As Mitt Romney dodged questions about whether he would eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency, its former director, Michael Brown, shared some thoughts on how President Obama handled the most recent natural disaster to darken our shores.
In an interview with the Denver Westword (h/t: Think Progress), Brown said the President may have been a bit premature in holding a press conference at FEMA on Sunday afternoon when the most serious impacts of Hurricane Sandy were not expected until Monday evening:
“People in the northeast are already beginning to blow it off…. [New York City Mayor Michael] Bloomberg has shut down the subway…[launched] evacuations…. I don’t object…they should be doing all of that. But in the meantime, various news commentators…[and others] in New York are shrugging their shoulders, saying, ‘What’s this all about?’ It’s premature [when] the brunt of the storm won’t happen until later….”
Brown, who tendered his resignation from FEMA shortly after the Bush administration’s harshly criticized slow response to Hurricane Katrina, then goes on to draw comparison to Hurricane Sandy and the terrorist attack in Libya:
“One thing he’s gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?” BroWhy was this so quick?… At some point, somebody’s going to ask that question…. This is like the inverse of Benghazi.”
Well, Brown is right. At some point, somebody is going to ask that question, and who else would it be:
The Washington Post‘s Charles Krauthammer also weighed in:
“It’s hard to look at this, playing the president, playing the commander-in-chief in what’s a natural disaster that really doesn’t a lot of leadership from the White House. It’s up to the governors mostly. The White House and the governors release money. That’s about all that they do. And he’s really good at releasing money and pretending it’s not about politics. He wants to use this to show himself in command and I think he might actually be the beneficiary of the fact that all national attention is drawn away for three days.”
To think, the President acting like the President. Of all the concepts. Also, barring the fact that it’s just good tact to suspend a campaign (which Romney also did) once a natural disaster strikes that affects multiple states and millions of people, nothing will draw attention away from this election because there are always talking heads willing to politicize anything.
Dumdum
You cannot win with these people! If he had waited they would say he waited TOO LONG. Try telling that to the millions of people without power or to the hundreds without homes. It is so easy to sit in your comfortable armchair, well fed all cozy and warm and criticize. What we SHOULD be asking is WHY the number of hurricanes has increased from 9 to 19 per year over the last ten years? Sorry, the Koch brothers don’t want people asking THOSE kind of questions. They spend millions to see that we don’t.
The Real Mike in Asheville
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Mitt, bring Brownie Brown out with you, talk his shit, and REMINDING THE NATION what happens when stupid incompetents run things and a POTUS who thinks his idiot minions are “doing a really good job”.
So please, Mitt and Brownie, go tell the nation the truth — you don’t give a rat’s ass about FEMA, helping those in need, rebuilding infrastructures, etc.
Now, where was that notion about “insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare” oh yeah, that our CONSTITUTION!
Mitt and Brownie, fucking morons out to fuck the rest of us.
jerry_pritikin
I guess Brown’s slogan is “Better late then never”… while Obama’s is “Better safe then sorry!” I’m 75 years old and consider myself an Independent Democrat. I thought that I might vote for a Republican Candidate for President at least once in my lifetime,however so far it hasn’t happened yet. I guess never being rich is the reason why! Looking back, believe me there are many,many more reasons then that.
Mjl-428
so having everyone prepared just before the storm hits so that way it mitigates the damage and saves lives rather than having multiple people in another Hurricane Katrina tragedy, is responding too quickly? I guess they felt like the voter I.D. laws weren’t working well enough so killing people in a Hurricane would be better
Jude
Nothing becomes a republican more then the jealousy of that they are out of the decision loop for government actions. When it is their home that is ripped out to sea. I am sure that they would be singing a different toon. Newt’s house is safe. What does he care about the rest of the country?
Dumdum
By all means folks. Let us focus on the petty politics of man. That is far more important than trying to understand the environment and what this means for our future. And helping to create legislation to protect future generations. Political pissing contests are a lot more entertaining. Sorry, I meant to say that the frequency of hurricanes has increased from 9 per year to 19 since the 1970s. My bad. Hey this hurricane only killed 40 people so far. 40 from a world population of about 7 billion.
Cam
So the guy who got fired for Repsonding too slowly is criticisng FEMA for responding quickly this time?
OF COURSE HE IS. If FEMA does a good job now it shows that the bad job last time could have been avoided!
The Current FEMA director used to be in charge of Distaster efforts in FL. this previous director Bush appointed ran a Horse Organization and was College Roomates with the guy who put him up for the job. The GOP cared nothing for the safety of the country and this guy proved that they were not up to the job.
And lastly…….why don’t we ask Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey of OBama responded too quickly.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/onpolitics/2012/10/30/obama-chris-christie-sandy-disaster/1668133/
doug105
To think, the President acting like the President. Of all the concepts. Also, barring the fact that it’s just good tact to suspend a campaign (which Romney also did)
NO the scumbag didn’t
Romney bought $5k of food for people to “donate” back to him at phony “hurricane” rally
http://americablog.com/2012/10/romney-hurricane-sandy-donations.html
http://americablog.com/2012/10/romney-shows-campaign-video-at-hurricane-sandy-relief-event.html
http://americablog.com/2012/10/romney-campaigning-hurricane-sand.html
doug105
Obama Goes To Red Cross To Thank Them. Romney Tells Red Cross To Break Their Rules For His Campaign.
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/obama-goes-to-red-cross-to-thank-them-romney-tells-red-cross-to-break-their-rules-for-his-campaign/politics/2012/10/31/52671?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNewCivilRightsMovement+%28The+New+Civil+Rights+Movement%29
FStratford
If brown responded too quickly to Katrina, then it would have been less of a disaster.
But then again that’s what Republicans want – more poor people (the takers) to die.