My sincere apologies, Michael "Brownie" Brown

[elehhhhna]

I was one of the first to jump on the "IT'S BROWNIE'S FAULT" bandwagon. In fact, I helped build that wagon by digging up some nasty stuff about your firing from the Horse Association gig. I am sincerely sorry for smearing you.


Although your qualifiecations for the job were thin, you DID make an effort to communicate the breadth of the disaster before, during, and after Katrina--but your hair-on-fire warnings (Hmmm. Where've we heard that phrase before?)were completely ignored. COMPLETELY IGNORED.

How humiliating. First ignored, then denied, then blamed.

Thank you for having the courage to call out the Bush Administration.

You're doing a heck of a job, now, Brownie.

[quispquake]

1. Hear hear...

I also took the MSM's mantra that it was his fault...I should have known better...After seeing the video, Brownie did his job (at least at first). As usual, it was Bush who dropped the ball...

[wicket]

2. I felt pretty bad after seeing the video

It seems he did all he could and was put in place to be the patsy. I would also like to apologize to Mr. Brown for the unkind things I said about him in the past.

[Julius Civitatus]

51. Brownie was Dubya's fall-boy from the beginning

Brownie may have been an unqualified asswipe that made some remarkably tasteless remarks ("fashion god," restaurants in NOLA) during his management of the Katrina crisis. But the truth is, as we are starting to discover with UNDENIABLE VIDEO EVIDENCE, is that it was BUSH ALL ALONG who dropped the ball, then put Brownie's head in the chopping block when the public opinion turned sour on his mismanagement.

Typical Bush. His entire life has been just like that: always had some underling to do his work, always had an underling to take the blame.

[nini]

3. I wouldn't go that far..

He should have been screaming from the mountaintops back when this was happening but he waited until his ass was on the line.

I am grateful he's not going to take the fall for these guys too - don't get me wrong. BUT he should have been more vocal in early Sept '05 that the admin was screwing this up big time.

[quiet.american]

7. You took the words out of my mouth.

Granted, there's more to the "heckuva job" story than I knew, and it turns out Brown is not the complete sociopathic idiot I'd thought he was, mostly from media coverage, which still *got* me, even though I do my best to deflect it.

However, the particular motivation in Brownie's case seems to be an uncharacteristic (for Bush minions, that is) unwillingness to fall on the sword for the Monster-in-Chief.

[nini]

22. Exactly...

He's puttig himself before the cabal - which seems to break from the loyalty many of them have. What I wonder is; would we ever have known all this if his back wasn't against the wall like it is?

We will never know for sure.

[Zookeeper]

52. We can only hope his urge toward self-preservation...

and refusal to take the fall for BushCo, will inspire others in the administration.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. Man,

these swine have no compunction whatsoever about throwing anyone overboard just so long as they still look good.

We had a name for these people where I come from.

Then we beat them up.

[madokie]

25. I like your style, then we beat them up.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

30. Yeah,

it's good to be Italian.

[blm]

5. I believe the whole song and dance about Bush supporting Brown was to keep

Brown from talking about Bush's role sooner. They were able to put off complete blame on Bush by having Brown take all the lightning strikes.

[elehhhhna]

12. I'm amazed he didn't off himself with 12 shots to the back of the head.

He's brave to tell the truth about them. I mean it. Very dangerous business.

[Virginian]

34. Can you imagine Bolton in Brownie's shoes?

I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that battle.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

6. "The buck stops here" has always been my mantra

It subordinates fail to the point of disaster, the CEO never gets to claim "intelligence failure"...NEVER!

[napi21]

45. Absolutely NEVER! If the CEO didn't know, HE failed as CEO!

That's what they all try to claim though. Shrub does it all the damn time, and that's Ken Ley's defense too. It should NEVER work!

[mattclearing]

8. K&R. n/t

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. I like that we can admit when we are wrong

Brownie isn't the world's best leader I'm sure, but he got a bum rap. I think he handled himself very well in the hearing and he didn't back down. I hope he comes through this okay. We did him wrong.

