FEMA's Show Biz Debut

When FEMA announced this Tuesday, October 23rd , with only fifteen minutes warning, that it would conduct a news conference for the California wildfires, no members of the press were able to physically attend.

So, faced with an empty house, desperate for a good review, and holding a script too good to waste, it did the only logical thing:

FEMA put on a show.

Drafting its press officers to pose as reporters, Deputy Administrator Harvey Johnson conducted a Q & A session with scripted questions, allowing him the opportunity to do a little bragging while informing the public.

BBC: "I'm very happy with Fema's response," Mr Johnson said in reply to one query from an employee.

From USA Today:
"Here's a sampling of the questions:

QUESTION: Sir, there are a number of reports that people weren't heeding evacuation orders and that was hindering emergency responders. Can you speak a little to that, please?

QUESTION: Can you address a little bit what it means to have the president issue an emergency declaration, as opposed to a major disaster declaration? What does that (inaudible) for FEMA?

QUESTION: Sir, we understand the secretary and the administrator of FEMA are on their way out there. What is their objective? And is there anyone else traveling with them?

STAFF: Last question.

QUESTION: What lessons learned from Katrina have been applied?"

You can feel the eagerness in the FEMA performance, and you've got to give them credit for their spirit. Watching Johnson was reminiscent of the archetypal downtrodden theater kid who just has to get back on his high school stage and prove he's got what it takes, no matter that the last show was a disaster.

The only flaw was that an actual reporter from The Washington Post was listening on the phone during the production, suspicions were aroused, and pretty soon the jig was up.

The Department for Homeland Security has criticized and distanced itself from FEMA on Friday the 26th after the details of the charade came to light, stating that it had no knowledge of the fake press conference beforehand.

Deputy Chief Johnson, hangdog drama-kid to the bitter end, promised to do better next time.

But all was not a total waste.

Though the outcome was not an intentional one, FEMA's farce did take a dramatic step over a very important and ominous line, and in doing so it delivered to the American people this surreal and almost Zen-like spectacle: An agency of the United States Government, having "press conferences" with itself without any press, questioning itself, praising itself, to itself.

Actors played every role in what was supposed to have been a transparent connection between a government and its people, poignantly echoing something Kurt Vonnegut said once:

"The American People are not a people anymore; they are an audience."

In this instance, literally.

Comments

[desertdweller]

They put it out there - we swallow it - they keep putting it out there. Who's really to blame?

[weslenforever]

Dennis Kucinich is going to bring the Articles of Impeachment against Cheney to the floor for a vote in 2 weeks. But he needs anyone who is willing to call/write/e-mail their own representatives and tell them to vote NO on the Motion to Table that will be brought immediately after. The Motion to Table HAS to be defeated before they will vote on the Articles themselves. Please help Dennis get the Articles of Impeachment to a vote.

[davefoc]

It is interesting that the administration that planted gay escort/fake reporter Jeff Gannon to ask softball questions in news conferences, and the administration that set up their own fake news conference in Iraq with carefully planted soldiers and the administration that secretly hired pundit Armstrong Williams to support legislation would find this fake news conference such a bad thing. Apparently fake media events are OK when done by top ranking administration officials but not so much by those lower in the food chain.

Fake news conference in Iraq
http://newsbusters.org/node/2192

Jeff Gannon - Gay escort/fake reporter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Gannon

Armstrong Williams - shill
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-01-06-williams-whitehouse_x.htm

[3fingerbrown]

After all these years the Bush administration still hasn't learned how to efficiently run a crooked, amoral regime.
The first rule is competence. It's hard to imagine such an ill-conceived, easy-to-expose deception with Boss Tweed or Mussolini at the helm. They just don't make master criminals the way they used to. It's a shame to see the modern variety showing so little pride in their craft. Whatever became of an honest day's work for a dishonest day's dollar?
In Tweed's New York, Bush wouldn't rate as an assistant sewer inspector.

[PepperzMom]

Hey! "Assistant sewer inspector"?

Poor Ed Norton, even he's smarter than Shrubster, and now his profession is smeared...

:)

[PoliceState]

This is a natural and logical outcome of seven years of the Bush administration. The government sees itself absolutely above the people. We have become answerable to government, not the other way 'round. This fake press conference is only a sample of what's to come.

[weslenforever]

If it wasn't so sickening it would almost be funny watching Chertoff yelling at his people for doing exactly what HE told them to do. I wonder who he thinks he's fooling? Nasty lying little weasel.

[ljsfolly]

I live in San Diego in a "fire zip code" and was in an evacuated area except I was out of town at the time. I depended on the news to tell me about my loved ones and the potential fate they were possibly facing. I saw the big pictures of fire and I also saw the evacuated areas on the internet. I talked to friends on the phone daily and they told me horror stories of running for their lives from the fire not many miles from where I live. The phoney news conference put on by FEMA was just another added lie and dog and pony show I would only expect now from bush and his bunch of cronies. That they now scream "I was never told they were going to do the phoney news show" it all just sounds so familier to me and how this bunch plays on emotions and our fears.

