Chertoff Says He Relied on FEMA Experts

[rodeodance]

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051019/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/katrina_chertoff;_ylt=Attr2CDkpU4S6_Ohme9aUD2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MjBwMWtkBHNlYwM3MTg-
Chertoff Says He Relied on FEMA Experts

By DAVID PACE, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 30 minutes ago

WASHINGTON -
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff defended his actions before and after Hurricane Katrina, telling lawmakers Wednesday he relied on Federal Emergency Management Agency experts with decades of experience in hurricane response.

"I'm not a hurricane expert," Chertoff said several times in responding to criticisms from members of a special House panel set up to investigate the dismal federal response to Katrina, which killed more than 1,200 people, flooded New Orleans and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

Chertoff, a former prosecutor and Justice Department official, took over the Homeland Security Department in February.

Lawmakers grilled Chertoff about why he stayed home Saturday before Katrina made landfall on Monday, why he made a previously scheduled trip to Atlanta on Tuesday, and why he didn't act more decisively to speed up the federal response......

[Verve]

1. Experts like Brownie???? n/t

[rodeodance]

16. all cronies sign up to be the experts these days.!!

[rodeodance]

2. Dem. Rep. McKinney blasted the admin. for a last of leadership.

Wednesday's hearing provided the first opportunity for lawmakers to question Chertoff directly about his role in the response. FEMA was an independent agency before it was folded into the Department of Homeland Security when it was created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The investigation is being conducted by a special committee appointed by House GOP leaders. Democratic leaders, insisting on an independent investigation, have refused to cooperate in what they contend is a too-soft probe of the Bush administration by GOP lawmakers.

Several Democratic congressmen from the affected areas have attended the hearings and questioned witnesses. They were joined Wednesday by Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., who blasted what she called a lack of leadership in the Bush administration's response to Katrina.

Rep. Henry Bonilla (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, objected when McKinney asked Chertoff why he should not be charged with negligent homicide because of the federal response.

[Debau2005]

4. Yeah Cindy!!

I wish I was in her district.

:applause::applause::applause::applause:

[Boredtodeath]

30. No one refers to her as "Cindy" - it's Cynthia

A wonderful Congresswoman who deserves our respect and support.

[rodeodance]

5. "why aren't you being charged with negliant homicide-like the nursing

home owners in LA?---this was asked by a panel member to Cherkoff. I heard this on cnn news about an hour ago. Maybe they will repeat this clip. I hope so.

[rodeodance]

8. here-the article talks of this comment by Mckinley.

.....Rep. Henry Bonilla (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, objected when McKinney asked Chertoff why he should not be charged with negligent homicide because of the federal response.

When questions "are over the top and not constructive, I don't believe the secretary should waste his time by answering," Bonilla said.

Chertoff did answer, however, declaring the
President Bush "was deeply and personally engaged in the process from before the hurricane; I was deeply and personally involved in the process from before the hurricane."

Earlier, Chertoff told the committee that FEMA was overwhelmed by Katrina and must be retooled to improve preparation and response to natural disasters.

[rodeodance]

10. Chertoff did not respond to the question-instead he defended JR.

[louis-t]

19. "deeply and personally engaged"?

Talking point slogan. Expect to hear this phrase more.

[Debau2005]

3. Well

That certainly worked out well...:sarcasm:

[CottonBear]

6. I am disgusted. He relied on political appointees w/ no experience

in the area of emergency managment. :grr:

He's passing the buck as usual, just like all of the other chickenhawks.

[wordpix]

11. again---what else can we expect from this gang of corporate criminals?

[Festivito]

21. ..who were with (people) "with decades of experience"

"Experts" (in other areas) "with decades of experience" (some 'decades of experience' actually in the same building, sometimes at the same time!).

He "relied on them" to get his morning coffee, and to show up at their desks on time, as he now relies on them to keep their mouths shut lest they soon look like disgruntled ex-employees.