[Coexist]

15. We did and I add my apology to this thread - although

although - he was NOT up to the job. James Lee Witt should have been tapped for guidance in the turnover. HE truly did a heck of a job.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

19. I agree he wasn't up to the job

because he didn't have the experience to navigate the politics. But I point the finger more to the White House now.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Brown got scarred by the turf wars between FEMA and DHS

Link:
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)

:evilfrown:

Methinks Brown figures that since he was set up to be the fall guy, he's gonna take some people down with him.

:evilfrown:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. I think that was his biggest failing

he lacked the experience necessary to kick butt and he didn't have the guts to go public with it, because he was a team player. But I don't think he was near as pathetic as we thought.

[xkenx]

20. Then Brown should have resigned with guns blazing

to draw attention to the disaster waiting to happen. Instead, he liked his salary and perks. He didn't say "boo" publicly until months after he was canned. This is no hero.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

26. No, no hero

but perhaps if he'd been seasoned a bit he might have had the cajones to come out with his guns blazing. He was too new. But he wasn't the dork we all painted him to be.

[elehhhhna]

27. II agree. But I'm still ashamed that I fell for the swift-boating.

[ginnyinWI]

11. his testimony before that committee, plus this video

helps show us the whole picture now. He was obviously not the right man for that job, but he tried. I blame Chertoff and of course his incompetent boss the most.

Has this president ever had to take consequences for any of his incompetence in his whole damn life??

[elehhhhna]

24. How many "hair on fire" warnings can a President IGNORE?

And the creep argument that "He didn't ask questions because he'd already been briefed..." is SO FRIGGING ILLOGICAL!

[triguy46]

35. Quite a few, it seems... n/t

[dogday]

13. This is their method of madness, blaming one then the

other, so the shift of blame never sticks anywhere or on anyone.

[mediaman007]

16. So does Norm Coleman look like a jackass again?

Norm is just a sound byte, headline-grabbing schmuck. eh, eh!

[npincus]

17. didn't Brownie commision the "Hurricane Pam" study?

that's what he stated in his congressional testimony. I thought that was telling.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

18. Let this be a lesson...

To anyone who serves in, or is an admirer of this maladministration:

These fscks will toss you over the side as soon as look at you. All this talk of "loyalty" in this pack of pimps, pirates and thieves is one way. You give all yours, they will give none back come crunch time.

To quote the great philosopher Ian Hunter: "You're not The Nazz, just a buzz. Some kind of temporary".

[Seedersandleechers]

21. Got me too...Sorry Brownie...

[Imalittleteapot]

23. WH putting all of the blame on Brownie is

unethical. IMPEACH.

[AzDar]

28. Let's face it..Junior's entire pResidency has been an exercise in

incompetence.ALWAYS putting cronyism and profit margins before the welfare of the American populace. Katrina just came back to bite them hard on the ass, is all;revealing how TRULY tragic it is that we've allowed an empty suit to steal our rights, our money, the lives of over 2,000 of our young people in a war based on lies, and now over 1,300 of our citizens on our own soil.
Brownie is the Poster Boy for Bad Government...the worst this country's EVER seen.
I don't feel sorry for Brownie; after all, when you lie down with dogs...

[bvar22]

29. Formerly, I spread the blame.

Last night's video absolves Mayor Nagin, The La. governor, and Brownie.
Bush* PROMISED to provide FEDERAL assisstance before, during, and after the storm.
In this video, he assumed responsibility as Commander-in-Chief of this disaster!

[babylonsister]

31. Not me. Brown still was sitting in Baton Rouge stuffing his

face while people were drowning, he still riffed about his wardrobe while people were drowning, etc. He may not be AS culpable as previously thought, but he is at least partially culpable for the total mismanagement of the disaster.

[Individualist]

40. No apologies from me either

While most of the blame goes to the pretend president, Brown was head of FEMA. After Katrina hit, people were allowed to drown, die of dehydration or starvation and suffer horrendously. Think of the many thousands who are still homeless.

