www.thesmokinggun.com posts "FEMA Boss's Katrina Spin Bid: memo

[RobertSeattle]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0907051fema1.html?link=rssfeed

Memo: Rescuers should "convey a positive image" of fed efforts

SEPTEMBER 7--With the lives of Hurricane Katrina victims in the balance, Federal Emergency Management Agency boss Michael Brown declared that rescue workers should make sure to "convey a positive image of disaster operations," according to an internal FEMA document. The embarrassing spin control directive came in an attachment to an August 29 memo Brown sent to Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff. In the memo, which Brown sent five hours after the hurricane made landfall, the FEMA head asked Chertoff to send 1000 DHS workers to the Gulf Coast region. The Brown document, first reported by the Associated Press, refers to Katrina as "this near catastrophic event." (3 pages)

(Note there are 3 pages total - I just posted the cover page)

[whistle]

1. So here is proof that FEMA Director Brown lied when he claimed

...he knew knowing about the people sealed up in the Superdome and NO Convention Center without food, water, supplies, baby milk, etc.

[aquart]

2. I don't see the "positive image" line.

What I do see is a manager who failed to identify relevant, necessary personnel in advance. Bad planning. NO planning.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. "NEAR" catastrophic event....the inmates are in charge...ouch!

[lectrobyte]

5. if that's a near catastrophe, I'd damn sure hate to see what they

consider a real catastrophe.

[dsewell]

4. Positive image line in next image - low-grade spin

But you know, this is pretty minor spin. It's the sort of boilerplate language that goes in every memo to employees about how to present themselves to the public. It's not like this sentence was highlighted or forefronted, or the only thing in the list of requirements. So I think this is a fairly small thing (taken by itself) to beat Brown over the head with.

[crikkett]

7. you're right - for a smoking gun it only shoots BB's. n/t

[pop goes the weasel]

6. even worse

Take a look at "Role of Assigned Personnel." There is not a single activity of actual assistance listed. They are completely PR flacks. My god, they are "the useless third"!