FEMA Failed and So Did Bush

Glenn Reynolds links to a Rod Dreher take on the management of FEMA and their abilities.

Political cronyism is as old as politics itself. And if it were a benign agency such as Social Security or one of the many DOL non-jobs I'd have no problem.

Bush making a political ally the head of FEMA when he has no qualifications is misguided at best, negligent at worst. It's not as bad as Jim McGreevey appointing Golan Cipel as the Director of Homeland Security in NJ, but it's damn close.

Emergency management is a tricky business. One decision can have far reaching, potentially disastrous effects. I still believe that it was not the federal governments fault, or at least not completely their fault. It was a systemic failure that must be immediately rectified if we want to avoid a replay of the events being played out in Louisiana (events that miraculously seem to be less disastrous than predicted).

Those who read this blog on a normal basis know that I have experience in emergency response. Would I install a friend to lead a response team knowing they have little or no credentials? Hell no. I would look at who had the real experience in that oragnization prior to my being elected and interview the top thirty people. I would ask how they'd react in hypothetical situations and what actions they would take. I would lay a scenario out that has never occurred and probably never will, but I'd gauge their reactions and most importantly, see how they delegate their authority.

By installing the top echelon of management those with no experience was a major screw up. I don't think that Bush reacted too slowly, the military acted flawlessly. His problem was that he relied on people he (or some nameless underling, but ultimately his responsibility) appointed who were grossly unqualified to hold the positions they currently are getting paid for. Hopefully Bush will learn from this, but in my opinion, this is a definite stain on his administration and his management.

Update: The head of FEMA is confirmed by the Senate. Shouldn't a reporter ask Ms. Pelosi or Sen. Kennedy why they allowed him to be confirmed in the first place?

Update 2 (9/11 0930): I've received several e-mails slamming me for speaking out against the president. This is a case where the administration was clearly wrong. I am a huge supporter of Bush and will continue to be. That said, by not questioning our leaders when circumstances warrant will reduce us to the equivalent of Kool-aid drinkers at Atrios' and Kos' sites. That is not simething I could live with.

This is a clear cut case of bad management, one that would have occurred if we were discussing a President Kerry (shudder) response. Bush made a huge mistake by putting an unqualified team of supporters into a position that could have far-reaching repercussions.