Brown blames state and local officials for Katrina response

CNN reported Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and put much of the blame for coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

Basically he is right. He may have done a few things wrong, but 60% of the problem was Blanco, and 30% of it was Nagin

"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," Brown told a special congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the catastrophe. The storm slammed into the Gulf Coast on Monday, August 29. Brown's defense drew a scathing response from Rep. Wiliam Jefferson, D-Louisiana.

Trying to cover up for New Orlenas fault.

"I find it absolutely stunning that this hearing would start out with you, Mr. Brown, laying the blame for FEMA's failings at the feet of the governor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans."

Why? It was their fault. Things went much better in Mississippi and Alabama during Katrina, and in Texas and even Louisiana for Rita, when Blanco realized she needed to cooperate with the feds.

Brown, who for many became a symbol of government failures in the natural disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, rejected accusations that he was too inexperienced for the job.

He certainly did not have any problems with the hurricanes in Florida last year.

"I've overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters. I know what I'm doing, and I think I do a pretty darn good job of it," Brown said. Brown resigned as the head of FEMA earlier this month after being removed by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff from responsibility in the stricken areas. Brown, who joined FEMA in 2001 and ran it for more than two years, was previously an attorney who held several local government and private posts, including leading the International Arabian Horse Association.

Brown in his opening statement said he had made several "specific mistakes" in dealing with the storm, and listed two. One, he said, was not having more media briefings. As to the other, he said: "I very strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together. I just couldn't pull that off."

Both Blanco and Nagin are Democrats.

But Blanco wanted to punish Nagin for supporting her opponent (a Republican) in 2003.

"The people of FEMA are being tired of being beat up, and they don't deserve it," Brown said.

He is right

The hearing was largely boycotted by Democrats, who want an independent investigation conducted into government failures, not one run by congressional Republicans.

The Sunnis found that by boycotting the Iraqi elections, they shot themselves in the foot. I suspect the Dems will do the same thing.

GatewayPundit blogged Heaven forbid if someone would question the state or local officials for mistakes made. This may get you a left uppercut from the pretty Senator Landrieu! The democrats boycott leaves no doubt that all along their goal was to politicize rather than get to the truth of Katrina failures

DonSurber blogged Blanco and Nagin, you've been hosed by a pro.

Martini blogged The “only variable” was the state government officials? What about a below-sea-level major city of 500,000 in the path of the Hurricane?

What other city is stupid enough to approve construction permits for houses on land that is 7 to 15 feet below sea level

Is that a variable, Brownie? How many cities in those other states had to evacuate 500,000 people?

And refused to use the 600 buses they had at their disposal

Where in Mississippi and Alabama did breached levees innundate 80% of a major city? You think that is a ‘variable,’ or did you simply fail to take that risk into account now as well as before Katrina hit? Is Brownie really this stupid, or does he think the problems facing New Orleans were no different than those facing Pass Christian or Biloxi?