Governor's of the Gulf Coast Not Using Nat. Guard

I just found this link from a commenter at BobCesca.com. This is just stupidity in action.

From the article at CBS.com:

Gov. Bobby Jindal's message has been loud and clear, using language such as "We will only be winning this war when we're actually deploying every resource," "They (the federal government) can provide more resources" and "It's clear the resources needed to protect our coast are still not here."

But nearly two months after the governor requested - and the Department of Defense approved the use of 6,000 Louisiana National Guard troops - only a fraction - 1,053 - have actually been deployed by Jindal to fight the spill.

-snip-

As of today, the federal government has authorized a total of 17,500 National Guard troops across four Gulf states, all to be paid for by BP.

But CBS News has learned that in addition to Louisiana's 1,053 troops of 6,000, Alabama has deployed 432 troops of 3,000 available. Even fewer have been deployed in Florida - 97 troops out of 2,500 - and Mississippi - 58 troops out of 6,000.

What is going on? These GOPer Governors are all saying the Federal Government needs to do more, yet the resources the President has given them are not being used.

It's believed officials in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi and are reluctant to use more troops because their presence could hurt tourism. In hardest-hit Louisiana, however, Jindal is pointing fingers.

"Actually we asked the White House to approve the initial 6,000," Jindal said. "What they came back and said is the Coast Guard and BP had to authorize individual tasks."

But Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander in charge of the government's response to the spill, said Jindal is just flat wrong.

"There is nothing standing in the governor's way from utilizing more National Guard troops," Allen said.

In fact, the Coast Guard says every request to use the National Guard has been approved, usually within a day. Now Jindal's office acknowledged to CBS News the governor has not specifically asked for more Guard troops to be deployed.

Whether it's simple confusion or the infusion of politics into the spill, the fact remains thousands of helping hands remain waiting to be used.

Why are they lying about the Guard when the Governor's are the ones responsible for utilizing them, after they have been approved by the Administration.

To me this is just another attempt to paint the President as not doing his job, at the expense of Gulf Coast residents... and politics. The GOPers want to point fingers at the President, yet here they are standing in the way of progress in cleaning up the oil.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Just politics as usual? Or something else keeping them from allowing the Guard to help.

Best Commentary To Jindal's Speech

Here is the best commentary to Jindal's Speech I could ever find. No other words need to be said.

Jindal's Big Night.. Big Failure For Him and the Party of NO!!!

I posted before about what has happened to the ones who gave the response to the President's Speech to the Joint Congress. It hasn't worked out well. Last night was certainly no exception.

After Jindal's less than stellar entry where he looked like gawky school boy, to the off cadence delivery of the lines, the entire speech was just a mishmash of lies and ignorance.

There is nowhere and no one who is said to have really liked the speech or the delivery, except the new RNC chairman Michael Steele. He said on Morning Joke this morning he thought it was great. He is the only one who put a positive spin on this disaster.

Here is what I found on Think Progress this morning:

Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) response to President Obama’s speech tonight received a universal thumbs down from the Fox News panelists, who are traditionally conservatives’ most gentle critics:

BRIT HUME: “The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal’s greatest oratorical moment.”

NINA EASTON: “The delivery was not exactly terrific.”

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: “Jindal didn’t have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He’s in a Reagan-esque league. … [Jindal] tried the best he could.”

JUAN WILLIAMS: “It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish.”

From talking about the failed Republican Administrations response to Katrina he used to cite failed government policies to claiming that Pres. Obama was planning to raise taxes, when he just signed the largest middle class tax cut ever, it was clear Jindal was really off base.

So, lets look at what has happened to the past responders to the President's Speech to the Joint Congress and how mostly that has not been the jumping off point, but the ending of their career in the National spotlight.

1994 – Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS) LOST '96 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, OUT OF POLITICS
1995 – Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) BECAME EPA ADMINISTRATOR, NOW OUT OF POLITICS
1996 – Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS) OUT OF POLITICS
1997 – Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) OUT OF POLITICS
1998 – Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) OUT OF POLITICS
1999 – Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) and Rep. Steven Largent (R-OK) DUNN IS DECEASED; LARGENT OUT OF POLITICS
2000 – Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. William Frist (R-TN) FRIST DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, OUT OF POLITICS
2001 – No response
2002 – Rep. Richard Gehphardt (D-MO) LOST BID FOR DEM NOMINATION IN '04, OUT OF POLITICS
2003 – Gov. Gary Locke (D-WA) NOMINEE FOR COMMERCE
2004 – Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) DASCHLE WAS DEFEATED IN '04, OUT OF POLITICS; PELOSI NOW HOUSE SPEAKER
2005 – Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) REID NOW SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
2006 – Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) STILL GOVERNOR, BUT ALSO DNC CHAIR
2007 – Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) Still in Senate
2008 – Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) Governor of Kansas

Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal to give Response to Pres. Obama, Will that be the end of his career?

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, one of the GOP's so called rising stars, is supposed to give the Republican response to Obama's address to Congress on Feb. 24. According to MSNBC's First Read, here is a list of what has happened to others who have given the response to the President.

With a massive audience after the president’s delivery, this response might seem like an ideal perch to move on to bigger and better things.That, however, has not always been the case. See these past responders.

1994 – Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS) LOST '96 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, OUT OF POLITICS
1995 – Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) BECAME EPA ADMINISTRATOR, NOW OUT OF POLITICS
1996 – Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS)
1997 – Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) OUT OF POLITICS
1998 – Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) OUT OF POLITICS
1999 – Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) and Rep. Steven Largent (R-OK DUNN IS DECEASED; LARGENT OUT OF POLITICS
2000 – Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. William Frist (R-TN) FRIST DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, OUT OF POLITICS
2001 – No response
2002 – Rep. Richard Gehphardt (D-MO) LOST BID FOR DEM NOMINATION IN '04, OUT OF POLITICS
2003 – Gov. Gary Locke (D-WA) OUT OF POLITICS
2004 – Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) DASCHLE WAS DEFEATED IN '04, OUT OF POLITICS; PELOSI NOW HOUSE SPEAKER
2005 – Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) REID NOW SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
2006 – Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) STILL GOVERNOR, BUT ALSO DNC CHAIR
2007 – Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) Still in Senate
2008 – Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) Governor of Kansas

So, it makes you wonder, does he know the history of this?? What does he have in mind? He stated he wasn't planning on running in 2012, but what about 2016?? Was he going to let Palin take her shot this time, then come back in 8 years and try his? That would make him 45 years old then. Or maybe he is planning on a few years in the Senate first, then making a run for the White House.

If that's the case, this may not be the way to do it.