'm not putting the blame for New Orleans on President
Bush. Everyone would like to see the suffering ended, but there is no
magic wand. The devastation is incredible, and of a huge magnitude. New
Orleans seems to be getting the major focus, but it is not the only
location devastated. This bureaucracy may be a little slow, but when it
comes to natural disasters I believe it does a pretty damn good job.

If I were to find fault, after the fact, it would be with New Orleans
evacuation planning, knowing full well that this was a probability.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a question of if, but when New Orleans was going
to take the hit.