Me: “So, did you hear that the Administration recalled FEMA director Michael Brown?”
Long: “Yeah? Attaboy, Georgie! Scapegoat some bureaucratic monkey, then have yourself a nice big plate of pipin’ hot jambalaya. That’s just the way the ol’ Kingfish woulda done ‘er, too!”
****
related: FOXNews’ Major Garrett, who’s been a steady and honest reporter in a toxic “journalism” stew of hyperbolic, Shep Smith-style grandstanding, is reporting that, despite reports that Michael Brown “padded” his resume, he does indeed have experience dealing with hurricanes, and that his past actions have been quite successful (included in which are the last significant hurricanes). Similarly, Garrett pointed out that the procedural failures all point to the bungled evacuation and local response, particularly Governor Blanco’s failure to act quickly and decisively under pressure.
In short? Brown has been made the fall guy by a bunch of shrieking hysterics whose understanding of FEMA (and the federal government) and its role as an integrated component of a single plan disaster plan (and who delivered and coordinated a remarkably impressive response that of its response timetable) was likely derived from a couple of screenings of X Files: Fight the Future.
Two days after the hurricane hit, we were told by our self-important press, a bunch of lefty blogs (and some on the right), and the international media that America should be embarrassed by what was unfolding in NOLA.
Turns out what we should really be embarrassed about is everything that has happened politically since that time.
****
update 2: The Corner’s Rod Dreher has officially lost his shit:
I carry no water for Gov. Blanco or Mayor Nagin, both of whom will, I am certain, come out worse than anybody when the crisis moment passes and we examine the record of who did what. That said, I was startled to see a quote from a “senior administration official” in a Times story today, explaining why President Bush did not invoke the Insurrection Act and seized control of the Louisiana National Guard:
“Can you imagine how it would have been perceived if a president of the of one party had pre-emptively taken from the female governor of another party the command and control of her forces, unless the security situation made it completely clear that she was unable to effectively execute her command authority and that lawlessness was the inevitable result?”
Excuse me, but what? Is it really the case that a Republican president was so worried about the conniption fit the left would have if he told Gov. Edith Bunker to stifle it, and sent in troops to save the lives of poor black people who were being set upon by anarchists? Sure, the usual suspects would have howled, but they would have howled anyway. The Normal-American community, however, would have seen a commander in chief who was not going to let political considerations stop him from overruling an inept governor and moving in to save lives and prevent an American city from turning into Mogadishu? And the Normal-American community would have cheered this extraordinary example of firm executive leadership, and told the Meathead-Americans to take a hike. But that didn’t happen, did it?
No, Rod, it didn’t.
But that’s because the President followed the Constitution. There was NO insurrection, which makes invoking the Insurrection Act, you know, problematic. Is Dreher really advocating that the President override the Governor’s authority and seize control of the state? Is he advocating ignoring Posse Comitatus?
Facts: Blanco refused to allow a federal takeover; She refused to allow FEMA-directed aid into NOLA; And the Bushies, to their credit, tried to get her hand over control—even going so far as to devise a hybrid command structure in the middle of the crisis. She refused that joint control offer, too.
But to Dreher, nothing short of a total and, in his mind, heroic scrapping of the Constitution would do—up to and including forcibly removing a duly elected sitting Governor. After all, people were dying!
Sorry, but what kind of conservatism is that?
Christ. If William Buckley were dead, he’d certainly be spinning in his grave right now. As it is , I hope he’s having a few extra belts of Glenlivet, or at the very least inviting a lovely young escort to feel around a bit inside his smoking jacket.
****
update 3: Glenn sides with Dreher and expresses concern over cronyism. Me, I just want SOMEBODY to point out FEMA’s actual failures instead of using a disputed resume blemishes and a lot of showy handwringing to suggest Brown’s failures.
In the interests of being charitable, I will say simply that The Corner hasn’t been in the least bit helpful in quelling the hysteria.
Thank you Jeff
Jeff,
Spot on.
You can add to your list of “hysterics” Jeff Jarvis.
See particularly his entry titled “Stop The Coverup Now” and the comments therein, where I single-handedly am responsible for increasing Mr. Jarvis’ ad revenues 100 fold as I take on the onslaught of false premise and outright meme-mongers of the left.
