Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative National Review magazine, raises some reasonable concerns about President Bush’s recommendation to give “a broader role for the armed forces” in national disasters. Lowry worries about the dilution of the military’s primary combat mission. And he argues that rather than fall back on the military, we should fix the problems revealed by Hurricane Katrina — a dysfunctional Department of Homeland Security, poorly trained first responders, lack of coordination between governments. “Don’t look to the military as a cure-all just because it’s an institution that, at the moment, the nation’s political leadership hasn’t botched,” he writes.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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14 Comments
The problem is basic. The Job of president of the United States is over Bush’s head. He does not have the organizational skills or understanding of the country he’s suppose to lead and without speech writers, he’s speechless.
And to make matters worse, those around him have a single agenda: Making Israel a world power by controlling the world’s oil supply.
He’s literally been pushed into a corner without any real responsibilities.
And that’s why the country is in such a mess.
He’s actually a good guy to have a beer with, but beyond that; nobody is home.
Another one added to the administrations hit list. Good on Lowry, Homeland Security has been a pork barrel since inception and as bad as I hate to admit it, FEMA, though very slow, has been helping disaster victims for years.
It would be nice if ya’ll could make up your mind. First you gripe because the military didn’t get there quick enough to help out during the disaster. Now your compaining because Bush wants to change it so they can be there quicker….Makes a lot of sense
You are right..the professional Bush Bashers are going to complain no matter what. The fed did not respond fast enough. Now Bush wants to change things to improve response, and they are not happy with that.
These bashers need to get over it. He is the president, whether they like it or not, and complaining for the next 3 years is not going to change that.
This is only slightly off the subject. Last night Leno was making comments in his monologue about Bush returning to drinking alcohol. The first place I saw that rumor was on this blog. From what I can gather, the story originated with the “National Enquirer”. Aren’t those the same folks who bring us stories about Alien pregnancies and the like? And why would anyone believe what they say now?
Because they’ve beaten a hell of a lot more libel suits than, say, the New York Times. Apparently, the story has multiple sources. So we’ll see. But it would certainly explain the bizarre recent actions of the WH, which seems to be ‘drifting toward tragedy.’
Ray Thomas,
My opposition to overturning the Posse Comitatus Act is a hell of a lot bigger than just my opposition to George Bush. That law is a fundamental guarantee of States’ rights, and a fundamental safeguard against military control over civilian affairs. I oppose any changes, in principle, under ANY president.
Moreover, after having spent five years gutting FEMA and our emergency preparedness response, I’m very disinclined to allow W to use this manufactured unpreparedness as an argument that he now needs more direct authority. Given the screw-ups in Katrina, I’d say he already has too much.
Put that in your ‘Bush bashers’ pipe and smoke it, Ray.
Perhaps if Bush hadn’t nationalized the Guard this issue would never have arisen. The Governor of New Mexico offered Guard troops to New Orleans; the Bush administration blocked them. Much of the LA and MS Guard were in Iraq fighting in Bush’s folly.
We don’t need to eliminate posse comiattis; we need to give the Guard back to the States and fix FEMA. The system worked fine until Bush turned it into a dumping ground for political hacks like Brown.
CF,You admit to getting your “facts” from the National Enquirer, then defend the rag with your usual distemper. Pathetic is what you are.
Put that in YOUR Bush bashing bong and smoke it, puffer.
Rob,
Don’t lie about what I said. With respect to the allegations about George Bush beginning to drink again, I concluded by saying ‘we’ll see.’ I didn’t accept the Enquirer’s story; I merely pointed out their success rate in defending against libel suits.
As for ‘pathetic,’ what have you done here but bitch about me and misrepresent my words? You’re a nothing, Rob–not even a puff of smoke.
I think maybe the drinking is helping Bush.
I heard him in a press conference this morning, and he seemed much less tongue-tied and stuttering.
Addicts do better when they get their fixes. All that repression of his uncontrollable need must have been driving him nuts.
Just look at how good the economy was when Clinton was getting his groove on with a much younger woman.
Maybe we should INSIST that the president have an affair . . .
Whose doing the drinking here? After my last screw up, I’d like to propose another toast.
LOng live blogdom!
Now, will somebody please get Bush a real woman, like Galahad suggests?
I’m not sure he’d know what to do with her.
Y’ know, maybe we should be thinking about a new branch of the service dedicated to rescue missions; people trained in finding survivors and dismantling earthquake and flood and tornado-wrecked buildings, meeting medical needs, setting up logistics and repairing infrastructure etc. They’d have a pool of specialists to cope with all sorts of disasters, and be approved to operate anywhere needed, including within the U.S. and ready to move at a moment’s notice. There’re enough disasters worldwide to keep them busy, and be a welcome presence of Americans in places we get hated a lot.