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Michael Brown still doesn't get it
The Oregonian ^ | September 28, 2005 | aging editors

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.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: katrina; notrita; wrongstorm
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To: crazyhorse691

After hearing Gov. Blank-o say that she was not there to point blame, I almost puked.

Fox should have played her rants against Bush before today's testimoney.


61 posted on 09/28/2005 2:12:33 PM PDT by BushisTheMan
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To: BushisTheMan

testimoney = testimony


62 posted on 09/28/2005 2:13:06 PM PDT by BushisTheMan
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To: crazyhorse691
Gee does this mean that every politico that gets that "oh S***" look has o resign now. That was so constructive of Shays. Who seemed to think BJ's in the oral office was just fine...if memory serves.

BTW, when will Brown's defamation suits start. The MSM media lied and they did it with MALACE

63 posted on 09/28/2005 2:19:32 PM PDT by marty60
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To: crazyhorse691

Yeah Brown still doesn't get it. He apparently doesn't understand that as the designated whipping boy of the MSM, liberal Dems and cowardly suckasses in his own party, he is just supposed to shut up and take it. He just spoils everything by daring point out the incompentent, Louisiana losers whose stupidity and arogance was responsible for the whole d*mn mess. Surely he doesn't treasure his own reputation so much that he considers flinging himself upon his own sword,to preserve the make believe aurta of credibility of Democrat, Mayor Nagin, Gov. Blanco and Sen. Landerieu, too great a sacrifice.

I am just d*mn sick and tired of watching Republicans silently take the fall for liberal's f---ups.

Brown kicked ass. God bless him.


64 posted on 09/28/2005 2:20:09 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Show me a liberal and I'll show you a head and a heart, designed for nothing but cracking walnuts.)
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To: crazyhorse691

Why, in all this time, has nobody ever said what FEMA was slow in providing. I want specifics. I've never heard any.


65 posted on 09/28/2005 2:26:07 PM PDT by McGavin999 (We're a First World Country with a Third World Press (Except for Hume & Garrett ))
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To: brytlea

(I may have clicked "reply" to the wrong message.)

1. Webpage: http://www.gov.state.la.us/govletters.asp

2. I can't explain why no one else seems to know this. I'm sure a transcript of Brown's testimony will be available soon, if it's not already.

3. I have never understood why people lie about things that are demonstrably untrue, but it happens all the time. Democrats do it. Why should we be surprised that a Republican does it occasionally?


66 posted on 09/28/2005 2:26:46 PM PDT by Evacuee
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To: Petronski

I was thinking more along the lines of Harry, Ron and Hermione...but well said.


67 posted on 09/28/2005 2:33:25 PM PDT by RichInOC ("The coffee is strong at Cafe du Monde, the doughnuts are too hot to touch..." Save the Big Greasy!)
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To: manwiththehands

FEMA, under Brown's direction, responded to 152 disasters prior to Katrina. This is what Brown said yesterday in the hearings.


68 posted on 09/28/2005 2:37:22 PM PDT by miele man
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To: crazyhorse691

The designated scapegoat fought back during his show trial, and the left (including shays) is offended.


69 posted on 09/28/2005 2:38:46 PM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: crazyhorse691
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."

Interesting. IMHO Mr. Brown was probably in a situation over his expertise level. That being said, Christopher Shays is a media hogging butt dancer that couldn't manage his way out of the state of Connecticut. His juvenile ad hominem attacks and grandstanding prove that he doesn't have the slightest concept of the situation of which he speaks.

70 posted on 09/28/2005 2:52:29 PM PDT by Decepticon (The average age of the world's great civilizations has been 200 years......(NRA)
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To: nuconvert
These idiots at the Oregonian still don't seem to realize that FEMA is a response agency. If the state & locals don't tell FEMA what they need, then FEMA can't respond. Why is it so hard for people to understand that?

So, you're saying that it was the Louisiana state/local officials who ordered up the $2,000 debit cards FEMA issued?

That's funny. I could've sworn it was Bush/Chertoff/Brown/FEMA's idea.


FEMA to give families $2,000 on debit cards:

..."Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff held a conference call with several governors to describe the plan. While many details remained to be worked out, the plan was to quickly begin distributing the cards, starting with people in major evacuation centers such as the Houston Astrodome"...

...The cards are meant to help victims purchase food, transportation and other essentials but won't come with any restrictions."

"The administration estimated the cost of the program for 320,000 households at $640 million."

"Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski, a Republican, said he had concerns about the potential for abuse. "That's a lot of money. The question is how do you separate the needy from those who just want a $2,000 handout," he said"...


Storm-relief money spent at strip clubs

..."Restrictions on the cards say they can't be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or firearms..."

..."According to a report by KPRC, Channel 2, in Houston, a manager at Caligula XXI Gentlemen's Club said he has seen at least one debit card used at his club. A bartender at Baby Dolls, identified only as "Abby," said she has seen many of the cards used at her establishment."...

