After dismally failing to adequately respond to Hurricane Katrina, FEMA Director Mike Brown must now prepare to weather the full fury of the MSM. The Boston Herald struck first, corroborating my post that reported Brown was forced to resign from his job at the International Arabian Horse Association. And now Knight-Ridder further exposes the stunningly unqualified Brown with a scathing bio that is sure to hit sunday papers across the US.
From failed Republican congressional candidate to ousted “czar” of an Arabian horse association, there was little in Michael D. Brown’s background to prepare him for the fury of Hurricane Katrina.
“He’s done a hell of a job, because I’m not aware of any Arabian horses being killed in this storm,” said Kate Hale, former Miami-Dade emergency management chief. “The world that this man operated in and the focus of this work does not in any way translate to this. He does not have the experience.”
As Josh Marshall explains in his coverage on Talking Points Memo, Brown’s main qualification for the post — perhaps his only — is the fact that he was a college roommate of former FEMA head and Bush political fixer Joe Allbaugh. And as Knight-Ridder points out, Brown’s prior experience with disaster was a disastrous run for Congress.
Brown ran for Congress in 1988 and won 27 percent of the vote against Democratic incumbent Glenn English. He spent the 1990s as judges and stewards commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association. His job was to ensure that horse-show judges followed the rules and to investigate allegations against those suspected of cheating.
“I wouldn’t have regarded his position in the horse industry as a platform to where he is now,” said Tom Connelly, a former association president.
…
“He just wouldn’t follow instruction,” said Bill Pennington, another former association president. “Mike was bullheaded and he was gonna do it his way. Period.”
It was Pennington who confirmed to the Herald that Brown was indeed asked to resign, and even Connelly, who speaks positively about him, calls Brown “abrasive.” This is consistent with emails I’ve received from a number of horse breeders — even those who respect him — who call Brown a “tough bastard” with a quick temper.
No doubt Brown had many enemies at the IAHA, and while there are conflicting stories as to the direct circumstances surrounding his resignation, he clearly fell victim to inside politics. Some say Brown was forced out by breeders angry at strict rules and enforcement, others say it was the burden of costly litigation. But the most convincing explanation I received was this inside report:
To help pay our mounting legal bills, there were people raising money for the IAHA Legal Defense Fund. Mike was suppose to be helping to raise some of the money. Mike it seems was trying to raise money for his own legal defense fund as well as IAHA’s and some people were willing to donate to him. There were two major problems with this. First, ALL of Mike’s legal bills including any personal ones were to be paid by IAHA. So he had NO legal bills so there was no reason for him to need this money to pay legal bills. Second, Mike was in a position that he needed to be seen as never playing favorites or having any loyalty to any individual. Many felt that taking this money would look very bad.
I was not personally at the IAHA Board of Directors Meeting when this occurred however I have been told about it by several people that were there and they all give the exact same story. There are many other things that people did not like about Mike’s job performance at IAHA but this is why he resigned.
Essentially, Brown was raising money from the very breeders he was charged with regulating, and that was the straw that broke the horse’s back.
But I don’t think the reason behind his resignation really matters. The point is, nothing in his IAHA tenure prepared him for running FEMA. Indeed, the fact that he fell victim to the inside politics of a horse breeders association, calls into question his ability to function amidst the high stakes political gamesmanship of the nation’s capitol.
The other issue that has become abundantly clear is that the misleading reference to the Olympics that was in the White House press release announcing Brown’s nomination was no accident. The transcript of Brown’s confirmation hearing shows virtually the identical wording used in the opening statement from Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
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.
Yet a number of IAHA/AHA members have made it abundantly clear that the organization is not in any way associated with the Olympics. Indeed, Arabians are not part of any Olympic competition. This was clearly an attempt by the White House to gussy up the resume of a man lacking the experience necessary to lead a major disaster relief effort… a lack of experience Brown has shown in his mishandling of the response to Hurricane Katrina.
More to come. The Denver Post is preparing a piece for Sunday, and the NY Times is working the story as well.
[Cross-posted to Daily Kos]
Update:
The NY Times article is online… third paragraph:
Mr. Brown has come under fire from critics of the federal government’s hurricane response, who describe him as a political appointee who had no disaster experience before joining FEMA.
Though he once worked as a municipal official in Edmond, Okla., Mr. Brown’s major previous job was as commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association, from which he resigned under pressure in 2001 after a controversial 10 years.
Not much, but it makes the point that Brown was a political appointee who had no disaster experience.
The LA Times has a nice lead:
The leader of the U.S. government’s much-criticized handling of hurricane relief efforts in the Gulf Coast came to Washington in 2001 with scant background in dealing with natural disasters. But he had an important connection: His new boss was an old friend who had managed George W. Bush’s successful campaign for the White House.
Michael D. Brown left his job in Colorado supervising horse-show judges to work for Bush’s longtime political aide, Joe Allbaugh, who was heading the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the new administration.
Brown had been a lawyer active in Republican politics whose most relevant emergency response experience was a stint supervising police and fire departments as assistant city manager in an Oklahoma City suburb.
But within two years, he rose from FEMA’s general counsel to deputy director and, when Allbaugh left, he moved to the agency’s top spot.
