Daily Kos

Brown's Prior Emergency Services Experience: Assistant City Manager

by Armando

Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:20:57 AM PDT

Our FEMA Chief:

Prior to joining FEMA he practiced law in Colorado and Oklahoma, where he served as a bar examiner on ethics and professional responsibility for the Oklahoma Supreme Court and as a hearing examiner for the Colorado Supreme Court. He had been appointed as a special prosecutor in police disciplinary matters. While attending law school he was appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee of the Oklahoma Legislature as the Finance Committee Staff Director, where he oversaw state fiscal issues. His background in state and local government also includes serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight and as a city councilman.

His real qualification? He was Joe Albaugh's college roommate. No wonder Bush thinks "Brownie's doing a great job."

Hat tip Josh Marshall .

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  •  If Obama was the first to demand that Bush resign (4.00 / 3)

    Obama would win Louisiana in a landslide in 2008.

    John Edwards 2008

    by MeanBoneII on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:17:36 AM PDT

    •  Just have Obama attack nepotism (none / 0)

      Cheney's nepotism of oil buddies and Halliburton.

      The Bush dynasty's nepotism amongst each other, and their exchanges of favors with the Saudis.

      All the GOP'ers sent to Iraq to get rich quick, together with Bremer, when you had to be a good ol' boy to get in on the fun.

      And the naming of friends, buddies, allies and go-alongs to important posts, such as Bolton to the U.N., regardless of whether they have the necessary talent, credentials and experience.

      Nepotism. Powerful - because it's true, undeniable and damaging to the long-term interests of the United States.

      "I don't do quagmires, and my boss doesn't do nuance."

      by SteinL on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:35:55 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  "When your political opponent is drowning... (4.00 / 2)

        ...throw the son of a bitch an anchor." -- James Carville

        Headline: U.S. Senator Calls For Bush To Resign

        Obama should hold a press conference, demand that George Walker Bush resign for negligence and incompetence in failure to protect the lives of American citizens.

        "Mr. Senator, just to be clear, you're calling for the president's resignation and that he be replaced by Vice President Cheney?"

        "Yes I am, Mr. Cheney should assume the presidency, assuming anyone can find him."

        I'm serious. He should say this.

        John Edwards 2008

        by MeanBoneII on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:50:31 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  And let's attack nepotism ourselves too! (ACTION!) (none / 1)

        Clinton, for example, had a lifetime Emergency management specialist at the head of FEMA.
        And he resigned under Bush in protest of funding cuts!
        Instead Bush rewarded an unqualified friend with the job.
        We need to attract media attention to the tragedy of this Nepotism.

        Katrina was a natural disaster.
        But the thousands of deaths of people left behind underfunded levees, neither evacuated nor rescued, was a man-made disaster.

        Check (and bookmark) these tips to Write Letters to the Editors (in the Activism Toolkit on the right; the tips include a link to the Media Database to find local papers to target), and fire away!

        Don't just complain, Take Action.

        by cyrilb on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:51:06 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  nepotism - a thought (none / 0)

        Do Brown's or Joe Albaugh's bios happen to state who their parents are? Just the quick peak at Brown's history sounds like he was in the "head start" program for nepotism. These sorts of advancements and appointments tend to also have a blood/legacy element to them Just curious. -QB

        by quarterback on Sun Sep 04, 2005 at 08:17:44 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  overly optimistic (none / 1)

      consider a couple of things:
      The Republicans have a lot of time ahead of them to pour money (much of it pure pork?) into Louisiana and to keep it a red state; and
      the people least likely to be helped by any "rebuilding" going on -- non-property owning, mainly black, residents of NO, and most likely to be thrilled by such a call from Obama -- may not even have Louisiana residency by the time 2008 comes around.  They're already being dispersed, and no one will blame them if they don't want to return.

      In fact, this refugee crisis (my apologies to the Congressional Black Caucus, buy they are refugees, and should be honestly called that) imho should cast in stark relief what I think needs to be a goal for progressives:  Citizenship and voting rights somehow have to be protected against disruption by disasters such as this.
      Experts in voter registration etc I hope are brainstorming the issue of this sudden evacuation.

