Firestorm Casualty: Outrage,Bush,FEMA Chief(Bush "angry" re. Conv. Center)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: Casualty of Firestorm: Outrage, Bush and FEMA Chief
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: September 10, 2005


....Republicans had been pressing the White House for days to fire "Brownie," Michael D. Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who had stunned many television viewers in admitting that he did not know until 24 hours after the first news reports that there was a swelling crowd of 25,000 people desperate for food and water at the New Orleans convention center.

Mr. Brown, who was removed from his Gulf Coast duties on Friday, though not from his post as FEMA's chief, is the first casualty of the political furor generated by the government's faltering response to the hurricane. With Democrats and Republicans caustically criticizing the performance of his agency, and with the White House under increasing attack for populating FEMA's top ranks with politically connected officials who lack disaster relief experience, Mr. Brown had become a symbol of President Bush's own hesitant response.

The president, long reluctant to fire subordinates, came to a belated recognition that his administration was in trouble for the way it had dealt with the disaster, many of his supporters say. One moment of realization occurred on Thursday of last week when an aide carried a news agency report from New Orleans into the Oval Office for him to see.

The report was about the evacuees at the convention center, some dying and some already dead. Mr. Bush had been briefed that morning by his homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, who was getting much of his information from Mr. Brown and was not aware of what was occurring there. The news account was the first that the president and his top advisers had heard not only of the conditions at the convention center but even that there were people there at all.

"He's not a screamer," a senior aide said of the president. But Mr. Bush, angry, directed the White House chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., to find out what was going on....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/10/national/nationalspecial/10crisis.html?hp&ex=1126411200&en=5e194c087578e640&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[MaineDem]

1. This is crap!

If Bush was so upset with "Brownie" he should have canned him.

This is CYA but I think it's going to backfire if they keep Brown around in any capacity. I expect Brown to resign. But...I've been way wrong trying to guess this administration's moves before.

[asjr]

7. Shrub doesn't "direct " anyone. The way I heard

it, it went from Chertoff to Card, then "president" Shrub told Chertoff to do what he needed to do. Shrub does what Cheney and Rove tell him to do. Cheney and Rove pull the strings.

[bribri16]

59. Five will get you ten that Bush didn't know about the convention center

either. Remember, he doesn't watch TV.

[tsuki]

2. Very interesting. Poor President Bush, a victim of his own

incompetent subordinates. Nice Spin.

[Prodemsouth]

25. A victim of his own incompetent subordinates that HE HIRED!!

We really need to knock that spinning top on its side! Brazen in its nonsense. Yeah this pure NYT Bush apologist garbage.

Edit: On second thought: I read the whole article- not just the header and posted paragraph, not as bad as I thought, Article includes criticism of Brown by Trent Lott. Mentions Bush didn't fire Brown Article ends with Chertoff (Shirtoff as Bob Bodelang calls him haha)with noting more Hurricanes are forming and Brownie is back in Washington...hhhmmmm..kind of a spooky ending.

[tsuki]

39. On whole, as you say, the article is not too bad. But we really

need to catch the new "spin" from Tropical Storm Rove. That's what he does, buries it in an article to see how it flies before he takes it to Hurricane One status. And if it is really good, we find ourselves in a "five" before we know it.

[5X]

3. The times is batting on the side of the pretzeldent n/t

[Prodemsouth]

29. I thought that of this article at first by reading the posted portion.

After reading the whole article-it is hardly Bush propaganda. So if you only read the posted copy (like I did)- go back and read the whole article and you will see it is not that favorable to Bush.

[Lochloosa]

"and Brownie, you are doing a good job"...this was on Friday

what bullshit

[sendero]

4. Let me get this straight..

.... the president didn't know what any American who watched CNN or any news channel knew?

I realize the president doens't have a lot of time to watch TV, but there is no one to advise him? He is not pro-active enough to even be curious about how the effort is going?

If this is true, it is pathetic. If another lie, typical.

[Benhurst]

13. No, he doesn't have a lot of time to watch TV because he

exercises two hours a day, plays video games and does fund-raising, to say nothing of going to bed when most adults are still up.

[cybildisobedience]

19. let's not overlook the five weeks of vacation, too

[pretzel4gore]

20. and xxx!

years from now, we'll find out it was 'common knowlege' that bimbo bush made mike jackson look.....suburban!