That’s the MSM’s take on this story: cronyism. And it’s a pretty good take.
The Denver Post weighs in, and with new information!
Former association board member Karl V. Hart of Florida alleges that in 2000 Brown improperly accepted a check for nearly $50,000 from a prominent breeder and put it toward his own legal defense for his work as commissioner. Board members thought this was improper because Brown already had protection, from the association’s legal team, Hart said.
Because of the money dispute, Brown was asked to resign, Hart said.
One of my sources had hinted at this, but was not a board member and only had hearsay, so I couldn’t use it. Nice reporting by Jeremy Meyer to follow this up.
And finally, my favorite take on this story comes from Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo:
So let me see if I understand this. Brown’s a Republican from the southwest. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress when he was thirty-three. Then he bounced from job to job, finally getting into the sports business in mid-life, before getting canned. And then he used connections to land himself a high-powered position in the federal government for which he had no apparent experience at all.
How could such a fellow possibly be in the Bush administration?
Hmmm.
George Bush has always believed that government is unable to fix problems. We should’ve expected him to appoint the kind of people to important government positions to prove himself right.
Think of all the career “guvment” employees at FEMA. Gee, high paid “guvment” union employees. Who would have thought that they would ever get ANY job done [except vote Democrat].
Bush always said he’d surround himself with the best and the brightest.
Bush always said he’d surround himself with the best and the brightest.
Sadly, when compared to Bush himself, the best and the brightest encompasses pretty much everyone.
thehim @ 3 You are absolutely right. Compared to our presidential idiot, why…. even our cynical idiot seems smart
So….
Is his background less than or greater than Goldies?
A sofware programmer ranting on about politics – an area where you clearly have no background?
I guess we should consider the source
If we get down to considering sources….prr…..should be out sourced to the moon. No insight, no brains, talking head supreme
Is his background less than or greater than Goldies?
A sofware programmer ranting on about politics – an area where you clearly have no background?
I guess we should consider the source
You’re comparing writing a blog to running FEMA? Were you just kicked in the head by an Arabian Horse? I’ve seen a lot of dumb things in the comments on this site, but this one may actually take the cake.
PRR, what happened this week in New Orleans should concern you. Our American government had become a role model over the years in how good we’ve handled difficult situations like this. If you were a real patriot, and a proud American, you’d be upset about this. But you don’t care about your country, you care about a silly ideology fed to you by talk-show blowhards who have no other agenda than to get rich off of the stupid.
Is his background less than or greater than Goldies?
A sofware programmer ranting on about politics – an area where you clearly have no background?
I guess we should consider the source
You’re comparing writing a blog to running FEMA? Were you just kicked in the head by an Arabian Horse? I’ve seen a lot of dumb things in the comments on this site, but this one may actually take the cake.
PRR, what happened this week in New Orleans should concern you. Our American government had become a role model over the years in how good we’ve handled difficult situations like this. If you were a real patriot, and a proud American, you’d be upset about this. But you don’t care about your country, you care about a silly ideology fed to you by talk-show blowhards who have no other agenda than to get rich off of the stupid.
Prr is a little on the slow and stupid side.
And, he has a new hobby: calling Vietnam vets baby killers.
Who would-a thought?
Prr is a little on the slow and stupid side.
A little?
And, he has a new hobby: calling Vietnam vets baby killers.
Who would-a thought?
Embarrassing. Prr, this is crunch time for the right wing in this country. At some point, pride has to be put aside, and for the sake of the country, the Republican party needs to stop making excuses for this guy. They didn’t do it with Nixon until only 12% of the country identified themselves as Republicans in 1975.
DJ @ 9…
I’m not calling all vietnam vets baby killers, I’m Calling Rabbit one.
Now stop acting all hurt and offended, you scumbag liberals have been saying the same thing since 1969
Goldy has come up with some interesting background information on Michael D. Brown. But wasn’t all this information available in 2002 when he was confirmed as Deputy Director of FEMA (by a Democrat controlled Senate, and probably with near unanimity) and in 2003 when he was confirmed as Director of FEMA (GOP now in charge of Senate, but probably nearly unanimous)?
His initial appointment as General Counsel for FEMA in February 2001 did not require Senate confirmation. Perhaps he was adequately qualified for that position.
Just something to think about …
THere is simply no denying the Federal government has failed in its response. DOes that mean that others are blameless, of course not. I suspesc when all is said and done the LA governor’s response will be found lacking. I’m more willing to giove the mayor a bye as most of his resources were decimated. To compare this with 9/11 is ignorance. A few square blocks destroyed with the city mostly intact is different than the whole city and much of the state destroyed. And I am New York born and raised so I understand what happened there.
Why do we pin it on the Feds? All disaster plans have their limits. Here in Washington we plan for a 7.0 earthquake. If there’s a 9+, forget all the local resources. We will need federal help and that will not be because we failed in our preparations. Chertoff described this as a “perfect storm” overwhelming FEMA’s initial response abilities. ANd you believe the city in the middle of it should have handled the problem? This is a national emergency and they are FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
CNN just announced that Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died.
Maybe Mike Brown should be nominated to replace him. At least Mike Brown is a lawyer. That is more qualifications for the U.S. Supreme Court than he had to be the Director of FEMA.