I could use a hand if anybody cares to join me.
Read it all here.
Don’t ever let anyone question your bonafides again.
Should some one ask The Corner whether state and local governements are obsolete? That seems to be the meme they have adopted.
Jeff Jarvis has been in hysterics since 9/11. He writes with authority, but is uninformed about lots–imagine that, for someone whose claim to fame is as an editor/critics for TV Guide.
And Dreher is in the same boat.
Stopped reading both long ago.
Classic cases of “don’t know what they don’t know.”
Is it worth pointing out that nowhere in that Times article does it quote George W. Bush as saying the reason he didn’t want to supercede a Governor is because of a difference in party affiliation? Instead we have a quote from an anonymous Administration official.
Dreher assumes this anonymous official speaks for the President. Maybe he or she does, but Dreher doesn’t know that.
Jeff,
I have it on good authority that Mr. Buckley is a Glenfiddich man.
This whole jurisdiction mess over who directs who (whom?) might be better illustrated in the coming court battle over in my state of Connecticut, where the Republican Governor and the Democratic Att. General, supported by both of our Democratic Senators, and the Democratic-controlled State House are all arguing that the properties of the National Guard (in our case, A-10’s) cannot be pulled out of the state without the permission of … wait for it… the Governor!
BECAUSE OF THE… well, anyway.
Choosing Glenfiddich over Glenlivet makes baby Jesus cry.
Matt30,
You assume that Dreher assumes that the anonymouse official speaks for the President.
My experience leads me to believe that whenever an MSMer quotes an “anonymouse administration official” they do so for their own political aims, rather than in a search for the truth.
My own experience is that many in the MSM make up these quotes out of whole cloth to support the angle of their story.
You will notice that this is the “lynchpin” quote for the entire piece. That’s usually a dead giveaway.
Drat.
Re: “Michael Brown’s ‘padded’ resume” – Wasn’t Brown investigated, questioned and confirmed by a Democrat controlled Senate?
Dood,
They’re called “interns” not “escorts.”
By the way: your “comment security system” spells nuclear:
N-U-C-L-E-A-R
instead of the preferred
N-U-C-U-L-A-R.
I’m just sayin’. You know, bona fides and all.
yes. But Andrew Sullivan would find your mentioning of that in defiance of parody, Jwebb.
FACTCHECKERHAWK!!!
JWebb,
You are correct, sir.
They grilled him for almost an entire 43 minutes.
Here’s the transcript of the entire hearing:
http://www.voluntarytrade.org/downloads/Brown_ConfirmHrg.pdf
It took me longer to WRITE this post than it did for that Democrat “advice and consent” to occur.
ahem.
That was in response to JWebb’s comment. Which, I might add is a pretty solid testament to Democrat leadership…
Is that an oxymoron yet?
Yes, and confirmed without dissent.
It must be human nature. In an emergency, most people flip out and a few people keep their wits about them–which is why genuine leaders are so rare.
But one leader can move mountains.
I recall hearing of an episode in General–MacArthur’s, I think–career. When he was first sent to command in France in WWI, after just graduating from West Point, his troops had no confidence in him because he was green. So, at their first combat engagement, he led them out of the trench–unarmed. They were so amazed that they fought like hell. Throughout his career, his men admired him.
Where are our intellectual leaders? Where are the cool heads we need to keep our boat afloat?
Right now, I feel like we’re living through Night of the Living Left. Zombies keep stumbling toward us no matter how many bullets we fire.
Hoodlumman,
There is such a thing as “Democratic leadership.”
If a “democrat” “leads” you to something called the “Superdome” my advice is to consult other leaders.
If a “democrat” “leads” you to a bridge leading into Gretna, my advice is to duck. Because there’s another “democrat” there with “lead” shot waiting for you.
rightnumberone: “You assume that Dreher assumes that the anonymouse official speaks for the President.”
Exactly. I assume Dreher assumes that because he says “…a quote from a “senior administration official†in a Times story today, explaining why President Bush did not invoke the Insurrection Act and seized control…”
It may not be what Dreher truly believes, but it is what he said.
Rod Dreher is a known Birkenstock wearer, who calls himself a “crunchy con”–whatever the hell that is. Big effing weenie if you ask me.
