Posted on 09/28/2005 1:00:53 PM PDT by crazyhorse691
Republican members of Congress haven't yet done enough to get to the bottom of problems surrounding the response to Hurricane Katrina. Only an independent inquiry can do that. But at least they recognize a fool when they see one.
Michael Brown, who quit as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Katrina, was back on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, defending his response to the hurricane that killed more than 1,000 people and left thousands more trapped in the floods, cesspools and crime that followed.
He blamed everyone in sight except, of course, himself. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. The "hysteric" news media.
"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," Brown said in a display of arrogance and denial in Tuesday's House committee hearing that was nothing short of weird.
There are plenty of people to blame, including those at the state and local level, for the poor response. And Hurricane Katrina was an immense force of nature against which human efforts were bound to fall short.
But Brown and consequently his agency froze in the crisis. His biggest mistake -- aside from taking the job at FEMA in the first place -- was failing to lead the agency he was appointed to lead. That was certainly the case in the days immediately before the hurricane, during the storm and afterward. It was also true in the years before the storm, when FEMA's role was marginalized with little or no effective opposition from Brown.
To their credit, Republicans leading the hearing had no stomach for Brown's performance, either.
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., told Brown: "I'm happy you left. That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job."
Shays spoke for the nation.
Yeah! Brownie doesn't get it! He was supposed to make sure all the fellas had magic wands.
OK, make that 'cain Katrina.
"Shays spoke for the nation."
...and rinos and press whores everywhere
He is a pompous windbag of the worst kind, and has been in Congress way too long.
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., told Brown: "I'm happy you left. That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job."
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How pathetic is Shays? How he LOOKED was what told him? What an utter moron. No wonder the GOP House accomplishes so little.
Just idiotic rhetoric: nothing specific about what Brown did wrong or didn't do that he should have.
To this day, there has not been one specific allegation that I know of. And it bothers me immensely that Bush would cower to these sh!theads and fire Brown.
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., told Brown: "I'm happy you left. That kind of look in the lights like a deer tells me you weren't capable of doing that job."
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How pathetic is Shays? How he LOOKED was what told him? What an utter moron. No wonder the GOP House accomplishes so little.
GERE: Doesn't Shays understand I speak for the whole world?"
That's why these kinds of proceedings are worse than useless. They are just an opportunity for these windbags to get on TV, and the one who is the most outrageous get the most replay.
susie
Sounds about right to me. He was kind to LA and NOLA by limiting his accusations to simply 'Dysfunctional'. I would add incompetent, corrupt, leaderless and a host of other less flattering adjectives to describe the cesspool NOLA and LA were BEFORE Katrina.
NOLA a 'Cultural Treasure'? My A$$! Rebuild it? Nope - Not with Fed dollars in any event.
Uh, he did blame himself as well. Liars.
That Shays guy really got my blood boiling for a bit. And then I realized he had to be grandstanding because anybody that rude would have been pulled into an alley years ago and have been kneecapped.
The piece is credited to 'aging editors'. I vote to change it to 'senile editors'. I am astounded to the lengths that people will go to blame the federal government for local officials' documented lack of will to act in the face of a looming natural disaster. Are these people brain dead? Hello?? Anybody home??
LA Gov Blanco nor NO Mayor Nagin (both dumb demoncRATS) understood their duties and responsibilities but heaven forbid, they should catch any blame because BUSH's FAULT mentality doesn't see that demoncRATS are to blame.
If I recall, Blanco and Nagin also blamed everyone but themselves, but the MSM have not criticized THEM for doing that.
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