MR. PRESIDENT FIRE THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY

From AP via Yahoo:

The government's disaster chief 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, according to internal documents.

Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sought the approval from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response for victims.

Before then, FEMA had positioned smaller rescue and communications teams across the Gulf Coast. But officials acknowledged Tuesday the first department-wide appeal for help came only as the storm raged.

What failure is big enough for you to fire anyone Mr. President? This is our Government Mr. President, and this isn't my country's values.

UPDATE: Thank you Nancy Pelosi for calling it out! From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Critics have singled out Brown, the head of the emergency management agency, who was commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association before joining the agency as general counsel in 2001. Brown was sharply criticized for telling CNN Thursday night he did not know that thousands of people had no food or water at the New Orleans convention center -- even though TV images had shown their plight all day.

"If somebody is incompetent, has no credentials for the job that he holds, and that, I would say, is Michael Brown, the head of FEMA ... then he should not continue in that job," Pelosi said after her meeting at the White House.

Asked Bush's reaction, Pelosi said, "the president thanked me for my suggestion."

The internal documents disclosed Tuesday showed that Brown sought approval to send employees to the Gulf Coast from Homeland Security Secretary Mike Chertoff roughly five hours after Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29. Brown said that among duties of these employees was to "convey a positive image" about the government's response.

Thank you Nancy Pelosi for a moment of sanity in the winds of hurricane Karl. Since when is our disaster management agency a dumping ground for political hacks? Since the President clearly doesn't care one bit about average Americans. Thousands have died because of it, but, hey, now is not the time to talk about corruption, there is Halliburton money to be made!

They are so repulsive it disgusts me.