Governors resist Pentagon efforts to seize state control

Rumors of impending martial law can no longer be relegated to the tin foil ramblings of dirty bearded men who direct traffic in the streets. The public got their first official clue last October when Congressman Brad Sherman disclosed that House members were told there would be martial law in America if they voted "no" on the bailout.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted National Level Exercises on U.S. soil in late July 2009.

So it comes as no surprise to read in The Hill that two governors, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D), oppose a new Defense Department proposal to seize control of state autonomy and command in an emergency. The governors wrote a letter to the Pentagon and told them to shove it where the sun don't shine.

"Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), chairman of the National Governors Association, and Vice Chairman Gov. Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia penned a letter opposing the Pentagon proposal, which they said would hinder a state's effort to respond to a disaster."

The letter comes as the Pentagon proposes a "legislative fix that would give the secretary of Defense the authority to assist in response to domestic disasters and, consequently, control over units stationed in an affected state" -- Orwellian double-talk for federally sanctioned martial law.

"We are concerned that the legislative proposal you discuss in your letter would invite confusion on critical command and control issues, complicate interagency planning, establish stove-piped response efforts, and interfere with governors’ constitutional responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of their citizens," Douglas and Manchin wrote to Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and America's Security Affairs.