The Washington Monthly
Blogger Thought: Check out JayAckroyd on FEDS response to Katrina:
I've been surprised at how effective the Bushies have been in throwing up chaff related to legalistic limitations on their roles, and on the paperwork and clearance requirements to proceed.....and on and on.
Mickey Kaus over at Slate bought into it. Josh Marshall treats it seriously, with a disclaimer. The NYTimes spends a lot of time on the issue on Saturday.
Leave aside the fact that in a time of crisis, one brushes aside such niceties. (In fact, what's supposed to happen is the President brushes aside such niceties, and takes the heat if he goes too far or not far enough.)
This is transparenlty a cock and bull story made up in hindsight. There is no doubt plenty of legal gobbletygook in place that could be construed to impede any federal action. I'm sure it's easy to concoct bureaucratic excuses for why simple tasks didn't get done.
Duh.
First, they're lying.
Second, the lies are profoundly stupid, because if they were true, they're just an exceedingly detailed explication of how DHS and FEMA failed, completely, manifestly at their assigned task. Their task was prevention and rapid response to dangers to the homeland. They get a pass on prevention (although four years starts to be a long time even on this one), but they completely screwed up the rapid response part of their role.
Any quibbling about legal limitations and state footdragging is simply lying.
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