Time to Grow Up............

I really am sitting here thinking that some of our people in the Senate need to grow up, when I come across this absolutely appalling piece by Susan Estrich. Susan Estrich, you say? Who is Susan Estrich?

Susan Estrich is one who defends Clintons regardless of what they do, defends Democrats, including Kerry, and does this on Fox News as part of the 'balance' they try to present. She has, IMHO, crossed the line in that article.

Trying to place blame at this stage when there are children not with parents, parents not yet with their children (including adult children), when there are bodies yet to be found, a death toll to be counted, debris to be cleaned up, water to be pumped out of the city, PEOPLE to still get out of the area, levis to be repaired... as well as the contaminated water going into the Lake, with who knows WHAT future outcome... when there may be an oil spill to rival the one in Alaska (news just this morning)... when we are in the midst of this...is disgusting.

The Federal Gov't CANNOT take over a State Gov't and frankly, that is a safeguard for all of us. State's rights and individual rights are rapidly disappearing already.

But to compare this to the actions of the previous President, including his use of the Oval Office and his perjury is really ridiculous.

A very good explanation of State's rights vs Federal Gov't in situations like this is in this article by Daniel Hemminger. And a thank you to Donna for sending it to me this morning!

....snip...

Then there's American history, tradition and law. Once disaster arrives, several federal laws designed to protect state sovereignty from being swept aside by a Latin-American-style national police force dictate that a state's officials, specifically the governor, is supposed to phone the federal government and describe what they need. If asked by Homeland Security, DoD will send in the cavalry. But this is one audible at the line even Don Rumsfeld doesn't get to call.

Post-mortem investigations will surely re-create, minute by minute, how Louisiana Gov. Blanco and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff idled away their time last week. But it appears now that Gov. Blanco did not make that crucial, early, legally mandated call to the President. Absent that, Fox and CNN became the call to the White House. The media message was "do something!" In fact, the president does have "do something" authority. It's called the Insurrection Act, which is what John Kennedy used in 1963 against Gov. George Wallace, ordering the governor's own National Guard to turn against him and forcibly integrate the University of Alabama. As to the looters, who were breaking no evident federal law, the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 explicitly forbids using the military (unless a governor uses her National Guard under "state status") in a domestic police function.

End snip.... but I recommend you read the rest of the article.

The willingness by Bush was there. He declared the areas disaster areas before Katrina even hit land. The go-ahead to get ready was given to the military before Katrina hit land, and they were ready to go. But they were not invited in! That is what we need to look into, as well as why the emergency plans were not put into effect, why those buses were never used to go and get the poor and disabled, etc, BEFORE Katrina hit, and figure out how to make sure that those errors are never made again.

But for Pelosi to make the statements SHE has made, and the rest of the critics to try to politicize this catastrophic event that has literally wiped out cities in three states at THIS TIME is uncalled for. It helps NO one. The time to get into finding out what went wrong is when the people there are taken care of, and the rebuilding has begun.

It is time for those elected, and those not elected like Susan Estrich, to grow up.

There is another very good article that Donna called my attention to by Peggy Noonan, also.
Called "We Can All Relate", it is, IMHO, something Pelosi and Estrich should read to get their hearts in line with their mouths, and keep the focus where it SHOULD be right now, for this time. Now is

ECCLESIATES 3:
1: To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3: A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6: A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7: A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8: A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.