FEMA Official Regrets Phony Press Briefing

Former FEMA Spokesman Loses Intelligence Job After Fake News Briefing On California Fires

(CBS/AP)  Pat Philbin, the now former director of external affairs for FEMA, told CBS News that he should have stopped the press conference on the California wildfires that the agency held last week without any media present.

"I should have cancelled it quickly. I did not have good situational awareness of what was happening," he told CBS News in a telephone interview.

The press conference was announced on short notice and featured questions for FEMA's deputy administrator, Vice Adm. Harvey Johnson.

No genuine journalists attended, although they were given a conference call number they could use to listen in, but not ask questions. A half-dozen questions were asked at the event by FEMA staff members posing as reporters.

Philbin himself was heard off-camera asking Adm. Johnson, his boss, a question. He now says he feels terrible about what happened, adding that the FEMA press office was under considerable pressure to get information on the California fires out to the press and was working on little sleep.

"I can definitively tell you that there were no discussions or conversations about setting up a fake news conference," said Philbin.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has called for disciplinary action for the fake news event, but Philbin's departure from FEMA is not related to any disciplinary action within DHS.

Philbin lost the chance to be National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell's top public information officer.

Philbin had been scheduled to move into the new job at the director of national intelligence office on Monday. The staged question-and-answer session was harshly criticized by both the White House and Chertoff, whose department oversees FEMA.

"We do not normally comment on personnel matters," DNI spokesman Ross Feinstein said Monday. "However, we can confirm that Mr. Philbin is not, nor is he scheduled to be, the director of public affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence."

Philbin was among the six questioners, according to The Washington Post. The questions included: "Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?"

"I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen since I've been in government," Chertoff said later.

FEMA later apologized for the phony news briefing and said it was reviewing its procedures for dealing with news organizations.

"This incident is most regrettable and was entirely unavoidable," FEMA administrator R. David Paulison wrote in an Oct. 26 memo to all FEMA public affairs employees. "I am very disappointed in some of our public affairs staff for not realizing the impact of this decision."

McConnell had offered Philbin the director of communications at the intelligence office prior to the FEMA event, according to Feinstein.

[ziparmux]

get rid of fema, www.ronpaul2008.com

Posted by dwayneahall at 01:36 AM : Oct 31, 2007

Get rid of FEMA who ever becomes president.

[dwayneahall]

get rid of fema, www.ronpaul2008.com

[jacksteen1]

As if anyone gives this failed agency a bit of belief or respect after the Katrina fiasco in New Orleans.

These agencies need to be restructured and held above the political fray - we need specialists in the respective fields to lead the agencies that bring relief in times of catastrophe - not political toadies that are owed jobs because of votes delivered or contributions made.

The way the Bush administration has handled the catastrophes on their watch has been despicable and the WORST ever in my experience.

This will be their legacy - this, and the pederastic prowlers of the Republiscum Party preying on boys all over our land.

TO HELL WITH THE REPUBLISCUM PEDERASTS !

[tikka12]

Agree with previous posters: the nincompoop who was interviewed, Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., deputy administrator of FEMA, in that post since April 2006, must have known who was in the room with him, and should have had the common sense, decency and cojones, to say: Hey, there are no reporters here. We%u2019ll do this some other time if and when they show up. See you later. But no. He stood there like a ventriloquist%u2019s dummy and played along. Yes, this putz should bounce and go back to the Coast Guard or retire.

And what about R. David Paulison, the administrator of FEMA? His deputy admin, the Admiral, and his PR head, John Pat Philbin, were acting under his direction. He is being given credit for FEMA performing so much better in California compared to his predecessor re Katrina. But first, most of that credit should go to the state of California because they are far better prepared for coping with disasters than Louisiana ever was, and second, almost anything would look good compared to what happened with Katrina. Here is someone else FEMA could do without. In fact, FEMA is so terrible, maybe the country would be better off just closing it down. When a disaster happens, just send federal money to the particular state affected. The state governments probably know their territories and people better anyway. They couldn%u2019t do worse than FEMA.

[tikka12]

For posters too lazy to do a little Googling, the culprit%u2019s given name is John P. Philbin. His nickname, or middle name, is Pat. He is known as Pat and signs his memos Pat Philbin. His last official day at FEMA was Thursday, Oct. 25, where he has now distinguished himself as yet another flaming capital A in the Bush universe. He was scheduled to start the new job with the Office of Director of national Intelligence as public affairs head yesterday, a job now denied him. Wonder where he turns up next? Lobbying? Agree with previous posters, maybe they will give him an award for quick thinking in a tight spot.

[mikeinsf]

I''m surprised, honestly, that W isn''t standing right next to Pat Philbin congratulating him on a job well done, telling everyone at FEMA to keep up the good work. That''s the reaction I''d expect from good ol'' George.

