Posted on 09/07/2005 1:25:33 PM PDT by YaYa123
Michael D. Brown was nominated by President George W. Bush as the first Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the newly created Department of Homeland Security in January 2003. As the head of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Under Secretary Brown leads federal disaster response and recovery operations and coordinates disaster activities with more than two dozen federal agencies and departments and the American Red Cross. He also oversees the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration, and initiates proactive mitigation activities.
Additionally, Under Secretary Brown helps the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure the effectiveness of emergency responders, and directs the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Integration Center, the National Disaster Medical System and the Nuclear Incident Response Team.
(Excerpt) Read more at fema.gov ...
Bill Clinton appointed Maxine Waters husband Ambassador to the Bahamas for heaven's sake, and he was a used car salesman!
If this guy made critical mistakes, President Bush will allow him to resign, but throwing him to the sharks prematurely? President Bush will not do that.
Why is there any acceptance for the need of a fall guy?
Is that Bush's way of doing things? It seems to me he's more they type to stand by a guy when he's right and so far no one has shown me any reason to fire the guy.
I might not have hired him either if all I knew was what the MSM says about him, but he was with the agency prior to his appointment to its head.
And he has 164 responses under his belt already.
The President does not act from panic, or out of a desire to save himself above all, unlike some of our past presidents. He will handle this properly. Can you believe how in a frenzy they have been to collect a scalp, any scalp? Evan Thomas was musing the other day how Rumsfeld could possibly be at fault because maybe, just possibly, he wouldn't want Gonzales to have increased authority in these circumstances. What a fantasy.
Bush is known for his loyalty. It's not Bush who requires a fall guy...it's the MSM and the democrats demanding one.
(Yes of course the local LA Mayor and Gov were worse and LA's longstanding failure to prepare at many levels is the main reason for the disaster).
It would be a wiser use of our political capital to keep Michael Chertoff. The Dems want his head on a stick - but in the event of a terrorist attack, we need a guy like Chertoff at Homeland Security.
He was in charge when one of our WI sheriffs ran FEMA out of town for attempting a fed takeover after a tornado.
If Brown goes, it won't be, because he's a fall guy. It'll be, because he blew it. This Admin. don't feed the animals.
IMHO... the Dems that run LA have failed. They were supposed to be first responders and responsible for coordination and command. FEMA is there to assist local gov't. How can they do that in a strange town... where the "commander" has jumped ship? They were left floundering... not knowing who, what and where to start.
More importantly... all the horror stories (again IMHO) have come from the lack of being able to communicate once on the ground.......and the egotistical squirts on the lower end of FEMA. I'm talking about those in charge who turned away help they needed...etc. Those are the heads that should roll. Instead of injecting common sense in a situation that was relatively unprecedented... they tried to go by the "book". Sometimes you have to use your head when the "book" doesn't spell it out for you.
I think this proves otherwise.
I guess we can equate ambassador to the Bahamas with head of FEMA, works for me.
The Secretary of Homeland Security should not be responsible for handling natural disasters in the first place. It's a distraction from defending our country against terrorism. Replacing Chertoff will not improve our security.
How did Chertoff and Brown fail?
Just because Katie Couric, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi say so doesn't make it true.
I still don't know what this man did wrong. He is not a first responder. His teams are mostly volunteers that he cannot send into a crime infested area to get shot at, raped or looted.
I really haven't seen anything but spin to say Brown is at fault for anything. As Rush said he is right now the weakest part of the chain so the media and dems are pouncing.
Mr. Brown's results would have been much different had he not been at the mercy of the local nincinpoops. Garbage-in, garbage-out.
It's a presidential tradition to appoint party pals and gals to prestigious government positions. I'm remembering Roosevelt appointed Joe "bootleg" Kennedy Ambassador to England. (I could have given tons other "crony" presidential appointment examples: Like Bill Clinton appointing Cokie Roberts' Mother as Ambassador to the Vatican.
But your point is well taken. The head of FEMA should have, you'd think, an appropriate background. I do hope critics remember he wasn't appointed to the top FEMA position until after he had served in lower ones.
some jobs require competence, ambassador to the Bahamas and head of FEMA are not in the same league by a long shot. You would think with what's going on for the last 6 years or so with earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes someone has their head up their $%$ making lame appointments to critical positions.
RR: I agree with you. I have not seen any evidence that Brown has faulted in any way. Negative spin is the only thing I have seen and it doesn't cut it for me.
Who of you can tell me precisely how Brown is screwed up?
>> I might not have hired him either if all I knew was what the MSM says about him <<
I might not hire him either if what the MSM say about him is true. However, I tend to trust President Bush's judgement a little more than the Bush-Hating, "looking for a fall guy to take the heat off Blanco", "will even forge documents to destroy Bush" Main Stream Media.
But how quickly they (Congress) look to point the finger of blame on others.
>>> his background never seemed important to any Senator at his confirmation hearing. He was approved 98-0. <<<
That is good to know. Thanks.
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