How on earth could Michael Brown think, as he told a congressional panel Tuesday, that warning President Bush and two White House officials in phone calls and e-mails “this is going to be a bad one” counted as decisive preventive action before Katrina hit? And his comment that “my biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional” was absurd. Another maddening statement: “So I guess you want me to be the superhero, to step in there and take everyone out of New Orleans.” Brown only confirmed what everybody knew going into the hearing: that he had no business directing FEMA.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/22
- Daniel on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Health care reform would save state money
- American_Way on Health care reform would save state money
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
20 Comments
It looks to me like the whole city,state, and federal governments were dysfunctional. I am surprised that Brown didn’t send in horse mounted FEMA people to save the victims: fits his background.
Justaguy,
Horses weren’t available in big enough numbers. But there were lots of donkeys and asses (and donkey’s asses) in position for the disaster.
I am starting to feel a little sorry for the guy. He had no business being in that position…he didn’t have the knowledge or background. He thought he was getting a cushy well paid assignment from his buddies. He didn’t think he was actually going to have to work! Now he is the scapegoat for mistakes of the Bush administration. He shouldn’t bare ALL of the weight of the disorganization of our “emergency response” plan.
Brown’s statements of fact seem to be conveniently ignored here. The federal government is not set up to be emergency first responders. That is impossible for one agency to be everywhere.
Regardless of M. Brown’s background, abilities or lack of them, the federal government is not the agency of first resort in local emergencies. That needs to fall on LOCAL officials–who were clearly not up to the task in this case.
The mayor of New Orleans is a joke, repeating unfounded rumors of mass murders/gang rapes (which have since proven to be false); claiming 10,000 deaths (without any facts) etc.,
This does not excuse the lack of experience of Mike Brown, but experienced or not, listen to his message–the locals failed in New Orleans, expecting the federal government to do all for everyone.
The state of Louisiana would not let out of state doctors in to provide medical assistance unless they had a Louisiana medical license! Some Israeli doctors snuck in covertly to help. They probably blew the levies. Where’s Ed?
Brown to panel: “Blame the locals, blame the locals, blame more locals.”
Nice to see that the “responsibility party” is taking responsibility as usual . . .
My favorite part was the part where he said FEMA doesnt carry guns, refering to all the mass murders/gang rapes gunshots etc being reported by the Media. This is why, he claimed, that FEMA stayed out so long.Unqualified? Maybe so, but he was in a position to understand the problem areas. Hindsight is easy.
Any truth to the story that of the supposed 1700 police officers employed by the city of NO as many as 700 may not exist? I just read this a few minutes ago and am trying to track down more info. The FBI is said to be investigating and has found over 400 officers who supposedly never existed.
Galahad expects FEMA to keep it’s own staff of police, fire, and EMS large enough to take care of an area the size New Orleans and have them sitting around drinking coffee until a huricane hits somewhere.
I don’t know how good this source is, never heard of them before but Tony’s generally on the up and up.
http://www.thedeadpelican.com/COMPASS.HTM
OT for breaking news:
Wingnuts (particularly Jiminy Bisoni),
Tom Delay has been INDICTED by a grand jury in Texas and has temporarily STEPPED DOWN from his leadership position as House Majority Leader.
Any of you Wingnuts want to go on whoring yourselves out defending the Bugman? I’m all ears.
Joe,According to the doctor who was trying to get medical aid into New Orleans, it was FEMA that was inflicting the bureaucratic nightmare.
Heckler,The reason the FBI couldn’t find those cops is that they are undercover, trying to find out what the FBI is doing.
CF
The Travis County prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, has a long history of indicting political enemies. He has repeatedly indicted Republicans only to drop charges days before trial and has a long history of cases being dismissed for lack of evidence. The guy did a fundraising speach for Texas Democrats in which he focused on his investigation of Delay. Earle is a political hatchet man and anyone who has paid any attention to this case knows it. Prediction time- charges against Delay will be dropped before trial. Write it down cool-aid drinkers.
Bush is all over TV telling everybody how he’s winning against the “terrorists”
You know he’s in trouble when he goes from “insugents” to “terrorists”
Bush is actually just “shooting-up Iraq” and any dead body he finds is a “terrorist”
Bush is nuts.
Heckler,
That spin on Ronnie Earle is so, well, last year. Out of 15 public officials indicted by Earle, 11 were Democrats. As for the ‘long history of cases being dismissed for lack of evidence,’ that doesn’t square with the Houston Chronicle’s positive assessment of his record and career.
Keep up that whistling past the grave, Heckler. Prediction: Delay guilty on one count, no jail time, resigns his House seat, and makes millions as a lobbyist.
I’ll write that down CF, but rest assured whatever happens Earle will drag this thing out through election time if he can.He’s been at this thing for about 2 years now and finally got around to an indictment.
Check out the members on the Senate panel who approved his nomination. Who voted for him? Who voted against him? Why did so many Dems vote FOR Brownie with his obvious leadership deficiencies? Oh, and then ask your favorite WE Editor why they did not report on this information.
Because Dems have allowed themselves to be used as patsies.
They are so afraid of being called “obstructionists” and “naysayers” and targets of the right-wing hate machine (Rush, Ann Coulter, Malkin, Insanity, O’Lielly, Savage et al.) that they go-along-to-get-along.
They’re bad.
But they’re not as bad as the people who nominate these party hacks and their mouthpieces in the media that attack any Democrat who stands on his hind legs.
When the Dems finally hit somebody so bad that even they have to take a stand, like that utter whore Priscilla Owen say, the right-wing just goes ballistic.
You can’t seriously blame Democrats for the people that Bush nominates.
This Brown guy is symptomatic of the entire bush administration. bush himself was never supposed to do anything. he didn’t even really want the job. His job was to preside, put his handlers in power, speak infrequently, take the appropriate photo ops. (Remember 911 and where bush was when that happened?) The same is true for Brown. “Job? What job? That’s the responsibility of local government! I just get a big check, that was the deal! That’s what we conservatives DO! We get paid big bucks to hold everyone else responsible!”
Of course he is still on the payroll! After all, we have to repay him for his slavish loyalty to Bush.