Micahel Brown hearing by House Select Committee

[paineinthearse]

Starting on CSPAN now.

Chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.

[Pirate Smile]

1. No Dems?

[rodeodance]

3. Palosi said that they would not have sepena power and another reason

which i have forgotten. She also wanted an independent committee--not this fox watching the henhouse.

[Pirate Smile]

5. I just wanted to confirm. I read some LA Dems would be allowed to

sit so I was just checking.

[rodeodance]

7. I do not think they are prevented from attending if they want to.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

139. The way that this is playing out, this is probably going to be one of

Pelosi's biggest mistakes. She could have had representatives here and still try to get an independent panel too. This is going to be played on all of the news programming today and tonight without hardly any rebuttal.

[rodeodance]

2. it seems they are going comparing and contrasting Kat and Rita.

[rodeodance]

4. not too many committee members there.

[rodeodance]

6. Brownie is there already.

[rodeodance]

I do not know this Tom Davis Rep (V). (Repub)

[rodeodance]

9. Brownie is being sworn in now.

[Pirate Smile]

21. He is a slime ball - by no means one of the more moderate or decent

Republicans.

[rodeodance]

24. oh great (but thanks).

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

10. There was a plaquette on the table where his is now sitting that reads

The Honorable Michael Brown. We now live in a world where liars are honorable.

[rodeodance]

13. hororable--te he.

[SledDriver]

32. How does he rate the title of "honorable"???

Doesn't one need to be an elected official or a judge to gain the "honorable" designation?
:wtf:

[librechik]

57. Ha! It's officially KatRita, from now on!

thx!

[rodeodance]

66. guess so.

[napi21]

8. I still don't understand why Pelosi refused to name any Dems to

this Committee. I know she said it was because she wanted an independant comm. but why not sit on this one and still fight for an independant one too?

Chris Sheas said this morning that he was expecting from 2 to 4 Dems to attend anyway, but I'd like to see all nine chairs filled!

[rodeodance]

11. She said elsewhere that Reps see this meeting as sufficiant.

[Pirate Smile]

17. To show it was a sham. The Repubs have all the power. Dems have

none. Subpoena power, etc. all lies with Republicans.

Some Dems are questioning the decision Pelosi and Reid made but it seemed like a good one at the time.

The problem is the Republicans have no shame.

Democrats didn't want to give any appearance of validity to these Hearings.

Yes, we see the drawbacks now but their reasoning made sense. Some Louisiana Democrats may sit in and ask questions according to what I read yesterday.

[rodeodance]

22. I can see her point, yet seems to me this is their opportunity to ask

questions.

[DemonFighterLives]

12. Retread Brownie up now

Said it was a ramp program. Must be thinking of horses again.

[rodeodance]

14. What is ramp?

[rodeodance]

15. now he is talking of responsibilites of local -and state government.

[rodeodance]

16. Brownie 'primary' ressponsibility at local/state gov.

[rodeodance]

19. Brownine-role of Fed gov should not be as first responder but as co-

ordinator and helper to state and local gov.

[skypilot]

26. Oh yeah? So how did THAT go?

:eyes:

[rodeodance]

33. it was a dud!!

[Sydnie]

18. Isn't it a wild onion?

I know they have "Ramp Festivals" in West Virgina to celebrate the wonderful properties of the ramp. :sarcasm:(though true about the festivals)

:rofl:

[rodeodance]

27. so--a metaphor for layers and layers of responsiblity?

[Sydnie]

29. It could be n/t

[DemonFighterLives]

20. Sorry, I didn't quite get it, but he had it all parted out

Like look, see, evaluate, move-which comes days later.
I've got to go, these guys all look like thugs and clowns.

[Pirate Smile]

23. I believe they just showed one of the Democratic Representatives from

Louisiana.

edit to add - I believe it is Rep William Jefferson. Represents part of NOLA.

