March 17, 2008 (part2)

Normally I would have added this to the previous blog for the same day, but this is so important that I felt compelled to make it its own.

I did a little homework to find Directive 51. The good news is that it is not a secret directive, it is there on the White House web site.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

It is not very long for a government document but it outlines the "continuity" of government in case of a "catastrophic emergency." After reading through the document, with Annexes as classified, it is not possible to ascertain the doom and gloom outlook of my posting from March 14. However, careful inspection of the document that states:

(9) Recognizing that each branch of the Federal Government is responsible for its own continuity programs, an official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President shall ensure that the executive branch's COOP [Continuity of Operations] and COG [Continuity of Government] policies in support of ECG [Enduring Constitutional Government] efforts are appropriately coordinated with those of the legislative and judicial branches in order to ensure interoperability and allocate national assets efficiently to maintain a functioning Federal Government.

But, in defining "Enduring Constitutional Government", the directive gives the President the authority to coordinate the continuity plans of the three branches, and places the Secretary of Homeland Security at the forefront of the effort for the Executive Branch. As a result, one should be skeptical as to the legitimacy of the "continuation of Constitutional government" when all efforts will be directed by the Department of Homeland Security which consistently hides behind the USA PATRIOT Act and the abused idea of "executive privilege.