TPM Reader JS checks in …
[James Lee] Witt actually oversaw the recovering from flooding in Arkansas 15 or so years ago. I was there, I know. As head of FEMA, he had an impeccable record of responding well and the best ever to disasters. He drew bipartisan support including from Bush. So why are Democrats and others not demanding that HE not Rudy who has no experience with flooding and hurricanes _ but WITT BE PUT IN CHARGE OF THIS?!!! He has experience, the qualifications and the proven record. No one in this administration or Rudy has that.
JS must be responding <$Ad$> to Newt Gingrich’s call to put Rudy Giuliani in charge of reconstruction.
First, though, let’s remember that Rudy’s moments of greatness were during the attacks and their immediate aftermath. His record in work that is comparable to what’s on offer here is decidely more mixed. Do we want Bernie Kerik retooling the gambling boats down on the Delta? Maybe the bars on Bourbon Street?
In truth, though, I’m not sure even appointing an eminently qualified guy like Witt as Bush’s Delta Czar will be enough to insulate the operation from the administration’s endemic cronyism and graft. Maybe we need to be thinking of something more along the lines of the RTC, a time-limited government-chartered corporation run by non-partisan professionals. Can we really afford to blow another $100 billion? Think about it. Haven’t we already seen the Baghdad version of this movie?
