Michael ‘Brownie’ Brown: Obama Acted Too Quickly In Sandy Response

Fromer FEMA director during Hurricane Katrina thinks president played superstorm to his political advantage

Former President George W. Bush isn’t likely to praise former FEMA director Michael Brown for the “heckuva job” he did criticizing President Barack Obama's for response to Superstorm Sandy. Brown, or “Brownie” as many have come to know him, seemed to suggest to Denver’s Westword on Monday that Obama should have adopted the strategy he and the Bush administration took during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – wait until things get really bad on the ground, so that victims don’t become to dependent on federal help in the face of disaster. “Here’s my concern,” Brown said in his Westword interview, “It's premature [when] the brunt of the storm won't happen until later this afternoon." As of Wednesday, 38 people had died because of the storm and millions were without power in storm-ravaged coastal communities along the east coast of the U.S. On Sunday, Obama declared states of emergency for those coastal states, well before the storm hit. Brown suggested Obama was just trying to look good, similar perhaps to remarks from Republican provocateur Donald Trump did earlier this week. “He probably figured Sunday was a good day to do a press conference,” Brown said in his interview. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, an avid supporter of Obama presidential rival Mitt Romney, praised the incumbent’s response to the storm. The two were expected to meet and tour hard-hit area on Wednesday. No word yet if Brown has removed the foot from his mouth. (Huffington Post)

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