It looks like we're in for another round of knee-jerk overreaction in Washington. We were against the formation of the Dept. of Homeland Security after 9/11, reasoning that the addition of yet another layer of bureacracy wouldn't be helpful.

From the Washington Post, Bush Urges Shift in Relief Responsibilities:

...Bush is asking Congress to consider a major change, potentially shifting federal responsibility for major natural disasters from the Department of Homeland Security to the nation's top military generals. The Defense Department has been hesitant to take such a role because of sensitivity to the idea of adopting a police presence on U.S. soil and because of strains on the armed forces from the war in Iraq...

So now hurricane Katrina showed some problems at FEMA, and the response is what? To take emergency management, the sole reason for FEMA's existence, away from FEMA? Then why not eliminate FEMA altogether? Or fold them into DoD, and give them a small cubicle in the basement? All because it took a couple of days to get a handle on a huge catastrophe in a city that was chaotic before the disaster hit? The idea only makes sense as a buttcheek covering maneuver, not as a serious policy revision.

The military's primary mission is to defend the nation against our enemies. There's a role for them to assist in large disasters, but in general, what's needed is a competent federal agency tasked with assisting local and state officials during and after large-scale disasters. We could name it the "Federal Emergency Management Agency." What? Such an organization already exists, you say? Under that exact name even? Great, then no need to re-invent the wheel here. Just make sure the agency has a clear mission and comepetent leadership. No need to overreact.

James Joyner at Outside the Beltway nails it here:

...We'd never think of putting amateurs with little substantive expertise in those positions; given the high cost of failure at FEMA, we can't do it there, either. During natural disasters, FEMA should be the lead agency; it should only be subordinate to Homeland Security during terrorist attacks and the like.

FEMA is and should remain a coordinating body. The military, especially the National Guard, will of course have to be utilized because it alone has the massive manpower and lift resources to get parts of the relief mission done quickly. But its role should always be ancilliary for domestic matters unless there is an enemy attack.

More analysis from Austin Bay.