12-
Pope, that is just idiotic.
Maybe he’d be qualified to dino-sore’s legal team…but that’s about it.
Anne Rice speaks.
Pope @ 15,
Now we await the neocon celebration. The culture of life will welcome this death, you can be sure of that.
None of you liberal ‘pussies’ has even a clue what the reality of what life in the real world is all about.
All you seem to be able to do is to sit in your ‘cacooned’ world, sipping your starbucks, and postulating on the importance of your navel. Reality is a whole different story!
I for one, have had to deal with the ‘poor’ and ‘minority’ ‘communtiy’ in the real world. And it hasn’t been a pretty sight.
You have no ‘gravitas’, (to repeat a liberal term’, of what you speak.
prr @ 11
“I’m not calling all vietnam vets baby killers, I’m Calling Rabbit one.”
There are lots of ways you can criticize the Rabbit. But, for you to claim he was killing children and women in Vietnam, strikes me as outrageous hypocrisy coming from you, prr.
I mean, what kind of person accuses someone of this kind of thing when they don’t even know the person, or have any idea of the hell he went through in Vietnam. Does political disagreement justify using simple knowledge that he served in Vietnam to then accuse him of the worse kind of atrocities?
“Now stop acting all hurt and offended, you scumbag liberals have been saying the same thing since 1969”
I’ll tell you what, you apologize to the Rabbit and I stop. But, as a good-faith showing in the mean time, I’ll not bring the topic up more than once a thread (that you post in).
BTW: I’ve never accused any service person of killing women and children as part of their service. I suspect there are no liberal posters here who have done so, either. You seem to be the only person around here doing that.
I for one, have had to deal with the ‘poor’ and ‘minority’ ‘communtiy’ in the real world. And it hasn’t been a pretty sight.
Had to “deal” with the poor? As in, had to actually come in contact with them, or actually be one?
“Essentially, Brown was raising money from the very breeders he was charged with regulating, and that was the straw that broke the horse’s back.”
Gosh, he was behaving like a … Republican.
@8
Sadly, Bush has trashed FEMA just like he’s ruined all our other American values. (The USA used to be anti-torture.) And this guy ran as a “values” candidate. All his life, from his frat boy partying at Yale to his repeated business failures, George W. Bush has been nothing but an empty hat talking.
Brown is a very generous man. He made sure that even people mostly good god fearing Republicans were taken care regardless of whether a hurricane choose to visit them or not. I don’t think the people of NOLA have anything to worry about.
“U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla) has urged President Bush to fire Michael Brown as undersecretary of the Homeland Security Department in charge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Wexler cited reports in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that FEMA under Brown’s management inappropriately gave away $30 million in disaster relief funds to people in the Miami, Florida, area even though they were not affected by Hurricane Frances, which made landfall more than 100 miles away.
In his letter to Bush, Wexler wrote: “According to several news accounts by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, ‘FEMA has written checks to cover new wardrobes, cars, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, furniture and thousands of televisions, microwave ovens, stoves, air conditioners and other appliances.’ In addition, the Sun-Sentinel cites that FEMA paid $4,500 for one resident’s funeral, even though the county medical examiner recorded no storm-related deaths. Another Sun-Sentinel article stated that two residents received aid for ‘dental treatments due to dental injuries received during the disaster.’ In six other cases, FEMA reimbursed residents for damage caused by ‘ice/snow.’”
In a Jan. 24 news release, Wexler added: “On Monday, January 11, FEMA held a news conference acknowledging that they made $12 million in overpayments to 3,500 individuals — blaming these overpayments on a ‘computer glitch.’ FEMA, however, continues to deny additional systematic problems and cites the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prove that there were legitimate hurricane conditions in Miami-Dade. Yet, according to the Sun-Sentinel, NOAA has refuted the weather maps FEMA claims to
have obtained from them. As the head of FEMA, Under Secretary Brown oversees federal disaster response and recovery operations, and it is negligent of him to refuse to accept responsibility for its agency mistakes.”
“Rather than taking responsibility for FEMA’s mishaps and moving expeditiously to correct the
problems, Under Secretary Brown has further undermined his agency’s reputation by stymied
investigations and inquiries into fraud allegations,” Wexler added. “FEMA’s massive misallocation of recovery aid is a gross waste of taxpayer monies, which must be immediately addressed by the Bush Administration,” Wexler said. —Donald H. Harrison”
24…..RR……….(The USA used to be anti-torture.) Reading your liberal bull shit is torture to me. What a “victim” you are!!
K @ 15: “All disaster plans have their limits. Here in Washington we plan for a 7.0 earthquake. If there’s a 9+, forget all the local resources. We will need federal help and that will not be because we failed in our preparations.”
That’s true, but as any local disaster planner will tell you, help will be several days. That said, an earthqake will strike without warning. City, state, and federal officials had several days in which to prepare for this one. The City obviously didn’t follow their own plan for evacuation, and the problems went right up the chain from there.
I think Joe Allbaugh should get some sort of award. He not only lost GWB’s national guard records but he found Brown.
