Blanco's hiring Witt is PURE GENIUS - practically and politically

[Stinky The Clown]

Assuming that Witt Associates can get the job done in whatever task they might be asked to perform (and there's no reason to think otherwise), this is a perfect strategy in the face of the shit job that FEMA's doing. Witt Associates now get official legal standing as agents of the State of Louisiana. Presumably Witt Associates has many connections to non governmental agencies that can do some real good. To say nothing of simply managing Louisiana's own resources. And with the state behind them, they can put real relief on the ground for the people that need it.

And this is also political genius. It allows notable DEMOCRATS to be involved. Not in a grandstanding way, but in a real, active, effective way. It also gives a platform for DEMOCRATS with knowledge of these things to speak truth to power. It gives DEMOCRATS with knowledge of these things the **authority** and legal standing to do what needs to be done and to be seen as 'having a plan' and being able to carry it out.

It should be noted that General Wesley Clark is a member of Witt Associates. I would find it unseemly if he used this to 'campaign', but from what I know of the good General, that would be the last thing he'd do.

I know ... I know ..... this shouldn't be political. And I agree. BUT ...... it IS political. The Republicans have made it so. This is the perfect opportunity for us to get some damned good exposure and NOT been seen as simply arm waving and jaw flapping. We now have a chance to DO something.

I for one, am glad.

Thank you, Governor Blanco, for doing not only the right thing, but a politically astute thing.

[leftchick]

1. the thing is

the DOD and rummy are running the show right now. Do you suppose this will actually happen?

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Why wouldn't it?

Louisiana is still in charge of Louisiana last I checked.

[Cassandra]

3. Repukes are only for states' rights when it's convenient

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Imagine how that fight might look on teevee ........

..... Blanco demanding to govern her own state and Brown or Chertoff trying to say why they won't let her.

How will that play to the morans?

[meow2u3]

10. Damn straight

In case you didn't know, "states' rights" is Repuke code for legally (or extralegally) sanctioned racism (white supremacy, to be exact).

[leftchick]

5. I would not be too sure about that

once Homeland security steps in and they appoint the military to be in charge I think all bets are off on the Gov. getting any say. This is what we have feared since the Patriot act and HS were implemented.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Again ... how would such a fight play out on teevee?

Imagine the feds telling a governor she has no legal standing.

Imagine it.

The feds would lose THAT one.

[Totally Committed]

9. They are defaming her all over the media,

saying this was all her fault, that she didn't so enough... so she could cry "foul" really loud if they try and stop her from trying to do what she sees as best for her state at this point. Couldn't she?

TC

[Stinky The Clown]

11. She could .... and she should .......

.... and she should be surrounded by her own support network. Not the grandstanders and arm flappers, but the support team that will be getting the damned job DONE.

[jus_the_facts]

6. Louisiana is in the charge of the oil industry....

...Senator Landrieu and the retired John Breaux can confirm this is so as their votes in Congress should also show that ownership of Louisiana is definitely owned outright by the oil industry....just watch and see. :evilfrown:

[FrenchieCat]

8. I agree that

Blanco hiring Witt as her liason to FEMA is a good move on her part.

This means that Witt, former head of FEMA under Clinton, can tell FEMA's current clueless idiot Brown what to do so that lives can be saved at last!

[watercolors]

12. A great move on her part

With his knowledge she can get what she needs. Wise politcal move also. smart lady!

[LandOLincoln]

13. For the first time since this nightmare began, I have hope

that we're finally going to see some leadership in what's left of this country.

(I like what I've seen of that General Honore dude, too.)

[Stinky The Clown]

14. General Honore .......

...... yeah, I saw him on one of the teevee channels ... can't remember which one. He's a Cajun kinda guy with three stars and a colorful way of speaking. Carville with a beret sorta.

I heard him quip "We ain't runnin' on stupid." which cracked me up.

He also sounds like he 'gets it'.

[LandOLincoln]

15. Self-delete

...since I don't know what I'm talking about. :dunce:

[Stinky The Clown]

19. I referred to him as a 'cajun-type' ....... my intent being non-specific

From what I could see on teevee, he's a white guy.

Cajun is a corruption of the term 'Arcadian' ..... meaning French and white.

Creole are mixed race

[Texas_Kat]

27. Having a Louisiana Cajun background myself

I'd said "Honore" is definitely Cajun, though I have no idea whether he is Creole.

"Cajun' is strictly a cultural term...

[Cha]

23. That's a perfect "quip" since we all know

and the mainstream even knows who is "running on stupid"!