Governor Blanco’s Letters to Bush.
My read is that Governor Blanco is telling Bush what the needs are so Bush will give her and her people resources.
The recovery will be state-run.
The Corner first started going bonkers with Bush’s speech on Tuesday morning (I think). About 4 commenters in a row went apeshit about his “terrible speech”.
Don’t you know that it is the perception of failure that is important? It does not matter that the single source reports of FEMA incompetence were later repudiated by facts (Wal-Mart trucks turned back, Virginia Dr’s help rejected, et al). The entire picture of FEMA’s performance is forever captured in the MSM reports of the SD, the Civic Center and the hysterical Shep Smith and his brethern.
This image was reinforced for the public as no one had the balls to call the MSM on their misinformation campaign. No one in the Administration, none of the so called right wing press or pundits. No one reported the amazing successes of the Feds. Not one Administration Official made mention of the difficulties encountered due to the incompetence, nay, the obstructions of the State.
The perception that there was a systemic failure of the Bush Administration put Brown in a hole he could not get out of. If there were a 100 success stories today, the question would be about the one perceived failure reported by some ego inflated idiot on TV.
The “reasonable” minds of the right aided and abetted with the meme that, “Although NOLA & LA responded abysmally, FEMA is not without fault and there is enough blame to go around.” As you aptly pointed out, the appeasement crowd on the right jumped on FEMA with both feet.
The perception of FEMA’s inadequacies has now spawned the calls for Congressional hearings. We can now have a “Katrina Commission” because not one Republican Legislator has the balls to stand up to the misinformation campaign of the MSM, the race baiters of the left, including the Congressional Black Caucus.
It just seems to me that the Republicans, politicos and pundits alike, are too subservient to the Dems. Perhaps it is because they do not want to be perceived as insensitive to the lives lost; be perceived as racist.
I have wondered if the outrage displayed by the MSM, the Dems, Jesse Jackson, et al would be the same if the affected area was upper middle income, predominately white and predominately registered Republican. I imagine not.
I’m just diagusted that the party in power, put in by a majority of the electorate, caves in to the hysterics of the party that can’t win an election. You know, elections have consequences. When you do not win, you are relegated to minority status and you do not have as much power as the majority party. No BALLS!!!
Oh, one other thing:
Who is going to want to be FEMA director after this bullshit?
The job is as toxic as Lake Ponchartrain right now.
The short version of the clash between W and Blanco …
Blanco: I need helicopters, troops and resources
W: Ok you need to turn over control of the LA National Guard before we can move
Blanco: Why?
W: Federal military cannot defend or engage US citizens without embedded Nation Guard operating with your authority under our command.
Blanco: The LA National Guard is mine, you can’t have them. Helicopters, troops and resources right now ! They have my permission to shoot anybody they want.
W: It doesn’t work that way. Everyone involved would be subject to prosecution.
Blanco: So ??? Who cares about that? Helicopters, troops and resources right now or you’ll face dire political consequences !
Dreher is a moron.
This presumes it would be apparent that lives were saved by taking the action. How would that occur? In real life you can’t play it both ways and tally the score. Most died on Monday and Tuesday, it is not clear that anything W could have done would have saved anybody.
I understand the argument (based on hindsight) that W should have put his neck on the chopping block to save some poor folk and trust in Democrats perceiving his good intentions before Blanco demonstrated incompetence (at the time nobody was aware of that yet, overwhelmed? yes, incompetent? not then).
But what does W say afterwords to those who claim Blanco would have saved even more people if only she had been allowed to excercise her duly elected authority?
Hmmm ???
CHOP … CHOP … and … CHOP
Tom M,
How in the hell did CT end up with A-10’s? That’s more of a “Texas” or “Alabama” kinda plane, don’t you think?
Glenn updated his post, FYI, and linked to you. Check it out.
