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!!

[Howlin]

Malkin was at the forefront of the effort to get Bush reelected last year.

So were a lot of people.

[Just mythoughts]

"I beg your pardon? Where was I criticizing the President?"


Think about it, IF I though you were criticizing the President would I be telling you to keep trying.

I was agreeing with you, and I am sorry I was not more clear.

[bobwoodard]

Don't forget on Tuesday it went from relief (since the levees were intact) to evacuate/rescue to relief/evacuate/rescue in a matter of 24-48 hours. Just how nimble can any agency be to respond to those types of dynamics?

[MizSterious]

Whew! Thanks for the clarification--yes, I'll keep trying, as are many here. Sometimes, doesn't it seem like we're trying to push water upstream with our bare hands? The media is into full-force attack mode.

[cgbg]

Look, half the posters at FR figured out in minutes that the Mayor of NO and the governor of LA were way over their heads and part of the problem instead of part of the solution.

DHS appears to be slow and bureaucratic, caught up in procedure and DC doubletalk.

When Chertoff started to talk about "obligated funds" in a press conference it was clear he didn't belong there.

"Obligated funds" is inside-the-beltway language.

DHS should have a slush fund for emergencies and should not be worried about "obligated funds".

What is interesting is that apparently DHS has fallen into the trap of contracting for all services while having minimal in-house capability. The problem with contracting is that the contractor will do exactly what is in the contract (perhaps, if you are lucky) and no more. They are not a good fit for emergency situations when quick thinking on your feet and rapid changes in plans may be required.

[Right Brother]

LOL! The thought of simply holding public officials accountable for their actions is too advanced for you, apparently.

Apparenty smart ass, the concept of the proper timing of criticism in the current political climate is too advanced for you.

[Just mythoughts]

You are doing a great job. Seems as though many are demanding federalization of what is constitutionally a state's responsibility.

[MNJohnnie]

The Conservative movement should fire Ms Milkan. It is NOT at all helpful for the Conservative movement to HELP the Liberals in their attacks. Conservatives had better wake up. This is an attack on EVREYTHING the Conservative movement has fought for in terms of Limited Govt since 1980. Go read and listen to what the Leftists are saying. They REALLY think they can use this mess to go back to LBJ's Great Society style govt. They really think this "Blame Bush and Feds" and we can justify making the Feds pay for EVERYTHING. So instead of sitting around bitching about Bush, Conservatives had better be asking themselves just what am I doing to preserve and strengthen Ronald Reagan's victory? We SHOULD be making the case why this is a COMPLETE failure of the state and local govt that took MILLION In Homeland Security money and did NOTHING to prepare. So just what did all that money BUY us in N.O?

[MNJohnnie]

The Conservative movement should fire Ms Milkan. It is NOT at all helpful for the Conservative movement to HELP the Liberals in their attacks. Conservatives had better wake up. This is an attack on EVREYTHING the Conservative movement has fought for in terms of Limited Govt since 1980. Go read and listen to what the Leftists are saying. They REALLY think they can use this mess to go back to LBJ's Great Society style govt. They really think this "Blame Bush and Feds" and we can justify making the Feds pay for EVERYTHING. So instead of sitting around bitching about Bush, Conservatives had better be asking themselves just what am I doing to preserve and strengthen Ronald Reagan's victory? We SHOULD be making the case why this is a COMPLETE failure of the state and local govt that took MILLION In Homeland Security money and did NOTHING to prepare. So just what did all that money BUY us in N.O?

[inquest]

Yes, so were a lot of people. That what makes it interesting how it is that anyone who criticizes the President is instantly labeled a "Bush-hater" by certain folks around here, despite the fact that it's more likely than not that the person raising the criticism supported Bush's reelection.

[MNJohnnie]

The Conservative movement should fire Ms Milkan. It is NOT at all helpful for the Conservative movement to HELP the Liberals in their attacks. Conservatives had better wake up. This is an attack on EVREYTHING the Conservative movement has fought for in terms of Limited Govt since 1980. Go read and listen to what the Leftists are saying. They REALLY think they can use this mess to go back to LBJ's Great Society style govt. They really think this "Blame Bush and Feds" and we can justify making the Feds pay for EVERYTHING. So instead of sitting around bitching about Bush, Conservatives had better be asking themselves just what am I doing to preserve and strengthen Ronald Reagan's victory? We SHOULD be making the case why this is a COMPLETE failure of the state and local govt that took MILLION In Homeland Security money and did NOTHING to prepare. So just what did all that money BUY us in N.O?

