FEMA Faces Firestorm for Phony Presser

It's certainly one way to avoid the tough questions.


The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is getting serious flak after it let staffers pose as journalists and lob softball questions at one of its top officials at a hastily organized "press briefing" on the California wildfires.

Deputy administrator Harvey Johnson took "questions" from four people identified by the Washington Post as three directors and a press aide, who then didn't allow any questions from the actual journos in the room.

The White House strongly criticized FEMA, and the agency apologized for its "error in judgment." FEMA, of course, was once run by Michael Brown, whose qualification for the job was his experience in running the International Arabian Horse Association. He later resigned.

Tags: FEMA

Reader Comments

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16. Britney should work for FEMA~ they are both a JOKE!

Posted at 10:00AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Ding dang yall

17. FEMA is a joke. They should FIRE (no pun intended) all of them.

Posted at 10:02AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Flake

18.
We have here a fake news cast...next will be the fake real estate appraisals ...look out California

Posted at 10:04AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Michelle

19. LaWanda - huh???? Your just a little delusional - your comment is bizarre and off the wall.

Posted at 10:08AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Coookie

20. There is nothing new under the sun! This type of artificial, phony, DUNG has been going on for years. A large percentage of our government officials seem to believe that the average voter cannot distinguish what's really going on within the political arena. IT's clear whether true or not, that FEMA is really Federal Employees Making an A -s of themselves. That of course, is my personal opinion. Based on what that agency actually does get accomplished and the amount of time it takes them to figure things out. I'm surprised they know what to do to put out a fire! Do they? DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Posted at 10:30AM on Oct 27th 2007 by justpeachy

21. FEMA, like every business and/or governmental agency consists of good and bad and
qualified/unqualified. Where are the countless stories of people thanking them for their
help? If you're going to try your hand at news, tell the whole story. VOTE your political
opion/choice but don't vilify FEMA when they share any blame with Louisiania's inept
state officials and pathetic local politicians. NO, I'm not affiliated with any government
agency--I chose to look at the complete story.

Posted at 11:21AM on Oct 27th 2007 by lobo

22. For those persons placing liberal blog site addresses in their posts. GET A LIFE! Wasted effort on YOUR part.
For those persons who think our President Bush is stupid. Check the grades at Yale of both Bush and kerrey!
For those people at TMZ who put Browns name into this smear. What a gratuious slime job!
For the rest of the leftist liberals. Who ever told you that a government agency was the best way to handle a problem???? Get a life all of you. Do it for yourself and get it done. Wait for government and you end up with people like Monica and Sandy Berger.

Posted at 11:44AM on Oct 27th 2007 by Jake

23. Did anyone else notice that the moron actually READ his answers to the questions? And this guy is #2?? Now I know why #2 refers to something you scrape off your shoe!

Posted at 4:48PM on Oct 28th 2007 by Jerry

24.

I just find it humorous to imagine that some people actually think that there was a FEMA minion running up to Bush and telling him that they want to have some of their people pose as journalists. Someone in FEMA didn't want to answer questions because the Administration is already all over them about their screw-ups after Katrina.

Someone is playing "hide-the-monkey" from the public and the Administration because they are already in the hot seat, and rightfully so.

Posted at 11:23AM on Oct 27th 2007 by OCD

25. This government has got to go ! We need this type of info on these type of websites so all us gossip mongers understand how fake EVERYTHING is, not just hollywood boobies, friendships, breakups, etc. but the un-hollywood world is just as insane, fake and stupid. What in the world were they thinking ?? Prolly the same thing Brit-Brit thinks when she doesn't wear undies - these people don't think !

Posted at 12:05PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Stupid Government

26. FEMA was in my area a few months back. The employees of FEMA (not directors, just regular staff members) complained loudly that the local car rental agency had regualr cars for them. The FEMA people DEMANDED luxury cars/SUVs. The regular 4 door sedan wasn't good enough. Only one emplyee per car, too. FEMA needs to manage their own situations before they leave their comfy offices and luxury cars/SUVs.

Posted at 12:07PM on Oct 27th 2007 by holden

27. Someone should go "under cover" into FEMA as an employee, and do a tell-all report about just what in the hell is going on in that government agency!!!

Posted at 12:39PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Petite

28.

I love the part about the White House criticizing FEMA for this little charade, when they actually led the way. Doesn't anyone remember James Guckert aka Jeff Gannon? Blogger and porn king? Given press credentials so that he could lob softball questions to the administration during press briefings.

Or the administration buying certain spokesmen or columnists to sell it's policies to the public, pretending that it was their own idea and not the taxpayer money that they were receiving.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/09/white.house.reporter/index.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36733-2005Feb18.html


Posted at 6:17PM on Oct 27th 2007 by kathy

29. #14 I read the comments section daily andf can honestly say that i have never heard one person try to blame anything on a black person. This story is not about race so why are you trying to inject a race issue into it? THAT is what is so wrong with our society. As a white person, I honestly do not even think about anyone's race until someone like you brings it up to try to stir the pot. If you want racism to stay out of the equation then why continually bring it up when it is not an issue?? I'll never understand it.

Posted at 1:20PM on Oct 27th 2007 by whoever

30. Also, LaWanda: Neither I nor any white person I know would ever say soemthing as ignorant as what you said. Just imagine if I said: "Everything I read is blaming the white man for everything. SOME people are going to blame it on white people, no matter what it is"
FIRST; It would make absolutely NO sense
SECONDLY: I would be labeled as a racist, white supremacist and the NAACP would be all over it

There is a double standard. No one should be bringing it up. It is nothing but divisive. There should e no Black Caucus, Miss Balck America (or whatever), Black student associations, etc, etc, etc.
If white people tried to put the word "white" into the title of ANYTHING, we would be crucified. No group of people needs to set themselves apart from the whole. whites don't do it and blacks shouldn't either.
I greatly admire MLK and I think that he had the right idea and that things would be very different had he lived.
With the way things are now, he is probably turning in his grave. He was not about divisiveness but wanted everyone to be together as one society. Wish people like you would let that happen.

Posted at 1:23PM on Oct 27th 2007 by whoever

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