What does it take for you true believers to simply acknowledge that Bush either made gargantuan misjudgments both in his reaction to and preparation for Katrina, or has been willfully conning us all for the last four years? The reason that the leftwing nuts like Robert Novak, David Brooks, LaShawn, etc. are upset is that 9/11 changed everything, the world is a dangerous place, we needed to spend billions on a new gargantuan bureaucracy, and all the other macho sloganeering that made up virtually the entirety of the Administration’s policies. We needed DHS to be able to handle a situation where local authorities would be powerless or dead. There will be no warning when some crazed Canadian plants a suitcase bomb in Chicago, but we were told that Bush would protect us, unlike those namby-pamby Democrats. The result of Bush’s hard work since 9/11 is either a monumental fuck-up or a monumental con, but not around here. Bush, being the best of all possible Presidents, is faultless and perfect. If Bush were to eat a live baby on Fox News, Jeff would write 100,000 words on why it was the baby’s (or some hysterical Democrat’s) fault, but upon further rumination would proclaim that we should all be eating babies unless we want the terrorists to win.
Here’s a fool’s game: Pretend this was President Gore, Kerry, or either Clinton. How many thousands of words would you waste defending a Democrat who reacted as callously and slowly as Bush? What will we tell the children
You may be right on the facts, Jeff, but who’s it going to hurt to throw Brown to the wolves? The guy had a plum assignment while it lasted and now he has to pay for the privilege. I know that’s a shit attitude to have about it, but his job is to be expendable.
Here’s a fool’s game:
You should know
What does it take for you true believers to simply acknowledge that Bush either made gargantuan misjudgments both in his reaction to and preparation for Katrina, or has been willfully conning us all for the last four years?
Huh?
What does one have to do with the other.
And Jim, can you please tell us SPECIFICALLY what FEMA did or didn’t do that was wrong or insufficient? Please compare those issues with previous disasters.
The first thing it takes, Jim, is an adversary who doesn’t begin his rant by presuming that only he is open-minded enough to speak—and that those with whom he disagrees are all Bush apologists.
Beyond that, what it takes is evidence. And the New York Times spelled it out for you this morning. All you have to do is read.
Sorry. Read and UNDERSTAND. Which makes it a taller order for you, I realize.
Now, I’ve been fair to you every time you’ve posted here. And I suppose if you want to make the claim that I’d defend Bush for eating a baby, you have that right.
Just so you realize you look like an ill-informed and shrieking partisan when you do so.
As to your fool’s game, why don’t we just skip the hypotheticals and look at how many words I spent fighting the social cons on Schiavo, or Kid Rock, or fighting conservatives on Andrea Yates.
There is nothing so unseemly as a hyper partisan who offers no substantive argument, preferring instead simply to project onto others his own hyperpartisanship.
That would be you, Jim. Here’s your argument: We were told that this massive new bureaucracy would keep us safer. Shep Smith says it failed! Lots of people are piling on!
HOW DARE YOU DEMAND FACT! ISN’T PERCEPTION ENOUGH FOR YOU?
BUSH APOLOGIST!
Sorry, I don’t shame easy, Jim. Bring the facts. Otherwise, save your partisan harrangues for somebody who you can browbeat.
No Jim,
I’m not a true believer. I’m not even a Republican. And the situation you site here really doesn’t apply. The local officals weren’t dead, and aren’t dead. They were in charge then and are in charge now. There was no reason for the Federal governement to assume control of LA.
And frankly there’s nothing in your post that suggests that FEMA, or for that matter, the president haven’t done all they could do in this situation. You’ve tossed around alot of insults, and you’ve frothed alot, but you haven’t given me one fact.
As far as LaShawn and Novak and Brooks go, not to mention Michelle Malkin, I ask the same of them. Don’t talk to me about appearances. Give me facts. Tell me where the foul ups occured. I’m willing to listen. But stop just screaming at me. That isn’t convincing.
Jim Golden, you sure accuse people of a lot of stuff you can’t prove. You don’t know that I wouldn’t defend Clinton in this case ( in point of fact, I would ).
Secondly, Golden, why don’t you get off your fat ass and PROVE that Bush was either “callous” or “slow” about anything? Obviously you cannot back up your big mouth.
Actually list one misjudgment – put up or shut up is evidently a concept too challenging for you.
Jim,
Bush did more to fund levee construction than Clinton. In fact the main levees that broke were recent upgrades.
Willfully conning us? Nice rhetoric. Absent of any point, but I’m sure it makes you feel all warm inside.
The DHS WAS prepared to act, but Blanco, Nagin and other local and state officials were very much alive. Their actions prevented the Feds from acting sooner. Remember it was the STATE National Gaurd that stopped the Red Cross from trying to provide relief.
