FEMA, Orphan Of The Storm

Two bits on FEMA:

First, from Mike Froomkin, a link to a post titled "I just got back from a FEMA Detainment Camp" by an author named Valhall, purporting to describe an evacuee camp set up by FEMA at a Baptist youth camp called Falls Church. He posted it hoping someone could prove it to be faked, but as he noted, and I concur, the behavior of FEMA's agents in these last days makes it all the more likely to be credible. Take a look at the text and photos, and maybe do a little digging on your own. At face value, I'd say it's probably real.

And second, an illuminating interview held this morning on NPR station WHYY's Radio Times with former FEMA Deputy Director George Haddow, who held the position under Clinton. He explains clearly what FEMA's responsibility is (to coordinate federal, state and local emergency services and to take the lead in situations of overwhelming disasters like Katrina), how Katrina should have been handled, how similar situations had been handled by his agency in the past, how state and local governments had been starved of funds and consequently cut back on emergency preparedness, and much more. He minces no words in assigning blame "all the way to the top." The interview will be available in archives later this afternoon, if you want to hear it.
UPDATE: The interview is up.

Someone (Andrew Sullivan?) said it's too bad this isn't a parliamentary system so we can have a vote of confidence on Bush. But you know at least 38% would be happy to keep him right where he is.