[kestrel91316]

38. Somebody needs to enlighten * about DU, so he can come here

and get the real scoop even BEFORE the MSM reports things.

Oh, wait, he doesn't read. Nevermind.

[napi21]

5. There's no way this could be true!

Are we to believe that nobody in the WH watched TV? Nobody in COngress or the Senate watch TV either!

Sure is ODD, since they always know INSTANTLY when some Dem says ONE word against their fearless leader on c-span or a cnn/msnbc show, and they respond within 60 minutes!

[DeepModem Mom]

21. Yep -- I thought Rove and his minions monitored TV 24/7. nt

[VegasWolf]

45. I think that they are simply trying to limit the damage to Brown and are

trying to spare Chertoff.

:mad:

[meg]

6. 'Steno Bu' is at it again

interesting to note what spin they are trying on at the moment.

[SpiralHawk]

11. Brownnoser

CYA story dictated to her by Karl Rove

[converted_democrat]

8. Very important snip---

One prominent African-American supporter of Mr. Bush who is close to Karl Rove, the White House political chief, said the president did not go into the heart of New Orleans and meet with black victims on his first trip there, last Friday, because he knew that White House officials were "scared to death" of the reaction.

"If I'm Karl, do I want the visual of black people hollering at the president as if we're living in Rwanda?" said the supporter, who spoke only anonymously because he did not want to antagonize Mr. Rove.

[verdalaven]

15. That one struck me too

This piece is supposed to be damage control? Yikes!

-edit to add- The Karl Rove comment was also telling.

[54anickel]

9. Oh BS!!! Lots of excuses from anonymous sources. NYT should be

ashamed for printing this sort of crap. Freakin' puff piece.

[meg]

12. worse than a puff piece

out and out propaganda catapulted by 'Steno Bu'. Like the Washington Post's Dan Balz who apparently takes his dictation directly from Bartlett.

These 'reporters' illustrate the shame of the American press.

[halobeam]

10. He's not a screamer.... yep... I'll buy that and say that bridge

in LA ... it's a good investment, no?

Transparent to anyone who is aware of this administrations lying and obsessive PR spinning, it is simply bullshit.

[tanyev]

16. I don't buy that either.

I bet he is, actually. And a mean drunk. But by putting this in the article we are all impressed with our competent, controlled president who was full of righteous anger. :eyes:

[halobeam]

17. nauseating, isn't it? If I was reincarnated as Karma.... he'd be the

first bastard I'd go after. Poor George, a loser from day one and Karma can be a real bitch.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

23. he's not

Gannon wrote a piece on it.

;)

[bluedeminredstate]

40. Yeah, not a screamer...

just a very cruel man who hires fuck-ups. And we're supposed to feel bad for this creature?

:eyes:

[VegasWolf]

47. Sociopaths are generally not screamers, they just take their frustrations

out by KILLING people.

[54anickel]

48. Not a screamer? Then what's this piece all about?

Bush's Obscene Tirades Rattle White House Aides

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7267.shtml

While President George W. Bush travels around the country in a last-ditch effort to sell his Iraq war, White House aides scramble frantically behind the scenes to hide the dark mood of an increasingly angry leader who unleashes obscenity-filled outbursts at anyone who dares disagree with him.

“I’m not meeting again with that goddamned bitch,” Bush screamed at aides who suggested he meet again with Cindy Sheehan, the war-protesting mother whose son died in Iraq. “She can go to hell as far as I’m concerned!”

Bush, administration aides confide, frequently explodes into tirades over those who protest the war, calling them “motherfucking traitors.” He reportedly was so upset over Veterans of Foreign Wars members who wore “bullshit protectors” over their ears during his speech to their annual convention that he told aides to “tell those VFW assholes that I’ll never speak to them again is they can’t keep their members under control.”

White House insiders say Bush is growing increasingly bitter over mounting opposition to his war in Iraq. Polls show a vast majority of Americans now believe the war was a mistake and most doubt the President’s honesty.

“Who gives a flying fuck what the polls say,” he screamed at a recent strategy meeting. “I’m the President and I’ll do whatever I goddamned please. They don’t know shit.”