No one in their right mind would ever claim that you could protect every possible route a terrorist could take from eventually attacking the US mainland. But the reason I voted for Bush was that he was atviely trying to do the next best thing: foster a democratic movement across the middle east by removing a fascist trillionaire dictator who had supported thousands of Islamic Terrorists. Go ask Jafar Talabani how that one is working out.
Jeff has criticized Bush on many occasions, but that would rather rob of you of your whole “MCHIMPYBUSHITLER-APOLOGIST” cry now wouldn’t it.
As they say, tis better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove
all doubt.
Arguendo: FEMA should have been more proactive, ignored LA state requests and delivered relief to the suffering. Or at least put on a good show of it.
Rebuttal: The agents they had in place with relief supplies were the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Unfortunately for the arguendo premise, they are not structured to override onsite state authority on the orders of FEMA.
This pretty much confirms my belief that western civilization is doomed. It seems like the entire left and a large amount of the right believe that the federal government is some sort of magical beast that can fix problems immediately.
Jeff,
Do you ever get tired of speaking truth to power?
I mean, for someone who allows their “comment security system” to so mangle the word: nucular to the point where it spells “nuclear.”
Come on, you’re on Nancy Pelosi’s payroll.
Admit it. You’ll feel better for the cleansing.
I guess I’m seeing FEMA’s actual failures with my own eyes since I’m living now among thousands of evacuees looking for help.
I blogged about it here.
I’m certainly no Bush-hater… in fact, I think the criticism he’s gotten is way over the top. However, FEMA is just not doing its job, unless you’re going to tell me there is someone else who’s supposed to get these evacuees some immediate help.
I posted previously, but think it worth repeating…my mayor in Sacramento, a Dem, would perform her duties in a disaster far worse than Nagin or no better but my Governor would serve far better than the blubbering zero known as Blanco, but the left would be pounding Arnold.
If Louisiana had the good fortune to be governed by Haley Barbour we would never know Brown was the schmuck these so-called experts in the media say he is.
If Blanco thwarted the efforts of the Red Cross (an organization that WORKS WITH FEMA), what member of the punditry/media class would bet their career FEMA thwarting by Blanco/State is a stretch?
Rod Dreher is a hysteric. Has been for…forever.
It’s no surprise to see pundits and politicos so focused on the image and the polling (even though the numbers we’re seeing early on this don’t warrant the bed-wetters soiling their sheets). It’s just all they know.
At the end of the day, some of the right wing pundits suffer from the same malady as most of the MSM: they just flat out don’t understand “flyover” country. Why? Cause they never visit anymore.
Rod might get better though. He’s in Dallas now.
CJ,
I don’t mean to take issue with what you’ve said, but I have to. Your post is complaing that FEMA isn’t handing out money fast enough. Not that the evacuees don’t have food to eat or a place to sleep, and not that they aren’t in a climate controlled environment or don’t have access to medical treatment.
Don’t get me wrong. Money is important, but it seems unrealistic to expect the Feds to make every evacuee financially whole inside two weeks.
Can you give me evidence that FEMA has denied people food, watet, medical treatment and housing. Not housing of their choosing, but housing?
It is pathetic that we have so many people just blindly and moronically repeating nonsense without any foundation whatsoever.
The children need to get back into the back seat, buckle up and shut up. The adults are busy.
JWebb:
Fair enough I suppose. But who appointed him? Or was this the political equivalent of the Immaculate Conception?
Which means, I suppose that the Dems would quite justified in derailing the nomination of Judge Roberts, since the thrust of your argument implies that the Senate assumes responsibility for presidential appointees once confirmed.
But then again, that would clearly violate the consitution, which forbids legislators from assuming executive power. Pretty well settled law I think.
“Is my house rebuilt yet? Huh? Huh? Is my house rebuilt yet?”
Robin Roberts:
You are so right. Your lesson for today is to to review your own comments and then take your own advice.
CJ, good luck with your situation. I’m sure it’s tough enough without red tape.
Persevere, buddy.
Hi Ken,
Have you uncovered actual evidence of an actual FEMA screw up? Or are you angry about Brown’s resume?
