When the power’s out, the power grab’s on: Tucked away in an obscure article on GovExec.com today was a disturbing little aside that bodes ill for state and local officials trying to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane. As if it weren’t bad enough that the National Secret Agency is spying on American citizens and the Federal Bureau of Invasion has commandeered the offices of the House of Representatives and the Whitewash House thinks the Constitution is something that applies to everybody but the president, we’re now looking at threats to “federalize” disaster response in the event that some local or state yahoo thinks the gubmint should butt out of hurricane recovery efforts until it’s actually needed.

The article reports on a hearing held Thursday where federal officials were encouraged to issue emergency declarations faster this hurricane season to give military, homeland security and state and local response authorities more time to mobilize. The Defense and Homeland Security departments indicated they would like to have as much as a week to prepare for a hurricane. Of course, some bright light reminded the benighted bureacrats that at a week out, forecasts of possible landfall could cover hundreds or thousands of miles, leading to pointless and useless evacuations, and the staging of ice-filled semis in Quebec.

Then the discussion turned ominously creepy or creepily ominous:

One lawmaker expressed concern about federal authority to trump local and state mandates. In a discussion of how federal officials would deal with a local or state official who becomes unmanageable or recalcitrant, subcommittee member Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Mich., said federal officials may have to prove that they have the authority to override an individual.

[Paul McHale, the Defense Department’s assistant homeland defense secretary] told him “local opposition can lawfully [be] overcome” by the White House’s “federalizing” National Guard units and, if necessary, by invoking the Insurrection Act to extend federal authority.

Posse comitatus? We don’t need no stinkin’ posse comitatus! That, you will recall, is the provision that prevents the president from using the military for police activities. But, if you invoke the Insurrection Act, all bets are off and it’s up against the wall local redneck emergency managers and balky mayors and troublesome governors, and hello martial law.

At least this year the federal government has a plan — subjugate the populace using military force. Should be an interesting hurricane season ….