WP: Former FEMA Director to Testify About Katrina

Washington Post
Former FEMA Director to Testify About Katrina
February 10, 2006

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/09/AR2006020901983.html

Michael D. Brown, the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was rebuffed in his request for a claim of executive privilege and plans to testify to a Senate panel today about his calls and e-mails to President Bush and top White House aides in the Hurricane Katrina crisis, Brown's lawyer said yesterday.

White House Counsel Harriet Miers declined to offer Brown a legal defense for declining to testify or respond to a Feb. 6 letter advising that without such protection Brown "intends to answer all questions fully, completely and accurately," said Brown's lawyer, Andrew W. Lester.
Special Report.

Lester wrote that Brown will testify if asked about communications with Bush, Vice President Cheney, Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr., Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff Joseph Hagin, domestic policy adviser Claude A. Allen and national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley.

Looks like the "blackmail" didn't work. So will the Regime be sorry they didn't pay up?

Insufferable twit.

Bridge project somewhere......oooops.....where is Mike....GEEZ I saw him this morning for breakfast....

ranch and I don't mean dressing. Let's see if he can hide up in there with all that brush and sago palms.

we can't see.

Randi Rhodes spent most of her show today talking about the other FEMA scandal. Bush's appointee to run FEMA before Brownie was another political hack whose only qualifications was having been a Bush campaign manager. He was long-time secret business partners with Brownie and they both had been in involved with a series of financial improprieties, she said, including large unpaid debts.

She said Brownie's predecessor at FEMA then made sure Brownie got appointed as FEMA director instead of the much more qualified Deputy Director. She said that the former FEMA director then became a lobbyist for companies seeking exclusive contracts with FEMA. They would then subcontract the work and keep large profits. In effect, some were shell companies that didn't have the resources to provide what was needed.

She said he knew Brownie would cooperate with his scheme. There have been allegations that some of the delays in getting aid to Katrina victims was because FEMA insisted on going through their pre-selected favored contractors, instead of the companies that were close by and able to act the fastest.

They also conspired to throw tons of Fema money all over Florida right before the 2004 election, including in many counties where there was no actual hurricane damage.

Here's more info on him:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joe_M._Allbaugh

Randi Rhodes also discussed Albaugh's very close connections to Cheney and Halliburton. If I remember correctly, Albaugh even bought Cheney's house from him when Cheney went to Washington.

I sure plan on watching! I'm sure there's lots of phone conversations tonight, but I'd bet Brownie is pissed enough to tell all if the WH doesn't pay for his lawyers. I also suspect the WH is arrogant enough that they would NEVER concede to a brobe like that.

It will be interesting to see just how much Brownie knows!

so he probably doesnt have much. :shrug:

I doubt he knows a whole lot, but if he can testify that he contacted Chertoff and the WH guys many times and was just blown off, it's not going to be good news for the top guys.

Seems they like to sing. Libby sang today (yesterday?). Let's see how well Brownie sings tomorrow.

If he really had the goods they would have found a way to shut him long ago.
He's obviously seen what wonderful things they can do to convince people to
remain quiet and wanted some of it himself.

He probably thinks he has a mountain of rich dirt to spill but I'm sure the
administration have big shovels all ready to bury him as soon as he dumps his load.

I don't hold much hope for any excitement here.

boy, will that sound byte be played over and over after this asshole spills the beans. michael, I'm the real frank burns, brown, will squeel, sing, tattle, stool and blab his way out of this mess if it takes him off the hotseat. And now that not a soul is coming to help him out, he's going to be that rat and try and take as many down with him as possible, in typical frank burns style.

Last nite on Hardball Barney Frank(D)MASS said that he thinks Bush wants to keep the blacks from coming back to Louisiana and keep them in TX!!He thinks that by doing that and making Louisiana more white that it will go Republican in the elections of 06 and 08!!Bush is one sick fu%$ but,it is no surprise to me.Did anyone else watch it last nite?

It would serve Brownie well to take some responsibility and apologize for some of his mistakes. It is easier to blame others if you accept some of the blame.