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New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered a mandatory evacuation, while Governor Kathleen Blanco claimed only she has that authority. Fox News analyst Andrew Napolitano called the turf battle "absolutely insane." He also declared that mandatory evacuation is patently illegal. "Government officials have the Constitutional right to get people out of the streets, but they don't have the right to get people out of their own homes unless there is a warrant. You have the right to starve yourself to death." The Factor disagreed, arguing that people can be forced to leave if they pose a health hazard to others. "The Mayor is framing this as a public health issue, and he's right. Your house can be condemned if there is toxic waste on it."

On a related topic, Fox News military analyst Col. Bill Cowan has been investigating whether Governor Blanco called in the National Guard before the hurricane. "I talked with people in the National Guard, and they are under a gag order. Somebody's hiding something. But in defense of the Guard, two days before Katrina hit they were looking at what kind of equipment they had, and what kind of plan they might have to put into effect." The Factor called on Governor Blanco to step up and tell the truth. "It's a very simple question - did you order the Guard in there, Governor Blanco? And if not, why not? We can't get an answer."

New Orleans police are slowly regaining control of the city, and Deputy Chief Warren Riley claimed that morale is improving. "Things are getting better on a daily basis. Medical teams have been in, and shots have been administered." Riley vowed that his department will prosecute those who terrorized post-hurricane New Orleans. "We're going to pursue some of them, especially those who were involved in firearms violations. We will vigorously pursue those who had weapons." The Factor commended the police for working under horrific conditions, and urged that thugs be brought to justice. "You have videotape of a lot of these people, so I hope you track them down and get them because they're the lowest."

A child advocacy group estimates that hundreds of children are still unaccounted for in the hurricane zone. Ernie Allen laid out the magnitude of the problem. "We created a national Katrina missing persons hotline and have already handled more than 5,400 calls. The good news is that we've reunited 125 children with their families. We think there are hundreds, maybe thousands of children who are missing or who we don't know where their parents are." The Factor urged all Americans to report anything they know about missing children or parents. "They can call the hotline (1-888-544-5475) or go to the web site (www.missingkids.com) and provide the information. We absolutely want to solve as many of these problems as we can."

There have been calls for a commission to investigate Katrina and its aftermath, a suggestion Fox News analyst Michelle Malkin asserted would be a waste of time. "I want to know the truth, but the kind of commission being called for by Hillary Clinton and others is not one that would find the truth. She said it would be modeled after the 9/11 Commission, which was a complete circus. This is the last thing Katrina victims need." The Factor countered that a properly-formed commission could be of great value. "Don't you want to know the truth - who screwed up? If I were President, I would appoint five retired generals who would form the commission. If we could put it in the military's hands, I think we could learn what happened."

The response to Hurricane Katrina has led to charges of racism - rapper Kanye West, for one, accused President Bush of not caring about blacks. Elinor Tatum of the Amsterdam News concurred with that assessment. "It is evident that he does not care about some people as much as he does about others. If these people had not been black and poor, things would have moved much more quickly." When challenged by The Factor to provide a specific example of Bush's alleged racism, Tatum could only respond that his "No Child Left Behind" initiative is under-funded. Columnist Deroy Murdock pointed out that education funding has risen dramatically under President Bush, and his hurricane response was defensible. "The idea that he doesn't care about black people is really bizarre. The President pushed Governor Blanco to order an evacuation and declared a state of emergency." The Factor cautioned against hurling reckless accusations. "If you're going to say that Bush is against blacks, you've got to have a solid reason, and I haven't heard it. You can't assume the worst without evidence."

University of Wisconsin professor Roberto Coronado admitted to sexually assaulting three little girls, yet continued to earn his $138,000 salary while in prison. Finally, three weeks after The Factor reported on the outrage, he has been taken off the payroll. Radio host Casey Hoff reported that two other UW professors have also been convicted of sexual offenses. "These guys have committed horrendous crimes. Chancellor John Wiley cares more about reducing binge drinking than he does about pedophiles." The Factor accused Wiley and other college administrators of tolerating outrageous behavior by some professors. "All of these pinhead college presidents hide. They should be told to clean this up or resign."

Tony Hicks, Fort Wayne, IN: "Mr. O, it appears a supply/demand curve has never crossed your desk. As a home builder, should buyers not purchase my homes on Sundays?"

Jeff McGinnis, Ohio: "Bill, you communist! Your attack on the oil industry couldn't have been made better by the socialists like Paul Krugman. Let the market determine the price."

Rick Phillips, Richland, WA: "Hey, Mr. O, I am married with three kids making about 15 bucks an hour. The gas price surge is hurting us badly."

Tim Wuebben, Onalaska, WI: "Bill, I would have thought a top gun like you would have a much better understanding of finance."

Brian Brodeur, New York, NY: "Bill, your attempt to blame Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin was a new low. You obviously are trying to spin away blame from our incompetent federal government."

Dave Rothman, Cyprus, CA: "Bill, the way you are covering for Governor Blanco indicates you must think she is simply training for her job."

Karl Tauscher, Glendale, AZ: "Bill, constant attempts to put all the blame on President Bush are laughable."