WTF - All branches of government evacuated. The President is not informed?

[Nordic65]

Seriously, what is going on?

RED ALERT (it doesn't go any higher than that) - The White House (including his wife for some 30 odd years and the mother of his children), The Capitol (both houses of Congress) and The Supreme Court are evacuated. All the Principals (except those at The Pentagon) are sent on their way to secure locations (even house minority leader Pelosi), and the President of The United States is not informed?

Aside for the fact that he, the President, was not in any personal danger, RED ALERT is an indication that somehow, some were, somebody actually felt that the present situation warranted a response akin to a big, fucking imminent terrorist attack on Washington DC. But he was not informed.

One possible answer is a temporary loss of communication between The White House and the President riding his bicycle (not very likely). Another, maybe more plausible, is a very bad call on the part of his entourage, to not inform the President.

Both options are equally disturbing for one fact, and one fact only - a whopping lack of chain of command. There is, in no way possible, that all options of response to this perceived threat excluded the involvement of the President. It's simply not believable. But still, he was not informed.

As it turned out, there was no danger. But who could have known? Once the really big, red, "expect the worst", alarm-button was activated, all options was laid on the table. And, as 9-11 showed, time is the single most important ting that you cannot waste in a situation like that.

Nobody, but nobody, knew for sure that this was a false alarm until the "All clear" was declared after some 10 - 15 minutes. By that time downtown DC could have been reduced to nothing more than a piece of rubble. Sure, there must have been standard operating procedures in place to allow action without the Presidents consent in such emergencies. But even so, to not inform him as soon as possibly, seems to me, like a total breakdown of the concept of responsibility.

One might ask; Why even bother to have a President if you don't even care to inform him of a possible imminent terrorist attack against his own residence?

Another valid question to ask is; What, if anything, warrants the attention of the President of The United States? Facing, in lieu of 9-11, a perceived clear and present danger to Washington DC, including all the major institutions of government, and you let him cycle on into the sunset as if nothing matters.

Who is this guy?

[crispini]

1. Just goes to show what we all know.

He's not really the president, now, is he. He's just a figurehead.

[Nordic65]

4. Ok, but who is then the real President?

Dick "drop dead anytime" Cheney? Who would put all their bets on his less than reliable heart?

[Demit]

2. He had to project an air of calm in front of the wildlife

You know, like in the classroom on 9/11.

[lapfog_1]

3. The obvious conclusion

is that things WORKED AS PLANNED and that Georgie boyking
really isn't very important to this administration. So why
bother him with this... after all, (vice) PRESIDENT Cheney
WAS quickly evacuated to his lair.

[EVDebs]

5. Check out the book "Codenames". Power Geyser martial law

Through FEMA. Martial law is on autopilot nowadays...

BTW, Nixon started this around the watergate days with the Huston Plan. Ollie North revived it during Iran-Contra and now the completed 7 Days In May scenario of unconstitutional martial law through FEMA is described in the back pages of the book Codenames by William Arkin

http://www.codenames.org/

[Nordic65]

6. OK, but somebody has to run FEMA

Who are they answering to?

I'm guessing The Office of The President of The United States, whom they didn't care to inform.

[LizW]

7. Remember when the X-Files movie came out several years ago?

There was a scene in it where the character played by Martin Landau explained to Fox Mulder how "it will happen on a weekend, or a holiday, when people are away from their homes." He said FEMA had the power to declare martial law and suspend the Constitution.

When the movie came out, FEMA issued a statement making fun of the movie and pointedly claiming that it had no basis in fact.

Funny how they couldn't just ignore a movie about space aliens and conspiracy theory. They HAD to respond. :eyes:

[Nordic65]

8. FEMA = Majestic 12 ?

That would be cool, but you know, these guys, whoever they are, ignored the elected (at least officially) President.

Some 60 odd million people might feel a little bit cheated on. Not that they would ever know...

[EVDebs]

12. See page 12 of 49 for the FPCs showing what Arkin called Martial Law

http://www.codenames.org/ArkinsContingencyPlans.pdf

"FEMA Martial Law ? FPC/FPE 6"

I haven't read the book but Power Geyser appears to be the continuity thing. All very extra-Constitutional.

[Paintedlady]

9. I can think of two reasons

Everybody, not just us here on DU thinks chimpy is a moron. Because of that, there would be no reason to inform him since he wouldn't know what to do anyway.
If I had an emergency, bush would be the last person on the planet I would call since he would most likely just make the whole situation worse.

The second reason would be that the whole thing was a scheduled event, and bushie was supposed to be bicycling to look totally innocent again.

[Nordic65]

11. Very good answer - and that is the whole problem

Why, why, is this illogical sequence of events involving the President of The United States and his lack of involvement in a perceived terrorist attack against his own residence, some 24 hours later, already gone from the minds of the minions?

[Blue Belle]

10. They didn't tell Bush...

for fear that it might startle him and cause him to crash his bike - that might do some real damage.