[larryfishkorn]

Wait a second. FEMA had to stage a phony press conference? I thought that's what Fox News was for! Where's Rove when you need him?

[EnderCraig]

And how funny is it that these asses humiliate themselves by holding a "sure thing home run" press conference to assure us that they are performing competantly and there has been no screw ups at FEMA. HA HA HA. . .HARDY HO HA. . .HAH HUH HA HA HA. Hell of a job!

[EnderCraig]

I can easily imagine a phone call from the president to the new Brownie of FEMA instructing him to give a fake news conference about the California wild fires. “If your worried about reporters then just don't invite them! Our guys over at fox will make it work. Your doin a hell of a job.”
Bush doesn't understand that we know he's a lier. He's the only one in government who doesn't know what a joke he is. Even his best supporters know this, they just think the ends justify the means. Remember a while back when he made the gaff about- “Its my job to jump start the propaganda?” Do you think any of the bright people in the white house pulled the president aside and said- “Sir, propaganda is positive when used by our government against our enemies in a time of war. . . but propaganda directed at our own people by our own government undermines democracy, is immoral, and even treasonous.” I doubt very much that bush invites that level of criticism from his aides. He was undoubtedly repeating something he heard said by someone smart enough not to say it in mixed company. But he believed it and still does.
This FEMA press conference is evidence of this mindset. Sure the white house denounced the administrators responsible, but thats because they got caught. They've been Larry Craiged on their deliberate misinformation again and again. I almost wish real journalists would stop going to the white house press briefings. Such Lies.

[rch]

Everywhere we turn we have the Republican Regime incompetence. No, make that gross incompetence with a dollop of sheer stupidity on top. Wake up America! Thanks for your insightful blog, Justin!

[JerseyBob]

Well now, a federal Deputy Administrator heading up a bogus news conference. A FEMA Deputy to boot. A professional? It is at the same time insulting and comedic. Certainly, a resignation is called for. If it is not forthcoming, a letter of resignation can be written for the Deputy and placed in a folder. A notce of termination can be placed in another folder. Both folders and a pen can be given the Deputy. He can choose. There is an ominous sense here of a large lack of common sense, of street smarts. Burnt toast slathered with ego. FEMA employees should be apoogized to because they are identified with this sham event. DHS's Chertoff and FEMA's Paulison must act responsibly and see that the Deputy leaves and that appropriate apologies are tendered. This is the kind of thing that needs to be done now or the event may fester. Hey, it may be a big rug.

[TwilightZoneResident]

JerseyBob, if the deputy leaves (voluntarily or not), then B/C gets away with another lie and has someone else take the blame. I think we can all be assured that this is a regular occurance (Jeff Gannon?) and that no matter who is in charge under this regime, that this type of attitude will exist and thrive. I am now afraid that living in America today is very much like living in Germany in the 30s. This generates the question: who will save us from us? TZR

P.S. Whether the deputy leaves or not, there will be no punishment. If he leaves, he will get a great job paying more money for jumping on the grenade for these people. If he stays, he will get a great review and get a bonus.

[NotGuilty]

This is Bush at his deceptive best, which is really lousy. If this was the first time a loyal Bushie lied or one of Bush's agencies were caught defrauding Americans or if we hadn't have suffered thru Bush's Katrina lies you could almost dismiss this latest slap in our faces as a calculated mistake but these guys aren't freshmen.

Michael Jerkoff says heads will roll. Oh really? Whose? Certainly not Bush or Cheney's and Rove is long gone or is he?

This FEMA outrage smacks of Rove'd dirty tricks.

Republicans have never liked doing things for Americans, except of course themselves because spending American' tax monies on Americans is, well..... Communist, Socialist or unamerican .

This FEMA outrage is simply another of a long list of impeachable offenses that will go unheard.

Bush's fake news conferences are different from FEMA's HOW? It's still all lies.

[azcamp]

FEMA is still run by incompetents. The Governor of Califronia is responsible for actions taken to protect lives in the California wildfires.

I was there for the 2003 fires and local officials in San Diego County get credit for putting in a reverse 911 call system and for seting up competent incident management teams. Residents volunteered and private companies sent food and water to shelters.

FEMA held a fake news conference because that's what they know how to do.

[IllinoisBC]

Well, I for one am looking forward to the REAL news conference, between FEMA's head and actual network and California newpeople. I'm sure that one is scheduled to happen -- wouldn't that be the only way to correct any unintended false impression left by the original intended false impression?

[TwilightZoneResident]

IllinoisBC, do you, for one second, think that the "real" journalists will question, in a journalistic, inquisitive and informed manner, this regime? Keep up the faith! TZR