[ziparmux]

Will anyone be able to trust FEMA again?

Posted by BareEmperor at 01:04 PM : Oct 30, 2007

!! Like people ever trusted them, now that''s real scary.

[bareemperor]

This story will be buried as fast as the White House can order it done...

Will anyone be able to trust FEMA again?

[texaskaoscom]

Could these guys get any worse?

Ohhh. I just jinxed us, didn''t I? So sorry! With Bush & the GOP doing absolutely nothing but vetoes & filibustering, I forgot we still have a year & half of this administration still in office & still capable of mucking things up worse than they have.

The GOP spin machine is losing it''s touch. It took months for people to realize the White House had a gay escort (w/ nude internet photos) play a fake news reporter (Jeff Gannon) at White House press conferences.

Tsk, tsk.

[bareemperor]

So, CBS - was this ''John'' or ''Pat'' Philbin?
Or do you know the difference?

[bareemperor]

This phony news ''release'' hurts FEMA''s credibility to the highest order.
That FEMA fakes ANYTHING is cause for deep concern - we rely on this government service to tell us the truth in the worst of times!

At this point, should a FEMA representative appear at my door, telling me to leave my home, they would be turned away at gunpoint.
I would have to assume they were lying...

FEMA has granted Halliburton''s KRB a $400 million contract to build detention camps in the USA... WHY?

[realpatriot1]

antonio123,

You are so right! They can''t stand the fact that with Clinton in the White House we had relative peace, prosperity, a balanced budget, fair taxes,virtually no crime, the dollar as the global standard, standards for safe food and toys, EPA doing their job, FEMA doing their job, an impartial Justice Department, votes actually being counted and not stolen, prosecutors who looked to the law and not to party affiliation, a government that responded to Congressional subpoenas( a record number coming from partison Congressional prosecutors), people moving from welfare to work, the United States respected by the rest of the free world, lower unemployment, lower gas prices and inflation, and, a President more committed to providing affordable healthcare and a healthier environment to the American people than to providing greater profits to Corporate pirates.

None of that matters to them as much as a BJ, which is also more important than compromising our national security by outing CIA agents or putting Dubai in charge of Port security or Israeli lobbyists in charge of our foreign policy. Defying the Geneva Conventions and international law in general doesn''t matter, nor does wiretapping without warrants or setting up scenarios for declaring martial law.

Only the BJ matters(oh, and lying under oath unless your name is Alberto or Scooter).

[geezer62]

Maxwel 1504..
What a terrific post. I so agree with you!

[antoniof123]

Posted by Signof4 at 07:57 AM : Oct 30, 2007

Give it a rest no one cares about this besides when Bill Clinton was President we had a great country and we were not at war. Also we were paying our bills. The big difference is that you had a great President compared to the worst in American history.

No matter how you spin it there will be no change. That you can take to the bank.

[simonsez40]

This was pretty dumb, but it''''s actually no different than Clinton''''s (Bill) phony ''''town hall'''' meetings.....where the crowd was hand picked - as were the questions.

Or the dem debates.....one softball question after another. No one''''s feet held to the fire.

Boxers or briefs? Good God!!!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Signof4

I guess we could also ask the same thing of Bush - why does he have a 10 mile bubble around anywhere he goes? Protestors can''t even get close to him or hardly be in the same town - he''s got such a tigh rein about what is around him - unlike any other President. What poor guy doesn''t want to hear the dissenters that despise him? I''d stay in my bubble too if I was as hated as him!

[realpatriot1]

I''m so sorry that I got caught.

I didn''t learn a lesson from Jeff Gannon being caught as a phony reporter with a White House issued press pass.

It won''t happen again(not this week anyways).

[signof4]

This was pretty dumb, but it''s actually no different than Clinton''s (Bill) phony ''town hall'' meetings.....where the crowd was hand picked - as were the questions.

Or the dem debates.....one softball question after another. No one''s feet held to the fire.

Boxers or briefs? Good God!!!!!

[crater7]

THE ONLY PART HE REGRETS, IS THE FACT THAT HE GOT CAUGHT.

ANY QUESTIONS?

STAY THE COURSE...........

[keithle1]

Stop worrying about press conferences & worry about the wildfires. Everyone knows what''s going on. You don''t need to stand there answering questions.

You MUST vote for the Democratic nominee for President in 2008.

DO NOT VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. PLEASE.
I BEG YOU. I CAN''T TAKE 4 MORE YEARS OF REPUBLICANS.

BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU IF YOU VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN.

[watcher269-2009]

Don''t feel sorry for this guy - he already has another job lined up at Haliburton!