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Editorial See other Editorial Articles Title: Power Grab / Bush Asks Too Much Of The States And The Guard Wednesday, August 23, 2006 President Bush's quest to extend his control over National Guard troops for disaster relief should be stopped in Congress. That's not just our opinion: Governors of all 50 states and Puerto Rico feel the same way, according to their letter to congressional leaders. With good reason, the governors are up in bipartisan arms over a provision in a military authorization bill that would give the president the authority -- without state consent -- to federalize guard troops in the case of a disaster. "This provision was drafted without consultation or input from governors," the letter says, "and represents an unprecedented shift in authority from governors ... to the federal government." After 31/2 years of overextending the National Guard to prop up the stumbling military effort in Iraq, Mr. Bush, himself a former governor, should have a greater appreciation for what these 440,000 citizen soldiers can reasonably be expected to accomplish. Instead, the president seeks more federal control, in contrast to the guard's historic origin as state militias that are ready to respond to local emergencies under the governors' control. Little wonder that some state chief executives resisted Mr. Bush's order last spring to supply troops to assist federal agents with immigration security at the Mexican border. In addition, the federal government's tardy and anemic response to Hurricane Katrina a year ago reinforces the view that governors -- not Washington politicians or bureaucrats -- are better equipped to decide when to call out the guard in the event of disaster. In short, Mr. Bush has been relentless in consolidating presidential power, but he hasn't established that he knows how to use it prudently or effectively. When Katrina blew through the Gulf Coast a year ago, governors of those states found, to their chagrin, that National Guard resources were diminished because so many units were deployed in Iraq, and that up to two-thirds of their equipment was overseas. A report last October by the Government Accountability Office bolstered that view. Mr. Bush's shortsighted decision to deploy guard and military reserve units as front-line troops in his war of choice leaves fewer personnel to protect the home front from far more dangerous and unpredictable contingencies -- natural and man-made disasters. Congress should not reward the president for ill-considered policies by now giving him authority to commandeer the National Guard.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
The Bushco seem to intend to do whatever it can to stay in power forever, with as much of the globe under their dominion. That is the New World Order.
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