[librechik]

25. chair and first witness (R) FEMA is not a First Responder!

so stop saying that.

er--could we ask that you respond within 24 hrs of being told it's a Nation Emergency?

let's watch while they spin the answer...

and remember--it was everybody else's responsibility, FIRST, so FEMA really isn't responsible.

[rodeodance]

30. Yes, that is the way Brownie is setting it up. Fema is partner to the

local and state officials. umm... Fed partner fell down-we know that.

[JerseygirlCT]

44. If they're not supposed to respond to emergencies like this

what the hell are they there for?

And if states are going to have to shoulder the burden alone, since FEMA cannot manage it (whine, whine, whine), then could they kindly have their national guard back?

[dogday]

126. Right, so how many days need to go by

before FEMA decides to ride onto the scene I wonder?

[Skidmore]

28. So after he hugged his wife and had his margaritas, we are to

assume he's spent the last week preparing this statement.

[rodeodance]

31. probably--as he is 'transitioning' out of FEMA--has 4 weeks left

[Pirate Smile]

34. That just shows what BS it was re how he left. Sometimes the pundits

say he was fired. Nope. He resigned. Bush couldn't even fire this incompetent and didn't even know he resigned (or did and lied).

[rodeodance]

39. wonder if we will ever know what really happening with his 'resignation"?

[paineinthearse]

35. 'transitioning' out of FEMA & into Halliburton...

...no doubt.

[rodeodance]

37. He is such a hot potato--do you think ever Hally boys will pick him up?

[Pirate Smile]

47. They will if the GOP tells them to so they can protect BushCo from further

damage by shutting him up.

[Sydnie]

93. Not Hally - he will go to work for his predecessor

He has some good contracts down there too.

[rodeodance]

36. Fema wants committee to know FEMA was 'prepared'--he gave a list

of material that was 'prepositioned". suspose he will tell us what happened next????? (his point of view).

[Pirate Smile]

41. It was prepositioned and then they sent it on a wild goose chase

around the country, ending up in Maine.

OK, that was just the ice.

[highplainsdem]

40. Hey, this is the guy who solicited contributions for his own legal defense

fund when he was supposed to be soliciting funds for that horse association he worked for. He probably was working on this statement before he was sent back to Washington.

God, the whiny, self-pitying tone. Poor little Brownie...

[VolcanoJen]

38. At least MSNBC and CNN are using split screens....

... Brownie on one side, August 30th in New Orleans on the other.

Because Brownie keeps telling you not to believe your eyes.

[berner59]

42. This guy is full of shit!!!!

Blaming the Mayor & Govenor for not getting along...some of these Repubs better get some balls and rip this guy!!!

[rodeodance]

45. brownie says they should have given news on their own schedule-not

like happened with Katrinia. So he now says he would have determined when the news should have been given out. Rather like Rita is now--news conferences are sceduled by mayors. (we will have antoher at 5 pm).

[VolcanoJen]

43. Among his regrets... that he couldn't get Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco...

... to sit down and patch up their differences.

This is UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE.

[OKNancy]

51. What a steaming pile of "pass the buck"

bullcrap. I heard that and :puke:

[librechik]

53. Hey, he did a damn fine job! The media made him look incompetent!

[rodeodance]

55. He is clearly putting the blame on the local/state--with a few regrets.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

62. Michael Brown - whining at full throttle on C-Span.

20 years of government service - starting out as an intern while in college. He knows all about emergency management. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Jeez, Louise will everyone quit picking on little Mikey?

This is just a hearing on pandering to Bush and his horrible appointees. Move along folks, nothing to see here.

I HATE THESE ASSWIPE THUGS. There is absolutely not one thimble full of shame in all of the repugs together.

[liveoaktx]

141. VIDEO-Brownie's Opening Statement

"Blame Game" Brownie

[Sydnie]

46. FEMA responded to the spaceshuttle incident in HOW MANY states?

What the fuck! Hey Brownie ... all the cases you brought up had NO living people to rescue from flood waters. Wild fires ... people know they are coming and they leave, ususally a much smaller number of people are affected than in a major metro area.