He hasn't said a thing, has he.

[Loonman]

7. *snort*

Jackass...

Not an ounce of integrity in any of these buffoons....disgusting.

[marbuc]

9. The mark of a true leader

blame your staff. I have heard the Emergency Management experts have been weeded out as a result of restructuring and budget cuts, who could he be referring to? Perhaps the twentysomething Bushco wannabes?

[rodeodance]

12. please nominate

[rodeodance]

13. yes, the top gets let off the hook again!!

[rodeodance]

15. Dem. leaders have refused to attend -they want an independent invest.

.....The investigation is being conducted by a special committee appointed by House GOP leaders. Democratic leaders, insisting on an independent investigation, have refused to cooperate in what they contend is a too-soft probe of the Bush administration by GOP lawmakers.

Several Democratic congressmen from the affected areas have attended the hearings and questioned witnesses. They were joined Wednesday by Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., who blasted what she called a lack of leadership in the Bush administration's response to Katrina.

[Arkansas Granny]

14. This type of explanation worked for Bush. He relied on the CIA

for intelligence which turned out to be bad.

[rodeodance]

18. yeah, but it is wearing thin with many people (FINALLY)

[Metta]

17. Buck passing. Whadda ya expect?

It's always desperate efforts hoping to distract from their responsiblity. Once again, a validation for their lack of having a container to hold, much less manage, this conflict. Theyre sending up saying we were born *last* night to see if anyone salutes it.

[ashling]

20. * admin. never relied on experts before

in fact they have rooutinely taken their work, reports, etc., and redacted, changed, altered, and misused them to make them say something completely different.

:puke:

[speedoo]

22. Sooo... was he lying during Katrina or is he lying now?

He was reassuring everyone that everything was just peachy keen back then.

He's a lying scumbag, just like the rest of this horrible misadministration.

[Coastie for Truth]

23. He didn't call me

Note, my Avatar is the New Red Cross "Red Crystal" emblem, just approved this fall.

I lived through two hurricanes.

I am a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.

I was stationed in New Orleans and lived in New Orleans -- and my wife taught school in the 9th Ward.

I am a Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team Captain, Mass Shelter Supervisor, Client Intake Interviewer.

I am a licensed Ham Operator ("Extra" Class) in FEMA's Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.

I am a FEMA Citizen Corps "CERT" ("Civil Emergency Response Team") Neighborhood Captain.

I have completed the FEMA "Incident Management System" course.

I am an EMT.

And Chertoff's FEMA wouldn't even let me into Louisiana.

[Sadie5]

24. It was all for looks

just to make the public think they care. They needed good press coverage to put them in a good light. Relied on FEMA experts??? What a laugh!!!

[Coastie for Truth]

26. Besides, I can never be a GOP "expert"

Cause I'm a Democrat, I'm pro-choice and pro-stem cell research, I was a Democratic party official, and I was a staffie for a Democratic Assembly member.

AND AS A "PENNSYLVANIA EXPAT" - I HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO BOB CASEY'S CAMPAIGN

[UpInArms]

25. I wouldn't suppose you would have been one of the "experts"

that the werewolf relied upon?

I apologize for being flippant - I am so sorry. Louisiana really needed you and the Federal Government refused to allow those that could truly make a difference do so.

:cry:

[jobycom]

27. I hope EVERYONE noticed his comment on the local and state officials

"Brown blamed state and local officials in Louisiana for the slow response to Katrina when he testified before the committee last month. Chertoff disagreed.

"From my own experience, I don't endorse those views," he said."

[Alien8shon]

28. Clue-Up To Chertoff:

Claiming "reliance" ain't gonna work, Cherty.

We're talking "HUGE NATIONAL DISASTER".

Not "contractual fraud civil suit".

Yet ANOTHER highly qualified BushCo professional.

[xultar]

29. He's no frackin security expert either.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

31. LA Times: Chertoff says FEMA's lack of Planning to Blame

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's lack of planning, not
the failures of state and local officials, was to blame for much of what went
wrong with the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff told member of Congress today.