      "Pity the land that needs heroes" -- Brecht

      by chickendove on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:40:01 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Actually, for the record... (none / 0)

      ...I posted Brown's official biography a day before Josh Marshall.  Not that it's hard to find or anything...it's his official biography, easily Googled.

      http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2005/9/2/12746/39689/100#100

      Really, we should thank Google.  And Al Gore, the inventor of the Internet.

      There are three kinds of people: Those who see; those who see when they are shown; those who do not see.

      by Shadowthief on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:08:18 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  emergency experience (4.00 / 2)

    It doesn't appaar as though they mention that workexperience is 30 years old.

    by Anonymous on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:17:38 AM PDT

  •  Marshall (none / 1)

    has also picked up on the circumstances surrounding his ousting from the Horse Association - and tips his hat back to here.  Seems he's trying to get the story out.

    by magnus on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:18:09 AM PDT

  •  IAHA (none / 0)

    At least they didn't have the nerve to point to his International Arabian Horse Ass. experience.  Maybe they do have a sense of shame, after all.

    by Anonymous on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:19:15 AM PDT

    •  But the Boston Herald did (4.00 / 3)

      http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=100857&format=text

      "Before joining the Bush administration in 2001, Brown spent 11 years as the commissioner of judges and stewards for the International Arabian Horse Association, a breeders' and horse-show organization based in Colorado.

           ``We do disciplinary actions, certification of (show trial) judges. We hold classes to train people to become judges and stewards. And we keep records,'' explained a spokeswoman for the IAHA commissioner's office. ``This was his full-time job . . . for 11 years,'' she added.

           Brown was forced out of the position after a spate of lawsuits over alleged supervision failures. "

      by MsLibrarian on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:25:23 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I bet he would have been more (4.00 / 2)

        proactive and sensitive to the needs of hurricane survivors if they had needed blue ribbons instead of bottled water and food.

        by AnneElizabeth on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:34:11 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  And some sort of misuse of funds (none / 1)

        although not admitted, also was behind forcing him out, according to diaries yesterday.

        Add that to other earlier diaries on local FEMA and Homeland Security officials in the hurricane region "bugging out" and abandoning ship, as I recall.  

        What will be found, clearly, is corruption -- the almost inevitable result of the cronyism that led to the appointments of total incompetents like Brown and Chertoff.

        Because they lied, hundreds or even thousands died.

        "Let all the dreamers wake the nation." -- Carly Simon

        by Cream City on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:59:41 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  At long last they finally got it!! (none / 1)

    Evacuation was supposed to be their first priority to decrease the load in New Orleans.

    Imagine trying to feed thoussands of people, give medical treatment, provide safety then search and rescue.  They excarbated the problem.  

    It should have been obvious to the Federal GOvt that this is beyond state level or national guard level and have sent the military on Monday or Tuesday.

    Then distribute the peple to different states, require several cities to process them provide shelter.  

    They should have done this on Tuesday.

    There must be ACCOUNTABILITY.  This should not have happened.

    McCain=Bush 3rd Term--US worst nightmare; Stop Republican obstructionism- Elect a Democratic Majority.

    by timber on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:24:30 AM PDT

  •  Who were those black women hugging Bush in NO? (none / 1)

    I find it very funny that the first people that he choses to hug on when he gets to New Orleans are two black women.  Now I am black and from the south and I can assure you that if they had been in sweltering heat with no showers or electricity for the last 5 days their hair would not have looked that good, and their clothes would not have been that clean. I've got a feeling that they were flown in for the photo op.  If that is the case then I think America needs to know about it.  Can someone on the ground or with access to someone on the ground please find out if they were actually in the flood or whether they are working for Karl Rove?  I know there are a lot more important things going on there but I believe if this man is so callus that he would do that, then he needs to be exsposed.

    Things fall apart, the center does not hold.

    by The Apathetic Militant on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:24:49 AM PDT

    •  Definitely screened (none / 1)

      The NYT reported that everyone Bush interacted with was screened by the Secret Service.

