Posted on 09/08/2005 12:22:12 AM PDT by Crackingham
The three top jobs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Bush went to political cronies with no apparent experience coping with catastrophes, the Daily News has learned. Even if Bush were to fire embattled and suddenly invisible FEMA Director Michael Brown over his handling of Hurricane Katrina, the bureaucrat immediately below him is no disaster professional, either.
While Brown ran horse shows in his last private-sector job, FEMA's No. 2 man, deputy director and chief of staff Patrick Rhode, was an advance man for the Bush-Cheney campaign and White House. He also did short stints at the Commerce Department and Small Business Administration.
Rhode's biography posted on FEMA's Web site doesn't indicate he has any real experience in emergency response.
In addition, the agency's former third-ranking official, deputy chief of staff Scott Morris, was a PR expert who worked for Maverick Media, the Texas outfit that produced TV and radio spots for the Bush-Cheney campaign. In June, Morris moved to Florida to become FEMA's long-term recovery director.
"The Bush administration has apparently transformed FEMA from a professional, world-class emergency responder into a dumping ground for former campaign staff and political hacks," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan).
FEMA also is hampered by several midlevel and regional director's jobs currently held by acting directors.
"Just like our military, FEMA should be immune to this kind of political staffing. It should be run by career emergency response professionals," Maloney added.
Traditionally, the Commerce and Labor departments have long been Washington's dumping ground for presidential pals and campaign operatives - not the disaster relief agency.
Government sources blame Bush's first FEMA director, Joe Allbaugh, with turning FEMA into a patronage shop.
He was chief of staff when Bush was Texas' governor and later headed the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign.
So...one question for the NY Daily Spews crew: Who ran FEMA under Clinton? Were they "Clinton cronies" as well?
And cut out this "government sources" bullcrap. Everyone knows you mean congressional Democrats.
"Just like our military, FEMA should be immune to this kind of political staffing. It should be run by career emergency response professionals," Maloney added.
Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. At least on the surface.
But isn't it common knowledge that "government sources" means either Senate Democrats or falsified reports.
And who did he replace, hmmmm?
Hillary Clinton??
You mean James Lee Witt from Little Rock Arkansas, right?
Just asking.
Doesn't look like you're gonna get an answer. Little DUmmie troll had a dinner date with a certain Viking Kitty. ;o)
That's just a disaster looking for a place to happen that's not a disaster professional
I thought being married to B.J. Clinton for 30 years made her a disaster professional.
Aren't FEMA the people who show up AFTER the disaster with funding for rebuilding and arrangements for continued shelter exc,?- That's what they did in California, during/after the fires, a couple of years ago.
I hope and pray that the Republican's are NOT going to be chumps, and let the rats contimue with these lies. I hope they(pubbies) aren't going to assist them (rats) in covering up for their own neglect, and incompetence, by keeping silent, and not defending themselves, in the face of rat attacks. . Why would the republican's even think of doing that?
It is not fair to the people who went through all that misery, to cover up for those responsible. They need to know the truth- even if it means they find out that they elected the people who let them down.
And Sandy Burger, a millionaire lawyer appointed by Bill Clinton to be National Security Advisor had experience dealing with national security issues?
Why didn't they question Clinton's Cabinet, full of political cronies as they were allowing the first WTC attack, the USS Cole to be hit, our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania to be blown up, Flight 800, the Khobar Towers attack?
That's going to be up to us.
These newer Moveon.org rats are as different from the Washington establishment rats as the pre-68 rats were from the post-68 rats.
The establishment types are trying to "ride the tiger" right now, but it will eventually consume them.
Our job is to make sure the rats implode rather than explode.
lol
Kenneth Bazinet, a White House correspondent for the New York Daily News, penned a front-page piece on family members of dead GIs who were enraged by Bush's routine.
Team Bush spins the crisis
New York Daily News, NY - Sep 4, 2005
By KENNETH R. BAZINET
Bush's truth decay
New York Daily News, NY - Aug 6, 2005
By KENNETH R. BAZINET
911 Panelist May Quit Over Bush Secrecy
By James Gordon Meek and Kenneth R. Bazinet New York Daily News 2-28-4
January 3rd, 2005 9:29 pm
Bush 2 off to shaky start; 'Worst I've seen it' - official
By Kenneth R. Bazinet / Daily News
Do you sometimes wonder why newbees post negative items
regarding Bush late at night so they don't get much flack
and hoping FR folks read the items and turn to DU for
their knowledge.
FR folks are not that stupid.
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