Thread: FEMA's phony press conference

FEMA (you know, the organization once headed by "heck of job brownie" during the Katrina incomptence), held a press conference this week to answer questions from the media about the fires in california.

the media was notified 15 minutes before the press conference began, and were only allowed to phone in and listen to the press conference.

now you're probably asking yourself, "ray, if the media weren't allowed to ask questions at the press conference, who was asking the questions?"

well, i'll tell you....FEMA staffers were posing as reporters.

It looked real enough for cable networks to briefly air the live event.
"I'll be glad to take some of your questions," Johnson said.
"Are you happy with FEMA's response so far?" one staffer asked.
"I'm very happy with FEMA's response so far," Johnson replied.

ABC News: FEMA Apologizes for Sham Briefing

I find it curious that Fema and Bush administration took so much heat for the Katrina debacle.
What the knee jerk, blame Bush liberals ignore is the fact Bush declared the emergency two days before Katrina made landfall.
The biggest screw ups happened at a local level. Note Blanco didn't even try for re-election and Naggin just had his ass handed to him!

Ray take your spurious insinuations and keep them where the sun don't shine.

uh....ok earl. great. thanks for sharing.

now, do you have any comment on the phony press conference?

I've been to many press conferences where questions were not entertained.

Originally Posted by Milkman

I think people should be fired for this.

of course johnson should be fired....immediately.

in fact, he should have resigned by now.

Just read the story -- heads will roll.

Originally Posted by Texpat

heads will roll.

you're referring to the GWB administration, right?

Are we surprised! Imprisonment with no due process, invasion of a sovereign state with no WMDs or terrorist training sites, torture with no regard to international law, searches with no warrants, tapping of private communication with no probable cause, building of missile bases with no sensible strategic or tactical reason, spending revenues with no regard to deficit, an administration with no scruples, a Democratic majority in Congress with no balls, and now a press conference with no press. Kinda all fits nicely into GWBs leadership philosophy.

Originally Posted by raycarey

Originally Posted by Texpat

heads will roll.

you're referring to the GWB administration, right?

No, FEMA. It's a FEMA issue.

Ray, you've turned into a one-sentence-trick-pony-show as of late. (No offense intended.)

Good post, Norton.

Originally Posted by Milkman

Ray, you've turned into a one-sentence-trick-pony show as of late.

no i haven't.

will there be accountability for this fraud against the american people? hard to say, but there hasn't been yet.

On Saturday the Director of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff was pretty clear how he felt about the Potemkin press conference held last Tuesday at FEMA:

"I have made it unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose, that it is not to ever happen again and there will be appropriate disciplinary action taken against those people who exhibited what I regard as extraordinarily poor judgment.”

To clarify, that disciplinary action has not yet taken place despite reports that Pat Philbin, the Director of External Affairs at FEMA, has suddenly accepted a job at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Both Philbin and Press Secretary Aaron Walker were among the key players at the press event. Far from a head-rolling, CBS News has learned that Philbin’s departure was long-planned. Dan Shulman, the director of legislative affairs is stepping into the position at FEMA temporarily.

Heads Yet to Roll at FEMA Press Office - Primary Source