      John McCain

      by joejoejoe on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:40:38 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  nobody bought that shit (4.00 / 2)

      Even the most brainwashed-by-their-TV viewers must have said "Bullshit" to themselves during every staged photo-op.  Bush just isn't genuine or empathic or talented enough to pull them off.  From his praising of M. Brown to the lame-ass joke about living it up in NO to calling NO "part of the world" as if it was somewhere in the South Pacific.  

      I hope someone puts a montage of these pathetic images - the guitar strumming, the botched speeches, the stilted photo-ops, the blind praising of a FEMA chief who got the job of protecting us because he was someone's roommate - and please someone have video of Condi shopping for fucking shoes while people are dying.  It's taken thousands of deaths for the media to FINALLY wake up to the administration's total incompetence, but I fear by 2006 elections some will need to be reminded of just how horrible it is when Republicans are in power.

      Anger is an energy.

      by queerbklynboy on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:04:34 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Absolutely. (none / 0)

      The first thing I noticed was their clean, shiny, combed hair, and the older woman's spotless white blouse.

      You're a Republican until it happens to you.

      by nape on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 02:06:44 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Typical of the right-wing. (4.00 / 2)

    In all of FEMA there are probably hundreds better qualified. This ass-wipe probably has underlings that are superb at emergency management, but doesn't give a shit because he's part of the elitist Bush society that thinks they deserve to be in the seats of power.

    If he actually cared about saving people, he would resign and let someone that knows what they're doing take over. Or better yet, just step aside and let the pros handle things and not give the dimwit pres appoint some other failure.

    Contact Pelosi about impeachment: AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov

    by Pescadero Bill on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:24:51 AM PDT

  •  hire me! (none / 1)

     I've read a lot of SF, Bush should appoint me to run NASA or DARPA!

     I wonder how many other incompetent but Bush-connected assholes are in positions of responsibility?  

    "The power to dominate rests on the differential possession of knowledge" -Foucault

    by Jett on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:25:32 AM PDT

  •  He was incompetent and defeatist even then... (none / 1)

    From a speech he gave last year...

    One of my early public service jobs in Oklahoma involved my working with local first responders, particularly fire departments. I was the Assistant City Manager and I recall one Christmas season that seemed to have a record number of fires and I watched a home literally go up in smoke. Every thing that the family owned was destroyed. There was nothing that the fire department could do...the fire spread so quickly and rapidly. Fortunately, no one lost his or her life. Sadly, preparedness was not a part of our every day dialogue and the family had no firm "what-if" contingency plans...today preparedness is a part of our daily lives.

    by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:25:43 AM PDT

  •  Is it true, that he is a super ranger, (none / 0)

    and how much money did he raise for Bush/Cheney?

    by enaud on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:26:04 AM PDT

  •  oil connections... (none / 1)

    From the White House press release announcing Brown's appointment to FEMA in 2001, his prior history included "From 1988 to 1991, Brown was General Counsel to Dillingham Insurance, Suits Drilling, Suits Rig, Latigo Energy, Dillingham Ranch and Dillingham Enterprises."

    Maybe if mothers (and men with a mother's heart) ran the world, we would stop killing so many people.

    by chichagof on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:26:32 AM PDT

  •  Also see Xan's diary (none / 0)

    Piratization of Hurricane Disaster Planning

    You're walking, and you don't always realize it, but you're always falling. --- Laurie Anderson

    by baggy on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:26:55 AM PDT

  •  To repeat,,,,, (4.00 / 2)

    from an earlier diary,,,the IAHA has NEVER been associated with the Olympics, in ANY capacity.  This is a bald-faced lie.

    Further, Brown successfully took a financially sound breed registry, in existance for several years, and drove it into insolvency in three years.  As a matter of fact, the entire organization was absorbed by the Arabian Horse Registry, and no longer exists.  All of this was 100% due to the mismanagement by Brown.

    "But your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore"--Prine 4130+ dead Americans. Bring them home.

    by Miss Blue on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:27:29 AM PDT

    •  George O'Leary (none / 1)

      ...was a guy that Notre Dame hired a few years ago to be their new football coach, only to fire him a few days (maybe weeks?) later when it was revealed that he had lied on his resume about a minor detail 25-30 years earlier.