@12
Somehow I missed you when I was killing all those Vietnamese babies. I must have mistaken you for a Vietnamese rat turd.
It’s an easy mistake to make. Rats grow big in ‘Nam. On this board, they’re not big, just loud.
Well I see the latest Bushit from Scott McClellan is, “Those who are suffering need help now,” he said. “All of us coming together to solve the problems is what those who suffer need, not finger-pointing.”
Sorry, Scott, that horse has already left the barn.
Richard at 12, my history is fuzzy, but was the Senate Dem-controlled in 2002? I don’t remember myself. Regardless, blaming the Dems for this retard having a position of great authority is pretty weak. Something to think about. Quick question for the trolls, at what point do you become so embarassed you can no longer defend this shit? I can see the chickenhawks defending whatever, they have no soul. But you current and former military members who still defend this administration, what’s the breaking point? What could be stupid enough for you to say, “Wait, what did they do?”
The Democrats had a one seat majority in the Senate in 2002. Richard Pope’s point is silly for several reasons. For one, this is hardly an isolated example of cronyism. Hell, even Brown’s predecessor, Albaugh, was only qualified by being friends with W.
For the Senate to have focused on just this one appointment would not have made sense at the time. With Bush’s approval ratings in the clouds, it would’ve been a foolish fight. There was simply not the kind of conclusive evidence in 2002 that Bush was incapable of his job that we have now. A popular President gets to do pretty much what he wants. I don’t think anyone here thinks that the 2002 election results would have been different if the Senate Democrats were challenging every little thing that Bush did. There just wasn’t the kind of outrage against the guy at the time.
But the bottom line here is that Bush is clearly incompetent. He’s not incompetent because he’s a Republican. He’s incompetent because he has absolutely no idea how to run the country. And the Republican Party, as a whole, is starting to show its incompetence by remaining in denial about it.
CandrewB @ 31
I read the 06/19/2002 confirmation hearing transcript that Goldy linked us to. A 42 minute love feast, with no real questions being asked by anyone about Mike Brown or his qualifications. And yes, the Senate was Dem-controlled — and the committee chair was Joseph Lieberman (Dem nominee for Vice-President in 2000).
Presumably the Dems didn’t challenge Mike Brown’s qualifications, because they also like to appoint unqualified political hacks when they are in power.
I want you asses who are so fucking hot on special privileges base on pigment and plumbing to remember what you’re saying here. Next time a blackdisabledwomanveteranlesbiansinglemother gets a job that she has zero qualifications for, you remember all this. And don’t say a gd word about “diversity”.
Anyone see where Gov Blanco STILL hasn’t declared Louisiana in a state of emergency? She has to be at least as incompetent as Mike Brown. And, she has a lot more power, so is much more dangerous. I hope she is not only recalled, but held personally responsible and put in jail. Right next to Mayor Nagin.
I am not for a second defending Brown or FEMA…a washed up beurocratic money sponge, but on the other hand I also know that you libs wouldnt be happy unless he unzipped the federal “trousers” and just started pissing money on New Orleans untill every person had a Lear jet to fly them out, and even then you guys would bitch about the meal on the plane!
You see FEMA was fucked BEFORE either Brown or Bush. This outfit has been nothing but a money whore since Clinton was getting sucked off by Monica!
My G*d! RUFUS the DOOFUS, Redneck, Cheesie Chuck and Janet S. A circle jerk of ignorance, intolerance and hate to beat them all!
Why go to (un)SP?
Roger Rabbit@24
Sad you had your head up your ass when FEMA was dealing (more like fucking) the people in the Nisqually flood…under Billy Bob (between blowjobs). You really should remove your head from your ass more often, the air HAS to be a bit stale up there!
Hey, Clueless, got anything of substance to say? Or is this was passes for educated discourse in your mind?
There is plenty of blame to pass around for what is happening in NO. If the mayor of the city didn’t have a plan, why would some guy in Wash DC have one? If the governor of LA didn’t think to call in the national guard, why blame the president? If he had jumped in, all of you moonbats would have yelled about the heavy hand of the federal govt.
Chuck @ 37,
“but on the other hand I also know that you libs wouldnt be happy unless he unzipped the federal “trousers” and just started pissing money on New Orleans untill every person had a Lear jet to fly them out, and even then you guys would bitch about the meal on the plane!”
Don’t be an asshole, Chuck. Do you think what those people were going through is some kind of joke?
Lear jets would not be necessary. Just saving lives, pulling people out of piles of their own feces, and giving them some food, clean water and shelter would have been nice….
Janet S @ 36
“Anyone see where Gov Blanco STILL hasn’t declared Louisiana in a state of emergency?”
Oh my god. You are the stupid fucking idiot I have ever encountered.
Yes. . . she declared a fucking state of emergency BEFORE the Hurrican hit on Friday, August 26. Jesus christ, Janet S, really, turn off the talk radio, or at least try to verify their bullshit before posting it here.
Look it up, it is state Proclamation No. 48 KBB 2005
Wow Janet way to stay on message.
Now that dj has just debunked you, move on down to the next talking point.
Remember you’re paid by the undebunked talking point, i.e. the crap that sticks to the wall!!!
More Moronic shit for Janet S @ 40
“There is plenty of blame to pass around for what is happening in NO.”
