(Washington Times) President Bush yesterday sought to federalize hurricane-relief efforts, removing governors from the decision-making process. "It wouldn't be necessary to get a request from the governor or take other action," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said yesterday. "This would be," he added, "more of an automatic trigger." Mr. McClellan was referring to a new, direct line of authority that would allow the president to place the Pentagon in charge of responding to natural disasters, terrorist attacks and outbreaks of disease.

Bush is slowly centralizing power under the heavy criticism from the Left of federal reactions to events. I think this is a very scary direct violation of state’s rights, and an incredible increase in the already over-extended federal governmental powers. Every time we ask the government to solve a problem for us, we loose a little bit more of our freedoms. The America we grew up in seems to be changing; all the good intentions are leading us for the worse.