Oh, no, no no no: I really do think Chertoff needs to be engrossly involved in every aspect of the operation. Micromanaging worked so well for Jimmy Carter.
His problem was not micromanaging. It was not macromanaging.
In this interview he stated ludicrous things, such as calling rescuers so they don't overlook people ("I will certainly call up and make sure they don't miss them") -- that is classic micromanaging. His job is not to micromanage but to be on top of the entire situation, lead and direct.
He provided no leadership or perspective, was reactive and a step behind, not at the fore as someone who claims that "FEMA has plans for all foreseeable catastrophes" ought to have been.
President Bush stated the response was not acceptable after his meeting with Chertoff and Brown and others on the 2nd. Bush is currently stating:
What I intend to do is to lead an investigation to find out what went right and what went wrong. And I'll tell you why: It's very important for us to understand the relationship between the federal government, the state government and the local government when it comes to a major catastrophe.
And the reason it's important is that we still live in an unsettled world. We want to make sure that we can respond properly if there's a WMD attack or another major storm.
-- from yesterday's post Cabinet meeting comments.
I am in agreement with the President and share his reasons for concern.