      After reading and posting a lot of info on him in the last couple of days, I think Mike Brown needs to be O'Learyed.

      Here's his official bio from when Bush nominated him to the deputy job in 2001.  It mentions his association with the IAHA and  describes it as an international subsidiary of the national governing organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

      The questions that need to be asked are:

      Who put this statement in his bio?  Brown himself?  A White House staffer in OPM?  Someone in FEMA?

      If it was Brown, and/or if he was aware of it and did nothing to clarify the public record, then it seems like a clear lie and should be an immediate firing offense.  

      by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:35:27 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Drove it into insolvency? (none / 0)

      Sounds as though he and Bush have similar business backgrounds.

      You're a Republican until it happens to you.

      by nape on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 02:12:27 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Defining Qualifications Downward (none / 0)

    The Bush Family Way....

    Wars not make one great. - Yoda

    by Volvo Liberal on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:27:46 AM PDT

  •  Respectfully disagree (none / 0)

    As a person who has moved through several different types of jobs over 25 years, I have to respectfully disagree.  Mathematics professor, NBA basketball star, maybe brain surgeon:  these are jobs that only a very human beings can do.  Just about every other job can be done, and done reasonably well, by any human being +/- 2 std devs of the mean who desires to do them and applies himself diligently.

    I explictly reject the notion that one can only do what one did in one's last job, except 5% more.  To the specific example, many people I know in disaster coordination came there by routes other than firefighting/Army MP.  One of my family members, with an MA in liberal arts and a long series of jobs related to that skillset, just mentioned that she is now responsbible for disaster coordination for about 3% of her county's employees - and I am sure she will do a fine job.  Because she cares about it and can learn.  

    Let's judge the guy on his actual performance in the jobs he has held.  Not excepting the one he currently holds, where his performance has been wretched if not treasonous.  But let's _not_ descend into credentialism, which is IMHO pernicious.  If you want to be political about it, credentialism  is something that cuts against the Democrats anyway.

    sPh

    by sphealey on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:28:45 AM PDT

    •  So Experience (none / 0)

      counts for nothing? You could pluck someone off the street to be FEMA Chief? Excuse me, I vehemently disagree with you.

      Everybody dies alone.

      by Armando on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:31:50 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Yes, compare him to the Clinton appointee (4.00 / 2)

        who preceded Brown.  The Clinton appointee had a career in disaster management and was credited with turning FEMA around . . . only to have Brown return it to incompetence in record time.

        At the county level is probably where Witt, Clinton's appointee, began his learning curve, too.

        But by the time someone is appointed to the COUNTRY level, they better have a lot of experience at a job.

        "Let all the dreamers wake the nation." -- Carly Simon

        by Cream City on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:05:03 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  You may not be aware (none / 1)

      but it would seem he has presided over a multi-million dollar kickback racket for a few years now. Knowingly or unknowingly, he has to go, and DHS must be dismantled, now. It's a rathole sucking our money god knows where.

      Intelligent Designer Laments Lapse in Intelligence

      by mrblifil on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:35:20 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  This is such incredible bullshit (none / 0)

      No one said what you claim: one can only do what one did in one's last job, except 5% more.

      This isn't a wonderful story of somebody making a mid-life decision to change careers -- this is a story of someone being given responsibility for handling every major catastrophe in the United States.

      And Bush appointed someone with political connections, but no relevant experience, and hundreds or thousands of people died.

      by Elwood Dowd on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:42:16 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I disagree (none / 1)

      All my life I have in one way or another coordinated, managed, hosted and created events.  A disaster is an "event," and if the person at the head of the agency has no clue about logistics, what is needed, how to do it, all is lost.

      Disaster management requires that the person at the top understands details, knows when things are set up properly, can SEE the "holes."

      Someone who doesn't know how to look at the details is the wrong person to manage disaster plans.

      I don't care of the person used to be a CEO of a company, this is something entirely different, and you can't delegate the responsibility, you have to be the one who KNOWS and ORDERS the holes to be plugged.

