I don't know why I feel compelled to reply to a Bush hating, brick wall.

I suggest you pick up the complete report before you continue to go off half cocked. It's out and available. I know you can pick it up at FedEx/Kinkos.

I almost agree with you. We should start at the top, the top of the state government that did not properly convey the message to the people and the federal government about just how bad this storm was to impact the Gulf Coast. They knew and didn’t even force evacuation.

I can't expect you to understand how bumbling and incompetent our state government is here in LA but you can say all you want. The burden of protecting the people falls on the state.

Further proof that Louisiana is governmentally inept is the joke they have made of the people struggling to recover from Rita. Katrina this and Katrina that... blah, blah, blah. New Orleans is a tourist attraction. Southwest Louisiana is the place where oil is refined. I would speak of the drilling and production but that is something that covers all areas of our state. It seems to me that getting our tax base back starts with one of our major exports. I haven't even touched on seafood and rice industry here.

All of that is Bush's fault ... right? Since you are dissecting one single conversation not the full report.

You gotta ask youself, how bad do the people of New Orleans really have it? I mean didn't they just have the Mardi Gras? You would think they would have spent all that money making the parade and all into helping those who need help, but you don't see Col complaining about that right? You know why? Because it wasn't Bush who planed the parade.

One simple fact you ignore - NO agency had the resources required to deal with the magnitude of this storm EXCEPT the Active Military that ONLY Bush could provide. It took him SIX DAYS to understand that when he finally sent in the Active Military. He was informed on the 28th of the potential problem even though two days AFTER the storm he said NO ONE COULD HAVE PREDICTED the extent of the storm. THAT WAS A LIE! This is NOT Bush bashing it is SIMPLY TELLING the TRUTH that many on JoeUser do not want to acknowledge. We have an incompetent person sitting at the head of our government who has appointed many political cronies who are ALSO incompetent.

The people that were spending at Mardi Gras were members of the Bush Base. Not the over a million with no homes!

You gotta love how people like Gene demagogue this.

The people that were spending at Mardi Gras were members of the Bush Base. Not the over a million with no homes!

Who gives 2 rats a$$e$ who they were, as usual you always have something stupid to say. Mardi Gras is not #1 priority when thousands of people are homeless. But you hatred towards Bush is so blinding that even you can't see that the money spent on Mardi Gras, regardless of where it came from or who did it, could have been used to help those people who needed it more. But what do you care about the people of New Orleans, you only use them to bash Bush, they are only instruments in your personal war against Bush. Just like the miners, the Iraqis, those in the WTC on 9/11, the soldier and others.

But I think I just figured you out. I might be behind of some people here but I think I know how you tick now. All this Bush bashing is just promotion for your new book. I have to give props for using such a great idea to advertise your book by making people curious enough to see what the hell makes you tick. Too bad it's not gonna work with me and hopefully with many others.

EXCEPT the Active Military that ONLY Bush could provide

"COL", can the President send the army to any state whenever he feels like it or does he have to wait for the governor to either give his OK or clearly violate state or federal law?

YES. He can and DID declare an emergency. Ike sent the 82nd to Alabama WITHOUT the Governor asking and BEFORE these was civil unrest. Bush DID send the Active Military into the area just 6 days LATE. There was a DOD study that the White House had that showed that in a disaster the scope of Katrina ONLY the ACTIVE (Not the Guard) Military had the resources, communications and command and control to deal with a disaster of this size. Bush sat on his hands for SIX DAYS before acting. He is inept!

Ike sent the 82nd to Alabama WITHOUT the Governor asking and BEFORE these was civil unrest.

You just shot down your own theory here. Leauki is right. Your example falls under the President's Authority to protect the US from enemies Foreign and domestic. While each Hurricane has a name, it is not a living entity, group, or State.

My own State National Guard offered transport and medical assistance teams to LA, but the LA Governor did not except the offer for two days. They did get approval from the TX Governor, and had to land there until LA changed their mind.

If you actually listened to the Video tape of the briefing that the President received just before the storm. You can here that Brown had complaints/worries even then about LA Government's preparations. But it did appear that the FEMA head had briefed Bush that they where ready for the event. Obviously Brown was not as ready as his confidence showed in the tape. Do you except that Bush should doubt his advisor, when in the past five hurricanes FEMA completed those missions without any large problems?

Not Correct. A Presidential declaration can allow the use of federal Troops. When Ike sent federal troops into Alabama it was NOT because of any foreign danger. He sent troops to prevent disorder. There was looting and extreme danger that does allow the President to send in troops. In addition, The Gov. of LA said to Bush the FIRST day, "Send ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL HELP. The last I looked the Active Military is Federal and the only thing that prevented Bush from sending the Active military, which was the ONLY resource up to the task, is because he is not a leader. He sat on his a*s the same way as when he was reading to the kids and was told the second tower was hit and we were under attack. He should have excused himself and got to his limo so he would be in contact with the national command authority.

It's silly. The Col and others outraged over this are just grandstanding for political effect.

"Yesterday, I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana, and this morning I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi. These declarations will allow federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials. We will do everything in our power to help the people in the communities affected by this storm. Hurricane Katrina is now designated a category five hurricane. We cannot stress enough the danger this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities. I urge all citizens to put their own safety and the safety of their families first by moving to safe ground. Please listen carefully to instructions provided by state and local officials. "

That was August 28, 2005, before the hurricaine landed. He even signed off the areas for disaster status the day before that. The local authorites were criminally negligent, and didn't take the situation seriously. Nagin left people stranded and used buses to cart foriegn tourists out of downtown NO.

Beyond everything, you have to assume that the federal government has the responsibility to react with more than Bush did. The fact is they don't. If we want to do away with the existence of state and local governments, fine, try to pass the laws, but until then stop pretending that the Federal government is our lord and savior.

Gov. of LA said to Bush the FIRST day, "Send ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL HELP.

Do you have a clue as to the real meaning behind that statement? Governor Blank Brain said send it all because she didn't even know what was available to her. Worse... when things started arriving, she was turning busses and troops away. The reason this ordeal went on so long (and compared to historic storm responses it was average) is because the bumbling idiots here could not get a clear plan of what they needed.

When she said send it all, just what was Bush supposed to send? Should he have activated the entire military and sent them on their way because a governor has no clue what she needs?

I dare you to answer those questions. (Maybe that will work since you can't answer a question posed to you - next time you will force me to use the double dare and the elusive double dog dare)

You ignore the fact that ONLY the Active Military was able to meet the needs. The National Guard assets were disabled by the storm. Bush was told the probable impact of this storm the DAY BEFORE THE STORM. Two days AFTER the storm, he said NO ONE COULD HAVE KNOWN the impact. That is a LIE pure and simple. The White House had the ONLY resources capable of proving the assistance required. The simple fact is that Bush is inept!

"Two days AFTER the storm, he said NO ONE COULD HAVE KNOWN the impact."

No, he said that no one was really expecting the levees to break. Personally, I think that was a polite way of saying that there were a lot of idiots in NO who were more worried about their tv sets getting stolen than drowning and getting stranded...

You ignore the fact that ONLY the Active Military was able to meet the needs.

You ignore the fact that the people should not have needed to be rescued. If everyone knew two days in advance (and in the real world we all knew at least a couple of days earlier), why were there so many people to rescue?

Answer my questions ... are you chicken? ... I double dare you!

When she said send it all, just what was Bush supposed to send? Should he have activated the entire military and sent them on their way because a governor has no clue what she needs?