JE wants "Brownie's law" to require qualified people, not political hacks, to lead federal agencies

Edwards wants law against "Brownies"

=By Jeff Franks

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Former Sen. John Edwards said at a Hurricane Katrina conference he would propose what he called "Brownie's Law" requiring that qualified people, not political hacks, lead key federal agencies.

Edwards, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, drew laughter when he spoke on Monday of the proposal at the "Hope and Recovery Summit" ahead of the two-year anniversary of the storm on Wednesday.

"It's an absolute travesty to have people who are essentially political hacks in a very responsible position," he told the audience at the University of New Orleans.

"Brownie" refers to Michael Brown, who was head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency when Katrina struck the United States on August 29, 2005. He was criticized as being a political appointee unprepared to lead FEMA when a floundering government effort stranded thousands for days in flooded New Orleans.

He resigned shortly after President George W. Bush, who appointed him to the post, told him publicly, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" as chaos reigned in the devastated city.==

Read the rest at http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2721144820070828

I wish you could catch fire and win this thing. I am so discouraged that we are gonna get Repuke lite DLC Hillary instead of a REAL DEMOCRAT POPULIST, like you are.

Here's to hoping.

:bounce:

Then FEMA became part of DHS and under the PATRIOT act no Senate confirmation was needed for * to promote Brownie to the top of the Agency. This was in the 107th Congress

Remember, Brownie is not exception for this administration. He just got exposed to the nation as incompetent. I don't think we can blame senators for not having psychic powers and seeing that Katrina would happen and Brown would bungle the response.

and isn't this sort of thing already illegal?
you're a lawyer john. how about instead of pie in the sky, you name some names, and quote some statutes.

Here's the committee list

JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman

CARL LEVIN, Michigan
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois
ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey
MAX CLELAND, Georgia
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
JEAN CARNAHAN, Missouri
MARK DAYTON, Minnesota
FRED THOMPSON, Tennessee
TED STEVENS, Alaska
SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah
JIM BUNNING, Kentucky
PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois

I indicate by bold face the four who actually attended. Campbell and Allard of Colorado also appeared, to provide testimonial to Brownie's expertise. Edwards wasn't on that committee.

Here's a text link to the fairly vacuous transcript:

HEARING before the COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE, ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
ON THE NOMINATION OF MICHAEL D. BROWN
TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
http://ehammersley.home.insightbb.com/geekswithblogs/SHRG107-616.txt

And it appears he has recognized his decision as a mistake and is currently working on ways to prevent that same mistake from happening again.

(Caveat: I have not yet chosen a nominee to support...)

International Drive to see him at his meet-up. But I did send a donation.

I guess that lets out most of the Republicans.

post, and I will say it again: I have not yet picked my candidate, but the more I see of Edwards, the more I like.

I mean, for something besides the haircut story...

But isn't it what Congress is already supposed to be doing, overseeing the qualifications of appointees? How would this "Brownie's Law" change the current process?