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S U N D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 0 4 , 2 0 0 5NY Times: Bush Severely Damaged NationalGuardby Michael in New York on
9/04/2005 06:45:00 PMEchoing our posting "Is This Disaster Natural Or Man-Made?,"the New York Times in an editorial called "Man-Made Disaster"makes clear what many of us have been saying for years: thatBush has cavalierly damaged our nation's security with hisbackdoor draft of the National Guard and Army Reserve.Because Bush abused their trust and went back on the compactbetween this country and those brave volunteers, many fewerretiring soldiers will sign up for these groups in the future(Louisiana is at about 45% short of its goal this year in signingup new recruits). That's going to weaken our nation's securityand ability to respond in case of terrorist attack or naturaldisaster for DECADES to come.Here's the NYT, which adds that obviously ALL the availableGuards should have been activated before the storm struck:Things would have been even worse if a comparabledomestic disaster had struck last year, when an evengreater percentage of National Guard units weredeployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some states hadmore than two-thirds of their Guard forces overseas.After several governors protested, the Pentagonagreed to adjust its force rotations so no state would bestripped of more than half of its guardsmen at any onetime. That promise has been kept so far. But honoring it inthe months ahead will be extremely difficult withactive-duty forces so badly overstretched in Iraq, andprospects for any significant early withdrawals lookingbleak.One lasting lesson that has to be drawn from the GulfCoast's misery is that from now on, the National Guardmust be treated as America's most essentialhomeland security force, not as some kind of militarypiggy bank for the Pentagon to raid for long-termoverseas missions. America clearly needs a largeractive-duty Army. It just as clearly needs ahomeland-based National Guard that's fully prepared andready for any domestic emergency.
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
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9/04/2005 06:45:00 PMEchoing our posting "Is This Disaster Natural Or Man-Made?,"the New York Times in an editorial called "Man-Made Disaster"makes clear what many of us have been saying for years: thatBush has cavalierly damaged our nation's security with hisbackdoor draft of the National Guard and Army Reserve.Because Bush abused their trust and went back on the compactbetween this country and those brave volunteers, many fewerretiring soldiers will sign up for these groups in the future(Louisiana is at about 45% short of its goal this year in signingup new recruits). That's going to weaken our nation's securityand ability to respond in case of terrorist attack or naturaldisaster for DECADES to come.Here's the NYT, which adds that obviously ALL the availableGuards should have been activated before the storm struck:Things would have been even worse if a comparabledomestic disaster had struck last year, when an evengreater percentage of National Guard units weredeployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some states hadmore than two-thirds of their Guard forces overseas.After several governors protested, the Pentagonagreed to adjust its force rotations so no state would bestripped of more than half of its guardsmen at any onetime. That promise has been kept so far. But honoring it inthe months ahead will be extremely difficult withactive-duty forces so badly overstretched in Iraq, andprospects for any significant early withdrawals lookingbleak.One lasting lesson that has to be drawn from the GulfCoast's misery is that from now on, the National Guardmust be treated as America's most essentialhomeland security force, not as some kind of militarypiggy bank for the Pentagon to raid for long-termoverseas missions. America clearly needs a largeractive-duty Army. It just as clearly needs ahomeland-based National Guard that's fully prepared andready for any domestic emergency.
Add New CommentYou are commenting as a Guest. You may select one to log into:
Daily KosHypocrisy Watch - Tennessee Edition - Next stop, ahiking trip on the Appalachia Trail: Meet Tennesseestate senator Paul Stanley. He's a solidconservative Republican and married father of t...16 minutes ago
HuffPost PoliticsCheney, Bush Officials, Considered Using TheMilitary To Arrest Terror Suspects In U.S. -WASHINGTON Top Bush administration officials in2002 debated testing the Constitution by sendingAmerican troops into the suburbs of Buffalo toarrest a grou...17 minutes ago
Crooks and LiarsActual Facts About The Henry Louis Gates Case -DOWNLOADS: (62) [image: Download WMV][image: Download Quicktime] PLAYS: (225)[image: Play WMV] [image: Play Quicktime] TheHenry Louis Gates sit...57 minutes ago
FiredoglakeThe Ghoulish Old Party - The Republican position ina nutshell: Most of them know there's a crisis, andthey just don't care. It doesn't matter what's bestfor the country, only wh...1 hour ago
AMERICAblog GayE. Lynn Harris Dies - NYT: E. Lynn Harris, thebest-selling author of novels that addressedquestions of identity and sexuality among blackmen, has died, his publicist told Th...2 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
1 of 57/25/09 12:09 AM
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Visit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 329 videos >I collect with
vodpod
Southern Poverty LawCenter calls on CNN to
A two minute explanationof the warped and cynical
The economy is better.But....
Judge order San Diego toget rid of the seals
Massive brawl in SouthKorean parliament
Mormons may havesecretly baptizedNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
2 of 57/25/09 12:09 AM
Ezra KleinTab Dump3 hours agoWonk RoomF-22 Killed BySeven-Meme Voltron3 hours agoNYCeveHuge victories: Maloney& Pingree - Health CareHeroes, Clyburnreceives petition - video4 hours agoDaily DoseWill Doctors in theHouse, SenateInfluence Debate?5 hours agoThe TreatmentDoes the GOP ReallyHave an AlternativePlan in the Works?5 hours agoG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
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Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
3 of 57/25/09 12:09 AM
S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
4 of 57/25/09 12:09 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: NY Ti...http://www.americablog.com/2005/09/ny-times-bush-severely-...
5 of 57/25/09 12:09 AM