From: elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us (Edward J. Branley)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.bush
Subject: Re: Bush/Florida/Hurricane Andrew
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 00:47:41 CDT
Organization: Minas Tirith BBS, New Orleans, LA

athos@apple.com (Rick Eames) writes:

> In article <PquHqB1w164w@mintir.new-orleans.la.us>,
> elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us (Edward J. Branley) wrote:
>
> > Hurricane hits.  Bush sends troops to Homestead AFB, a federal installation
> > He sends a MASH, field kitchens and food for a division, and a Navy
> > construction batallion.  The SeaBees clear the base, the MASH staff sets up
> > hospital, and the food workers get ready to feed storm victims.  He tells t
> > Governor that there's lots of stuff just waiting for his people on this
> > *federal reservation*.  No violation of states' rights necessary.  Just a
> > little caring and quick-thinking by the Bush administration.
>
> Easy to say now, after the event.  Were you espousing this view before the
> hurricane hit?

No, I was sitting in front of the television praying that the sucker wasn't
going to dump Lake Pontchatrain on top of my house.  However, we do know a lot
about emergency preparedness down here.  FEMA could take a few lessons from
South Louisiana before a storm.

As for hindsight being 20/20, hell, my hindsight isn't the issue.  The point is
that Bush had the chance to pull off something almost equivalent to re-starting
the Gulf War in terms of increasing his approvals and his sagging campaign, by
simply doing the right thing instead of doing nothing.  He blew it.

>
> > Nobody can complain because the government can stage whatever troops it wan
> > on its own base.  Of course, they just can't go roaming about in the commun
> > But that's not important in the first days after a storm.  The National Gua
> > units of a state can handle security of an area, provide protection from
> > looters, and can assist in physical rescue efforts.  What was needed from t
> > military in this case was food, water, and medical care, and *fast*.  That
> > didn't happen because Bush was too busy hustling photo-ops.
>
> And what Clinton is doing this weekend is not a photo op?  Please spare me.

Ok, go back into dreamland.  Clinton isn't President.  He didn't go down there
before the aid got there.

>
> > No, Blame Bush.  Blame his staff for not moving.  There is no such thing th
> > days as states' rights.  Florida certainly has none, since there's no way t
> > state or Dade County will be able to rebuild without federal help.  States
> > rights are a myth perpetuated by Republicans and racists (when the two are
> > the same).
>
> I guess you really do want a King.  Why not just tear down state borders
> and just let the President do everything?  He offered troops and was TURNED
> DOWN by the Governor of the state of Florida (Newsweek).
>

Where do you get this king bit?  Was Eisenhower a king when he ordered federal
troops into Little Rock?  Was JFK a king when he threatened it in Mississippi
and Alabama?  You don't get it yet:  states' rights is a dead concept.
Homestead AFB is (was) a *federal* installation.  'States rights' have no place
on a federal military installation.  It's also a military installation that has
a runway big enough to permit a serious airlift.  No need to involve the
governor, just a way to help those folks out.



|Edward J. Branley                         elendil@mintir.New-Orleans.LA.US|
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