From CA Nat. Guard Site, Gov. OR PRESIDENT can order troops in emergencies

[madmadmad]

"The Civil Support Division manages operations in support of the Adjutant General to deter, prevent, defeat, and mitigate threats and aggression aimed at the State and EMAC partners when so ordered by the Governor or the President; on order provides military assistance to civil authorities, including consequence management operations."

so, now why did he have to wait for the Gov? I just don't get it!
<http://www.calguard.ca.gov/csd/>

[Erika]

1. With NO, as soon as leaks in the levees/walls were suspected

the feds had jurisdiction. That is why you saw the Coast Guard there. The governor of Louisiana could not order that action. You need to ask Bush why he chose to limit the national military activity.

[Garbo 2004]

2. He didn't have to wait for the Governor. He declared a state of emergency

on the 27th (at the LA's Gov's request btw) and at that point the Feds were not hindered from acting. They're just trying to cover their asses by blaming the local jurisdictions.

And don't confuse the Guard with the active regular military. The Gov has jurisdiction over the LA national guard and she exercised it. (She'd declared a state of emergency on the 25th.) But Bush in emergencies can also activate the Guard as well as active military. The only balking and inaction was at the Fed level. Northcom was just waiting for Bush to give them orders to go. They didn't get those orders for days.