[FrenchieCat]

16. Official AP story.....

La. gov. hires former FEMA director Witt for Katrina recovery
9/3/2005, 3:05 p.m. CT
The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency joined the Louisiana government Saturday to help direct the recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

James Lee Witt, who ran FEMA from 1993 to 2001, said he will stay as long as he as needed.

"He will sit at the table for me, and he will be my voice at the table," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.

Louisiana officials are getting stretched too thin and need help, she said. "I like to hire the smartest people in the country," she added.

Witt has more than 25 years of disaster management experience. He was appointed to head FEMA in 1993, after President Clinton took office. FEMA had been strongly criticized in 1992 for its slow response to Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo; after Witt took over, it won praise for its vigorous reaction to Midwest floods and the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles.
More....
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1125778441267231.xml&storylist=louisiana

[FrenchieCat]

17. More on Witt

read this blogged article
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/012074.html
Thursday :: September 01, 2005
Where is James Lee Witt when we need him?
James Lee Witt, http://www.wittassociates.com /
an Arkansan, was FEMA Director under President Clinton, and he had the cojones to immediately go to the scene and take control. Clinton gave him power, and he used it for the national good. We were served well by him. In any natural disaster, he was there, he was on TV telling us what was going on, and he got things done. He did not sit on his hands in a Washington office getting information from CNN or FoxNews.

James Lee Witt works in Little Rock, and I'll bet my house he's working on this disaster somehow. If he ran FEMA, the response would be markedly different, instead of the "what do I do now?" look of Michael Chertoff we see today.
----------
NOTE: JLWA had bid on planning emergency work for New Orleans via IEM, but were not awarded the contract.
----------

About James L. Witt& Associates (JLWA)--

Our Team


What we do

Founded in 2001, James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA) is a crisis and emergency management consulting firm based in Washington, DC with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, and Sacramento. JLWA has unrivaled experience and hands-on knowledge of public safety, disaster mitigation, continuity of operations, and emergency management issues. JLWA bridges government agencies and non-profits with industry and constituents, advises educational institutions, and assists state and local governments, as well as international bodies to prepare for and recover from disasters and crises.

JLWA is uniquely positioned to bring together policy architects and technical experts in public safety, with leaders from all levels of government and private sector partners to forge solutions to emergency management challenges.

The JLWA staff includes seasoned crisis and emergency management leaders with significant experience in the public sector to provide consultation on key issues of public safety. The team is proficient in the details of emergency management, committed to the responsibility of the profession, and understands how crisis and emergency management work fits into a larger political and social climate.

JLWA is comprised of two main practice areas: Crisis and Consequence Management and Strategic Advisory Services.

http://www.wittassociates.com/1162.xml

[Donna Zen]

18. This sounds like it will be Witt not JLWA

Although, ya never know. It sure would have been nice to have an emergency communications set-up in place before this happened.

Blanco is smart to know that dealing with these jackels means she takes in someone to back her up.

[FrenchieCat]

20. Yes, but Witt will to use his own company

for the Resources needed to do the job for Blanco.

The company is the one with the trained staff on such matters. I doubt that they will be sitting there doing nothing. Watcha think?

[Donna Zen]

25. Fingers crossed! I want Blanco to shine and that means good advice.

The staff at the office may just be preparing papers. I think...I think...that initially it will be Witt at the table with Blanco, but eventually the entire company will find themselves involved in the consultations and proposals for Blanco. Currently, she is getting bashed by the bushbots, and I want her to make it through this horror show.

[LandOLincoln]

22. Yeah,it does, but I kinda doubt that she could get Witt without JLWA.

Could be wrong, though.

BTW, CNN is doing a thing on General Honore right now, and I guess Husb is right. I just caught a glimpse of him before, and thought he was a very light-complexioned Black man.

According to CNN, he's called The Ragin' Cajun. I thought Carville had the patent on that?

[Stinky The Clown]

26. I kinda thought that at first myself.

I first thought he was either mixed race or light skinned black.I think he's white.

I don't really care about that, though (nor am I suggesting you do, either) except as a point of accuracy. He could be greenm for all I give a damn. He's a home two boy, as we say up here, and THAT matters.

He was shown conferring with Mayor Nagin with the clear implication that he's Nagin's guy. That, too, is good. Nagin's been taking a (VERY UNDESERVED, imho) beating at the hands of idiot son's storm trooper barking dogs.

[Robeson]

21. Agreed.

[Autonomy]

24. Hmm, compare the appointments

Republicans: Mike Brown

Democrats: James Lee Witt

Here's a new term for the situation: COMPETENCY GAP.