      AfterHoursStamper.blogspot.com

      by SanJoseLady on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:47:22 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I agree with you to a point... (none / 1)

      ...but this is an administration that puts often puts people about three levels higher than where they should be based on reasonable experience and capabilities.  Remember all the third-rate political hacks that were hired from the Heritage Foundation resume reject pile to run critical assignments at the CPA in Iraq?

      Certainly one of America's greatest strengths (in contrast with Europe) is its flexiblity in terms being relatively non-credentialist, but it shouldn't be to the extreme of risking critical national security or public safety imperatives.

      by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:47:24 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  You can help NOLA by transcribing radio traffic (none / 0)

    For starters, please recommend my diary:
    http://kazoo-of-the-north.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/3/101046/8326

    I botched it terribly, so when it got the brief headline, it pissed a lot of people off. That's too bad and I'm sorry, but please consider the message if you qualify. But all qualify to recommend my page.

    by kazoo of the north on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:30:47 AM PDT

  •  Please check out (none / 0)

    my current diary thouroughly outlining how FEMA has already come under intense scrutiny from Congress from January through March of this year for over $60 million in aid distribution to counties throughout Florida and the South that had no storm damage to speak of. It's jaw dropping.

    Don't expect much from Lieberman and Collins if their performance from 6 months ago is any indicator.

    I know it's Saturday on a vacation week, but this is important knowledge, and though it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn it deserves more than 9 visits in the last hour. Of course that's true of many diaries, especially right now.

    Intelligent Designer Laments Lapse in Intelligence

    by mrblifil on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:32:45 AM PDT

    •  Homeland Security (none / 1)

      Part of the problem is the poor performance of Homeland Security and the fact that aggregating all these agencies in one mega department was always a risky proposition. I don't know how much to expect from Lieberman on this count - the Department of Homeland Security was his idea in the first place.

      John McCain

      by joejoejoe on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:49:52 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  mrblifil (none / 0)

      That was a great diary. Very informative.

      It's troubling to read that the only people held accountable were the people who filed the claims, and NOT Brown or anyone at FEMA. It's just so frustrating.

      But given the NO crisis, could a new investigation take a look into Brown's lack of qualifications and his role in colluding with the Bush re-election campaign? I mean, the guy wasn't hired because of experience...he was hired because he would help Bush win the election.

      It's both mind-boggling and depressing to think about the huge political apparatus that Bush and the GOP have set up. All departments and agencies are staffed by unqualified but loyal foot soldiers whose sole duty is not to create good policies or improve the lives of Americans, but to help keep the GOP in power by any means.

      by logorrhea on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:05:08 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  another big picture (none / 0)

    What I want to know is whether anyone is thinking about how we would handle it if another hurricane hit anywhere in the US in mid-September or beyond (unfortunately QUITE POSSIBLE - 43% chance of another large hurricane by November 30th, according to CNN, I believe), or god forbid, any sort of terrorist attack.

    John McCain is your jalopy

    by Buffalo Girl on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:32:57 AM PDT

  •  Joseph Albaugh and KBR (Haliburton) (none / 0)

    Being a friend of George and Brownie's roomate has benefits.  And you don't even need to know what you're doing.

    They must have been salivating when congress approved the $10B in emergency aid.

    See the report from Halliburtonwatch:

    http://halliburtonwatch.org/news/hurricane_katrina.html

    by Impasto on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:36:07 AM PDT

  •  Well, there's the problem. (none / 1)

    Bush thinks "Brownie's doing a great job."

    Brownie? Next time, let's get someone with real experience and hire a Girl Scout. Or, if a male is being considered, I say we should exclude the Cub Scouts and Webelos and set the bar at Boy Scouts.

    You've got to have some standards, you know.

    by MattK D1 on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:36:24 AM PDT

  •  I tell ya what (4.00 / 2)

    Republicans better ask themselves this- If a natural disaster happened to them would they want Bush to respond to them in the same way he responded to the people in LO.  I know my answer would be a resounding- HELL NO

    by Cat4everrr on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:36:29 AM PDT

  •  Did Brown need Senate confirmation? (none / 1)

    His appointment is first and foremost Bush's fault, but if he needed to be confirmed we need to see the record of how it was handled.