[MNJohnnie]

The Conservative movement should fire Ms Milkan. It is NOT at all helpful for the Conservative movement to HELP the Liberals in their attacks. Conservatives had better wake up. This is an attack on EVREYTHING the Conservative movement has fought for in terms of Limited Govt since 1980. Go read and listen to what the Leftists are saying. They REALLY think they can use this mess to go back to LBJ's Great Society style govt. They really think this "Blame Bush and Feds" and we can justify making the Feds pay for EVERYTHING. So instead of sitting around bitching about Bush, Conservatives had better be asking themselves just what am I doing to preserve and strengthen Ronald Reagan's victory? We SHOULD be making the case why this is a COMPLETE failure of the state and local govt that took MILLION In Homeland Security money and did NOTHING to prepare. So just what did all that money BUY us in N.O?

[Hildy]

There's enough blame from the top to the bottom. Everybody sucked on this one.

[MizSterious]

If the President had done what perhaps should have been done if not for the law as its written, he'd be dead meat right now, and likely up for impeachment. By "what perhaps should have been done" I mean, martial law from Sunday morning on--and telling the idiot governor and mayor to sit down and shut the heck up. The Constitution doesn't permit that, and he'd be toast if he'd have done it. Yet I see even people on FR whining that he "should have" done this or that, law be d*mned.

[MNJohnnie]

The Conservative movement should fire Ms Milkan. It is NOT at all helpful for the Conservative movement to HELP the Liberals in their attacks. Conservatives had better wake up. This is an attack on EVREYTHING the Conservative movement has fought for in terms of Limited Govt since 1980. Go read and listen to what the Leftists are saying. They REALLY think they can use this mess to go back to LBJ's Great Society style govt. They really think this "Blame Bush and Feds" and we can justify making the Feds pay for EVERYTHING. So instead of sitting around bitching about Bush, Conservatives had better be asking themselves just what am I doing to preserve and strengthen Ronald Reagan's victory? We SHOULD be making the case why this is a COMPLETE failure of the state and local govt that took MILLION In Homeland Security money and did NOTHING to prepare. So just what did all that money BUY us in N.O?

[inquest]

"Current political climate"? Is there an election right around the corner?

One thing that's become apparent from posting on FR is that the "timing" for criticizing the President is never right for you guys.

[Howlin]

Where did I say that?

You are trying to deflect her MISINFORMATION by claiming she supported Bush. Sort of like the people on C-SPAN who say, "I'm a Bush supporter, but..."

Whether or not she supported Bush, her accusations in this article are WRONG.

[olde north church]

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

No, once again Michelle Malkin shows herself to be a knee-jerk shrieking backseat-driving harpy.

I'm sorry Diddle E., I must take issue with your post.

No, once again Michelle Malkin shows herself to be a knee-jerk

,

shrieking

,

backseat-driving

,

harpy.

[cgbg]

relief/evacuate/rescue

New Orleans flooding was a well-known reasonable probability event in say, the next fifty or a hundred years. The plans should have been in place--and DHS should have known in advance how long it would take to execute them. However long it was it was, but they should not have been shocked when the city started to flood from the Lake.

I would have liked to have seen the administration stating they knew this was possible, they had prepared for it, and this is what the timeline would look like:

Day 1....
Day 2....
Day 3....
Day 4....

Many of us are convinced the plan had not been developed until the last minute and _that_ made good communication impossible.

[ScreamingFist]

No, once again Michelle Malkin shows herself to be a knee-jerk shrieking backseat-driving harpy.

LOL. Yes, any disagreement with the President and critique of FEMA is verboten. There were no screw ups, everything was perfect and the bureaucracy functioned in an impeccable manner. Unlike you, I saw a clusterF@@@ that was unbelievable in scale and it didn't even begin to be sorted out until President Bush PERSONNALLY flew down and told the bumbling buffoons that the effort was "not acceptable". I noticed a drastic improvement almost immediately.