A Heck Of A Mistake

Schieffer: Bush's Protection Of Power At Expense Of FEMA Leadership Is Wrong

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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If there is one thing you would think the White House would not want to call attention to especially in an election year, it would be the government's bumbling response to Hurricane Katrina and the man who led that effort — Old Brownie, as we have come to know him.

Which is why I had to read it twice before I really believed the story I found in yesterday's paper.

It said the White House served notice that the president would not abide by new Congressional rules which require the next head of FEMA — that's Brownie's old job — to have five years' experience in disaster management.

Why would the president have a problem with that? The White House says it would encroach on his constitutional power to appoint anyone he chooses for top government jobs.

In other words, if the president wants to appoint someone as incompetent as Old Brownie, he will fight for his right to do that.

Now let's make sure you understand we are talking about Brownie, of "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" fame.

Brownie, you may recall, had a lot of experience as a horse show judge and no experience managing emergencies which is why Congress decided to write a new job description for the next emergency manager.

The president has every right to protect his powers. But with all the attention that it refocuses on Katrina mistakes, you have to believe that a lot of Republican candidates in close races would have preferred the President leave this constitutional battle for another day — the day after the election.

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[osidebear]

Let's just hope that next month's election serves notice on the President that he's accountable to the people. If the Democrates win in large numbers the days of Bush's imperial presidency should end.

But watch out if the Republicans manage a victory; this would reinforce Bush's attitude that his will (or the will of those around him) is all that matters.

[pendragon679]

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to put Bush Sr. on a par with his son. Don't get me wrong; I never supported the elder Bush. But, at least Bush Sr. had the good sense to listen to his advisors when they told him NOT to invade Baghdad. The level of corruption during his administration was nowhere near what we're looking at today, and the people working for Bush Sr. were far more qualified than the crew currently running our government. A valid point was made regarding those of the current administrations more intelligent advisors; Dubya has a knack for surrounding himself with yes-men. Unfortunately for the rest of the country, he hasn't figured out that blind obedience to your leaders can get you killed.

[adventurepa]

This allows him to appoint someone that can decide who gets the contracts for the disasters. So his buddies get the contracts.
Money!!!

Why do you think there is such a problem in New Orleans?

Silly rabbit, trick's are for kids.

[kernahan2]

like father like son

[luvny-2009]

Ah hail to King George, my God what is our country becoming. Where does Dubya get off ...someone needs to tell him HE IS NOT A DICTATOR. If the Dems get control in Nov (which I hope they do) he is going to have a fit! He is just nuts, I mean he really has some major emotional and mental problems.

[huskerarmy]

"Locking in a president to such a rigid standard is why we have so many managerial disasters today."

So he should be free to appoint a horse trainer to head an important agency like FEMA? Absolutely not! By the lat 70's, we had come to recognize that bias in hiring and promotions was not only demoralizing to workers, it has devastating effects on production. Consequently standards and accountability in promotions were developed to assure that qualified people were no longer pigeon holed. Conservatives have complained that hiring the right person is an art and required so many intangible considerations that it couldn't be standardized. In all honesty, you don't want reactionaries to make promotions based on feelings. The problem today is that we've thrown out real standards. We have returned to a "Good Ol' Boy" (gal) system. But when you appoint people by way of brown-shoe chronyism, you all too often get a Katrina. Can there be any more palpable an experience to demonstrate the effects of good ol' boy chronyism then Katrina? And yet, some people still don't get it... Truely bizzare.

[dubdub32]

Our dictator sucks

[cyclops.eyesonly]

I lived through Katrina while Brownie was having lunch in Baton Rouge worried what he was going to look like on T. V. If you don't think that there's going to be a revolution in this country then you haven't been down here in awhile. The government is broken and you have a Hitleresque power grabbing air-head running the country. Or is he really running it? The Rebublicans are more interested in winning elections than serving the people whom they are supposed to represent. Bitter? You bet! I want Bush to hang under a bridge for three days and wait for help.

[cyclops.eyesonly]

I lived through Katrina while Brownie was having lunch in Baton Rouge worried what he was going to look like on T. V. If you don't think that there's going to be a revolution in this country then you haven't been down here in awhile. The government is broken and you have a Hitleresque power grabbing air-head running the country. Or is he really running it? The Rebublicans are more interested in winning elections than serving the people whom they are supposed to represent. Bitter? You bet! I want Bush to hang under a bridge for three days and wait for help.

[nynative1340]

Actually, Rumsfeld served in the Air Force, for what it's worth.

Shrub has that syndrome, oh, what's it called, the Napoleon syndrom? No, that's for short people. Anyway, he has to have people work for him who will not question his decisions. Those smarter than he have not lasted long: O'Neill, Powell, Card... I think Shrub sees himself as dictator...

"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of alot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." George W. Bush, 12/18/2002