    Who was the Republican Senate Commitee chairman?

    Did Democrats object?

    And - most important - set the stage for Katrina changed everything - from here on EVERY Bush appointee is grilled and asked the tough questions. And filibuster if necessary.

    by seanflynn on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:41:45 AM PDT

    •  Yes (none / 0)

      He did need Senate confirmation.  But there was no roll call vote for his confirmation.

      I'll dig around and see if I can find transcripts from his confirmation hearing (if they had one).

      by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:53:59 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  See if he lied on his resume to the Senate (n/t) (none / 0)

        "Let all the dreamers wake the nation." -- Carly Simon

        by Cream City on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:06:36 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Haven't found much yet, other than this gem... (none / 0)

        From an appropriations hearing for FEMA on March 9, 2005:

        Brown: The great thing about Secretary Chertoff is his wife used to work for FEMA, so she gets it. And I'm sure there will be some pillow talk about what kind of job FEMA does.

        by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:14:45 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  From his hearing for the deputy job in 2002 - (none / 0)

        http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_senate_hearings&docid=f:81311.wais

        Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell repeated his bio verbatim during the hearing, and added some details:

        Prior to his current job, from 1991 to 2000, Mr. Brown was the Commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association, an international subsidiary of the National Governing Organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee. In his position there, he created ethical programs, enforcement policies and procedures, conducted investigations, and prosecuted fraud and corruption cases.

        Seems that Brown was still pushing (and definitely not refuting) the apparent lie of an association with the USOC, even after being at FEMA for a year and a half.

        by fpc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:29:19 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Cronyism, the Bush Family Way. (none / 0)

    I don't see how one can/not/ see cronyism snaking its way through this administration. It's like some post-colonial African regime.

    "No qualifications? No problem - you played pattycake with the Bush twins in the 4th grade. How 'bout a nice cushy gig over in Dept. of Energy working on price caps? There's free WiFi over there!"

    I know every administration does it. This one just seems particularly egregious to me. I used to work for a Texas-based company, and boy did they have a way with business. Same applies to the Bush admin. Leading the free world, Texas style.

    Yikes.

    "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." -- Frederick Douglass

    by big dave on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:42:08 AM PDT

  •  Congressional investigations (none / 0)

    I sincerely hope that part of Congress's investigation into FEMA will include taking a look at Brown's and FEMA's role in helping Bush win Florida by giving away cash during last year's hurricane season. I know Congress already investigated the problem of fraudulent claims, but did they investigate whether there was collusion between FEMA and the Bush re-election campaign? How was FEMA able to respond so quickly to Florida's much less significant storms, in counties that were barely affected? It looks like after November 2004, FEMA's job was done as far as the Bush administration was concerned.

    Brown clearly did not have the qualifications to fill the role of FEMA director. Not by a long shot. But he was probably hired because he could be counted on to be loyal and help them win. Also,

    For anyone interested, the Sun-Sentinal.com site has a good summary of articles on the topic of FEMA's Florida giveaways in the election year. See: Cashing In On Disaster

    by logorrhea on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:43:13 AM PDT

  •  Eric Massa, candidate for NY-29 (none / 1)

    Issues a call to service and to get priorities straight:

    "I call upon our elected leaders to immediately suspend the implementation of the recently passed Bankruptcy Bill.  We have hundreds of thousands of Americans who are now in dire financial distress who will all suffer under the provisions of this bill through no fault of their own.  Fellow Americans need and deserve our support.  I ask the leaders of both parties to rescind this legislation as an order of priority - now."

    String Quartets #7 & #8

    by Stirling Newberry on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 10:45:09 AM PDT

  •  James Lee Witt (none / 0)

    Governor Blanco has just announced at a Baton Rouge news conference that she (meaning the State of Louisiana I'm assuming) has hired James Lee Witt to help the state deal with this disaster.  Glad to know SOMEONE with some experience is finally attached to this effort.

    by Morrigan on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:12:25 AM PDT

  •  Brown's Sister Posts On White House Prayer Page (none / 0)

    Faith-Based disaster management from the President's prayer
     team.

