"Dueling officials slowed storm response" ( White House' "report" )

[Algorem]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0224/p03s03-uspo.html

New White House report points to lack of leadership as one reason for the hurricane Katrina fiasco.

By Peter Grier | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – As the day wore on, Michael Chertoff became increasingly irate. He just couldn't get Michael Brown on the phone.

Mr. Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was off in the air somewhere, flying around the crescent of Gulf Coast that had been ravaged the day before by hurricane Katrina and preparing to appear on television that evening. Apparently this meant he had no time for Mr. Chertoff - who was secretary of Homeland Security and Brown's boss.

In hindsight this may have been a mistake. Chertoff - a disciplined former prosecutor - let loose when he finally got Brown on the line. Forget TV. Brown would stay put.

"Job 1 is to get this thing done," Chertoff recalled during a Senate hearing last week. "Sit in the operations center. Get with the relevant managers. Make sure you are taking care of all issues."...

[cliss]

1. Jeez - what a joke.

Chertoff was looking for Michael "heckuvajob" Brownie. Meanwhile, Brownie was on a sightseeing tour when he should have been coordinating the relief efforts.

Unbelievable.

And this is what bush means by 'privatizing'?