Tornados ... yeah, there may be people left behind that need help, but once they have past the damage is easy to survey and plan for.

We are talking about 1000's of people that needed food, water and escape from a worsening situation.

Asshat!

[Skidmore]

48. Brownie is a man after *'s own dried up, shrivelled heart...

not to blame for anything. Pure as the driven snow. Everyone just does things to make him look bad.

[rodeodance]

50. "I know what I am doing" and I have done a pretty good job" Brown says.

[berner59]

52. OMG....MSNBC....

Just played the sound of the people screaming "help help help"...right next to Brownie saying he "gets how FEMA works..."

WOW!!!!!!!!

[VolcanoJen]

58. I commend the producers of MSNBC and CNN for the split-screen.

It highlights precisely how incompetent, idiotic and unapologetic this clown Brownie is.

[rodeodance]

60. ok, i will stwitch to them.

[geomon666]

49. This pig, THIS PIG!

Trying anything he can to draw up sympathy for himself and pass the blame to local government.

[Sydnie]

56. "I saw a house burn down due to a faulty christmas tree"

You have got to be kidding me. Hey, I could head FEMA because I have survived many hurricanes. Pick me, pick me next time. :sarcasm:

[geomon666]

63. lol

I once stepped on a flaming bag of crap, I'm more qualified than you!

[VolcanoJen]

54. Brownie: "I know what I'm doing, and I think I do a darned good job!"

This man is such a lying, pathetic, sniveling, child.

Incapable of accepting responsibility of any kind.

Just more of the same from this Administration.

[geomon666]

59. This man actually thinks

it was bad decision for him to get pulled out of NOLA. Good grief man, imagine how many dead there would be if he was still there.

[VolcanoJen]

67. Where is this jackass from, and what's with his phoney "hokey" responses?

"That was a darned long question!"

[geomon666]

70. I can't believe my ears

He actually said "I don't like that question" and so he's now on his own tangent and nobody is stopping him!

[JerseygirlCT]

61. Hey Brownie! First rule of holes

stop digging.

Whine, whine, whine. Not my fault. I do a good job. This wasn't our job. Whine, whine, whine. Not enough money, part of Homeland Security, whine, whine, whine.

This guy is unbelievable.

"FEMA did a good job in the gulf states..."

Oooookay.

[rodeodance]

64. Jr landing in TX on split screen (msnbc).

[Skidmore]

69. Ahhh, man, I'd love to see that screen. Liars and BSers

on the same screen. If Rs give these guys a pass on this, hang that picture on every piece of campaign literature available in 06.

[JerseygirlCT]

72. Someone there has a sense of humor, huh?

Nice symmetry

[Skidmore]

65. Don't forget the "they are picking on me part".

Looking at his resume and work history was apparently a personal vendetta.

[rodeodance]

71. he did not have problems with FL, said jeb bush ordered the evacuation

[JerseygirlCT]

73. How dare they! They don't bother with that with anyone else!

[rodeodance]

96. I think he mentioned Alabama as not having the problem like LA had

also.

[Spazito]

68. Man, there is whining and then there is Brownie's kind of whining

Forget that over a thousand people died because I didn't act, focus on poor little me, persecuted by the press me, I am the biggest victim in all this.

Geez, I knew he would be bad testifying but I didn't expect such megalomaniacal self- absorption so quickly.

[rodeodance]

74. so, lots of whinning

[rodeodance]

75. He wished he had sent things to NO 4 days ealier then said it prob. would

not have gotten there. talking of some equipment.

[rodeodance]

77. "my biggest mistake was not recognizing by Sat. that LA was dysfunctional"

says Brownie.

[rodeodance]

78. gawd--he is REALLY laying the blame on 'dysfunctional" LA.

[berner59]

76. I bet Pelosi is kicking herself...

For not putting some dems there...and getting a piece of this lying piece of shit...

I think shays from CT was going to grill him...I only pray...