[NNN0LHI]

14. I swear Judith Miller is still writing for the NYT using a pseudonym n/t

[are_we_united_yet]

46. Damn

beat me to it.

[DemsUnited]

18. Another misstep -- makes Bush look even more clueless.

Had a "moment of realization" on THURSDAY??!!! Sorry, Mr. Prezydint, but the entire country had their moment of realization at least 24 hours before you did.

And guess what? You're being held to a MUCH HIGHER STANDARD than the rest of the country!

Rove losing touch. Must be fear of indictments breathing down his neck.

[MaineDem]

22. Maybe his guys are turning on him?

Cheney's turning up the heat?

[Peace Patriot]

58. Yeah, MaineDem, that's my hit on it, too. Something going on. A war

between the indictable and the non-indictable, and/or pro-Bush vs. pro-Cheney? I was cogitating upon Cheney. Out there at the fishing hole. Suddenly surfaces, when Halliburton gets the first contract, and cancels his planned trip to Canada "due to Katrina." Now, Cheney may have the goods on Bush; maybe could rat on him in Treasongate. And maybe demanded that the riffraff be cleared out of New Orleans so his buds could move in for their final looting of the US treasury (Halliburton, Bechtel, Fluor--all have contracts now). That's what they bought him off with--a standdown in New Orleans--then the attempt to federalize and declare martial law (which Blanco and Honore resisted). Just theorizing here. But maybe Bush's orders were to strongarm control of NO away from Blanco--or else his puppetmasters would dangle him some more.

Bush I think is a basket case. And I sure had the feeling he'd been abandoned when he was hanging out there, caught on camera eating birthday cake with McCain, and playing the guitar, while a a large junk of the USA got removed from the map and thousands of people were dying. How could his handlers have let that happen? Then it took them days to get some kind of spin going. I think we're looking at a very distracted and divided White House. I mean, it's ridiculous that Bush, Chertoff and Browne were getting (or claim to have been getting) their info from CNN. Sounds like chain of command is all fucked up. I was also struck by Daddy Bush and Clinton standing behind Bush at that first press event. It was like a declaration of legitimacy or something (especially if you look at it from the viewpoint of Cheney being the problem).

If you think of Bush abandoned by his normal supports, then the events of the last couple of weeks start to make sense. He's dimwitted, has zero leadership skills, seems seriously messed up, psychologically and emotionally, even with all supports in place. And suddenly has to figure out what to do, how to act, on his own. Clueless. Totally clueless. Then, when the war profiteers start moving in, the spin machine--and even Cheney--gear up, something like before.

Dunno if this is right. But it feels right. I was thinking about the cake and guitar thing that he was actually being sabotaged.

I don't have any sympathy for Bush--none whatever. I might if he were disempowered and in jail, or in a mental institution. But, considering what he has done, and what has been done under his signature, and what I sense of his qualities of cowardice, egotism, and cruelty, and his continued power and ability to do harm, I'm not saying he's not responsible, or is less bad than the others. But I do think it's important for us to figure out what's really going on, for our own protection, if nothing else. That may be why Clinton has stayed close to the situation. He, too, is very concerned. I'm willing to give Clinton the benefit of the doubt on it, anyway.

[daleo]

61. I agree that there is a serious reexamination going on in powerful circles

I am not sure who is in and out of which circles though. Clearly this Katrina event has been so significant that the very legitimacy of the current ruling class is in question. They are desperately looking for someone who can instill a sense of confidence in themselves, and in the population. But they also fear the consequences of being seen to abandon Bush and the neo-cons.

It reminds me of Chernobyl, among other things.

[pretzel4gore]

24. 'nothing fails like success when working for the devil'...

the lose by winning, win by losing! what a conundrum....

[DeepModem Mom]

26. They're giving Rove some unspinnable stuff. This is LAME, Karl!

Same with Barbara Bush's remark. So what if it was "private"? She said it.

[Spazito]

27. Sniff, sniff, I think I smell Rovian excrement throughout this article

What is interesting is their are so pathetically trying to re-make the previous made-up image of baby bush it cannot be more obvious even to those who were previously oblivious.

