Bush.."I should have taken door #2"

"And that's why I'm happy you left," Shays retorted, suggesting that Brown's response conveyed the impression "that you weren't capable to do the job."

I suggested below that the administration needed to maintain control over what Michael Brown said and that they had two choices:

1. Keep him on the payroll
2. Have him killed

Well they took door number one and after today's performance before a House panel today it appears door two would have been a better choice.

Michael D. Brown, the ousted director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appeared before a House panel this morning and blamed Louisiana officials for what he called a "dysfunctional" response to Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,000 people and caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage on the Gulf Coast.

Of course Brown blamed everyone but himself and started out with the elected officials in Louisiana.

"My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday [Aug. 27] that Louisiana was dysfunctional," Brown said.

Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who participated in the hearing although he is not a member of the committee, disputed Brown's description of Louisiana as dysfunctional and accused him of providing "a very weak explanation of what happened."

"I find it absolutely stunning that this hearing would start out with you . . . laying blame at the feet of the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans," Jefferson said. He cited a 2004 FEMA study of hurricane impacts on Louisiana and the National Response Plan, which predicted that local police and firefighters would become storm victims, that the state would be overwhelmed and that a "proactive federal response" would be required.

He also managed to find some blame for The Department of Homeland Security for cutting his budget and said he told the White House that “this is going to be a bad one” before the storm. The Republicans were not pleased with his testimony either.

Pressed on how, as a self-described coordinator, he had "coordinated the evacuation," Brown said, "By urging the governor and the mayor to order the mandatory evacuation."

"And that's coordinating?" Shays asked.

"What would you like for me to do, congressman?" Brown replied.

"And that's why I'm happy you left," Shays retorted, suggesting that Brown's response conveyed the impression "that you weren't capable to do the job."

Steve Soto says it all:

Well, Rove needs to find the rocket scientist whose idea it was to send former FEMA chief Michael Brown to Congress....

Door number two anyone?