The odd logic of my Conservative friend

[LittleClarkie]

He figures that liberals must want more federal power, since they are crying that FEMA and the president didn't do enough. But God forbid the federal power should be put into the hands of
Bush.

While I pondered the spectrum between anarchy and fascism, I decided my friend had oversimplified . Again. Surprise.

We are not saying that we want the federal part of the government to have MORE power. We are saying, I reckon, that we merely want the federal government to do what he is supposed to with these folks.

[shockingelk]

1. Hmnm

Ask him when he thinks the federal government ought to play a role in disaster relief.

[sandnsea]

2. Bush concentrated the power

into Homeland Security in order to fight the "war on terror", and then didn't deliver in the most basic rescue operation. If it had been a bio/chem attack in your friend's backyard, I bet he'd get it then.

[applegrove]

3. It is what you do with the power. And if it truly represents the best mix

of interests. And - if the programs are sound. Sometimes private corporations cannot deliver the goods the same way government can. That is Bush they hog-tied FEMA. To make it look bad in relation to Halliburton.

[TomClash]

4. Ponder the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

and the federal response.

1906.

[bowens43]

5. The only power not avaialable to the feds now

is the power for US regular troops to perform police actions. That's it. They have ALL of the other powers that they needed. What we had in this case was either complete incompetence or negligence. Last year , when hurricane Charily was approaching the Florida coast FEMA was in place and ready two days BEFORE the hurricane made landfall.

Bush wants the power to able to have US troops patrolling the streets an arresting US citizens when he decides that they should do so..

[lildreamer316]

6. Try this:

We want the federal government to use correctly the power it already posesses so that it does not have to sieze MORE power to get the job done.
Make sure you emphasize "seize" as in martial law, military presence, emergency actions by the prez in congressional recess, use of the Patriot Act (HARP on that one!!) etc.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. No, we don't want more federal power. We want the feds to be

competent and to do the job they exist for! Bush says he's confident.
Well, I don't give a damn if he is. I want him to competent, which he will never be!