Comments on: Sebelius warned Bush last year about Guard shortages.

By: JIMBO

JIMBO — Wed, 09 May 2007 06:55:31 +0000

Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and now Kansas. How many more states will the Chimperor boy King God destroy as he tries to build in Iraq his personal version of the United States?

Hey, Chimpy, focus away for a moment from Iraq to THIS COUNTRY. This is the United States of America, not the United States of Iraq.

And stop endangering women politicians with your laziness and trying to flirt with the Queen. She should have smacked your ass down.

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:41:47 +0000

Another crime by Bush&Co.
Remove the defenses of this nation and send them to fight yhour false war for oil in Iraq.
We are talking about the NATIONAL GUARD — one would think that means it applies to this nation – our country, and its defenses against invasion or disaster — but that thinking is pre-Bush.
As the war has dragged on and more and more soldiers leave for Iraq along with their equipment which never returns, we can easily see that the season of tornadoes, and hurricanes and floods will be met with fewer and fewer resources.
Thanks to Bush not only are we less safe from terrorism, but we are less able to rescue Americans during natural disasters.
Bush should be hanged.

By: beefeater

beefeater — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:12:57 +0000

Currently, the Kansas National Guard has 88 percent of its forces available, 60 percent of its Army Guard dual-use equipment on hand, and more than 85 percent of its Air Guard equipment on hand, said Randal Noller, public affairs officer for the National Guard Bureau. Under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a national partnership agreement that allows state-to-state assistance during governor or federally declared emergencies, Kansas has more than 400,000 Guardsmen available to it, he pointed out. However, Kansas has not yet requested assistance from other states.

By: m12

m12 — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:05:00 +0000

Actually, I got it from yahoo.com.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather_guard

Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the state’s adjutant general, said the Kansas National Guard was equipped to about 40 percent of its necessary levels, down from the 60 percent it had at the start of the war.

40% is 2/3 of 60%.

By: Geekfather

Geekfather — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:01:30 +0000

Thatâ€™s odd, given that they still had about 2/3 of the equipment that they had in 2003 at the start of the war.

Really?

Where did you get that stat? Karl Rove?

Here’s the real story from the KC Star:

â€œThe National Guard is one of our first responders. They donâ€™t have the equipment they need to come in, and it just makes it that much slower.â€

Col. Eric Peck of the Kansas National Guard said the most pressing shortage was in tractor-trailers for transporting heavy equipment used to clear debris.

Most of the heavy equipment is based in southeast Kansas, and some is in Wichita and Topeka. Ordinarily, the Guard would have more than 30 big trucks to transport that equipment. It now has fewer than 15, Peck said.

The Guard should have about 600 Humvees, but it has fewer than 400. It would usually have 170 medium tactical vehicles that are used to transport people and supplies, but it has fewer than 30. Because the tactical vehicles are some of the most advanced the Kansas Guard has, â€œtheyâ€™re in very high demand overseas,â€ he said.

Nearly 70 Kansas National Guard troops arrived in Greensburg on Monday to supplement about 40 already there, Watson said, and some Humvees were available to start clearing wreckage.

The Guard is also responding to flooding elsewhere in the state, but Peck said the truck shortage wouldnâ€™t stop the Guard from completing its missions.

But it will take longer, he said, because fewer trucks mean more trips.”

By: m12

m12 — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:55:19 +0000

#36

Interesting theory. Since Blanco has decided not to run for re-election, I guess someone is sticking the blame where it belongs.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:49:39 +0000

You are doing a heckuva job, Seby!

By: m12

m12 — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:49:11 +0000

#44

That’s odd, given that they still had about 2/3 of the equipment that they had in 2003 at the start of the war.

I guess Sebelius missed Governing 101 taught by Haley Barbour. who managed to respond to the Katrina devastation just fine.

So much for ‘The Buck Stops Here!’ Maybe she should try crying on national TV.

By: Not Canadian

Not Canadian — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:31:19 +0000

Calm down, this is part of Shrub’s grand, overall “plan” for all of us.

By: Geekfather

Geekfather — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:29:05 +0000

Crap… sorry… that was directed to #43, not #42.

By: Geekfather

Geekfather — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:28:26 +0000

# 42: We can handle “small” tornadoes just fine… when we have the equipment that is designated to use for emergencies. This was a large tornado that basically removed an entire town from existence, you insensitive clod.

By: m12

m12 — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:26:01 +0000

#13

Maybe they should worry about themselves and their state administrations.

How pathetic is the state if it cannot handle a small tornado?

By: KansasLiberal

KansasLiberal — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:46:14 +0000

#40 I would rather see Sebelius run for the Senate and take down Roberts or Brownback. That is what I am hoping for.

By: Geekfather

Geekfather — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:44:52 +0000

Me too, david! Only I was hoping for a Sebelius/Obama ticket.
;)

By: david

david — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:06:48 +0000

I’m hoping for an Obama/Sebelius ticket in 2008. I think she’d make a great VP. After Cheney, America needs a VP who can be trusted and doesn’t curdle milk just by looking at it.

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:34:59 +0000

No one could have imagined that Kansas would be hit by a tornadoâ€¦..

Comment by raynman â€” May 8, 2007 @ 10:19 am

Auntie Em, Auntie Em…there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home …

Really raynman, you don’t expect Bush to get into heavy literature like that do you?

By: Erroll

Erroll — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:26:17 +0000

This is simply another reason why articles of impeachment brought by Dennis Kucinich should be leveled against “The President, Vice President and other civil Officers” of this government who have comitted “high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

By: Art

Art — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:25:36 +0000

If you dare to challenge the president, then you are a “political hack”?
If you have questions about the way the government handles things, then you are a “clown” trying to “pass the buck”?

That is not what I call intelligent discourse.

By: VerbalKint

VerbalKint — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:15:08 +0000

By the way, Patrick-stupidest-troll-of-all, I think that about 72% of Americans are NEVER going to blame this on the governor of Kansas, any more than Americans blame Blanco for New Orleans. So the tack you are taking here is hopeless, a loser’s game. But loser you are, sir, loser you are.

By: VerbalKint

VerbalKint — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:12:17 +0000

Patrick defends Bush like a mindless automaton. There is nothing Bush can do that Patrick won’t defend.

Why is that, Patrick?