 The assessment by the most senior administration official to answer
legislators' questions since the hurricane struck in late August contrasted
sharply with testimony offered earlier by former FEMA Director Michael Brown.
Brown had blamed the "dysfunction" of Louisiana state and local officials for
the problems that hobbled the relief effort.
   
   "From my own experience, I don't endorse those views," Chertoff said.

 He told lawmakers that he found the governors and mayors of the region to be
responsive as the crisis unfolded.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-101905katrina_lat,0,7273729.story?coll=la-story-footer&track=morenews

http://tinyurl.com/drssy

[leesa]

32. Semi-truth...the reality is that FEMA BLOCKED rescue efforts. The

question is why.

[jobycom]

35. I think Brown blocked efforts so he could privatize the rescue and recover

Brown is the most arrogant human I've ever seen. I think he has a neocon rich guy ideology that the federal government should not do anything, and I think he saw this as his chance to teach states a lesson--especially states with Democratic leaders.

So he tried to force Blanco and Nagin into doing everything for themselves, even though they lacked the resources or expertise (the reason we have a FEMA in the first place is so someone will have the expertise). And he blocked any attempts to have government supply things like buses so he could prove that private companies could do it just as well. Typical rich guy--try to give someone else our tax dollars. When companies wanted to donate buses and supplies, he blocked them, so he could prove his point.

That's what I saw, anyway. Brown wasn't worried about his job, he was worried about how he could turn this into a boondoggle for his buddies and show the world that his ideology was right. He still doesn't care that hundreds died because of him.

Bush and Chertoff are just as guilty. They saw it happening. The National Gaurd didn't get there until Saturday. The buses didn't get there until Thursday. Bush didn't pay any attention until Wednesday. All of them are guilty. But if they only hang Brown out to dry, at least it will put the blame on the right branch of government, and clear the victims of the smears against them.

[SouthernDem2004]

38. Evacuation planning is up to the State and local governments.

FEMA does not do the evacuation planning.

[jobycom]

42. I didn't say anything about evacuation, I was talking about after

the hurricane.

[niyad]

33. this idiot actually said that he didn't even know about the levees breakin

until two days later. how bloody stupid is he?

nice that he is handing "brownie" up as the sacrifical lamb, but I noticed that some of the congress wasn't buying it.

[jobycom]

36. We know that's a lie, because Nagin was on WWL Monday night

as the hurricane was still fading away describing how the Homeland Security people were planning to fix the levees, and how they had been going over charts with him of the pumping and drainage systems. They were involved on Monday night. If Chertoff really didn't know, then he was grossly derelict, because his people knew.

[Erika]

34. The poor black faces shown on world TV will be W's legacy

The news people could access these people but the feds with food and water could not? The world learned who W cares about. The last Florida hurricane had W out there the next day giving bottled water to white SUV drivers. No, the GOP don't like blacks and it needs to be said. If the TV reporters were there, W could have been there. He wasn't. It's pathetic that we had TV reporters begging for help for these people, and he just didn't care.

[anotherdrew]

37. they had tons of plans, lack of implementation was the problem

they'd even recently simulated hurricane response. Where is the results of those tests and plans? Surely those existing plans, that we PAID for, established minimum achievement targets for basic items like food, water, transportation.

But no, chert-off and gang want to play pissing match with the locals, since there's a D after their names. AS IF someone would arrest them for bringing in trucks too soon or something... incompetent is the best thing they could be called.

[struggle4progress]

39. Translation: Rove sez blaming local officials isn't polling well. eom

[FloridaPat]

40. They sure had planning down pretty good last year in Florida.

What a difference a year makes - and an election.

[chalky]

41. "....not the failures of state and local officials...."? Whaaaaa?!?

"He told lawmakers that he found the governors and mayors of the region to be responsive as the crisis unfolded."

Come again?