Shoving posse comitatus aside

The federal government did such a great job during Katrina, Rita, and Ike, didn't it!  So great that we should shoulder posse comitatus out of the way and apply the Pentagon's management to domestic crises.  So here we go:

"Last Monday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates ordered defense officials to review whether the military, Guard and reserves can respond adequately to domestic disasters. Gates gave commanders 25 days to propose changes and cost estimates."

Of course, that's against the original law.

"The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure that any activity (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment or detail of any personnel) under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in a search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law."

Not surprisingly, "terrorism" was turned into a political tool the moment Republicans regained the White House in 1980.  The expansion of executive powers had become a prime if not totally overriding goal once the resentful out-party was back in charge.  You remember Dick Cheney?  Right!  So now we live in a time in which politicians of yet another Republican executive branch apply the word "terrorism" to any activity which threatens their political preeminence.  In that spirit, the Bush administration's mega-agency, the Department of Homeland Security, now concludes that limitations on federal troops are inconvenient and posse comitatus a "myth."

"Under both the statutory and constitutional exceptions that have permitted the use of the military in law enforcement since 1980, the president has ample authority to employ the military in homeland defense against the threat of weapons of mass destruction in terrorist hands."

Of course, if they're wrong, they can plan on spending some time in the hoosegow.