Ok…I don’t think people are disagreeing.
“If the mayor of the city didn’t have a plan, why would some guy in Wash DC have one?”
The city DID have a plan. LOOK IT UP, YOU FUCKING MORON!
“If the governor of LA didn’t think to call in the national guard, why blame the president?”
The Governor DID call in the national guard
Here is an Associated Press report:
So Janet, do you somehow believe that Blanco asked NM’s National Guard to help (prior to the hurricane), but didn’t bother activating their own Guard?
I suspect you do, because YOU ARE A FIRST RATE FUCKING MORON!
Pope at 13 and 34:
“Presumably the Dems didn’t challenge Mike Brown’s qualifications, because they also like to appoint unqualified political hacks when they are in power.”
This is classic GOP Goebbelesque bullshit: The issue is Bush’s appointing incompentent, frat boy cronies, not the Senate’s confirmation process. The Pres and his apologists need to wake up and smell the fucking coffee: answer the question, don’t point fingers elsewhere.
And progressives need to keep their eyes on the ball: don’t be distracted by bullshit diversionary rhetoric.
Chuck @ 38,
“You see FEMA was fucked BEFORE either Brown or Bush. This outfit has been nothing but a money whore since Clinton was getting sucked off by Monica!”
You are not as much of an idiot as Janet, but you are still an idiot (but probably willfully so).
In fact, under Clinton, FEMA was elevated to a cabinet level position.
I strongly suspect that Clinton and FEMA under Clinton would have done a MUCH better job of handling this disaster. Just a hunch … but having a professional emergency manager in charge of FEMA is a strong hint.
Richard Pope @ 34
“Presumably the Dems didn’t challenge Mike Brown’s qualifications, because they also like to appoint unqualified political hacks when they are in power.”
I suspect there is a confluence of reasons that lead to his confirmation.
First, the appointment was only for a Deputy Director.
That, and in mid-2002 the Bush administration was still largely getting “its way” in the post-9-11 haze with regards to its homeland security-related wants.
I suspect there was also a feeling that a FEMA insider—someone who was with the agency through 9-11—would provide better agency continuity than bringing in someone from the outside.
Finally, I suspect that most of these lower-level appointments are routinely not challenged—one has to pick and choose ones political battles.
Janet S, just a few general questions for you. So far, you’ve come on this board and told two outrageously ridiculously lies. What is your motivation? Are you just a gullible person too lazy to question whatever certain people tell you? Or do you feel like its justified to lie in order to defend this President?
Patriotism involves questioning your leaders. If you can’t muster up the strength to express any doubt towards the failure of a federal government agency (and don’t give me the crap that it was the mayor’s fault, this is WHAT FEMA IS FOR), then you’re failing in your duty as a citizen.
And to have the gall to spread lies in the name of incompetence is bordering on something worse.
I want you asses who are so fucking hot on special privileges base on pigment and plumbing to remember what you’re saying here. Next time a blackdisabledwomanveteranlesbiansinglemother gets a job that she has zero qualifications for, you remember all this. And don’t say a gd word about “diversity”.
Mark, can you explain what this was in response to? I don’t see anything on this thread about affirmative action, and I don’t think it’s relevant in any way to what’s happening in New Orleans. I, like many people I know, oppose affirmative action but also strongly oppose President Bush. Affirmative action is a debatable issue with two clear sides, and many liberals disagree over it.
What is happening in New Orleans is not a debatable issue. It was a clear failure of a Federal Agency, being led by an old crony of the President, and resulting in one of the ugliest crises anyone has seen out of the United States since they could start watching what happens here on the TV. Anyone trying to argue against that is not a conservative with a different point of view, they’re a moron living in la-la land.
Yesterday, Shepard Smith was nearly yelling at Sean Hannity on Hannity and Colmes, and Ann Coulter is being booted from her regular column spots across the country. This pre-packaged political pile of bullshit about ‘liberals’ that you happily bought from Rush Limbaugh a while back has reached its expiration date. You no longer have a leg to stand on. And at some point, when your numbers dwindle, and schemers like Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh can’t make any more money off of you, they’ll stop providing you with one.
@41
Janet, you’re an idiot! Over 85% of the active Louisiana Guard is deployed in Iraq, dummy! To call up the inactive Guard takes months, because they have to be summoned to duty, take physicals, undergo training, etc. And there’s no equipment to give them because that’s in Iraq, too. God you’re ill-informed.
Comment on 46
Republicans talk about “personal responsibility” but don’t expect them to take any. Republicans talk about “accountability” but don’t expect to see any — who has Bush fired? Nobody, no matter how badly they fuck up! Bush has sunk to new depths of irresponsibility and cronynism, and American citizens are paying for this nonsense with their lives. You trolls just wait — you may not see the public’s anger yet, but when it hits, it’s gonna be broad and deep.
redneck @ 35 “Next time a blackdisabledwomanveteranlesbiansinglemother gets a job that she has zero qualifications for” That quote from you must be a perfect description of your mama, with the outcome of her pregnancy, she obviously had no clue on how to raise a child or give him/her any morals
Roger Rabbit @ 51
Less than half of the active (i.e. the people who actually belong to a unit) members of the Louisiana National Guard are deployed in Iraq (or anywhere else).