I wonder if Dreher has read the Insurrection Act. It’s really not that long.
Even if you ignore the lack of insurrection in NOLA, how do you get around the requirement that the legislature sign off on it? Maybe Dan Rather could have faxed a fake request. I ACCUSE DAN RATHER OF INCOMPETENCE AND NOT CARING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE!
Ken, your diaper too tight?
yes, but don’t forget, “you have the right to appeal!!!”
Corvan:
Actually, the resume per se does not bother me all that much. People have qualities some time that don’t translate on paper. we’ve all known people like Brownie. He’s a guy of no great distinction, fired from his previous exotic gig as the commissioner of Arabian horses. Even that doesn’t bug me. Somebody had to do it, and based on my one experience dealing with the people who populate the world of polo, I expect its a great opportunity to meet rich people (career wise, a good thing) and babes ( aneven better thing) So he puffed himself up. He made astrong career move. Hell, but for Katrina, maybe he’d be cashing out after the ‘06 election into a great private sector gig working on the final looting of US Treasury.
If Brownie had not looked like a clueless buffoon, if in fact Brownie had risen to the occassion and done an outstanding job Brownie would be the toast of the media, instead of merely toast. (and Bush’s comments about the great job Brownie was doing aside, Bush pronounced himself the response unacceptable)The fact that Bush’s push back, which attempts to shove all the blame on local government, isn’t flying is verified by the fact that Brownie has fallen on his sword and will be leaving FEMA soon. He’s now the designated fall guy. It’s a little unfair really. They gave Brownie a job he had no business holding, and as an undistinguished lackey friend of Joe Allbaugh’s he had neither the stature to uphold FEMA’s interest in adequate funding or capable peronnel nor did he have the skill to fight for his agency. Anyone who has ever been anyone in government knows unfortunates like Brownie. Too bad so sad. He is humiliated, but alive and well and drawing a fat federal paycheck. Based on the track record Bush will give him a medal. I’m sure he will end up somewhere on K Street, NW.
The bottom line remains that Ken can’t list a single damn thing to support his claim.
Not one thing.
Robin:
Still obsessed with shit, eh?
Oh goodie. Kenny’s back, granting us his wisdom (and if he don’t win, YOU DON’T PAY!)
Yes, Ken. The media is always looking for a good right wing hero. And not for, say, a scapegoat to justify their own hysterical and uninformed reportage.
Incidentally, Democrat Mort Kondracke said today the he thinks the media coverage and analysis has been abysmal.
I’d say he’s about spot on.
Notice the reports starting to get less breathless and hyperbolic. The cleanup is really going “much faster and better than anyone anticipated.” The number of dead was grossly overestimated. Those 200 deaths in the Superdome? 10—and the majority of those dead were very sick to begin with.
As I’ve been saying, history will show the scope and success of this effort. And I’ll keep people like Ken’s words here so that his grandkids can Google them and find out what a petty partisan gnat Grandpappy was.
Okay Ken,
You say the resume isn’t an issue, and you still cite no evidence that FEMA has fouled up. Am I supposed to interpet this as an endorsement of Mr. Brown?
Robin:
You are too crude. I offer one thing. The City of New Orleans. RIP.
I offer another thing. FEMA, run by lackeys and hacks. And advance men. ADVANCE MEN!! I suppose the balloon men and hot dog vendors were otherwise engaged.
Bush is the president, and he undoubtedly has the right to fill key agencies with lackeys and hacks and advance men. But they had better perform. If they don’t we should remember that George Bush is, as we are constantly reminded “the Commander -in-Chief”. And rule one is that the commander is responsible for the failure of his subordinates.
But Ken, you haven’t cited any failures. Where is the evidence that FEMA has done the same job it always does?
Hey Corvan:
Didn’t you notice? Bush (or Cheney) fired him in everything but name. Bush pronounced himself unsatisfied. He was correct to make that observation. Too bad, as Bill Kristol said, he’s weak on execution.
And mere incompetence is not a firing offense in this Adminstration. Exhibit one: Rummy.
How in the hell did CT end up with A-10’s? That’s more of a “Texas†or “Alabama†kinda plane, don’t you think?
Bennett,
Sorry about the delay in responding. Its movie night with the kids and all.
