Guarded response (Pataki, Other Govs are cool to Bush border plan)

[brooklynite]

By JOE MAHONEY in Albany
and KENNETH R. BAZINET in Washington
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Gov. Pataki and other area governors gave a chilly reception yesterday to President Bush's plan to use National Guard troops on the Mexican border.

"I am mindful that we need to remember that New York National Guard's first obligation must be to our state," Pataki said one day after Bush proposed sending 6,000 Guard to help control the border.

...snip...

"I question whether we have the capability to redeploy these troops without hindering existing operations and leaving our country more vulnerable," said New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, who called Bush's plan "not well thought out."

"We ask so much of these men and women, and many of them have served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Connecticut's GOP Gov. Jodi Rell. "We may be hard-pressed to commit our National Guard troops to this effort."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/418415p-353397c.html

I must say, bad as this idea was, I'm surpised at how quickly it's going south, and how little support the WH had lined up before planning a high-profile primetime speech. I wonder if Karl Rove had something else on his mind...

[WePurrsevere]

1. Pataki knows that NY (& other Northern border states) could be next. I

can't imagine Spitzer (who I believe will be the next Gov) will put up with BushCo nonsense and if the reaction to the border police check points up here are any gauge the locals may become the problem if the Fed gov tries to get security any tighter up here... especially on the NA Res. :nuke: