President Bush seeks support from all levels of government in the strengthening of homeland security. President Bush believes we"re still at war and because of this threat he is seeking support from all levels. Therefore his role in this article is supporting the homeland security. Evidence of his support is found from a direct quote from him which he states, "We"re still at war. The war on terror is a new kind of war in which every American is threatened and every level of government must work together." .
Many governors however feel that the strategy used to strengthen homeland security by the bush administration have many faults. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas says, "It's not that we"re not supportive of the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq. We have to step back and rethink the whole picture." Right now many governors are having problems about the part time soldiery. For example, the guard and the reserve soldiers make up about 22 percent of the forces in Iraq. This level will double up to 40 percent because of all the rotations. This has put a lot of stress on the governor and the people. .
Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, says, "This is causing a real retention issue guardsmen are not going to keep stepping up to the plate." The army guard is usually used for things such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or riots. However, lately they have been forced to support homeland security patrols. Some states even have 40 percent or more of their guard troops overseas right now. This increases the challenge on governors as they are pressured from all over. This also causes job reduction and tolls on families, local businesses, and state economics. Huckabee says, "It's like a sudden reduction." His state is one of the many who have 40 percent over seas. Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack, also claims that the demands on the guards are a result of President Bush's mistakes and miscalculations.
