Obama’s Council of Governors

On January 11th, 2010 with virtually no fanfare or public announcement President Obama created by executive order what will amount to a hand picked governor panel for issues of homeland defense.

This executive order¹ creates a hand picked panel of 10 governors for the stated purpose of exchanging “views, information, or advice” on:

(a) Matters involving the National Guard of the various States;

(b) Homeland defense;

(c) Civil support;

(d) Synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and

(e) Other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities.

Obviously the federal government is charged with the defense of the nation. The assistance provided by the states through the National Guard (a Federal military Reserve element) is well known. We have a newly formed “combatant command” called Northern Command that is tasked for providing military support in defense of the homeland who is partnered with Canadian Command – another combatant command from Canada to assist Northern Command in its duties to support the civil authorities.

With all this manpower, equipment, intelligence and material support what further need does the federal government have with creating a council for homeland defense made up of state Governors?

Logically one would have to think that there would be a “reason” that necessitated this particular move at this particular time. After all we would not assume that the federal government is creating a council and utilizing resources and manpower without having some idea that it will be needed.

Let’s take a look at the short list above that these governors are going to provide input on:

Matters involving the National Guard: This is not new; in fact this has been going on as long as we have had a National Guard. In fact every year the President and the Department of Defense receive reports from the Governors on the status of the Guard and there is a very open dialogue between the President and the Governors where the Guard is concerned. Unless there is perceived usage of the guard that the President may think may be of particular concern – Posse Comitatus comes to mind.

Homeland Defense: This is interesting; we have an entire billion dollar department of homeland defense that receives daily intelligence from around the world. They have departments involved in military, national police bureaus, intelligence, Border Patrol, and are linked up to a number of state intelligence centers. The Governors on the other hand are not privy to the inner workings of the Department of Homeland Defense and the information it has so I am at a loss as to how input from a group of people that have virtually no information on the issues concerning homeland defense will be that helpful. That is of course unless I am wrong in thinking that our federal government believes the enemy is OUTSIDE our borders.

Civil Support: This is always an interesting topic when it comes to the federal government and I won’t even start with the whole federal jurisdiction issue. But let's take a look at what areas or fields of support we are talking about. We have the first issue above, the National Guard, along with Homeland Defense. Both issues thus far seem to deal with military issues. The next area we are going to talk about is also military oriented; one can only assume that the preponderance of evidence provided within the Executive Order denotes that it is military civil support, which is one of the missions that NORTHCOM has been tasked with – providing military support to civil authorities, and a combat team at that.

The most disconcerting is the Synchronization and integration of state and Federal military activities in the United States. Sounds very ominous to me and licks of the initial creation of a national/military police force comprised of military and police agencies under the direction of the federal. After all when we look at the term integrate we find that it is to “form or blend into a whole².” At a minimum this breaks the barrier of the state sovereignty and 10th Amendment separation of powers which was designed by our founders as a barrier from federal over reaching.

And lastly other matters of mutual interest dealing with the above listed items -- whatever that may be!

Obviously there is nothing that happens in Washington, at this level, unless it is planned that way. It is no mistake that every issue being discussed has to deal with military action; but what military action and where? Is there some impending attack upon our nation that would require the Governors input in thwarting? Or is the target of this federal outreach already here?

When we marry this with another recent presidential edict of granting immunity to INTERPOL for any actions performed within the United States the plot seems to thicken just a bit. But trying to put all the pieces together is leading some to believe that these actions are a direct assault on state sovereignty and the separation of powers.

Although this council was established by executive order it is based upon Section 1822 of the National Defense Authorization Act 2008 directing the president to create this council. Though President Bush declined to do so and President Obama waited nearly a full year before doing so. What is quite interesting is that the impetus for Congress to add this council was to “…direct input on National Guard issues to the executive branch” not as a mechanism of integrating them.

When we combine the relationships between NORTHCOM with the addition of combat troops, CANCOM mission of assisting with civil support, and the integration of police and military powers within the states it gives any sane thinking individual reason for pause and raises the question who the hell do they think the enemy is?

People there comes a time when you watch the pieces on the puzzle board being moved about and set in place and even when the puzzle is still not complete you begin to get a pretty good idea what it is. The more I see of what is going on in this country and what is being put in place the picture I see is not one of freedom and liberty.

Having worked within the military, at various levels, I have developed a pretty good idea of how and why things move the way they do. There is always a goal, a mission, or an end state that is behind every move of the federal government. Many of the moves I see being put into place by the federal government are looking inward and combine that with the Department of Homeland Security, and police powers integrated with the Military, all for operations within the borders of this country and I have to question the motives and intent of those actions.

Again, if so much attention, manpower, organization, and agreements are focused within these borders for admittedly “defensive” reasons; who are the enemy they are focusing on? As Walt Kelly’s comic character Pogo announced: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Or so it appears!

Related Articles:

1- New Obama Executive Order Angers US Constitutionalists

Michael LeMieux was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma in 1956 and graduated from Weber State University in Utah with a degree in Computer Science. He served in both the US Navy and US Army (Active duty and National Guard) and trained in multiple intelligence disciplines and was a qualified paratrooper. He served with the 19th Special Forces Group, while in the National Guard, as a Special Forces tactical intelligence team member. He served tours to Kuwait and Afghanistan where he received the Purple Heart for injuries received in combat.

Mr. LeMieux left military duty at the end of 2005 after being medically discharged with over 19 years of combined military experience. He currently works as an intelligence contractor to the US government.

Michael is a strict constitutionalist who believes in interpreting the constitution by the original intent of the founding fathers. His research has led him to the conclusion that the republic founded by the Constitution is no longer honored by our government. That those who rule America today are doing so with the interest of the federal government in mind and not the Citizens. Michael believes that all three branches of government have strayed far from the checks and balances built into the Constitution and they have failed the American people. A clear example is the Second Amendment, which the Supreme Court and the founders have all said was an individual right and could not be "infringed" upon, now has more than 20,000 state and federal laws regulating every aspect of the individuals right, a definite infringement. He has traveled around the world living in 14 States of the Union including Hawaii, and visited (for various lengths of time) in Spain, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Korea, Scotland, Pakistan, Mauritius, Somalia, Diego Garcia, Australia, Philippines, England, Italy, Germany, and Puerto Rico.

Michael now lives in Nebraska with his wife, two of his three children, Mother-in-Law and grandchild. His hobbies include shooting, wood-working, writing, amateur inventor and scuba diving when he can find the time.

Contact Michael through his Website: www.constitutiondenied.com

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