In light of "Brownie"'s performance today on Capitol Hill. . .

[DinahMoeHum]

this WP article from December 2005 should refresh our memories.

Read this if you want to know why "Brownie" is shooting fireworks on Capitol Hill today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/22/AR2005122202213.html

(snip)
On Sept. 15, 2003, one of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's deputies lobbed a bureaucratic hand grenade across his desk. In a seven-page memo, the new department's undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response told Ridge that his organizational plan would cripple America's ability to respond to disasters.

The memo, like so many that flew around Washington during the largest government reshuffling in decades, involved turf: Ridge had decided to move some of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's preparedness functions to an office less than one-fifteenth its size. The writer warned that the shift would make a mockery of FEMA's new motto, "A Nation Prepared," and would "fundamentally sever FEMA from its core functions," "shatter agency morale," and "break longstanding, effective and tested relationships with states and first responder stakeholders."

The inevitable result, he wrote, would be "an ineffective and uncoordinated response" to a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

The author was Michael D. Brown, who was FEMA's director as well as a Department of Homeland Security undersecretary. Two years later, Brown would lose both titles after Hurricane Katrina, when his prophecies of doom came true.
(snip)

much much more...

:smoke:

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. If a horse association lawyer can see that Ridge was screwing it up

:shrug:

[f-bush]

2. I love it when the repukes piss in each others faces!

[mirrera]

3. Misleading article title by the WP in my opinion...

Are we ALWAYS manipulated? I read this article and I see a guy (Brown) who was actually concerned about FEMA and ended up in a political "office" war. Anyone who has ever worked in an office atmosphere KNOWS how nasty that can be. However the title insinuates that Brown by fighting to maintain FEMA's autonomy was the cause of the problem. Judging by all the people that quit it sounds like he was right on the money and was just not enough of an insider to be respected by our administration. Here we all bought hook line and sinker the "stupid incompetent horse trader brownie your doing a heck of a job". Too simplistic. Yes he shouldn't have been appointed, but I also have compassion for any human being put in that situation. Can you imagine that you were working on a resignation letter because you KNOW your situation and any chance of doing a competent job is f*cked, and then being hit with Katrina? Being the butt and blame of EVERY american citizen? Once again I resent NEVER really knowing the full story. How many perceptions we take for granted as "truth" are based on spin? I have to remember to "reserve judgment".



http://NoBullshiRt.com

[Spinzonner]

4. Are we sure that thye real contents and source

of that memo didn't originate with people within FEMA and not really the product of brownie ?