The 85% number you have come up with is not a correct calculation, and is based on incorrect assumptions. I read the link that you had provided several threads ago.
Basically, there are about 3,000 members in Iraq, and 3,500 members who were not deployed. 3,000 out of 6,500 is about 45%, not 85%.
You came up with 85% by dividing 3,000 by 3,500 for some reason, instead of dividing it by 6,500.
dj@47
But when they were given the chance in a flooded Nisqually vally right here in this state, under Clinton and James Lee Witt, they failed miserably. The only difference was we didnt have the death toll that is now associated with the hurricane. Failure is failure!
Richard–@53–
Roger somewhat takes after Bush with numbers sometimes…gets a little cornfused! I looked at those same numbers and scratched my head. C’mon Rog….be a little more precise. Besides, 45% is still a lot. Why exaggerate when the truth will do???
Roger Rabbit@51
I think you should keep your postings to lunatic raves, an art to which you have shown an unswerthing ability. Leave the military and guard deployment (inactive or active) to the professionals as you have no idea what you are talking about.
But when they were given the chance in a flooded Nisqually vally right here in this state, under Clinton and James Lee Witt, they failed miserably. The only difference was we didnt have the death toll that is now associated with the hurricane. Failure is failure!
Can you post up some Google info on this flood? I’m finding something referring to a flood in 1996 (I did not live in this area then), but otherwise I’m not finding anything. In the document I found, it doesn’t mention anything about a Federal response even being required. Any information will help me in explaining why comparing a minor flood to what happened in New Orleans this past week is patently absurd. Of course, you don’t have anything, and you know that.
Yes, the flood you are referring to is the one. It happened in December 1996, and yes FEMA was called in for what little good they did. They did manage to sell the flooded residents some water that was donated be Budwieser, so I guess they were there to raise funds. I am curious if they still do that at disasters. By the way, the Nisqually flood wasnt exactly “minor, as it covered areas from Spanaway to Olympia, but rain and flooding rivers tend to be slower than hurricanes therefor the death was significantly lower (and destruction as well). But make no mistake, many had no place to turn and neighbors and freinds were the only hope for them. Fema was more the obstacle than a help.
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/.....ood%201996‘
The Bush Administration-When it absolutely, POSITIVELY has to be fucked up OVERNIGHT!
Today’s editorial from New Orleans Times Picayune:
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/t.....tml#076771
OUR OPINIONS: An open letter to the President
Dear Mr. President:
We heard you loud and clear Friday when you visited our devastated city and the Gulf Coast and said, “What is not working, we’re going to make it right.”
Please forgive us if we wait to see proof of your promise before believing you. But we have good reason for our skepticism.
Bienville built New Orleans where he built it for one main reason: It’s accessible. The city between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain was easy to reach in 1718.
How much easier it is to access in 2005 now that there are interstates and bridges, airports and helipads, cruise ships, barges, buses and diesel-powered trucks.
Despite the city’s multiple points of entry, our nation’s bureaucrats spent days after last week’s hurricane wringing their hands, lamenting the fact that they could neither rescue the city’s stranded victims nor bring them food, water and medical supplies.
Meanwhile there were journalists, including some who work for The Times-Picayune, going in and out of the city via the Crescent City Connection. On Thursday morning, that crew saw a caravan of 13 Wal-Mart tractor trailers headed into town to bring food, water and supplies to a dying city.
Television reporters were doing live reports from downtown New Orleans streets. Harry Connick Jr. brought in some aid Thursday, and his efforts were the focus of a “Today” show story Friday morning.
Yet, the people trained to protect our nation, the people whose job it is to quickly bring in aid were absent. Those who should have been deploying troops were singing a sad song about how our city was impossible to reach.
We’re angry, Mr. President, and we’ll be angry long after our beloved city and surrounding parishes have been pumped dry. Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been were not. That’s to the government’s shame.
Mayor Ray Nagin did the right thing Sunday when he allowed those with no other alternative to seek shelter from the storm inside the Louisiana Superdome. We still don’t know what the death toll is, but one thing is certain: Had the Superdome not been opened, the city’s death toll would have been higher. The toll may even have been exponentially higher.
It was clear to us by late morning Monday that many people inside the Superdome would not be returning home. It should have been clear to our government, Mr. President. So why weren’t they evacuated out of the city immediately? We learned seven years ago, when Hurricane Georges threatened, that the Dome isn’t suitable as a long-term shelter. So what did state and national officials think would happen to tens of thousands of people trapped inside with no air conditioning, overflowing toilets and dwindling amounts of food, water and other essentials?
State Rep. Karen Carter was right Friday when she said the city didn’t have but two urgent needs: “Buses! And gas!” Every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be fired, Director Michael Brown especially.
In a nationally televised interview Thursday night, he said his agency hadn’t known until that day that thousands of storm victims were stranded at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. He gave another nationally televised interview the next morning and said, “We’ve provided food to the people at the Convention Center so that they’ve gotten at least one, if not two meals, every single day.”
Lies don’t get more bald-faced than that, Mr. President.
