Can we discuss what Blanco did wrong, if anything? With sources/proof?

[complain jane]

I'm putting together a timeline and the more I read about everything, especially the sources and the Red Cross site and FEMA's site and the White House website, the less I think it looks like Blanco did anything wrong here.

I'm sure nothing was perfect and things could have gone better but- it doesn't seem like she is guilty of the gross negligence that the federal agencies are guilty of.

Am I missing something? Does anyone have proof/link/sources that are either in her favor or against it?

Thanks.

[randr]

1. Even if she did everything wrong

there is no excuse for the performance of B* and gang.

[wurzel]

2. The only item is her 24 hour delay about NG..

When she requested Federal help one of the conditions was that she put LA National Guard under Fed control. She wanted 24 hours to think about it. I have no clue why.

[complain jane]

3. Did she take the 24 hours? And has anyone corroborated this

besides Nagin, who says he isn't even sure what the Governor was supposed to use the 24 hours to decide (and is repeating a story that supposedly was told to him by George Bush)?

[wurzel]

6. If Bush said it , it must be true!

Even if it isn't

[pop goes the weasel]

5. The Shrub didn't need Blanco for that

Remember way back in 1957? During the Central High School crisis? Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas Guard to get the Little Rock Nine into school. He sure as heck didn't have to get Faubus's permission, or it would never have happened.

[Ksec]

7. good example/

Thats a keeper

[Be Brave]

8. The 24-hour delay, it that was how long it took, which I doubt,

was all Bush's fault. He should not have even made that proposal about taking over the NG. The bottom line is, they were in this fix that they did not anticipate, which is that much of the essential local services were incapacitated, and the federal government was not prepared for that scenario. So they made things up as they went along, like trying to take over control from the state government. In short they had no idea what the hell they were doing.

[complain jane]

4. I'm arguing with some right-wingers who say the feds can only perform as

well as the locals will allow them to, and poor George finally "had to" send the National Guard in there because Blanco was this and Blanco was that, and that Nagin and Blanco "tied his hands"...

You know the drill by now.

So I want to find some proof that she did what she could do.

[AnnInLa]

9. 2 good timelines

http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/katrina-timeline.php

[hiley]

10. article from Mother Jones..

Cover-Up Time
By Bradford Plumer
Louisiana's mostly Democratic congressional delegation funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to questionable Army Corps of Engineers projects, while important hurricane protection measures went unfunded.
September 8, 2005
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2005/09/coverup_time.html

[ohio_liberal]

11. Does anyone know....

What day the NG arrived in the city and how many there were initially? I've been wondering this but specific info has been hard for me to find.

[ohio_liberal]

12. I search every day, and all I can find

is that the National Guard didn't arrive in the area until Friday. Can anyone tell me why it took 4 days?