"Brownie" says White House wanted him to lie

my2hands

did anyone with half a brain really have to read this?


http://news.monstersandcritics.com/northamerica/printer_1195176.php

Brown Says White House Wanted Him to Lie
United Press International

Sunday 27 August 2006

Washington - The ousted head of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency says the White House wanted him to lie about the response to Hurricane Katrina.

Former Director Michael Brown told ABC News "This Week with George Stephanopoulos' Sunday he stood by comments in a Playboy interview, and President Bush wanted him to take the heat for the bungling.

"The lie was that we were ready and that everything was working as a team. Behind the scenes, it wasn't working at all," Brown said. "There were political considerations going into all the discussions. There was the fact that New Orleans did not evacuate and the mayor (Ray Nagin) had no plan."

Brown said it was natural to 'want to put the spin on that things are working the way they're supposed to do. And behind the scenes, they're not. Again, my biggest mistake was just not leveling with the American public and saying, 'Folks, this isn't working."

The former FEMA chief cited what he called an e-mail 'from a very high source in the White House that says the president at a Cabinet meeting said, 'Thank goodness Brown's taking all the heat because it's better that he takes the heat than I do."

Also on 'This Week,' U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said the administration still doesn't understand the magnitude of the reconstruction problem; but the president's Gulf Coast coordinator, Don Powell, said the federal government's No. 1 priority is to rebuild the area in a businesslike way.

PaperPlates

when in doubt, blame the federal govt. Its the fab thing these days.

hippiemom

PaperPlates wrote:

when in doubt, blame the federal govt. Its the fab thing these days.

FEMA was created to manage emergencies, our tax dollars were used to pay for an organization that has the management of emergencies as it's sole objective, and this was clearly an emergency of the highest magnitude. Other agencies of the federal government, most notably the Coast Guard, were quite effective, but everything FEMA touched was a disaster. Is there any particular reason people shouldn't be angry about that?

even flow?

PaperPlates wrote:

when in doubt, blame the federal govt. Its the fab thing these days.

We could blame god for making such a horrible storm and sending it through the New Orleans and surrounding area. But then the religious people would be up in arms.

We could blame the people who were too poor to heed a warning to get out when the last time this has happened was forty(?) years ago. And not on that scale. But the people with means except walking would get up in arms.

We could blame Nagin for not personally going and getting every single person out of the area by himself and taking them to a higher ground. But then Nagin would get up in arms.

We could blame Rain Dog for taking off and looking after himself instead of helping out his fellow New Orleanians? (had to toss that one in) But Rain Dog would get up in arms.

We could blame the Canadian Mounties who arrived two days before the US National Guard to help out when the cry for help went out. But then the US would get up in arms about the gloating and heart that Canadians have.

We could blame the people who had alluminum fishing boats and didn't know how to put them in water with street signs around to help get people out of harms way. But then the people who wanted to help would be up in arms from the powers that be that stopped them from helping.

Well the list gets pretty slim now. So I would say that Brownie would be spot on with his comments.

Funny how all you people don't mind spening money on wars but can't even swallow who really fucked this up and weigh out the costs of spending in your own backyard as opposed to greedy politicians out to make a buck on your new military campaign. I know that the people who were worst affected kind of resemble the people you are fighting but they are still United States of America citizens.

RainDog

What does he mean New Orleans didn't evacuate? A vast majority of the city evacuated - by way of a well executed and largely trouble free highway contraflow plan. Granted, the plans for those who stayed, either by choice or necessity, were lacking. But didn't evacuate?

Man, even when I want to agree with him I can't.

WMA

How long before Brownie gets swifboated I wonder?

If you can't refute something that is said, attack the person who said it. It is the fab thing to do these days I guess.

inmytree

WMA wrote:

How long before Brownie gets swifboated I wonder?

If you can't refute something that is said, attack the person who said it. It is the fab thing to do these days I guess.

ding ding ding...we have a winner...!!!

well said...

melodious

hippiemom wrote:

FEMA was created to manage emergencies, our tax dollars were used to pay for an organization that has the management of emergencies as it's sole objective, and this was clearly an emergency of the highest magnitude. Other agencies of the federal government, most notably the Coast Guard, were quite effective, but everything FEMA touched was a disaster. Is there any particular reason people shouldn't be angry about that?

fema may have been created to manage, but in the long run, fema is gonna be the agency that takes american average joe to the concentration camp. fema already has proven itself by it's punctual response for those who lived and owned homes in l.a.....fema is not our friend...btw...i tried to respond to your thread about last therapy; congrats...hippiemom....u st rong....got lots of heart....;)

spiral out

WMA wrote:

How long before Brownie gets swifboated I wonder?

If you can't refute something that is said, attack the person who said it. It is the fab thing to do these days I guess.

Shame so many people seem to ignore this and continue to believe the lies.