What's the skinny on the Insurrection Act?

[The Backlash Cometh]

Was Bush's delay because Blanco refused to sign up on the Insurrection Act? Would this Insurrection Act give Bush the power that I think it would?

(1) Would it allow the military to go in Iraqi style and shoot anyone they felt was a threat?

and;

(2) Would it allow Bush carte blanche to give out no bid contracts for reconstruction to crony companies like Halliburton?

If No. 2 is the real issue, then we desperately need someone in the White House to grow a conscience and go public

[tyedyeto]

1. What exactly is the Insurrection Act?

I found this by googling:

TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 15 > § 332 Prev | Next

§ 332. Use of militia and armed forces to enforce Federal authority


Release date: 2004-03-18

Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State or Territory by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion.

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sup_01_10_10_A_20_I_30_15.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Jesus Christ! How many other cities or states have been forced to sign

this before getting federal assistance in the history of this country?

[icymist]

22. Excellent question! (Lawyers) How many times has the Insurrection Act....

have been enacted and what are the precedent for this act?

[Just Me]

3. Umm,...damn! That's ugly, very ugly!!!

:scared:

[tyedyeto]

4. Not just ugly but SCARY!

[Just Me]

9. Looks like Posse Comitatus (sp?) to me!

:scared:

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Or in this case, the Posse is Comatose

[ptolle]

18. control the flow

I'm no lawyer, never had nor expect to ever have the desire to be one. But I wonder if this wouldn't also give the feds the power to "embed" journalists and thereby impose really strict control on the flow of information out of NO ala Iraq.

[neoteric lefty]

5. Any links or posts? n/t

[LiveWire]

6. how, and when, did that get passed?

[lateo]

7. Here...this article even has data about Katrina in it.

http://matewan.squarespace.com/journal/2005/9/7/the-insurrection-act.html

Make sure you read the comments of the other readers at the bottom of the article. Juicy stuff there.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. But didn't Bush want this signed BEFORE the hurricane came in?

We are in desperate need of a timeline which we can all have a bit of confidence in.

[me b zola]

10. Is this what Congresswoman McKinney was talking about yesterday?

I came in very late while she was speaking on the floor of the House.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. I don't know, but if this is what I suspect it is, I don't understand why

more politicians are talking about it.

First, is it that extra-ordinary a request for the Bush Administration to have made to Blanco? Have we ever done it before?

Second, if it is extra-ordinary, what were the reasons for Bush to ask for it BEFORE the storm hit and the damage known?

Third, was one of the benefits that Bush would have had full control over the reconstruction contracts? In other words, was New Orleans treated like a target for an economic hitman?

[Just Me]

16. Oh, you KNOW NO is being treated like a target for economic hitmen!!!

Already been targeted. Have you seen the cronyism run amok in the contracts to Halliburton, Bechtel et al.?

[G_j]

20. and I've been hearing the news spin:

"what have we learned from Katrina?"

Authorities must be prepared next time to deal with civil unrest, because in this case they were unprepared for the 'lawlessness'.

!!!!!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. why would the federal gov't worry about a Governor

signing an act of the federal gov't. The governors have no place in the passing of legislation...congresscritters and senators would be the ones to look at...

sP

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. I think it's because they wanted control over the reconstruction contracts

It's a Democratic city, and I suspect it was targeted to be treated the way that economic hitmen target foreign countries.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

15. i get why he wanted it passed...

but just not why a governor would be considered to have anything to do with the passing of federal legislation...

sP

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. As I understand it, Bush was withholding federal assistance until

she did.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

19. governors do not sign legislation at the federal level...

he may not have liked that she didn't support it...but it is more likely that bush was pissed because Landrieu wouldn't vote for it...or something to that effect.

sP

[Garbo 2004]

23. It's existing law, already passed and enacted. Blanco refused to let

the feds take over, wouldn't let them "federalize" the guard, police, etc.

[LostinVA]

25. He was trying to force her in turning over NO to him

He tried to intimidate/threaten her to sign the paper, that way he wouldn't have to invoke the Insurrection Act. If he did, all hell would have broken loose, I believe. She had nothing to do with any kind of legislation.

Glad those GOPers are finally getting rid of the whole stats' rights argumnent.... when they want to, that is.

[Garbo 2004]

21. It's existing law. Bush wanted Blanco to agree to federalizing the

state's resources, militia, etc. by "requesting" the feds to take over. She refused.

[LostinVA]

26. Foe someone I thought was a pure-T DINO, Blanco has balls

Good for her! A true "iron-jawed angel."

[LSK]

24. Link to actual Law:

http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/50C13.txt