Shlonkom Bakazay?

Maureen gives a short history of the disaster in the disaster, Michael Brown.

It sounds more like a Vince Vaughn-Owen Wilson flick than the story of a man who was to be responsible for the fate of the Republic during the biggest natural disaster in our history. Brownie was a failed former lawyer with a degree from a semiaccredited law school, as The New Republic put it, when he moved to Colorado in 1991 to judge horse judges for the Arabian Horse Association.

He was put out to pasture under pressure in 2001, leaving him free to join his pal Mr. Allbaugh at an eviscerated FEMA. Mr. Allbaugh decided to leave the top job at FEMA and become a lobbyist with clients like Halliburton when the agency was reorganized under Homeland Security, stripping it of authority. Why not, Mr. Allbaugh thought, just pass this obscure sinecure to his homeboy?

Time magazine reported that Brownie's official bio described his only stint in emergency management as "assistant city manager" in Edmond, Okla. But a city official told Time that the FEMA chief had been "an assistant to the city manager," which was "more like an intern."

Pathetic considering there are actually people out there qualified to perform such jobs. But again, as its the rule more than the exception in the Cheney administration...you musn't be qualified. You must only be a friend, or a friend of a friend in the case of "Brownie".

Whoring out responsibilities of the state to witless lackeys like Brownie is hallmark of the current administration. So, not only if you fail do you receive medals and promotions...but you don't even need half a serving of credentials when serving in a position of prominence.

It's like appointing Elliot Abrams to be the Pentagon policy chief on the Middle East...

Oh, they've actually done that too.

Musical reference:

Jane's Addiction: Idiots Rule (mp3 up later, when my comp. recovery is complete)