Friday, July 25, 2008

Nation & World

Washington Whispers by Paul Bedard

'Brownie' Was Just Tip of the Iceberg

May 02, 2008 02:03 PM ET | Paul Bedard | Permanent Link

When it comes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hurricane Katrina disaster, inexperienced ex-Director Michael "heckuva job Brownie" Brown wasn't the only weak link. Add to him a long list of other untrained managers, pay cuts, presidential inattention, and slashed budgets, says Princeton University Prof. David Lewis, author of the wonkish new book The Politics of Presidential Appointments. His assessment: Bush downgraded FEMA while former President Clinton had elevated it. Lewis argues that Bush helped to make the agency as bad as it was under his dad, whose FEMA was hit for blowing Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew.

Tags: FEMA | politics | George W. Bush | Michael Brown

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The Scalped Iceberg

The political muscle behind rebuilding the South, and New Orleans particularly, resembles the makings of an old "B" movie plot (Now that the Indians or African Americans' homes have been burned or flooded out; 'let's get em!' ). Many of the victimized residents (hundreds of thousands), just coming out of shock from the epic destruction almost three years ago, are finally becoming aware of how they were erroneously depicted in the media and only now-learning why some communities are so rude and insensitive to their plights. Progressive New Orleanians are appalled at the Confederate political spirit that permeates the region's rebirth efforts. Trounced New Orleanians should be ushered into the forefront with needed infrastructure jobs, community building education and psychological health care; all with the help of skilled labor union organizers and local community groups to foster in the 'real' sense of "pride" the senior city has always boasted. Rebuilding without the citizenry is a replication of how the levees were scavaged. Let's rebuild the South righteously. Distorting the landscape by benignly neglecting the populace and fortifying defunct devisive symbolisms is not unnoticed.

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