U.S. official chides study blaming him (Chertoff blasts GAO's Katrina rpt)

[sabra]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0602030150feb03,1,2777724.story

U.S. official chides study blaming him
Homeland Security chief blasts GAO's Katrina fault-finding


Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff acknowledged on a visit to Chicago on Thursday that mistakes were made in his department's response to Hurricane Katrina, but he sharply criticized a new congressional report that skewered him.

"I'm kind of amazed you can write a report in which you reach your conclusions before you actually speak to the people who were involved in the decision-making process," Chertoff told reporters in his first public response to an analysis by the Government Accountability Office. "It's kind of jumping to conclusions before the facts were gathered."

...

Chertoff said his office is planning "significant changes" at the Federal Emergency Management Agency designed to "get them into the 21st Century." They will include putting teams on the ground in disaster areas to give accurate and real-time reports on conditions, he said.

"I was very unhappy with the lack of situational awareness I had in the couple of days after Katrina," Chertoff said. "I never want to be in the position again where I don't have real eyes on the ground to tell me what is going on in no uncertain terms as opposed to waiting to get reports coming through the media or inconsistencies from the field."

[DS1]

1. Right. Nobody in the Bush Admin jumps to conclusions before

the facts are gathered.

[rodeodance]

2. and we are unhappy with you Mr. C.

"I was very unhappy with the lack of situational awareness I had in the couple of days after Katrina," Chertoff said. "I never want to be in the position again where I don't have real eyes on the ground to tell me what is going on in no uncertain terms as opposed to waiting to get reports coming through the media or inconsistencies from the field."

[leesa]

12. So...wasn't he in charge of this?

[tanyev]

3. I thought they'd been planning "significant changes" since 9/11.

Any day now....

[wishlist]

4. Ironic that he criticizes report for not talking to Bush officials first

Ironic in that White House has stonewalled Congress by refusing to let the top officials involved in Katrina talk or reveal what actions were taken.


"I'm kind of amazed you can write a report in which you reach your conclusions before you actually speak to the people who were involved in the decision-making process," Chertoff told reporters in his first public response to an analysis by the Government Accountability Office. "It's kind of jumping to conclusions before the facts were gathered."

As if he and the WH would ever allow the true facts to be gathered about any of their failures.

[Kagemusha]

5. Yeah, it's not like the GAO works for Bush.

They figure everyone working for the government ought to be under the President though. Pesky Congress.

[Canuckistanian]

6. "get them into the 21st Century."?

You've got some work to do just to get them into the 19th century.

[Kagemusha]

7. Ain't that the truth...

And their rep was actually half-decent under Clinton because the first Bush had dropped the ball so fast. But as we can see, small government Republicans don't really believe that disasters are part of true Federal jurisdiction. Only the military.

[WhiteTara]

11. some guy with his home blown away said

that he was a small government advocate, but now that HIS house had blown away or rather washed away, the only one to fix the problem was the government...:rofl: what a bunch of putzes. No help for anyone else, but when I have a problem? Get the government down here right away. Too bad they stocked the government with a bunch of heck of a jobs Brownies.

[leesa]

13. Ask Trent Lott...money coming out of his ass, yet he's waiting for

government money to re-build his house.

[sofedup]

8. "mistakes were made"...

...no kidding. Do we have a final body count yet? Do these people ever feel shame or express remorse for their lethal actions (or inactions)?

[SillyGoose]

9. Go blow it out you kazoo, Chertoff. Brownie displayed this same

condescending arrogance about his dismal performance, too. I find it amazing that no one in this Administration can actually admit to making a mistake. Its always someone else's fault. Grow up already. One of the first signs of maturity, responsibility and character is being able to admit to one's mistakes with a desire to learn from those mistakes so they are not repeated. I am so sick of the endless parade of excuses that spew forth from this Administration.

[Javaman]

10. "next time, before you issue a report...

make sure you talk to us so we can threaten you, bribe you, spin you and lie to you, then and only then, may you release your report".