[qanda]

79. What a huge mistake Pelosi made

Why would she do that? I understand wanting to make a point, but the only point that's being made now is that it was all the fault of Nagin and Blanco. This needs to be refuted.

[rodeodance]

81. Talking of shortages of material and manpower at FEMA.

[rodeodance]

84. "had not figured out -prior to landfall--...Why some requests that were

put into the system did not reach him. brownie wondering why.

[bluedog]

83. like she said.....whitewash.....blame LA city and STATE.

and thats what they are trying to do

[rodeodance]

85. but at least Palosi could have gone on record with her own comments.

[rodeodance]

86. Rep. William Jefferson Dem LA now talking.

[geomon666]

87. Finally some truth being said n/t

[rodeodance]

88. he is countering Browns statement of --he could not get Blanco/mayor

to sit down to talk of what was needed.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

82. So, I'm guessing it is okay to finger point now? "I don't want to make

this partisan but... I didn't have a problem with Republican Governor of Mississippi but I couldn't get New Orleans Mayor and the Governor of Louisiana to agree." thus sayeth Micheal Brown. And he would have NO reason to shift the blame, right? He's just a "honorable" public servant. Gag. Gag. Gag.

Yeah, love the way this jerks don't finger point. :sarcasm:

Somebody might want to notify Snotty Scotty it is okay to finger point now.

[LibDemAlways]

127. The bastard actually mentioned that Blanco

was a Democrat, somehow trying to tie her political affiliation to the mess.

This guy's sole purpose in being there today seems to be to make self-serving pronouncements to try to save his and chimpy's sorry asses.

[rodeodance]

130. I heard that-shows how low he will go (has gone).

[geomon666]

80. Louisiana is dysfunctional?

No you're dysfunctional! You and your pig boss are murdering bastards!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

90. Yeah! Louisiana Rep William Jefferson is attending the hearing!

I want someone to kick Mike Brown's ass. I was afraid this was going to be a hearing where it was nothing but whitewash all day long. (Do the repugs buy whitewash by the tanker load?)

At least a Dem showed up. Now kick some ass and take names.

[rodeodance]

91. I imagine that will be the new Repug talking point (over and over).

[Fridays Child]

89. William Jefferson is demonstrating tremendous restraint.

Nice but he needs to kick Brown's ass.

[highplainsdem]

92. It's good that he's using FEMA documents to nail Brown, though.

[rodeodance]

95. Jefferson says not interested in pointing fingers--we owe it to the people

who suffered to find out what went wrong so we can prevent it from happening again. Grand statement.

[Skidmore]

97. It's a grand statement, but there were people who died

needlessly because of this man's incompetence and neglect. Negligent homicide, as far as I'm concerned.

[rodeodance]

94. Jefferson wants to know what happened in LA Before landfall--how did

you-Brownie-deal with the Governor and others.

[rodeodance]

98. What is Jefferson saying to Brown--'that will just not cut it"--something

Brownie said--about Fed gov NOT being the first responder? I think.

[rodeodance]

100. Before landfall--he talked with Blanco lots of times about mandatory

evacuations. He pushed the Gover for mandatory evacuations!!

[rodeodance]

102. Fema prepositioned material after Jr signed the LA declaration says

Brownie.

[kentuck]

99. Isn't Jeffereson the crook that hijacked a copter ...?

In the middle of the rescue effort, and went into his house to get his safe and his "papers"? He's being investigated by the FBI, if I recall correctly?

[geomon666]

101. Yes, there's a reason he's allowed there. n/t

[rodeodance]

103. Brown says "no one in charge" (of LA?NO).

[rodeodance]

104. Brown says never found (command structure) in Baton Rougue for

resourse requests.

[rodeodance]

108. "I was madder than a wet hen at the Mayor" and "FEMA did their job"

[rodeodance]

111. Brown was looking for lists and Request forms to be filled out!!

[geomon666]

110. The balls on this son of a b****!

He was mad at Nagin. What a front running bastard.

