Numbers 2 and 3 at FEMA are ex-Bush WH PHOTO OP experts

[wakeme2008]

See this thread for more info http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1759010

but from http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/12575672.htm

An official biography of Brown's top aide, acting deputy director Patrick Rhode, doesn't list any disaster relief experience
..cut..

The department's No. 3 official, acting deputy chief of staff Brooks Altshuler, also does not have emergency management experience, according to FEMA spokeswoman Natalie Rule.
..cut..

Rhode and Altshuler both worked in the White House's Office of National Advance Operations, which arranges the president's travel and scripts his appearances.

[applegrove]

1. It is possible to make a sign for absolute silence? I, quite frankly,

don't know what to say. I am speechless.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Was their plan all along to make it LOOK like they were responding...

to an emergency, whether they did so or not? I must have said a thousand times on this board: these people are not there to govern. They're there only to advance their wingnut agenda, the basis of which is enriching themselves and their supporters/enablers.

[barbaraann]

3. Wow.

I wonder how close we are to the end game.

[Carla in Ca]

4. I've posted this three times tonight, with no response

This is how the Dems can win back the WH
AND Congress. There is a pattern here, cronyism. We need to expose each one we find. They know how to win, but they don't know how to govern. That should be the mantra for '06 and beyond.

We all know Brown's bio. Zero disaster experience. Here are the two who now work under him. God help us all.


Rhode's Bio:

His first position with the Bush Administration was as special assistant to the President and deputy director of National Advance Operations, a position he assumed in January 2001. Previously, Mr. Rhode served as deputy director of National Advance Operations for the George W. Bush Presidential Campaign, in Austin, Texas.


Bio for Scott Morris:

Mr. Morris was also the marketing director for the world’s leading provider of e-business applications software in California, and worked for Maverick Media in Austin, Texas as a media strategist for the George W. Bush for President primary campaign and the Bush-Cheney 2000 campaign.

[Fridays Child]

5. Kick

[Dr Fate]

6. PR men? Speech writers? Wow! This needs to be a household news story.

????

[Mabus]

7. Altshulter has been bouncing around the government

Here's an announcement that he's leaving ITA (International Trade Administration) in 2003 from (get this) the Adminstrivial Pursuits website which their bi-weekly newsletter.

Departures

... TD - Brooks D. Altshuler, ... TD seems to be a reference to the department he was leaving. http://www.ita.doc.gov/ooms/Mar_5.htm

Incidentally he is also from Oklahoma. According to this listing (http://jay.law.ou.edu/alumni/alumnidir2/Alumdir.cfm?lname=A) he graduated in 2000. Talk about the fast track. Within five years he's had several political appointed jobs and ends up the No. 3 man in FEMA.

[BrightKnight]

8. The neocons turned FEMA into a spin machine.

A hurricane analogy is appropriated. The people are all spin.

[wakeme2008]

9. Not sure that the neocons did it

BUT it is 100% Rove.

[MADem]

10. We were always told that this was the CEO Pretzeldunce

Well, the first rule of putting a toady in a job is to back him or her up with someone COMPETENT. It's always done that way--the idiot ambassador has a career Foreign Service Officer in the Number 2 slot, who does all the work while the appointee parties the days and nights away.

This same shit has happened at the Pentagon--all appointees, and damn few career civil servants backing them up. No checks, no logic, no warnings that emanate from hard, serious experience.

The CEO needs to be fired, frankly--this is a complete and total disgrace!

[farmbo]

11. It's official...FEMA is Bush's dumping ground for GOP political hacks!

eom

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

15. Shopkeeper's "Fire Protection" Secret... Why no new precautions?

A parable:

A shopkeeper lost everything in a fire that gutted his shop.

Insurance covered everything and with that mitigation a brand new shop, even better was built.

But none of the money actually went to extra fire prevention measures, especially strange considering the fire was chalked up to an 'unknown cause'. When asked he said:

"Oh I don't need any of that because I know it won't happen again."

"Why not?"

"I set the fire myself of course!"


Corruption breeds complacency of the worst order... and so there was no problem dumping cronies into FEMA ...

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

12. Creating their own "reality" again... this administration's theme song

How many times have we read that these guys believe they "create their own reality"?

When I saw "Wag the Dog," I thought it was unrealistic. These guys have based an entire government on that concept.

[wakeme2008]

13. SO So true

the Photo Op Prez.... :(

[kma3346]

14. Kick

Kick

[Dr Fate]

16. kick

n/t