..."A lot of customers have been coming in from Louisiana and they've been real happy about the $1.75 beers and they're really nice," she said."...

..."She couldn't say for sure whether the cards she has seen were from the Red Cross or from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but she found no fault in using federal dollars to guzzle beer at a strip club."...

..."You lost your whole house, then, why not?" she said "You might want some beer in a strip club. There are a lot of guys out there that like to do that."...

..."The wife of the manager of another strip club told KPRC that her husband has seen patrons from Louisiana offering Red Cross and FEMA debit cards, but she declined to reveal the club's name."...

..."The clerk at the Louis Vuitton store said: "There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately – other than morally, it's wrong." The unnamed employee told the Daily News two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range."...

..."Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tenn., residents told News Channel 3 they saw Hurricane Katrina survivors purchase designer jeans, high heels and purses with their $2,000 emergency debit cards. According to the report, one Katrina victim was spotted at a Cordova clothier buying stacks of $65 designer jeans. Another viewer reported spotting a survivor buying "over $700 in high heel shoes and purses" at a Memphis department store "while (her) younger children, most of them looked under the age of 3, looked like they haven't showered in weeks."...

..."If they make an inappropriate decision as to what to purchase, the whole issue of victims' rights comes into play," said Bill Hildebrandt, chief executive officer of the Mid-South chapter of the Red Cross. "They have a right, I guess, to be inappropriate."...

..."Hildebrandt conceded that the purchases could be traced, but he said if the receipts just said "shirt" or "jeans" or "clothes," there would be nothing the Red Cross could do. He said the Mid-South chapter stopped using the cards because the process became too cumbersome."...

..."FEMA reportedly issued about 10,500 cards in the pilot program, with a total value of $20.6 million"...

71 posted on 09/28/2005 2:57:50 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (Karen Ryan reporting...)
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To: crazyhorse691

Michael Brown did all he could short of assassinating the Gov of LA.


72 posted on 09/28/2005 3:04:27 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Atheist and Fool are synonyms; Evolution is where fools hide from the sunrise)
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To: crazyhorse691

The Federal government actually did a wonderful job after Katrina hit New Orleans. Pres. Bush, the Commander in Chief, had the U.S. Coast Guard rescue over 40,000 people who failed to evacuate the city. Most of these people were not disabled or unable to get out on their own. They just used bad judgment.


73 posted on 09/28/2005 3:06:33 PM PDT by foofoopowder
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To: PLM
"Only an independent inquiry can do that."
Congressman, I understand that I do not have a right to the truth.

I have a right to listen to whoever I want to pay atttention to, I have a right to my own opinion, and I have the right to speak and publish my own opinion.

Your opinion about the very possibility of an "independent" commission - never mind the desirability of such - is only vaguely interesting. I want a hearing by people who generally agree with my own perspective.

If you want a different hearing than that, I suggest you convene it. If the Democrats controlled Congress as in the old days, that is what the Democrats would have done. I wouldn't have liked that, but I wouldn't have had any recourse. If you find yourself in the same pickle I was in all those years, why then I say, "Good on you, sport!"


74 posted on 09/28/2005 3:29:20 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters but PR.)
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To: Evacuee

I'm sorry, I tried to go to her letter, but it is in adobe, which made my computer lock up.
susie


75 posted on 09/28/2005 3:41:35 PM PDT by brytlea (All you need as ID to vote in FL is your Costco card...)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker
So, you're saying that it was the Louisiana state/local officials who ordered up the $2,000 debit cards FEMA issued? That's funny. I could've sworn it was Bush/Chertoff/Brown/FEMA's idea.

Interestingly, the poster didn't say anything about the debit cards.

susie

76 posted on 09/28/2005 3:43:52 PM PDT by brytlea (All you need as ID to vote in FL is your Costco card...)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

"So, you're saying that it was the Louisiana state/local officials who ordered up the $2,000 debit cards FEMA issued?"

Nope. But feel free to rant


77 posted on 09/28/2005 3:45:05 PM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: crazyhorse691
Most of Brown's answers seemed solid and credible to me. I'm still waiting to hear what he, or Bush should have done.

I'm tired of these windbag monday morning quarterbacks, most of whom helped create the laws and red-tape in the first place that helped prevent a more effective Federal response.

78 posted on 09/28/2005 4:33:31 PM PDT by Jorge (Q)
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To: miele man

I emailed Congressman Shays and made this point. I say we put Shays on the FReeper "RINO" list and kick his ass.


79 posted on 09/28/2005 4:47:24 PM PDT by manwiththehands
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To: manwiththehands

Shays has long been on my RINO list. The wimp could not even understand, much less say, "deer in the headlight" correctly. Pot trying to call the kettle black. What a wuss.


80 posted on 09/28/2005 4:50:48 PM PDT by miele man
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