Yet, when you met with Mr. Brown Friday morning, you told him, “You’re doing a heck of a job.”
That’s unbelievable.
There were thousands of people at the Convention Center because the riverfront is high ground. The fact that so many people had reached there on foot is proof that rescue vehicles could have gotten there, too.
We, who are from New Orleans, are no less American than those who live on the Great Plains or along the Atlantic Seaboard. We’re no less important than those from the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia. Our people deserved to be rescued.
No expense should have been spared. No excuses should have been voiced. Especially not one as preposterous as the claim that New Orleans couldn’t be reached.
Mr. President, we sincerely hope you fulfill your promise to make our beloved communities work right once again.
When you do, we will be the first to applaud.
MArk The Redneck Villiage Idiot @ 35 “Next time a blackdisabledwomanveteranlesbiansinglemother gets a job that she has zero qualifications for, you remember all this.”
Sure thing MTRTVI, next time a blackdisabledwomanveteranlesbiansinglemother gets a job that she has zero qualifications for, I will remember this, and complain loudly.
But back to reality, isn’t it time for you to get VERY angry that Bush appointed Mike Brown who had NO QUALIFICATIONS to run FEMA?
Chuck,
Compared to what happened in New Orleans this week, that flood was minor. I’m amazed at how people don’t quite understand the enormity of when a city the size of New Orleans becomes a lake.
I still don’t know exactly what FEMA failed at doing. Were there people dying of thirst and starvation? Were people trapped in their homes? How exactly were they an “obstacle”?
thehim@61
As I said, the death wasnt there, but the Nisqually flood covered much ground if you care to look at a map, it covered from Spanaway to Olympia. Instead of helping people rebuild they simply declared the area a flood zone, passed out $10.000 checks to the few that were actually homeowners and told them because they lived on a 100 year flood plain they had to move.
OK, we hate them all. BUT Please, write your politicos, Email your friends, lets get this guy out! People are still dying while the failed head of the Arabian Horse Ass. is running our Federal Emergency response. I, for one, weep in shame.
Richard @53
I used your numbers, Richard, so either I misunderstood your post or your post was unclear. In any case, I humbly stand corrected. And, as always, I’m your humble servant. :D
@64
But that doesn’t change the fact that Janet S. is an idiot and a dolt!
55 & 56
If you two geniuses are so smart, why didn’t you catch my mistake yourselves, instead of just riding on Richard’s coattails?
@66
Because you’re F R E E L O A D E R S that’s why.
@62
“Instead of helping people rebuild they simply declared the area a flood zone, passed out $10.000 checks to the few that were actually homeowners and told them because they lived on a 100 year flood plain they had to move.”
So the gov’t checks should have been more? And gov’t should encourage people to build in flood plains so gov’t can hand out more checks the next time it floods? Socialist!
As I said, the death wasnt there, but the Nisqually flood covered much ground if you care to look at a map, it covered from Spanaway to Olympia.
I’m sure it covered a lot of ground, but it didn’t affect anywhere near as many people.
Instead of helping people rebuild they simply declared the area a flood zone, passed out $10.000 checks to the few that were actually homeowners and told them because they lived on a 100 year flood plain they had to move.
The complaints here have nothing to do with rebuilding, they have to do with basic rescuing. You’re comparing apples to oranges here. You can argue that the federal government acted without much concern to the locals here in 1996 in the rebuilding, but hell, we haven’t even gotten close to that stage in New Orleans yet. If you don’t think the people of New Orleans are going to get a bigger shaft when that time comes, I’d be MORE than happy to place a wager with you on that.
Sometimes the Federal Government has to make tough decisions, and sometimes that causes problems. But unlike in 1996, no one is sitting around saying, “You know, I don’t think we should be saving the people stranded without food and water in New Orleans.” But it took way too long to happen.
Roger Rabbit @ 64
6,500 is the best number for the effective strength of the Louisiana National Guard, since it is the number of people who are unit members.
They apparently have about another 2,000 IRR (so-called Individual “Ready” Reserve”) — i.e. inactive reserve who aren’t members of a unit. So this 8,500 total figure is often quoted by the Pentagon — since 3,000 is a smaller percentage of 8,500, than it is of 6,500.
However, the IRR inactive members are pretty much useless to be called up in an emergency on short notice. Probably only good for warm bodies to send to Iraq.
They used to have a lot more members, before the defense cutbacks that started in the early 1990’s. When David Duke was running for Governor in 1991, I remember seeing the figure of 14,000 as being the number of troops he would be able to command if he was elected. That number certainly made the prospect of his election even scarier. :(
re 2: JCH, you idiot, stop writing “guvment” you trailer-trash ,inbred piece of conservative offal. You finally got the government you’ve always wanted— one that is so incompetent it is paralyzed.
thehim@72
You people are so full of shit! This disaster is being handled in many ways better than past ones! It is just the sheer impact of the dammage that makes it look bad. I dont care how much you spend or who you are, Clinton, Bush or anyone else, you cannot make ice cream out of shit and this hurricane handed out shit on a level second to none.
