FEMA News Conference Faker Gets Promotion

2 Responses to FEMA News Conference Faker Gets Promotion

1. Iroquois says:

   10/29/2007 at 8:27 pm

   I was about to type a comment to the effect that the terrorists have won. Then, remembering a recent remark from your own Dudly DoRight, Peregrin Wood, that I was obsessed with links, I decided to follow the link. Alas, that link was not stable, but I continued to follow more and more links until I got the straight poop. The story is still apparently unfolding, but here it is so far.

   First of all, the Fox take on the story is quite a bit different from the WaPo take.

   First the Washington Post.
   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502488.html?sub=AR
   Who were the players?

   Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing

   FEMA press secretary Aaron Walker interrupted at one point to caution he’d allow just “two more questions.” Later, he called for a “last question.”

   We’re told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA’s deputy director of external affairs, and by “Mike” Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John “Pat” Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.

   Damage control statements given (at least to WaPo) was done afterwards by Johnson and Widomski. Also:

   But the staff did not make up the questions, he [Widomski] said

   So according to this account, the most Philbin did was read a question for the camera that someone else had prepared.

   Now the Fox account. Notice the zinger in the fifth paragraph.

   FOX News learned Monday that John P. “Pat” Philbin, who was supposed to be joining the ODNI’s public affairs division on Monday as its chief, is no longer being considered for the job.

   “We do not normally comment on personnel matters. However, we can confirm that Mr. Philbin is not, nor is he scheduled to be, the Director of Public Affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,” a spokesman for the ODNI’s office said in a prepared statement.

   Philbin’s employment at FEMA officially ended Friday, DHS officials said, because he had already submitted his resignation to take the DNI job. He will not be returning, and a page linking to his biography on the FEMA Web site has been taken down.

   The Associated Press reported earlier that Philbin’s hire was being put on hold so Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell could review Philbin’s record.

   Philbin came under fire last week after he put together a short-notice, televised news conference at FEMA headquarters regarding the southern California wildfires.

   So now all of a sudden, this Philbin guy, who had already given notice and left FEMA for a different agency, is getting blamed for the whole fiasco, and is being set up by Fox News (and presumably the administration) to take the fall. How convenient. The administration can just muddy the waters a bit, pretend the real bad guy is now gone from FEMA, and continue with business as usual.

   Reply
2. Iroquois says:

   10/29/2007 at 8:31 pm

   Oh, since I’m “link-happy”, here’s the link for the Fox piece:

   http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305969,00.html

   Reply