The 103rd was one of the first to get the Thunderbolts, in 1979. They had the earlier thunderbolts (P47) and switched to the A-10s after the F100 and F102’s were phased out.
They deployed to The First Gulf War through Aviano. I see your point about Texas – good terrain for it and all, but we actually have another A-10 base in (N.H.?).
Ooops, hasn’t…Has would work better in this context: It appears FEMA has been no less successful than it has always been. Perhps, it has responded even more quickly. What evidence do you have that shows otherwise, Ken.
But Ken, you still haven’t produced one shred of evidence that supports your claim. That’s all I’m asking for. Why won’t you even make an effort to produce any?
Ken,
I heard President Bush’s remarks about FEMA’s response to hurricane Katrina.
He did not say that the response was unacceptable.
He said that the response was “good” and that the results were “unacceptable”.
He also said that Michael Brown was doing “a heck of a job”.
Yes Jeff…
I’m back. I see you are still peddling your ludicrous smoke screen of an argument that Bush was legally constrained from acting promptly in New Orleans. This is what you get when glib writers of fiction purport to offer legal advice. You and your fellow Bush dead enders can’t have it both ways: You can’t logically argue that Bush was constrained from action by constitutional and politial considerations (my God! If he acted he might commit an impeachable act. Which I guess, given the fact that George Bush is in the political crapper makes Kathleen Blanco an operator worthy of praise by MAchiavelli) and then simulataneously demand that critics provide proof of the failure to act promptly that argument number one is implicitly conceding.
Someone mentioned hot dog vendor…reminded me of A Confederacy of Dunces. Great snapshot of New Orleans.
And it’s not just Ken. No one has given me any evidence that FEMA did anything other than the job it was desgined to do. Right now all I’m hearing is “I just don’t like this Brown guy. This Brown guy, he can’t give press conference worth a damn.” Fine, if you want me to play along give me a reason that is based on evidence of his misconduct.
I’m peddling it, the New York Times is peddling it…all us Bush Dead Enders. We’re pulling our resources to try and hide the TRUTH!
“BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL”
And I’m sure your next post will tell us exactly what Michael Brown could have done in the last two weeks to avoid that.
P.S. You get extra credit if it doesn’t involve violating the Constitution or the laws of Physics.
Hey Matt:
Duh, “the results” (you Know, actual real world performance, the bottom line, the only thing that matters) were “unacceptable”.
He was doing such a great job he has been publicly relieved of the greatest responbility he ever had in his life.
Still no facts.
I think Philip Seymour Hoffman should play Ignatius J. Reilly in the movie. If they ever make it.
No Ken,
You miss the point. The argument isn’t, the response was slow, but the Constitution made it that way. The arguement is, the response could only have been more timely if Gov. Blanco had given the president permission to federalize it. Which she didn’t.
The second part of the argument is lives would have been saved had Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin followed their own plan for the evacuation of NO. And you still haven’t provided any evidence at all that FEMA’s repsonse was any worse than it has ever been before.
Yesss… yess… Darth Bush should have found ways to “motivate” his minions into producing “acceptable” results.
I’m finding Ken’s lack of clue… disturbing.
Maybe John Goodman.
There was some version of Confed of D in production a few years ago with Will Ferrel as Iggy. Financing fell thru tho.
Ken and his ilk engage in a metaphorical lynching of Brown, creating a political environment in which it is necessary, facts be damned, for someone to appear to take a hit for the natural disaster that has hit NOLA, and now they want to claim that the environment they created and fostered is proof of Brown’s perfidy.
Assholes. I just wish Bush had said something like, “hey, Brown don’t give good press, just like yours truly, but that don’t mean he hasn’t done a hell of a job and I want those that disagree to get specific for a change of pace.”
But hey, politics ain’t tiddly-winks, etc.
I cannot fail to notice Jeff that you fail to address the logical inconsistency that makes nonsense of your position. I repeat. You contend that Bush failed to fact because he was deferential to (imaginary) legal and political constraints. Yet, having made and argument that implicitly concedes the failure you ask critics to present proof of what you are conceding.