[Tatiana]

114. "He was mad at Nagin."

Is that why FEMA gave the order to open up the convention center????

Is that why no more MREs and water were airdropped near the Superdome?

[Spazito]

120. He's pissed at Nagin because Nagin showed how incompetent

Brownie was and is and is using this 'testimony' to try and slag him, it isn't going to work. Brownie is showing even more clearly how lethally incompetent he was.

[Tatiana]

125. Just wait till Nagin responds.

The $hit is going to hit the fan. Seriously.

Republicans calculated wrong this time. I have a feeling this hearing is going to blow up in their face. Wait till the editorials come out tomorrow.

[berner59]

112. Blaming Nagin for photo ops???????

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Can someone please get off their chair there and smack this guy down?? He's saying he's not there to point blame??? WTF?????

[Pirate Smile]

132. Yeah, Naggin was interested in Photo-ops at that time. This guy

is unbelievable.

[Skidmore]

113. Notice how he keeps trying to coopt Johnson to get him to agree

with him?

[Sydnie]

106. And weren't they already investigating him for something else?

Didn't they "raid" his house just a week or so prior to Katrina?

[sabra]

105. Brown is a LIAR - the blood is on his hands

and his CYA won't work not here, not now!

[VolcanoJen]

107. Brownie: "I was madder than a wet hen at the Mayor!"

He has got to be fucking kidding me with this down-home, folksy, hokey approach.

[Pirate Smile]

WTF. So he thinks his job was to take a list from the Mayor and

give it to the state and the state would fill it? That is FEMA's job? :wtf:

[rodeodance]

119. Brown could not function withour the appropriation forms filled out--that

is the problem. He, himself wanted the forms-the buercratic red tape!!!!

[VolcanoJen]

124. Just like Aaron Broussard said... Bureaucracy committed Murder down there.

I see that Brownie is more interested in the formal niceties like filling out the correct forms than actually doing a job his damned self.

Why am I surprised?

[Skidmore]

109. Which parishes were excluded from the Fed Disaster declaration?

That is a question that needs to be asked. All the shoreline parishes were excluded and were ineligible for assistance. This was a setup for Louisiana.

[rodeodance]

116. 'would it surprize you to know that folks in AL and MS had same com-

plaints as LA folks did?)=--Jefferson asking Brown.

jefferson trying to find out if brown thinks the problems only accurred in LA. good for him. brown says problems in other states also.

[geomon666]

115. Jefferson mentioned the complaints in other states.

Brown was allowed to brush it off as petty.

[bettyellen]

117. MB: "no disaster is perfect"

[rodeodance]

118. Jefferson is laying it back to Brown about FEMA and lack of response

in other states-NOT just LA.

[rodeodance]

121. This hearing is going place--as Brown blames the states! He can not

get past this in his mind.

[rodeodance]

122. "we pushed so hard to get the mandatory evacuation"---says Brown.

[berner59]

123. Can we have newer thread?

This one is getting long to load...

[rodeodance]

128. Brown only knows how to deal with forms/paper!!

[Pirate Smile]

129. OMG, the state, local, Parrish officials, etc. will all be freaking

out when they see this crap but, of course, they are still working their friggin asses off in the disaster area.

I certainly hope a ton of FEMA horror stories that we haven't heard yet come flying out now.

This fool thinks FEMA in Mississippi worked well? Un.friggin.believable!

[rodeodance]

131. I hope the locals are listening!!

[rodeodance]

133. Brown telling of all his conference calls he had prior to landfall.

[rodeodance]

136. some repug member asking if any action taken by local officials?

[rodeodance]

138. His questions are targeted at the locals (fema is god)

[Pirate Smile]

134. This needs two more Nominations for GP so the cube rats can see

what is happening in this bullshit CYA Hearing.

[rodeodance]

140. done

[Sydnie]

135. NEW THREAD HERE

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4900309

this one is getting long to load for some

[sabra]

137. thanks!

[ncrainbowgrrl]

142. locking- next thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4900309