Can FEMA Director Craig Fugate Save Us—and Obama—From Sandy?

[DonViejo]

by Eli Lake Oct 29, 2012 4:26 PM EDT

Do what he says, or you might die. Eli Lake on the man in charge of cleaning up this mess—and making the president look good.

Obama's chances at re-election may come down to a former firefighter from Alachua, Florida, who turned down George W. Bush's offer in 2005 to make him director of FEMA.

Meet Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who will oversee the federal government’s response to what many are predicting will be the worst hurricane to hit the mid-Atlantic in decades.

The last time a president’s political fortunes relied so heavily on FEMA, it was a disaster for the White House. During Hurricane Katrina, the man in charge of assisting the states from Washington was Michael Browne, who was relieved of his post because of his incompetence less than two weeks after the storm hit. Fugate, now Obama’s FEMA director, is the guy Bush wanted to fill Browne’s shoes.

On a press call Monday, Fugate struck a wary tone, predicting that storm-related damage and reconstruction efforts could last through next Tuesday, when the nation heads to the polls on Election Day.

Fortunately, there are few people who are more prepared for this kind of storm than Fugate. From 2001 to 2009 he was the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management. In 2004, another election year, Florida was hit with four hurricanes and a tropical storm between August and September. Fugate had to replace polling stations that were damaged. At a press conference before one of the storms hit, a reporter asked what would happen if people didn’t evacuate areas Fugate said they should evacuate. “They will die,” Fugate responded with characteristic bluntness.

Much more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/29/fema-director-craig-fugate-can-save-us-all-from-sandy.html

[Floyd_Gondolli]

1. The premise is absurd

This storm is not Katrina. And even if it was, responsible adults are in charge now.

Not a fan of square peg, round hole comparisons.

[Phx_Dem]

2. Obama doesn't need to be "saved."

Fugate is a great FEMA director who was hired by President Obama. I have no doubt Obama could do Fugate's job if necessary. Thanks for your "concern," Eli.

[WI_DEM]

3. Obama is handling things very well.

[David Zephyr]

4. Exactly.

And thank you.

[quaker bill]

5. Fugate is quite good

Curiously, a Jeb Bush hire for Florida. Having been part of the incident management team in FL, he was vastly more effective than Brownie's FEMA. I have worked with many people when in that role, and Fugate is top drawer talent who takes the job as seriously as it needs to be taken.