MIchael Brown is relieved of command!

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It's officlal. Congratulations to everyone for keeping up the relentless criticism of his performance.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

Okay, time to focus on Michael Chertoff.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

Ah, how predictable, yet pleasing. But I'd be far happier if they fired that daft fucker Chertoff.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: Let this bastard out, and you'll get whiplash! (Eastern Mantr, Friday, 9 September 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

xpost

― Ian Riese-Moraine: Let this bastard out, and you'll get whiplash! (Eastern Mantr, Friday, 9 September 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

And all is well.

http://www.geegeesquilting.com/013242%20My%20Little%20Pony%20Fleece%201079py%20SPR2357-12.jpeg

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

He wasn't fired, guys. I mean unless news changed in the last half hour.

― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

I think this is kind of bullshit - the equivalent of that "forced time off with pay" that they give to police officers after they kill innocent people. I mean, he's STILL the head of FEMA. He's still a paid employee of the federal government. Its good to get his incompetent ass out of the way in as far as the relief efforts go, but its hardly the appropriate disciplinary action.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, still in charge of FEMA, Chertoff was mouthing off about how great a job he was doing, blah blah blah. Even the NRO types are pissed -- they wanted Brown to (hem hem) resign today fully, precisely because they figured the longer he stays in the job the worse it looks.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

the conspiracy theory was that rove was gonna see to it that brown was "thrown overboard" as it were, and have all fingers pointed brown's way to deflect the negative response directed else where (e.g., bush, chertoff, all the less-expendable morons).

like i said on another thread, he's an easy scapegoat.

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

else where

elsewhere. sorry, my typing has gone to shit lately.

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

I don't think that's much of a "conspiracy theory" as much as it is par for the course for Rove's machinations.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

the other theory: the current incarnation of fema is primarily a slush fund, and despite brown's pathetic resume, he's pretty good at deliberately mismanaging money.

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

I think the Arabian Horse folks will welcome him back into the fold, though. Crisis=Opportunity!!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Saturday, 10 September 2005 00:19 (twenty years ago)

Arabian horses deserve better.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 10 September 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

why is Bush's repealing of the Davis/Bacon act of 1931 getting such little coverage?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/economy/katrina_wages.reut/

― huell howser (chaki), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

why is Bush's suspension of the Davis/Bacon act of 1931 getting such little coverage?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/08/news/economy/katrina_wages.reut/

― huell howser (chaki), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

suspension is more accurate. ;)

― huell howser (chaki), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:15 (twenty years ago)

they also suspended the handing out of $2000 debit cards to victims -- they want to do direct deposits instead. how this is supposed to happen i dunno. it seems designed to attract a very small number of people: those who have the knowledge/werewithal to sign up for it, those who are stupid enough to strangers their account information, those who HAVE bank accounts and have their account/routing numbers with them.

the debit card idea was a huge story; this update has gotten virtually no press.

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:24 (twenty years ago)

those who are stupid enough to strangers their account information

to GIVE strangers

― renegade bus (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

The wage suspension deal has been getting some mention -- but not enough.

Watching the NRO types get all miserable over how the Brown deal has been handled has been a treat. Dreher in particular is despairing with realization:

It would be very wrong, I believe, to let the ignominious Michael Brown be the scapegoat for FEMA's sins. Check out this front-pager from the WaPo. Turns out that a raft of FEMA's top leaders have little or no emergency management experience, but are instead politically well connected to the GOP and the White House. This is a scandal, a real scandal. How is it possible that four years after 9/11, the president treats a federal agency vital to homeland security as a patronage prize? The main reason I've been a Bush supporter all along is I trusted him (note past tense) on national security -- which, in the age of mass terrorism, means homeland security too. Call me naive, but it's a real blow to learn that political hacks have been running FEMA, of all agencies of the federal government! What if al-Qaeda had blown the New Orleans levees? How much worse would the crony-led FEMA's response have been? Would conservatives stand for any of this for one second if a Democrat were president? If this is what Republican government means, God help the poor GOP Congressmen up for re-election in 2006.

*whistles idly* Hey, better he learned now rather than later or never that JUST MAYBE the current administration are feebs.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:26 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, this direct deposit thing sounds like a bad idea- a lot of the really poor people, ie the ones who really could use this the most, won't have bank accounts. what's their backup plan for people who don't have accounts to deposit money into?

― lyra (lyra), Saturday, 10 September 2005 01:28 (twenty years ago)

Michael Brown, pitiable soul.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Every time I see this thread I think for a second that it must be about the British Michael Brown - the gay far-right Tory MP who turned himself into a political journalist when he lost his seat.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

one of my professors is named michael brown, i wonder if he laughs or cringes when he hears or reads "fire michael brown!" & such all the time.

