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.

[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.