Ex-FEMA Chief Tells of Frustration and Chaos (Michael Brown)

NY Times ^ | 9/15/05

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

-snip-

In his first extensive interview since resigning as FEMA director on Monday under intense criticism, Mr. Brown declined to blame President Bush or the White House for his removal or for the flawed response.

"I truly believed the White House was not at fault here," he said.

He focused much of his criticism on Governor Blanco, contrasting what he described as her confused response with far more agile mobilizations in Mississippi and Alabama, as well as in Florida during last year's hurricanes.

But Mr. Brown's account, in which he described making "a blur of calls" all week to Mr. Chertoff, Mr. Card and Mr. Hagin, suggested that Mr. Bush, or at least his top aides, were informed early and repeatedly by the top federal official at the scene that state and local authorities were overwhelmed and that the overall response was going badly.

-snip-

[patriciamary]

I cannot understand why ?Why would the GOP give these Dem's a pass.Bush looks bad,the hurricane,Iraq,High gas prices,wake up Bush people.Please fight back once and for all.

[patriciamary]

I cannot understand why ?Why would the GOP give these Dem's a pass.Bush looks bad,the hurricane,Iraq,High gas prices,wake up Bush people.Please fight back once and for all.

[Texasforever]

Can you imagine the shreeking if the federal government had stepped in and taken control.

That is what is so maddening. If ever there was a case for the Feds to violate both the Constitution and Posse Comitatus it was in LA. Because GW didn't do it he avoided setting a very dangerous precedent along with committing an impeachable offense. Louisiana has shown itself to be a 3rd world state and its government makes Bangladesh look competent. I don't know the answer either. LA will be getting the lions share of federal recovery money and it will just be absorbed into the political swamp of Louisiana corruption until the net time it has to be rebuilt.

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

Brown seems to absolve Nagin in this interview.

[Zacs Mom]

Just how dishonest have Blanco and Landrieu been about their expectations of FEMA?
Did they railroad FEMA Undersecretary Mike Brown??

Check out these images from FEMA's web site of Blanco and Landrieu meeting with Brown in Baton Rouge, Monday, August 29, 2005:

Baton Rouge, La., 8/29/05 -- FEMA Undersecretary Michael Brown talks with Governor Blanco, right and Senator Landrieu at the Office of Emergency Management about Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is being evacuated as a result of flooding caused by hurricane Katrina. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Baton Rouge, La., 8/29/05 -- FEMA Undersecretary Michael Brown sits in a briefing with Governor Blanco, members of her staff and FEMA staff at the Office of Emergency Management about Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is being evacuated. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Baton Rouge, La. 8/29/05 -- FEMA's Under Secretary Michael Brown speaks at a press briefing at the Office of Emergency Management about Hurricane Katrina. He is joined by Governor Blanco, (center) and Senator Landrieu (l). New Orleans is being evacuated following hurricane Katrina. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Baton Rouge, La., 8/29/05 - Governor Blanco speaks at a press briefing at the Office of Emergency Management about hurricane Katrina. FEMA Undersecretary Michael Brown looks on. New Orleans is being evacuated due to flooding. Photo by Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

[StAnDeliver]

"that state and local authorities were overwhelmed"

No excuse. Bury it all you want, Pinch, there is no excuse for Blanco and Nagin's failures of leadership in the critical early moments of this crisis.

[Bush 100 Percent]

They still don't get it - the STATE (Governor and Emergency
Management) were supposed to be IN-CHARGE, with FEMA assisting them.

And, yes, you need to tell your assistants what assistance you need!

[stylin19a]

This has proved to be a lie. The media did NOT report people at the convention center 24 hours earlier.

The daily howler tracked down damn near everything related to the "gaffe" and found it to be a media lie.

Check it out:

http://dailyhowler.com/dh091205.shtml

"Don't you guys watch television?" the phony man(Koppel) scolded. "Our reporters have been reporting about it for more than just today. But in fact, Ted's reporters had not been reporting it until THAT day; according to the Nexis archives, ABC's first mention of the Convention Center occurred at 2:30 that afternoon (9/1), in a George Stephanopoulos Special Report. Before that, the Convention Center had never been mentioned on Nightline. It had never been mentioned on World News Tonight. It had never been mentioned on Good Morning America. According to Nexis, ABC viewers first learned about the Convention Center at mid-day Thursday;just like Brown, who Koppel scolded in his latest inaccurate report.

read the whole article, it's absolutley fascinating.

[Shermy]

Basically, FEMA sees itself in a supportive role. Something akin to an outside consultant assisting in a time of crisis.

True. But one could have, and did get the sense from Brown and such that FEMA was coming to the rescue. At some point.

What's lost in the Freeper ANti-Nagin bashing is that he really did not criticize Bush that bad - unlike how the MSM portrayed. He asked both Bush and Blanco to clear up the chain of command, which from his position was a problem.

NYTimes is pro-Blanco, which is really about Dem control of Federal reconstruction funds. IN Blanco's apology today it was clear (to me) the point was enticing "cooperation" with the money. She had to play nice.

Brown is such an amateur he went first to the N Y Times...

[Just A Nobody]

Bush should not have "accepted blame"

The PRESIDENT did NOT "accept blame" as this excerpt shows:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government. And to the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility.

To what extent did the federal government not do its job?

[Just mythoughts]

Hillry did not get her protective "commission" today, somebody has got to start muddying the mud real fast, before a Congressional investigation gets underway.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

"Don't you guys watch television?"

. Something struck me as odd after days of hearing that. Then it hit me. If disaster officials were watching TV, they deserve to be fired.

[NautiNurse]

They still don't get it - the STATE (Governor and Emergency Management) were supposed to be IN-CHARGE, with FEMA assisting them.

The state and local government's inability to implement an established evacuation plan before the storm is further magnified by their utter lack of leadership capabilities after the storm.

They are just crabs in a bucket, pulling down anyone they can to stay a little higher up in the pile.

[bayourant]

I agree with you in part. Nagin really hasnt been that critical of the President and Nagin is a little bit more complex than the typical big city DEM mayor. To be honest I have known Blanco for years and she even though a loyal dem she isnt a southern corrupt DEM. I think she has been since and is sincere as to what she said about Bush.

[Smartass]

Senator Mary Landrieu and Governor Blanco are pitiful frauds. They screwed up and are now attempting to cover their butts, by blaming the feds for their failures. Both were taped and caught lying on TV. Both along with that dumb mayor are political history.

[Boundless]

> In his first extensive interview ...

But why with the Gray Whore of Liberaland (the NYT)?

The obvious answers to that include:
1. More evidence of cluelessness by Brown
2. He wanted to strike back at the Admin,
and knew the NYT would bias, spin and smear

[bayourant]

To be honest a evac paln was implemented and was successful to a large degree. Thats one reason for the drop in potential deaths. The problem is buying into the msm whole point that it was a total failure which it was def not.

[CajunConservative]

It could be because Blank0 had to approve and authorize shelters outside of New Orleans Proper in order for him to use the buses if he called the mandatory evacuation. Anywhere outside the city limits of New Orleans was outside his authority. That stupid spiteful B*tch did not provide the state's resouces to be used for the evacuations.

[potlatch]

That look on Brown's face in the last picture says it all! Yes, I believe he was made the scapegoat.

[malia]

"Can you imagine the shreeking if the federal government had stepped in and taken control."

I have no doubt it was a set up to 'get Bush'. I've heard it would be an impeachable offense if President Bush had gone in without the permission of Blanco. And as quickly as hillary clinton jumped on President Bush I believe her fingerprints are all over this!!!!