Katrina boss's poser: tie or not?

[Neil D]

[:"blue"] Who was it that said that Mike Brown had lots of experience when Katrina arrived??? Here is what the Ozzies think.....via washington...[/] Geoff Elliott, Washington correspondent

November 05, 2005

GEORGE W. Bush, Texan ranch owner that he is, might be forgiven for now thinking that his former boss of disaster response in the US was, in the end, "all hat and no cattle".

Not only was Michael Brown forced to resign as Federal Emergency Management Agency chief over the administration's stumbling response to Hurricane Katrina, but he also left an embarrassing email trail.

As Katrina was about to slam into the Gulf Coast in August, in one of the worst natural disasters to befall the US, Mr Brown seemed to be spending a fair amount of time emailing staff about his image for TV.

"Tie or not for tonight? Button-down blue shirt?" Mr Brown said in an email to press secretary Sharon Worthy on August 26. Then on August 29, the day the hurricane struck, Mr Brown exchanged emails with Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of public affairs.

Ms Taylor: "I know it's early, but my eyes must be deceiving me. You look fabulous -- and I'm not talking the makeup!"

Mr Brown: "I got it at Nordstroms ... are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?" And an hour later he emailed: "If you'll look at my lovely FEMA attire you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god."

A few days later, Mr Brown appeared alongside Mr Bush, who, with sleeves rolled up, uttered the now infamous quote: "Brownie, you are doing a heck of a job". Ms Worthy wrote to her boss: "Please roll up the sleeves on your shirt -- all shirts. Even the President rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. In this crisis and on TV you just need to look more hard-working ... ROLL UP THE SLEEVES."

Then there's the email to his assistant on Tuesday, August 30, the day that news started breaking that levees protecting New Orleans had been breached. Mr Brown asked his assistant about where he could find a sitter for the family dog, for whom his wife was having trouble locating care.

Perhaps the most disturbing response from Mr Brown was to Marty Bahamonde, one of the only FEMA employees on the ground in New Orleans, who wrote to his boss on Wednesday August 31 at 12.20pm: "Sir, I know that you know the situation is past critical. Here are some things you might not know ... thousands gathering in the streets with no food or water. Hundreds still being rescued from homes ... estimates are many will die within hours ..."

Mr Brown responded four minutes later: "Thanks for the update. Anything specific I need to do or tweak?"

The emails were released by Democrat Charles Melancon, a member of a congressional committee investigating the federal response to the hurricane.

He said the emails reveal "Mr Brown made few decisions and seemed out of touch".

Mr Brown's lawyer said the emails released were only a "tiny sliver" and that "they were designed to embarrass".

[Dr. Shane]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

Mr Brown's lawyer said the emails released were only a "tiny sliver" and that "they were designed to embarrass".

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Obviously.

[Neil D]

and what a telling sliver that told...