The bottom line based on your the majority of your correspondents. You readily present the wreck that is the City of New Orleans (and things ain’t that great in Mississippi, either)as proof of failure by state and local government. That is a very fair point. But it is clear that while you are comfortable with the facts as presented (in the media) as proof of failure by local government and the people themselves) it is clear that you want the line drawn at the federal government, even though it has, on its own motion, assigned itself the lead role in natural disasters. And assumed ownership when Bush declared an emergency the weekend before the storm hit.
Bed time. Busy day tomorrow…
Ken,
I addressed it specifically, not five comments ago. Please read my comment and revise your remarks.
Oh, and this bothered me:
Uh, yeah, they can.
Because the two arguments aren’t mutually exclusive. One could argue against the silly notion that Bush could just act like the Left’s hero, Fidel (he’s offered doctors to help out!), and take over the situation; while simultaneously arguing that Bush and FEMA acted in at least as expeditious manner as under previous administrations in far lesser emergencies.
And Jeff has done that. Quite well, in fact.
Could the left please send it’s A-Team out here? These losers are tedious.
Will Ferral as Iggy would have been an absolute disaster.
The irate lefties calling from Brown’s scalp—on the grounds of resume fraud!—would have a modicum of crediblity if they would spend at least .00001% of their outrage at the obvious resume puffery that got Louisiana’s blubbering bathetic Governor Blanco her job despite her utter incompetence. What did she do to warrant the governorship of the 19th (or so) largest state – other than point out that Bobby Jindal’s skin color was something less than lily-white. (Which is, as we know, A-OK because she’s a Dem and Jindal was a quasi-darkie who had the effrontery to run as Re-puke-lican.)
Blanco cried. People died. Blanco lied. More people died. That simple.
Ken’s last comment simply proves he has not been reading this site over the last week or so.
Goodness, but it is difficult to have a conversation with some one who won’t listen to your remarks or respond to your questions.
The left has no “A”-team. That would be judgmental now, wouldn’t it? And to designate some as the A-team implies that others are not as worthy, which would damage the self-esteem of the non-A-teamers.
Not surprisingly, Ken ignores the variable that the Constitution is an enforceable and binding document, and that a President simply doesn’t override it. There was nothing “imaginary” about those constraints, as the New York Times and the Insurgent Act make clear.
Tell me, Ken, have you ever won a case? Or is every judge you’ve ever argued before a spiteful Bush Dead Ender, too…?
No, they haven’t. On anyone’s motion.
The shit that went wrong in NOLA is shit that the state and local’s are tasked with. Jeebus, do you people read?
This is bullshit. FEMA dropped the ball. A Cat 4 hurricane hit a hollowed out section of the ocean that Americans, Americans!, were living in and all I see is destruction. If FEMA had their heads out of their ass, all those poor people would right now be soaking their feet in a pink tub of parrafin wax wearing some comfy terry robes and cucumber slices over their eyes. Bush is such an asshole. I mean, I look at all the hurricane destruction and all I see is…fucking…destruction! For the love of god FEMA, do something, anything!
Jeff, this guy’s a lawyer?!
Actually, it doesn’t surprise. The highest known concentration of total assholes, per capita, ever recorded on the planet was at a Law School.
And I’m a lawyer. So, you know, I should know.
Fred: Ken made some statement about taking the bar exam about a week or so ago. Don’t recall if he said he passed, though.
don’t forget to add patrick, we also found an ambulance chaser ad for someone with the same name as well.
It seems that during the LA Riots, Bush Sr suspended Posse Comitatus for the regular military (not the NG, which would be illegal):
In context:
The thing is, the paper cites U.S. Army, FM 100-19, Domestic Support Operations, Washington: July 1, 1993, 3-2 as its source, which I assume is the US Field Manual, which seems to me isn’t legal, since it’s not law, but procedure, which would mean Bush Sr broke the law then, and that Posse Comitatus still holds now. Either that, or Bush Jr could have legally federalized the regular military during Katrina. What do you think?
Finally, someone is saying it.
So glad to be able to link to it.
ah —
Bush I had the consent of Pete Wilson and the CA legislature. He also had an actual insurrection on his hands and not just a flood and looters. So once federalized in CA with the state’s consent, active duty military were no longer restrained.
If I’m reading that right.
The 4,000 Marines Bush sent in to L.A. arived May 2nd, the fourth day of the riot.