FEMA flubs again

[Judy G. Russell]

What is it with these people? Are they really as brainless as they seem?

Seems that the Federal Emergency Management Agency staged a phony news conference about assistance to victims of wildfires in southern California.

To quote the Associated Press:
The agency — much maligned for its sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina over two years ago — arranged to have FEMA employees play the part of independent reporters Tuesday and ask questions of Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the agency’s deputy director.

The questions were predictably soft and gratuitous.
So what IS it? Stupidity? Hubris? Both? Did they think nobody in the press corps would notice that (a) they called the press conference on 15 minutes notice and (b) none of the people asking questions were reporters?

[Mike]

What is it with these people?
I used to think Weather Forecaster was the only job where one could constantly be wrong and screw up repeatedly. I stand corrected.

[Judy G. Russell]

I used to think Weather Forecaster was the only job where one could constantly be wrong and screw up repeatedly. I stand corrected.Amazing, isn't it? You'd think those people would be working overtime and then some not to do anything else really idiotic ("we don't know of any problems at the Superdome" while CNN is showing the film on a split screen...).

[Mike]

...not to do anything else really idiotic...
An agency of our government. Our repuglican government?

Shirley U Geste!

[Lindsey]

So what IS it? Stupidity? Hubris? Both? Did they think nobody in the press corps would notice that (a) they called the press conference on 15 minutes notice and (b) none of the people asking questions were reporters?
I'm wondering if that fake press conference was the brain child of the person who told Brown to roll up his sleeves when he appeared on TV so that he would look like he was down in the trenches working hard.

Of course, this entire administration lives in its own little fantasy world, so I guess it should come as no surprise that they think they can stage a press conference and have everyone accept it as the real thing. They have lost the ability to see the difference between real and staged.

--Lindsey