FEMA Offers New Guidelines Governing Press Conferences That Look Suspiciously Like The Old Guidelines That Should Have Governed Press Conferences In The First Place

HuffingtonPost.com   |  Jason Linkins   |   October 30, 2007 12:16 PM

Read More: California Wildfires, Fake FEMA Conference, Fema, Breaking Politics News
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2007-10-30-FEMA_logo2.jpgFEMA Administrator David Paulison, appropriately chastised by the "Anglo-Saxon" remarks of David Chertoff, wants you to know that he's sorry for the pretend press conference his organization staged last week. A fall guy has been selected and dealt with, various personnel deck chairs are being reshuffled, and the whole episode is being treated as "an avoidable incident that should not taint an otherwise strong response, in support of local officials, to the California wildfires."

To that end, Paulison has proffered a revision of the guidelines that govern how the agency "works with the media." These include:

  • "...providing reasonable notice for press events..."
  • "...permitting reporters who participate in press events telephonically to ask questions..."
  • "...transcribing press events when possible for public release."
  • "Finally, under no circumstances will anyone other than media be allowed to ask questions at press events."

In other words, effective immediately, FEMA will officially adopt the same press room policies that any reasonable citizen would demand as a matter of course.

Golly. Thanks.

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- PDXTransplant See Profile I'm a Fan of PDXTransplant permalink

I don't understand why this has been handled so lightly. Isn't anyone responsible for their decisions anymore? I don't get it. If I made that big of a faux pas at my job I would be looking for one right now. They should all be fired for participating unless they were threatened they would lose their job if they didn't. I feel like I'm in an on-going nightmare and I can't wake up. Son of a bitch I just realized I am, but it's reality not a dream.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:05 PM on 10/30/2007
- forpeace See Profile I'm a Fan of forpeace permalink

*

FEMA is trying to save money for Katrina victims by COPYING the Old Guidelines!!

Where is "Michael JerkOff"??

*

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:48 PM on 10/30/2007
- VictorLudorum See Profile I'm a Fan of VictorLudorum permalink

Another Federal Agency is needed to sit and gape at The Sun and The Moon and be there to distribute news about Globalwide Warming and Environmental Extremities anywhere in the World.... Thats plus tax!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:44 PM on 10/30/2007
- samuraijack See Profile I'm a Fan of samuraijack permalink

Wow! Chertoff Smack-Down!!! He comes off as super bad! Now if he could just fix New Orleans... Seems like smoke and mirrors to me. The story is not the fake press conference, the story is a broken, feeble, ineffective, bloated and ridiculous agency which has duplicated efforts and failed to succeed in a misearble manner.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:26 PM on 10/30/2007
- starrianna See Profile I'm a Fan of starrianna permalink

Chertoff looks like something you'd dress up as for Halloween.

And he's about as funny.

Anglo-Saxon THIS, tool!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:14 PM on 10/30/2007
- HumeSkeptic See Profile I'm a Fan of HumeSkeptic permalink


Why change?

Their fake press conference worked. The wind changed direction and we have even had a few showers in San Diego.

FEMA saved San Diego. Bush saved San Diego.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:34 PM on 10/30/2007
- starrianna See Profile I'm a Fan of starrianna permalink

*************************************
FEMA is corrupt.

Apparently, they were dispatched to NYC
THE DAY
*** BEFORE ***
9/11

Weird, huh?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:15 PM on 10/30/2007
- huffingNpuffing See Profile I'm a Fan of huffingNpuffing permalink

Will FEMA will be giving us a performance of War of the Worlds on Halloween?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:32 PM on 10/30/2007
- ChaoticGood See Profile I'm a Fan of ChaoticGood permalink

If FEMA wants to pretend to be a functioning government agency, we can pretend to pay their salaries. OH NO, accountability. A dirty word in the Bush Unitary Executive game plan. At least they are loyal if not very bright.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:15 PM on 10/30/2007
- Stayalert See Profile I'm a Fan of Stayalert permalink

Sort of OT...NYT says that BUsh is mad at congress for non stop investigations...
WELL GEE, if there weren't so many things to investigate...?
One+ One = duh,
" in my hearts, I am thinking of the Jeffcoats"...( fire victims) BUSHISM..

BUSH has more than one heart, and no brain?
Therefore, FEMA is an offshoot of Bush's brain and lack of accountability = more investigations.
See how it works BUSH.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:52 PM on 10/30/2007
- Ping See Profile I'm a Fan of Ping permalink

Why the media consistently allows Chertoff to get away with his BS is beyond me. They blame Michael Brown, Dave Paulison but somehow the lawyer who was giving a speech the day after Katrina is "untouchable". He is about the most incompetent member of the Bush cabinet. When is the media going to get the hint that this guy is a moron?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:05 PM on 10/30/2007
- andyboy See Profile I'm a Fan of andyboy permalink

Oh they know Ping. They know. When will you get the hint that the media lies all day every day for it's corporate/political masters on the right?

Our government hates us. They really hate that we get to vote. So they rendered that meaningless. You serve no purpose other than as a source of funds to blow on any and every extravagance known to man. Chertoff lives the life of a rock star. As do all of our Congress people and the entire upper echelon of our "leadership".

Think about it for a second. How much of the trillions of dollars we pay is actually not pissed away? Maybe 2%. The rest? Give me a break. We're going to send a half billion to Mexico next year to "fight drugs". That's not a joke. They in turn will use the money to buy huge numbers of weapons from American gun companies. Then they will sell them retail to the drug cartels who will use them to thwart any progress in the "war" on drugs. See how great taxpayer money is?

Now shut up and get out and get a second job slacker.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 PM on 10/30/2007
- zizyphus See Profile I'm a Fan of zizyphus permalink

Andy, it looks like the media has been infiltrated by the intelligence agencies. As to the billions Bush wants to give Mexico for the War on Drugs, I am beginning to think it is kind of like hush money. It appears that the Bush family has been beneficiaries of the WOD since before the old Bush was President. Remember, old man Bush was head of the CIA.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:35 PM on 10/30/2007
- MMF See Profile I'm a Fan of MMF permalink

"FEMA Administrator David Paulison, appropriately chastised by the "Anglo-Saxon" remarks of David Chertoff, wants you to know that he's sorry for the pretend press conference his organization staged last week."

You mean MICHAEL Chertoff, right?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:04 PM on 10/30/2007
- ArjenBoatsma See Profile I'm a Fan of ArjenBoatsma permalink

Media guidelines serve their purpose and all, but shouldn't FEMA be more worried about some real competence in fighting / mitigating disasters, and the subsequent rebuilding?

If FEMA does its job right in the first place, media relations should be a cake walk

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:19 PM on 10/30/2007
- gcallaghan See Profile I'm a Fan of gcallaghan permalink

Their problem is the agency stresses politics over getting results. In post-disaster reviews they focus on if and how the party can best spin it to their advantage, the rest never gets addressed. Time after time, they came up short because they're studying the wrong lessons. Those of us left intact should count our blessings, only one more season each of hurricanes, fires and floods before these asswipes are sent packing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:36 PM on 10/30/2007
- Stayalert See Profile I'm a Fan of Stayalert permalink

Yup. they are studying the wrong chapter/lesson and woefully doing the job that FEMA is supposed to do right the first time and immediately.

I say, FEMA and its directors etc BUSH get a F for comprehension, and aptitude.
And another F for not doing the lesson right AFTER being told HOW to do it right.
'see here is the answer now put that down on paper'...numnuts, you didn't put the answer down that I told you to...


Will they ever learn?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:55 PM on 10/30/2007
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