    Please pray for all the victims but also pray for all the workers in the relief process. I ask this because my brother is Michael Brown, FEMA director.
    --Becky

    I would like everybody to rub any lucky rabbit's feet or coins they might have and wish for the impeachment of this President.

    by HL Mungo on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:14:43 AM PDT

  •  more (none / 0)

    I'm assuming she meant she's hired James Lee Witt Associates, LLC to help.  That company includes the expertise of Rodney Slater, former Transportation Secretary under Clinton and General Wesley Clark as well as James Lee Witt.  Here's a link to the rest of their team.

    by Morrigan on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:19:08 AM PDT

  •  Bar examiner? (none / 0)

    In my state that equals proctor.

    I'd wouldn't even dream of putting such a thing on my resume.

    ...he thought liberals were soft on terror. He had a rude awakening...Rev. Chris Buice, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church

    by trillian on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:41:09 AM PDT

  •  At last! (none / 0)

    The pictures I see now should have happened last Tuesday not 5 days after the hurricane.

    McCain=Bush 3rd Term--US worst nightmare; Stop Republican obstructionism- Elect a Democratic Majority.

    by timber on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 11:49:51 AM PDT

  •  Even alleged Dem. Senator Landrieu (none / 1)

    isn't that impressed with the man's perspicacity. From the New York Times:

     "I have been with Michael Brown since the minute he landed in this center," Ms. Landrieu said Friday in Baton Rouge, referring to the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "and I have been telling him from the moment he arrived about the urgency of the situation."

    But, she said, "I just have to tell you that he had a difficult time understanding the enormity of the task before us."

    -9.0, -8.3. History is more or less bunk.--Henry Ford
    Henry Ford is more or less bunk.--history

    by SensibleShoes on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 12:10:48 PM PDT

  •  8/1/2005: Brown 'expected to be leaving soon' (none / 1)

    WaPo - Al Kamen - In the Loop:

    Deputy Chief at FEMA -- or Maybe Not

    Michael D. Brown , who runs the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Department of Homeland Security, sent around a memo a couple of weeks ago saying "effective immediately," his chief of staff, Patrick Rhode , was the acting deputy director.

    This caused some head-scratching, because there is no official deputy director position at FEMA, because there is no official director. The last person to hold such a post was Brown, before FEMA got folded into DHS. (Brown is now officially DHS undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response.)

    A recent strategic review called for naming a deputy director, but Congress hasn't approved that plan and agencies don't usually go ahead without congressional blessing. Even more curious, it's not clear whether DHS or the White House, which approves such personnel moves, had signed off on Brown's move. FEMA says its general counsel approved the action.

    Brown is widely expected to be leaving soon, and there has been some FEMA speculation that this is his way of trying to pave the way for a successor. Rhode had been associate administrator of the Small Business Administration.

    The Great Obama might saw the lady in half, but he won't make the elephant disappear. The Confluence

    by RonK Seattle on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 12:19:00 PM PDT

    •  More-on Brown's background (none / 1)

      Brown claims experience as assistant city manager for Edmond, Oklahoma from 1975-78, with responsibility for emergency services.

      City of Edmond population was about 30,000 toward the end of his tenure, as it grew from 16K to 34K from 1970 to 1980.

      What kind of emergencies did the City handle under Brown's assistant managership?

      Through the mists of time, we can't really say ... but here are some hot topics from today's City of Edmond FAQ page:

      • Who do I contact if I see a stray dog?  What about a dog that won't stop barking?   

      • Who do I contact if someone's yard is in a very bad state of disrepair (such as 1 foot tall, or more, of grass)?   

      • Who do I contact if there's very tall grass in a roadside ditch?    

      • Who do I contact about trimming a tree that's on City park property or problems in a City park such as poison ivy, bees, or a broken water line?

      • Who do I contact about a broken water line in the street?   

      • Who do I contact to repair a broken street/traffic sign?    

      • Who do I contact about potholes in a City street?