[Prodemsouth]

32. Mentions an African American supporter who is close to Rove

who criticized relief efforts, then said he did not want to be identified because he didn't want to make Rove mad. I don't think that is favorable to Rove. Article also stated after Bush was said to show anger, he told Brownie he was doing a good job. I don't think article was that favorable to Bush or Rove after a full read. I did at first but not now

[Spazito]

35. I wasn't slamming the article as a whole, only the very obvious

parts regarding baby bush's actions which are sprinkled throughout, as being rovian excrement. I should have made that point more clearly, though, for sure.

Edited to add: In thinking over your post, the interesting thing is one has to read the article more than once to glean the bits that might be seen as not supportive of bush. How many are going to read it twice, not that many I suspect. I guess I am becoming tired of having to glean the truth rather than being able to simply read it outright.

[Prodemsouth]

36. I hear ya..you do have to go and read carefully to get anything

out of it.

[uncertainty1999]

52. *AN* African American supporter who did not want to be identified???

Uh, how much do ya wanna bet that "African American" pretty much identifies this Rove pal??

[FlaGranny]

28. I remember the first news reports

about the condition of the people at the Convention Center, BUT, I also remember the mayor telling people who could get there to go there to escape from the rising waters. I believe that was Tuesday. I believe someone should be appointed in the White House to watch TV news and read newspapers. It seems like the entire world knew before our glorious leader and his crew.

[MaineDem]

30. They watch all the time on "West Wing"

I truly wish that show was reality.

[FlaGranny]

33. I just thought of sometime else even worse -

Remember the reports of Mayor Nagin trying to reach the "president." He was complaining that he could not get through and they would not call him back. Remember that? I believe that was also Tuesday.

[MaineDem]

34. You're absolutely right!

That could very well have been Tuesday.

I read in NEWSWEEK that the first levee broke at 11am on MONDAY. It flooded the Ninth ward.

[DLnyc]

49. They moniter TV to see how their image is doing. They don't care if

tens of thousands of people are dying due to their own inaction. They only care how their image is doing.

What did pukehead do on Friday, after everyone in the world knew the response was a monumental disaster. Did he get on the phone, call people to account, try to get things moving, get things straightened out? No, instead an elaborate photo-op was organized, complete with fake food tents and fake firemen--and managed to kill who knows how many more by grounding air traffic over NO during the photo-op.

Pukehead doesn't run the country. Nobody does. It's a mixture of anarchy and kleptocracy. Pukehead probably is an assistant on some of the image issues, since it's his job to make the appearances. Cheney is busy stealing stuff and a whole army of people spend their time monitoring the IMAGES (not the events) in the news, managing 'assets' in the press and arranging photo-ops.

Makes me puke.

[Neecy]

31. Bumiller strikes again

She's a major apologist and Bush ho who's been writing crap like this for years. She's the one who wrote the putrid iPod story that I suppose was meant to humanize this monster.

[grasswire]

37. Her husband is Bush's Yale classmate

For what that's worth. There's an old connection.

[KoKo]

53. figures....crony....he's got them everywhere.

disgusting.

[nyhuskyfan]

41. The Dems need to USE THIS STORY...

All the finger-pointing towards Nagin and Blanco to try to deflect blame. Well, it's obvious from this story that there were tons of problems in Mississippi as well.

New Orleans is just the biggest crisis area because of the volume of people affected, but if problems in Mississippi are revelaed, who the hell is the right going to point the finger at?

[hatrack]

42. In fact, Bush was so angry that the very next day . . . .

he congratulated Brownie on the great job he was doin' hehhehhehhehheh.

What a steaming pile of bullshit.

[cliss]

43. Isn't that cute? Bush gets angry...

sticking up for the poor people of N. Orleans.

Meanwhile, Bush attends a birthday party for McCain, does some golfing and plays guitar for some adoring fans. Cheney is on vacation in Wyoming. Imelda Rice is out shoe-shopping and RumsFailed attends a Padres game. The rest of them are on vacation in Maine.

Angry? For what?

Bush reminds me of a soap opera star. The writers change the story line a little bit each week. The main character gets angry, has some outburst of "passion" for the huddled masses. Yeah, right.

[AlCzervik]

44. i call bullshit!! Yo press corps, do your damn job!!!

stop reprinting the exact talking points memo they give you.

