Didn't get the memo

The Carpet Bagger has this: Northern Command isn't happy (emphasis mine):

'Northcom started planning before the storm even hit. We were ready when it hit Florida, because, as you remember, it hit the bottom part of Florida, and then we were planning once it was pointed towards the Gulf Coast.

'So, what we did, we activated what we call 'defense coordinating officers' to work with the states to say, 'OK, what do you think you will need?' And we set up staging bases that could be started.

'We had the USS Bataan sailing almost behind the hurricane so once the hurricane made landfall, its search and rescue helicopters could be available almost immediately So, we had things ready.

'The only caveat is: we have to wait until the president authorizes us to do so. The laws of the United States say that the military can't just act in this fashion; we have to wait for the president to give us permission.'

Apparently, that's two memos that this guy didn't get... one authorizing his crew to engage in the rescue, and the second from Karl Rove with the latest set of WH talking points laying all the blame on the state and local governments... the one that Rep. Boustany (R-LA) seems to have received today:

Boustany three days ago:

Rep. Charles W. Boustany Jr., (R-La.), said he spent the past 48 hours urging the Bush administration to send help. "I started making calls and trying to impress upon the White House and others that something needed to be done," he said. "The state resources were being overwhelmed, and we needed direct federal assistance, command and control, and security -- all three of which are lacking."

Boustany today:

BOUSTANY: most of the red tape and problems have been at the state level. I have to say that the federal response has been focused on new orleans with search and rescue operations which is going very, very well at this stage. but we've had a completely ineffectual state response and this is being borne by the local communities to help now. and I have asked the president to take this into consideration, consider that the state response is completely ineffectual and the full range of social and health care needs needs to be met.

Something tells me that Karl's campaign to lay the blame at the feet of the state and local governments is going to fall flat when it comes to dispatching DoD resources. The Northcom command had done all of the planning and preparation, had communicated this up the foodchain to Rummy, all Bush had to do was to give the order. He failed to do so.

Bush == Miserable Failure