LA Gov Blanco admits fault over troop levels

"Nobody told me that I had to request that," Ms. Blanco said

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/national/nationalspecial/09military.html?ei=5090&en=aa642b8c89c27c01&ex=1283918400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1126238795-dGCl9WlaN8lbkCHBy9hw2w&pagewanted=print
from JoeUser Forums
Great NT Times article going over the tensions between State and Fed officials. For our foreign readers, the separation between the State and Federal level of government is a HUGE deal and explains why Bush/the Feds/the Military didn't just swoop in. This article details how the Feds wanted to go in fast and hard, but Blanco resisted the legal conditions for that to happen. It came down to her refusing to give up control to the feds, which was required as a matter of law.

Here are some good quotes:

To seize control of the mission, Mr. Bush would have had to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows the president in times of unrest to command active-duty forces into the states to perform law enforcement duties. But decision makers in Washington felt certain that Ms. Blanco would have resisted surrendering control, as Bush administration officials believe would have been required to deploy active-duty combat forces before law and order had been re-established.

Officials in Louisiana agree that the governor would not have given up control over National Guard troops in her state as would have been required to send large numbers of active-duty soldiers into the area. But they also say they were desperate and would have welcomed assistance by active-duty soldiers.

In an interview, she acknowledged that she did not specify what sorts of soldiers. "Nobody told me that I had to request that," Ms. Blanco said. "I thought that I had requested everything they had. We were living in a war zone by then."

"I was there. I saw what needed to be done," Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said in an interview. "They were the fastest, best-capable, most appropriate force to get there in the time allowed. And that's what it's all about."
But one senior Army officer expressed puzzlement that active-duty troops were not summoned sooner, saying 82nd Airborne troops were ready to move out from Fort Bragg, N.C., on Sunday, the day before the hurricane hit.
The call never came, administration officials said, in part because military officials believed Guard troops would get to the stricken region faster and because administration civilians worried that there could be political fallout if federal troops were forced to shoot looters.

Aides to Ms. Blanco said she was prepared to accept the deployment of active-duty military officials in her state. But she and other state officials balked at giving up control of the Guard as Justice Department officials said would have been required by the Insurrection Act if those combat troops were to be sent in before order was restored.

In a separate discussion last weekend, the governor also rejected a more modest proposal for a hybrid command structure in which both the Guard and active-duty troops would be under the command of an active-duty, three-star general - but only after he had been sworn into the Louisiana National Guard.

politics
7,259 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I guess Gov. Blanco missed the memo that said she runs her state and doesn't work for the federal government. "We asked for everything" is meaningless.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
It seems that she wanted it both ways, but in the end, her command of her National Guard won out over the well-being of her State's citizens.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
What in this article leads you to believe that it is an admission of fault by Blanco about troop levels? Seems to me it shows that the Justice Department was concerned with legal issues, the Bush administration was worried about political perception, and Govenor Blanco was not willing to give up control of the Guard.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top

Seems to me it shows that the Justice Department was concerned with legal issues, the Bush administration was worried about political perception, and Govenor Blanco was not willing to give up control of the Guard.

Wrong Offiicals.  It is talking about Louisanna officials being stupid. And Blanco just being incompetant.

Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
"Nobody told me that I had to request that," Ms. Blanco said. "I thought that I had requested everything they had. We were living in a war zone by then."


The part I'm referring to is about when she talked to Bush on Monday and told him that she needed everything he had. Well, that's fine and good, but certain things have to be done. The problem here is that as the Governor, it's her job to know what the procedure is (especially since they've done disaster training), but it wasn't until Wednesday she got around to doing what she should have been doing on Monday and for her to say that "Nobody told me that I had to request that" is laughable.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
If you read the National Response Plan (http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0566.xml) you will quickly realize that Blanco did not have the responsibility to "specify what sort of soldiers" were needed.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002468593_katmilitary03.html
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
True, maybe not the sort of troops (can't be reasonable to expect that level of knowledge from most anyone), but her responsibility in the NRP is to make the request to FEMA after her State's resources are tapped. FEMA then acts as the liason to the DOD where needed (in the case of an Incident of National Significance).
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top

True, maybe not the sort of troops (can't be reasonable to expect that ll evel of knowledge from most anyone), but her responsibility in the NRP is to make the request to FEMA after her State's resources are tapped. FEMA then acts as the liason to the DOD where needed (in the case of an Incident of National Significance).


Which happens to be what was done.

Blanco asked for troops as early as Tuesday 8/30. So when you quote Blancos response of " Nobody told me that I had to request that" it is very important to note that it was in response to being asked if she specified what sort of soldiers were needed.

Here is the key to that whole story: " The call never came, administration officials said, in part because military officials believed Guard troops would get to the stricken region faster and because administration civilians worried that there could be political fallout if federal troops were forced to shoot looters.