[Xipe Totec]

50. So much for the media filter

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2003 - "I'm mindful of the filter through which some news travels," Mr. Bush said, "and sometimes you just have to go over the heads of the filter and speak directly to the people. And that's what we'll continue to do."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/09/politics/main577231.shtml


And Now: "One moment of realization occurred on Thursday of last week when an aide carried a news agency report from New Orleans into the Oval Office for him to see."

Where is the real news filter, mR. pResident?

[DLnyc]

51. IMHO, typical NYT-style plant.

While appearing to gently criticize BushCo, article looks like a plant dutifully transmitted by Bumiller, It sets up their next story, that Bushit was really on top of things and was just ill-served by fall-guy Brown.

This is BS. Shrub's only actions from Friday, Aug 26 to Friday, Sep 2 were photo-ops and fund-raisers.

[Marie26]

54. Inaccurate?

This article seems slightly disingenous. This article sort of implies that Bush was personally involved in the decidion to remove Brown. But on CNN, the White House reporter said that CHERTOFF decided to remove Mike Brown; Bush simply stated that he trusted Chertoff to make whatever decisions he needed to make. The NY Times makes him seem a lot more active than the essentially passive position that CNN has reported. By the way, does anyone know if Brown got a pay raise? I have a friend who works for the fed. gov't & she bets he did - that's the way problematic officials are taken out of positions w/o too much protest.

[DeepModem Mom]

62. WELCOME to DU, Marie26! You're right --

they seem to be spinning in different directions!

[Tight_rope]

64. Welcome to DU Marie26

[Danmel]

55. Doesn't he follow thenews at all himself?

Does he rely on everyone else to pre-digest everything for him, like a baby bird? Christ, he is such an embarrassment.

[Roy]

56. dupe

nt

[Roy]

57. didn't the news whores say....

That though everyone knows he's dumb, that it is OK to vote for him because he will surround himself with seasoned and knowledgeable people?

[MasonJar]

60. I heard Bob Edwards interviewing know nothing toff on Thursday

on NPR. Edwards had a reporter on the other line from the Convention Center with explicit and damning info on the plight of New Orleans citizens sent there. Our illustious head of Homeland Security knew nada and was rude to Edwards who was frantically trying to tell him about it. The whole debacle was live; it was ultra-depressing.

[Tight_rope]

63. FUCKING BULLSHIT....Son of a bitches knew what was going on!

Fuck it was all over the news from the moment it happened. They just kiss my ass. Who the fuck do they think they are bullshitting. A bunch of fucking useless morans!

[onager]

65. Another Showtime movie on the way!

Katrina: Day Of Crisis II

The President flies to New Orleans and walks across the water to personally rescue a group of photogenic, multi-ethnic toddlers trapped in a Day Care center.

He then orders the flood waters to recede. Cut to his friend Jesus in heaven, who carries out Dumbya's orders immediately.

Fade out as a choir of angels descend and sing a choral piece composed by Peggy Noonan and Karen Hughes.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

66. I would laugh at this if people hadn't died due to their incompetence.

We're supposed to buy that the pResident of the United States knew less than the rest of America in regards to what was going on in New Orleans. OK, then step your ass down and let someone who can keep up with events run the show.

Speak of spin... The email released by Brown today says; "No wonder people don't go into public service. This country is devouring itself, the 24-hour news cycle is numbing our ability to think for ourselves," the Rocky Mountain News reported Saturday.

Then we get this asinine drivel from the WH today claiming that bush found out about the conditions at the Convention Center via an aide who was watching said 24-hour news. OK, so our POTUS relied on a man to inform him who complains about the media, while they (the WH) are saying that it was the due to the media that our POTUS found out.

You know the idiots are in serious trouble when they release conflicting spin on the same day. Americans have short memories, but not that short.

Who was it again who chose Brown for his position as head of FEMA? Wasn't it the same twit who was prancing around the disaster sites saying Brown was doing a heck of a fine job? I guess that twit was just talking out of his ass again without knowing (or caring to find out) what was really going on.

Nope, bush isn't going to be allowed to squirm his way out this easy. This is the WORST attempt of spin I've seen to date from this Admin. They are either losing their touch or running scared.

I saw on CNN where they interviewed a doctor who said he saw what he would speculate to be 50 dead bodies in the Convention Center before the people there were evacuated. People died there due to lack of basic care and it's not going to be forgotten.