Take a deep whiff

I spent the first quarter century of my life growing among the shit-covered farm fields of Lancaster County. My schools were surrounded by them, and in the spring the smell wafting in on what would normally have been a fragrant spring breeze was enough to make even us sturdy locals gag.

The stank coming from 1600 Pennsylvania NW and the truth-twisting support network it has is far, far worse.

Most odious of everything that's going on (and there's a lot of odious stuff going on) is this claim being fronted by the heads of FEMA, DHS, and every right-wing blogger out there that the federal government had to play second fiddle to the local governments in Katrina relief operations. Had to. You know, states rights and all that.

I call bullshit.

In June 1963, then again in September that same year, President Kennedy nationalized the National Guard troops to effect the integration of Alabama schools after Governor Wallace literally stood in the doorway of state schools preventing black students from entering.

So, it could be fair to say that in a time of great national need, the President would have the authority to nationalize the Guard.

It would also be fair to say the President fiddled while Rome burned.

It would also be fair to say that the heads of DHS and FEMA are incompetent.