Where Bush's culpability lies

[fpb]

This is what Robert Novak, an independent-minded but dyed-in-the-wool conservative commentator, had to say about the federal responsibilities on the Katrina disaster. It strikes me as a very fair and credible summary: http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/printrn20050908.shtml

However, Novak does not notice one thing. This was not just any other governmental appointment. The Department of Homeland Security was Bush's own Big Idea, his gift to the nation. It was necessary, given that the US did not until then really have anything comparable to the Ministries of the Interior or Home Offices of other countries. And it was intended to deal with such present and major concernes as terrorism, international crime and natural disasters. So why did Bush nominate a couple of totally unqualified individuals such as Chertoff and Brown to run his own baby? Dammit, just as you are beginning to convince yourself that this President really has been as "misunderestimated" as he claims, he goes and does something so careless, amateurish, pointlessly stupid, as to nominate a totally unqualified person to run his own pet project.

EDIT: patchworkmind pointed out to me that the Department of Homeland Security was not, in fact, Bush's idea, and that he resisted pressure from Congress for a while before giving in and setting up the post. This explains, at least, his apparently thinking so little of the post as to nominate an unqualified lawyer.

Comments

Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Senator Carnahan (D-MO) Says Bush is on 3-Week Fundraising Binge While Homeland Security Legislation Languishes
19-Oct-02
Homeland Security

"While Bush embarks on a three-week-long fundraising and campaigning binge, Senator Daschle is keeping the United States Senate in overtime to get Homeland Security legislation passed. 'Unfortunately, devotion to a right-wing ideology and a grasp for political advantage are standing in the way of passing the Homeland Security bill. Republicans have voted five times to support the right-wing's filibuster of Homeland Security and deny an up or down vote on this legislation. The fact is that if the Senate Republicans would allow the Senate to vote on the Homeland Security bill, it would pass today. 'Congressman Armey's focus on this issue is clear. It was Democrats who proposed a Homeland Security Department over a year ago, and the Bush White House that opposed this effort for more than eight months. It was not until this summer, under pressure from the public, that the White House finally reversed its stance and agreed to support the creation of a Homeland Security Department."

from Democrats.com (http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Homeland%20Security) - I use these guys quite frequently to find out Democrat policy history. Bush got a lot of political flak for initially opposing creation of the cabinet-level department. He caved to public pressure, as usual.

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Ah. I remembered it differently, but I assume that this part of the story did not reach Britain. That explains a lot - but not everything: Chertoff's selection was still a mistake, and his and Brown's behaviour remain wretched.

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Chertoff was something of a screwup, but the immediacy with which his department was expected to act, Congress' inability to form and pass remotely decent legislation to frame the department in a timely manner, the turf wars his department was going through with agencies like FEMA, the FBI, the CIA and the NSA, and his inexperience with such an enormous set of very vague duties, such an astronomical budget, and indeed the very nature of his job -- which was never really explained to him in a direct way by either the President or Congress -- didn't help. I'm not excusing him, but as with so much when trying to put blame where it needs putting... it's quite hard sometimes to nail down.

As for Brown, the fuckwit in charge of FEMA... Don't even get me started. While not an impeachable offense by Bush, I certainly believe we should dock his pay for the rest of his term. Brown was something like the Director of the American Arabian Horse Owners Association, right? [smacks forehead] DOH!

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

Dock whose pay, sorry, Bush's or Brown's? I say both. And then we take away their ponies.

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Bush's. And his pension.

Brown should just be fired and made ineligible for Unemployment Compensation. No COBRA. No severance pay. And he should not be allowed to work for the government. Ever. Even as a contractor or consultant. And people who do business with the government should lose their contracts with the government if he is in their employ.

And then Bush should be slapped, and he should be re-slapped on every anniversary of the day he appointed Brown to FEMA.

And we should fire Congress.

They had to approve Brown for the job.

Don't let those fuckers off either.

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Well, what I say is, don't be so self-controlled. Next time, really say what you mean. Let it all out. No need to be polite.

(Incidentally, what would you do NO's Mayor and LA's Governor, and the other local authorities?)

Re: Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Assign them all to corpse recovery and disposal.

Make them bail out the floordwaters with buckets with holes.

Make them live in the Superdome until it's demolished.

Let every evacuee have a chance to punch each of them square on the jaw.

Make them pay for every funeral.

Revoke their rights to vote and to free speech.

[patchworkmind.livejournal.com]

Don't forget, Democrats and Republicans in Congress actually had to approve Chertoff's appointment to the department.

And Mr. Brown's to FEMA.

Congress is supposed to be a check on this kind of thing.