The AP says that Michael Brown waited until after Katrina hit to request that DHS employees attend the disaster. The casualness of the response at all levels is truly amazing.
But I'm reconsidering my opinion that Brown be canned as Nancy Pelosi has now called for his hide. I now know how Cindy Sheehan must have felt like when David Duke endorsed her. But then again, Cindy never did disavow Duke, did she? Still, rational people tend to do a double-take when someone repugnant agrees with them.
I'm still not a Brown fan, but I may have to change my mind just so I don't get splattered by Pelosi's spittle. It is funny when Nancy says something like, "But if somebody is incompetent, has no credentials for the job that he holds..." she really could be talking about any number of public officials. et tu, Nancy?
She's promising a special task force to cut through red tape. This is political code speech that means, "let's use this humanitarian crisis to hand out more patronage jobs and siphon off a few extra million while the country is mobilizing to help their fellow citizens."
On Sunday, I had read this article in the dead tree addition of the WaPo and found it online this morning thanks to John Donovan. The crux of the story is this:
Behind the scenes, a power struggle emerged, as federal officials tried to wrest authority from Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking her to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state's emergency operations center said Saturday.
The administration sought unified control over all local police and state National Guard units reporting to the governor. Louisiana officials rejected the request after talks throughout the night, concerned that such a move would be comparable to a federal declaration of martial law. Some officials in the state suspected a political motive behind the request. "Quite frankly, if they'd been able to pull off taking it away from the locals, they then could have blamed everything on the locals," said the source, who does not have the authority to speak publicly.
Also, the DHS itself says that it assumes primary authority in emergencies and disasters here. Governor Blanco is still claiming control over the National Guard. So we have a turf struggle that grew as Katrina asserted herself. Nobody seems to want to relinquish control yet they also do not want to take responsibility.
Meanwhile, New Orleans continues to reappear from its watery purgatory as Americans from across the nation (and expats almost everywhere) go about the task of pulling a crown jewel of the South out of the muck.
It doesn't look as if the president will replace Brown right now so it becomes a waste of time and energy to agitate for his ouster. It is truly amazing that this president never seems to think that any of his people ever needs to go. Hopefully, Brown will step up and acquit himself with some distinction. He must, because just about everybody is watching now. And I would even enjoy it if he comes out as a more able manager (not holding my breath) just to shut Nancy Pelosi up.
I believe that the federal government has a huge role to play in disasters. It must, as only government has the resources and the reach to assure that the most needy receive help. But local and state governments must be more competent also as they are by definition closest to the scene.
And as the country mobilizes, the politicos still can't get along and partisans from both parties search for advantage. The unity that we enjoyed just after September 11 is by now completely a thing of another era. Katrina hasn't caused any of these rifts so much it has deepened amd widen the chasm between those for whom the president can do no right or no wrong. The only thing for the rest of the country to do is pack up the aid and get down to work.
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