HOT OFF THE GRILL...

NEWS AND VIEWS...LATE BREAKING

BY LES AARON


…Is this indicative? You tell me. Consider that Republicans are breaking away from their previous support, albeit lukewarm, for the idea that it’s okay to violate Constitutional law if your name is Bush…
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The name of the game is snooping and this government admits that it has peeked in on the affairs of 5,000 American citizens… Of course, the rest of us would never have known about it if it hadn’t slipped out. But in this day and age, when every tidbit of news is buried so deep that it never sees the light of day, it’s amazing that this much news has made the front page…

The evidence seems to suggest that Bush & Company have simply gone to far this time in pushing the chutzpah button … Even Republicans feel uncomfortable about it. And when they start feeling anything akin to an emotion, then it’s time for the party of the rich and privileged to worry.

And lest we forget, mid-terms are creeping up. Representative Heather Wilson, former low-profile loyalist and Chairwoman of the subcommittee that overseas NSA, has called for a full scale investigation! Wow! But some Republicans are saying that that isn’t good enough!....Susan Collins, Senator of Main, felt just ‘citing the president’s inherent authority or the authorization to go to war with Iraq…” are insufficient grounds for conducting the program. Collins calls it a “stretch!”

With that kind of division within the Party, it’s clear that we haven’t seen the last of this snooping issue and when combined with all of the other disasters befalling this administration, one might not be surprised if it’s the straw that herniates the camel!

Are you feeling appropriately sad yet?

BROWNIE BLAMES BUSH…

It’s always the last ones you’d expect it of. Imagine being the beneficiary of a comfortable sinecure and then to show your appreciation, you bite the hand that feeds you! This is not too far off mark for the way ex-FEMA leader, Michael D. Brown is being characterized.

No more, Mr. Nice Guy, Michael D. Brown has not only neglected his bridges, he’s burned them, too. As a result of never having to worry about going back home again, Mr. Brown has taken off the gloves and entered the limelight only to fling blame and accusations all over without getting a hair out of place.

He has attempted in his carefully choreographed performance to shine a a convenient spotlight on what he considers the failure of this administration to support his organization’s effort to deal with natural disasters.

According to the Brown interpretation, the president and his senior staff knew precisely what was going on each and every moment of the unfolding disaster called Hurricane Katrina; not as the president has claimed that he only got wind of the seriousness of the situation the following day….

Brown went on to castigate the FEMA ties with Homeland Security. He said that FEMA’s problems had been exacerbated when merged into Homeland Security and consequently that’s why it didn’t make sense to talk to Director Michael Chertoff…because he would have “done nothing about it…” What? Say again! According to Brown, that was due to Homeland’s Security’s preoccupation with terrorism.

Others, in staff positions, who also gave testimony saw it a different way. They testified that by not giving Chertoff the appropriate “heads up,” Brown had violated the chain of command. The decision to keep Chertoff out of the picture raised more questions than answers and if Brown thinks that that is going to solve the problems he faces, he’s in for some big surprises….

Brown explained that he had instead of going to Homeland Security Director, instead contacted the White House in order to get something done and to keep them in touch with the day to day situation which he had called a disaster on Monday when the levees had first failed.

When Brown started pointing fingers, the investigative panel immediately began to line up by party to avoid any perception of blood bath but to also keep Brown from nibbling away at the foundation that they have been trying to erect for the president as a leader in control. Some used the opportunity to counter Brown’s arguments with questions about how he could remember the content of the messages but not remember who he spoke to. Even if Brown comes off losing this engagement, it still does not remove the onus from the White Housefor its failure to act expeditiously to address the needs of those affected. And that is probably the worst kind of news that the White House could have just about now when everything else is falling apart!....

One Senator, Coleman, a Republican from Minnesota, criticized Mr. Brown for not accepting any of the blame. Mr. Brown, his voice agitated, asked, “what did you want me to do, Mr. Coleman? Mr. Coleman replied I would have liked you to have been more “candid.”

Earlier, he had accused Mr. Brown of not getting it then and not getting it now!...

From what we’ve heard of the investigation, it looks like things can only heat up from here.

Respectfully submitted,

Les Aaron