― Maria (Maria), Sunday, 11 September 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

Chertoff, last panel:
http://www.troubletown.com/cartoons/cartoons/ttown.776.gif

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 12 September 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

Are we talking about Michael Brown here, or Michael Stipe?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 12 September 2005 15:57 (twenty years ago)

That cartoon is outstanding.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Monday, 12 September 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

I know how you feel. Since signing Jenas, Edgar Davids and Teemu Tainio he's fallen well down the pecking order. Wouldn't be surprised if he was sold to Everton in the transfer window.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 12 September 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

he just resigned. cnn called it "the least surprising news in recent days".

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 12 September 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

hahaha

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Monday, 12 September 2005 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Oh, for some venting from him about all sorts of things. Will he have the guts?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 September 2005 18:14 (twenty years ago)

He's imbibing one if not several margaritas, Ned. Give'em time.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/12/katrina.impact/index.html

A reporter asked Bush about criticism that a racial component was behind the government's slow response to the people left without help after Katrina hit.

"The storm didn't discriminate, and neither will the recovery effort," Bush said. "When those Coast Guard choppers -- many of whom were first on the scene -- were pulling people off roofs, they didn't check the color of a person's skin, they wanted to save lives.

WAY TO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU FUCKING FUCKFACED FUCKER

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:21 (twenty years ago)

its so sad that Bush can't/won't fire anybody, ever.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

it just makes him look like such a spineless pussy.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

Pussies have spines???

― The Ghost of Giger Out Of My Sex Life (Dan Perry), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I can't help but feel that Brown is playing the sacrificial lamb here. Notice in his statement that he's quick to emphasize "THIS IS ALL MY IDEA. IT'S THE BEST THING FOR ME TO DO FOR THE SAKE OF MINE PAL DUBYA." If Dubya fired him, he'd have to admit he was the wrong man for the job in the first place, and Dubya never admits anything like that.

I'm glad he's gone but meh.

― not sure about pickles (Jacqui Pickles), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

oh its great that he's gone, no question about that. But will DubyaCo appoint someone more capable in his place? Of course not.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 12 September 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

also, didn't El Doofus say within the last coupla hours that Brown resigning was a total surprise to him, and he hadn't talked to Chertoff about it yet?

also, they "want to fill this position quickly". They mentioned some rumored/head-fake name with a "R. David Polason(?)" who was being looked at.

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 12 September 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

"R. David Paulison, head of FEMA's emergency preparedness force, will lead the beleaguered agency, according to three administration sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Paulison is a career firefighter from Miami who was among emergency workers responding to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in 1996, according to a biography posted on FEMA's Web site. He also has led the U.S. Fire Administration since December 2001, according to the site."

doesn't sound too bad, actually. Actual real life experience handling disasters! Gosh, no one could have known that would come in so handy at FEMA.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 12 September 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

we'll see. it aint too likely at this point, but until we get an actual announcement, this could be another head-fake...

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 12 September 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

it would be funny (okay, not really) if he just nominates some pastor from a "faith-based charity" who ran a soup kitchen once or something... someone like...

*lightbulb goes off*

Pat Robertson!!!

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 12 September 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

Oh Jesus. I could see that happening.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: Let this bastard out, and you'll get whiplash! (Eastern Mantr, Monday, 12 September 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

looks like they went thru with it after all...

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Monday, 12 September 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

"resigns"

― Matt (Matt), Monday, 12 September 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

i think he was relieved of duty because of the helicopter gunships mowing down all of the poor black people, at least this is jeremy clarkson's version of reality--

"Most Americans barely have the brains to walk on their back legs" - he turned to the desperate scenes being played out in New Orleans: "On the streets you've got some poor, starving soul helping themselves to a packet of food from a ruined, deserted supermarket. And as a result, finding themselves being blown to pieces by a helicopter gunship. With the none-too-bright soldiers urged on by their illiterate political masters, the poor and needy never stood a chance. It's easier and much more fun to shoot someone than make them a cup of tea.

"Especially if they're black."

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 01:06 (twenty years ago)

And as a result, finding themselves being blown to pieces by a helicopter gunship.

it's a shame. Just like in the opening of "The Running Man."

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 01:43 (twenty years ago)

nine years pass...

State of Emergency. National Guard activated. Because of "possibility of expanded unrest."

― holla back for a dope nakh (how's life), Monday, 17 November 2014 20:57 (eleven years ago)

WRONG THREAD.

― holla back for a dope nakh (how's life), Monday, 17 November 2014 20:57 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNugWnNjwwg

― imago, Monday, 17 November 2014 20:59 (eleven years ago)

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