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

[lexveritas]

I agree with Iganso. Require all presidential candidates score above average on SATs or some such. That was the original idea behind the electoral college - have knowledgeable people choose someone capable for the job.

[pendragon679]

Geez, why should our President have to pick someone with real qualifications to run a little organization like FEMA? I mean, after all, he picked a corporate CEO with no prior business experience as his VP, his Secretary of State was the former Provost of his alma mater; and his Secretary of Defense was too busy doing other things to even serve in the military. Then we have the CIA (which was then headed by George H.W. Bush) aiding a petty despot to become a head of state so that Dubya could have an excuse to invade a sovereign nation that posed no threat to the USA...
And this latest development is news?

[pendragon679]

roach9703:
Spelling and grammar might be relevant skills, as well. Your post might be taken seriously but for two things: first, you write like a third-grader who skipped his meds; second, you've been blinded by the sort of *** that the Republican neo-cons have been spoon-feeding us for the past six years.

[cruzn66]

It's such as shame that we would have to ask the President to pick qualified candidates for positions which require some professional expertise...... but then again...... that issue just about sums up this entire administration.

[roach9703]

Presidend Bush is right on a key point, his right to appoint who he think in his judgement is the right person for the job.
Frankly I don't think that five years of experience in disaster management is relevant at all. What you need is a mix of skills and experience in such areas as constuction, accounting, municipal government or management, politcal experience dealing with towns and villages, military logistics experience, etc.
Locking in a president to such a rigid standard is why we have so many managerial disasters today.
The failures in Katrian lay at the feet of George Bush, and him alone.

[staff2--2008]

perhaps we need to have the president take a 'test' to see if he is qualified for the job...maybe a simple postal exam or something equivelant...had this type of policy been in effect...we would never had such a bumbling idiot for a president as we do now...

[mwe3wm]

Bob,
Thanks for your insight and valid opinion. What I think you are saying is that this President like all other republican Presidents believe they %u201Care%u201D the government.

IRANGATE - during the actor Ronald Reagan%u2019s tenure established a basement government and funded policies the Congress had legislated as illegal.

AFGHANISTAN %u2013 The beginning of our problems today started with the actor Ronald Reagan%u2019s desire to defeat the Russians by establishing covert missions to train, fund and equip the rebels fighting the Russians. This is when Osama learned how to attack a super power. When the Russians left Afghanistan we withdrew our support and abandoned our influence which led to the Taliban gaining control of the country. Had there been oil in Afghanistan we would have stayed under the pretext of establishing democracy.

TODAY %u2013 This President has shown that the mandate we gave him to protect us after 9/11 is a blank check. He now tries to cash it on all things from Katrina to foreign policy. His arrogance is such that if we try to reign him in, he will question our patriotism. He cannot see past his own arrogance and once he makes a decision he cannot change. His leadership poor and direction is short sighted. Roosevelt was a great leader, but his 4 terms showed that we could have given power to a lesser man and we then put term limits on the Presidency. What will we do to prepare for another President like Bush?

Michael Edwards

Thank you for shedding light on a story that is important. It lacks the titilation of *** scandal stories, but it will affect our lives far more. This is what journalism should be.