[tgnyc]

41. RIGHT. The riff on Brownie wasn't that he didn't warn people in advance,

it was that he sat with his thumbs up his ass after the thing went down, when people really needed him to spring into action and make stuff happen. VIDEO

[FearofFutility]

44. I agree with you

Just because this video is proof positive that Bush knew before hand does not let Brown off the hook. He was in over his head.

[xultar]

32. He isn't off the hook yet. He ain't no mutherfuckin Saint.

[triguy46]

33. The official word from * administration is....

that the next FEMA director will "follow the chain of command" and obvious slap to brownie. Like that was the cause of the problem? Chertoff is a fraud, a shining example of the culture of incompetence that this administration will be remembered for.

[elehhhhna]

37. LOL. He was talking directly to the PRESIDENT!

Their bs is sooo illogical. Karl is obviously very distracted lately.

[triguy46]

42. exactamundo.

They are saying that should never have happened, he should have only spoken with Chertoff. How that gets to be a "problem" is beyond me, but that's their current argument, as reported on NPR this AM. Along with the fact they cannot find an experienced FEMA type to fill Brownies position, its not viewed as a desirable career option.

[kiki]

36. "Can I come home now?"

"Can't I finish my lunch?"

No apology deserved. Brownie would have to completely rebuild the levees by hand to atone for his behaviour.

[Jacobin]

38. "Let me know if there is something I can tweak"

THAT was Brown's response to the report that 15,000 people were trapped at the convention center without food or water....and stayed there for 5 days.

Why people are giving this fuckwad a pass now that he uttered a few words at a briefing is beyond me.

He didn't even order air drops of water and food to starving people for DAYS.

[Carni]

39. I agree but don't feel guilty--Rove co probably leaked the horse thing

I blamed Brown too, but in hindsight those emails where he said things like "Don't I look fabulous" etc almost sounded a little TOO convenient...

I have been guilty of always having to throw in a joke in emails even under the most dire circustances (it's just my personality) and if just one remark were isolated from the rest of what I had written I would look about as stupid as Brown.

I am just happy he's apparently not dumb and that he has enough back bone to go up against bush co

[skypilot]

43. I sincerely appreciate the sentiment, however...

...it has never sat well with me that Brown ever accepted the job to begin with. His was still a "crony" appointment and I have to question the character of anyone who would accept a job as vital as the head of FEMA knowing full well his lack of qualifications. He may have done all he could but someone else should have had that job from the start. He took the place of a more qualified person simply because he was the college roommate of a Bush fundraiser. Having said that, I don't want to see him take the full blame and he would rise considerably in my book if he'd name names and just put it all out there.

[FearofFutility]

46. The desire to see the fall of Bush

is clouding the picture, IMHO. Brown's incompetence after the fact should not be forgotten. Brown is speaking out only to point fingers and say "see, they're incompetent too!! It wasn't just me!"

[elehhhhna]

47. don't read it that way. I think he's demonstrating that he did everythin

in his power to get help and was ignored-- if an urgent phone call (or 2!) to the idiot President of the US doesn't get some action, what would? I think he tried to do the job, was clearly in over his head, and afterwards lamely attemtpted to suck it up and cover for the BA. Now he's talking. Thats' my point. For whatever reason, at least we're finally getting the other side of the story.

[IronLionZion]

48. The smoking gun came in the form of dirty flood water

To Brownie's credit: you gave the Bush admin adequate warning and sense of urgency, but they just don't care. Good for you for telling the truth now to expose the callous indifference.

[kayice]

50. Chertoff was a thorn in Brownie's side......

Personally, I think Chertoff was pissed because Brown went over his head because of the severity of Katrina; I don't trust Chertoff and his band of lackeys one bit....

Brown: Heckuva job, Dumb Chimp!

[Shakespeare]

49. "I am a fashion GOD."

Nope, still not giving him a pass. He was the head of FEMA, for chrissakes.

