My friend is the acting head of his Homeland Security office because of NO

[Wetzelbill]

Because of Katrina and the aftermath in NOLA, my friend is the acting head of his office in Arizona right now. Ok, most of his department had to head out to NOLA. This guy is a good guy and all, but he's a foot soldier. Not really qualified to make leadership decisions, he cannot think critically or creatively like that. He's good at doing his normal investigative work. Plus, he's only been at this office for less than a year, he's 30 and has no real administrative credentials. He never has taken a college class either, he has a military and law enforcement background. If a crisis happened in his jurisdiction, he wouldn't be able to handle it that well. It sounds harsh, but I know him. I'd like to have the guy by my side in a trench, but in no way would I want to follow his lead or his analysis of a situation. It's not his nature or his skill set to think like that. The lack of federal leadership, the incompetence and ignorance of the WH has put our whole national security apparatus in turmoil. We are weakened and vulnerable. It's foolish. I'm just in awe of the stupidity and callousness of the Republican party, starting right at the top with Bush-Cheney and Co. I am stupified at the way Dems in Congress acquiesce to this shit. You cannot run a country, keep it safe, solve problems and make lives better on ideology and rhetoric. Photo ops may get you a vote or two and make you look good, but it doesn't do a damn thing other than that.

I thought I couldn't be more ashamed of our leadership, but this last few days has taken everything to a new low.

[punpirate]

1. He's gonna learn some new skills in a hurry...

... a couple of thousand survivors will be in Arizona by Sunday....

[Desertrose]

2. Arizona,huh? Yikes.....

Good to know I guess....thats where I am....

[Autonomy]

3. Wow, that says a lot coming from a close associate

I take it this is a federal appointment? Is he also head of FEMA in Arizona? Or does it not break down that way on a state level?

[Wetzelbill]

5. oh no just his office

his department mainly fights narcotics. But, it's on a large and dangerous stretch going on the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation and along the boarder. He's de facto head for two weeks over quite a few people out of that department. He's good at what he does. But, he's a drug cop. He couldn't handle any real leadership type position, especially in a crisis. He told me as much yesterday, that this just isn't his thing. He can't handle that type of authority.

[rzemanfl]

4. I have a feeling your friend would have done a better job than

"Shit" Brown and "Living Skull" Chertoff because he wouldn't have been immobilized by the need to follow "proceedures."

[Wetzelbill]

6. oh gosh

I don't know. He's a procedure stickler. He's a Republican too, very much into Fox News and all that stuff. His narrow-minded view of the world is something that I fear makes him unsuitable for a role like this. Good at what he does. Very good. But, just not this. It's not his role, and it sucks that he's been forced into it.

[rzemanfl]

7. You left out that he was an asshole, never mind. n/t

[Wetzelbill]

8. oh he can be

not totally though. Pretty gracious and giving person. He just eats up propaganda like it was a delicacy or something.

[rzemanfl]

9. A dumb asshole, I understand now. n/t