MEMO TO BUSH: FIRE MICHAEL BROWN

MichelleMalkin.com ^ | September 4, 2005 | Michelle Malkin

[wildwood]

MEMO TO BUSH: FIRE MICHAEL BROWN

By Michelle Malkin · September 04, 2005 08:17 AM During his visit to Mobile, Ala., on Friday, President Bush singled out Michael D. Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for praise:

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Really? "Brownie's" job is to direct the federal response to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Let's review his public statements during the past week:

- He admitted that he didn't act more aggressively because as late as last Sunday he expected Katrina to be a "standard hurricane" even though the National Weather Service in New Orleans was already predicting "human suffering incredible by modern standards."

- He proved himself utterly clueless about the disaster unfolding in New Orleans. He claimed that the federal relief effort was "going relatively well" and that the security situation in New Orleans was "pretty darn good."

- He blamed the flood victims in New Orleans for failing to evacuate on time, even though local authorities failed to make municipal vehicles available to residents who could not drive or did not own their own cars.

READ MORE!!

[mhking]

Brown just plain screwed up. As did Michael Chertoff.

This was Chertoff's first test as DHS Secretary, and he failed. Miserably.

What if this had been a terrorist attack? His agency obviously was not ready to take charge in a catastrophic situation in order to protect people.

This does not take blame away from Ray "leave the buses in the yard" Nagin and Kathleen "deer in headlights" Blanco.

There is enough blame to go around.

But Bush really needs to get rid of both Brown and Chertoff.

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[livius]

I read elsewhere that Max Mayfield called, but I hadn't heard that Brown had also called. Please post if/when you have time to find it!

[M1911A1]

I agree 100% that the local authorities are not blameless in this, and are currently being given a pass by the MSM.

Doesn't change the fact that there are those in the federal positiions who have screwed the pooch, too. Part of the job means not making moronic statements about the situation, at the very least. Chertoff and Brown have both had feet firmly planted in mouth, lately.

[oceanview]

Malkin has gone off the deep end here. FEMA can't mount a relief effort in the face of an insurgency amongst some of the local populace, with the local and state government washing their hands of the situation within the first moments after it occurred.

[roses of sharon]

Conservatives/Republicans have been doing this for 40 years, when they get power, either in the media or elected power, they start writing and making policy for the elite press, and not their constituencies.

Which is why the NYT editorial board is still in charge of this country's policies and culture, and why the elite NY press is still dominated by liberals after all this time.

[new yorker 77]

In Defence of Internment? I step back when Malkin rants.

[oceanview]

she is uninformed on this issue.

[Dane]

Brown just plain screwed up. As did Michael Chertoff

And how?

[MizSterious]

Yes. As a past resident of New Orleans, I can safely say the best and most damning story would be to follow the money that was intended for the planning (why not hurricane shelters? not even a bank of porta-potties for the superdome or convention center for when the electricity failed? why no buses for those they KNEW could not drive out of town?) and the upkeep of the levee and pump system? Congressman Billy Bob did a nice article on the graft surrounding the pumps (alone).

The one thing that needs to be investigated won't be investigated--and that's the influence of the generations of welfare families never taught to fend for themselves--unless it's to rob, mug, or use dope. THAT I lay squarely at the foot the 'Rats.

[Ramius]

Firing the FEMA director would be an empty political maneuver. It accomplishes nothing, fixes nothing, and accelerates nothing.

[holyscroller]

I just posted an article about Brown getting fired from his last job. It helps make sense of his incompetence in sending help sooner. It follows this post by a few. I'll ping you on it.

[CFC__VRWC]

Once again, the inimitable Michelle Malkin has excellent research, commentary and links on her blog.

Maybe - but on this she's got almost as big a political tin ear as Hillary Clinton does. Firing Brown right now would throw all of the feds' relief efforts into complete chaos - their plate is already filled to overflowing as it is, but they are starting to get on top of things. Canning the FEMA head would not only set those efforts way back, it would cause the media feeding frenzy to completely explode out of control.

After things have stabilized and people on the Gulf Coast are getting steady flows of aid and assistance and the real rebuilding has started, there will be plenty of time for President Bush to conduct a review of FEMA's and other agencies' performances and maybe "suggest" that a few resignations are in order.

[new yorker 77]

FEMA looks great in NYC after 9-11 and great in Florida after 5 Hurricanes.

State and Local Government helped that image in both cases.

[inquest]

Just to take the record back from the revisionists, Malkin was at the forefront of the effort to get Bush reelected last year. I know that's uncomfortable for you to acknowledge, but it's the truth.

[Burr5]

It does seem that Brown is an incompetent pinhead. These kinds of excuses are egregious examples of bureaucratic CYA.

On the other hand, I'm certain that it's fair to blame Bush for installing a "political hack" as the LA Times does in one link. If the implication is that he's "unqualified" (as opposed to incompetent) then you might want to read his background carefully and ignore the sneeering tone the paper and the blogger quoting it have adopted.

That being said, I don't have any confidence in the guy, and agree that he must go. If you are completely unaware of facts-on-the-ground that are clear to any common citizen with FOX NEWS on, then you can't be counted on to run the show should Al-Qaeda lights off a dirty bomb in downtown Anywhere, USA.

[oceanview]

baloney. you are just feeding into the childish behavior of many americans, that a disaster on Tuesday needed to be "wrapped up" by Thursday, else its proclaimed a quagmire - a term the left loves to use.

[Bob]

...and almost criminally incompetant state and local govt.

Almost?? I'd say that the term "clearly criminally incompetent" would be more accurate.

[MizSterious]

McClellan does a good job of not losing his temper, period. Anything else seems beyond him. (But then, maybe I think just because he never really makes a good point against the Bush accusers.)

[new yorker 77]

Why weren't people complaining about Micheal Brown after Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Jeanne, and Hurricane Dennis?

FEMA looked brilliant then.

Why is that?

BECAUSE JEB BUSH AND LOCAL MAYORS GOT PEOPLE OUT AND SET UP LOGISTICS FOR THE AFTERMATH FIVE DAYS IN ADVANCE EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

[NeoCaveman]

There is enough blame to go around. But Bush really needs to get rid of both Brown and Chertoff.

I Agree. Heads should roll.