Braised Lambchop
a nurse trying to work while suffering with chronic pain - she rambles a bit

Excellent post (and comments) at TPMCafe noting the Department of Homeland Security's mandate to take a proactive role in managing a Incident of National Significance such as the aftermath of Katrina.

Today the Bush administration attempted to shift the blame for its delayed response to the Gulf Coast. Everyone but the federal government itself seems to be at fault; Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin have been blamed for failing to ask for help sooner (Blanco declared a state of emergency on August 26), and Bush himself praised FEMA director Michael Brown Friday by saying, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," words that were unbelievably met with applause among the self-congratulatory politicians present in the Mobile, Alabama Coast Guard hangar.

Blanco and Nagin aren't at fault for lack of competency by DHS.Here is a link to the NRP, the National Response Plan (PDF file, requires Acrobat Reader).

A portion of the relevant text (emphasis added):

The NRP establishes policies, procedures, and mechanisms for proactive Federal response to catastrophic events. A catastrophic event is any natural or manmade incident, including terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions. A catastrophic event could result in sustained national impacts over a prolonged period of time; almost immediately exceeds resources normally available to State, local, tribal, and private-sector authorities in the impacted area; and significantly interrupts governmental operations and emergency services to such an extent that national security could be threatened. All catastrophic events are Incidents of National Significance.

Implementation of Proactive Federal Response Protocols

Protocols for proactive Federal response are most likely to be implemented for catastrophic events involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive weapons of mass destruction, or large magnitude earthquakes or other natural or technological disasters in or near heavily populated areas.

Guiding Principles for Proactive Federal Response

Guiding principles for proactive Federal response include the following:

The primary mission is to save lives; protect critical infrastructure, property, and the environment; contain the event; and preserve national security.

Standard procedures regarding requests for assistance may be expedited or, under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude.

Identified Federal response resources will deploy and begin necessary operations as required to commence life-safety activities.

Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources. States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments regarding a proactive Federal response.

State and local governments are encouraged to conduct collaborative planning with the Federal Government as a part of "steady-state" preparedness for catastrophic incidents.

It is Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's responsibility to head this recovery effort and to be proactive in doing so -- and he is unable to grasp the magnitude of the task in front of him. Why? In large part because of Bush's own complacency and refusal to deal with the unfolding crisis while he was on vacation.

Instead of immediately returning from Crawford to organize relief efforts, Bush flew to the west coast to give a speech on World War II and Iraq, cut a cake with John McCain, and play a presidential guitar given to him by a country music singer. Only on Wednesday did Bush deign to grace Louisiana and Mississippi with his presence, and even then it was a fly-over in Air Force One. His first public address, two days after the crisis began, was a unfeeling laundry list of numbers of supplies that were 'on their way,' with no words of comfort for evacuees; he even chuckled during that speech. Bush continued to joke and laugh his way through his tour of the areas Friday, giggling about his past inebriation in New Orleans. He even seemed to think that poor Trent Lott was the only victim who lost his house!

My rage at this callous, cold, spoiled brat cannot be expressed in words. Bush and his cronies blame everyone but themselves for mistakes that cost thousands of lives. That we're stuck with him for three more years has spurred us to stock up on emergency supplies -- because we're convinced Bush could indeed be the end of this country. I hope we're wrong -- but I'm terrified he's such a huge fuck-up he'll destroy us.