The last nail in Michael Brown's coffin...

...thank goodness.

FEMA Chief Waited Until After Storm Hit

"...waited until hours after Hurricane Katrina had already struck the Gulf Coast before asking his boss to dispatch 1,000 Homeland Security employees to the region - and gave them two days to arrive..."
OK, look, discounting the flooding in New Orleans, which we all know didn't become the issue it ultimately became until later on: Hundreds of square miles in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were (and still are) tore the fuck up. But hey, no hurry, guys.

"Brown said that among duties of these employees was to 'convey a positive image' about the government's response for victims."
Looks like that training didn't take.

"Brown's memo to Chertoff described Katrina as 'this near catastrophic event' but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, 'Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities."
"Near" catastrophic? I repeat: tore the fuck up.

It's been obvious for days now that he was going to become the fall guy on this - I think what probably sealed his fate was his admission live on CNN last Thursday night that FEMA didn't even know about the convention center and the situation there until that day. (And then the next morning he was claiming that FEMA had been providing the people at said convention center with "one, if not two, meals a day." Whatever.) My worry here is that he becomes the only fall guy when it's clear to everyone with a functioning brain cell that this was a titanic screwup on a number of levels. And I don't have too much faith in the so-called "inquiry" that Bush plans to lead - it's like letting Barry Bonds run MLB's steroids investigation.

And the White House can talk all it wants about focusing on the disaster now and playing the "blame game" later, but you know what? That doesn't wash with me. In case you haven't noticed, it's still hurricane season. Do you want these people in charge of things when the next storm hits? Me neither.