[jackster]

58. Right on!

Brownie is somewhat exonerated but not entirely. Those crass and tasteless emails show that he didn't appear to be as worried as he appeared on the video. None of those bastards deserve any respect or apologies from anyone. Sure he may have been right on the money with Mayfield and everyone else there, and possibly he meant it then, but he certainly got over it in a hurry as the emails show. Never should have had the job, never should have accepted the job. Was bragging before the election in 2000 that he was going to get a cushy job. And anyone stupid and evil enough to support this administration gets what they deserve when the chips fall.

[kentuck]

53. You may be right...

We may owe "Brownie" an apology. It does appear he was trying to tell them the seriousness of the situation but was ignored. He appears now to have been the scapegoat.

[caligirl]

54. Can you imagine the tantrums Bush is having over all this,

Thanks Brown for caring to set the truth free, for all of the gulf coast and those that died due to Bush just not giving a rats ass about American Citizens. Bush, that pathologic self centered egotistical blow hard, deserves what Brown is doing to him

[linazelle]

55. Brown shilled for Bush and lied in the beginning. He made his bed

let him sleep in it. Maybe next time his successors will think twice before covering for Bush.

[The Stranger]

56. Amazing how even we were dupted into thinking he was at fault.

We were focused upon his background, etc., when he was in there doing a decent job in a position he shouldn't even have been in.

Apologies are in order.

[BamaLefty]

57. Yep, Mike, you were the scapegoat

Now give 'em hell. :rock:

[ProfessorGAC]

59. I'm With You!

I was wrong about him. I admit it. I figured he was an utterly incompetent hack. Now it appears that while he may have been in over his head a bit, in terms of managing that large an organization, he was trying, he was working, and he was among those who knew it was going to be really bad!

He's still no hero, but he's not the idiot i thought he was.
The Professor

[Solly Mack]

60. He never had to work for Bush and he could have spoken out then

and he didn't. He could have bucked Bush and went public then - and that might have saved lives. Brown still stood beside Bush, silently, and allowed Bush to say "heck of job" when Brown knew the truth.

Yeah, sucks to be the fall guy - but you're not really the fall guy when you go along with the lies to begin with...

[Binka]

61. The Translation Of "Doin A Heck Of A Job Brownie"

"Hey Brownie I am looking kinda bad here and I am gonna fuck you up!" It was just another of Bushes back handed slaps in the face. Brown thought the Don was giving him an advance on being a made man but Bush was already getting the horse head ready. (Yes Pun Intended!)

It was only when he realized that the calvary was NOT coming and he was made a fool of to the entire world did the fucking light bulb turn on. If Bush had given him cover he would have remained loyal; because he doesn't give a shit about black folks either, but when Bush made him the scapegoat and didn't provide him adequate cover, Brownie got pissed off and he leaked this video to the press.

He did it when Bush was out of the country so the impact would sink deep before Bush put the orders for a hit on him. I bet Bush hasn't been told that this video is public! Ah I love the smell of the mafia in the morning.

[cassiepriam]

62. You guys are way too nice. Brownie slept with dogs, he got fleas.

And he was very well compensated for those fleas.
He has no sympathy from me.

[spanone]

63. Those loyal to Bush* get it up the ass in the end.

To fuck up and then blame it on someone else is despicable. Especially in front of the whole world. George Bush* you are a small, little man.

[4_TN_TITANS]

64. I apologize too, Mr. Brown...

I'm glad somebody did a thread on this. The guy tried but his warnings fell on deaf ears.

[jbnow]

65. But it still doesn't explain

why food and water didn't get in to the people for 5 days.

Wouldn't Brown give those orders? I've never heard that part explained.

[helderheid]

66. Took the words out of my mouth. I'd rec but it's been more than 24 hours

[Beelzebud]

67. Fuck Brown! Did you forget the emails? The 'fasion god' was a fuck up!

Bush put this idiot in his position. It doesn't mean the guy isn't a fuck up. No need to aplogize to this peice of shit.