# I pit FEMA... No, make that this whole fucking administration! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 26, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108 "2007-10-26T14:47:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/1 "2007-10-26T14:47:38Z")
From the Washington Post: [FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502488.html) > [@](#): > > FEMA has truly learned the lessons of Katrina. Even its handling of the media has improved dramatically. For example, as the California wildfires raged Tuesday, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy administrator, had a 1 p.m. news briefing. > > Reporters were given only 15 minutes’ notice of the briefing, making it unlikely many could show up at FEMA’s Southwest D.C. offices. They were given an 800 number to call in, though it was a “listen only” line, the notice said – no questions. Parts of the briefing were carried live on Fox News, MSNBC and other outlets. > > \ > > Very smooth, very professional. But something didn’t seem right. The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA’s greatness. > > Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. 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. I don’t even have much of a rant about this. My response is more like - “eh, so what else is new?”. I think my real rant is against this whole damned fucking administration because things have gotten to the point where this is the kind of behavior I expect from them. I’ve actually come to expect this kind of crap. In fact, I’ve even come to expect that they’ll try to pull off shit like this in the most blatant and incompetent manner possible. Even their attempts to hide their incompetence are incompetent! I don’t know whether to laugh or scream. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/2 "2007-10-26T15:12:06Z")
We’ve already seen faux-journalistic govt promo vids passed off to TV networks and broadcast without disclaimer . . . but **this** breaks new ground! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/3 "2007-10-26T15:18:36Z")
And there will be people on the news stations trying to defend this! ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/4 "2007-10-26T16:14:18Z")
They had no choice but to use FEMA employees. All of the Republican gay male prostitutes were tied up. literally. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/5 "2007-10-26T16:18:23Z")
Hey, it’s technically not illegal so what’s the problem? (New motto of the Republican party.) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/6 "2007-10-26T16:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] They had no choice but to use FEMA employees. All of the Republican gay male prostitutes were tied up. literally. [/QUOTE] They could have held the briefing in an airport men’s room. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/7 "2007-10-26T17:14:14Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] They had no choice but to use FEMA employees. All of the Republican gay male prostitutes were tied up. literally. [/QUOTE] Who’d’a thought all their clients were into that particular kink? :eek:😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/8 "2007-10-26T17:16:24Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] They could have held the briefing in an airport men’s room. [/QUOTE] You are betraying your narrow stance. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/9 "2007-10-26T17:24:07Z")
So FEMA held a press conference where they answered questions that have been left on voicemails all week. The staging of it was poor, but it is not like FEMA has not been answering questions of the press this week. I listened to FEMA answer questions on NPR within the last 48 hours. If FEMA ONLY did this type of press relations, it would be a scandal. I don’t see that this is such a crisis moment. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/10 "2007-10-26T17:47:54Z")
This is a great OP, **davidm**! Can you talk a little bit about how you were able to both quote the article and provide a hyperlink to it, given the complexity of vB coding? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/11 "2007-10-26T18:06:55Z")
[QUOTE=Borborygmi] This is a great OP, **davidm**! Can you talk a little bit about how you were able to both quote the article and provide a hyperlink to it, given the complexity of vB coding? [/QUOTE] 😕 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/12 "2007-10-26T18:29:53Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] So FEMA held a press conference where they answered questions that have been left on voicemails all week. The staging of it was poor, but it is not like FEMA has not been answering questions of the press this week. I listened to FEMA answer questions on NPR within the last 48 hours. If FEMA ONLY did this type of press relations, it would be a scandal. I don’t see that this is such a crisis moment. [/QUOTE] Why the playacting? Why not just appear before the cameras, state that they’ve received a number of questions they’d like to answer, and then read the questions and answer them. In any case, this way of doing things at the very least gives the appearance of cherry picking the questions (whether they really did or not). And why not give a days notice, or at least a few hours? What was so urgent about these particular questions that they had to be answered NOW, even if it meant that reporters wouldn’t have enough notice to be able to attend? It certainly _sounds_ like an excuse used to avoid actually facing reporters. > [@](#): > > Despite the very short notice, “we were expecting the press to come,” he said, but they didn’t. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing. He really, honestly, expected the press to attend with only 15 minutes notice? It all sounds way too convenient to me. This thing was obviously staged to look like the real thing. They pretty much admitted that. If they really truly believe that that’s a legitimate way of doing things, then I don’t know what to say. And I never said it was a “crisis moment” so you can put that strawman away. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/13 "2007-10-26T18:36:09Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] 😕 [/QUOTE] Sorry, just trying to be a fellow Doper lobbing you softball questions as a play on the FEMA antics you posted about. I’ll go 'way now. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/14 "2007-10-26T18:38:10Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Why the playacting? Why not just appear before the cameras, state that they’ve received a number of questions they’d like to answer, and then read the questions and answer them. In any case, this way of doing things at the very least gives the appearance of cherry picking the questions (whether they really did or not). And why not give a days notice, or at least a few hours? What was so urgent about these particular questions that they had to be answered NOW, even if it meant that reporters wouldn’t have enough notice to be able to attend? It certainly _sounds_ like an excuse used to avoid actually facing reporters. He really, honestly, expected the press to attend with only 15 minutes notice? It all sounds way too convenient to me. This thing was obviously staged to look like the real thing. They pretty much admitted that. If they really truly believe that that’s a legitimate way of doing things, then I don’t know what to say. And I never said it was a “crisis moment” so you can put that strawman away. [/QUOTE] I agree that the playacting was dumb, but that it also served to get information out. They should have just made a press briefing where they answered several questions. You DID make it a big deal by pitting them, so there is no strawman on my part. You think that this is so evil that you need to pit - I am stating that it only warrants attention in a mini-rants thread. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/15 "2007-10-26T18:51:41Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] I agree that the playacting was dumb, but that it also served to get information out. They should have just made a press briefing where they answered several questions. You DID make it a big deal by pitting them, so there is no strawman on my part. You think that this is so evil that you need to pit - I am stating that it only warrants attention in a mini-rants thread. [/QUOTE] You just don’t get it. First they get away with stuff like [this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306928) Then they gradually progress to stuff like in the OP. What’s next?! ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/16 "2007-10-26T19:10:29Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] You just don’t get it. First they get away with stuff like [this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306928) Then they gradually progress to stuff like in the OP. What’s next?! [/QUOTE] I guess I think that the FEMA transgression is low on the list, and the paid columnists is the bigger ticket item. In term of bad behavior ranking: 1. Press releases full of data. Low evil 2. Press briefings. Low evil. 3. Press briefings disguised as a press conference (yet apparently not too much of a secret). Low-middlin evil. 4. Only meeting with friendly reporters. Medium to high evil. 5. Paying columnists. High evil. I am not some governmental or Bush apologist, I just didn’t see this as such a horrible thing. Now, if this was the ONLY press contact - I would have questioned it more. Since I listened to NPR interview them, however, I am fairly confident that FEMA has been making itself available for questioning. ---
**Author:** ![sockswsandals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@sockswsandals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sockswsandals)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/17 "2007-10-26T19:40:42Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] You are betraying your narrow stance. [/QUOTE] I agree. You need to stand with feet at least shoulder width apart to even get noticed in those stalls… ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/18 "2007-10-26T20:42:19Z")
[QUOTE=Borborygmi] Sorry, just trying to be a fellow Doper lobbing you softball questions as a play on the FEMA antics you posted about. I’ll go 'way now. [/QUOTE] No need to go away. My fault for not catching your subtle humor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/19 "2007-10-26T20:58:23Z")
[QUOTE=Algher] I agree that the playacting was dumb, but that it also served to get information out. They should have just made a press briefing where they answered several questions. You DID make it a big deal by pitting them, so there is no strawman on my part. You think that this is so evil that you need to pit - I am stating that it only warrants attention in a mini-rants thread. [/QUOTE] I wasn’t aware that there are different levels of rants that belong in different type of threads. (What’s a “mini-rant” thread?) Just how evil does something have to be before I can pit it? You’re reaction is actually illustrating the point I was trying to make. When I first saw this article my reaction was similar to yours - “what’s the big deal”? But when I thought about it I realized that my lukewarm reaction just showed how far we’ve come and how numb we’ve become to the antics of this administration. This should be unacceptable behavior but they’ve gotten away with so much, we’ve seen so much behavior worse than this, that we dismiss it as “eh, no big deal”. That was my rant. It wasn’t about this one specific incident. It was about how numb we’ve become and how far our standards of acceptable governmental behavior have been shifted. That IS a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108/20 "2007-10-26T21:00:15Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] You are betraying your narrow stance. [/QUOTE] 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-fema-no-make-that-this-whole-fucking-administration/424108.md?page=2)