What the hell are they up to now?

On May 9th Bush signed NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD 51

(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.

Recovery from a national emergency?!? Should we be expecting one of those? Is there an uptick in chatter coming over the wires? Is Richard Clark's hair on fire?

(b) "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions;

So, didn't we already have rules in place for national emergencies? This has all the markings of a "dead-of-night" pull-the-wool-over-their-eyes Karl Rove super-secret plan to take over the world.

I'm definitely getting a "chickenheart-at-my-front-door" feeling.