      The Great Obama might saw the lady in half, but he won't make the elephant disappear. The Confluence

      by RonK Seattle on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 02:21:51 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Brown's campaign contributions (none / 0)

    'nuff said:
    http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Michael_D_Brown.php

    by DarthCheney on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 12:24:04 PM PDT

  •  Maybe Brown can retire and (none / 0)

    follow in Allbaugh's path and start his own company to operate in Iraq. That is, after all, where the money is...

    The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad; For the multitude of thy iniquity, and the great hatred...

    by Tirge Caps on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 12:33:53 PM PDT

  •  Tragedy (none / 1)

    This is outrageous.  In a post 9/11 world FEMA should be lead by a competent and fearless leader who has a proven record of dealing with crisis management.  Brown couldn’t even run a horse show – how can he be expected to run a agency tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters.

    It's a tragedy that so many people lost their lives in New Orleans due to the slow and bungled response from FEMA.  Brown should be immediately replaced by a competent, experienced executive.  It's unfortunate that nepotism lead to the appointment of such a negligent slacker - Bush must now correct this mistake before further lives are lost.

    by fighting ben on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 12:37:43 PM PDT

  •  Lesson learned (none / 0)

    You can't expect good government from a party that believes government is bad.

    http://cluefactory.blogspot.com/

    by JoyceH on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 01:23:54 PM PDT

  •  FEMA has no director? (none / 0)

    CNN just ran an interview with one Patrick Rhode, "deputy director of FEMA".  He opined it was "arguable" that response had been too slow.  Yawn.  

    But I was interested enough to look him up, since it appears that Brown is too hot to allow to appear in public anymore.  Who's this new guy?

    There is an interesting article on Rhode up at the Wahington Post, in which it is said that there is no official director of FEMA, Brown is officially the Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, that as of the date of the article, August 1, it was common knowledge that Brown was about to move on [too bad buddy, you caught the bullet there], and had named Rhode as the mythical "acting deputy director" of FEMA (there is no such position as director, much less deputy director).

    Rhode's background is chief of staff for Brown, a stint at the Small Business Administration, some reporting  and of course a top advance man for the Bush campaign.  Oh, and he was in PR for Entergy Corp. after leaving reporter/anchor work in Alabama and Arkansas [it shows - pretty smooth on camera].  He's from Little Rock, AR.  

    by jotter on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 01:25:10 PM PDT

  •  QUESTION... (none / 0)

    During his tenure in Oklahoma...

    what disaster did he handle? was there any disaster? I bet it'll be interesting to know...

    Anybody? Anybody?

    Is he just a budget oversight?

    Use Tor and PGP on the net. (google it)

    by fugue on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 02:20:14 PM PDT

  •  Categorization (none / 0)

    Categorization

    CategoryKatrina

    CategoryBushAdministration

    CategoryDomesticPolicy

    ==

    Check out all the Catorigized Diaries.  Just click on one of the links on that page.  You can make dKos more helpful by contributing to the effort to categorize diaries.

    ==

    PS: Readers, please consider adding appropriate Katrina related information to:
    Compile Info re Help Offered-Rejected/Delayed  

    ===

    Healthcare for ALL! NOW! & OneCare at MySpace

    by SarahLee on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 02:42:07 PM PDT

  •  Who held up the convoy (none / 0)

    so that as CNN and MSNBC reported "...bush flew over the people at the Convention Center just as they were starting to eat their first meal since..."  Since it has constantly been reported that FEMA was running things, or was it the National Guard or was it the white house????
     I hate to think that food and water was held up for one minute to make people look up and thank God they finally had food and water just when a presidential helicoptor flew over.

    -6.95 -7.50

    by Blue Bronc on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 03:26:23 PM PDT

  •  A Disgrace (none / 0)

    For professional local government administrators everywhere, please don't associate this Bozo the Clown with the type of professional public service that we hold as a standard.

    As I sail against the tide, for what I believe is right.

    by Toes on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 06:42:28 PM PDT

  •  And here I thought (none / 0)

    he was at least a Ranger or Pioneer!  You mean he got this high level a job just by blowing someone?

    Pennacchio for Pennsylvania

    by PAprogressive on Sat Sep 03, 2005 at 07:12:07 PM PDT

Permalink | 92 comments