Michael Brown Takes the Arrows for Louisiana's Failures

FEMA Chief Michael Brown was recalled to Washington yesterday as the Administration sought to remove a source of criticism from the scene in LA. To hear the media talk you would assume Brown was completely inexperienced in disaster management, but let's not forget that last year he and his organization handled four hurricanes in six weeks down in Florida. There were few complaints about FEMA's response to those multiple situations.

Why? Because Florida has a competent governor in Jeb Bush, and Bush already had good plans in place on how to respond to hurricanes and their aftermath. Not only did he have plans, but he enacted them, unlike the governor of Louisiana who either didn't have plans, or failed to enact them. If Moses himself had shown up in New Orleans and parted the waters, even he would have had trouble digging out of the mess made by Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco.

FEMA may be started slowly, but let's remember - they are not first responders. It is not FEMA's responsibility to evacuate cities or provide emergency supplies to shelters from day one. That responsibility belongs to local officials, and they blew it. The media and Dems are desperately trying to divert attention from the local elected Dems to FEMA and Bush, but when all is said and done and the investigations completed, their arguments won't hold water....unlike New Orleans which apparently can hold a lot.