Chuck,
There are people who have been without food and water for several days, when there have been VERY EASY WAYS for the government to get food and water to them. Just pay attention to the incredulousness of the people who are there. Watch Shepard Smith on Fox News (yes, Fox News!) thoroughly unable to spin how poorly this has been handled. He was shellshocked at how bad this was handled.
Look at how many people have been at their wits end trying to emphasize to this administration how serious this is. And nothing has gotten done.
This is an absolutely clear failure by our federal government, and anyone who is still making efforts to defend the Bush Administration is either willfully ignorant or hoping that America fails.
First of all, as a Brit, let me offer my sympathy for the victims of this disaster. It’s on a scale which we (thankfully) don’t experience. I was astonished by how poor the US response to this disaster has been; it isn’t as if you’re unaccustomed to natural disasters, and I’ve always regarded the US has a very competent nation.
Reading this correspondence I can begin to understand why this has happened. You don’t have a dialogue, a process of listening to one another with a view towards discovering truth. Every blog, bulletin board or forum I visit is full of Americans taking the piss out of each other and holding to an absurdly polarised view. I know it’s just the Web, not real life, but you’re all being so venomous with one another. ‘Liberal’ and ‘conservative’ don’t necessarily have to be considered insults; they might just be political positions.
I sincerely hope you manage to get your act together. I have a deep fondness and respect for the US, and I would hate to see it degenerate into a banana republic.
Yeppers, your IAHA contacts are correct.
The national governing body (NGB) of equestrian sport is the United States Equestrian Federation or USEF (www.usef.org), which reports directly to the USOC. USEF is (after years of internecine struggle we won’t bother to go into here) the officially sanctioned NGB.
The IAHA was NEVER an affiliate member organization of USEF. Therefore, Brown never had anything whatsoever to do with the U.S. Olympic Committee. He wasn’t even on that track. The IAHA was just a bunch of horse breeders…
thehim@76
OK genius, you are in charge…go, constructivly tell me how “easy” it would be. Now just remember, when the hurricane turns and proves to be a no show, an equal amount are going to be pissed at you for wasting tax money.
A Citizen’s Plea to President George W. Bush
Dear Mr. President,
I am hereby asking you to take a giant step toward stopping the nasty, vendictive and very childish political agenda of destroying people’s reputations, almost always based on untruth, spin and the deplorable journalism of very biased reporters that has taken over Washington, D.C., since the Clinton Administration’s “War Room” began this last, low-level, political-party-oriented operating procedure. This approach has prevailed over Washington, D.C., since the Clinton Administration’s “War Room” began their scheme to deflect and destroy.
This current attack on Michael D. Brown, Director of FEMA, has prompted me to shout to the world that I, as a voting citizen of this wonderful U.S.A. for the past 50 years (I have not missed voting in an election all these years), implore you, Mr. President, to stop this destruction to our government. Having watched Nancy Pelosi on the floor of the House of Representatives and her viscious attack on Mr. Brown (as a Californian I am deeply ashamed of her), plus all the rest of the Democrats jumping on board reinforced my original suspicion that this attack is just politically motivated to use Mr. Brown as a stepping stone to discredit you and your Administration. In short……calling for you to dismiss Mr. Brown IS POLITICAL BLACKMAIL AT ITS MOST BLATENT!
I have watched this tactic used for several years now. I am hereby strongly urging you to stand by your appointee, Mr. Brown, and refuse to yield to blackmail. This has to stop. You can stop it here. You have refused to yield to the blackmail tactics of terrorists. This is no less destructive to our country, even though it is not life-threatening as are terriorists tactics of blackmail. Over the long run, if this continues, our government will be “gutted” of good people, since people of the quality and ability to properly serve our country will no longer subject themselves to this kind of abuse.
I know Mr. Brown personally, have worked with him through the Arabian horse organization where his did an outstanding job and know his tremendous abilities. Mr. Brown took on a job that no one had ever done before. He showed courage in pursuing an element that had entrenched itself in our Arabian horse world for many years which “no one” would touch for fear of repercussions! He had no qualms and he went after this element and he was successful! He is an asset to the people of the United States. As far as I’m concerned after having experienced working with Mike, his ability and integrity are without question. We cannot continue to destroy our best people in the name of political blackmail to advance an agenda of trying to “regain” control which was lost due to the desires of the majority of the voting citizens of this country. WE NEED PEOPLE OF INTELLIGENCE, INTEGRITY AND WHO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT FEAR OF “WHO AM I GOING TO UPSET” IN OUR GOVERNMENT POSITIONS. You have one in Michael D. Brown.
I have seen you stand behind your people before; i.e., Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfield, for example. Mr. Brown is no less important in your Administration. Please stand behind him. Do not let any political agenda influence a dismissal of Mr Brown. Stop this unacceptable blackmail approach the Democrats have taken to destroy him to get to you. Anyone who follows and understands the constitution, government processes and the procedures that have to be followed by all levels of government know that FEMA has performed to the absolute best of their ability. Thank you, Michael D. Brown!
A Very Concerned Citizen
Lorry Wagner
Inyokern, California 93527
Funny thing about those senate confirmation hearings in 2002. Albaugh didn’t leave Fema until 2003. His departure wasn’t announced until January of 2003, so why would the senate have been having hearings in 2002?
http://www.nvoad.org/archive.php